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Delve Into Deepholm Rocks! The Best Early Deepholm Meta Decks

By: Old Guardian - - Updated:

Hearthstone mini-sets have often failed to significantly change the meta. The latest addition, Delve into Deepholm, seeks to change this perception, and for better or for worse, the new mini-set has managed to throw several curveballs already on its first days out in the open!

From Deepminer Brann boosting Astalor Bloodsworn to new heights, Shattered Reflections turning Eonar, the Life-Binder into a neverending threat, and Therazane giving From De Other Side another go, this is a mini-set that has delivered a number of exciting moments. Which ones will stand the test of time, and whether these moments will be fun in the long term are things better assessed later. For now, we’re just in it for the wild ride.

The Control Warrior in the Room

One of the big winners of the Deepholm mini-set is Control Warrior. While the win rate of Control Warrior decks is trending down after the first days, they are serious contenders and there is still a lot left to explore in the archetype. Already this early, we have seen several different approaches:

  • The main line is to build a Reno deck that includes both Odyn, Prime Designate and the Deepminer Brann and Astalor Bloodsworn win conditions. Brann does not make Odyn’s effect stack, but it does increase armor gain from Battlecry effects, so an Odyn-empowered Warrior can hit even harder. Meanwhile, Brann provides multiple copies of Astalor and doubles the full effect of the final form.
  • An alternative approach is to ditch Odyn and go fully with the Brann and Astalor line. This can be combined with Taelan Fordring to tutor for Brann, as you do not need to include any expensive minions in the deck. Jambre has built decks like this.
  • Another variant is to make it a Menagerie deck that can use Rock Master Voone and The One-Amalgam Band for even more Battlecry effects that also work with Brann. Bunnyhoppor played a deck like this to #1 Legend.

Despite anecdotal success with other approaches, the mainline approach has been the most successful over larger sample sizes so far. This is what the current mainline Control Warrior looks like:

Deepholm Control Warrior

Deck Import

Brann, Tidal Revenant, and Astalor can truly swing some games around. From this:

To this:

From De Other Side, One More Time

I don’t have statistics to show you about this deck yet, but it is one of the most hilarious things I have seen from the mini-set so far. What if your From De Other Side summoned and killed off Therazane? And then your Al'Akir the Windlord and Walking Mountain just grow? A 16/64 Walking Mountain after two rounds, anyone?

Big Elemental Shaman – RegisKillbin – Badlands Deepholm

Deck Import

OK, I don’t really expect this to be a top meta deck, but one can always hope.

Oh Look, It’s Ramp Druid

On the other hand, one can always expect Druid to show up with some broken stuff. This time, it is the combination of Eonar, the Life-Binder and the new mini-set spell Shattered Reflections.

When you create copy of a Titan on the board, the new copy has access to the abilities that the original one has left, and it can use one immediately. So, you can play Eonar, use an ability like refresh your mana, make a copy, and use another ability immediately. When you have some bonus copies of Eonar in your hand and deck, you can do this multiple times, should your first board fail to win the game on the spot.

Throw in some Naga Giants for more firepower and Dew Process to run the opponent out of cards, and you’re good to go.

XL Mill Ramp Druid – #27 Legend (Clark) – Badlands Deepholm

Deck Import

This deck can crush your deck and spirit, but it has weaknesses, too. In particular, aggro decks can hit it hard and fast, and it has an especially miserable time against Paladin.

That said, I met the deck while playing Paladin and it is not always just pure fun as a Paladin either…

Depicted: A streamer contemplating his life choices on turn six of a game against Druid.

You Can Still Win on a Budget

While Ramp Druid gets all the attention, the good old Treant Druid has got big spike to its already impressive win rate. Aggression pays off when people are experimenting, and it is still a fine time to climb the ladder with some cheap Treants.

Treant Druid – #109 Legend (Unknown) – Showdown in the Badlands

Deck Import

That said, worrying clouds are looming on the horizon…

The Better Aggro Deck, Improved

Paladin is often considered a class that shines on lower ranks but lacks the finesse to succeed at the highest levels of play. However, Showdown in the Badlands Paladin was so strong that it was brought to the World Championship by all players, and then it was nerfed. The nerf made Paladin see far less play on the top ranks, but it remained competitive right outside the very top. The usual Paladin situation.

Now, Deepholm is bringing Paladin back to the forefront, so you can expect some more Paladin nerfs in the near future. Between Shroomscavate, Fossilized Kaleidosaur, and Sir Finley, the Intrepid, Paladin is now an Excavate deck that is also an aggro deck that can also make a huge minion with The Garden's Grace and then give it Windfury with Shroomscavate and just kill you if they ever happen to have a minion on the board at the start of their turn. Good old Paladin action.

Excavate Buff Paladin – FunkiMonki – Badlands Deepholm

Deck Import

More Shrooms to Excavate

Paladin is not the only class that can make use of Shroomscavate. It is a dual-class card, after all. Shaman can make use of the Windfury effect with Golganneth, the Thunderer, casting Shroomscavate for free and getting two effects from the Titan on top.

Highlander Shaman has been happy to get new tools from the mini-set. In addition to Shroomscavate, it has also found use for Sir Finley, the Intrepid, Aftershocks, and Digging Straight Down. It might not be the top meta deck, but it keeps blasting with a big toolbox that can answer a wide variety of situations.

Deepholm Highlander Shaman

Deck Import

Highlander? Card draw? Not On My Watch!

Even though it runs no new cards from the mini-set, it is impossible to discuss successful ladder decks without mentioning the anti-hero of our story. Plague Death Knight is still here to keep Highlander decks honest and to make Druid regret drawing so many cards. The deck struggles against the new Paladin menace, but is otherwise well-positioned to fight for success on the ladder.

Plague Excavate Death Knight – 12-1 (ㅇㅇ) – Heroic Tavern Brawl

Deck Import

One of the Strongest Mini-Sets?

Delve into Deepholm is surprisingly strong. You can tell that it is a mini-set and not a full set. Multiple classes got pretty much nothing out of it. Warlock? Mage? Priest? And yet, it has already provided several meta-changing experiences, and a wide variety of new decks to play. Given the number of cards in it, it is quite successful.

There are also still things that I expect to see more from. Arcane Hunter looks ready for its last hurrah before the rotation. I played the archetype myself and had a good time with it, but the lists are not yet refined. I expect them to run Shimmer Shot but eventually give up on Mantle Shaper. Enrage Warrior got Burning Heart and Crimson Expanse, but no new lists have surfaced as of yet. Brann has been so much more attractive to Warrior players. Demon Hunter has been only sporadically spotted wielding Quick Pick, sometimes in a big form.

I expect Aggro Paladin to establish itself as the strongest deck once again, and there are several other fun new decks that you can play in Deepholm. There may also be some more new decks that are yet to be discovered!

Old Guardian

Ville "Old Guardian" Kilkku is a writer and video creator focused on analytic, educational Hearthstone, and building innovative Standard format decks. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OldGuardian Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/old_guardian

Check out Old Guardian on Twitter or on their Website!

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One Comment

  1. Itsn
    January 22, 2024 at 2:19 PM

    Going to strongly disagree on Warlock getting nothing, every Warlock card is very strong in a vacuum and several of them are easily slotted into already at least semi-viable Warlock decks.