Sunday, August 9, 2015

Rogue is the Least Played Class!?

What is the Most & Least Played Hearthstone Class
In playing my ranked games in August, I noticed the fact that I did not see many of my opponents playing the Rogue Class. This made me curious so I started tracking each match that I played. In total I tracked 100 matches and my findings can be seen in the list below:

Opponent % Games
Rogue 7%
Druid 9%
Warlock 9%
Warrior 9%
Shaman 10%
Priest 12%
Paladin 13%
Hunter 15%
Mage 16%
Total 100%

Is Rogue is the Least Played Class?
To answer my question, in August, the Rogue is the Least Played Class in Hearthstone! Out of the 100 games I played, only seven of those games were against Rogues. Out of those seven games. five were Mech decks. Out of those seven games I won six, which equates to an 86% win rate against the Class. 

This high winning % could be the reason why many people do not play Rogue. Either they are not viable or people do not know how to use the Class' strengths. In reading through the Rogue forums, there are always a lot of complaints surrounding the Class specific cards. Even the grand tournament cards to not seem to provide the Rogues any substantial benefit. However I play the Rogue class because I like the challenge, plus people are not as experienced playing against Rogues. I actually think Rogues are a great class if used correctly. So far I have gone from Rank 20 to Rank 16 in the first nine days of August. 

What is the Most Played Class?
After finding out what the least played class was, I wanted to find out what the Most Played Class was. I assumed it was going to be the Paladin Class, since I only have a 33% win rate against them. However, it turned out that the most played class was actually the Mage! 

Out of the sixteen games I played against the Mage class, I only won a total of five. Out of those same sixteen games, eleven of those (Around 68%) were focused around pure aggression. Spells and Minions were all focused on burning down the Hero as quickly as possible. 
I find it most challenging to win against these decks as I do not have any Minions with taunt and I do not have any Healing cards. Other people most likely have the same issue as me, that is probably why the Mage is the most played class.

The Hunter came in at a close a second with 15% of games played and the Paladin at 13%. Majority of these decks were focused around low cost aggressive cards. I'm interested to see if the Deck types/Classes change as I continue to move up the ranks. 

Thank you for reading this post. I'm interested to hear your thoughts. What Class do you play? What is your least favorite class to play against? What is your most favorite class to play against? Let me know in the comments below!

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Beginner Mistake #2: Inefficiency

Become an Efficient Player
Aside from Lack of patience, inefficiency is one the biggest mistakes I see Hearthstone players make. Some examples of inefficient play include trading down, wasting spells, failing to use combos, misusing the weapon and using Hero health as the sole metric for determining which player is winning a match.

Although the number of inefficient plays per match is definitely greater for beginners, even the very best players are guilty of making inefficient plays. I admit that I too am a constant offender of making poor plays (more often than I would like).

However, while every player is bound to make inefficient plays, the key is to learn how to limit those  inefficiencies and increase the number of efficient plays. In order to do this, one must first learn what those inefficient plays actually are and how to turn them into efficient plays. The following is a list of common plays that beginners often make.

Trading Up vs. Trading Down
Trading up is essentially using a weaker card to kill a stronger card, while trading down is just the opposite. Your goal should always be to trade up. This will allow you to consistently build the momentum in your favor. A simple example of trading up would be using a 3/1 Minion to destroy an opponent's 4/3 Minion.

Spell cards can also be used to trade up, especially for Rogues who rely heavily on spell damage. A simple example of trading up as a Rogue would be using Backstab on a 3/2 minion. Often time you can use Backstab to kill a 3/2 and then combo the Eviscerate to destroy a 5/4 or 4/4 Minion.

This would be a very efficient play as Backstab costs zero Mana and Eviscerate only costs two. Plays such as these will give you a strong advantage against your opponent.

While trading up is great, often times trading a single card for multiple cards is even better!

