Original publish date: 8/20/2010- RunGoodClub.com

Going into both nationals and worlds this year I felt there were three major decks that needed to be answered: the aggression of [Ringleader Kuma], the control of Traitor Mage/[Slow] Mage, and the consistency and flexibility of [Death Wish].  While there were subtle differences between the core versions from NACC and the Classic versions at Worlds, the weaknesses of the three decks remained the same. Traitor Mage/[Slow] Mage was “all in” on recursion of ongoing abilities, [Death Wish] was “all in” on their hero attacking, and Kuma was “all in” on attacking with multiple allies.  If one could create a deck that was capable of countering all three strategies, you would have a “paper” to the three “rocks” of the metagame.  Enter Zorks.

While the name might not be as exciting as TEC’s “Premonition”, the deck offered something to the metagame that excited me; Zorks was a deck that could make your opponent feel helpless. Whether it was [Band of Vile Aggression] and [Vuz'din] lock against Vorna and Varanis, [Lord Jorach Ravenholdt] and [Zalan Ragewind] lock against [Death Wish], or simply the [Swift Raptor] and [Boots of Utter Darkness] lock against Kuma, Zorks was capable of creating situations where your opponent was just incapable of winning.

If Zorks was only able to beat the three rocks of the metagame, however, the deck would face numerous problems in a large scale tournament.  The deck needed a game plan against a variety of decks if were to compete in a diverse metagame. Cards like [Deadliness], [Victimize], and [Tuskarr Kite] were added to create consistency versus all of the random decks I expected to face.

I am going to go over various strategies and key cards in the match-ups you can expect to see at a major tournament.

Opponent: Varanis/Vorna/[Spellweaver Jihan]

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Spell Suppression], [Invocation]/[Mana Sapphire], [Roaring Blaze]/[Blade of Wizardry]

Your Key Cards: [Band of Vile Aggression], [Vuz'din], [Junkboxes Needed], [Purloin]

Your Dead Cards: [Carnage], [Swift Raptor] (without kite), [Enveloping Shadows]

Strategy:  Your optimal strategy is to try to land a [Band of Vile Aggression] through their interrupts, and have a [Vuz'din] to stop the [Spell Suppression] on the band.  If you land a [Vuz'din], use your discard to take out their [Vuz'din] answers ([Roaring Blaze]/[Blade of Wizardry]). Remember, your opponent must have 5 cards in hand when they play [Roaring Blaze] in order to kill [Vuz'din]. If you cannot keep a [Vuz'din] or Band in play, save your discard to break their [Blizzard] lock-downs and play beatdown via your [Blackout Truncheon]’s, Brodericks, and Lord Jorachs. [Blade of Wizardry] causes you major problems if they play it.  You are very reliant on [Vuz'din] to win, so if they have an easy way to remove him you are likely going to lose on card advantage.  The only difference between playing against Varanis/Vorna and playing against Jihan is that you have to ensure your [Vuz'din] does not get killed by Mikaels.  Do not attack with [Vuz'din] when staring down Jihan, and avoid using [Tuskarr Kite] on your turn.

Win Rate: 65% without [Blade of Wizardry], 40% with [Blade of Wizardry]

Opponent: [Death Wish] Solo

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Pummel], [Bloody Ritual], [Kel'Thuzad], [Shuriken of Negation], [Goblin Rocket Launcher]

Your Key Cards: [Band of Vile Aggression], [Lord Jorach Ravenholdt], [Zalan Ragewind]

Your Dead Cards: [Carnage], [Swift Raptor] (without kite), [Enveloping shadows]

Strategy:  Against [Death Wish], you are looking to win on card advantage. Play Jorach to stop their hero from attacking.  If they play no equipment/abilities, you can use Jorach for beat down to win the game and if they do play their equipment/abilities you pair Jorach with [Zalan Ragewind] to create ongoing card advantage. [Band of Vile Aggression] keeps them off [Kel'Thuzad], but you may want to keep a single [Carnage] in hand in case [Kel'Thuzad] ever lands (all of your allies cost less than 5).  Destroying a resource every turn eventually puts [Death Wish] in top deck mode, often unable to play the cards they draw. Beware of playing duplicate cards, as you do not want to be blown out by [Amani Death of Mask]. [Goblin Rocket Launcher] must be answered as soon as possible, as it is their only out to a Zalan/Jorach lockdown.  Use your [Blackout Truncheon]s and [Eye of the Storm]s on turns where your opponent threatens you with [Jin'Rokh, The Great Apocalypse] if you do not have [Lord Jorach] in play.  Beware of opponents who play multiple [OWNED!], as it will be hard for you to win without your two key allies.

