This year has been an exciting one for Hearthstone. Players got to experience the formation of the League of EVIL and started a storyline that has stretched across numerous expansions. The League of EVIL were eventually met by the League of Explorers and now both groups are in the middle of dealing with a small Dragon problem.
Here, you’ll find some of the most impactful decks of 2019. Though many of these decks received a swift smack from the nerf bat, you’ll find them here preserved in their former glory. Decks are in no particular order, but you can expect all of them to pack a punch.
Pre-nerf Galakrond Shaman
If there was one deck that united the Hearthstone community in a call for nerfs, it was Galakrond Shaman. Popular Hearthstone personality Dekkster called it one of the most powerful decks in Hearthstone’s history. The Invoke Mechanic was so strong in this deck prior to the nerfs that it could make the opponent feel powerless. Luckily, the Hearthstone team recognized how OP the deck was and nerfed it shortly after the Descent of Dragons expansion released.
Face Hunter
If you’re balling on a budget and need a deck to climb with in the current meta, look no further. Face Hunter is one of the strongest decks in the current meta and it one of the easiest to play. Like the name implies, you basically ignore your opponent’s board and aim everything at their face. Hunter’s Hero Power makes this deck possible. If you need a cheap way to win, Face Hunter can be your saving grace in 2020.
Pirate Warrior
If ye favor a more nautical experience, look no further than Pirate Warrior. This archetype has been a part of the class for years but hasn’t been viable for quite some time. Thanks to Descent of Dragons and all of the support it brings for the deck Pirate Warrior is back in action. Warrior players will likely already have cards like Captain Greenskin and Leeroy Jenkins from having played Pirate decks in the past. If you want to make the most out of your crew, Pirate Warrior is the deck for you.
Quest/Evolve Shaman
One of the best decks in the game prior to the release of Hearthstone’s latest expansion Descent of Dragons, Quest Shaman was a force to be reckoned with. This deck makes use of two cards that are partially responsible for Shaman’s dominance throughout the year, Shudderwock and Evolve. Since the deck is full of Battlecry minions and revolves around the Heart of Vir’naal Hero Power, once you played Shudderwock there was little an opponent could do to recover.
Highlander Hunter
When Blizzard decided to reintroduce 23 Wild cards into Standard in an attempt to shake up the meta, Shaman immediately started dominating the ladder. Shaman was so dominant that people may have forgotten how powerful Highlander Hunter was during this time period. Though it didn’t receive quite the boost decks like Quest and Evolve Shaman did, Highlander Hunter was still a force to be reckoned with.
Pre-nerf Highlander Mage
When players found out about Reno the Relicologist, the excitement for Highlander Mage was through the roof. Saviors of Uldum introduced some of the most interesting cards Hearthstone has ever seen in the form of Reno and Kalecgos. Unfortunately, this version of Highlander Mage was deemed too powerful and nerfed into the dirt. After Blizzard decided to make changes to Luna’s Pocket Galaxy and Conjurer’s Calling, this deck didn’t quite hit the way it was meant to. Regardless, Highlander Mage was definitely one of the most fun decks of 2019.
Control Warrior
There probably hasn’t been an archetype this year to come close to the consistency of Control Warrior. All year long some form of Control Warrior has been viable, if not powerful. Part of the reason Control Warrior was able to cling to life for so long was due to arguably the most powerful Hero card ever printed, Dr. Boom, Mad Genius. Even though Pirate Warrior seems to be the go-to deck for the class currently, Galakrond Warrior is still plenty viable and plays similarly to Control Warrior.
Murloc Paladin
Though it may not be super powerful at the moment, for the majority of the year Murloc Paladin was a force to be reckoned with. Paladin class cards like Tip the Scales helped make Murloc Paladin a force to be reckoned with. The deck also made use of Saviors of Uldum cards like Zephrys the Great and Sir Finley of the Sands. Though Finley’s Highlander effect wasn’t useful in the deck, he still made a great additional Murloc.
Galakrond Warrior
This is what you might call the spiritual successor to Control Warrior. Though the deck doesn’t contain control mainstays like Dr. Boom, it features a number of cards that help prolong the action until your Galakrond arrives. If you enjoy Warrior but are looking for something a bit slower than pirates, the classes Galakrond archetype might be for you.
Galakrond Lock
Though Warlock was on the lower half of the win-rate bracket for the majority of the year, things are looking up for the class with Descent of Dragons. Galakrond Shaman currently has one of the highest win rates of any deck on HS Replay The combination of Warlock’s Hero Power and the low-cost minions in this deck make it play similarly to a Zoo deck. If you’re a fan of Warlock, you can count on this deck to provide you with some wins in the new year.
