BigTallGuy’s Yogg-N-Load Hunter Deck List Guide (June 2016, Season 27)

Yogg-N-Load Hunter is a very unique way to play the Hunter class. The deck relies on lots of spells and combos to finish your opponent. Thanks to BigTallGuy for allowing us to re-host his guide!

Today I will be sharing my own take on Yogg-N-Load Hunter, with a number of substantial difference than current builds that are floating around. this my first time placing high legend, and i did so from rank 5 with barely any changes. Sadly i did not use a deck tracker, so i do not have exact win rates to share =[. I do hope though my guide will foster some discussion on the viability of Yogg Hunter in the current meta, especially compared to what i believe is inferior, Midrange hunter. i will go over the deck list, matchups, general win conditions, and possible tech choices. i will try to answer all comments and questions, but i may not get to everything to night

• Deck list and Legend proof: http://imgur.com/a/rww61 
• Deck in action vs Jab ( guy behind Tempo Storm Hunter writeup) https://www.twitch.tv/jablol/v/71206514?t=02h58m12s

Deck List Card Discussion

1x Arcane Shot: Having another low cost removal to mulligan for in the Zoo matchup works wonders. It combos well w/ Lock and Load, and works great with Hunter's Mark if On the Hunt and Unleash the Hounds evade you.

1x Tracking : The decision to cut Tracking to a single slot instead of the original two is still one I’m mulling over, but so far its been working great. When I had 2 they worked great with Lock and Load but I found myself drawing into fatigue in a lot of Control matchups and having to make painful choices every few games, like choosing between Yogg-Saron + Call of the Wild.

2x Hunter's Mark: Fear not the nerf, though greatly humbled, Hunter's Mark is still a great card. It’s one of the best cards to combo with the likes of Explosive Shot and Powershot, and pairs extremely well with both Emperor Thaurissan, On the Hunt, Unleash the Hounds, and Lock and Load. This card at x2 puts work into *ALL* matchups, including Aggro + Zoo.

2x On the Hunt: I dismissed this card when i first saw it, but it is pretty damn amazing. It’s one of the most important cards to mulligan for in the Zoo matchup, and provides board presence that can amplify the strength of Call of the Wild.

1x Bear Trap: Tech choice card that can be removed depending on the meta. Very good in Aggro matchups, very bad in Control matchups. I like this card significantly more than Explosive Trap, and is a great turn two play vs every single Aggro deck. but the card can be a wasted spell in the Control matchups where experienced players would rather choose to not attack, until it has almost no value.

1x Snipe: Frothing Berserker, Azure Drake, Totem Golem, Twilight Elder, Tomb Pillager, Gadgetzan Auctioneer, Grim Patron. It’s a card that can win you the game if the timing is right. Even if it hits a very big target, it makes that target much much easier to deal with. The only matchup it has consistently disappointed in is in Zoo and even then not by much. Running two is overkill though. This card is heavy on the timing and can be switched out depending on the meta. Once the element of surprise is gone its worth drops dramatically.

1x Flare: What I switched in to replace Tracking: two mana cycle, Lock and Load trigger, useful in the Hunter matchups and the rare Mages, but most of all, its ability to remove stealth has won me many games vs Rogues who though they’re Gadgetzan Auctioneers or 13 – 4 Tomb Pillagers were safe from my board. Still is a meta dependent slot, and can be switched back in for Tracking.

1x King's Elekk: Serves three fucntions, strong turn 2 board presence, mostly reliable draw, especially in Aggro and Midrange matchups, and gives you valuable information on your opponent’s deck. running two would mess with its draw potential too much.

2x Freezing Trap: This deck relies on slowing your opponents deck down enough to give you enough breathing room to get off valuable L&L combos and turn 8 Call of the Wilds. No other card is more effective at doing that then Freezing Trap, especially vs strong 6 drops like Cairne Bloodhoof, Sylvanas Windrunner and Savannah Highmane that can be very difficult to remove. Also great vs other Deathrattles like Tomb Pillager that you want to deny value of. This card can be crucial, even in the Zoo and Aggro match. do not underestimate it.

