Hearthpwn

Hi HearthPwn, I'm Ender. This is my first deck guide so please be nice. 

(11.25) "Specific Mulligan" (11.21) "Cards" (11.19) "Tech" & "Win Conditions"

Dust off your TGT Legendaries and use them to beat the meta! This antimeta deck works at ANY ladder rank, and actually feels OP sometimes (in a good way). I played it to 5 in Oct, and I'm still playing it now because it's a fun way to climb. I've had win streaks ranging from 5-10 wins, and taken it through the heroic tavern brawl, going 6-3. It isn't an easy or cheap deck, but once you figure it out there is no matchup you can't win.

DECK

I needed a deck to grind my last gold class Priest. OTK Priest was too passive and N'Zoth Priest was too wild, so I turned to an incomplete Shadowform list by Wally. It took me a while, but I found the missing piece: Prophet Velen.

This deck effectively synergizes the following: Shadowform aggression with Prophet Velen, Inspire RNG at its best in Confessor Paletress and Nexus-Champion Saraad, insane Resurrect value, and a solid Priest control package.

WIN CONDITIONS

The following is the general mana-curve order that you should try for the win conditions of this deck. By turn 10, you should be actively searching "outs" for each win condition.

1. The Injured Blademaster Resurrection Cycle
2. Confessor Paletress RNG / Nexus-Champion Saraad RNG
3. Acquiring and using high-value Entomb targets
4. Shadowform + Prophet Velen + (Holy Smite)

CARDS

Holy Smite: Think of this as a 1-mana 3-damage Swipe with Wild Pyromancer. Don't use it by itself unless you're killing something that must die. Save unused Smites for the end of the game to use it with Prophet Velen.

Power Word: Shield: Give your Injured Blademaster or Priest of the Feast more survivability. However, PWS is best used to keep your Pyromancer healthy. Calculate it into your future turns. Sometimes waiting a turn so you can use PWS with your Wild Pyromancer/Holy Smite/The Coin combo is the best way to stabilize against Zoo or Aggro.

Resurrect: Almost everything is a good resurrection in this deck, so don't be sad when your minions die. Don't get caught off-guard if you bring Wild Pyromancer back and he does 1 damage to all minions. Instead, use this knowledge to your advantage and play your odds. In general if your graveyard doesn't have a Sheep or Frog, this card gets better as the game goes on, but proper timing is still essential.

Shadow Word: Pain: Cheap, clean removal, worth running one of. The deck stabilizes by the time a second one becomes necessary. If you have the choice to use SWP or Holy Smite, think about whether there will be better targets, like Thunder Bluff Valiant, Totem Golem, Water Elemental, or Flamewaker.

Wild Pyromancer: Pyromancer = AOE. Do not use Pyromancer in the mid or late-game unless you need AOE. Against aggro, get your Pyromancer out early so you can keep bringing it back. Keep the Pyromancer healed up at the end of every turn to continually threaten/bluff AOE. He is needed to take control of the early game, so you should mulligan for him no matter the matchup.

Injured Blademaster: Does this card need an introduction? Use with Resurrect and Onyx Bishop to snowball the game.

Shadow Word: Death: These will take out big dudes that you don't want to Entomb. You can also kill your own Sylvanas Windrunner for a 9 mana Mind Control. Save this in your mulligan against Shaman to take care of the early Flamewreathed Faceless or Thing from Below.

Shadowform: In general, transform early to pressure against slow/control decks. Transform later (or never) against fast/OTK decks. Shadowform makes you the aggressor by trading away your ability to heal, so make sure you know what kind of deck your opponent has before making that sacrifice. Control board, chip face, Shadowform can close out the late-game even against Control Warrior. Keep in mind that the spell itself is valuable as a hero power refresh for double Confessor Paletress/Nexus-Champion Saraad turns and as a Priest of the Feast activator.

