https://www.vicioussyndicate.com/classic-vs-data-reaper-report-1/
Class Frequency Discussion
The launch of Classic format has required us to adjust our normal rank brackets to reflect where most of the player population is located. Since star bonuses are completely reset, and a new expansion was launched just shortly after Classic, many players have not committed to the time-consuming grind to legend. They have been slowly climbing through Bronze and Silver, while Gold players more closely reflect legend players in Standard. Of course, as players eventually hit the ranking which reflects their skill level, we will re-adjust the rank brackets in the future. We do notice a dramatic skill difference between Bronze and Gold for this report’s database.
Combo Druid is one deck that increases in play the higher you climb ladder. This extremely diverse archetype centered around Force of Nature and Savage Roar exhibits many different approaches and sub-variants, and we will provide an extensive look into them. Since most builds highly overlap in their card choices, splitting the archetype is not currently possible.
Warlock is the only class in the format that exhibits two highly popular archetypes that are wildly different from each other. Handlock is very popular at Bronze, but starts to diminish in play at higher ranks, while Zoo Warlock significantly grows in popularity. Zoo is historically remembered as a Combo Druid counter, so it makes sense that its popularity growth matches that of Druid’s.
Miracle Rogue is probably the most memorable deck from Classic and the one remembered as the strongest in the game. Initially looking highly experimental with its builds, the archetype has quickly solidified into the recognizable shell of years ago. Aggro Rogue is also around in low numbers.
The original Control Warrior is looking like another pillar of the format. The deck is well remembered as the most expensive one in the game with a high number of legendary minions and was nicknamed “Wallet Warrior” as a result. Builds slightly vary between a passive approach and a more proactive one.
Face Hunter is displaying a very interesting popularity pattern as well as an internal build pattern. Initially very popular at Bronze, the deck seems to fade at higher ranks to a very modest play rate, which may surprise some players who remember how much of a menace this deck felt like to play against. But this isn’t the entire story, as builds of Face Hunter at higher ranks are also dramatically different. Sunshine Hunter, also known as Midrange/Beast Hunter, is a slower Hunter deck that runs Savannah Highmane and Houndmaster to produce board-driven pressure on the opponent rather than immediately direct all its attention to the opponent’s face.
Mage boasts a modest play rate, split between the combo-centric and unique Freeze Mage and the more aggressive Burn Mage, which utilizes the direct damage spells available to the class in combination with a minion curve.
Shaman was a quiet class back in Classic that felt viable but never created too much fuss or attracted much fanfare, and its current play rate reflects that. The generic Midrange Shaman archetype is what the class has to offer, though builds can vary quite a bit and there is much experimentation going on. The main point of divergence is how aggressive the deck wants to be.
Paladin and Priest are well remembered as the two weakest classes of the format, a consequence of their old and inadequate classic set. This was a glaring hole in the game which caused Team 5 to constantly push the power level on their expansion cards for them to find viability over the years. Paladin is represented by the healing Control Paladin, as well as the highly aggressive, Divine-Favor-fueled Aggro Paladin, more commonly known in Classic as Shockadin. Priest is almost entirely comprised of Control Priest, with builds wildly varying as players struggle to figure out how to make the best use of the class.
vS Power Rankings Discussion
The first Power Ranking table of Classic format is full of shocking findings that suggest that Classic format was never solved!
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Rogue
- Miracle Rogue is one of the most unique decks we’ve ever evaluated. It looks nothing special at lower ranks, barely scraping a positive win rate, but becomes gradually more powerful as you climb ladder. At higher ranks, it’s clearly the strongest deck in the game and the only Tier 1 deck in the Classic meta. Its skill ceiling is one of the highest we’ve ever (x10) seen, showing remarkable improvement at every relevant matchup at higher MMR’s. The legend of Miracle Rogue was true, and our analysis can identify its mythical prowess with ease. The only soft counters to Miracle Rogue are Freeze Mage (a very niche deck with major issues) and Handlock. The Handlock matchup numbers are quite surprising but are likely the product of Warlock’s imposed mulligan conundrum and Rogue’s own tech choices.
- Aggro Rogue is a competitive deck with a few good matchups that may keep it around as a situationally good choice, but there are too many popular decks in the meta that counter it very effectively, such as Control Warrior and Zoo Warlock.
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Druid
- Combo Druid is predictably strong, but its performance at higher ranks may come as a surprise to many players who expected the deck to be far more dominant, especially when taking into consideration its increasing popularity. But Combo Druid has clear matchup issues that prevent it from being truly dominant throughout ladder. Zoo Warlock clearly carries an edge against it, and players are very aware of it as we’ve seen in the deck frequency graphs, but Miracle Rogue also becomes a major issue for Druid at higher levels. The matchup initially looks Druid favored, then completely flips as you climb ladder and run into stronger Miracle Rogue players. The meta at Gold+ is increasingly hostile to Druid, which pushes it off Tier 1.
