Hearthstone: Saviors of Uldum - 5 Standard decks to try

Hearthstone's newest expansion, Saviors of Uldum, is now live. That means Hearthstone's Standard meta is in a new, unfamiliar place. And if you're jumping into the expansion for the first time, you're probably going to need some advice on what to play.

Shacknews has been monitoring the Hearthstone world over the past weekend, monitoring the pros and streamers from around the internet. We've gathered together some of the best decks to try out on the expansion's first day. Things are subject to change over the next few days and the meta may look drastically different by next week, but for now, let's try out these decks together.

RegisKillbin's Puzzle Mage

• 1x (1) Raid the Sky Temple
• 2x (2) Doomsayer
• 2x (2) Questing Explorer
• 2x (3) Golden Scarab
• 2x (3) Messenger Raven
• 2x (3) Vulpera Scoundrel
• 2x (4) Polymorph
• 1x (5) Luna's Pocket Galaxy
• 2x (5) Naga Sand Witch
• 2x (5) Sunreaver Warmage
• 1x (5) Zilliax
• 2x (6) Blizzard
• 2x (7) Flamestrike
• 2x (8) Power of Creation
• 2x (8) Tortollan Pilgrim
• 1x (10) King Phaoris
• 2x (10) Puzzle Box of Yogg Saron

RegisKillbin's Puzzle Mage deck isn't going to win a lot of games, just because of the random nature of the Puzzle Box of Yogg-Saron. But this is going to be a lot of fun to play, just because there's a lot that can happen when this big spell is played. While 10 mana is a big ask for results that can go either way, Naga Sand Witch can actively reduce the burden by cutting the cost in half.

There's a lot about this deck that's meme-ish, but it also packs some serious firepower. It packs the Mage's biggest spells, while it's also able to summon copies of those spells with Tortollan Pilgrim. This definitely doesn't play things safe, leaving Conjurer's Calling on the bench, but there's a lot of upside to this deck.

Thijs' Lackey Warlock

• 2x (1) Flame Imp
• 2x (1) Grim Rally
• 1x (1) Plague of Flames
• 2x (1) Sinister Deal
• 1x (1) The Soularium
• 2x (1) Voidwalker
• 2x (2) EVIL Cable Rat
• 2x (2) EVIL Genius
• 2x (2) Scarab Egg
• 2x (2) Serpent Egg
• 2x (3) EVIL Recruiter
• 2x (3) Magic Carpet
• 2x (3) Neferset Thrasher
• 2x (4) Diseased Vulture
• 1x (5) Dark Pharaoh Tekahn
• 1x (5) Zilliax
• 2x (10) Sea Giant

Thijs Molendijk has discovered the joy of many, many Lackeys. And they're that much sweeter on the Warlock when they become 4/4 minions, thanks to Dark Pharaoh Tekahn.

There are more than enough minions here to fill up the board fast and that board can get threatening quickly, thanks to Grim Rally and Sea Giant. And don't sleep on Diseased Vulture and its ability to pump out multiple minions over the course of the game.

Trump's Reborn Mech Paladin

• 2x (1) Crystology
• 2x (1) Glow-Tron
• 1x (1) Making Mummies
• 2x (1) Murmy
• 1x (2) Micro Mummy
• 2x (2) Subdue
• 2x (2) Temple Berserker
• 2x (3) Candletaker
• 2x (4) Ancestral Guardian
• 2x (4) Annoy-o-Module
• 2x (4) Bone Wraith
• 2x (5) Mechano-Egg
• 2x (5) Wargear
• 1x (5) Zilliax
• 2x (6) Mechanical Whelp
• 1x (7) Kangor's Endless Army
• 1x (7) Siamat

Jeffrey "Trump" Shih has discovered the joy of incorporating the new Paladin quest into a Mech Paladin deck. And yes, he has seen what's possible when you pump out an assembly line of eggs.

The key to this deck, of course, is getting the quest online as quickly as possible. That's why you're packing weak minions like Murmy and Temple Berserker.

Once the quest is up and running, abuse the heck out of the Hero Power by creating 2/2 copies of Mechano-Egg and Mechanical Whelp. You'll be overwhelming your opponent with massive Mechs before long. And if they start to fall, whip out Kangor's Endless Army and start the assembly line up again.

Firebat's Secret Hunter

• 1x (1) Timber Wolf
• 2x (1) Tracking
• 2x (2) Freezing Trap
• 2x (2) Pressure Plate
• 2x (2) Rat Trap
• 1x (2) Snake Trap
• 2x (2) Vicious Scalehide
• 2x (3) Animal Companion
• 2x (3) Deadly Shot
• 2x (3) Eaglehorn Bow
• 2x (3) Master's Call
• 1x (3) Unleash the Hounds
• 2x (4) Dire Frenzy
• 2x (4) Hyena Alpha
• 1x (5) Subject 9
• 1x (5) Tundra Rhino
• 1x (6) Scarlet Webweaver
• 2x (6) Unleash the Beast
• 1x (10) Zul'jin

James "Firebat" Kostesich sees some potential in a new-look Secret Hunter, packing in all of the classic Hunter Secrets (minus Explosive Trap, curiously) and complementing them with the new Hyena Alpha card to get board presence.

Master's Call and Dire Frenzy can beef us those Beast minions in your deck and if the game goes really late, Zul'jin can get those Secrets online again.

As for your win condition, well, that involves Scarlet Webweaver and Tundra Rhino. If you can reduce that Tundra Rhino cost to zero, Zul'jin can put a lot of dangerous minions on the board, which will all get Charge for a potential game-winning scenario.

Kripparrian's Quest Shaman

• 2x (0) Zap!
• 1x (1) Corrupt the Waters
• 2x (1) Sludge Slurper
• 2x (2) EVIL Cable Rat
• 2x (2) EVIL Totem
• 2x (2) Menacing Nimbus
• 2x (2) Sandstorm Elemental
• 2x (3) Bog Slosher
• 2x (3) Weaponized Wasp
• 2x (4) Lifedrinker
• 2x (4) Thunderhead
• 1x (4) Witchwood Piper
• 1x (5) Barista Lynchen
• 2x (7) Earthquake
• 2x (7) Mogu Fleshshaper
• 1x (7) Swampqueen Hagatha
• 1x (8) Jepetto Joybuzz
• 1x (9) Shudderwock

Octavian "Kripparrian" Morosan has taken some of the best Quest Shaman decks out there and amalgamated them into one killer deck. The idea is to get the quest onlinei quickly using cheap minions like Lackeys. However, the Lackeys can also double as your win condition under the right circumstances.

One of the big keys to victory is managing Barista Lynchen and getting as many copies of the Kobold Lackey and Lifedrinker as possible to gradually sap the life from your opponent.

Shudderwock looks great here, but remember that it's mainly a last resort card. It's going to be used to ultimately replenish your resources if neceesary or to outright kill if enough Lifedrinkers have made it to the board.

We wish you all the best of luck with today's new expansion. Are there any decks you're having luck with? Join the conversation and let us know in the comments! And stay tuned for more of our ongoing Saviors of Uldum coverage.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?