2x Lock and Load: The decks main “draw engine”, the card that lets you go into the super late game vs Elise Warrior or N’Zoth Paladin, as well as drastically increase the spell count of your Yogg-Saron, Hope's End. You should only ever aim for big Lock and Load turns in the Control matchups and only take it when you can in the Midrange matchup. In Aggro matchups, if you can only get one or two cards to trigger off L&L, that is perfectly fine, your main concern in those matchups is to survive. Never try to use Lock and Load until at least turn 7 if you can.

2x Quick Shot: Every Hunter should run Quick Shot, just like every Mage should run Frostbolt, and every Warlock used to run Darkbomb. Superior to Kill Command because three mana cards are much worse when paired with L&L cards than 2 mana cards, virtually always a good card to keep in a mulligan.

1x Eaglehorn Bow: Eaglehorn is a great card, and i love it, and while it was a tough decision to cut one, I definitely do not regret it. aside from the fact that everyone and their mother is running Harrison Jones, using Eaglehorn as removal will make your life total drop much much much faster than if you use spells. The difference of 3-4 health is the difference of getting to turn 8 in time for casting a life saving/winning Call of the Wild.

2x Animal Companion: You’re playing hunter right? you run 2x Animal Companion. Also a spell so yeah no brainer. the RNG fits right at home with yog.

2x Deadly Shot: Can be bad in Zoo matchup, can be good in Zoo matchup, mostly good in every other matchup in this meta, especially vs Rogue and Druid who like to hide behind stealth or single big taunts. also one of the best response to the totally balanced 4 mana 7-7s.

2x Powershot: Destroys zoo, want to beat zoo? Use Powershot. also great with Hunter's Mark. Kill a strong minion and a minion next to it. Also great when paired with Unleash the Hounds on a filled board.

2x Unleash the Hounds: I originally ran one, but it provides great removal, face damage, and even possible board presence for a strong Call of the Wild and is a great card for Emperor Thaurissan to reduce to two mana. Almost as crucial as Powershot in the Zoo matchup.

1x Explosive Shot: This card works wonders in Control and Midrange matchups, especially when paired with Hunter's Mark. Kill Command is not viable in this deck due to lack of reliable triggers. Also cant properly Kill Command a Sylvanas Windrunner lest she gets a beast. Removing 4 – 6 health minions is difficult for Hunters to do without wasting premium removal. This card lets you do that with the possibility of a bonus as well. Sadly too expensive to run two, also completely not viable in other hunter lists. Yogg-Saron Hunter slows down the game enough that you can reliably get a good target for Explosive Shot, where mid hunter is keen on keeping the game going fast.

1x Emperor Thaurissan: I don’t know what is going to happen to this deck without him, he is what makes it possible for Lock and Load to get an absolutely insane amount of value, a turn 6 Emperor Thaurissan followed up by a turn 7 Call of the Wild is absolutely game winning. Having a turn 9 Yogg is the difference between victory and defeat. It is best to have him proc with Lock and Load or Call of the Wild in hand, but sadly not always possible.

2x Call of the Wild: AKA the sole reason why Hunter was able to survive in this meta. The card doubles as both an endgame, and life saver. Amazing when it gets a mana reduction to from Tharussian, and its effectiveness is greatly amplified when you have any board presence, even a single hound. This is the card responsible either winning you the game, or surviving long enough to get to Yogg.

1x Yogg-Saron, Hope's End: 12-15+ spell Yogg-Saron is the norm for this deck. and with that many spells he is more likely than not gonna end up clearing the enemy board, drawing you cards, and possibly even giving you board presence and secrets. He is much less likely to lose the game for you than you may initially think, and can pull out insane game winning casts.

Notable Exclusions

Kill Command: Not enough reliable beast triggers, deck is already a third three mana cards, 2 mana cards pair better with lock and load, cant killcommand a sylvanaes without her getting your beast. there is an argument for its inclusion, i have no yet been convinced by it however.

