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.
Here are two quite different lists. The first one, popularized by Viper, relies on the new dragons to delay the game. The second, more fun, relies on the power of secrets to surprise your opponent. The choice is yours!
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New cards: Blazing Battlemage, Dwarven Sharpshooter, Corrosive Breath, Primordial Explorer, Diving Gryphon, Stormhammer, Evasive Feywing, Dragonbane, Faceless Corruptor, Veranas, Dragonqueen Alexstrasza
Galakrond's Awakening cards: Frenzied Felwing, Escaped Manasaber, Boompistol Bully, Rotnest Drake
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New cards: Blazing Battlemage, Dwarven Sharpshooter, Phase Stalker, Diving Gryphon, Dragonmaw Poacher, Dragonbane, Faceless Corruptor, Dragonqueen Alexstrasza
Presentation
Unlike most top tier decks, the Highlander Hunter doesn't have any real "master" cards. Here, there is no Galakrond to finish the game but several very powerful cards such as Dragonqueen Alexstrasza or Veranas that will help you finish off your opponent.
The secret of this deck lies in its mana curve. Like any self-respecting Midrange deck, you'll be able to deal with early threats while developing a game plan over several rounds. But beware as each card is present in only one copy to activate the effects of Zephrys the Great or Dinotamer Brann. Don't waste your resources unnecessarily!
Mulligan and early game
The mulligan will strongly depend on the class of your opponent. As a general rule, you will logically prefer to keep your cards at 1 or 2 mana (except Tracking) as well as Frenzied Felwing. When faced with slower decks, Escaped Manasaber will allow you to speed up the tempo.
At the beginning of the game, Blazing Battlemage, Dwarven Sharpshooter or Fairy Dragon will allow you to stabilize the board against too aggressive opponents. Don't get caught short during the first few rounds to calmly tackle the rest of the fight.
Midgame
The mid-game will be the key to your games. Your objective will be to upgrade your cards to make advantageous trades. Take advantage of Stormhammer or Diving Griffon to clean off threats, while developing your minions. With only 5 spells in the deck, the Highlander Hunter can rely on instantly valuable minions like Ziliax, Rotnest Drake or Veranas to deal with minor threats. This legendary Dragon synergizes perfectly with Springpaw, Unleash the Hounds or Desert Spear. Use this opportunity to sweep a board full of big minions before Leeroy Jenkins' final push!
Late game and matchups
This version of the Highlander Hunter is carried by the Dragon tribe. The new Rotnest Drake from Galakrond's Awakening will be one of your main assets for board control, as will Dragonqueen Alexstrasza at the end of the game. Combine them with powerful Mechs like Dragonbane or the traditional Ziliax and SB1P-SN4P to dominate your opponent.
If the Highlander Hunter goes out "in the right direction", most matchups will be in his favor. The deck is particularly effective against the Resurrect Priest and the Highlander Mage.
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.
