Introduction
Hearthstone's 30.2.2. update was released in the last week of August and focused on balancing the Wild format with some nerfs and buffs. As a result, since then, many new decks started popping up, like Pirate Demon Hunter, the deck we'll cover today!
The list we'll review was used by the player Zeddy HS, who is currently among the top 460 players in Legend and is one of the best ranked Hearthstone players.
Broad Overview of Pirate Demon Hunter
Like most aggressive decks, Pirate Demon Hunter plays various low-cost minions to fill the board and put pressure on the opponent. By the way, only one minion in this deck costs more than three mana.
Ad
And, as its name says, we'll clearly work closely with the Pirate tribe, most notably with cards that buff our attack power or that deal damage to the enemy whenever we summon Pirates.
So, our main game plan will be to take advantage of these combos and use many cards to win as fast as possible.
But be careful: one of the most glaring weaknesses of fast decks like this is that you often won't have efficient tools for your final rounds. Kurtrus, Demon-Render will mitigate this for you a little, but beware.
Minions
A fast list can't, under no circumstances, run out of options on turn 1. Its goal is to threaten damage as much as possible and put minions in play from the minute the game starts.
So, Pirate Demon Hunter includes five minions that cost one: Patches the Pilot, Treasure Distributor, Southsea Deckhand, and Small-Time Buccaneer.
Our fifth one-cost minion is Patches the Pirate. This card and Parachute Brigand have similar effects: they both summon themselves on the board when you play a Pirate. But, to use their effects, one needs to be in your deck, and the other needs to be in your hand.
Ideally, in round 1, you should play a one-cost minion. If Patches the Pirate is in your deck, and Parachute Brigand is in your hand, you'll end up with three minions on the board all at once.
Adrenaline Fiend and Ship's Cannon are the best cards for round 2. You can also just play two one-cost minions.
After you fill your board with Pirates, Hozen Roughhouser and Southsea Captain will become efficient AoE buffs.
Finally, we have Zilliax Deluxe 3000: when you equip it with the Pylon and Ticking module, it will become a 3/5 that costs 7 mana and has the following text: Your other minions have +1/+1. Costs (1) less for each minion in play.
Other Cards
Now, let's discuss other types of cards: spells, weapons, locations, and heroes.
This deck includes two spells: Mana Burn and Sigil of Skydiving. The first one is a defense mechanism, so use it when you feel your opponent has a good answer to deal with your board. It will frustrate their game plans and give you more time to be aggressive.
As for Sigil of Skydiving, you'll use it to put pressure on the board. After all, it will give you three Pirates with Charge and already buffed by your deck's interactions, so they can be a way to win the game. Particularly as your opponent won't be able to answer Charge units.
Fast decks tend to run out of resources fast, so this list also includes Quick Pick and Magnifying Glaive. These two weapons draw you cards, so they'll be great to refill your hand. Furthermore, they interact with some minions, like Southsea Deckhand and Small-Time Buccaneer.
Ad
Finally, the hero we mentioned at the beginning of this article, Kurtrus, Demon-Render, is a great resource when matches go on for longer than usual, and can make the difference in later turns. Demon Hunter, on its own, is already a heavily offensive class, so, with two weapons, this hero will be a force to be reckoned with.
Mulligan - Starting Hand
Pirate Demon Hunter is an easy deck. Look for all your one-cost cards, except Patches the Pirate; this card will enter play naturally, but only if it is in your deck and not your hand. Keeping Parachute Brigand is also interesting because of its effect.
Ship’s Cannon can be extremely useful on your round 2, so I highly recommend you keep it in your hand. If you play three one-cost minions in round 3, it will deal 6 damage to enemy minions.
So, your ideal hand should have as many one-cost minions as you can find, Parachute Brigand, and Ship's Cannon.
Matchups
Let's see how this deck performs against other decks, fast and slow.
Aggro
Against aggro decks, I highly recommend you keep Southsea Captain or Hozen Roughhouser in your hand. Usually, battles between fast lists play out on the board with many small minions. If you use the cards above, your Pirates will have +1/+1, which might be enough for them to win most trades and keep putting pressure on your opponent.
Ship’s Cannon will be even more important in these matchups, as the enemy minions will probably have less HP, so this card can be crucial to deal with them. Unfortunately, you'll have to rely on RNG, but you'll also play so many minions early on that you'll clean the enemy board sooner or later.
It might be interesting to use Mana Burn as well. For only one mana, you'll remove two mana from your enemy, and it might completely disable their round.
Other than that, focus on your usual game plan.
Control
This matchup might be difficult. It's hard to imagine which cards your opponent will have, as this is the Wild format, but focus on your initial game plan.
The only difference is that you'll have to look for Mana Burn, which can be useful to stop your opponent from using AoE removals to clear your board.
Final Words
Pirate Demon Hunter is an excellent choice for any beginners in the Wild format, and it's not that expensive. It also includes very easy combos. I highly recommend this deck for anyone who enjoys aggro decks, besides new players!
Did you like this deck? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below!
Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
— Comments0
Be the first to comment