Explosive Trap: This card is bad, even in the matchups it’s good in. It’s almost always easy to play around, and the only matchup it’s good in is Zoo. It can still be circumnavigated with cards like Power Overwhelming + Defender of Argus. Today’s Aggro decks are not yesterdays. Three health minions are the norm now in Aggro. Powershot takes over for it beautifully.

Matchups and Mulligans

Sadly i do not have exact winrates but will provide experiences and likelihood to beat.

This deck has great matchups across the board. There are no auto win matchups, but this deck makes up for it for being extremely versatile with very few weak/auto-loss match-ups.

General Playstyle

VS Aggro

Survive survive survive, always always make sure the board is empty, goal is to make it to turn 8 for a lifesaving Call of the Wild. If call of the wild stabilizes you can likely kill them within a couple turns. Most Aggro deck end up damaging themselves greatly in the pursuit victory, which makes Call of the Wild and Yogg-Saron even more effective. Never worry about getting value of Lock and Load, that isn’t even secondary.

VS Midrange

Control the board as efficiently as possible in the early game. Try not to waste too many cards, and try to get value off of cards like Powershot and Explosive Shot. Use Freezing Trap to stall down their 6-7 drops and develop small board presence or a Emperor Thaurissan proc the same time. use Call of the Wild as a turning point. Thaurissan into turn 7 Call of the Wild will win you most Midrange matchups.

VS Control

Take the game as sloooow as you can until you can set up a strong Call of the Wild or Thaurissan proc for Lock and Load. Taking the game slow as possible can cause both Priests and Warriors to use cards sub-optimally. Cards like Hunter's Mark paird with with Explosive Shot can get insane strong value in these matchups. Freezing Trap on a 6 drop like Cairne Bloodhoof is a great way to set up Call of the Wild or Thaurissan. Once they have strong board, or your hand in nearly empty then you can Yogg.

Shaman (Aggro and Midrange)

Mulligan

Quick Shot, Bear Trap, King's Elekk, Deadly Shot, Eaglehorn Bow, Freezing Trap

Favored vs. Midrange, slightly favored vs. Aggro both Midrange and Aggro have extremely similar starts. Quick Shot in your opening hand is very crucial to respond to Troggs, and having Deadly Shot, or even Hunter's Mark for the 7/7 can huge too. Freezing is a great response Totem Golem. The goal in both these matchups is to get to a turn 7 or 8 to cast call of the wild to stabilize. do not worry about getting value from lock and load. explsoive shot and pwoer shot have many good targets in the Midrange matchup. ALWAYS keep the board as small as possible, to prevent charge damage from Flametongue Totem and keep Freezing Trap as potent as possible sadly not enough in response to Doomhammer except bear trap and call of the wild. Midrange replaces both burn and early game threats with more more substanital late game threats, giving you both more time for yog, call of the wild and L&L, which strongly affects the matchup inyour favor.

Warlock Zoo

Mulligan

On the Hunt, Arcane Shot, King's Elekk, Powershot, Bear Trap, Quick Shot, Unleash the Hounds, Animal Companion

Strongly favored matchup, large amount of ways to deal with board, and once you get to cast call of the wild, very hard for them to come back. do not worry about getting L&Lvalue, keep board clear, try to bait out good powershots, uth combos very very well with power and Hunter's Mark here, and explosive shot can get amazing value versus dark councilmen. very rarely do i get to cast yog in these matchups, and warlock will end up doing 10 or so dmg to it self, making call of ht wild even more potent.

Druid

Most druids you face will be C'Thun, with a few super ramp being scattered across. They all play very similarly.

Mulligan

King's Elekk, Bear Trap, Quick Shot, Freezing Trap, Animal Companion, Eaglehorn Bow

Aim to get a good lock and load turn in this matchup. Druid strongly outvalues Hunter, but a good lock and load turn, especially one after a Thaurissan proc, can easily change the tides in that regard. Save Deadly Shot and Hunter's Mark for big taunts. When paired with Hunter's Mark, Powershot and Explosive Shot get amazing value. Be mindful how low your health is, try to always remain in the high teens late game to watch for C'Thun. Using Eaglehorn Bow as removal in this matchup can drop your health extremely fast, so use extreme prejudice. Usually Twin Emperor Vek'lor is a nightmare for Hunter to break through, but with Hunter's Mark, Unleash the Hounds and Powershot, it is usually not a problem, especially with Lock and Load. try to keep weak minions off the board to keep Deadly Shot and Freezing Trap potent.

