Hero Masterclass #1: Shaman

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

Shamans, a few months ago, were widely regarded as one of the weakest classes in the game – they were seen as a poor class in general with little to no relevance within the current metagame. However, more recently, they have been picking up steam and are now generally regarded as one of the top classes within the game. Within this article, I’ll be looking at the different deck archetypes run by Shamans, how they deal with other classes, and their best cards which make them one of the top classes.

Archetypes

Midrange

Probably the most popular of all of the Shaman deck archetypes. Shaman midrange is extremely strong as it has lots of ways to shut down both aggro and control. Probably the most well-known and played Shaman midrange deck is the one coined by Cong “Strifecro” Shu. This deck is known as one of the most versatile and efficient decks within the scene, and is also one of the most played as it has an exceedingly strong match-up against the other common tournament decks, such as midrange Druid, Giants Warlock and Control Warrior.

Midrange Match-Ups

Weak against: Miracle Rogue, Aggro Hunter

Strong against: Midrange Druid, Control Warrior, Warlock Giants

Control

Control shaman is a dying version of the class, with many more opting to play the trademark midrange Shaman that the class is so well known for. Control shaman, however, is still strong in its own regard. With multitudes of excellent removal spells, such as Lightning Bolt and Lightning Storm to name just a few, as well as powerful class-specific cards, such as the Fire Elemental, Shaman control can still be devastating if ran correctly. Control shaman can also contain a lot of reach as well; some decks such as Jan “Ek0p” Palys’s ran Al’Akir the Windlord in combination with Rockbiter Weapons to do a staggering possible 18 damage on turn 10.

Control Match-Ups

Control match-ups is a funny topic. Many of the control Shaman’s match-ups are the same as the midrange Shaman’s; however, one of the many reasons why the midrange Shaman is so popular is that it is a more balanced deck archetype. The midrange deck trades off some elements of control and some more prowess in its strong match-ups for a more powerful early game, meaning its bad match-ups are nowhere near as bad as they would be for a control Shaman. The control Shaman’s weaknesses and strengths are the same as the midrange’s, just exaggerated.

Cards

Hex

Undoubtedly the strongest card at the Shaman’s disposal, this 3 mana spell turns one of your opponent’s minions into a measly 0/1 frog with Taunt. An exceedingly strong spell vs control decks, this spell can give you a huge tempo swing due to its low cost as well as completely changing the state of the board. Want rid of that pesky Ysera which is constantly drawing dream cards, or that irritating Ragnaros that keeps sniping off your strong minions? Hex is the answer! In my opinion, Hex is the strongest hard removal in the game and this is one of the cards which causes Shaman to compete for the title of currently the best class in the game.

Feral Spirit

An extremely underrated card, however one of the cards which makes the midrange Shaman function so well. This card allows you to put out two 2/3 taunted Wolves on to the board for three mana, albeit coming with the extra baggage of a two mana overload. This gives you an insane amount of early board presence along with a wall to block out aggro – stat-wise, Feral Spirit gives you a turn three Druid of the Claw. Despite the handicap you give to yourself on turn four, the board presence that this card gives you and the value of having such a great board presence so early in the game is too good to pass up.

Lightning Storm

Lightning storm is AMAZING! Probably the best board clear in the game, along with Swipe, this card has the benefit of being the earliest board clear in the game – which is huge when you’re playing against aggro decks. This card is a lifesaver when playing against Murlocs et al as a turn three Lightning Storm which coinflips in your favor can be devastating – it allows you to recover against aggro much quicker than any other class would do, however if a lot of pressure is put out on the next turn sometimes the overload can be crippling. That being said, the benefits still outweigh the drawbacks immensely and thus Lightning Storm can be hugely powerful if used correctly.

Fire Elemental

The obvious one. Already with good stats at a 6 mana 6/5, this card comes on to the board and will (usually) immediately already trade. With that many awesome 6 drops in the game, such as Cairne Bloodhoof, it really is a testament to the utility and value that this card gives you that most Shaman decks will run Fire Elemental in every single one of their decks. The ability to make an impression on the board instantly is awesome and is also one of the main reason cards like Ragnaros are valued so highly – Fire Elemental is no exception to this.

Final Impressions

Shaman seems to be a class that will stick around at the top - their powerful class cards such as Hex and Fire Elemental supplemented by excellent neutral cards seems to be a winning combo, and this is why we see them being played in all of the top tier tournaments. Their strong match-ups against the other top-tier tournament decks also is a huge bonus point to playing a Shaman in a tournament - it means if you face up against one of the main tournament decks, more often than not, you are favored to win.

However, if we see a massive metagame switch to a more aggro-orientated tournament metagame, Shaman may begin to struggle. Their weakest match-up is Hunter, in which they generally have no chance - if Hunter begins to dominate the metagame, we may begin to see Thrall fall out of the metagame somewhat.