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Hello again! I'm here this week to give you part 1 of my World Cup article series that I'm writing to prepare everyone for the big tournament coming up next week. The recent changes that were made for the Core Constructed portion of the event has most likely thrown a wrench in a lot of team's plans. With these changes, teams are going to have to broaden their horizons and possibly look into classes that they had no intention of touching for this tourney.
But never fear, I am here to bring you some potential decks and a run down of what to expect out of each and every class you may go up against when battling for your country. Today I'm going to give you a rundown of the first 5 classes along with a decklist, their most overrated and underrated cards, and the best 3 cards for each respective class.
MAGE
Mage was the worst kept secret going into DMF Orlando, and it is definitely one of the powerhouse classes going into the World Cup. As we all know, European players tend to lean towards control decks in big tournaments. Mage is in my humble opinion the best class when it comes to gaining and maintaining control of the late game. With cards like [Mana Sapphire] to keep your hand full, and [Gladiator's Regalia] to keep the game locked down and out of reach, Mage definitely has the tools to be a consistent deck for any team.
While an aggressive form of Mage is actually a very underrated strategy right now, I think as far as the World Cup goes, playing a strong control version of the deck is probably the safest best. Now the only other question we have is if Alliance or Horde is the right choice. While the Velindra deck performed very well in Orlando, I particularly liked the [Nicholas Merrick] deck posted by Randy Williams on this very site. It uses [Hemet Nesingwary] along with a bunch of other Hunters to accelerate into a quick [Kel'Thuzad] or [Gladiator's Regaila]. [Flash of Brilliance] for freeze against a [Scimitar of Sorroco] DK is pretty important, and is the main reasons it's still in the deck, not to mention that the card gives you options.
The 1 of's in the deck may seem kind of weird, but each card is something you really need to have in the deck, and it's the only way to fit them all in.
Hero: [Nicholas Merrick]
Master Hero: 2
2 [Kel'Thuzad]
Allies: 12
4 [Gromble the Apt]
4 [Mikael the Blunt]
4 [Hemet Nesingwary]
Abilities: 26
4 [Blizzard]
3 [Mystic Denial]
4 [The Taste of Arcana]
4 [Mana Sapphire]
2 [Roaring Blaze]
3 [Nether Fissure]
3 [Counterspell]
1 [Mana Shift]
2 [Flash of Brilliance]
Equipment: 6
2 [Gladiator's Regalia]
2 [Gnomish Poultryizer]
1 [Battle Mage's Baton]
1 [Netherbreath Spellblade]
Quests/Locations: 14
4 [Eye of the Storm]
4 [Question of Gluttony]
2 [The Torch of Retribution]
4 [The Boon of Alextrasza]
Top 3 Mage Cards:
3. [Blizzard]
2. [Gladiator's Regalia]
1. [Mana Sapphire]
Overrated: [Brittlize]
Underrated: [Flash of Brilliance]
PRIEST
It's funny to move from the worst kept secret in Orlando to the best kept secret. Going into the tournament, it's fair to say that the last time a
[Searing Light] archetype was popular and successful was at the Block Constructed World Championship two years ago in Texas. Priest is a very interesting choice for the World Cup based on the fact that there are at least 4 very different and effective ways to go about building yourself a Priest deck.
While I'm a fan of the all-in Koozar lists, I don't think it's the correct choice for the cup. I also think there is a great version of an aggressive [Katianna the Shrouded] somewhere out there…I just don't have it yet. With that in mind, I think that an aggressive Emek deck with the ability to win in the end game is a very solid choice. For this list I tossed in the Stash allies, because in the early game, the deck doesn't really want to be completing quests. I also swapped my [Undercity]s for [Kor'kron Vanguard]s, for it's interactions with [Shadowfiend], which also let me put in [Saurfang the Younger, Kor'kron Warlord]. [Signet of Manifested Pain] is just an awesome card, and I pretty much just try and jam it into every deck I play.
Hero: [Emek the Equalizer]
Allies: 27
4 [Broderick Langforth]
4 [Dethvir the Malignant]
4 [Shadowfiend]
2 [Nathanos Blightcaller]
3 [Saurfang the Younger]
3 [Vanessa Fairgraves]
4 [Cairne Earthmother's Blessing]
3 [Savagin the Reckless]
Abilities: 21
3 [A Taste of Divinity]
3 [Divine Fury]
4 [Searing Light]
4 [Tuskarr Kite]
2 [Devouring Plague]
2 [Tithe]
3 [Mist of Corrosion]
Equipment: 3
3 [Signet of Manifested Pain]
Quests/Locations: 9
3 [Kor'kron Vanguard]
4 [Tabards of the Illidari]
2 [Cleansing Witch Hill]
Top 3 Priest Cards:
3. [Taste of Divinity]
2. [Searing Light]
1. [Shadowfiend]
Overrated: [Oppress]
Underrated: [Tithe]
SHAMAN
Oh how the mighty have fallen. This class was absolutely bonkers in the last Core Constructed format with [Zaritha] and [Ringleader Kuma] being 2 of the best decks in the format. However, the block rotation was harsh on both of these decks, despite both decks losing very few cards. Zaritha, while still absurdly good against rush decks, just can't beat [Kel'thuzad]. Not to mention it has a tough game against Stu's Warlock.
