Top Warlock decks. Description of the cards in the deck of the legendary ZooLock
With this article we begin a small series of guides for the game HeartshStone, intended primarily for beginners. It is assumed that you have completed training in the game, opened the basic cards, leveled up all the heroes to level 10, and played at least a few games with people, which means you understand basic things and know how the game develops.
If you come across strange combinations of letters in the text, refer to the glossary - specific concepts and slang words are deciphered there.
Today we'll look at a deck that's good for beginners:
- it is easy to assemble - it uses cards that are cheap to manufacture and common in booster packs;
- it’s easy to play - always on the attack, always sharpening the game;
- it’s easy to earn in-game currency - battles go quickly;
- it’s easy to master HearthStone: the combinations are simple, the tactics too, but at the same time the player learns all the main points in the game - to use combinations, predict the actions and composition of the enemy’s deck, control the table and move on to attack the enemy in time.
This awesome newbie deck is called Zoolock. However, not only beginners: Zoolocks can be found both in ranked play at the Legend level and in large tournaments. Zoolock is also often used at the beginning of the season to quickly gain rating: the games are short, and it takes little time to climb the ladder.
Idea
The main idea of the deck is to use strong cards for 1-2 mana to quickly bring a crowd of creatures into play. Cheap cards have a good ratio of attack and armor per unit of mana, in addition, we try to take cards with special abilities so that, using them wisely, we can get even more benefits.
The disadvantage of the tactic is obvious: the mana pool grows with each move, and by the 4th-6th move the player is left without cards. This is where we need the Warlock (aka Warlock, Lock): his class ability allows the player to take an additional card per turn in exchange for 2 units of mana and 2 units of health. By using Life Tap wisely, you can maintain the required number of cards in your hands for a long time.
Tactics
There is an opinion that this is how they play Zoolock: they simply dump everything out of their hand onto the table. This is a simplified model that should not be used. No matter how recently you have played or how lazy you are to strain your muscles, there are at least three things that you need to remember or, alternatively, tattoo somewhere:
- Zoolok should not lose control of the table: we fight with creatures, our spells are auxiliary, so the situation when the enemy has creatures on the table, but we don’t, is tantamount to defeat; the advantage on the table must not be lost under any circumstances;
- always remember about AoE (mass removal spell, mass destruction spell): small creatures are afraid of mass spells, they, as a rule, are not “fat”, and one AoE will blow away a bunch of lightweights at a time. The zookeeper must, like the “Our Father” (or whatever the warlock has instead of the main prayer?), know on what turn and what AoE the enemy can use, and be ready for it;
- we use combos: most of our cards reveal their potential in combination with others; if thoughtlessly thrown onto the table, they will not provide the aggressive onslaught we need. Creatures must work as a team and get to the table in a timely manner.
Cards
Let's look at the cards for the Zoolock deck, pros and cons, priorities, compatibility. In the review, they are divided into several groups, according to priority: we take the mandatory ones into the deck in any situation, the good ones are extremely desirable, we get the number of cards up to 30 suitable, optional ones can be added to suit your playing style or due to a lack of other cards, the Naxxramas section contains cards from the same name adventure add-ons. Within sections, cards are listed in descending order of value.
2 x Soul Burn: Used as a removal spell (a spell to destroy an enemy creature) or held until the end to finish off the enemy, ignoring his provocateurs (tanks).
2 x Abyssal Demon: A tank with 1/3 stats allows us to develop in the opening and distracts enemy creatures from more valuable players later on. Resistant to early and simple AoE. Buffs fall well on him - he becomes “thicker”, hits and hits back more painfully.
1/2 x Sin'dorei Priest: Basic creature 3/2 with buff It may seem weak, rather weak, but only at first glance. Please note that we are throwing a buff on a creature that will attack on the same turn, which will allow it to survive after an exchange with another creature or simply prepare for an AoE.
The Sin'dorei priest does not fit well on an empty table, but Zoolock's empty table is almost always a waste, so we forget about this disadvantage.
Not particularly profitable in terms of mana, but for a beginner who has few cards, an extra buffer will not be superfluous. It might even be worth taking two.
Good
1/2 x Ironbeak: Where are we without silence? Nowhere. Lard will help get rid of a creature that the enemy has been buffing for a long time and persistently, will remove the “fat” tank, opening the way for creatures to attack, will leave the enemy without cards, will deprive his creature of useful properties and will turn his creature from super-dangerous into an ordinary “meat” of attack and defense. Well, to the heap, we bring onto the field a creature with characteristics of 2/1.
2 x Scolding Sergeant: Do not underestimate the temporary buff for 2 attacks: it turns any, even the most rotten creature into removal for 3-5 units of damage, and in the endgame it will help to finish off the enemy. At the same time, we bring out a 2/1 creature. Must have, craft first.
1/2 x Dark Iron Dwarf: The same scolding sergeant, only with 4/4 stats. Comes out later, but is not afraid of most AoE and cheap removal, and hits hard.
2 x Leader of Dire Wolves: An inexpensive buffer, for 2 mana it raises the attack of neighboring creatures by 1. Quite vulnerable, the characteristics are only 2/2, the buff disappears after its death. However, if we bring it out to attack creatures, it gives a total of 2 damage, and 2 damage for 2 mana already pays off. Plus, the enemy will have to sacrifice something to get rid of the annoying wolf - mana, card, creature, initiative.
