Descent of Dragons has finally arrived in Hearthstone and with it the new Invoke mechanic, the new Galakrond hero for E.V.I.L classes and side quests.
Galakrond's Awakening brought new cards that directly impacted the meta.
Tap, draw, lock your hand to benefit from Mountain Giants — without the help of Galakrond or the lackeys, these lists will remind early fans of the power of pure Handlock!
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New cards: Nether Breath, Dark Skies, Crazed Netherwing, Abyssal Summoner, Valdris Felgorge, Zzeraku the Warped, Scalerider
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New cards: Nether Breath, Dark Skies, Crazed Netherwing, Abyssal Summoner, Bad Luck Albatross, Valdris Felgorge, Scalerider
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New cards: Nether Breath, Dark Skies, Crazed Netherwing, Abyssal Summoner, Bad Luck Albatross, Valdris Felgorge, Scalerider, Frizz Kindleroost
Early game
It is always at this moment that the Handlock feels weak. According to the lists, you won't have much to play with. So there are two strategies to implement.
- You keep in your starting hand management spells such as Dark Skies and Death Coil which will allow you to lifetap on turns 2 and 3 to put down a Mountain Giant or a Twilight Drake on turn 4/5.
- Or you make sure to have a curved early game with a Firetree Witchdoctor, Scalerider or Bad Luck Albatross followed by a Twilight Drake or Frizz Kindleroost, if you play the list with Malygos. As your minions are tough and difficult to handle, turns 5 and 6 should give you the tempo to get the edge while keeping the board.
Mid game
The mid-game will be played according to your early game. If you have managed to land a Mountain Giant and/or a Twilight Drake without these two being managed, you are in a good position to take the advantage. The Faceless Rager can become very powerful for only 3 mana if you have one of these two big minions on the board. The Abyssal Summoner is also welcome to protect your other minions while summoning a threat.
If everything hasn't gone as planned, don't panic: you have the opportunity to turn things around before the late game. A Crazed Netherwing and Zilliax will help you breathe.
Depending on the lists, you'll be able to use an Evasive Wyrm to eliminate an annoying minion or Evasive Drakonid to block your opponent. Their presence is especially important for activating the Crazed Netherwing. You also have the faithful Siamat, always versatile if you need to defend or attack. Before the end of the mid-game, it would be better to be able to put Valdris Felgorge down. This minion will allow you to get the solutions of the late game, a lethal, or a Mountain Giant that lingers in the background.
Late game
Depending on how your game unfolds, you'll just need to play Alexstrasza followed by Leeroy Jenkins to kill the opposing hero. Otherwise, you have several ways to finish off your opponent. Soulfire and Nether Breath provide you with the ability to attack from a distance. Therefore, there are several combos according to the lists:
- Leeroy Jenkins + Nether Breath x2 + Soulfire = 18 damage
- Malygos (after a Frizz Kindleroost) + Nether Breath + Soul Fire = 18 damage
Of course, you're not immune to Soulfire taking some cards of the combo away... but high rewards always come with big risks!
The new Hearthstone extension, Descent of Dragons, is available since December 10. Here is our selection of decks made by professional players or streamers, to have fun once your boosters are open.
