The Anti Deck Guide: How-to Beat Jade Druid

For the next installment of Hearthstone Top Decks’ Anti-Guides, the new type of guide which, rather than providing instructions for optimizing play with a given deck, aims to arm you with tools to beat a target deck—we will be targeting the refreshed, off the nerf of its nemesis Quest Rogue, Jade Druid.

Check out our other Anti-Deck Guides

• How-to Beat Burn Mage

First, in the Reconnaissance section, we’ll take an in depth look at the target deck: its cards, mulligan, and overall game plan.  Study of this section will help us to know our enemy better, so that we may in the Strategies and Tactics section learn how to efficiently play around their most interactive cards, prepare to deal with their threats, and make plays which maximize their discomfort and our likelihood of winning.

If you want to learn how to play Jade Druid, check out our Jade Druid Deck List Guide!

By The Numbers

• Popularity: 8-9% of the ladder (at time of publication)
• Clock: 9-10 turn average game duration
• Minions: 12 (5 of which generate additional minions, Jade Behemoth, Jade Spirit, Aya Blackpaw)
• Spells: 18 (4 of which generate minions, Jade Idol, Jade Blossom)
• Jades: 10 (plus a potentially infinite number from cycling Jade Idol)

Matchups

• Favored vs. Jade Druid:  Token Druid, Secret Mage, Midrange Paladin, Silence Priest, Miracle Rogue, Evolve Shaman
• Disfavored vs. Jade Druid: Burn Mage, Freeze Mage, Control Paladin, Taunt Warrior, Control Shaman, Control Priest

Reconnaissance

First let’s take a look at the Core cards that make up Jade Druid

Core Cards

2x Innervate, 2x Earthen Scales, 2x Jade Idol, 2x Wild Growth, 2x Wrath, 1x Feral Rage, 2x Jade Blossom, 1x Fandral Staghelm, 2x Jade Spirit, 2x Swipe, 2x Nourish, 1x Aya Blackpaw, 2x Gadgetzan Auctioneer, 2x Jade Behemoth, 2x Primordial Drake

The Jade Druid core is extremely tight.  The only card in the above list that might be omitted is Jade Spirit, but the vast majority of decks include it and we will consider it core.  If we’re facing a deck of this type, we can be highly confident we will have to deal with the cards above, leaving us a very small number of slots for flex choices, and even here the list is shorter than average.

Popular Flex Choices

Second Feral Rage, 1x Yogg-Saron, Hope's End, 1 or 2x Tar Creeper, 1x Gluttonous Ooze or Harrison Jones, 1x Bloodmage Thalnos, 1 or 2x Wild Pyromancer, 1x Golakka Crawler, 1 or 2x Acolyte of Pain, 1x Druid of the Claw

Our opponent’s deck will usually have, in addition to the Core above, if they are teched anti-aggro, Tar Creepers, Pyromancers, Weapon Destruction, or the Crawler.  If they are looking to win control matchups or mirrors, they will go with more draw engines, and Yogg for potential giant swings.  For the example we will consider in this Anti-Guide we will go with a second Feral Rage, Yogg, and Harrison Jones to try to create a balanced, straightforward version of the deck.

Archetype:   Ramp – Control

Jade Druid is a heavy developmental deck, whose calling cards are: Mana Acceleration, huge mid to late game minions, and potentially infinite value from Jade Idol.  Having no early (pre Turn 4) minions, outside of maybe a 1/1 Jade from a spell, their early game will consist either of removal or Ramping up their Mana Crystals with Wild Growth and Jade Blossom, perhaps dropping a large card early with an Innervate or two.  Ramp up mana, ramp up Jades, and before you know it, they are laying out a 3/6 with taunt and a 4/4 jade for 6 mana, and doing it on turn 5!

Mulligan

They always keep Wild Growth, Jade Blossom, and Innervate.  They sometimes keep heavier cards such as a Jade Spirit, or even Aya Blackpaw if they also have ramp or Innervate.  For example coining Jade Blossom on 2 into Jade Spirit on 3.  If we are playing a class which leads them to think we might be aggro, they will keep Wrath, and perhaps even Swipe.

Interactive Cards

Jade Druid is a minimally interactive deck, primarily focused on development, with weak AOE, and no Hard Removal.

AoE

2x Swipe, 2x Primordial Drake

Removal

They usually have no hard removal, maybe 1x Naturalize, but this is currently out of favor.  2x Wrath for early small target removal, or later used for Draw synergistically with Fandral or Gadgetzan Auctioneer.   And their 1 attack Hero Power.

Development Cards

Jade Druid is all about development, building huge boards of strong minions earlier and more efficiently than we can, while drawing through their deck as quickly as possible.