2 x Leper Gnome: For 1 mana we bring out a 2/1 creature and are almost guaranteed to deal 2 damage to the enemy.
2 x Vanguard Squire: Thanks to the Divine Shield, this creature with one point of health will survive any blow. You can’t just throw him off the board. With attack buffs, it can remove a strong creature and survive.
1/2 x Harvest Golem: A 2/3 creature that summons a 2/1 upon death - it's hard to knock off the board, and besides, it's a total of 4 attacks and defenses for 3 mana - very good.
2 x Defender of Argus: Rare, meaning it costs the same as 2.5 times a normal card to craft. But useful! Buffs to nearby creatures plus the ability to provoke turns the weakest and most unnecessary fighters into a problem for the enemy. Can be used as protection against AoE - turning, for example, a couple of fire imps into 4/3 tanks. And, of course, 2/3 of the “meat” comes out on the board, resistant to simple mass removal shafts.
1/0 x Spellbreaker: An alternative to Ironbeak with 4/3 stats. It is always useful to have a couple of cards in the deck that are similar in function, but slightly different: sometimes it is more profitable to play a cheaper “fat”, sometimes it is better to bring out a stronger creature along with the fat. Taken instead of the second Ironbeak, more than two silences in the deck is bad.
1 x Power Overwhelm: Gives a minion stats +4/+4, but kills it at the end of its turn. In the worst case, a simple removal/finisher, in a successful combination - not only that. We cast on the Nerubian egg - we hit the enemy, and then we get a 4/4 spider. We cast on the Possessed Crawler under the Dagger Juggler - we get a couple of spiders and a couple of free daggers towards the enemy. We bring out the Horror of the Abyss in the same move, after the blow - it eats up a terminally ill creature, and the buff is not wasted...
1/2 x Vanguard Commander: A couple of strong charge minions are needed in the deck as a means of dealing with enemy minions, as well as as a finisher. The vanguard commander is not the strongest, but he has a “divine shield” that allows him to survive almost any blow of fate. Rare, but all serious alternatives are also rare cards. Least.
Valid
2 x Fire Imp: 3/2 minion for one mana! True, it is harmful - it takes away the owner’s health, in the amount of 3 units. Once a must-have in any Zoolock deck, not everyone uses them anymore. Super-aggressive, very useful at the very beginning of the game, the demon can easily hang on your hand like a dead weight in the middle and late game, when health is already low and even the Life Tap has to be used carefully.
1/2 x Doomguard: A minion with charge and 5/7 stats for 5 mana! However, when he enters the board, he discards 2 random cards from his hand. There are many situations where it does more harm than good.
1 x Coil of Decay: Cheap removal. Only 1 point of damage, but if the creature dies, you draw a card. Also good for finishing off your Leper Gnome at the end and dealing 2 damage to the enemy through provocateurs or finishing off the Nerubian Egg... But too often this spell is useless. However, it is basic, so it will be useful for beginners with a small selection of cards.
1/2 x Shield Bearer: Tank with stats 0/4. A toothless wall of armor... which can have time to spawn small toothy abominations, and no one is stopping you from buffing the Shield Bearer! Empirical fact: it turns out to be useful in almost every game. It comes in a booster pack - no need to spray, just put it in the deck.
1/2 Dagger Juggler: A 3/2 creature that throws piercing and cutting objects when you summon someone else. Since we are producing evil little bastards, the juggler seems very useful. But it has two disadvantages: the first is that it is easy to eliminate, and the second is that it selects its target randomly. If the enemy brings out an egg or spiders, you yourself will rack your brains on how to get rid of the evil gnome. And it's also rare...
1/2 Protector of the Sin'dorei: A weak semblance of the Defender of Argus: gives taunt to neighboring creatures, and reduces characteristics. Kind of like small crayfish, but for three rubles, that is, for 2 mana. For tactical variety it will do, but I wouldn’t specifically craft this card. Rare.
Optional
1/2 x Treasure Collector: Taken under Naxxramas cards to buff Gravedigger. Gives a card, but for a creature for 2 mana it is too small and weak. And we need teeth!
0/1 x Void Terror: Devours nearby creatures and gains their ATK/DEF. If you put it on the table on the edge, it will eat one. Combines brilliantly with Nerubian Egg, Possessed Creepers, Overwhelming Power (cast on another creature), and not bad with Leper Gnomes. It works as a kind of protection against AoE and solves the problem of small things locked in its half of the field by a “fat” tank - in general, it doesn’t let small creatures go to waste. Weakness - vulnerable to lard and solid removal.
0/2 x Wolf Rider: 3/1 minion with charge. Three damage for three mana and a ghostly chance to live another turn - weak, but evil. Included in the basic set of cards, it may be useful for beginners.
0/ 2 x Bluegill Warrior - an analogue of Wolf Rider for 2 mana and with 2/1 characteristics.
0/2 x Raid Leader: Basic buffer for newbies. Expensive - 3 mana. Gives 1 attack to all creatures, but bringing out the entire crowd of creatures at once means exposing yourself to AoE and being left without cards. So, in fact, the basic analogue of the Leader of Dire Wolves.
0/2 x Crazy Rocket Launcher: As I already said, a strong creature with a dash is always needed by Zoolok. For 6 mana mana parameters 5/2 are weak. But from the basic set it will be suitable for beginners on decks.