Win Rate: 90%

Opponent: Kuma

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Signet of Manifested Pain], [Nathanos Blightcaller], [Yaza the Vandal]

Your Key Cards: [Swift Raptor], [Boots of Utter Darkness], [Carnage], [Enveloping Shadows]

Your Dead Cards: [Victimize], [Band of Vile Aggression], [Vuz'din]

Strategy:  You absolutely need to get your mount/boots combo in play as soon as possible to buy you time to get to [Kel'Thuzad].  You want your opponent to flood the board with allies preparing for their flip, only to run straight into your [Carnage]. After you [Carnage], you can often create a soft lock on their board with a Lord Jorach and an [Enveloping Shadows] by simply attacking any ally they play on their turn.  Your job is to stay alive and gain card advantage whenever possible. If they play [Tuskarr Kite], try to answer it or you will be overwhelmed with their threats

Win Rate: 60% if they do not play [Tuskarr Kite], 50% if do

Opponent: Orcs (Warrior, Warlock, Shaman, Hunter Varieties)

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Rehgar Earthfury], [Signet of Manifested Pain] (warlock/shaman)

Your Key Cards: [Deadliness], [Enveloping Shadows], Lord Jorach, [Kel'Thuzad]

Your Dead Cards: [Vuz'din], Broderick, [Zalan Ragewind] (against hunter/Warrior)

Strategy:  Like Kuma, your strategy vs Orcs is to survive until you hit [Kel'Thuzad].  [Deadliness] is ridiculous in the matchup, as it almost always takes out their [Kazamon] and their [Orgrimmar]. From turn 6 onward, you want a way to stop a ferocious Rehgar from stealing any allies you have on board. [Blackout Truncheon], [Lord Jorach], and [Eye of the Storm] all serve this purpose. Surviving until [Kel'Thuzad] is only difficult if your opponent is playing [Signet of Manifested Pain]. [Zalan Ragewind] must answer the signet, but can be resourced otherwise.  When you hit [Kel’Thuzad], choose targets that prevent them from striking you out with [Garrosh Hellscream], or stealing their allies back with Rehgar.

Win Rate: 60%

Opponent: Black Ice

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Dimzer the Prestidigitator], [Myriam Starcaller], [The Taste of Arcana], [Mystic Denial]

Your Key Cards: [Carnage], [Enveloping Shadows], [Blackout Truncheon], Lord Jorach

Your Dead Cards: [Victimize], [Band of Vile Aggression], [Vuz'din]

Strategy:  Dimzer is the card that will absolutely ruin your day, so you must answer him as soon as possible.  Often you will call Junkboxes on ally to ensure he does not enter play. Like your matchup against orcs, you want to eventually hit [Kel'Thuzad], but be weary of doing it on turn 10 unless you have [Boots of Utter Darkness] in play (you don’t want to get blown out by Taste of Arcana). If Black Ice is able to Taste or [Mystic Denial] your [Kel'Thuzad], you probably have no chance at winning. Use your [Enveloping Shadows] to turn off [Water Elemental] activations, or use your [Deadliness] to kill them after they have activated.  [Blackout Truncheon] on turn 2 is great against Gromble, but coupled with a dead Broderick, the truncheon also acts as your way to kill their Myriams and [Water Elemental]s. [Boots of Utter Darkness] are stellar in the matchup, but beware of [Brittilize].

Win Rate: 30% if they play Mystic Denial, 55% if they do not

Opponent: [Nicholas Merrick]

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Mana Sapphire], [The Taste of Arcana]

Your Key Cards: [Vuz'din], [Blackout Truncheon], [Broderick Langforth]

Your Dead Cards: [Victimize], [Boots of Utter Darkness]

Strategy:  Unfortunately, [Nicholas Merrick] is an aggressive deck that has the ability to easily remove your [Boots of Utter Darkness] via [Brittilize].  This leaves a big hole in your defense against aggressive decks. If you are able to land a [Vuz'din] and protect him against their flip/[Blast Wave], most of the cards in their deck become dead.  [Blackout Truncheon] and Brodericks are fairly important to kill off Mikaels, Achillias, and any Myriams they may play. You want to stabilize your health with the healing from your mount, without playing too many allies to get blown out by their AOE cards. Versions with more allies you want to win with [Kel'Thuzad]. Versions that are more ability based make you play similar to the Varanis Matchup. Again, be wary of attacking with [Vuz'din] so you do not lose to him to [Mikael the Blunt].

Win Rate: 40-60% depending on their card choices

Opponent: Alliance Midrange Warlock (Pidge, Marlowe)

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Signet of Manifested Pain], Dimzer (Pidge), [Eye of Kilrogg]/Lesson, [Tuskarr Kite]

Your Key Cards: [Victimize], [Tuskarr Kite], [Blackout Truncheon], [Enveloping Shadows], [Kel'Thuzad]

Your Dead Cards: [Boots of Utter Darkness], [Swift Raptor], [Vuz'din]

Strategy:  The key to this match-up is to never play a card that doesn’t generate a 2 for 1 card advantage on your part.  Warlock is one of the only classes that is better at the card advantage game than Zorks. If you let them [Victimize], [Drain Will], and [Hesriana] you all match you are going to be in top deck mode very quickly. [Tuskarr Kite] is absolutely essential for you to keep up with their cards. Dimzer becomes a huge issue, especially when your Lord Jorach’s get eaten by [Hesriana]. Your chance of winning this game relies on [Kel'Thuzad] but their [Eye of Kilrogg] effects often remove him from the game. Avoid keeping hands with KT in them, as you ideally want to top deck him once you hit 10 resources. If you need to play Zalan to kill a Signet/[Banish to the Nether], avoid attacking with your hero that turn or you may get blown out by [Hesriana].

