Starfyre’s Odd Cube Druid

The Odd Cube Druid:

Out of all the classes the Druid is truly focused around balance and adaptation to scenarios.

Life and Death, Defense and Attack.  They are unmatched in their versatility.
This deck takes those traits and allows the user to play the match to their own strengths.

With the ability for cards to be selected in offence or defense configuration at any time this allows the player to adapter and counter most of the tactics they may encounter against other decks.

Deck Staples:

Baku the Mooneater is the staple in the deck providing invaluable offence and defense to the druid at the same time.  Giving a 2/2 ability will allow you to dispatch minions early game without issue and in late game can be used to go after the player directly or in a more strategic manner.

Gloom Stag is another card that rides on the strengths of the odd deck type.  Having a 4/8 minion for 5 cost is amazing and using it in conjunction with Carnivorous Cube or Witching Hour will give this plenty of play.  With the stag being in the sweet spot of 4 attack that neutralizes many instant kill cards especially against priest decks.  Alternatively you can also buff it with two Earthen Scales, and  Mark of Nature and truly turn it into a 10/10 or 6/14 force of nature.

Late game Hadronox can ensure these cards comes back to haunt the other player.

Stonehill Defender is there with the main purpose to ensure you can get a Gloom Stag  out on turn 5. If you can use these on turn 3 and 4, you can follow up with the Stag on 5 and 6.  If you accomplish that and your opponent is struggling to get rid of those, those combined would net 10 attack power and 24 health your opponent would have to deal with mid game.  

Naturalize is there for two main purposes.  The main is to hold it until late game after many of your taunt minions has been destroyed and then use it on Hadronox.  Alternatively it can be used to dispatch a very powerful minion for virtually no cost.  While they do get 2 draws, by that point the match is probably close to decided anyway.

Witching Hour is used to bring back the big boys if you need them.  Baku the Mooneater, Gloom Stag, and even Hadronox are used as well.  The combo with Hadronox  can be particularly devastating.

Hadronox pairs perfectly with the the defensive play of the deck using mainly taunt creatures.  Late game this can virtually guarantee a win if you trigger it yourself flooding the entire board with powerful minions since it appears to bring back the MOST powerful minions first.  Looking at the potential of facing 2 Ancient of War, 2 Gloom Stag, 2 Druid of the Claw , and a Tar Creeper would likely make anyone push the concede button. That’s assuming you have nothing on the board at all but Hadronox. 

Last but not least is the Carnivorous Cube.  Similar to the Cube Lock this functions in the same way.  The best ways to use this are in conjunction with Gloom Stag, Ancient of War, or Hadronox with the last being the most devastating late game.  Few things could be worst then looking at potentially flooding the entire board with minions TWICE in a very short time.

Card Options:

LV 1: 

Wax Elemental or Shieldbearer.  I would go with wax just due to the fact that it will block ANY hit to it the first time.  Considering your druid will be also knocking out small fry, Shield might be vulnerable to some other spells.  

Claw is there to help take out stronger minions with your druid.

LV 3:

If you don’t want Crypt Lord sub out with another Naturalize and Claw or Barkskin .

You can also replace with Healing Touch if you feel you need some healing.

LV 5: 

You have a few options here depending on how you want to play it.  

Starfall is an all around good card offering a single kill or a board clear if facing down minion zerg, IE paladins.  

Force of Nature  will summon reinforcements for either offence or defense and likewise counter minion zerg.  Pair that up with Savage Roar next round and you instantly get (3) – 4/2 minions.  

Webweave can be used as a hard counter in any stage of the game to take out their best units due to poisonous, unless they clear them with spells, forcing them to waste them.

Lastly if you plan on using taunts, Cobalt Scalebane makes an excellent choice if you can protect it to buff your team.  Barkskin or Mark of Nature can help him live a lot longer if paired together making him a 5/12 tank with taunt or brutish 9/8 attacker.

One common theme with your buffs for your minions:
Buffing them with Mark of Nature, Barkskin , and Earthen Scales  will increase their power even more.  If you need more offensive power, Savage Roar  is great to use during the attack.

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Offence Style:
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Want to focus purely on attack and go for the kill?  CHECK.

Even with this offence paradigm you will be able to maintain control through the other included taunt minions protecting your offensive ones.  At later levels your creatures will reach very high levels of attack when used in conjunctions of other cards.  That will force the opposing player to either deal with them or suffer major damage. 

Since the offence configuration includes rush and charge this gives you the edge on attacking immediately.
If you use all your druid specific cards in offence mode their attack will increase dramatically.