0/2 x Murloc Wavecatcher: The characteristics of a good creature for 2 mana were scattered across two frog-like bodies. It goes well under the Juggler with daggers. Only for beginners with a shortage of arcane dust for crafting cards, since it is included in the basic set.
Nakramas
2 x Grave Digger: Gain 1/2 every time a creature with the Deathrattle ability comes onto the board. Let's estimate the number of hoarse creatures in the deck: Leprognomes, golems - already four; we add eggs and crawlers - eight, with Treasure Collectors there will be a total of 10 creatures. Every third! Chances of getting a creature with characteristics for 1 mana. WHAT?
2 x Nerubian Egg: A 0/2 minion for 2 mana turns into a 4/4 spider upon death. Excellent AoE protection. Suitable for exchange - we buff, hit, the enemy has an empty space, we have a 4/4 nerub. Strengthens the Grave Digger, knocks the dagger out of the Juggler when a spider appears, combines with the Horror... An excellent card, a must have!
2 x Possessed Crawler: 1/2 minion, upon death summons a pair of 1/1s. Total 3 attacks and 4 defenses for 2 mana, protection from AoE, pumps up the Grave Digger, difficult to knock off the board... If used wisely, one of the best cards for Zoolock.
1/2 x Fissile Ooze: Situational card. Divided at the end of the turn along with all buffs, and without them it’s just a couple of 1/2 tokens.
0 /1 Baron Rivendare: 1/7 minion for 4 mana. Slower than a turtle. But the death rattle fires twice. And this, if used correctly, is either a crowd of spiders, or 8 damage from Leper Gnomes, or 4 cards from Treasure Collectors. An interesting, in general, legend from Naxxramas.
Assembling the deck
Now all that remains is to add 30 cards to your deck. What you should get: about 20 cards no more expensive than 2 mana, up to four cards for 3, up to four cards for 4, two powerful cards with dash for 5-6 mana. You can meaningfully go beyond this framework, but for the first time it is better to stick to this scheme. We don’t go overboard with the balance of buffers - bodies - removal. We also remember that we must have lard in the deck, at least one piece and no more than two.
Starting hand
We make sure to throw away all the heavy cards from our hand; at first we will need creatures that will quickly occupy the table. However... A lot here depends on the opponent, on the characteristics of your deck (for example, the amount of fat).
Glossary of Hearthstone Slang and Terms
Many terms and buzzwords are borrowed from other Blizzard games, and those, in turn, from other games in their genres. Some of the words are Anglicisms, used due to the fact that most games are released in English and are not immediately Russified.
Ability is the ability of a hero.
AoE - Area of Effect, a spell that affects a certain area. Also called effects that affect multiple targets. In World of Warcraft and HearthStone, AoE most often means area or multi-target damage spells, although this is not entirely correct.
Buff is a spell with a positive effect cast on the target. For example, to characteristics or “the target gains the Charge ability.”
Buffer is the one who applies buffs.
Booster is an “expert set”, an additional (to the base) set of cards of varying degrees of rarity.
Winrate is the percentage of wins.
Debuff is the opposite effect of a buff. For example, the Aldor Peacemaker's battlecry "selected enemy minion's attack becomes 1" or the effect of the Hunter's Mark card.
Daylyk is a daily task.
Drop (first, second, nth) - a card played on a certain move. It is not always determined by its cost. For example, Abyss Demon and Fire Imp for 1 mana are the first drops, Overwhelming Power for 1 mana and Soul Burn for 0 are not.
Lock - short for Warlock, in Russian translation - Warlock.
Ladder (ladder) is a ladder, where the steps are ratings from 25 to 1 and legends.
Mass removal - removal that affects all enemy creatures at once, or all creatures on the board, or all characters and creatures. See Removal.
Mulligan is the process of selecting cards for a starting hand, where the player decides which ones to keep and which ones to replace.
Exchange - destroying enemy creatures with your own creatures.
Rush is a strategy of quickly attacking from the beginning of the game.
Rate - rating.
Removal is a “cleaner”, a spell or effect that allows you to eliminate a creature. A very relative concept. For example, the spell Face of Decay, which deals 1 unit of damage, is a removal spell, spells to transform into a sheep or a frog are removal spells, a buff on a creature can also be a removal spell.
Salo - from silence, in the Russian version the effect of silence.
Stack - accumulate a cumulative effect. For example, warrior armor and
Druid.
Token is a hanger creature for buffs.
“Fat” is a creature with a lot of health.
Tap (tap) - in the Russian version, life tap (use).
Tank - provocateur, ability. In the English version - Taunt, in consonance and meaning, a similar role of a creature/character in the Russian-speaking community is called a tank.
Hearthstone is a computer-based Southern card game that takes its roots from a branch called Warcraft. One of the game tactics, adopted by the Gravians, was called the Zoologist deck. The correct name is Zoo-lock (from the words “zoo” and “lock”). About the process and information in statistics.
Zoologist Warlock. Deck and a few guides
There is only one warlock in the game - the orc shaman Gul "Dan. Well, well, the same one who invaded Azeroth, sacrificing the souls of the draenei to the Fel. The bosses of Gul "Dan, is smart to sacrifice health in order to remove a card from the deck , you can significantly fill the entire playing field in order to strangle the enemy. The zoologist deck is actively played by gravers. The essence of the tactic is how you can quickly fill the battlefield with cheap items, simultaneously finishing off those whom the enemy puts in, strangling the enemy and gaining the upper hand before Let's go up to 10 mana crystals.