- But it’s important to remember that Combo Druid is not very refined. Many different approaches are being tested and this report will feature the strongest directions for the class. Druid deckbuilding of the past clearly had holes, and we thoroughly discuss them.
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Warlock
- The performance of the two Warlock archetypes is also fascinating. Zoo Warlock is one of the best decks in the game thanks to its strong matchup against Combo Druid, but once again, the deck falls off Tier 1 at higher ranks due to the increasingly difficult Miracle Rogue matchup.
- Handlock is sitting at Tier 3 due to its difficulty in dealing with the BGH-wielding Combo Druids as well as the hyper aggressive Hunters, but it could find more joy as the meta further develops. It’s the strongest counter to Miracle Rogue on ladder since they’re forced to consider the possibility of facing Zoo in their mulligan, as well as their justified reluctance to run two copies of Sap. Handlock’s performance issues are also highly related to its builds. It is one of the most poorly optimized decks in the game, and we strongly suspect it is capable of dramatically improving several matchups with better card choices.
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Warrior
- Control Warrior is ironically the strongest deck at Bronze due to its dominance in the Face Hunter matchup, but the deck becomes progressively worse as it encounters more Combo Druids as well as stronger Miracle Rogue players (sensing a pattern?). Still, there’s quite a bit to improve on common ladder builds as players haven’t grasped the importance of winning initiative in the format, even while piloting decks that carry a reputation of being passive.
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Hunter
- One of the biggest surprises of Classic format is how underwhelming Face Hunter appears to be. The popularity patterns don’t lie, as players hitting higher ranks are reaching the conclusion that the deck isn’t particularly good. It gets destroyed by both Control Warrior and Combo Druid, and it is incapable of beating Miracle Rogue. What’s more is that Face Hunter is another deck that’s horribly built on ladder. It’s possibly a product of inertia, with players persisting with the “same” deck as before Unleash the Hounds was nerfed to 3 mana, but there might be more to it and we discuss it in the Hunter section. Sunshine Hunter isn’t making any waves either. Dare we say, Hunter was not a very good class in the latter half of Classic and its popularity was fueled by perception.
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Shaman
- Here’s where thing really get crazy. The quiet Midrange Shaman looks like the 2nd best deck in the format as we climb further on ladder. We don’t think anyone ever expected this, but Shaman seems to have very powerful tools that were previously underutilized. What’s more is that Shaman is nowhere near solved as a class, and on top of further improving its established deck, has the potential of birthing a true unicorn deck that was never discovered. It will be interesting to see whether this potential could come into fruition, but our observation is that the class carries top tier potential, with an extremely well-rounded matchup spread that exhibits no real weaknesses. We’ve found our first Classic Meta Breaker!
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Mage
- Mage’s Classic prospects look grim. Freeze Mage is one of the only consistent counters to Miracle Rogue but is hampered by serious issues in other matchups that make it a very niche choice for ladder. It gets demolished by Control Warrior and Combo Druids, so if the meta is diverse and you can’t specifically find your best matchup, it’s not a good deck. Burn Mage is also flawed as an archetype and gets consistently exploited by the top tier decks. We don’t think it can survive.
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Paladin
- Think Paladin was dead in Classic? Think again! Shockadin is proving to be a viable choice on ladder, and though it seems to taper off at higher ranks, it is as an underutilized deck that did not get worked on much. We’ve identified ways to clearly improve it, so there’s a decent chance it will be a good option to pick up your Paladin wins going forward.
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Priest
- Priest is the only class that’s truly dumpster in Classic. We did work hard to refine Control Priest into a more respectable deck, and there’s room to improve it as it’s clearly plagued by massive deckbuilding traps, but it’s unlikely that refinement will be enough to lift it from the hole it’s in.
Meta Breaker of the Week
The first Classic report brings with it new discoveries about the format that the Hearthstone community never unearthed. Though some might have been worried about a report causing staleness in the meta, it turns out that publicly available data will likely lead to increased meta diversity, at least for a while.
Though Miracle Rogue’s greatness is certainly confirmed, the biggest news coming out of this report is the untapped potential of the Shaman class. Thrall never got the publicity back then, and many of his old tools are proving to be absolute game changers.
Midrange Shaman is an extremely well-rounded deck that carries game against any opponent, with a plethora of flexible options that players have never utilized to their fullest potential, especially when it comes to its burst damage.
Furthermore, the class’ affinity for aggression, which can be identified in the data, has led us to craft a purely aggressive Shaman deck that carries these underappreciated burst tools. Both archetypes exhibit Tier 1 potential, depending on other meta developments.
We’re looking forward to seeing Classic format further develop and collect more data on our initial findings. By the second report, we’re hoping to figure out more things about the format, adjust to resulting meta trends sparked by this report, and see whether our suggestions can be perfected further.
Good luck on your long grind to legend. May the elements guide you.
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Burst Midrange Shaman (
https://www.vicioussyndicate.com/decks/burst-midrange-shaman/) -
Aggro Burn Shaman (
https://www.vicioussyndicate.com/decks/aggro-burn-shaman/)
