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Demon Warlock deck list guide - Rise of Shadows - Hearthstone (April 2019)

Our guide to getting started with Demon Warlock in Rise of Shadows.

Demon Warlock is a Hearthstone deck that's jostling for space with the more traditional zoo format, but may yet see some dedicated play in the Rise of Shadows meta. Certainly that's the opinion of streamer Nicholena, who's theorycrafted a deck built squarely around the Demon class of minions.

In our starter guide to this new archetype, we've highlighted one of the most popular decks being used right now. We'll add in detailed Mulligan and strategy advice if the format proves popular in the long run - and as an individual archetype in its own right.

UPDATE - RISE OF SHADOWS LAUNCH

To help you get started with Demon Warlock in the first few days of the new Rise of Shadows meta, we wanted to highlight a very early list that’s subject to a lot of change. It was created by Nicholena.

WarlockNeutral
2 x Grim Rally2 x Portal Keeper
2 x Flame Imp2 x Portal Overfiend
2 x Void Analyst
2 x Plot Twist
2 x Demonfire
2 x Doubling Imp
2 x Rafaam's Scheme
2 x Impferno
2 x Shadowflame
2 x Ectomancy
1 x Arch-Villain Rafaam
1 x Fel Lord Betrug
2 x Demonbolt
2 x Jumbo Imp

Select and copy the long ID string below, then create a deck in Hearthstone to export this deck into your game.

Deck Import ID: AAECAf0GApeXA4mdAw6TAcII9gj09wK3/QLD/QLchgOvjgOrkQOAmgOGmgPamwPjmwOHnQMA

More great Warlock guides:

Please keep in mind that the rest of this article refers to a previous version of the deck, and all content will be overhauled once the shape of the meta becomes a little clearer.

Demon Warlock deck list and strategy

Here's the version of Demon Warlock that was used by Thijs to hit Legend right at the start of the new meta. Keep in mind that this deck list will go through many changes in the coming weeks, so watch what you spend your precious dust on!

WarlockNeutral
2 x Dark Pact2 x Mistress of Mixtures
2 x Kobold Librarian1 x Bloodmage Thalnos
2 x Mortal Coil2 x Plated Beetle
2 x Defile1 x Spiritsinger Umbra
2 x Hellfire2 x Carnivorous Cube
2 x Lesser Amethyst Spellstone
2 x Doomguard
2 x Possessed Lackey
1 x Skull of the Man'ari
1 x Siphon Soul
1 x Twisting Nether
2 x Voidlord
1 x Bloodreaver Gul'dan

Select and copy the long ID string below, then create a deck in Hearthstone to export this deck into your game.

Deck Import ID: AAECAf0GBu0F2wbMCMnCApfTAtvpAgz3BLYHxAjexALnywLy0AL40AKI0gKL4QL85QLq5gLo5wIA

For an overview of the strategy required when playing Demon Warlock, take a look at the combo section further down the page. This contains all of the information you need to know about how the various cards synergise with one another.

If this deck proves popular in the metagame, we will provide in-depth information about how to pilot this archetype against all of the opponents you are likely to face on the Kobolds and Catacombs ladder.

Demon Warlock Mulligan guide

Until things settle down after launch it's impossible to give hard and fast advice about which cards you should keep against specific opponents. We will go deeper on that in the next update when the shape of the ladder is better known.

In the meantime, here's an overview of the cards you'll find generally useful in each match-up:

Kobold Librarian - A great value card with a negative Battlecry element that you should be more than happy to tolerate as a Warlock!

Mistress of Mixtures - The earlier this card is played in general the better, when Health totals are at their least important and you want another minion on the board.

Plated Beetle - Another fine early game minion that also shores up your defenses when it's inevitably destroyed by the opponent. Few players are going to waste a silencing effect on this creature, that's for sure!

Skull of the Man'ari - Powerful but probably only worth keeping with The Coin, and even that's a bit of a stretch. This may well be chopped off the list once a clear picture of the ladder has emerged, and we know it's true value during the early to mid-stages of a game.

Demon Warlock tips, combos and synergies

Here's a complete breakdown of all the card combos contained in this version of Demon Warlock. This should be enough to get you going on the ladder, and until we can come back and update our strategy guide with hero-specific advice!

- Note that Defile's damage is applied to all minions, and it's cast again and again for each minion it kills in a sequential fashion. Plan carefully before you trigger this spell, as you may be able to set things up for a really big clear.

- Bloodmage Thalnos boosts all damage-dealing spells by one point, which has particular synergy with Defile - again, you'll need to plan your turn out very carefully here.

- When Plated Beetle dies, you gain an extra three points of Armor - simple!

- Any minions played after Spiritsinger Umbra will see their Deathrattle effects go off immediately. In this deck those cards are Mistress of Mixtures, Plated Beetle, Carnivorous Cube, Possessed Lackey and Voidlord.

- Ideally you'll target a near-death minion with Carnivorous Cube for maximum value. Whichever target you choose though, be sure to make use of it before targeting it with this intriguing new Kobolds minion.

- When Possessed Lackey dies, a random Demon minion remaining in your deck will be whisked out of your deck pile and put straight into play. Note that this is not a copy of that minion.

- Skull of the Man'ari is your Legendary Weapon in the new expansion. As long as this is equipped you'll summon a random Demon from your hand at the start of your turn.

- When Bloodreaver Gul'dan is played onto the board, he'll flood your side of the table with Demon minions that died earlier on in the match! In this deck that means Voidlord and the Taunt Demons that he brings into play for you.

- Do keep in mind that Hellfire not only damages both sides of the board in terms of minions in play, but also each hero's Health as well.

- Here's the lowdown on Lesser Amethyst Spellstone. This four Mana spell does three damage to a targeted damage and returns that damage to your hero as Health. Take damage from one of your own cards though - not your Hero Power - and that increases to five points. Taking more damage caps the card's damage value at seven.

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John Bedford

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John is Metabomb's Editor in Chief and looks after the day to day running of the site when he's not writing about Hearthstone.

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