Ramp 

2x Wild Growth, 2x Jade Blossom, 2x Nourish

Early Minions

None—except for token Jade Golems created by Jade Idol and Jade Blossom

Midgame Minions

1x Fandral Staghelm, 2x Jade Spirit, 2x Jade Behemoth, 1x Aya Blackpaw, plus more Jade Golems

Big Threats

2x Primordial Drake, 1x Yogg-Saron, Hope's End, plus even more, a potentially infinite number in fact, of gigantic Jade Golems.

Draw

2x Nourish, 2x Gadgetzan Auctioneer, 2x Wrath

Synergies

This deck has few synergies, but what there are must be disrupted:

• Gadgetzan Auctioneer + Innervate, Wrath, and other cheap spells
• Fandral Staghelm + Nourish (this cannot be allowed at any cost)
• Fandral Staghelm + Wrath
• Fandral Staghelm + Feral Rage
• Innervate + Everything
• Swipe + Bloodmage Thalnos

Game Plan

The Jade Druid’s game plan is straightforward: accelerate Mana with ramp cards and Innervate to facilitate playing out efficient, high-power minions and steamrolling us across the board.  They have plenty of Taunt and Armor Gain and they want to control the board, build big minions, and get cheers from the crowd as they land 8+ attacks to the face in the late game.

• The Ramp Plan: Against control they want to concentrate on ramp and draw, knowing that no one outlasts them to fatigue.  The faster they can arrive at the end of their deck and generate 1 cost 10/10’s while cycling with an Auctioneer, the happier they will be.  In control matchups they will likely pay less attention to value and go for tempo plays (like an Earthen Scales on a 2/2 to trade with our 1/3) through the early and mid game, knowing that their value can be infinite if they play it right.
• The Survive and Outlast Plan: Against aggro they want to survive to the midgame, then start laying out taunts and gaining armor.  If Jade Druid can arrive at turn 6+, where they can begin playing Jade Behemoths and Primordial Drakes, with a healthy life total and a clear board, they will be feeling good.  With a possible Reno Jackson’s worth of armor gain, even if their life total drops low, if they can stabilize they can double Feral Rage for armor and gain another 10+ with Earthen Scales.

Key Cards by Mana Availability

Refer back to this section for a refresher during gameplay.  If they have X mana available, these are some of the options they have.  If read in order, this could be construed as an example of a curve that the Druid may like to execute, however, in this matchup especially, this is not turn based, but mana based, as they will ramp up, and often have the ability to Innervate 2 mana ahead of curve.

• 1: Very weak here, their only play is Jade Idol
• 2:  Wrath, Wild Growth
• 3:  Feral Rage,  Jade Blossom
• 4:   Swipe,  Jade Spirit,  Fandral Staghelm
• 5:   Nourish
• 6:  Jade Behemoth,  Aya Blackpaw,  Gadgetzan Auctioneer (though they will not want to play him on curve, ideally saving him up for a turn of 3+ draws)
• 7:  Nothing
• 8:   Primordial Drake
• 9: Nothing
• 10:   Yogg-Saron, Hope's End

It cannot be overemphasized, that the plays to watch for are extendable by Innervate, and that you should not count by turn, but always check the opponents’ available mana to remind yourself how much they have ramped.

Strategy & Tactics

Playing against a Jade Druid can be a very polarizing experience.  Sometimes you just kill them and they don’t seem to do much while other times; no matter what you do they always one up you.  Much depends on their opening draw, if they get their Mana and Jade ramps going, and if they find their cycle.  Jade Druid is relatively low on the interaction scale, as they heavily emphasize draw and development.  We need to take advantage of their weak removal, and attempt to make them as reactive as possible to delay their development.

Game Plans

To beat Jade Druid we will have to kill them, because they will not run out of resources.  Instead, we need to attempt to capitalize on their weaknesses, which can be quite glaring.  Jade Druid has only Swipe for early AOE, and Primordial Drakes late.  They have only Wrath and their 1 attack Hero Power for early removal, and nothing for late.  Against a Jade Druid you don’t have to worry about extending, build wide boards and buff.  They fight for board with minion trades rather than wiping it clean with spells.  We don’t have to worry about playing our Tirion’s or Medivh’s because the primary way they have of dealing with our board is trading minions, no Shadow Word: Death here, folks.  Let’s take advantage of the knowledge that they have no single target removal, and weak AOE.  Do make sure to play around Swipe-able boards, and watch for Primordial Drake on turns 6+, but in general, we can feel free to play our stuff.

Here are 3 distinct game plans, which we will choose depends on our deck and our draw in any individual game, that can beat a Jade Druid.