Gul"Dan Zoologist, Hearthstone deck
Particularly effective against leitovian gravels - which are strong until the end, but are badly stolen from the beginning. Before that, the newbies, having missed all the most important updates, allowed the nasty cards to be removed, being a brown zoologist. A budget deck will look something like this:Further walk more expensive:
Zoological strategy
It is recommended to trimate in the hands of the Graveyard, the Possessed Povzun and the Fire Bes. You can deprive the Leper Gnome or the Demon of the Abyss, since there is no need to draw cards that are not even handy. Once there is a point, you can play every second, better than choosing the Lily Sergeant. It is recommended to hold the Dagger Juggler until the moment of obvious victory comes. In another case, the Juggler was taken away, and the card was lost for nothing. Once you have completed your role, you will become an excellent additional damage dealer on the battlefield. If in Russia there is a Burial Ground and a Sergeant, then it is recommended to upgrade the Nerubian Egg.Rotating cards on the field
I'm far from leaving the role. When a zoologist's deck is formed, it is necessary to ensure the presence of cards without the death rattle and any additional knowledge. Put the traces first - it’s not a bad idea to waste it. If there is a larger picture about a numerical transfer (even if it’s on 1 card), you can put the Band of Dire Wolves in the middle, so that if you offend the other side, the bonus before the attack is taken away.Since more power is being played out, you need to think in advance about who to sacrifice first. It is not possible to have a vicoristani vitaja Lutikh Vovkiv, one of the yogo Storin Vid Istot in front of the vicoristani confused bis-pissing vibuh, a brush of the BIS, having spent on the izhrov field, the field of the Vatajoko і rewinding bonus. These are the main recommendations for the basic game “Zoologist” - a deck whose standard mode transfers the original basic cards. About the non-standard - language given.
Lok "tar ogar!
"Peremoga or death!" meet the orchid motto. It is far from possible to strangle a skinny creature with a deck of a zookeeper. Especially the yaksho fight the jain, the buildings of vipalita to one slaughterhouse of all, it’s healthy ”I am lower 4 abbess. And if you enjoy cards, pіdsilyuyyuy cups, I was Visha, Dragon Maligos DAM +5 to the spell. , Jaini plays Hvilya Fire and health scores below 9 (or previous numbers) burn. Based on what has been said, it is recommended to trimate one or two cards in the “ace in the hole” hole, thereby renewing the initiative spent in 1 turn. One example of such cards is the dragon Onyxia. So, that dong Deathcrile herself. When the card is drawn, the entire field will be filled with dragons. And the dragon herself. A budget option for spammers is the Moroz card (can be obtained when completing the Evening in Karazhan). The card is masked, costs three mana crystals, spams the skin of the Butler 1/1. Zavdyaki maskavvanyu, Moroza can be driven into more mass spells, so that you can use your right rolling pin in any place of the enemy, and you can also replenish the zoologist’s deck.
Koziri of high rank
The card of the ancient god Ta Sharaj has a similar effect - at the end of the skin move, a card is drawn from the deck and placed on the field. Effective, because on the field he is an unstoppable provocateur who will take harm on himself until a numerical advantage is achieved.Gul has the ability to remove the Lord Jaraxxus card. Costs 9 mana crystals. When piping, replace the orc itself with the demon you have guessed, hand it to Krivava Mischief 3/8 at the place of the battle. Replace the hero's power with Inferno - summon on the Infernal battlefield 6/6 . An excellent alternative to fill the battlefield with strong essences of everything for 2 mana crystals (the hero’s victorious memory).
Non-budget deck
To create this you need to either create cards with a saw or go through an expedition. In this edition - the League of Presledniks. The zoologist's deck is placed lower;2x Burying Ritual (0) 2x Face of Tlinu (1) 2x Resurfacing Mits (1) 2x Abusing Sergeant (1) 2x Demon of the Abyss (1) 2x Fire Bis (1)
Possessed Villager (1) 2x Kliche Evil (2) 2x Chorny Archaeologist (2) Brann Bronzebeard (3) 2x Bandi Bisiv (2) 2x Champion of K'Tun (2)
2x Member for the Sake of Dark Forest (3) 2x Zahisnik of Argus (4) 2x Obranitsya K"Tuna (4) Gatekeeper of Souls (5) Emperor Vek"Lor (7) K"Tun (10)
Brann Bronzebeard is dropped from the League of Descendants. Cards such as the Cliche of Evil, the Champion of K"Thun, the Obranitsya of K"Thun, the Emperor of Vek"Lor and the powerful K"Tun himself can be found in the Awakening of the Ancient Gods set.
