Hearthpwn

Intro to deck guide

This is my priest deck for this season. It went 18-3 from rank 13 to rank 5. However, I did get good matchups in those 21 games. In this deck guide, I will explain the best ways to win vs most decks you will see in the current meta. I will also give information on mulligans and some reasoning for my card choices and omissions.

What makes this deck different from standard control priest?

• No clerics - It's hard to get much draw from clerics as classes have very good answers currently. To get draw from them you need to wait till mid/late game or use a circle to heal opponents. I originally used clerics but removed them in favor of an acolyte and a harrison.
• No power word: shield - I don't tend to play minions very often in the early game. Yes, has good synergy with the pyromancer but apart from that it was often pretty bad. I removed it during early phases along with the clerics in favor of doomsayers.
• Doomsayers - I need a card that helps me delay the early game in order to give me time to draw into clears and removal. Doomsayers work very well.
• Elise - Against control decks such as CW, we find ourselves with many useless cards that we have tech'd in to face aggro. Elise gives us a second win condition in this matchup. 
• Harrison - A lot of classes playing weapons right now. Harrison or Ooze gets a lot of value in the current meta. Using on a doomhammer or gorehowl is game changing.
• 3 AOEs - Yes, many control priests have been omitting the holy nova in favor of excavated evil and auchenai combo but I run all three. There is a lot of zoo around and having too many is not a problem. Just increases chance of drawing into one.
• Mind Control - With many priests only running double entomb, many decks bait them before playing their most valued minion. Having a third steal has been working very well. Especially against C'thun/N'Zoth decks.
• Yogg - Yogg is very powerful. Most of the time, as long as you have played at least 5 spells, it will clear your opponents board. I don't play him unless I need to. In most cases, he will sit in my hand all game but on occasion he has been game winning.

Matchups - from easiest to hardest

• Zoo - This deck has so many good answers against zoo. Wild Pyromancer is great, you have a lot of AOEs so don't be greedy with them. 
  • Mulligan for - Doomsayer, Acolyte of Pain, Wild Pyromancer, Shadow Word: Pain.
• Tempo Warrior - This has been a very easy matchup for me. I don't even remember losing one game against tempo warrior and I've faced quite a few. Excavated Evil is useful as they have many 3 health minions. Frothings and Bloodhoof brave are good targets for Shadow Word: Pain and Cabal Shadow Priest.
  • Mulligan for - Shadow Word: Pain, Doomsayer, Excavated Evil, Acolyte of Pain.
• Face Shaman - Similar to zoo but a big more difficult due to burst damage being hard to deal with. Minions are easy to remove and healing to keep out of range of possible combos such as rockbiter + doomhammer or lava burst + other. Don't worry about possible overdrawing by using Harrison Jones.
  • Mulligan for - Doomsayer, Acolyte of Pain, Shadow Word: Pain. Note: 1 Shadow Word: Death can be kept if you draw it in opening hand.
• Control Warrior - Surprised? CW is actually a matchup that is very good. However, you have to be patient. There will be a lot of turns where you pass and that may seem bad. However, with double entomb, mind control and elise, you will be able to out-value their deck. They will enter fatigue first in most cases. Do not use your acolyte of pain to draw. Every draw counts. 
  • Mulligan is different as we have to mulligan as if it is Tempo Warrior. See below for tempo warrior.
• Freeze Mage - Another waiting game. They have two board threats, archmage and alexstrasza. Don't use your flash heals and darkshire's as they will be kept for post alexstrasza. Should be able to out heal them unless they draw into combo very quickly.
  • Mulligan assuming tempo mage. See below.
• C'thun Druid - This game is about keeping out of range of C'thun lethal. You will be able to deal with threats as long as you draw well enough. Shadow Word: Death, Entomb, Mind Control and auchenai are your most valuable cards. If you have the choice, use a death over entomb unless the target is c'thun. The hardest part of the game will be dealing with twin emperors. This is normally done using two turn AOEs. This might seem like a really hard matchup at first but it can also be a very easy matchup.
  • Mulligan for - Shadow Word: Pain, Acolyte of Pain, Entomb, Shadow Word: Death. 
• N'zoth Paladin - This can be a good matchup. Entombing/MC deathrattles and Cabal on smaller deathrattles is the ideal game plan. However, sometimes you will not get the correct draws so you must have a second game plan which is to be ready for N'zoth. How can you do this? If Sylvanas has been killed then there is always the drop doomsayer and kill sylvanas play. Therefore 1 doomsayer should be kept in hand when you draw it. Other options are to have Auchenai + Circle or Double AOE such as Hova + Evil to deal with N'zoth. Best entomb targets are cairne and tirion. Yogg is backup clear for N'zoth.
  • Mulligan for - Shadow Word: Pain, Entomb, Cabal Shadow Priest, Acolyte of Pain.
• N'zoth Priest - This matchup is scary because of the potential of Shifting Shade. If lucky, they will only get you AOEs or other bad cards. However, if they get your entombs or their own entomb minions is becomes very hard. DO NOT play your entombed minions or else they will entomb them back. Yogg is backup clear for N'zoth. This matchup is pretty much 50/50 depending on draws and shades.
  
