The results from DMF Orlando are in and one thing can definitely be said about the metagame. Ally hate is everywhere. When deckbuilders start including four copies of cards like [Wub's Cursed Hexblade], I immediately think “Let's counter that with a solo deck”.

While a solo deck might not necessarily be the most powerful deck in the meta, being able to make opposing cards like Wub's, [Hesriana], and [A Taste of Divinity] completely useless is a very powerful effect that should not be ignored. After all, if your opponent expects you to play allies in your deck then they may keep hands that include those counter-cards. Every one of these cards will be dead in the opposing hand, as you proceed to beat them down via other means.

While I could simply write article number 38 about a [Death Wish] deck, I am here to do things more creatively. In addition, if you choose to build a deck around a hero that traditionally uses allies, you gain an immediate advantage of the best-of-one Core play style when all your allies are removed. While it might be an interesting experiment to build an Assassination Rogue deck built around [Master Poisoner], I think the fact that Assassination Rogue not being currently in the meta takes away our surprise advantage. Your opponent will look at your hero, and know something is immediately suspicious.

Warlock, on the other hand, is clearly established in the current meta, and most people are under the assumption its either a super aggressive [Souldrinker Bogmara] aggro deck, or the more controlling [Jeremiah Karvok] deck based around [Summoning Portal]. Either way, allies are going to be a big part of those Warlock decks, so we can use that established knowledge against our opponents.

The other option, of course, is a solo Death Knight deck under the shroud of the currently established [Triton the Sacrilegious] beat-down decks that most of the North East Americans played. While none of these decks made the top 8 (meaning less players will be fooled by the ally-less switch) Death Knight is already known to generally use allies in order to win. Whether our choice is Death Knight Solo or Warlock Solo, we are likely going to be including damage over time (DoT) effects in our deck as a win condition. To determine which class does it better, lets examine the problem cards a DoT deck could face, and figure out which class can handle them better.

Public enemy number one for DoT decks is definitely going to be the allies [Vuz'din] and [Rhuunom]. Whether the tricky troll is turning off the Warlock's Curses or the felhunter is eating Death Knight's Diseases they are going to shut down a significant portion of our card choices. Warlock's options to solve quickly them are: [Grim Reach], [Dark Justice], and [Hesriana], while Death Knights will generally use [Blackout Truncheon], [Edge of Oblivion], [Corpse Explosion], or [Army of the Dead].

The key to choosing which is better is by looking at the overall versatility of each card. One of Warlock's solutions is an ally (which we immediately devalue) while another is ally removal that costs us life. Death Knight's weapon solution also costs us life, but weapons are capable of removing multiple allies or even attacking the opposing hero in the event they are not needed as ally removal. [Grim Reach] and [Corpse Explosion]/[Army of the Dead] can clear a field of opposing allies, but Death Knight again wins simply because they have two options instead of one.

The next biggest threat to Solo is going to be decks that outright kill you before your DoTs have time to work their magic. Both classes gain access to the super powerful [Extract of Necromantic Power], but each uses it quite differently. Since most aggressive decks are currently filled up with elemental damage, the Death Knight version will likely prevent far more damage over the course of a tournament. Also, Death Knight's weapons will allow you to take advantage of the prevention on both players' turns. The fact that the Death Knight version also works against random cards like [Devouring Plague] is likely going to be the icing on the cake.

[Pestilence] from Death Knight should also be mentioned, as will most certainly slow down any aggro deck you face. [Plague Igniter] from warlock will serve a similar roll, especially with your DoTs dealing separate packets of shadow damage every turn.

Since it's been mentioned, [Extract of Necromantic Power] from an opposing Death Knight is definitely going to slow down our plans to win. If you feel its going to be a big part of the meta, Death Knight's [Entomb] will answer it at a small tempo loss, while Warlock will likely be forced to use a [Suspended Curse] to solve the equipment.

Our last threat is the new Worldbreaker card [Mana Shift]. This card is going to absolutely wreck both decks once they have established a board of DoTs. Warlock's solution is a little preemptive in [Lesson of the Nether], while the Death Knight tries to counter it with [Strangulate]. Because Lesson will always get the best card in the opposing hand its likely the more powerful option, but [Strangulate] does create a tempo advantage when [Mana Shift] is played.

