Hearthpwn

Hi people, this is my first guide here. 

I am by no means a HS pro, i used to be a professional LoL player and played in the LCS and have been to IEM but i am just an average player at HS since i don't play that much PC games anymore. But nevertheless i think i am an exceptional Theorycrafter and i have cooked up a nice deck that is both fun to play and has a very high SkillCap.

I have been playing Shadow Priest since WoW and i enjoy the concept. I've player Shadowform Priest last season and that wasnt so successful due to agro decks pwnning everything. But that has changed since WoG. So by nerfing the aggro decks they unintentionally buffed Slow Decks. But they also removed tool that slow decks use to prolong the game like mass removals or big self heals (Lightbomb, Healbot etc.). But the thing blizzard missed is, the shadowform priest prolonged the game by using his heropower, so no nerfs of any kind is going to change that. We are also unaffected by the Healbot removal and the Belcher removal because we have cards that can compensate them unlike many decks (Darkmender and Vek'lor). The other reason i think SF is really good is because there are lot of Battlecry minions around at the moment and they all have low HP, thus getting one/two shotted by your hero power.

It also serves a Surprise Motherfucker effect as people will %99 think you are a standart C'thun deck or a Standard Control or even a Standart Inspire/Shadowform deck depending on what you played first. They will make plays based on their assumptions and make huge blunders and cant recover afterwards. I sometimes even wait to trick them further before revealing this Hybrid deck to them.

Opening Hand:

Try to discard everything except 1x Holynova that is higher than 3 cost, you can keep one 3 cost. Do not discard C'thun buffers, our aim is to get them in the opening hand. You can also keep SF if it is on the list, the rest is experience. Also it is almost always good to keep one Death against Druid and Shaman.

This deck aims at;

-Get your C'tun to 10 Attack. (If you have the buff cards play them, but always use Disciple for board clear and combo it with your SF to deal 4 damage to a minion for 5 Mana)

The reason i am making a mashup of C'thun and Inspire cards is, i don't need to one shot the guy with a 20+ attack C'thun, i just need his 10 HP bonus which gives me insane utility with 10 HP self heals and 2x 4/6 taunt bodies on the board (2x with Brann, and quite doable)

-Survive early game by playing tempo play and always fit the curve.

Early game is really crucial, if you get very high cards and no 3 drops until you have 3 mana, you will %70 lose depending on the matchup, but that is a really low possibility so don't worry too much about it. Try to always have minions on the board, or no minions on both sides or he may have at most 1 or 2 minions. If you see a 1 or 2 attack minion don't waste resources on them, let him hit you (Unless he is an aggro deck, then deal with it immediately), don't be afraid. We'll heal for 20 Health at 8 mana, he can't do shit with that 1-2 damage. Use PW:S for favourable trades and use it on your Acolyte of Pain for more cards. Almost no decks have silences nowadays. Also use Holy Smite for removals for crucial cards.

-At mid game, start putting pressure with Shodowform.

Always play the control game and keep the board clean, we'll win with a C'thun push at the end with 15 damage to face. Clear the board and save removals. Don't be greedy, you can take the damage, we have 30 HP insta self heal + 2 Medic's on this deck. Be patient. Don't death something with 5 Attack on the first turn, try to save it. You can also win by going face if you have C'thun in your hand. It takes great experience to decide when to go agressive but you can do it. The math is there, you almost always have lethal if your opponent is near 15-20 HP, do not MISS those opportunities, always check for lethal after turn 12-15.

-Late Game, play as normal Control and win either by Fatigue or By Force

Well standart Priest lategame play. Keep the board clear with 2-3 minions at most on your side. Dont commit, pwn on them with your heropower and wait, wait for them to commit. Always be ready and have 7-8 cards at your hand, play safe, just REACT, dont force. Be patient, board clear 1-2 damage to face and so on. 

-Cards that make this deck special;

1) Tournament Medic

Tournament Medic is a very underrated but a very powerful card. 8 HP for 4 mana, and since he HAS TO DEAL WITH IT, it serves as a taunt as well. Removals are very expensive nowadays and people usually will keep them for your C'thun, so your medic will serve as a taunt. Against C'thun decks, it also serves as a 8 damage soaker from C'thuns batlecry which makes it even better. It also removes almost every aggro card from the board easily.