Mass Dispel: A cheaper alternative to Entomb, best against buffed Shaman totems, a concealed Gadgetzan Auctioneer/Edwin VanCleef, Twilight Drake or ANY Entomb target like Ysera or Sylvanas Windrunner. Make Conceal and deathrattle minions like Twilight Summoner, useless. It also provides crucial card draw. One of the sleepers in this meta.

Priest of the Feast: This card is how you stay alive, but don't mulligan for him as he is not part of the early game package. That's because he is best on turn 5-10 when you can use a couple cheap spells and heal 3-9 damage on the same turn. Aggro decks will run everything into him, knowing they cannot win if he keeps healing you.

Excavated Evil: Only one, because two can punish us if we get greedy. Combo it with one Holy Nova for emergency AOE. With Prophet Velen, it does 6 damage to all minions, and Velen survives.

Harrison Jones: Totally necessary in this meta. Make the card draw count. The best targets are Gorehowl, Spirit Claws, and the weapons from Tirion Fordring, Lord Jaraxxus.

Holy Nova: This card gives you the extra AOE push and healing to equalize or take over the board. You can use Nova with Wild Pyromancer as a 3-damage Flamestrike. The reason why there are two Novas and one Excavated Evil is that with Prophet Velen, Holy Nova becomes a 5 mana Flamestrike + 4 dmg Holy Fire. Pulling that off will basically win you the game.

Nexus-Champion Saraad: How would you like any spell in Standard for 2 mana? Roll the dice. Sometimes you get gamechangers, like a third Entomb, Polymorph: Boar (see video below), or a Flamestrike. You should try to avoid playing him if you don't have the mana to hero power on the same turn.

Onyx Bishop: This card provides the Injured Blademaster snowball than can close a game out by turns 5-7, but be careful because he will make your graveyard worse. Try to only play this card if you will like what comes out OR wait until there is a good time to repopulate the board with 5 mana. Hoping for it not to be a Frog is not a winning play.

Entomb: Best removal in the game. Waiting for Golden Monkey or C'Thun will often seal the game. Against Anyfin, Entomb the Murloc Warleader and keep it in your hand. Against N'Zoth, Cairne Bloodhoof is a better target than Sylvanas Windrunner. Even Entombing a card like Azure Drake is extremely worth it.

Sylvanas Windrunner: I've wanted to take her out of the deck many times to put Ragnaros the Firelord or Baron Geddon, but her ability to force awkward turns on the opponent and being a natural counter to both C'Thun and Yogg-Saron, Hope's End earns her a spot in the list.

Confessor Paletress: One of the most important cards in this deck. Never play her without using her ability. Although random, you have access to every Legendary in Standard. Many of them are positive, especially for only 2 mana. Sometimes this will completely change the game for you. Bait as much removal as you can before playing her. A hero power -> shadowform -> hero power turn can easily end the game.

Prophet Velen: The trump card. The closer. Same as Confessor, only use him when you think his chances of sticking are best, or the tempo swing is necessary to survive. This whole game you've been chipping away at his face, right? Time to accelerate that. Along with Mind Shatter and Holy Smite, it's 10 damage on the turn he drops. If he sticks, you have 2 mana fireballs.

GENERAL MULLIGAN

Against Aggro: Holy Smite, Wild Pyromancer, Injured Blademaster, Resurrect (if holding IBM or Pyro), Power Word: Shield (if holding Pyro), Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death (against Shaman, Druid)

Against Control: Holy Smite, Wild Pyromancer, Injured Blademaster, Resurrect (if holding IBM), Power Word: Shield (if holding Pyro), Onyx Bishop (if holding IBM), Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death (against Shaman, Druid), Harrison Jones (against a weapon class), Entomb 

SPECIFIC MULLIGAN

• Pyro Package - Wild Pyromancer, Holy Smite, Power Word: Shield
• IBM Package - Injured Blademaster, Resurrect, Onyx Bishop

NOTE: Only keep the spells if you have Pyro or IBM.