Trading One Card for Multiple Cards
If you can take out two cards, three cards or even more with a single card you are almost always guaranteed to come out on top after the exchange. While each Class has ways of destroying multiple minions with a single card, my Rogue favorites are Blade Flurry & Fan of Knives. Whether it be destroying with five or six Minions at once or dealing with mech it is a great feeling to trade a single card for three plus.

Being that my Rogue deck is focused around +Spell Damage, these Rogue AOE spells quickly become extremely efficient. I have often dealt four damage to all enemy Minions in one turn just by using Fan of Knives with three +1 Spell Damage Minions on the board. Plus I get to draw an extra card. Trading one card for many can quickly shift the momentum in your favor. 

The following is a list of cards that have the ability to take out many minions at once:

Cards that can Deal Damage to ALL minions: Whirlwind, Death's Bite, Explosive Sheep, Unstable Ghoul, Revenge, Wild Pyromancer, Lightbomb

Cards that can Deal Damage to all enemy minions: Blizzard, Lightning Storm, Shadowflame, Flamestrike, Arcane Explosion, Fan of Knives, Blizzard, Starfall

Cards that can Damage all enemies: Consecration, Blade Flurry, Holy Nova, Explosive Trap, Swipe

Try out these AOE cards and see what works best for your particular deck. In addition to trading up and defeating multiple minions with a single card, avoiding waste is another crucial part in playing an efficient match.

Avoiding Waste (Minions)
Avoiding waste during a match is very similar to avoiding plays where you are trading down. When it comes to playing Minions, you do not want to play each and every Minion just because you have the Mana to do so. Let's say you have six cards in your hand (four minions) and your opponent has six cards as well. You are on turn #10, and you have enough Mana to play all four Minions. Do you play all four at once?


While this answer is really dependent on many different variables (type of deck you are facing/using, your Class vs. opposing Class, Hero HP/opposing Hero's HP, cards your opponent has already played, etc.). In most cases the answer would be NO. Why you ask?

It's simple, if your opponent still has six cards it is very likely a powerful AOE spell is coming your way. From my experience, powerful AOE spells are saved for situations just like this. One Flamestrike, Blade Flurry, Consecration, Circle of "Healing", etc. and you are done. Maybe play two Minions instead and see what your opponent counters with. This is a much safer play than wasting all of your Minions on one turn and getting no value from them.


Another wasteful Minion play I see on occasion occurs when one player continuously tries running down a high Health minion (eg. a 2/7) by attacking with three to four low cost minions over the course of one to two turns just to clear the board. There are times when it would be better to leave the enemy 2/7 alone (as it is not a true threat) and just attack the Hero directly. Once you start burning down his Hero, the 2/7 has no choice, but to start attacking your Minions and of course he will then take damage in the process.

Avoiding Waste (Spells)
In my earlier days playing as the Rogue Class I had wasted and had seen others waste countless spell cards attacking the opposing Hero. Unless your deck is 100% geared toward destroying the Hero as quickly as possible or if you are in the process of finishing off the Hero, you should never waste spells this way.

The reason for this is because while you deal maybe 15 to 20 damage to your opponents HP within the first few turns, you are then left with only a few cards. As the match goes on, your opponent is easily able to gain momentum by gaining board control. This means that any minions that you summon will be destroyed immediately.

In addition, your opponent may also be likely to heal themselves during these mid-turns. Being that you no longer have many spells, you are then left with little to no way of dealing additional damage to finish the opponent's Hero.

Instead, spells should be used to efficiently remove enemy Minions from the board. As you improve your Rogue play, you will be able to actually clear an enemy Minion and simultaneously summon a Minion of your own.

As you use Minions & Spells more efficiently you will have more cards toward the end of the game to instantly finish off your opponent. Saving your cards and avoiding waste when playing as the Rogue is surprisingly also largely based on how efficiently you are able to use your hero Power and Deadly Poison Spells.

