Highlander Even Shaman Deck List Guide

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It’s an English translation of the original article wrtten by 李墨渴Moke. He played this Highlander Even Shaman from rank 5 floor to legend with around 73.1% winrate(38 out of 52)! Let’s check it out!



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Introduction

  1. Is this Highlander Even Shaman an aggressive or control deck? Why can we build an aggressive Highlander deck now?

    This Highlander Even Shaman is totally an aggressive deck, which is completely consistent with the traditional Even Shaman (jade + big minions) ideas. (go face with big minions, and use spells to end the game)

    After the appearance of Zephrys the Great, the idea of building Highlander decks has changed.

    There are three reasons:

    1. Shaman’s high-quality even-number aggressive cards in the wild have accumulated very deep. “There are enough cards for Even Shaman to build an Highlander deck.”
    2. Zephrys the Great serves as a card “toolbox” to counter all things.
    3. Only Even Shaman and Even Paladin’s hero power are for board standing.

  1. Why building Highlander Even Shaman? Where is the advantage of Highlander Even Shaman over ordinary one? Is it worth giving up duplicate cards for Zephrys?

    I think for the wild card pools of Even Shaman, it is worth it.

    Through the mixed package, the depth of Even Shaman’s card pool is transformed into the advantage of construction, and the advantage is maximized.

    Of course, there is Reno, but he is not just a gift:

    1. Reno Jackson was able to strike the final note with his own strength in the face of such aggressive decks such as Tempo Mage and Mech Hunter.
    2. Reno Jackson gave plenty of capital in the face of midrange decks like traditional Even Shaman.

  1. Why you build the deck with big minions/Windfury package, not the Even Shaman with other ideas?

    Generally, there are three aggressive Even Shaman ideas:

    1. Big Minions/Windfury
    2. Totem
    3. Overload/Thunderhead

    So why can’t the Totem idea make Highlander work?

    Because the Flametongue Totem is nerfed in the first place, even-numbered high-quality totem cards have just been reinforced. The direct reason is that the totem card pool is not deep enough.

    Then what about the idea of overload?

    The direct reason is that the card’s return is not high enough, and the card like Thunderhead makes this Even Shaman not fast or slow and difficult to take advantage of it’s own strengths to win.

    And the card pool is less than the big minions’s idea.

Cards

Here is the analysis of all 30 cards in this deck.
Not only the reasons for each single card, but also some points that need atten in the actual game.

  1. Zephrys the Great Absolute core. Here is a little mention of the most profitable "perfect card":

    0 mana Silence: for Doomsayer/Mech Hunter/Taunt
    0 mana Sacrificial Pact: for Warlock/Void Ripper
    1 mana Hungry Crab: Murloc Paladin/Shaman
    1 mana Blessing of Might/4 mana Blessing of Kings: when you have a big minion with windfury
    1 mana Whirlwind/2 mana Arcane Explosion: for Odd Paladin
    2 mana Flare: Mage/Secret Paladin
    2 mana Pain: for Turn 4 Vargoth
    3 mana Death: for Even Shaman
    3 mana Roar/5 mana Bloodlust: when you have many tokens
    3 mana Frost Nova: need go face when you have not Reno
    4 mana Shadowflame: when you have Sea Giant on board and face lots of big minions.
    5 mana Harrison Jones: for Aluneth
    8 mana Lay on Hands: Emergency without Reno

  1. Reno Jackson

    Absolute core. Mulligan Guide:

    High priority when facing:
    Tempo/Quest Mage
    Mech Hunter
    Odd Rogue

    Medium priority when facing:
    Odd Paladin
    Even/Murloc Shaman
    Aggro Druid

    Replace it when facing:
    Warrior/Priest/Warlock which may not be aggressive.

  1. Genn Greymane

    Just a 6/6/5, You can replace it.

    When competing for tempo with the aggresive/midrange decks, with other big minions in hand, please play other minions first.

    But in the face of Priest/Warlock and other late game decks, you can first play Genn when the board is not under pressure to force opponent to play board clear, and then consider the Lich King and other bigs.