Hunter (Highly Favored): Pyro Package, IBM Package, Shadow Word: Pain, Priest of the Feast

The key to winning against Hunter is patience. The Hunter will run out of cards against your never-ending supply of Injured Blademaster, so your goal is to get IBM in your graveyard ASAP. Don't randomly attack into secrets. Always play as if the secret would be the worst case, AKA Cat Trick or Freezing Trap. If you think it may be the latter, send a dummy to attack first. Have Entomb/Shadow Word: Death ready for the Savannah Highmane/Ragnaros the Firelord and be ready with a Holy Nova OR a 2-damage Wild Pyromancer combo to remove the leftover Hyena/Cat in a Hat. By turn 9 Call of the Wild will hardly be a threat. If you must trigger secrets, remember to bring Harrison Jones to the party.

Control/C'Thun/N'Zoth Warrior (Highly Favored): IBM Package, Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death, Shadowform, Harrison Jones

Shadowform early when you have the chance, and keep the Warrior's armor low so Shield Slam is no threat. Get your resurrection cycle going to bait removals, especially Brawl. Wild Pyromancer is surprisingly good bait, since AOE is less important in this matchup (except vs C'Thun Warrior). Avoid having more than 2 minions on board to make his Brawl an unfavorable play. Once your minions start sticking, try to get aggressive and see if it works. This matchup often goes into fatigue, so sometimes the best play is just a hero power and pass.

Dragon Warrior (Neutral): Pyro Package, IBM Package, Shadow Word: Pain, Priest of the Feast

Dragon Warrior is one of the most mana-efficient archetypes, and is hard to beat when they get a perfect hand. But they have poor card draw, so it's possible to win with value and card advantage. Early on, get Injured Blademaster and Wild Pyromancer out to neutralize the board. Save your Shadow Word: Pain for the Blackwing Technician or Twilight Guardian. Priest of the Feast and Shadow Word: Death will buy you time against the constant burst and threats such as Drakonid Crusher and Grommash Hellscream. A good Holy Nova tempo swing is sometimes all you need to seal the deal.

Shaman (Neutral): Pyro Package, IBM Package, Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death, Priest of the Feast

No matter how many times you clear the board, Shaman will be ready to fill it up again. So the key to winning is maximizing AOE. Patient Wild Pyromancer play should be enough until the mid-game. Save the Excavated Evil for when you can't kill the Mana Tide Totem or Flametongue Totem. If you can wait until the second Spirit Claws to play Harrison Jones, it is worth the extra card draw. Assume that Bloodlust is a threat at all times, and use Priest of the Feast to heal up. Mass Dispel will save your life just once, so use it wisely. Use Sylvanas Windrunner to bait out a Hex before dropping your other Legendaries. Don't Shadowform unless you have secured board control.

Paladin (Highly Favored): Pyro Package, IBM Package (vs Dragon), Shadow Word: Pain

Aggro Paladin is rare these days, so you will likely be facing Anyfin or Dragon. Dragon Paladin is the harder matchup, but the IBM cycle still generates more value. Play slow to avoid getting destroyed by the board clears from Equality and Consecration. Entomb any game-ending dragons or the Murloc Warleader. An early Shadowform can easily keep the Paladin on his backfoot.

Beast/Spell/C'Thun Druid (Favored): IBM Package, Pyro Package (vs Beast), Shadow Word: Death, Entomb

Against Beast Druid, control the early game with Pyro and IBM, and use Mass Dispel when the Stranglethorn Tiger comes out. Against spell druid, apply board pressure so that he is forced to use Swipe, Living Roots, and Moonfire on the board instead of your face. Save the Shadow Word: Death for the Arcane Giant if you can. Keep yourself above 26 to avoid death by Malygos after a Thaurissan turn, but calculate out from that damage what removals he's wasted (especially Swipe). If you have teched Eater of Secrets, wait for the Post-Yogg apocalypse and devour those secrets. If the Druid has to use his Mulch you are in good shape. Against C'Thun Druid, save some AOE for the Prince Vek'lor turn, and Entomb for the big guy himself.