Deadly Poison/Wicked Knife Do's & Don't's
- Do apply Deadly Poison while you have 2 durability on your Wicked Knife
- Don't destroy your weapon while you have 2 durability on your Wicked Knife (Eg. Blade Flurry)
- Do use Wicked Knife to destroy 1/1 and 1/2 Minions (Also helpful to remove Divine Shield)
- Do not use 3/2 Wicked Knife on 1/1 or 1/2 Minions as it is a waste.
- Do use Wicked Knife against opposing Minions (Use your judgement)
- Do not use Wicked Knife to damage an enemy Hero (Unless used in a match finishing combo)

Card Advantage vs. Hero Life 
When measuring efficiency of play to see which player is winning a match do not use Hero Life total as a sole metric as it can be misleading. Instead the following are more accurate measures of who has the upper hand in a match.
#1. Who has overall Board Control?
#2. Who has the Card Advantage (Most cards in hand)?
#3. Who controls the most powerful Minions on the board?
#4. What type of cards are at each players disposal (Who has the advantage)?

After the top four important questions are answered and it seems like an even match you may then turn to each Hero's Life Total to estimate who is winning the match.


Hope this information helped out some of you newer players. If you have any ideas or helpful tips related to efficient play please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Monday, August 3, 2015

Beginner Mistake #1: Lack of Patience

I'll be honest, I was and I still am a big offender of this first beginner mistake. All too often I play a spell or minion just because I have the Mana to do so rather than wait for the perfect opportunity. The reason for this is a mix of impatience and a lack of overall Hearthstone game knowledge. However, patience is critical to success, and it is a characteristic that is shared among all of the top Hearthstone players. If you ever watch a professional play, you will notice that the full 90 seconds is spent almost every turn. This time is spent evaluating all possible scenarios for the current turn and anticipating the turns to follow.


Biding your time and waiting for the right opportunity to play a card is very important, especially for the Rogue class. Don't be afraid to skip a turn. As a rogue you have the ability to use AOE spells to clear the opponents board in an instant. However, you usually only get one, maybe two opportunities in a single match to clear out an entire board of enemy Minions. Make sure you save your Deadly Poison, Blade Flurry, etc. prepared so you can unleash a devastating combo at the optimal time.

As you gain more experience playing as the Rogue Class you will become more familiar with certain situations. This will allow you to be more adaptable and you will find yourself anticipating your opponent's plays more often.

My Experience
Honestly, just being more patient and learning basic opponent tendencies has increased my win rate dramatically.  I had extreme difficulty playing against certain classes/deck types, but now I look forward to playing against them.

For example, dealing with early opponent pressure was something I feared. As my opponent had three to four minions already on the board, I had zero. Even with Mech builds, opponents would have up to five decently powerful Minions out by turn five. As I tried dealing with individual Minion after Minion I was inefficiently wasting my spells. Whether it was me using eviscerate on a two Health Minion, or using a two card play just to kill a 2/2 Minion with Divine shield, I was a mess. I was losing game after game and knew I needed to change up my play style.

After playing the same type of decks time after time, I learned that the order of play and enemy Minion types was relatively standard. Early pushes from opponents usually meant many low cost weaker minions and I could predict the fact that not many stronger minions would be played. By using AOE spells such as Fan of Knives (With +Spell Damage) these minions were cleared out much for efficiently.

If an opponent waited a couple of turns it was often just the opposite. Within the first two or three turns I could get out a few lower cost Minions of my own and put the pressure on. Keeping board control allowed me to save my spell cards for the mid-to-late game where I was able to unleash devastating combos to finish off my opponent.

Conclusion
Being patient allows you to experience every type of opponent's strength and weakness. Once you become more accustomed to such variables (opponent playstyle, deck type, order of play) it will allow you to create much more opportunities for yourself. Knowing whether to attack turn two or turn four can often mean the difference between winning a match or being defeated.

Efficient plays win battles, efficient battles win turns and efficient turns win matches. Patience is critical to learn where and how to create those efficient plays. If you ever are on a losing streak, take some time to reflect and learn from your major misplays. Take your time, before, during and after each match, learn from your mistakes and improve each and every match. Good Luck and remember, Patience is key!