Pouch
In HS, the zoologist (or zoo-lock) deck has endless variations. It is important to understand the very essence and build decks either for guides or on your own, using the correct cards. During the process, you can use more powder to create more powerful effects. The saw can be removed, sprinkling gold cards at the end of the season. We have transferred templates for creating decks from existing cards. One of the strongest decks you can create playing for Jaina (although no one can defend this variation from other classes), called Half Dragon:2x Chatty Book (1) 2x Manazmey (1) 2x Charivnytsky strіlya (1) 2x Historian Gnivu Porozhnechi (2) 2x Krizhana Strіla (2) 2x Zbirach Skarbiv (2)
2x Intelligence Enchantment (3) 2x Darkwing Technique (3) Fire Kula (4) Transmutation (4) Sutinkoviy Dragon (4) 2x Sutinkoviy Guard (4)
2x Kril Temryavi's Destroyer (5) 2x Blakith Dragon (5) 2x Khvilya Vognyu (7) Krizana Paschu (7) Alexstrasza (9) Nefarian (9)
Due to the release of such benefits as Chorna Gora, more cards with dragons have become available. These creatures are seen as indicators of harm and health. Therefore, it is recommended to form a deck not only from dragons, but also from sources, in order to remove the bonus if your hand has a dragon.
It is recommended to replace the Gatherer of Treasures with another spell of the Fire Kul, discard the offending cards Intelligence of Enchantment and one Sutin Dragon and add cards to the deck such as Draconid Beggars (with at least two examples) and Ren d Blackhand. The only thing left to find is the card of the legendary Yakost, since there is a dragon in Russia. The advantage of “Evening in Karazhan” is the bad Booksnake card - it drives in the cost with an attack of 3 or less. Go away! Lok "Narosh! For Chorna Gora!
Hearthstone is a computer card game that takes its roots from the source called Warcraft. One of the game tactics used by players is called the zoologist deck. The correct name is still zoo-lock (from the words “zoo” and “lock”). This will be discussed in the article.
Zoologist Warlock. Deck and some guides
There is only one warlock in the game - the orc shaman Gul'dan. Yes, yes, the same one that invaded Azeroth, sacrificing the souls of the draenei to the Fel.
Thanks to Gul'Dan's ability to sacrifice health to draw a card from the deck, you can flood the entire playing field much faster to overwhelm your opponent. The Zoologist deck is actively used by players. The essence of the tactic is to flood the battlefield with cheap creatures as quickly as possible, simultaneously finishing off those whom the enemy puts up, suppress them in numbers and gain the upper hand before the game reaches 10 mana crystals.
Gul"Dan Zoologist, Hearthstone deck
It is especially effective against late-game players - who are strong towards the end of the game but are poorly protected at first. In addition, a zoologist will be useful for a beginner who missed all the most significant updates that allowed him to get very good cards. A budget deck will roughly look like this:
- Swearing Sergeant;
- Demon of the Abyss;
- Fire Imp;
- Overwhelming Power;
- The Face of Decay;
These cards cost 1 mana crystal and can be played on the first turn. Next - costing 2 crystals:
- Nerubian Egg;
- Ironbeak;
- Leader of the Dire Wolves;
- Dagger Juggler;
- Possessed Crawler;
You shouldn't always play these cards on your second turn. Starting is a good way to gain an advantage. Therefore, it is better to play two cards worth 1 crystal.
- The horror of the abyss;
- The leader of a gang of demons;
These cards allow you to knock out the initiative by increasing the number of creatures (Leader of the Band of Imps) or strengthen the card by sacrificing two creatures (Void Horror).
The following creatures already cost 4 crystals:
- Dark Iron Dwarf;
- Defender of Argus;
- Void Summoner;
- Merciless Explosion;
And the last card for 5 crystals is the Guardian of Terror.
Assembling these cards into a deck does not take up a lot of gold and dust, so it will not be difficult for beginners. Of course, cards can be replaced with alternative options.
Zoological strategy
It is recommended to hold Gravedigger, Possessed Crawler and Fire Imp in your hand. You can leave Leper Gnome or Abyssal Demon if you don’t want to risk drawing cards that aren’t very convenient. If there is a creature that can be played right away, it is better to choose Abusive Sergeant. It is recommended to hold off on the Dagger Juggler until the moment of clear advantage comes. Otherwise, the enemy will demolish the Juggler and the card will be wasted. If played successfully, it will become an excellent additional damage dealer on the battlefield. If you have a Grave Digger and a Sergeant in your hand, it is recommended to play a Nerubian Egg as well.
Location of cards on the field
It plays an important role. When creating a Zoologist deck, you need to consider the presence of cards without Deathrattle and any additional skills. They should be posted first - you don’t mind losing them. When a picture of a numerical advantage is more or less visible (at least by 1 card), you can place the Leader of the Dire Wolves in the middle so that the creatures on both sides receive a bonus to attack.
If a more powerful creature is being played, you should think ahead about who to sacrifice first. It is also necessary, when using the Leader of the Dire Wolves, to free one of its sides from creatures before using the Merciless Blast spell, so that the summoned demon ends up on the playing field next to the Leader and receives a bonus. These are the main recommendations for the basic game “Zoologist” - a deck whose standard mode provides the usual basic cards. We'll talk about the non-standard later.
Lok "tar ogar!
"Victory or death!" says the orc motto. Not every player can be overwhelmed by a Zoolock deck. Especially if you fight against Jaina, who can burn out with one spell all creatures whose health is below 4 or equal. And if you have cards that enhance the effect of spells, even higher. For example, the dragon Malygos gives +5 to spells. If Malygos is on the battlefield, Jaina casts Wave of Fire and creatures with health below 9 (or equal to this figure) are burned.
One example of such cards is the dragon Onyxia. Yes, that same daughter of Deathwing. When a card is played, the entire field will be filled with dragonets. And the dragon herself.
