Budget Secret Hunter (60% winrate ranks 5-1)

BONUS: Potential card replacements (because I feel like you all should have this info to make the deck better)

1) If you have the dust take out an Unleash the Hounds for a Deathstalker Rexxar. That card is just too good to not put in and can really help you close out games.

2) You can take out Candleshot for either Secret Plan or Bearshark because in my opinion cause both are very good in their archetype and strong cards in general. I am saying this cause Candleshot can be helpful, but doesn’t fit into this deck as well as the other 2 cards. I really like the Candleshot to test secrets into the popular Hunter matchup, can kill 1 health minions, and also ping face for a total of 3 damage over time and against classes without heal that damage adds up.

This Midrange Hunter deck revolves around the 2 synergies, secrets and beasts. The main goal of this deck is to use one of these 2 synergies to carry you through the game and win midgame with a spellstone or a buffed beast that is slamming the face of the opponent. Very rarely will you trade with this deck, basically only do it if you need to. The turn 5 Spellstone play is SO STRONG and can only be beat by a few decks, other than that the tempo you gain from that or even ramping up with beasts and buffs is hard for a deck to match.

There are 2 standard strategies to keep with this deck and I will put then in order of priority.

1) Secrets: The secrets strategy is the stronger of the 2 in my opinion because the synergy with the Lesser Emerald Spellstone and the overall power of the secrets themselves. This is the most optimal keep.

2) Beasts: If you are dealt a hand with a Dire Mole and a Crackling Razormaw and maybe another beast synergy card like Kill Command, Animal Companion, or Houndmaster, there is no need to fear. This is a more powerful early game option and is actual preferred into super control matchups in order to rush them down.

3) ALWAYS KEEP: The Spellstone is a HUGE turn 5 play so always keep it cause just drawing into 1 secret makes it a super strong play. Even playing it on turn 5 for 2 wolves is a decent play and still applies pressure on the board (but that is worst case scenario assuming you have the card at all XD)

Druid:

Unfortunately this matchup is quite hard for you and there are very few ways you can win this matchup. The best way to win this matchup is to go the beast oriented strategy with the beast mulligan and try to buff up a beast and rush them down before they hit late game. The ideal adaptations for the first beast if you get out an early Dire mole are either Can’t be targeted, attack, or windfury because they provide suitability and damage and the only way that this gets beat is if they run the 3/6 taunt (Which isn’t used as much due to the Giggling Inventor). The main way you win is going face and as hard as possible and hoping they don’t have the cards they need. This is a rough one overall but most of the druid decks play the same so this one is a one guide fits all kinda class.

Hunter: 

This is a favorable matchup for you in my opinion because with the beast synergy it is fast enough to deal with spell hunter (And the Spellstone play is important in this matchup too so whoever gets off a better one or gets it off first has an advantage). You wanna go face into this matchup and due to how popular hunter is the candleshot is a decent keep in the deck to pop the secrets in either spell hunters or mirror matches. The secret and the Spellstone give you a lot of power over the Deathrattle and the beasts also have a lot of early power and can often times take over a game. HOWEVER, due to the lack of a Rexxar in this deck this matchup isn’t perfect and if they get to Rexxar and you don’t have a super solid lead, they can close the game out with beasts.

Mage:

This deck beats Tempo Mage in my experience because of the Spellstone and how much tempo it provides and the fact that the secrets stall out the minions from the Mage and the candleshot can finish off the 3 health minions that Tempo Mages are famous for. Big mage if you get a beast to pop off and do a ton of damage really quickly there is definitely a chance to win, but if it stopped or your spellstone gets wiped you lose this matchup because you don’t have Rexxar. However, if you had Rexxar, Big Mage wouldn’t be as much of a problem.

Priest:

There is little info on this subject and priest has so many decks, but this one is BAD for you. They have the Duskbreaker to murder your beasts or your Spellstone, the have primordial drake if Duskbreaker wasn’t enough, and they have heal so its harder to rush them down.

Rogue:

You actually smack this matchup right upside the head (Miracle and Odd). Basically if you have spellstone or you get some decent beast synergy the Rogue has no response to a wide board other than vanish which means you can just play all the beasts again and re-roll the adaptations in case they were bad. Spellstone is the MVP in this matchup and if you get it you basically win, even if they have a 5/5 thug out at the time.

Shaman:

This matchup is slightly in your favor and everything I am saying here going same for the Warlock matchup because they each have an aggro deck as well as a control deck. This deck has enough early game options and burn to get through the control matchup and control options and mid-game power-spikes to deal with aggro. You can determine which matchup you are playing pretty quickly because before the first turn you will be told if they are going even or not (Even is aggro for Shaman and Control for Warlock, and not even is Control for Shaman and Zoo for Warlock). Secrets are best verses the aggro matchups because they are your form of control and give you a power spike, and the beast strategy is best versus control because it is faster and doesn’t get wrecked by a hellfire or lightning storm or volcano in response. HOWEVER, Freeze trap is REALLY GOOD against even warlock because it return the mountain giant or the twilight drake to their hand and if their hand is full it actually just burns the card.

Warlock:

This matchup is slightly in your favor and everything I am saying here going same for the Warlock matchup because they each have an aggro deck as well as a control deck. This deck has enough early game options and burn to get through the control matchup and control options and mid-game power-spikes to deal with aggro. You can determine which matchup you are playing pretty quickly because before the first turn you will be told if they are going even or not (Even is aggro for Shaman and Control for Warlock, and not even is Control for Shaman and Zoo for Warlock). Secrets are best verses the aggro matchups because they are your form of control and give you a power spike, and the beast strategy is best versus control because it is faster and doesn’t get wrecked by a hellfire or lightning storm or volcano in response. HOWEVER, Freeze trap is REALLY GOOD against even warlock because it return the mountain giant or the twilight drake to their hand and if their hand is full it actually just burns the card.

Warrior:

Due to all the armor and board control and taunts this one is just a loss, I am sorry I can’t help you much with this one. If they have no removal and draw really unlucky and you can get a good Spellstone or pop off some beasts, then you might cheese out a win…