WithHearthstone’sYear of the Gryphon officially underway, many older players have returned because ofClassic format. Reverting cards to their 2014 state, the game’s most iconic decks are once again playable in their original state. While there are plenty of aggro and mid-range options, the first iteration of Handlock has reemerged as a top contender.
At first glance, Handlock plays similarly to other control decks but the card-drawing Life Tap hero power allows them to amass a significant hand advantage early on. Because of its consistency, this deck became a staple of pro tournaments with different iterations surviving various meta changes andHearthstoneexpansions over the years. Though classic Handlock may have a less forgiving learning curve than in standard, it can stand toe-to-toe against many aggro or control decks players will face.
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Deck List
Some players may find the overall crafting cost of Handlock is more expensive than other options but certain cards can be substituted for removal options like Soulfire orTwisting Nether.
Starting Hand
Handlock players should try to get Twilight Drake or Mountain Giant in their starting hand. Both cards benefit immensely from doing nothing but drawing cards for the first few turns. Outside of rare exceptions, the 4/X Twilight Drake and 8/8 Mountain Giant will keep the board free of single minions or force valuable removal early on. If facing an aggro deck, however, Hellfire is a good mulligan choice to instantly clear most enemy minions by turn 4.
Win Conditions
If left unchecked, two Mountain Giants supported by removal and silence effects will swiftly defeat the enemy player before mid/late-game. Alternatively, putting down a combination of Ancient Watchers, Twilight Drakes, and Mountain Giants before applying taunt with Sunfury Protector or Defender of Argus ensures no enemyminionscan go straight for the face. In that same regard, dropping to less than 10 HP allows 2 Molten Giants to be combined with the mentioned taunts.
On the other hand, playing Lord Jaraxxus will set the Handlock’s HP to 15 and should be activated to get out of lethal range or after playing Molten Giants. As ahero, Lord Jaraxxus also comes with a 3/6 weapon and hero power that summons a 6/6 Infernal each turn which can overwhelm even the strongest control decks late game when used with removal like Siphon Soul. Note that Jaraxxus still counts as a demon when acting as a hero and Sacrificial Pact will instantly end the game if used on him.
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