Famine (Zhanna Mist)

[jonmaciel]

I'm pretty new, I don't even know what happens when a deck runs out?

when you run out of deck, your hero begins losing life each time it tries to draw any cards.

[jonmaciel]

Watching your matches and the strategy your playing, there are definitely some card changes in order tho I won't be 100% sure until I test it. Against a lot of decks, Misplaced would actually be very useful ESPECIALLY against Amber. Can't use dual wield on something thats been put back into their hand. It only cost you 1 res and amber will keep having to spend 4 res to put it back into play. best case is, DA on the first JD, they use DW to bring it back, you use misplaced to put it back into their hand (taking away the buff), then they'll have to spend another 4 res to put it back. this will be most useful if you can combo misplaced with plague. so you can spend a turn playing misplaced and low cost ally while they are spending the same amount of res next turn just to put JD back.

seems you can afford to take out 2 healing touches and 1 of the curses for 3 misplaced. only really need HT against mages to take off flame or poison from zhanna. erika looks like it'd be a more useful ally over sandworm if you're looking for a higher cost ally. tho personally, in this type of deck, i would just use more lowcost allies. CB shouldn't matter - just save TWs for after they use a couple of them. and you really only need wizent until you get bazaar out there by the looks of it. tho if you feel more comfortable with it in your deck, i wouldn't even be using its ability if i have a bazaar out. just use it to knock off hp from their hero. i may even take out the 4 wizents for 4 holy shields...HS is nice to play the turn or two before a TW while they put out more allies.

[Keaven]

Watching your matches and the strategy your playing, there are definitely some card changes in order tho I won't be 100% sure until I test it. Against a lot of decks, misplaced would actually be very useful ESPECIALLY against Amber. Can't use dual wield on something thats been put back into their hand. It only cost you 1 res and amber will keep having to spend 4 res to put it back into play. best case is, DA on the first JD, they use DW to bring it back, you use misplaced to put it back into their hand (taking away the buff), then they'll have to spend another 4 res to put it back. this will be most useful if you can combo misplaced with plague. so you can spend a turn playing misplaced and low cost ally while they are spending the same amount of res next turn just to put JD back.

seems you can afford to take out 2 healing touches and 1 of the curses for 3 misplaced. only really need HT against mages to take off flame or poison from zhanna. erika looks like it'd be a more useful ally over sandworm if you're looking for a higher cost ally. tho personally, in this type of deck, i would just use more lowcost allies. CB shouldn't matter - just save TWs for after they use a couple of them. and you really only need wizent until you get bazaar out there by the looks of it. tho if you feel more comfortable with it in your deck, i wouldn't even be using its ability if i have a bazaar out. just use it to knock off hp from their hero. i may even take out the 4 wizents for 4 holy shields...HS is nice to play the turn or two before a TW while they put out more allies.

Thanks Starval. I will try the Misplaced strategy. I originally had a few in the deck and it still didn't help much, but it was also when I first made it and didn't have as much of a feel for it. Don't forget Jeweler's Dream only costs 2 to recast given the kickback. Which means at turn 5 Amber can also get down another 3 cost ally which is very bad at this stage. There will usually be allies on the board already so you can't afford to cast Plague right away without clearing them with a Tidal Wave.

Sandworm isn't there for a high cost Ally as such. Almost purely an anti-Mage card because it can take a hit and assist in board control mid-late game without needing tidal waves. If you can get it out against any hero mid-late game with board control before casting another Plague it allows you to keep board control (only weenie threats now) and use tidal waves for resources instead. Erika definitely a no-go as she can usually be dealt with the turn after by the most formidable decks as they are now at 5/6 resources. You could only get her out late game when you have a resource lead of more than 1 and by then Sandworm is still plenty enough, just requires more patience.

Oddly, Healing Touch is needed least against Mages because their damage is dealt with resources directly which this deck puts some serious hurt on. I use them primarily after weenie rushes and against Wulven to keep alive. I was getting a lot more success with four in the deck rather than two.

Bazaar is only there to nullify Blood Frenzy early game and to help mil late game if needed. The primary draw engine is Lily + Cobraskin Wraps, with Wizent's Staff for backup, damage, and can also combo with plagues in the right deal for an easy win. It also can be a free card as it can be resourced after used if you can dig it up with Lily.

Holy Shield was originally there but removed because they did not sync enough and are a waste of card that can be resourced, especially as good players are very wary of deploying too many allies at once and this card is a flaring warning that Tidal Wave is coming. A 3 cost ally can soak as much HP often and is another free card thanks to Resurrection.

I'm pretty new, I don't even know what happens when a deck runs out?

For every card you are not able to draw once your deck is empty you lose 1 HP (eg Bad Santa can be used for direct damage).