  1. Murkspark

    Remember that when your opponent play Psychic Scream and shuffle totems into your deck, it is just a River Crocolisk.

    Tips: When you don’t have other 2-cost cards in hand, please hit hero power in turn 2, and play Murkspark + hero power in turn 3.

  1. Thing from Below

    In turn 4/5, if you have other bigs in hand, the Thing from Below can stay in hand and continue to reduce cost, and first play other big minions.

  1. Sea Giant

    Always keep it in Mulligan when facing Paladin: even if it’s not Odd Paladin, as long as the** Muster for Battle** is still OP and every Paladin has a copy, it will tell you not to worry about.

    Although Mech Hunter can also make many tokens(Explodinator), but we shouldn’t keep the Giant in the starting hand, because it will be dead in hand, and will be easily remove by Venomizer.

    Remember you can get a free totem when you decide to play Giant.

  1. Windfury

    This card is the most valueable component taking the advantage of many bigs in the deck.

    FAQ:

    1. Why using Windfury?

      Because many big minions in this deck, the profit of going face is very high.

    2. Then why don’t you use Windspeaker?

      The card for executing opponent should has lower cost. When you can kill the enemy, the 2/3/3 of Windspeaker is just a burden.

      P.S.: When facing slow decks, please keep Windfury in Mulligan, it’s the key card of dealing damage.

    3. How about Zephrys? You can find Windfury through Zephrys.

      Zephrys can also find Blessing of Kings/Bloodlust. What’s more, Zephrys‘s duty is to find “absolutely counter” card like Flare/Hungry Crab. And cause Hungry Crab is 1-mana, Flare is Hunter class card, so we choose to bring Zephrys and Windfury.

  1. Totemic Surge

    Totem’s perpetual Savage Roar. Always keep it in Mulligan.

    If you decide to play Draenei Totemcarver in turn 3 or turn 4, don’t play Surge to make the totem look harmless (Otherwise, warlocks will Defile)

    In other cases, you can play it when you have two totems (0 cost 4 attacks).

    Although the core idea of Highlander Even Shaman is Big Minions/Windfury, while Surge is more inclined to make the board, it is still Even Shaman’s precious, effective and never dead in hand 0-cost card in the current expansion.

  1. Totem Golem

    Your best 2-mana buddy, keep it in starting hand. Needless to say more. When facing Tempo Mage, turn 1’s Coin-Golem can eat her Arcanologist, which can bring you great advantage.

  1. Flamewreathed Faceless/Fireguard Destroyer/Draenei Totemcarver

    Three cards that can most represent “big minions/Windfury” idea. Play them in turn 3/4, and use Windfury on them will deal lots of damage.

    Keep one or two of them when facing Priest and Warlock, otherwise replace all of them.
    When you have plural of the three in hand:

    1. Calculate the mana next turn and make sure you keep the tempo. They have perfectly different overload numbers, so it’s easy to choose the one that is the most suitable for playing.
    2. Draenei Totemcarver is the the most likely one to brick in hand of the three, so if there are totems on board, she is the best choice to play first.
    3. In addition to the above conditions, the ranking of board pressure they will provide is naturally:

    Flamewreathed Faceless>Fireguard Destroyer, and Draenei Totemcarver depends on the number of totems.

  1. Jade Claws/Jade Lightning

    Two traditional op cards. Even if we can not summon big Jade Golem, they are still the best damage package in the whole deck,

  1. Aya Blackpaw

    There are three reasons for using her:

    1. The number of 6-cost high-quality cards for Shaman is not very large. Even if we don’t use Aya, we have no better choice.
    2. She is not weak at all. She will help summon larger Jade, and the synergies with Claws/Lightning will make her more profitable.
    3. If your opponent is unwilling to trigger Deathrattle, then the 5 attacks are enough to use Windfury, which is also in line with the main idea of “Big Minions/Windfury”.
  1. Maelstrom Portal/Sandstorm Elemental

    Keep them when facing Paladin/Rogue/Hunter.

  1. Devolve/Hex

    Hex is the second Devolve, and sometime the role of Hex, even Devolve can not be replaced.