Win Rate: 45% vs. Pidge, 55% vs. Marlowe (Dimzer is a big difference)

Opponent: Horde Midrange Warlock (Pagatha, Plague)

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Signet of Manifested Pain], Dethvir, Eye of Kilrogg/Lesson, [Tuskarr Kite]

Your Key Cards: [Victimize], [Tuskarr Kite], [Blackout Truncheon], [Kel'Thuzad]

Your Dead Cards: [Boots of Utter Darkness], [Swift Raptor], [Vuz'din], [Deadliness]

Strategy:  This match-up is just like the Pidge/Marlowe one, but Dethvir replaces Dimzer on the threat list.  Dethvir can not be killed by [Carnage] or [Deadliness] so those two cards become significantly worse.  Hope your Jorachs do not get eaten by [Hesriana], and use your Enveloping Shadows] to slow down their attack.  Luckily, hitting [Kel'Thuzad] against the horde versions gives you significantly better allies than the alliance counterpart. Also, like the Alliance version, if you play any cards that do not generate a 2 for 1 card advantage, you can probably reduce your win rate by about 20%.

Win Rate: 50%

Opponent: Rip & Flip

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Ripped Through the Portal], [Eye of Kilrogg], Gromble, [Banish to the Nether]

Your Key Cards: [Purloin], [Junkboxes Needed], [Band of Vile Aggression]

Your Dead Cards: [Swift Raptor], [Vuz'din], [Zalan Ragewind]

Strategy:  You really only have one strategy vs Rip & Flip decks: [Purloin] and Junkboxes away their [Ripped Through the Portals], while using your Band of Vile Aggression to keep them under 7 resources.  On the play, if you can keep them at 4 resources, they can only combo out on you if they land an unanswered Gromble.  Unfortunately, your [Band of Vile Aggression]s are easily answered by their Banish to the Nethers, and only matter when you are on the play.  Rip & Flip will often Rip on turn 5 and simply flip next turn. While Boots and an ongoing ability make you untargetable to their flip, beware of Rip & Flips that use Marundel the Kindred.  They will hard cast [Azaloth], play Marundel next turn (killing the opposing tokens and allowing the [Azaloth] to attack) and use their flip to kill Marundel mid combat to make Azaloth a 50/50 again.

Win Rate: 20%

Opponent: Fordring Master Hero Decks

Opponent’s Key Cards: Fordring, King Varian

Your Key Cards: [Kel'Thuzad], [Deadliness], [Band of Vile Aggression]

Your Dead Cards: [Vuz'din], [Zalan Ragewind]

Strategy:  Your plan here is simple. Use your resource destruction to keep them off 10 resources so they cannot play their Master Hero, while using your own Master Hero to take all of their best allies. If you are facing the Shaman version, beware of [Wavestorm Totem].  You can often wait until turn 10 to play Kel’Thuzad and Vuz'din on the same turn to prevent them from getting any of their allies back. Against the Paladin version, [Vuz'din] with [Kel'Thuzad] on turn 13 also prevents them from using [Blessing of Salvation] to blow you out.

Win Rate: 70%

Opponent: Kungen Strike Out

Opponent’s Key Cards: [Puncture], Saurfang, [Mortal Strike], [Vindicator’s Brand]

Your Key Cards: [Deadliness], [Blackout Truncheon], [Boots of Utter Darkness], [Purloin]

Your Dead Cards: [Vuz'din], [Band of Vile Aggression]

Strategy:  Like the Kuma match-up, you want to sit behind Boots and Mount as much as possible.  If you can play a [Tuskarr Kite] or [Enveloping Shadows] to give your hero untargetable as well, you are in great shape.  Beat them with your card advantage, and use your Jorach, [Eye of the Storm], and Truncheon to keep them off their combo as much as possible. Optimal targets for [Purloin]/Junkboxes are [Bloody Ritual], [Vindicator’s Brand], [Mortal Strike] and [Puncture]. [Deadliness] is often capable of the 3-1, nabbing their location, a low cost ally, and one of their weapons.

Win Rate: 60% (Minimal games in testing this, as I only found out about Kungen when I arrived at Gen Con)

Like any deck, Zorks has its phenomenal match-ups and its poor match-ups. My choice to play this deck was based on my prediction of the metagame being filled with Horde Control Mage, [Death Wish], and beat down decks like Orcs and Kuma. Feel free to use the comments section to ask about any match-ups I have not already discussed, or to critique any of my strategy suggestions. 

-Chris "Jedion" Reilkoff