*UPDATE* – Odd Cost Taunt Warrior – Witchwood Theory Craft

Class: Warrior - Format: raven - Type: control - Season: season-49 - Style: theorycraft

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Deck Import

Mulligans

General Mulligans

In general you will want to keep your quest in your opening hand, although if the deck you are facing with is extremely aggro, your goal is to simply survive. Therefore, you might want to toss it away. Other than the quest, fiery war axe is used as early game removal and the stonehill defender is used to get 2 taunts for the price of one. Acolyte is used for early draw (since draw is limited in this deck) and the witchwood grizzly is potentially your strongest taunt. Lastly, as this deck is odd cost, you will find yourself hero powering almost always on turn 2,  leading up to a potential 4 damage AOE on turn 3 using reckless flurry against aggro decks.

Back when the Journey to Un’Goro expansion went live, taunt warrior (a version of the iconic control warrior) became a popular deck archetype to play. The deck involved playing big taunts that stalled the game until you could complete your quest, which then allowed you to turn the tides and finish off your opponent with your 8 damage hero power. The problem was that this deck, while it had an amazingly strong hero power, had to play taunts that sometimes were too slow and/or weak while managing to survive. But look no further, as taunt warrior is back with a vengeance!

The Witchwood expansion offers a breath of life into this deck for 3 reasons:

1) Using the odd cost mechanic, it allows your armor hero power to gain 4 armor each turn instead of two (just like in the days of the old Justicar control warrior). This hero power turned out to be one of the best in the game as it can quickly spiral out of control, allowing warrior to even survive the dangerous burn mage. Bringing this hero power back AND having it active right when the game starts allows to quickly build your wall in addition to developing your activators for shield slam & reckless flurry. Reckless flurry in particular did not see much play in Kolbolds due to warrior being an unpopular class choice, but the card is extremely powerful given the right circumstance. Armoring up, paired with the board clears, will allow this deck to survive and stall until….

2) … you can pull off the new combo! An 8 damage hero power is good, but what about a 16 damage hero power? Or two charges of an 8 damage hero power? Why not both? The Blackwald Pixie allows you to have 2 charges of your hero power in a turn, which, once you complete your quest, allows you to throw two blasts back to back at your opponent’s face and/or board. The clockwork automation doubles the damage of your hero power, allowing you 1 charge of your hero power at 16 damage! Should the clockwork automation survive, you are looking at potentially 2 charges of 16 damage!

3) The taunts became stronger. Direhorn, Stonehill and Tar Creeper all retain their spots in this deck, but the Witchwood Grizzly is an insane taunt against agro decks and the rotten applebaum allows for some heath regeneration in combination with a decent stat line.

Overall, this deck should be a lot of fun to play and has the potential to be able to make a run on the ladder!  This deck is obviously open to change as new cards are released from the expansion. There is one open slot (the gluttonous ooze) that allows for card tech’s depending upon the current state of the meta. Replacement options that come to mind could include a voodo doll or another phantom militia. 

*Update* Clockwork has been replaced with phantom militia in order to give the deck another multi playable taunt.

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  1. KLGamet
    April 10, 2018 at 12:01 PM

    After going through your decklist, I couldn’t find Phantom Militia.
    I recommend to replace Clockwork Automaton with it because even tough dealing 16 Damage is really good, it will be very hard to find a moment where you can assure this going face with 3 Mana left. Also Tank Up! wont give you 8 health because it’s armor not healing.

    • Cmurphbucs - Author
      April 10, 2018 at 6:56 PM

      Second comment to to think that so I think I’ll give it a try. If phantom militia is going to replace automaton then I’m not sure there is a reason to run Alex. I wonder if instead of the phantom replacing automaton it should replace Alex. That way the 16 dmg potential is still there?

      • Cmurphbucs - Author
        April 10, 2018 at 6:57 PM

        to think that*

        • KLGamet
          April 10, 2018 at 9:25 PM

          Replacing Alex might be better, because after completing the quest, you want to use your Heropower every single turn.

          • Cmurphbucs - Author
            April 11, 2018 at 8:37 AM

            Agreed. Think the clockwork might be worth keeping in just in case the chance for 16 to the face exists, but its definitely replaceable. Took out the Alex for the militia. Think a voodoo doll or something else could replace the clockwork should it get too greedy.

        • KLGamet
          April 11, 2018 at 9:03 AM

          I think voodoo doll has the problem that you can only trigger it with whirlwind, since Ravaging Ghoul is rotating out.
          I also made a quest warrior deck. If you’re searching for some options I would recommend you to take a look at it. It also has a lot of information.

  2. Ankarna
    April 10, 2018 at 4:01 AM

    I like your deck but i think it needs more taunt to make the quest consistent

    • Cmurphbucs - Author
      April 10, 2018 at 7:02 AM

      The deck currently plays 10 taunts and, with the Stonehill Defender, technically has 12. I think this is plenty to complete the quest, but if that doesn’t turn out to be the case I’d be open to playing 1 copy of the new 3 mana 2/4 taunt with echo.

      • Ankarna
        April 10, 2018 at 7:52 AM

        I yust think the 2/4 taunt fits better than alex or atomaton becouse 16 damege is nice but if you dont hit face its soooo over kill in that case i thinke pixi is way better