Note: If Paladin's [Cleanse] is suddenly played for whatever reason, it will obviously wreck either deck. Paladin abilities are going to be ignored, however, as it has not placed high at a tournament in a really long time.

The last factor (and probably the most important one) is to consider which class has the better DoTs. Warlock wins on pure efficiency by being able to drop DoTs that deal more damage at lower costs. Death Knight, however, definitely wins on utility. Assuming the meta stays fairly similar, nearly every Death Knight DoT card deals with opposing allies in some way. [Plague Strike] and [Withering Decay] will create near infinite card advantage against any aggressive deck's one-drops, while [Icy Touch] and [Icy Torment] will mean you can easily attack into larger midrange allies with your weapons while taking almost no damage back.

Death Knight Disease decks definitely excite me, as they have all the tools to easily kill one larger ally per turn with minimal repercussions, while having the AoE threat to clear out swarms of allies. Warlock, on the other hand, will allow you to win as quickly as possible for a DoT deck (great against control decks) but will certainly struggle more against midrange and aggro.

Death Knight and Warlock both have cards that allow them to search for more DoTs to add to the opposing hero. Warlock's method is quite single minded in [Curse of Endless Suffering] while Death Knight's search tool is a little more versatile in [Chains of Ice]. Interestingly enough, each card fits the theme of the class (pure damage dealing of warlock against slightly more expensive utility of Death Knight). Because I like the idea of getting whatever Disease you want in a given situation, [Chains of Ice] is the winner here.

When it comes to resources both Death Knight and Warlock are probably going to play the same base. [Wanton Warlord] and [Seeds of the Lashers] will be 4-ofs in both versions, as they allow you to draw cards for free by simply exhausting your DoTs. Unfortunately, [Silvermoon City] may cause problems for you (especially if you are Warlock) so I would also recommend including [Cleansing Witch Hill] as a solution. Since both classes are able to be Undead, I would definitely consider running [Undercity] to help you last until your DoTs deal the final blow. You will be killing allies anyways, so you might as well eat! It's also important to mention that [Undercity] will help you against [Highlord Tirion Fordring] and [Thrall, Warchief of the Horde] decks.

While Death Knight diseases win in most categories I think its important to recognize their slow speed. Having a late game finisher that ensures victory might be essential to win. [Ysera the Dreamer] feels like a natural fit, as it doesn't require us to play allies like [The Lich King], but it still provides a difficult to answer finisher. While your opponent is paying 10 for their useless [Kel'Thuzad], you are paying potentially less resources for more health, Mend 3, and an extra card every turn.

While I don't normally do this, I figured I would post a Death Knight decklist for you guys to start with. If the metagame stays very ally based (where every deck plays allies and answers to allies) this deck could be a very strong contender. I would love to hear your suggestions for the list, or even see where you went with a Warlock version. Stay dotted, and remember: “When the boss is at 0.1% and the last person alive is a Hunter with Deterrence up, you better have refreshed your DoTs before you died”.

Hero: [Triton the Sacrilegious]

Maser Hero: 2

2 [Ysera the Dreamer]

Abilities: 31

4 [Icy Torment]

4 [Chains of Ice]

4 [Plague Strike]

3 [Entomb]

3 [Strangulate]

4 [Icy Touch]

4 [Corpse Explosion]

3 [Withering Decay]

2 [Army of the Dead]

Equipment: 11

4 [Extract of Necromantic Power]

4 [Blackout Truncheon]

3 [Edge of Oblivion]

Locations: 3

3 [Undercity]

Quests: 13

4 [Seeds of the Lashers]

4 [Wanton Warlord]

3 [Cleansing Witch Hill]

2 [Really Big Worm]

-Chris Reilkoff


Chris “Jedion” Reilkoff is currently the top rated Canadian player in the game, and one of the primary deck builders for Team East Coast. He has numerous good finishes at high-level WoW TCG events, including a top 8 finish at DMF Seattle. His recent finishes include 10th place at the 2010 North American Continental Championship, where he piloted the now well-known Zorak'tul Control deck.