If you don't believe me, please watch the following video and I can assure you, you will be convinced. This is a video I found on Youtube, Trump is Rank 2 and his opponent is Rank 3. Based on the following info. who do you think wins?


Turn #5
Opponent (Rank 3)
Minions in Play: Seven
Health: 25

Trump (Rank 2) 
Minions in Play: One
Health: 1

If you now believe that Patience is an important part of Hearthstone please share your thoughts or in-game experiences in the comments below!

What to Write About Next?

I have a running list of Rogue related articles that I would like to write about. These are posts that will be targeted toward helping out both new and intermediate Rogue players.

As I continue to play more matches, I will continue to think of new articles that I would like to write and learn more about. Although I have over 1,000 games played as a Rogue I'm still open to learning new strategies and new tactics that will improve my game. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with and I will share my Rogue experience with you.

The following is a list of topics that I will be writing about in the future:

#1. Rogue Common Beginner Mistakes
#2. My Strategy in Dealing with Priests
#3. My Best Mana Addict Play
#4. Testing Out the Oil Rogue
#5. Rogue Strategies To Defeat Specific Deck Types
#6. Rogue Beginner's Guide
#7. Making Opponent's Cards Unusable
#8. Know your Opponent's Cards
#9. Mastering the Oil Rogue.

Please let me know in the comments below if there is anything else
you would like me to test out or write about. Thanks!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

My Best Edwin Vancleef Win So Far (8/8 on Turn 2!)

Well, I'm back to Rank 20 after the August reset...  But, the good news was I started off the month with a great first hand on my first match up. A little while back I started off a match with a 6/6 Edwin VanCleef that wound up winning me the match. However, in my latest match up against a Warlock I pulled off any even better Turn 2.

After replacing 3 of my starting cards, I ended up with Eviscerate & Preparation. Not to mention I had "The Coin", which allows the Turn 2 Edwin VanCleef play to even be possible. Starting the match, my opponent passed on his first turn so I ended up just using the eviscerate on his Hero. If he would have played a Minion on Turn 1 I would have been able to use Backstab.

Turn 2: Being that I couldn't use backstab, I settled for the three card combo instead. Playing Preparation + Eviscerate + The Coin + Edwin Vancleef, set me up in a great position to start the matchup. By playing this three card combination I was able to summon an 8/8 Edwin VanCleef on only turn 2! Withing a few seconds of playing this card, my opponent conceded. Honestly if I was playing against this combination, I would find it extremely difficult to come back.


Recap: It would take either 3-4 cards, Silence or an extra two or three turns just to deal with this card. Wasted cards and wasted turns usually result in a loss later in the game. In addition, normally Warlock decks do not use any minions or spells that can Silence, especially this early on in the game.

There is always the Ironbeak Owl, which only costs 2 Mana, but I rarely see this card used by other Warlocks. The reason for this is that this is really a defensive type card and most Warlocks I've played against mainly use low cost Minions that focus on offense.

While this happened to work out for me in this particular match-up, this Rogue play is extremely risky. If your opponent can deal with this card early on, you are at an immediate disadvantage. Here are a few things to be aware of when using spell combos to play Edwin VanCleef early in the match.

#1. You are at a card disadvantage: You are essentially playing 4 separate cards to create one extremely powerful one. (As a Rogue you always want to have more cards than your opponent. The only time you should have fewer cards is when you are finishing off your opponent)

#2. Counters: While it needs to be the right card, your opponent only needs a single card to deal with Edwin VanCleef. Just to list a few, these counters include Silence, Shadow Word Spells, Hex, Polymorph, Spellbreaker, Sap, Ironbeak Owl, Mass Dispel and any cards that can destroy a single minion (regardless of Attack & Health).

#3. Opponent's Deck: While there are counters to this card you can sometimes tell if your opponent will have a counter to this early push or not. However, when using EdwinVanCleef this early on, most opponent's have not played a card yet. Therefore, it is can be extremely difficult to tell what kind of deck you will be facing. Depending on the Class you are facing, it can sometimes be better to wait for your opponent to show his/her hand before playing Edwin VanCleef.