    Regarding Devolve:

    1. It is the best card to deal with Spreading Plague when facing druid.
    2. When playing against Mech Hunter, we should keep Devolve in hand as long as we can, and play Hex first. Because Hex can not cope with the stressful board, but Devolve can.
    3. Replace Devolve in Mulligan when facing Mage and Odd Paladin. Cause it will probably be dead in hand in the early game. Just using other remove card.
  1. Spellbreaker

    The Spellbreaker has never been a subordinate substitute for Devolve and Hex:

    1. At vital turn 3/4, it can deal with Voidcaller/Luna/Brann. And the 4/3 is not just an appendant in the early game.
    2. It can silence Voidlord/Lich King in the late game, which help you through the taunt to go face.
    3. And the most special thing it can do is to thaw big minion from Mage’s frozen spells and complete unexpected execute.

    Spellbreaker has always been a good even-numbers card of wild meta, and Highlander archetype gives him more chance to show himself off.

  1. Likkim/Splitting Axe

    Likkim has been a great weapon since its appearance. The overload can be easily meeted, and it will provide up to 9 damage. By contrast, Splitting Axe seems less powerful beacuse of the little totems. But 4 mana 6 damage is already not bad. In addition to the claw mentioned above, we have 3 weapons now, two are 2 mana, and one is 4 mana, having reasonable cost distribution and sufficient quantity.

  1. Crackle

    An extremely rare direct damage spell for Shaman, especially in the absence of one Lightning. Don’t keep it in Mulligan, but don’t be stingy in dealing with threats in the early and mid game.

  1. Vessina

    Beacuse the main idea of this deck is “Big Minions/Windfury”, this card is not suitable for keeping in starting hand even when facing slow decks such as Warlock or Priest(Not the same in Even Totems Shaman). But it’s still a high-quality card even without much tokens on board.

  1. Fire Elemental

    6/5 and 3 direct damage making Fire Elemental always a good 6 cost card. And it is also appropriate to cooperate with Windfury.

  1. Ragnaros the Firelord

    If we can control the board, Ragnaros will provide precious 8 direct damage. For example, if the opposite is Renolock, in the early and mid game under tight tempo, after he play Twisting Nether, you can play Ragnaros and give him 8 damage to his face! In most cases, this announces your victory.

    Although Ragnaros is the only big minion who can’t cooperate with Windfury, but don’t forget Spellbreaker, along with Windfury, you can deal 16 damage to the enemy when they are hiding behind many tokens and thinking they are really safe.

  1. The Lich King

    The 6 mana Army of the Dead seems like tailored for Even Shaman for it’s huge number of big minions. It is a precious taunt minion especially when we have only one Thing from Below, and it’s also a big minion which is in line with the deck’s idea.

  1. Whirling Zap-o-matic

    An approximate card of Totem Golem in Highlander Even Shaman. When you have the coin, keep it in starting hand when facing slow classes such as Warlock and Priest. If you make it, it will become an 2 mana Fireball. But don’t keep it when facing Odd Paladin/Mech Hunter, it will be easily removed. And replace it when you don’t have coin! Because regardless of aggressive or control, they can deal with it with the help of the coin.

  1. Dire Wolf Alpha

    It’s a substitute of the second Surge, but it’s useful:

    1. It can help your Healing Totem to kill 1/1 for free(Yes it’s you, Odd Paladin!)
    2. Don’t keep it when facing Even Shaman/Odd Rogue, beacuse they have many 2-damage. And the same for Secret Mage with Arcanologist.
    3. Keep it when facing Mech Hunter.
    4. Don’t keep it when facing Priest, because it’s too weak in this match.
  1. EVIL Totem

    For it’s 2 health, it’s mulligan is the same with the Dire Wolf Alpha. It’s a good card though, and can cooperate with Splitting Axe. If you go first and have not Totem Surge, don’t keep it because if you do so, you will have 0 attacks for turn 1 and 2.

    This is the most likely one to be replaced in the whole deck. The 0/2 is too weak, and the lackeys it gives also have limited help. However, before we have more even number cards, this totem which can help reduce Thing from below is enough to be satisfying.