2) Kodorider + Saraad + Confessor

If you feel your opponent can't deal with it, play it and win. If they survive 2 turns, it is instawin. Try to have Shadowform active before playing them so you can remove the board and play it on a clean board. Don't be afraid to play it also on a non clean board if your opponents minions + heropower can't kill the main kodo. Removals are really expensive nowadays and it is also good for your opponent to waste a removal on this because they wont have anything for a 15/15 C'thun later. Don't be afraid to use the kodorider as a 2x 3/5 on the board. It soaks up 10 damage.

3) Shadowform

It takes a huge experience to know when to play this card. You lose a huge tempo playing it. For this i can't tell you how, you must practice yourselves. But, try to have a minion on the board before playing it. Almost always chose a minion unless you can clear something with heropower on the same turn before using Shadowform. If you have no minions and can't play anything else, you must judge 'Can i survive the whole game with no heals from now on?', these are all experience calls.

4) Twin Emperor Vek'lor

Well not much to say, play it whenever you please with battlecry.

5) Brann Bornzebeard

Well, almost always play this with Twilight Darkmender. 20 HP Heal is really insane, believe me i won a lot of games by concede just by doing this combo.

6) Entomb

Use it on those pesky 4/10 Druid C'thun empowered cards and especially for the enemies C'thun, you'll have two now :).

7) Coin

Try to save the coin as much as possible guys. Coin enables you to play the crucial 9th Turn C'thun, and against C'thun vs C'thun, who ever plays their C'thun first usually wins because it soaks up too much damage so the enemy player can't play their C'thun, so you delay it 1 turn in that manner. It also enables 7 mana Brann+Darkmender, 7 Mana Kodorider+Heropower, 6 Mana Saraad+Heropower and a lot of Shadowform removal combinations and so on. Don't use it to get a short lived board advantage, use it for gamechangers, removals and combos.

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Matchups:

Well this deck only suffers on the following conditions and matchups;

-Really bad draws

You can't get your C'thun to 10 Attack or you have very high cost cards even at turn 3. These are both very low possibilities but still to be noted, you'll lose %10 games because of this.

-Deathrattle Matchups

Well these are also hard and take experience to win. Deathrattle decks are usually slow and control based, you can't win on Value even with your Shadowform sometimes, so you must decide when to go face and try to finish with your C'thun. As i said, if you can't win the board game, let him hit you with those low attack deathrattle minions, go face. Heal for 20HP, place 2x 4/6 taunts and go face again. Shadowform + C'thun for 15 damage usually is enough to bust those decks. But i'd say you are at a %60-%40 disadvantage against these matchups. It comes down to draws and if your opponent fits the curve really well, if that happens you'll lose when they play their N'zoth.

-Zoo/Aggro Decks

Well, you have the advantage if you get your C'thun to 10 attack. Self heals, tournament medic, taunts, clear board, get card advantage and you win. But against midrange Zoo decks, they sometimes crowd the board with 4HP+ minions, and you dont have any mass removals in this deck, you'll lose then. Try to play the curve as much as possible and use your removals SMARTLY, as i said dont rush, let him you for 1-2 damage at a time.

-C'thun Decks

Well, they are easy usually. You'll have the board against these matchups because people try to make their C'thun 20+Attack usually and they use weak minions with useless battlecry's. Try to keep your HP at 25+ with hero power and Tournament Medics, try to keep the board crowded, usually kodorider + 1 medic soaks up 23 damage from the enemy C'thun, they cant kill you if you have even 1 random minion + 1 tournament medic on the board. Get the board and play to the end, Entomb/Death their C'thun, use Darkmender in the same turn and win.

-Card Alternatives

Confessor: Use 2x Kodorider

Kodorider: You can use Slyvannas, it also gives you control somewhat.

Saraad: Use Kodorider 2x

I will write more card alternatives but pretty much the decks needs the rest as a MUST. I know it is an expensive deck but it sure is fun to play and is also COMPETATIVE.

UPDATES:

1) Switched 1 PW:S for Excavated Evil.

2) Switched 1 PW:S for SW:P

3) Replaced Acolyte of Pain for Mind Control Tech, Acolyte was too slow.

4) Switched Shade for Hooded Acolyte to get more body on the floor.

5) Switched Loot Hoarder for Twilight Geomancer to compensate for MIDGAME C'Thun pushes, enemy usually wastes their removals for your Inpire Legendaries and that leaves a 15/15 Taunt on the board they have to break by force.

6) Replaced one Medic with Wild Pyromancer

7) Replaced Twilight Geomancer with Wild Pyromancer

8) Replaced Kodo with Darkshire Alchemist.

9) Replaced MC:Tech with Refreshment Vendor for more board presence.

Hope you liked it, enjoy.