Pairing these tactics with Mark of Nature, Savage Roar, and Cobalt Scalebane give you the ability to increase attack very quickly in a single round for incredible burst potential.  Even a single Ancient of War set for offence with the above cards would net a 19 / 5 creature.  Left unchecked that could end the match in 1 or 2 rounds.

With the level of offence available this can be used to simply attack the player and kill them quickly before they have a chance to build up.  This will force them to go after your offence creatures and waste their resources.

Offensive Round Tips:

Play cards on odd and weave in druid attacks during evens. 
As a deck heavy with 3 and 5 cost cards this gives you a lot of versatility at later levels.

Rounds 1/2

Hopefully you get a wax, and attack with your druid.

Rounds 3/4

There are really two ways ways to play this:  

Use a Tar Creeper and buff it with Mark of Nature to make it a nightmare in beginning rounds.  On Turn 3 it will be a 3/5 during your opponents turn.  Turn 4 this turns into a 3/9 or 7/5 depending on what you choose.  For low minions he is great at trading with them.  You could also just lay down another creeper.

Jeepers Creepers!

Lastly if they have no minions or you are going full assault, two Druid of the Scythe will get in some good immediate swift hits before dying in later rounds.

Rounds 5/6

Lots of options here depending what you are facing.  

Your Gloom Stag staple since it’s the highest stat card 4/8 compared to 4/6 Claw.

Cobalt Scalebane if protected by your tanks. 

Force of Nature combo with Savage Roar and Earthen Scales.

Starfall if you need a single kill or board clear.

Two Druid of the Claw with Charge for immediate attack if needed.

Combination of the above.

Important Note:  Anytime after round 6, you can start planning to use your cube.
The bigger the monster you can cube, the better.

Rounds 7/8

The goal is to get your Ancient of War out and start stomping things.

Rounds 9/10

If you already have a fair amount of minions, use Cenarius and go to town.
If you have nothing, in round 9 use Cenarius and summon treants.

Round 10, use Hadronox and Naturalize.
With your board refilled, go to town.

Force of Nature TWICE to flood 6 minions onto the board, then next round pair with one or two Savage Roar leaving up to (6) 6/2 treats…. OUCH.

Remember Treants do not have charge any longer, plan accordingly.

Carnivorous Cube to buy you some time.

Break out Baku if nothing else.

Lastly you can use Witching Hour to bring back Baku the Mooneater or Gloom Stag if they were already used.

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Defensive Style:
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This is perhaps the true power of the deck as it will turn you into nearly an untouchable wall.
This does lead to longer matches compared to offensive ones, but your survive ability increases as well.

The goal here is to use all our minions in taunt mode forcing your opponent to focus their attacks on them.
This allows you to control the board as you see fit.
Killing them will make you MUCH stronger later and will virtually guarantee a win with Hadronox. 

Defensive Round Tips:

Rounds 3+
For your main LV 3 taunts you can use either Crypt Lord or Tar Creeper.
Crypt will get much stronger if you can keep them alive as every minion summoned makes them stronger.
Tar is great for trading with enemy minions during the opponent phase.
Used in combination they can be a very effective pair.
Buff if possible.

Round 5+

Gloom Stag  takes priority over Druid of the Claw.
If you can protect it, Cobalt Scalebane will make them even stronger.
Your opponent will be forced to deal with Cobalt or face ever increasing attack power.
Buff your taunt if possible.

Mid game is where things can really start to get interesting.
If needed use Force of Nature  to even the odds or Starfall  to help clear the board.

Important Note:  Anytime after round 6, you can start planning to use your cube.
The bigger the monster you can cube, the better.

Round 7+

For LV7, break out the Ancient of War. 
If you can cube this, this will set you up very nicely.

Round 9+

The whole goal is to reach this stage to set up your ultimate move.
Hadronox  and Naturalize.

Alternatively Hadronox, consumed with Carnivorous Cube, and cube killed with Naturalize.
If your opponent allows you to pull off the above combo your win is almost assured.
Going into later rounds could net you THREE or FOUR Hadronox.
All the while they would have to kill ALL those minions respawned.

If you already have a fair amount of minions, use Cenarius and go to town.
If you have nothing, in round 9 use Cenarius and summon treants.

Another alternative for sneak types:
Force of Nature TWICE to flood 6 minions onto the board, then next round pair with one or two Savage Roar leaving up to (6) 6/2 treats….OUCH.

Lastly you can use Witching Hour to bring back Baku the Mooneater or Gloom Stag if they were already used or even Hadronox as well.

I hope you enjoyed this guide and hope to see you in-game.