A budget option for spammers is the Moroz card (can be obtained by completing the Party in Karazhan). The card has camouflage, costs three mana crystals, and spams Butler 1/1 every turn. Thanks to his disguise, Morose can only be killed with a massive spell, which makes him a real thorn in the enemy’s soft spot, and can also be a good addition to any zoologist deck.
High Value Trumps
The card of the ancient god I'Shaarj has a similar effect - at the end of each turn, it pulls a card from the deck and places it on the field. Effective if there is an invincible provocateur on the field who will take damage until a numerical advantage is achieved.
Gul'dan has the opportunity to obtain the Lord Jaraxxus card. Costs 9 mana crystals. When played, it will replace the orc itself with the mentioned demon, giving Bloody Fury 3/8 in place of the weapon. The hero power will be replaced by Inferno - a summon on the Infernal 6/6 battlefield. An excellent alternative to flood the battlefield with powerful creatures for only 2 mana crystals (the cost of using the hero’s skill).
No-budget deck
To compile one, you will either need to create maps using dust, or go through some kind of expedition. In this case, the League of Explorers.
Below is a zoologist's deck, with the cost of use in parentheses.
Brann Bronzebeard is taken from the League of Explorers. Cards such as Evil Caller, Champion of C'Thun, Chosen of C'Thun, Emperor Vek'Lor, and C'Thun himself can be found in the Awakening of the Ancient Gods set.
Bottom line
In HS, the zoologist (or zoo-lock) deck has many variations. It is important to understand the essence and build decks either according to guides or yourself, using existing cards. As you play, you can disenchant what you don't need to create stronger creatures. A lot of dust can be obtained by disenchanting gold cards at the end of the season.
The game provides templates for creating decks from existing cards. One of the strongest decks can be created by playing as Jaina (but no one forbids using this variation for other classes), it is called Dragon Flame:
Due to the release of adventures such as Blackrock Mountain, most maps with dragons have become available. These winged creatures differ from ordinary creatures in terms of damage and health. Therefore, it is recommended to build a deck not only from dragons, but also from creatures that receive a bonus if there is a dragon in your hand.
It is recommended to replace Treasure Collector with another spell, discard both Sorcerer's Intelligence cards and one, and supplement the deck with cards such as Draconid Crusher (in the amount of two copies) and Last will crush any card of legendary quality if there is a dragon in hand.
In the "Party in Karazhan" adventure, there is a good Booksnake card - it kills a creature with an attack of 3 or less.
Good game! Lok'Narosh! For the Black Mountain!
Good day, dear readers of the site. Today you will get acquainted with such a popular archetype as Zoolok, or rather, with his budget version.
Zoolok- This is one of the oldest class archetypes. Popular streamer Reynad brought this archetype to the masses back in the days "Classic" Hearthstone. The deck was constantly changing its position on the ladder relative to other builds. After the adventure is released Party in Karazhan There's a new version of this archetype based on card discard synergies. Unfortunately, the deck was unable to gain a foothold in the meta for long, and until now, few people remembered it.
Nobody thought that with the exit Knights of the Frozen Throne something will change for a given archetype. Although, undoubtedly, the addition had a positive effect on the positions Gul'dana in the meta. Fortunately, after the latest change to some maps, most of the maps that are difficult to Zooloka matchups disappeared and he had a chance to gain a foothold in the meta.
Of course, the budget version of this build is not as good as the full version. Besides, Zoolok has always been one of the cheapest and strongest decks, but the modern version has some very important legendary cards that provide a significant advantage. With this deck you can easily reach rank 10, and with proper understanding and diligence, you can reach rank 5.
Budget Zoolok RLT Deck
Deck code
AAECAf0GAqbOAvIFDsrDAvsFq8ICsQjZB+vCApXOAvcE58ECtKwCMMQI9q4CwggA
It doesn't matter which build Zooloka you play, in any case, your highest priority will be table control. After all, the success of the deck depends 100% on it. Without creatures on the board, a lot of cards become useless. This is why you should always dominate. This means that constant companions Zooloka are a game from various AoE effects and making profitable exchanges with enemy creatures.
The archetype under consideration cannot be unambiguously attributed to any agro, neither to midrange deck. It's somewhere in the middle. Your average move should look like this: you have 3-4 creatures on the board, you buff 2 of them, trade these creatures, and deal damage to the enemy hero with the rest. The next move is similar. You must distribute damage correctly: in some situations, exchange, and in others, reduce the health of the enemy hero. The deck can easily punish your opponent for a passive move. You, practically for free, improve your creatures and remove the health of the enemy hero.
Very important win back from mass purges enemy. In order to have great success with this build, you obviously need to know the state of the meta and the removal spells that are commonly used at the moment. You need to know which decks have this type of card and which decks don't. For example, you will not win back from Fans of Blades vs Tempo Rogue or Thunderstorms vs Token Shaman. But at the same time you have to play off Dragon Fire Potions on turn 6, playing against Razakus Priest. Therefore, sometimes, instead of thoughtlessly putting creatures on the table, you can do the following:
- Do not place more creatures if your board is already strong enough, since you will need them to capture the board after the clear (to secure it after the clear)
- Place creatures with a large supply of health, such as Dreadguard.
- Play creatures with Death Rattles, such as Possessed Peasants n or Devilsaur Egg. This will force the opponent to play Silence before the Dragonfire Potion.