In conclusion, this is a Very High Risk/Reward play! If you like playing conservatively this may not be the choice for you, but if you enjoy the risky plays try this one out.

If you have any experience using or playing against the Edwin VanCleef Legendary card. Please share in the comments below!

Saturday, August 1, 2015

My Spell Power Rogue Deck at Rank 12

I stopped playing Hearthstone for a few months, but recently I've been playing more. Over the past 2 weeks I've continued to use my same Spell Power Rogue Deck. I'm currently rank 12, but hopefully I'll be Rank 10 by the end of the weekend.


I've already written a few posts on matches that I've won and included some basic strategies that I normally use. However, I thought it would be good to list the cards that I use in my deck and provide a brief summary of the advantages of each one. My deck is focused around card draw, spell damage and board control.

Overall, I created my deck to counter aggressive opponent decks by using Spells to efficiently clear out 2-3+ enemy Minions at one time. The majority of my Minions have +1 to Spell Damage which further buffs the damage of my all AOE and single target spells. While I keep board control, I whittle away at my opponent's HP until he falls below 20HP. Usually I can use my spells to finish him off at this time. This is most effective when the opponent cannot heal himself.

While I do have a lot of success against aggressive Warlock Decks & Aggressive Paladin Decks, I have more of a challenge against more defensive opponents such as those playing Warrior Control Decks. Warrior control focuses on surviving early in the match through increased armor, board control (Weapons & Minion Battlecry often used) and playing it safe till turn 6+. Priests also give me some trouble as they continue to heal themselves throughout the match.

The following is a list of every card I use in my deck:

Spells
(2x) Backstab: One of the best Combo starters, if not the best. Two damage for zero Mana cost and can be used on any turn. This is especially useful in the early rounds on 1-3 Health Enemy Minions. In addition, this damage can be buffed with +Spell Damage.

(2x) Preparation: Another free Spell, which reduces the cost of the next spell you play by 3 Mana. This is used in 99% of my best Combos as it essentially allows you to play any 1, 2 or 3 Mana Cost spell for free. 87% of the spells in my deck cost three or less Mana to play.

(2x) Deadly Poison: Gives your weapon +2 attack. This allows for a 3 Damage attack on the first turn of use. I then save the second use for a 3 damage Blade Flurry. Not to mention this card only costs 1 Mana so I often use it with my combos.

(2x) Blade Flurry: AOE spell that damages ALL enemies. This includes those Minions with stealth PLUS the enemy Hero. Combined with Deadly Poison and Spell Damage this spell can be extremely powerful. Wiping out 3-4 enemy Minions with five or less health is not uncommon.

(2x) Eviscerate: Another one of my favorite spells. For only two Mana this spell can instantly do 10+ damage to a single target. This is assuming you have enough +Spell Damage and the card combo is played correctly. Double eviscerate is a common way of finishing off the opponent's Hero.

(2x) Shiv: I've seen people complain about this card on Forums, saying that 2 Mana for 1 damage is really a waste of a card. However, Shiv also gives you an extra card which is extremely beneficial for a combo Rogue that relies on card draw. In addition, this damage can be buffed with +Spell Damage.

(2x) Fan of Knives: AOE spell that damages all MINIONS. While this spell won't do damage to the opposing Hero it allows you to draw another card. In addition, unlike Blade Flurry, Fan of Knives will not destroy your weapon. I find this card extremely powerful in the early game. In the Mid-Late game it is still useful, especially when you have +Spell Damage to buff the AOE effect.

(1x) Tinker's Sharpsword Oil: I often use this card in the Mid-Late game as part of my finishing combos. The most common one I've used successfully is the Deadly Poison + Tinker's Sharpsword Oil  + Blade Flurry. This is devastating to any opponent as it is a 6 damage AOE combo. This combination has allowed me to completely shift the momentum of a match by completely clearing out my opponent's board. Not to mention, this card gives a random friendly Minion an extra +3 Attack, which is always a nice bonus. In addition, Blade Flurry also benefits from the +Spell Damage.

