SansNickel’s Legend Elemental Control Shaman Deck List Guide (April 2017, Season 37)

If you’re struggling with the new scourge of Paladin on the ladder then it might be time to give this Control Shaman list a try. Thank you to SansNickel who used this build to get Legend, and allowed us to re-host this great guide!

Hello,

With Paladin becoming an increasingly popular class with multiple successful archetypes, I decided to make a Shaman list to get me to Legend. This list conveniently beats all the relevant Paladin lists, midrange hunter, and pirate warrior, all of which I saw lots of during the climb. I didn’t track stats but its matchups are fairly polarizing, which I’ll explain below later.

• Legend Proof

Card Choices

While many Elemental Shaman lists I’ve seen currently run the Jade package, many do not fully commit to the package (lists tend to exclude Jade Spirit and Jade Chieftain). I didn’t like the idea of having the jades only cap out at around 6/6 as well as ramp up more slowly.

Instead, I opted for a lot more board clears and defensive tools. I’ll comment on some of the more notable cards in the list (and not in the list) here:

2x Volcano: Honestly feels like a great card right now. Super flexible as it can clear different shapes and sizes of your opponent’s board. Decks such as pirate warrior and midrange paladin tend to have a few ~3-5 health minions around turn 5, which can be awkward for lightning storm. This card is easily a 3 for 1 in a lot of scenarios against more value-oriented matchups as well.

Gluttonous Ooze + Harrison Jones: With Priest, Druid, and Warlock not seeing too much play (and all 3 classes being generally favored matchups), weapon removal is super good right now. Even some mage lists are starting to run Medivh. The idea behind running two cards for weapon removal is not necessarily to get rid of two weapons, but to increase the consistency of drawing at least one in the right matchups.

2x Devolve: Devolve is just a great card, and even better when complimented with follow-up AoE. This card absolutely destroys Paladins, everything from Spikeridged Steed to Murloc/Megasaur buffs to Finja, the Flying Star to Tirion Fordring, etc. Just a super flexible card in general, and also happens to be great against Hunters and Priests.

1x Hallazeal the Ascended: With plenty of AoE, there are many good activators for this card. This deck’s slow early game means you will take some damage early, and healing it back up will allow you to play more liberally or aggressively later on. This card, combined with your other heals is super good against aggressive decks and your chance to beat mages.

1x Acolyte of Pain: Without running Thing from Below I didn’t really like Mana Tide Totem. Acolyte has synergy with Volcano and can also soften up a board for a better AoE clear.

2x Servant of Kalimos: An insane value card, will often get you Kalimos, Primal Lord, Blazecaller, Stone Sentinel, Fire Elemental, or Al'Akir the Windlord.

2x Tol'vir Stoneshaper: I think this card is just good enough, often stops aggro right in its tracks or can soften up a board for an AoE clear.

2x Fire Fly: Just a fantastic card. Activates your elementals and can be used to soften up a board.

Cards I Didn’t Include

Fire Plume Harbinger: I tried out this card for a bit, but honestly it’s just underwhelming. It’s a bad topdeck and while it can be insane when you curve out (once I had coin Fire Elemental into Fire Elemental on turns 4 and 5), I don’t think this is worth the slot.

Fire Plume Phoenix: I really want to fit this card in but simply cannot find a spot. The deck currently has two huge flaws on paper – There is no follow up 4 drop for Volcano on 5, and there is no 4 drop elemental to activate Servant of Kalimos on 5. I can see me dropping a form of weapon removal for this if the meta changes in that direction, or maybe even a Tol’vir Stoneshaper.

Thing from Below: There aren’t any other totems in this list, making Thing From Below a bit inconsistent.

Flametongue Totem: Without ways to spawn multiple minions or tokens, I didn’t see this worth including.

Stone Sentinel: Blazecaller is honestly better for this list, and there isn’t more room for another 7 drop. This deck has a lot of AoE but would be lacking in single target removal, which Blazecaller helps with (it does what Jade Lightning did in Jade Shaman). Not a bad card to get off Servant of Kalimos, however.

Al'Akir the Windlord: Without Flametongue Totem or Rockbiter Weapon, this card is really underwhelming, especially compared to Kalimos. Also a good card to get off Servant of Kalimos, but not good enough to make the cut.

Bloodlust: Honestly only feels like it would help cheese win a couple of matchups but decrease the consistency of my good matchups too much.

Spirit Echo: I don’t think this is necessary, as I didn’t have any problems against even Value Priest or Control Paladin.

Jade Package: Explained above, I didn’t like only including some Jade cards but not all.

Pirate Package: As this is a control deck and I’m not running Jade claws, the pirate package didn’t fit.

Matchups

This deck packs a good amount of heal with double Hot Spring Guardian, Hallazeal, and Kalimos. However, it’s unfavored because you need to draw into your heals, and they are only situationally active. Try not to take minion damage, apply pressure so they burn your minions (a 6/6 Blazecaller is a super juicy fireball target), heal when they throw burn at face. Judge the list and try to guess if they have Alexstrasza (usually the Mana Wyrm / Sorcerer's Apprentice lists won’t, while the more freeze-oriented builds do).

You completely destroy murloc lists. Against Jade/Elemental Hybrids, try to get as much value as you can off of Devolve and Volcano, which they cannot afford to run. Beware of Bloodlust but you should win the value war.

Against token lists, you have devolve and plenty of AoE, their buffs mean nothing and they will just run out of steam. Never seen a Jade or Ramp Druid, though I imagine my list would be slightly unfavored, with whoever establishing board first getting a big advantage.

Paladin can simply do nothing against you. Devolve destroys all their buffs and you have Hex for Tirion. Don’t commit too much into Equality + Consecration vs control and you will win the value war there too.

Similar to Druid, you simply have too much AoE and healing. Have not seen any control lists.

Save Hex for Savannah Highmane. Volcano is also an instant win against Bittertide Hydra if they play that card. Devolve is decent against Houndmaster buffs and deathrattles and Fire Elemental and Blazecaller answer their midrange threats perfectly.

Since this list runs Volcano and no Jade package, you don’t have enough steam to keep up pressure. Only way you win is if they don’t draw Brawl.

Plenty of healing, taunts, removal, and weapon removal. Harrison is better for the low attack weapons, Ooze is better for the high attack ones. Save some of your taunts, don’t just throw them out there when they’re likely to trade anyway.

They pretty much have to make a mistake or draw terribly. Hex the Igneous Elemental as it’s the only target.

This matchup is better than it used to be, as miracle lists run less burst now and Volcano usually clears the entire board. You have to be ready for Arcane Giant so use your removal accordingly.

Devolve is really good against both silence priest and the dragon/value priest. You will generally outvalue both decks, however Priest can always cheese out a win from nowhere with Lyra the Sunshard or Divine Spirit / Inner Fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading, let me know what you think. I still believe this list has a lot of refining to go through but it seems to be in a good spot right now.