- Improve existing creatures so that their health becomes higher than the damage from AoE effect.
Mass sweeps- this is not the only thing you should be afraid of. There are also targeted spells, which are no less painful than mass ones. You must wisely distribute buffs to your creatures. For example, if you have a 5/5 creature on the table, you don’t need to continue improving it, it’s better to buff creatures with lower characteristics (at the same time, don’t forget about AoE). This must be especially taken into account when choosing a target for Bone Mare.
Although this deck is not discard based, it does play two Dreadguard. It may seem like discarding two cards is a very bad disadvantage, but it's usually not that bad. Since your mana curve is quite low, usually by turn 5 your hand is reduced to one, or even left without cards at all. Of course, sometimes it's worth waiting until move 6-7 before placing it in order to clear your hand completely. One very important thing you need to remember is: don't be afraid to fold. Often a 5/7 minion with dash can just get you the win. After all, if you control the table, it will be much easier to draw cards through the hero’s ability.
Hero Power has always been an integral part Zooloka. While regular aggro decks were expected to have a heavier mana curve, Zoolok could afford about 10 creatures for 1 mana. After all Warlock in the middle and late stages of the game he can pick up not one, but two cards per turn, due to his hero power. Of course, using it is a loss of tempo, but getting it back won’t be difficult.
In slow matchups try to use your hero power as soon as you have free mana. But remember the sequence of priorities: first the development of your table, and only then the hero power. For example, on turn 4 you can use the hero’s ability, and then put 1-2 small creatures. Also don't forget to use it to replenish your hand after fielding Dreadguard. But be very careful when playing against aggro decks. After all, they may be very grateful to you for the extra 2 damage you received. Use it only in extreme cases or when you feel you can afford it.
Be in the role "catching up", playing on ZooLoke, much more difficult than playing first. If you feel like you're starting to lose control of the table, you better go all in and get super aggressive. Sometimes this is the only opportunity to get a victory. In such situations, it is better to ignore the possible AoE clearing your board and just keep damaging the enemy hero. Although it is better to try to avoid such situations.
But what should you do if you are lagging behind? In such situations, you should prepare a fairly strong move in your hand. The simplest of them is Dreadguard. You can trade something with it and still have a strong creature on the board. Another way to take control of the game is with Dagger Juggler and some cheap minions. If the daggers reach the desired targets, you will be able to clear some enemy creatures at the same time as strengthening your board. Another option is the Devilsaur Egg. It is unlikely that the enemy will be able to reveal it and then immediately clear a 5/5 creature. Therefore, you can try to buff him or simply “eat” him with the Ravenous Pterrordactyl. It's also easy to try to fill your table in the hope that some creatures will remain alive. If this happens, you can strengthen them and thus return the game to your hands.
One very important note about Devilsaur eggs: Try to activate his Deathrattle as soon as possible, because in the current meta, almost all decks play cards with the Silence effect. You should only leave this card on the table when you are sure that the enemy will play a massive clear.
Try to always leave creatures in your hand for one unit of mana(Fire Imp, Void Demon, Possessed Peasant, Fireman and Acherus Veteran), because you need to capture the board from the very first turn.
You can also leave Juggler with daggers, even if you don’t have the first move, since if the enemy leaves this creature without an answer, then he can pay a lot for it. The leader of the dire wolves can also be left in the starting hand, but with the condition that you already have creatures that are cheaper.
Leaving creatures for 3 mana is not a good idea. Darkwood Council Member too slow. You can leave the Devilsaur egg if you have a Coin and one of several activators for this card at the start (Leader of the Dire Wolves, Veteran of Acherus).
Face of Decay You should only leave it if you are sure that you will have to fight for the table, i.e. against aggro decks.
Here we will present not the cheapest possible replacements for the cards in the deck. Of course, you don't need all of them, sometimes just adding one Epic or Legendary card is enough to make the deck sparkle with new colors.
Prince Keleseth- like in many meta decks, it is currently a great card in Zoolock too. There are several 2-mana cards in this build, but they are not at all necessary. Instead, you can put a few more cards for 1 or 3 mana (sometimes playing two creatures for 1 mana on the second turn looks better than one creature for two). Since the deck is based on taking over the board, creatures upgraded before the end of the game will bring you huge benefits, perhaps even more than they bring in Tempo Rogue.
Unfortunately you will not be able to return Keleseta into the hand several times, as Rogues do, but still this card is very, very strong in this deck. Remember, if you have a Prince in your deck, you should try to find him by turn 2. Discard your entire hand, but remember that you also need to keep a 1-mana minion for a guaranteed first turn. Of course, the deck can win without him, but still, with his appearance on turn 2, your chances increase by 70-80%!
Pirate Eye– again, like most aggro decks, the Eyeset set is very good. A completely free 1/1 minion with dash is what any tempo deck wants. Although getting it in your starting hand is very bad news, it is still something you can live with since it doesn't happen that often. If you want to play this legendary pirate, you'll definitely need to add a couple of activators to your deck. Usually it's the Captain South Seas And Bloodthirsty Corsair. Corsair adds destroy enemy weapons to your deck, but exposes you to Golakk Crawler for turn 2.
