by JR Cook - 11 years ago     show comments

There is no guaranteed road to success in the Hearthstone Arena. It might be that you construct the perfect deck, one with the noblest of intent, the most solid of foundations, and then ultimately somehow, some jerk will beat you because he or she has eight Sea Giants. Where those Sea Giants came from, we may never know.

However, don’t lose heart. The random number generator (RNG) won’t always crush your dreams of a perfect treasure key. Quick wit and good fundamentals will often times win you the day. In my own experiences though, it doesn’t hurt to grab whatever advantage is within your reach. For me, that advantage is the original Warchief himself, Thrall. The Shaman deck features a number of strong mechanics that translate well to the more erratic Arena setting, and I always grab him up where possible.

Most of the decks in Hearthstone feature a unique win condition, or something they’re gearing up for. Yes, it’s possible to win in other fashions, but most decks have one or two distinct styles in their corner. For Thrall, it’s all about overwhelming the opponent with horrible hordes before activating the five mana spell, Bloodlust. Bloodlust ruins worlds. It gives all of your creatures +3 attack for the turn, turning totems and tokens into respectable weapons. Heartier minions morph into terrifying behemoths, often boasting incredible attack ratings for the turn. The goal will be to whittle down your opponent before dropping the final, awful blow.

What’s special here is that, this strategy synergizes well with the average Arena experience. Most people won’t have access to a perfectly constructed deck featuring the myriad of kill or crowd control spells. It’s possible to run into a Mage without Blizzard, or perhaps a Hunter with only one Multi-Shot, as opposed to two. Crowding the board is always advantageous, the Shaman simply has an amazing ability to capitalize on it.

Unfortunately, this win condition means little without the proper support spells and minions, and that’s where the deck really shines in Arena. It doesn’t need a lot of rare, epic or legendary cards. They will absolutely help (specifically Mana Tide Totem and Feral Spirit) you get ahead, but the strength of the deck is what’s in its basic and expert packs. Hex, Frost Shock, Earth Shock and Lightning Bolt are all available on the cheap, and they’re excellent crowd control spells. They’ll ensure that, if you play your cards right, you’ll be in a position to take control of the board, setting you up to Bloodlust your opponent down with impunity.

Of course, what’s Bloodlust without minions? It’s up to you to ensure that you draft a good number of appropriate minions (spellpower minions, buffing minions and minions that create multiple targets upon coming in are the ideal choices) but you’ll also have some leeway through your Hero Power, Totemic Call. Have some extra mana? Drop it into making a two mana creature on the board. What’s more, your opponent will likely waste cards removing these from the game, and that’s great. These totems cost you two mana, and nothing else. You’ll rob them of card advantage handily, further ensuring they have a difficult time keeping pace with you as you play minions and destroy their minions.

Ease of kill condition, combined with a powerful mix of basic and expert cards alongside a savage hero power make Shaman an absolute powerhouse in Arena. If you’re like me and in the Arena for the business of accruing more packs, gold and dust, I definitely recommend reading up on the Shaman, practicing and then aiming for it when it’s available. It’s far from the only viable option, but it’s definitely one of the strongest.