Hearthstone deck guide: Trump's HTC Mech Shaman
Getting started with the tournament-topping deck.
Mech Shaman hasn't exactly been riding high in the metagame since its emergence in the Goblins vs Gnomes era, but we suspect that's going to change after Trump used a variant of the deck to win the HTC Recharged tournament yesterday.
Whether you're planning to take the deck into battle yourself, or just want to be prepared for a fight you might well find yourself facing in the near future, here's everything you need to know about what makes the Mech Shaman tick.
Trump's HTC Mech Shaman strategy guide
If you've played the Mech Shaman in the past, there's nothing too surprising about Trump's HTC decklist. The most notable difference is the addition of a Lava Burst, and the removal of Lightning Storm - so just be aware that you've very little in the way of mass removal. On the plus side, you've at least got a Ragnaros to play with now...
What if you're new to the deck archetype altogether though? Well, as a tempo deck, the main objective is to get an early presence, maintain and buff your minions so they can make efficient trades, slow down the opponent's board development, and then close the game out as quickly as possible. Obviously there are many Mech synergies to consider along the way, so check the combo section further on down the page.
You need to keep one eye on your Mana curve at all times, as you need to plan out your push for lethal several turns in advance, and pay very close attention to how your Overload state is going to affect that push. It's easy to be caught short with this deck, so think twice before making your first play of a turn.
Trump's HTC Mech Shaman Mulligan guide
Against pretty much every class, you want to keep cards like Cogmaster, Mechwarper, Whirling Zap-o-matic, Annoy-o-Tron and Powermace. Just be aware that your opponent will do everything they can to eliminate Mechwarper before it can start summoning minions on the cheap - you may wish to wait until you can play it with something on the same turn.
Cogmaster can be played on Turn 1 and buffed reactively if you wish - it'll at least eat up a removal if nothing else. Annoy-o-Tron is great for wrecking a Mage's Mana curve, and Powermace is just plain amazing for dealing with any opponent's early developing board.
Trump's HTC Mech Shaman card combos and synergies
Here are the most important synergies - Mech or otherwise - that are contained in Trump's tournament-winning Shaman deck.
- You should always time the final use of Powermace, such that the bonus effect hits a Mech on the board. Make sure you factor this boosted power in when making trades on the board.
- All Mechs - great and small - boost up the power of Cogmaster. It's often OK to play him without a Mech on the board if you have one coming on the next turn
- Mechwarper can and should be used to gain a very early advantage on the board. Be aware of the early removal opposing Heroes are likely to have though - Frostbolt for Mages, Fiery War Axe for Warriors and so on.
- Rockbiter Weapon can be combined with cards like Whirling Zap-o-matic or Doomhammer for a massive amount of damage on a single turn.
- Always consider the impact of Flametongue Totem when working out your trades on the board. It plays particularly nicely with the Dr. Boom's bombs, but make sure you position it so that successive minions receive the benefit as you trade them off.
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