Hearthpwn

Board Control Cards

In this group we found cards whose purpose is to keep controled the board. Also some of them, like Eviscerate, can be used to do some direct damage to the enemy hero.
   >Backstab: To deal with 2 health-minions, or to initiate [card]SI:7 Agent[/card]'s combo.
   >Doomsayer: Best to gain a free turn.
   >Eviscerate: For both, minion control, or hero direct damage.
   >Sap: To be used in high-cost enemy minions primarily, or big threats.
   >Vanish: To clean the board. Should be used in combo with Preparation to avoid its high cost.
   >Fan of Knives: Best card against aggro decks. Also it's important for draw.
   >SI:7 Agent: To eliminate 2-health minions, put board presure, and to be trade against mayor threats.
   >[card]Shadow Strike[/card]: Needed to kill threats that must be eliminated assap.
   >The Curator: It pulls out an oracle, plus its a really good taunt.
   >Edwin VanCleef: It will make a huge presence on board. If well played, it's commonly to see him being a 8/8 or 10/10.

Sustainability Cards

 These cards' main purpose is to keep us alive enough time in the game. Also they are board presence and should be trade against mayor threats.
   >[card]Earthen Ring Farseer[/card]: Health needed to survive more time.
   >Refreshment Vendor: Health needed to survive more time.
   >The Curator: It pulls out an oracle, plus its a really good taunt.
   >Reno Jackson: The king of health. It's a little tricky to use it in this deck, but once you get used to it it will win games.

Draw Cards

We need to draw and always have an answer against enemy plays, plus we are searching for our combos! 
   >Fan of Knives: More an anti-aggro card, is also a draw source.
   >Bloodmage Thalnos: Damage amplifier, is also a draw source.
   >The Curator: Will draw only a Coldlight Oracle.
   >Coldlight Oracle: The main source to draw, and the killer!

Combo Makers Cards

This cards only purpuso is to make combos.
   >Brann Bronzebeard: Probably the most important card in the deck. Will duplicate our draw with Coldlight Oracle.
   >Shadowstep: Needed for Coldlight Oracle and/or Brann Bronzebeard. In some cases can be used to make a bigger Edwin VanCleef.
   >Gang Up: To be used on Coldlight Oracle.
   >Preparation: Should be used with Vanish, or with Fan of Knives, but that doesn't mean that in some cases it must be used in a 2 mana cost spell, as the situation require.

The basic idea is to have good removal plus low mana-cost minions to play in early turns. We want to bother the enemy (having presence in the board). The objetive is to reach mid-game to start doing the main combos. You should have some knowledge about the currrent meta, in order to make a prediction about the type of deck the opponent has (according to the hero).

Aggainst more Aggro decks: ( Warlock, Hunter, etc)

[card]Fan of Knives[/card], [card]Backstab[/card],  [card]SI:7 Agent[/card], [card]Earthen Ring Farseer[/card], Preparation.

Aggainst more Control decks: (Priest, Warrior, Druid, etc)

 [card]Coldlight Oracle [/card], Edwin VanCleef, [card]Shadow Strike[/card], [card]Backstab[/card], Sap

*Avoid keeping two of the same.
NOTE : If you have some good start combos (like coin +backstab + Edwin), then go for it! 

The Strategy is very easy: Survive the early game with some board control, playing also some minions in order to do board presure. In mid-game (arround turn 6), start drawing as fast as you can, while trying to mantain board control. And kill your opponent in next turns with the exhaust damage.

1) Mulligan thinking about what kind of deck you expect from your opponent.
2) Try to play as a miracle rogue in the begining, playing Backstab, [card]SI:7 Agent[/card], the Hero Power, etc, to mantain some board control (and avoid telling the enemy that we are a mill deck).
3) Keep the coin for mid-game and combos (unless necesary).
4) Try to always have one minion on board.
5) Always remember to plan your next turn and to think what your opponent could play next.
6) Try to hurry up the game with the "Mid-Combo" with Brann+Coldlight+Shadowstep on Brann (see the Combo part in the guide).
7) Always do damage to the enemy if posible (without spending spell cards).
8) Fan of Knives can be played against nothing if the opponent is a control-type deck in order to draw.

 Doing so, I will max the probability to win ("probability to win", that means that, of course, we won't win every time!)

VERY IMPORTANT TIPS:

*You want to draw faster against control decks, and slower against aggro decks. Try to have some board control aggainst aggro decks.
*Brann Bronzebeard should be played in mid game plus another card and then Shadowstep Brann (see 4.Combo part)
*Brann shouldn't stay in board, unless you need the risk or you are almost sure that the enemy can't remove it in next turn.

ESSENTIAL COMBO: 
+ 
You NEED to do this at some point of the game (preferable in early-mid game). Doing so, the Coldlight can be left in the board to be the target of some incoming damage, or to trade against other minions.

MAIN FINISHER:
+ 3x
-> Brann will double Coldlights draw.
-> Shadowstep should have been played in Coldlight and/or Brann. This way both cost 1. So combo can be applied as (turn 8+): Brann(1), Coldlight(1), Coldlight(3), Coldlight(3) = 8 mana, and 12 draws.

SAFE FINISHER: 
+ + 2x
-> Brann will double Coldlights draw.
-> Shadowstep should have been played in Coldlight and/or Brann. This way both cost 1. So combo can be applied as (turn 8+): Brann(1), Violet Illusionist(1), Coldlight(3), Coldlight(3) = 8 mana, and 8 draws.

MID COMBOS:
+ [ CARD ] + (on Brann)
Used to hurry up the game, normally using a Coldlight Oracle to draw. It also can be used with Sustainability cards.

NOTE: There are a lot more combos.., but I listed here only the main for the deck-play-style.

Here we have the replacements for all the Legendary and Epic cards. Other cards should be crafted.

Essential! CAN´T BE REPLACED!
=> or (Needed. No real replacement) 
=>(2nd)
=>oror
(1st) => (has NO good replacement)
(2nd) => No replacement. You should at least have 1.
(1st) => Also take away -1 +2 
(2nd) => No replacement. You should at least have 1.

  

Swaps for Nat, the Darkfisher, could be Edwin VanCleef or The Curator. If you have none, as a replacement should be SI:7 Agent or Earthen Ring Farseen.

A)               Main Version                 -            Safe Main Version
 - 
Expensive, but the most effective versions of the deck. Have fun! 

B)              Basic Version

Less expensive and maintaining a good win ratio. 

c)              Cheap Version       

The bare minimum. It's more difficult to win, but still you will have fun and win.

D)      Aggresive Version      (alternative & recommended to test)

Try to play Beneath the Grounds asap. In this version, you should try to mulligan aggressively. The Spiders main purpose is to clear the board. Also play lots of spells so you can play for free the Arcane Giants. End the match with the mill combo.

THE DRAW DAMAGE:
You MUST know the cumulative damage the enemy (and sometimes YOU) will take:

Extra Draw   -   Cumulative Damage
         1             -                 1
         2             -                 3
         3             -                 6
         4             -                10
         5             -                15
         6             -                21
         7             -                28
         8             -                36
         9             -                45
       10             -                55