[Keaven]

Well I finally revisited this deck today for 1.5 and will update the OP with this version. Not quite the same now that Plague has changed, but can still work. The Lily + Cobraskin Wraps base is still there.

It worked effectively in my most recent match Vs Eladwen:

ZLJ (264) Vs Borlaug (272)

In the last turn before victory I was able to reduce him to 1 resource whilst having 8 myself after coming back from 6HP at turn 6.

[Keaven]

Just played a Baduruu who shrieked my T4 Wizent's Staff after using it to kill his T3 Medusil combined with my Priest of the Light just to see me summon another at T5. He then resourced back to 4 and summoned Tracker to witness me draw and deploy an Aeon after resourcing a curse with 3 Plagues and a Cobraskin Wraps still in hand. He promptly quit the game.

[painful_smile]

nice to see someone still having some hope for the priests

Priests will rape this meta. People just did not have realize it yet. But they will! Trust me.

[glencocoe]

Priests will rape this meta. People just did not have realize it yet. But they will! Trust me.

To be honest, unless using oathbreakers, or someone makes up a new game around plate armor or (dare I say) Legion United, I seriously doubt there's something to be had. When you play resource cards, you cut your own resources down too & pass your turn. Your opponent can still pump out 3cc cards. And worse, spells if it's Mage. I tried working a baduruu resource deck and it's interesting, but @ 1 point you have to stop the resource starvation and just play w/+1 or +2 resources and go from there instead or perpetually holding the game under 5 resources.

I'm not saying you're doing that. Just pointing out what I see usually, when priest players try to make a "plague" deck. To be honest, even drawing plague or cobraskin wraps consistently is a stretch. I used baduruu w/4x cobraskin wraps & 3x here be monsters...and I thought it'd be enough for guaranteed draw, but I was sorely mistaken. You MUST tailor a game for when you DON'T get these cards.

Edit: oh I just saw the lily + cobraskin part. Interesting idea...interested to see what your sacrificing will be like. Oh and it's impossible to mill someone w/resource starvation lolll....it's supposed to do the opposite: starve card flow to a craw of a hand w/only 1 or 2 cards because they are forced to sacrifice to re-up their resources. Actually, ANY sort of draw for the opponent screws up any sort of resource-starvation deck. bazaar is your worst enemy - destroy it. You'll see what I mean.

P.S. Oh btw could you Pleassseeee give a specific way to play the deck as most priests need an explanation? We need to know priorities, sacrifices, and goals. If we get 1 cobraskin or 1 plague, which do we keep? You gotta specify. Please update your original post

[Keaven]

To be honest, unless using oathbreakers, or someone makes up a new game around plate armor or (dare I say) Legion United, I seriously doubt there's something to be had. When you play resource cards, you cut your own resources down too & pass your turn. Your opponent can still pump out 3cc cards. And worse, spells if it's Mage. I tried working a baduruu resource deck and it's interesting, but @ 1 point you have to stop the resource starvation and just play w/+1 or +2 resources and go from there instead or perpetually holding the game under 5 resources.

I'm not saying you're doing that. Just pointing out what I see usually, when priest players try to make a "plague" deck. To be honest, even drawing plague or cobraskin wraps (if included) consistently is a stretch. I used baduruu w/4x cobraskin wraps & 3x here be monsters...and I thought it'd be enough for guaranteed draw, but I was sorely mistaken. You MUST tailor a game for when you DON'T get these cards.

Plague is a completely different card from before. It's no longer similar to a Shadow Hunter resource destruction deck. Now it's about resource leading (hence the absence of Sandra Trueblade). The most important thing to achieve with this deck is to not let your opponent reach 5 resources unless you have a lead of around 3 or more and board control. Let's look at the draw cards in this deck:

2 x Tainted Oracle
4 x Cobraskin Wraps
4 x Wizent's Staff
4 x Lily Rosecult

Every one costs 4 resources, so unless you can gain board control with an early PotL your first card should be a T3 Curse or Destroy Arms (for Research). It might not look like much, but when played correctly when drawing badly it can still manage to come back. Unlike the 1.29 version, plagues can be resourced if drawn too many too early (not all of them though, maybe two max), because the deck cannot effectively mil and requires earlier board control.

Don't underestimate the power of Lily + Cobraskin Wraps. In a fair few matches won with this deck I will resource an early Wizent's Staff or Tidal Wave before a Cobraskin Wraps. Curse is vital to stay alive long enough to overpower the board through resource lead. Combined with the 1 armour Cobraskin Wraps provide it is possible to stall several turns long enough to wipe the board and build your resource lead healing as required.

