Special thanks to everyone who has posted midrange lock lists since the update. They sped up my testing considerably!
This deck feels not quite there (like many Warlock decks) so wanted to share it to get some feedback. I have managed to climb ~1500 to about 3000 legend today. But that's also from facing stuff like Demon Hunter (great matchup) and Azalina priest (bad deck or good matchup?)
What the deck is doing.
As the name implies, it is trying to scam out big minions without having to properly pay for them. It does this by:
- Animancer + ultragigasaur package (cheating out a 14/28)
- Annihilation + Imp gang stooge (board wipe + two 8/8s)
- Death wing (playing out 1 cost legendaries)
- Honorable mention to Zuramat's (too slow to really be scamming).
Alongside this, it generates decent bodies via the herald mechanic.
Elements of the Deck
The scam packages seem set in stone (although I would hear out an argument of replacing the herald package and thus Deathwing... But we don't have any other good packages? Dragon package with shreds of time is almost good). Zuramat's Prison has been excellent in testing and combos really well with annihilation.
Godfrey + Unseen Atlas... A lot of the time it can be awkward to play Atlas, but at the same time a 'draw 3' for 0-3 mana is just really, really good.
The 1 drops seem like the best fodder I can find for the herald cards. One could argue that we don't need to feed the heralds until they're actually big enough to be worth it, but it's also handy to have things on hand to stop them from eating imporant things. Glacial shard especially is an MVP for the one drops, often getting to delay their important stuff while our heralds feed or we set up for annihilation.
Removal - conflagrate and cursed chains both seem pretty great at times. Especially for removing taunts for Ultragiga to get through. And there's soooo many deathrattles in the meta that chains is good in many matchups.
So... What can we do to fix it or boost it a bit?
It feels like every single slot is there for a reason. I'm not sure the deck could get greedier (like adding Cho'gall, or even worse Moragg... Wow bad news if you look bad next to even Cho'gall)
The deck usually loses if it gets run over before it can do something like resolve annihilation. If that goes off we're usually winning. So maybe we can trim something to make the deck run even smoother? Ultraxion + deathwing could be cut if we really wanted to...? But Warlock just sucks at early game cards. Could replace them with Cranium? But that seems bad as the deck often isn't at a full hand. Same goes for the hand location (and we are way too stacked at cost 5 anyway).
Really open to suggestions here!
Gameplay
And since I'm sure this deck will be new to many of you, here's some tips!
Many matchups just end if you resolve an animancer and live long enough to swing the ultragigasaur (well, mainly Demon Hunter but also anyone else that doesn't draw an answer). So play to this as your plan A in most cases. Turn 3 stooge Turn 4 Shrine into turn 5 Animancer is probably the best midgame you can have with the deck.
The 1 drops I often don't drop turn 1 as I want to save them for impactful plays, but if against something that is liable to get early board power it is worth running them out (or twilight egg gets run out turn 1 regardless).
Catacombs - you're generally looking for Animancer for turn 5, or looking to complete a combo (annihilation when you need to, stooge if you haven't found it yet, herald + chains, etc).
Conflagrate is most commonly used as removal. This deck has a lot of value and you don't need to worry about being out-valued. The tempo gain of removing something with 5 health is huge.
Imp Gang Stooge and Annihilation - often you want to play to alternate these so annihilation only summons two 8/8s. This is the case if you think they might be good at clearing a big board and you want to force them to do that twice. If you don't think they can handle three 8/8s, go ahead and run out both stooges before your first annihilate and just close the game after the first one.
Scamlock
- 2x (0) Cursed Catacombs
- 2x (1) Conflagrate
- 2x (1) Glacial Shard
- 2x (1) Murmy
- 2x (1) Twilight Egg
- 2x (2) Cursed Chains
- 2x (2) Shadowsworn Disciple
- 2x (3) Imp Gang Stooge
- 1x (4) Godfrey the Betrayer
- 2x (4) Shrine of Twilight
- 2x (5) Possessed Animancer
- 1x (5) Zuramat's Prison
- 1x (6) Ultraxion
- 2x (8) Annihilation
- 1x (10) Deathwing, Worldbreaker
- 2x (10) The Unseen Atlas
- 2x (11) Ultragigasaur
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Closing thoughts.
So yeah I'm not sure of any slot that can be improved with this deck, so would love to hear feedback from others!
Godfrey/Atlas seem replaceable, but in the games where you aren't drawing key cards they're absolutely necessary I think.
And that leaves Ultraxion and Deathwing as maybe cuts?
Is there anything GOOD to put in? Worth finding things to cut if there's something great to put in, but it is slim pickings...