  • Mulligan for - Shadow Word: Pain, Entomb, Cabal Shadow Priest.
• Midrange/Beast Hunter - This used to be the hardest game but I've become a lot better with my new card changes. Avoid proking traps when they have a bow equipped. I usually win this matchup by going into fatigue funnily enough. Keeping board clear of beasts is hard but doable. Saving auchenai combo is good for dealing with Call of the Wild. Kodo is very useful. Be greedy.
  • Mulligan for - Doomsayer, Acolyte of Pain, Wild Pyromancer, Shadow Word: Pain.

• Tempo Mage - Usually dependent on how good their Cabalist Tomb is. If it gives a second Cabalist Tomb then you are in trouble but otherwise this matchup is ok.  Being able to deal with Flamewaker is very important so hard mulligan for Shadow Word: Pain.
  
  • Mulligan for - Shadow Word: Pain, Doomsayer, Acolyte of Pain. Keep Auchenai Soulpriest if you have Circle of Healing and vice versa.

• Miracle Rogue - This is usually a 50/50. If you have Auchenai + circle for their first gadgetzan then you should be fine. If not its a bit harder. There are other ways to deal with it such as pyro + spell + nova or evil but they are a bit harder. Tomb Pillagers can be deathed or entombed as there are no bigger minions. Don't be afraid to use Yogg on turn 10, any sort of secret can help.
  • Mulligan for - Shadow Word: Pain, Auchenai Soulpriest, Circle of Healing, Shadow Word: Death, Acolyte of Pain.
• Renolock - This game is very hard if they transform into jaraxxus. Therefore, try not to use your flash heals and keep an auchenai for the burst lethal. You should be able to deal with most early game minions as they are not very threatening. Elise is good in this matchup.
  • Mulligan assuming you are facing zoo.

Card Replacements

• Yogg-Saron, Hope's End can be replaced by Sylvanas Windrunner or if you are facing a lot of aggro, replace with a Holy Smite.
• Justicar Trueheart - Not replaceable.

Stats from last season - 19 wins and 3 losses.

NEW Card Changes

• Removed Elise Starseeker, Harrison Jones and Mind Control.
• Added Embrace the Shadow, Stampeding Kodo and Soggoth the Slitherer

Why? This season I have faced a lot less zoo and a lot more hunter. Even though Harrison can be good against hunter, it is not always playable. Stampeding Kodo allowed for another way of removing their 2/5 Carrion Grub which can get dangerous if they use Houndmaster on it. Given the large amount of heals in this deck, another activator for them has been very useful. Embrace the Shadow for circle against a rogue's stealth or Call of the Wild is really useful. Soggoth the Slitherer over MC? I've been trying this switch out for the past few games and its proving quite good. Very good vs Rogue and Hunter again. But make sure to try and bait the deadly shot first. Mind Control is good vs CW more than Soggoth but I still haven't been facing many CWs. Elise has been removed for a similar reason. Not great vs aggro, didn't really need vs control.

Stats from current season.

 Even Newer Card Changes!

Sad day. I said goodbye to Sogg and Yogg. I have replaced them with Elise (welcome back) and Refreshment Vendor. Why? Meta. A lot more pirate warriors and midrange hunters have prompted this change. Sogg was always a bit of a test to be honest. Some matched the game would be won if you managed to play it on an empty board. However, having either Sogg or Yogg in your hand from opening mulligan could be very harmful. Elise is back to help the CW matchup as I've also been facing a few more of those. The extra card in the deck is the most important part about it. Refreshment Vender was a strange choice. Quite often it was more about passing turn 4. Here, with 2 new 4 drops in the deck, the chances of passing turn 4 are less! (Isn't probability cool Kappa). But in most aggressive matchups, turn 5 will be using some sort of AOE and that extra minion on your side may help finish one off (assuming it has over 3 health).

p.s Harrison > Ooze is my verdict after playing about 40 games with both.