With all of that, I have decided to take a whole new approach at attacking the format with Shaman. This deck is a brew that I saw on MWS a while back, and have been working on ever since…and I really think that it has some serious potential for success. While its core is an aggressive Alliance deck, it has the potential to win games out of absolutely nowhere. [Spark] in combination with the Draenei mount makes for some crazy games. If your looking for a solid deck, I would absolutely suggest some iteration of this deck for your team.
Hero: [Kinivus the Focused]
Allies: 21
4 [Mikael the Blunt]
4 [Great Elekk]
3 [Adam Eternum]
3 [Weldon Barov]
3 [Ossus The Ancient]
4 [Magni the Mountain King]
Abilities: 22
4 [Squall Totem]
3 [Wavestorm Totem]
4 [Spark]
4 [Lessons of the Elements]
4 [Feral Spirit]
3 [Wind Shear]
Equipment: 6
4 [Signet of Manifested Pain]
2 [Voice of Reason]
Quests/Locations: 11
4 [Concerted Efforts]
4 [Darkness Calling]
3 [Eye of The Storm]
Top Shaman Cards:
3.[Wind Shear]
2. [Squall Totem]
1. [Feral Spirit]
Overrated: [Ancestral Awakening]
Underrated: [Spark]
WARRIOR
Warrior is in a tough spot right now, because of the fact that they not only lost [Puncture] with the rotation, but also because [Sardok] exists. With that in mind, Warrior does have a lot of potential…if you can catch the metagame at the right spot…which may be right now. Mage decks are starting to cut [Brittlize], Warlocks are only playing with 1 [Sardok], [Eye of the Storm] isn't in every deck like it was a few months ago, and [Weldon Barov] is apparently a thing of the past. And don't forget that toolbox decks are a very strong choice in a 1-game format. I went with Billy P's list from Orlando, because it doesn't have allies and it runs 11 cards as one-ofs…oh and also I actually think it could be a very very good meta-call if built and played correctly.
Hero: [Lord Benjamin Tremendouson]
Master Hero: 1
1 [Kel'Thuzad]
Abilities: 20
4 [Death Wish]
4 [Keys to the Armory]
3 [Reconstruct]
3 [Payment of Blood]
2 [Bloody Ritual]
4 [Heroic Throw]
Equipment: 23
1 [Fleshwerk Throwing Glaive]
2 [Perdition's Blade]
1 [Hailstorm]
1 [Shuriken of Negtiation]
1 [Twinblade of the Phoenix]
2 [Jin'rokh, the Great Apocalypse]
1 [Amani Mask of Death]
3 [Greaves of Ancient Evil]
1 [Polished Breastplate of Valor]
4 [Guardian's Plate Bracers]
1 [Cloak of the Shadowed Sun]
1 [Gnomish Poultryizer]
1 [Bladebreaker Gauntlets]
1 [Goblin Rocket Launcher]
1 [Girdle of Razuvious]
1 [Pendant of Quiet Breath]
Quests/Locations: 16
4 [Tanks for Everything, Dalaran]
4 [A Question of Gluttony]
4 [Darkness Calling]
4 [Journey to Astranaar]
Top 3 Warrior Cards:
3. [Bloody Ritual]
2. [Keys to the Armory]
1. [Death Wish]
Overrated: [Recklessness] (Sorry Fleck!)
Underrated: [Heroic Throw]
HUNTER
Some people have been saying for the past couple of sets that hunter has been the worst class in the game. Well, thankfully in this format that isn't true! That honor goes to Paladin.
Unfortunately for you Hunter fans, there really isn't much going on for this class. While it is progressively getting better, I wouldn't advise strapping on your Hunter gear. I have an interesting list for you that got shipped to me that I think has some potential. I'm a big fan of the card [Intimidation], especially with its current interactions with [Eye of the Storm] and [Boomer]. The deck has some explosive draws and some awkward ones, but the good more often outweighs the bad with this one.
Hero: [Magnus the Depriver]
Allies: 29
4 [Mikael the Blunt]
4 [Boomer]
4 [Tesla]
4 [Deuce]
2 [Buzz]
4 [Garret Vice]
4 [Koeus]
3 [Zuur]
Abilities: 17
4 [Aspect of the Wild]
4 [Avatar of the Wild]
3 [Eye of the Beast]
3 [Intimidation]
3 [Spoils of the Hunt]
Quests/Locations: 15
4 [Eye of The Storm]
4 [Proving Ground]
4 [Tabards of the Illidari]
2 [The Ring of Blood: Brokentoe]
That's all for today…check back this weekend for the rest of the classes!
-Andrew Trebing
Andrew Trebing is a veteran gamer who came from the Raw Deal competitive scene. His recent finishes include a top 4 at the 2010 North American Continental Championship.
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