By using Captain of the South Seas Little Eye crashes already with characteristics 2/2. This will allow you to make exchanges with huge benefits. Unfortunately, the Golakka Crawler will be even more annoying for you, but usually the enemy will prefer to put him on turn 2 for the sake of tempo if he has no other options, so placing a Captain will immediately follow the same Crawler.
Bloodsucker Gul'dan— many will think that a 10-mana card is unacceptable in an aggro deck. But it is with its help that you can win in confrontations with many decks. To do this, you will also need to add two Nasty Nathrezim to make the effect of the Bloodsucker's Battlecry much stronger. And it is the assembly with the participation of the death knight that is the most successful at the moment. By turn 10, you probably won't want to continue using the standard hero power, because with its help you can simply destroy yourself. But 3 damage and restoration of 3 health to the hero seems much more profitable than additional damage. for example, the Fire Demon.
Imp of Malchezar is not a Legendary or Epic card at all, but it is found in the last wing of the One Party in Karazhan adventure. Much more often this card is used in Discard versions of this class, but it is also good in a Zoo build. For starters, it makes discarding 2 cards with Doomguard less painful. You can also use Soul Burn in this build, since if there is an imp in the deck, you don’t need to worry about discarding cards. Malchezar's Imp is also a demon when played Death Knight he will also be called upon.
Thanks for reading the article, all the best and good luck on the ladder.
Translated Martinoid, edited leckermaul, designed lobzzz
If you're looking for new archetypes and Standard decks to come with the release of Hearthstone's new expansion, Awakens of the Old Gods, then I have good news for you. In this article you will find two versions of the Zookeeper deck for the standard mode, which retained all the best qualities of the old Zoo Warlock + the archetype was strengthened with new cards from Awakening of the Ancient Gods. Both versions of Zulok are competitive in the current May Hearthstone meta.
In this guide, we will go through all the stages of understanding the game for Zoolock for the standard format, starting from the general strategy, continuing with an effective mulligan, and finally getting to the key combinations that are in this Warlock deck.
We believe this should give you a foundation of knowledge of this archetype. Well, if you are not going to play this deck of the new Zoolock, then after reading this article you will be able to effectively counter this deck, and know what to expect from Zoolock from Awakening of the Ancient Gods.
The Zoolock archetype appeared almost from the very start of Hearthstone, the deck was called ZooLock (Zoo in English means Zoo), since the principle of the deck is similar to a zoo, strong creatures were stuffed into the deck and sent to fight. In the new addition, Zoolocks are also relevant, the current options, I am sure, have not yet been fully polished and the deck may well find its ideal state in the near future. If stronger variants of Zoolock decks appear, we will definitely update the article.
Standard Zookeeper Deck - May 2016:
Zoolock Strategy for Standard Mode - May 2016:
On the one hand, Zoolock is undoubtedly an aggressive deck, but on the other hand, most victories will be achieved by capturing the board early and effectively trading with the enemy before you put out your strong creatures. Of course, if we compare Zoolock, for example, with Face Hunter, then Warlock will be almost a control deck.
At the start, you should make the most of cards such as , and . These cards will be an excellent starting base for further development of success in the game. In the middle of the game, they will fit perfectly and will help you gain a stronger foothold on the table or strengthen existing creatures. It is very important for this Zoo to have a lot of creatures on the board, as this gives early access to the draw and. If you play quickly and your opponent has no answer to it, then in most cases you win.
To play this deck effectively, you must have a clear understanding of how you will play at each stage of the match. For this reason, you should study all possible combinations and synergies of your cards in advance. Be sure to look at the end of the article for all the key combinations and synergies of Zoolock cards.
Zoolock mulligan for Standard mode - May 2016:
While we wait for the Old Gods meta to stabilize, it is quite difficult to mulligan against each class since the decks are constantly changing.
Against Aggro decks:
Perfect option - , . If your hand already has good creatures that fit the mana curve and/or you have , then you should leave , . You should always keep in mind and prepare to play combinations such as + any first drop or very sticky cards - . If you're playing against Zoolock and you have one in your hand that wins you games, be sure to leave it in your hand.
Against Control decks:
If you are facing Freeze Mage, Control Warrior, Control Priest, know these are unfavorable matches for you, however, this does not mean giving up right away, play thoughtfully and calmly. In such matches you need very dangerous starting minions - (it has a big attack and this imp can start putting pressure on the enemy from the very first turn), (to get more options for the third turn), (to gain a foothold on the board and keep it under your control ). are also very important in these games, since the faster you play it, the more chances you have of winning, the more nerfed it is and it is now a rather rare guest in player decks. Also, the faster you can cast and buff , the more chances you have to deal extra damage to your opponent's face.
Always keep in mind:
Playing around , + , and other AOEs, REMEMBER— never put a lot of creatures on the table if you don’t have the opportunity to instantly capture the table again. If you already have a fairly good board and have several insignificant creatures in your hand, then do not put them on the table just for the sake of putting them. Since in case of AoE you will not only lose all creatures, but also merge the game.
Possible replacements for Standard Mode - May 2016:
Above you saw two versions of the new Zoolock and make replacements based on the cards you have. If you only have one copy of , then strengthen the mid game, for example: take , it plays quite effectively in the current meta. If you don't have one, you can replace it.
Zoolock Combinations and Synergies for Standard Mode - May 2016:
Everyone knows that Zoolock is a very old archetype, however, some new cards from Awakening of the Ancient Gods have made their own changes to the combinations and synergies of the deck.