Rogue (Neutral): IBM Package, Pyro Package (vs Pirate), Shadow Word: Pain, Mass Dispel

This is a tough matchup because Sap can really hurt us when we need late-game minions to stick. So the best way to win this match-up is to use cards like Sylvanas Windrunner and Injured Blademaster to bait Sap before we drop guys who prove a REAL threat, like Confessor Paletress or Prophet Velen. Mass Dispel does wonders against Conceal, Edwin VanCleef, or deathrattle minions. Take advantage of the fact that IBM can not be hurt by Backstab or Shadow Strike.

Warlock (Neutral): IBM Package, Pyro Package (vs Zoo), Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death (vs Reno/Hand)

Zoolock can't restabilize after our AOE, and Renolock can't figure out our deck until it's too late. However, Handlock has been able to use Mountain Giant, Twilight Drake and Faceless Shambler for insta-value. Thus, it's a good idea these days to keep a Shadow Word: Death or Mass Dispel in your hand. Information is key. Keep them guessing as to whether you are just a regular resurrection deck for as long as you can before revealing your true strategy.

Mage (Unfavored): IBM Package, Pyro Package (vs Tempo Mage), Priest of the Feast, Shadow Word: Pain, Eater of Secrets (vs Freeze Mage)

Anticipate your Priest of the Feast turns to reap the healing necessary to survive. Against Tempo Mage, you will want your Pyro Package early. Save your Shadow Word: Pain for the Flamewaker or Water Elemental. Against Freeze Mage, save your Priest of the Feast for the Alexstrasza turn, along with 3-4 cheap spells to heal yourself back up. Sometimes doing something unfavorable for that extra 3 healing, like using Death on your own Harrison, will win you the game.

Priest (Favored): IBM Package, Shadowform, Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death, Entomb

You will likely be playing against a Dragon Priest who has no idea what Shadowform is. Use your IBM cycle and control the tempo into the mid-game. If you can play one Resurrect and one Onyx Bishop by turn 5, you are already heavily favored to win. This will force the Priest to play Entomb to avoid dying. Count the number of Entombs played before you drop anything important. Regarding Entomb targets, taking an Azure Drake, Ysera, Nefarian will provide great support, even possibly a win condition. Use Shadowform when you have control or in order to secure control.

TIPS

• Almost always do the RANDOM thing first!
• In general, the order you play your minions will affect your ressurection probability. If you need Priest of the Feast or Injured Blademaster to be the main value minion for most of the game, play him early so that he keeps coming back. E.g. if you are against Tempo Mage you will want to keep resurrecting Priest of the Feast. Against Rogue, Injured Blademaster.
• Often you'll have to choose between whether to play Confessor Paletress or Nexus-Champion Saraad. If you are behind, play Confessor Paletress first, because you have more to gain from the RNG. If you are ahead, make the appropriate play based on how you want your graveyard to look and whether you expect removal.

TECH

UPDATE (11/19): There seems to be a decrease of Freeze Mages and Secret Hunter lately, so I'm switching back to Mass Dispel instead of Eater of Secrets because it is a broader tech choice.

Against shaman/aggro-heavy meta, try one or more of following:

• Excavated Evil for Mass Dispel
• Excavated Evil for Holy Nova
• Baron Geddon for Mass Dispel

Against freeze mage, try Eater of Secrets for Mass Dispel

Against control-heavy meta, try Ragnaros the Firelord for Mass Dispel.

THANK YOU

Thanks for reading! I call the deck Ender's Shadow. With three Legendaries not in the meta, the games always feel fresh and not autopilot. Please try the deck (Kibler, Kripp, Thijs plz!! XD) , pwn the meta, and share! Check out my Twitch channel if you want to see the deck in action. I will be playing mostly this deck until Gadgetzan hits.

HAVE FUN EVERYONE!!

Feel free to link your videos in the comments! 

25 Likes - Card breakdown - Hope it's useful!

50 Likes - Class Specific Mulligan guide - I've only have around 300 games with this deck, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

75 Likes - Dance on stream - I don't have many followers so this will be difficult :P