Control + Patron Warriors

Plays very similarly to Druid, mulligan as if it’s an Aggro Warrior.

Take both of these matchups as slow as you can. Snipe can get amazing value in the Patron matchup with Frothing Berserker, Grim Patron, and Ravaging Ghoul running about. Even hitting the 2/6 taunt is not a bad outcome as it makes it much easier to remove.

For Patron Warrior, always remove Frothing Berserker as soon as you can, Hunter's Marks, Explosive Shot, Powershot and Quick Shot for Patrons. This is the core of the Patron deck with Grommash Hellscream as a finisher, deal with these, which you have many many ways to do, and you win.

For Control Warrior, take the game even slower and try to get piece in hand for strong Lock and Load turn, preferably with Thaurissan. Only ever Yogg when your hand is less than a third full, so many spells almost guarantee overdrawing. This matchup gets the most insane Yoggs.

Aggro, Pirate + Tempo Warrior

Weakest matchup, almost auto loss vs Pirate Warrior.

Mulligan

On the Hunt, Quick Shot, Deadly Shot, King's Elekk, Bear Trap, Animal Companion

ALWAYS REMOVE PIRATES, DO NOT LET A SINGLE PIRATE LIVE, KILL THEM ALL NO MATTER WHAT. This deck can barely ever respond to weapons. The only hope vs Pirate Warrior is getting a good Snipe on Kor'kron Elite, and rolling Misha on both Animal Companion. Be careful how low the Warrior’s health gets because of Mortal Strike. This should be considered when you attack with Huffer. Tempo Warrior is a slightly better matchup that can still destroy you. More good targets for Snipe, but it can pack out the damage extremely fast. Try to set up Freezing Trap to protect from Grommash Hellscream. Never play Snipe into Grommash if you can.

Rogue

Favored

Mulligan

King's Elekk, Animal Companion, Freezing Trap, Quick Shot, Bear Trap, Eaglehorn Bow

Most rogues will be some form of miracle, including C'Thun. I have yet to run into a N’Zoth Rogue on ladder. King's Elekk, Bear Trap and Animal Companion for board presence, Freezing Trap to play into Tomb Pillager, Flare and Deadly Shot for Gadgetzan Auctioneer and Stealth. Thaurissan followed by Call of the Wild is almost impossible for Rogues to deal with and your win often snowballs from there. However, tt can easily spiral into the Rogue’s favor if you have no answer for Auctioneer. Snipe gets it most value in this matchup as does Flare. Try to time Snipe for turn 7 and and 8, or 6 if a Tomb Pillager died earlier.

Midrange Hunter

Slightly favored

Mulligan

King's Elekk, Quick Shot, On the Hunt, Animal Companion

Keeping the Hunter’s board clear by turn 6 is generally not that hard to do, with the myriad of Powershots. The trouble is Savannah Highmane. If the opponent plops down Highmane and you can’t answer that turn easily, the game might as well be lost. Freezing Trap should be saved for turn 6 and 8. Who ever gets a successfully stabilizing Call of the Wild first will essentially win the game.

Other

I played very very very few Paladins, Mages, Renolocks and Priests on my climb. I did beat Sjow’s N’Zoth Paladin off a crazy Yogg-Saron, Hope's End to break into the top ten, and Flare saved my ass vs. the one Secret Paladin and the couple of Freeze Mages I faced.

VS. Priest, I play very similar to the Control Warrior matchup. Take the game as slow as possible and try to set up a strong Lock and Load combo off a thaurissan proc. When my hand gets low or they get a big board, unleash the Yogg!

This is the first time breaking into high legend ranks, and am especially proud its a deck of my own creation.