• Run them over: Jade Druids start out slow, and their primary method of clearing the board is trading. If we can build a huge board fast and push damage, we can beat them before they even get to their big taunt turns.
• Maintain initiative and outvalue them in the midgame: Initiative is very important against board centric decks like Jade Druid. We want to be the one deciding when, if, and which trades to make.  Again, try to take advantage of their slow starts to take initiative, and think one or two turns ahead to their best plays, and build and trade with those in mind.  Since it is unlikely that Jade Druid loses in a late game battle (short of a huge Kazakus resurrect or Medivh highroll), we’d like to pummel them every turn with advantageous trades, never letting them get a board.
• Big minions: Jade Druid is disfavored vs Miracle Rogue, Silence Priest, and Big Druid because each of these decks can play out (or build) huge minions before Jade can ramp up to theirs.  With a complete lack of single target removal, there is no way for Jade to survive against a 10/10 Edwin on 4, or a 16/16 Humongous Razorleaf, or an Innervated Y’shaarj.  If you can play or make huge minions, do so at the earliest opportunity.

Trading

Because Jade Druid is such a board focused deck, when and how to trade is extremely important here.  Given that most decks are more aggressive than Jade Druid, Jade has no on-board synergetic buffs, and that their spell buffs are weak, when considering whether to make a trade or go face, we can lean toward hitting face more than against many decks.  We probably don’t need to clear that early 1/1 Jade Golem, but would prefer to hit for 2 damage, whereas if that were a Murloc or a Beast we would clear every time.

Later, toward the midgame, we want to make our trading decision based on what we expect to come out next.  Will our opponent be protecting that 2/2 Golem behind a Jade Behemoth? then we probably want to clear.  Will trading put our minions down to 2 health going into turn 8? then we probably don’t want to set ourselves up for Drake to destroy them, but would rather take the damage now, and let the Druid trade into us.

It is not important to keep a clean board because of the lack of synergies, our trading decisions come down to whether or not making this trade likely sets us up for a better position across the next turn or two, given what would be the Druid’s best plays.  (This emphatically does not apply to Gadgetzan Auctioneer!  See the section below.)

Mulligan

Mulligan against Druid can be difficult in this meta, because the class has two viable and popular archetypes with nearly opposite strategies: Token Druid and Jade Druid.  Generally, one wants to mulligan for the more aggressive archetype when in doubt, because of the relatively difference in game length.  Against a slower deck we have more time to draw into what we need.

That said, if we have a reason to think our opponent is Jade, we want to do one of two things, depending on our own deck:

If we are an aggressive or synergy based deck, e.g. Pirates or Hunter or Murloc Paladin, we want to mulligan to maximize 1) playing out early and 2) filling our curve.  We know that Jade Druid will have a slow start, so we want to go fast, to build up, buff, expand.  We don’t have to worry about a powerful AOE and hopefully if things go our way we will have killed them before they even get to their power cards.  If not, we will at least have influenced them to play defensive cards like Wrath rather than Wild Growth, delaying their development.

If we are a Midrange to Control deck, we might want to keep our power cards, being confident that the game will be lasting into the late game, we don’t want our Medivh or Kazakus or Finja buried, these sorts of power cards are what we are going to need to either 1) create a huge board swing that the cannot addressed, or 2) outvalue them in the midgame so anything they play before their real power builds can be picked off with initiative based advantageous trades.

Cards to Play Around

As a low-interaction deck, there aren’t too many cards to actively play around against Jade Druid, but we should be aware of them anyway:

• Swipe: 4 damage to one target and 1 to all others (buffable by Thalnos if they run it). This is a relatively weak AOE, and as long as we trade such that we keep ourselves from having a string of 1 health minions, Swipe will sit in the Druid’s hand and feel like a nearly dead card.
• Wrath. Though the Druid doesn’t have much removal, they do have the ability to remove an early Fledgling or Northshire Cleric if they feel they need to.  If we see this card played early on a minion we don’t care about we are thrilled, they have wasted 2 mana and cycle for later.
• Primordial Drake. Always be aware of this card, especially on turn 8, sometimes as early as 6 with that pesky Innervate.  It can be an absolute killer against aggressive decks.  At most costs, avoid large boards of low health minions here.  Drake can just win games.
• Yogg. Ok, so we can’t strictly play around Yogg, but let’s just keep it in mind.  Similar to a deck with a Deathwing that can suddenly completely swing a game, against a deck with Yogg in it, if it has extended long enough that it could be played, don’t get sloppy, don’t make unnecessary plays that might get wrecked by a lucky Yogg.  It’s easy to forget, but try not to.  Keep in mind that even from a terrible position, this one card can some of the time bring them back.
• Nourish. Again, unless we deploy a clever Counterspell going into Turn 5, this is a card that we can’t really play around, but we need to keep in mind that a jade Druid that looks as though they are running out of resources may have a powerful reload as that last card in hand.  We can’t expect to have run them out of gas until we see them topdecking.

