Use ability as a pseudo free portal.
3cc - Cheap durable ally (lasts longer than B.W. against mages).
5cc - Heavy hitter, AWESOME with Bloodthirsty.
Firesnake *2
1cc - Early game PAWN.
Death Mage Thaddeus *3
3cc - Nice ping ally that is also fun to add a Bloodthirsty to. Rotling *2
1cc - Fun little PAWN that is more fun than Firesnake later in the game.
Ironhide Karash *4
3cc - Durable ally with a great ability.
4cc - Haste!
2cc - Burst draw, better later in game when you have the chance to lay something down after the draw.
2cc - Early draw engine that still is worthwile later in the game because this build isn't overly reliant on stealth.
3cc - Amps allies and gives them ambush while removing stealth/hidden - priceless.
3cc - Another draw card that boosts with every kill. Fun.
4cc - Just there for the draw.
4cc - Resource renewal, which is handy with all the draw in this deck.
Total: 40 cards
Cost: 9510 (using the cheaper Moonstalker).
Resource curve:
1cc: 4
2cc: 10
3cc: 14
4cc: 8
5cc: 3
6cc - Vengefull psychological armor.
Tiger Wulf *2
5cc - Item or Ally destruction OR beefy damage.
Spectral Sabre *3
4cc - Attachment removal or far less likely a 2/2 weapon.
Plasma Behemoth *1
Firesnake *1
Death Mage Thaddeus *1
Wrath of the Forest *1
Rotling *1
Lightning Hunter *1
Nocturnal Advantage *1
Bloodthirsty *1
Cost: 4520
*present protector protecting protectors in the graveyard glitch*
I have dropped the Rotlings for Firesnake, so my actual deck and side are a little different, but you can go look at my bug report documenting the protectors protecting protectors in the graveyard in the bug reports.
So this is what my "(C)rushstalker" had evolved into by the end of November, and I haven't made any changes since. I have experimented with it a lot, but it comes back to this build. Honestly, my mental sidebar isn't as big as the one posted here, but 15 cards is the standard sideboard size unless this game uses a smaller one. Anyway, by using a sidebar this big it gives you an idea of the cards that have been bouncing in and out of my deck since the last time I posted an update to my Crush deck.
The two problems I had with the Crush version was bad draws, and not being able to make a comeback after a boardwipe. This deck generally does a good job compensating for both even if not having FTA (first turn advantage). Earlier today I had the world's worst draws for three turns even with a Bloodmoon out against an Eladwen Frostmire rush deck that went first and made one epic comeback. Also with the previous Crush version I never made it above 270, indeed I was stuck oscillating between 260 and 270. With the current build I have made it as high as 296 and on the rise, but at that point I got bored with Moonstalker and started playing other heroes. So I honestly have no idea how high this deck can rate.
Ignoring the sidebar which I normally only steal a Death Mage Thaddeus or a Wrath of the Forest to ADD to my deck bring the total to 40+ hero. The game is played more like any other mage portal rush deck. And gameplay is so straightforward that I'm not totally sure what to write up. With this deck there are no true auto losses. Mages and Hunters with a FTA make for a worthy battle, and are generally painfull. Once in a blue moon a Warrior or an Elemental running Dimensional Ripper can either hurt or help in a completly random way, and I like those games anyway (I secretly wish all heroes could use D. Ripper). And a true mirror match against another Moonstalker that has FTA the match comes down to thinking ahead, luck of the draw and timing. The other one that can be problematic is Serena (Serena with a good draw is positively EVIL). For you however there are Auto wins - even if you go second, but it depends on the build a given hero is running with. Really the most important thing you have to do is understand the various builds a given hero uses and think accordingly and use timing to your advantage. Also knowing which cards to sac is critical. You never sac N. Advantage against a weapon based or stealth based charater (or hunters because they tend to like that Into the Forest card. Regardless, I have found Moonstalker to be one of the stronger and more dynamic heroes. You can do a lot with that one turn of stealth and in this I am including other Moonstalker builds excluding Millstalkers which I lack the patience to use, or even any experience with.
There is really only two interactions you have to watch for, and both are in regard to L. Hunter. He destroys your Bloodmoon, yet his best friend is is something that mages and rogues pull on you: Dagger of Unmaking. If you're in a worse case senario and have 8cc or in a best case scenario 6cc and a Jewler's Dream out AND a L. hunter in hand drop it - attack and recycle it back, then attack again and keep it safe in your hand, then smack it with your Ironhide Karesh. Yay. Personally regarding moonstalker stealth I try and hold off till I have five Shadow energy till I stealth out the first time, so I can do it twice in a row (Making it just like a mage portal if you think about it). However, I do sometimes use it sooner (like when I go second), because I want them to waste resources on M. Acolyte, or whatever. I don't think I have used Moonstalker's stealth more than three times in this deck and it is amazing if I use it twice. I suppose somebody new to this deck would use it twice in a game, but really it exists to give you prime advantage on turn four, five or six. Personally it is there for me to use as a free Portal that lasts either one or two turns. I have found it more likely to never hide than to use it three times in a game. There's a mistake I make often when I've been drinking - dropping a Nocturnal Advantage before a Lightning Hunter , don't make that mistake!
But yeah rather than a full write-up go play with this deck, see what you find. Added bonus the deck is rather cheap to make. Well ignoring the sidebar, but if you have enough money to make the whole damn thing, I'm sure it will treat you well.
And yeah it is way better than my old (C)rushstalker!
Scroll down to see the final update ... anyway with this build I made it to 317 and just stopped playing MS for the most part. I come back to it now when I need to feel better about myself for losing with other heroes thant I'm not all that familiar with
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