(1x) Sprint: If I'm up against a control type deck, I usually have time to use Sprint to prepare for the later turns. Sprint does cost 7 Mana (Essentially giving up your turn), so it is not usually feasible when you are dealing with an aggressive opposing deck. However, this card is extremely beneficial as it allows you to draw four cards. I often use Preparation first which makes Sprint only cost a total of four Mana. Having four new cards in your hand substantially increases the combo possibilities that you can unleash on your opponent. A Rogue with 6+ cards can easily finish off an opponent in the late game especially if they are at 20HP or lower.

Minions
(1x) Bloodmage Thalnos: + Spell Damage. Deathrattle= draw a card.

(2x) Kobold Geomancer: + Spell Damage. I often use Bloodmage Thalnos & Kobold Geomancer with Backstab for a three damage attack in the early rounds as each card only costs 2 Mana.

(1x) Mana Addict: If not destroyed on the first turn it is played this card becomes ridiculously powerful. I sometimes play this with 1-2 other Minions so that my opponent destroys the other two instead of the Mana Addict. With each spell that is played in a single turn the Mana Addict gains +2 attack. at first glance this card is only a 1/3, so oftentimes the opponent does not see it as a threat.

However,  I've had matches where this card benefited from a 5+ card combo, increasing it's attack from 1 to 11 plus! In addition, to the damage from the spell combinations I've dealt 20+ damage in a single turn.

(2x) Dalaran Mage: Very underutilized card in most spell decks. It helps to keep board control.

(1x) Edwin VanCleef: The two turn combo allows me to get quick wins. This card is extremely powerful as it can be used to create an extremely powerful minion on any turn.

(1x) Harvest Golem: I like to use this card to absorb damage and waste my opponents cards. Once destroyed, the Deathrattle from Harvest Golem automatically summons a 2/1 Damaged Golem in its place. Therefore, opponents usually have to use at least 2 cards to "fully destroy" this card. With 3 Health, this card is also very useful in tanking early Minion damage from aggressive opponent decks.

(1x) Gnomish Inventor: Four Health, plus you draw a card. With only 2 Attack this card is not much of a threat, but it gives me an extra card, buys me an extra turn and forces my opponent to use a card or two of their own if they want to clear it from the board.

(1x) Ogre Magi: + Spell Damage. With 4 Attack & 4 Health it is a very balanced Minion.

(2x) Azure Drake: + Spell Damage, plus you draw a card. This Minion is also very balanced.

(1x) Archmage: + Spell Damage. Only costs 6 Mana, and it comes equipped with 7 Health, which makes it relatively difficult to destroy.

(1x) Malygos: + 5 Spell Damage. While I like to finish matches quickly there are always those matches that linger on until Turns 10+. Once this card is on the field, every single one of my damage spells are increased by 5! Unless Malygos is destroyed (or stolen) by a spell, it is nearly impossible for the opponent to summon any new minions. The reason for this is, that simple spells such as Fan of Knives, Shiv, Backstab, Blade Flurry, Eviscerate etc. all get an added 5 damage bonus. If I were just to play 2x Shiv (12 damage) & 2x Eviscerate (18 damage) that would be a total of 30 damage!

Final Thoughts: As I continue to go up the Ranks, I was make minor changes to this deck if I have to. Right now though, I have been winning about 3 out of every 4 matches and I am more than happy with those results. Up until this point I have not played against many Rogues with a similar deck to mine.

Honestly, I have only played a few Rogues so far in my last 2 weeks of Ranked play. Out of the Rogues that I did face, the majority of them were using Mech type decks. I think the fact that the Rogue is not as popular a class gives me advantage over the other players I face. In addition, I believe that I have a unique Rogue deck that most people do not expect to play against.

I'm curious to find out what type of Rogue decks other players come across when they play ranked games. Please let me know in the comments below!