by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

Naxxramas is out with the first wing being free and with it some cards that are being played quite a bit in the meta right now. The good news for those playing on a budget is these cards while powerful, are free for you to acquire. Since these cards are viable it only makes sense to visit some of the changes we’re currently seeing with cheap decks.

One of the cheapest and most powerful decks has always been Zoo in some form or another if you don’t run Leeroy. This week’s deck is no different as we’ve added a couple cards from the spider wing and the rest are neutral card staples you really should have been gunning for since week 1 of playing (such as Knife Juggler and Defender of Argus). The only rare card you might not have had is just now seeing viability in the meta and that’s Void Terror.

Let’s take a look at the deck list:

Total Crafting Cost: 1,280 dust

NaxxLock Zoo
Class: Warlock

Warlock (9)

• Soulfire x2
• Flame Imp x2
• Voidwalker x2
• Void Terror
• Doomguard x2

Neutral (21)

• Abusive Sergeant
• Argent Squire
• Elven Archer
• Young Priestess
• Dire Wolf Alpha x2
• Haunted Creeper x2
• Ironbeak Owl
• Knife Juggler x2
• Nerubian Egg x2
• Harvest Golem x2
• Shattered Sun Cleric x2
• Dark Iron Dwarf x2
• Defender of Argus x2

The Strategy

The deck should be pretty straight forward. It’s your standard zoo strategy where you go to the face when it makes sense and keep board control. The whole idea is to constantly put creatures on the board to force your opponent to have to make bad trades while you’re setting up for good trades. By the end of the day sheer numbers and quick hitting can win you the day.

There are a couple new strategies and the first one has to do with Nerubian Egg. I have seen too many players use this card incorrectly and will buff up the egg, attack into a creature and get a 4/4. While this is what you want to do, you ONLY want to do it if you happen to kill your opponent’s creature you are attacking in the process. What’s the point of attacking into a creature to only do 1 or 2 points of damage just so you get a 4/4 that is going to die next turn? None. So that’s why you want to make a good trade, kill their creature and you gain a 4/4 by doing so which they will now have a harder time dealing with instead of just smacking it with their now damaged creature.

Also, turn 2 Egg and turn 3 Void Terror is probably the best turn 3 play in the game. A 3/5 and a 4/4 by turn 3? Yes please.

Haunted Creeper is the other Naxxramas addition to the deck and the best play with it is in conjunction with Knife Juggler. There have been times I have attacked with both my 1/2 Haunted Creepers (2 damage), placed a Void Terror in betwen them and not only got a 5/9 in the process but also dish out 5 additional points with my Knife Juggler (4 shots with the 4 new 1/1’s and 1 shot with the Void Terror). If I attacked also with my Knife Juggler that turn we’re looking at 10 damage I just dished out for only 3 mana so far.

Elven Archer, Abusive Sergeant, Ironbeak Owl, and Dark Iron Dawf are your situation cards. Only use the Elven Archer if you have lethal on a minion or the player. Use Abusive Sergeant and Dark Iron Dwarf to force good trades, or if board is already controller do extra damage to the face. Save your Ironbeak Owl for absolute musts and don’t feel obligated to pop it too early in the game.

Mulligans

Going first with no coin: Keep 1 egg and 1 knife juggler if you have them, aggressive mulligan for flame imp, argent squire, or void walker. Never keep Soulfire or anything above 2 mana in your opening hand.

Going 2nd with the coin: Same as above but you can aggressively mulligan for a good 2 casting cost card like Knife Juggler. Depending on what you’re playing against I actually prefer to turn 1 coin and knife juggler just to watch my opponent squirm. Especially if turn 2 I can get a void walker and flame imp down.

This deck is a very strong deck and if played right, can easily get you to legend rank.