Gadgetzan Auctioneer

This card is so important to what Jade Druid does that it needs its own section.  Obviously, if you have a chance to kill it, kill it.  This is a primary target, on the level of a Archmage Antonidas, or an early Vicious Fledgling as a card that can just end a game.  Even if we have to be inefficient, we’ll still Flamestrike that bugger most of the time.

Jade Druid has lots of low cost spells and they almost always, if they can, want to cycle.  One of Jade Druid’s goals, like a Miracle deck, is to just draw all of its cards.  Knowing that they cannot fatigue, they just want to get to the end of their deck, where they have an increasing cavalcade of 1 cost Jade Golems.  And though Nourish is powerful, there’s nothing like an unanswered Auctioneer to allow them too much refill for any deck to answer.

This card is so important, we probably want to hold back appropriate removal if we expect it to be played out, if we are able.  Keep a board state that they don’t want to play an Auctioneer into, or take it off at the earliest opportunity.

Fandral Staghelm

Fandral is an interesting case, there was a time in a previous meta when we would have considered him similarly game breaking, but I would argue that this is not true any longer.  Here is a complete list of the cards in Jade Druid Core that Fandral activates:  Jade Idol, Wrath,  Feral Rage,  Nourish.  Significant, but not always a game changer.

Here is the new plan on Fandral:

If Fandral is played around turn 4 he is a must kill.  Fandral on 4 into Nourish on 5 (or earlier with Innervate, Coin, ramp) is devastating.

Otherwise, Fandral is medium to high on the removal scale.  Less than Auctioneer, but clearly more important than a vanilla 3/5.   We should not take the attitude of must remove at all costs to Fandral, but instead consider 1) the likelihood that a Fandral synergy card will be played next turn and 2) how devastating it would be if the Fandral card were played.  He is definitely something we want off the board, but not someone to go all in to remove.  Sometimes Jade Druids actually lay him out as a bluff to bait us into spending time and resources to kill him out of fear, so we should think twice before doing so, unlike with Auctioneer.

Tech Choices

Jade Druid can be difficult to directly tech against, there aren’t any Crab, Crawler, or Ooze level direct counters but here are some ideas.

Cheap big minions like  Bittertide Hydra, or anything else that trades well for its mana cost like a  Drakonid Operative.  Again, Jade druid can’t remove our board with spells very well, so the more stats we can put out there cheaply, the more it will swing the tempo in our favor.

Buffs like  Blessing of Kings or  Spikeridged Steed or the  Divine Spirit /  Inner Fire combo.   Anything that helps us have a bigger board more quickly than they do.

Huge swing cards  Frost Nova / Doomsayer, Doppelgangster \ Evolve, Kazakus, Medivh, the Guardian, if you can clear large boards, or build large boards in a single turn and swing the game stealing initiative from a Jade Druid, they often cannot come back to seize control again.

Counterspell can be rough on a Jade Druid because they don’t have many spells that aren’t important, stymieing a Nourish can really hurt them.

Summary

If we’re the aggressive deck, we’re looking to flood the board early, accrue quick face damage, and synergize.   Put out the cards, put in the damage, and make them have the answers, make them spend mana on removal and reaction instead of ramping up.

If we have some sort of combo that allows us to get or build big minions, we’ll take our time for a few turns building up to that, then bring out the big guns while their Jades are still 4/4’s and kill them before they become powerful.

If we’re control, we probably have to try to go the initiative route and try to play bigger minions than they can on turns 3-7 or so, take value trades while continuing to build a board, and hit the face if we have leftover attacks.

Take advantage of their weak removal tools, we can go wide or we can go big against Jade Druid.  They can’t deal with a 32/32 minion, any more than they can deal with a board of buffed 3/3 Mana Treant’s.  Their methods for dealing with boards are: trades, taunts, or ignoring them and killing us first (taking for granted that we didn’t set ourselves up for Swipe).  If we can think a turn or two ahead and make better trades with our initiative we should have a good chance.

Take advantage of their slow early game, Jade Druids can have a hard time keeping a snowball from becoming an avalanche, so flood that board without fear in the early game.  We’ll try to put ourselves into a position that when they play Aya on curve, instead of being a threat, we pump our fists and say “Oh that’s way too slow” and kill them.

Thanks for checking out the Jade Druid Anti-Guide, as always leave any questions or comments below.  Happy laddering!