[glencocoe]

Plague is a completely different card from before. It's no longer similar to a Shadow Hunter resource destruction deck. Now it's about resource leading (hence the absence of Sandra Trueblade). The most important thing to achieve with this deck is to not let your opponent reach 5 resources unless you have a lead of around 3 or more and board control. Let's look at the draw cards in this deck:

2 x Tainted Oracle
4 x Cobraskin Wraps
4 x Wizent's Staff
4 x Lily Rosecult

Every one costs 4 resources, so unless you can gain board control with an early PotL your first card should be a T3 Curse or Destroy Arms (for Research). It might not look like much, but when played correctly when drawing badly it can still manage to come back. Unlike the 1.29 version, plagues can be resourced if drawn too many too early (not all of them though, maybe two max), because the deck cannot effectively mil and requires earlier board control.

Don't underestimate the power of Lily + Cobraskin Wraps. In a fair few matches won with this deck I will resource an early Wizent's Staff or Tidal Wave before a Cobraskin Wraps. Curse is vital to stay alive long enough to overpower the board through resource lead. Combined with the 1 armour Cobraskin Wraps provide it is possible to stall several turns long enough to wipe the board and build your resource lead healing as required.

Ah, gotcha. Yeah cobraskin is better for leading along w/plague...another reason I stopped using baduruu. Do you have any notable games which illustrate proper way to use it? Please list some, I'd love to see.

[Keaven]

Ah, gotcha. Yeah cobraskin is better for leading along w/plague...another reason I stopped using baduruu. Do you have any notable games which illustrate proper way to use it? Please list some, I'd love to see.

My match listed above is probably the best example.

ZLJ (264) Vs Borlaug (272)

Bare in mind I was holding two Tidal waves from very early in the match and you can see how I held them to get victory. Even with Aeon out he was nothing to fear with Curse and a Cobraskin Wraps on the board.

...
Edit: oh I just saw the lily + cobraskin part. Interesting idea...interested to see what your sacrificing will be like. Oh and it's impossible to mill someone w/resource starvation lolll....it's supposed to do the opposite: starve card flow to a craw of a hand w/only 1 or 2 cards because they are forced to sacrifice to re-up their resources. Actually, ANY sort of draw for the opponent screws up any sort of resource-starvation deck. bazaar is your worst enemy - destroy it. You'll see what I mean.

P.S. Oh btw could you Pleassseeee give a specific way to play the deck as most priests need an explanation? We need to know priorities, sacrifices, and goals. If we get 1 cobraskin or 1 plague, which do we keep? You gotta specify. Please update your original post

Actually, back when Plague destroyed 3 of both players resources this deck did win from miling with resource starvation. Only the change of Plague has changed the strategy as it has drastically reduced the amount of resources you can destroy, and more specifically the speed in which to do so.

I understand what you mean about opponents with draw, but this is not as much of a threat if you can keep them under 5 resources, it does improve their chances, but can be managed. Verse a Mage Bazaar early is a serious threat.

Check out my Darkclaw win where he cast Bazaar T2: Borlaug (272) Vs foos (232)

Although the deck and strategy has changed since the OP was made a lot of the combos listed in this thread still hold true:

...
ie if you draw a Plague and a Cobraskin before turn 4 you first cast the Cobraskin to get the extra card over your opponent, the next turn you cast Plague. This means they may get out an extra 3 cost ally, but they are seriously short drawing their hand to do so and you are not allowing them to reach 5 resources where the serious pain begins. If you were able to get Curse out before Cobraskin the 3 allies they could potentially have on the board will not do much damage by the time you get back to 4 resources. Then you can rinse and repeat, or if they were not able to generate any draw you can extend to 5 resources, Tidal Wave and dominate the board.

...

The deck needs all the Cobraskins it can get because sometimes Lily is returning a Cobraskin that was destroyed by casting a second one, ie:

T4 - Cobraskin (back to 3 resources + card draw)
T5 - Cobraskin (back to 3 resources + card draw)
T6 - Lily (draw cobra skin)
T7 - Tidal Wave if they were dumping allies the previous turns, or Plague if not

If Tidal Waves are a star in your deck it means you are letting your opponent get to 5 Resources too often for the original strategy. My mil deck really wants to hold back the Tidal Waves for as long as possible so they have nothing to come back with after.
...

The best part about the change of Plague is that if you can combo well you are able to get to 5 resources to Tidal Wave and still keep the opponent under 5.

It's not often you will have to decide between only a Plague and a Cobraskin Wraps. But if it is the case, probably better to resource Plague as you will need the draw from Cobraskins, unless you have a Wizent's Staff in play that will last more than one turn.

Although in situations this order can change:
Cobraskin Wraps > Lily > Plague > Wizent's Staff > Tidal Wave