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Hearthstone Deck Guide: Combo Dragon Priest

A solid combo?

Hearthstone Deck Guide: Combo Dragon Priest

Last week, Dragon Priests were spiteful, this week they're serving up a combo meal. It's a testament to the flexibility of these synergies that they power two quite different decks.

This one uses several of the same cards but plays quite differently. It's a little cheaper to build, too. So if you fancy a change, you can take both for a spin.

Card Choice
  • 2 x Inner Fire
  • 2 x Northshire Cleric
  • 2 x Potion of Madness
  • 2 x Power Word: Shield
  • 2 x Divine Spirit
  • 2 x Radiant Elements
  • 2 x Shadow Asecendant
  • 2 x Shadow Visions
  • 2 x Kabal Talonpriest
  • 2 x Twilight Acolyte
  • 2 x Duskbreaker
  • 1 x Mass Dispel
  • 2 x Drakonid Operative
  • 2 x Netherspire Historian
  • 2 x Twilight Drake
  • 1 x Book Wyrm

Deck Code: AAECAa0GAtYKqrICDvgC5QSNCNEK8gyCtQK1uwK6uwLwuwLRwQLYwQLOzALL5gL86gIA

Because this deck relies on a number of different card synergies, it's pretty hard to find replacements. Netherspire Historian is the least important, but it's still very good. Novice Engineer is a solid substitute, because card draw effects makes it easier to get all the combo pieces you need

Hearthstone Deck Guide: Combo Dragon Priest screenshot 1

Speaking of which, Shadow Visions is in the deck as another route to getting those missing effects. Oddly, Crazed Alchemist is a possible replacement for this. You can use its Battlecry instead of Inner Fire, swapping health for attack instead of equalising them.

The other expensive card in the line up is Twilight Acolyte. It's your only real defence against big minions. If you don't have one or both, Tar Creeper makes a decent speedbump to buy you a turn or two to close out the game.

Mulligan

Card draw is critical here, so always keep a Northshire Cleric if you have one. If you've got a cleric, also keep a Shadow Ascendant to give you a big 1-2 punch. Radiant Elemental, which gives you some early body and the potential to push out powerful early spells, is another keeper.

A lot of the cards rely on you having a dragon in hand, so if you draw one, it's often worth hanging onto it, even if it's an expensive one. Other cards to consider keeping are Netherspire Historian and Power Word: Shield.

If you feel you may be facing an aggressive deck, use the mulligan to bolster your defences too. Duskbreaker and Potion of Madness are your best tools here.

Play Style

The big combo here is the classic of Divine Spirit and Inner Fire to create a massive attack minion, capable of a one-turn kill. The deck has a lot of high health minions to use as a base for this combo, and a bunch of health buffs to start to build.

However, all but the most inexperienced opponents will see this coming a mile off. They'll try and keep your board clear or save a Silence effect, which is all that it takes to put an end to this shenanigans.

That's where Radiant Elemental can come in handy, letting you play the cards cheaply for a sudden, single strike to win.

Hearthstone Deck Guide: Combo Dragon Priest screenshot 2

It's called a combo deck for a reason, though, because it's full of other smart synergies. Inner Fire, for starters, doesn't have to target your own minions. It's an effective debuff for high attack, low health enemies, too.

Twilight Acolyte is the basis for two more. It combines with Potion of Madness to let you steal a newly-enfeebled minion for a turn. At its most basic, you can use it to attack another enemy minion, if you're lucky killing two at once.

But don't forget that if you steal Deathrattle minions and kill them, you get the effect. Twilight Acolyte also works with Book Wyrm to remove a minion from the game.

The goal, then, is to survive until you can start pulling out one or more of these combos. Your hero power helps, of course, but the deck is otherwise light on defensive spells.

Instead, leverage the high health values and health buffs that are the basis for the win combo. They allow you to kill enemy minions but leave yours alive on the board.

Use your power to keep their health totals high after the exchange. That way they stay good for another attack, and as a possible springboard for your one-turn kill.

Defensive Duties

Beware of thinking you can play a control game with this deck, though. It's very much mid-range. If you can't close out the game in a reasonable time frame, a true control deck will out-value your plays. Switch to a more aggressive style if necessary.

Hearthstone Deck Guide: Combo Dragon Priest screenshot 3

Without a lot of healing, you also have to watch out for burst damage. Your hero power means you can afford to take early face damage, but watch for sudden finishers like Pyroblast or Leeroy Jenkins. Use your power to ensure you stay out of range.

Other than that, you've got solid board clear tools in this deck with Duskbreaker and Potion of Madness. Use them. You can even steal a cheeky win with Potion of Madness: thieve an enemy minion, buff it with your Inner Fire and Divine Spirit combo and smash it into their face.

Matt Thrower
Matt Thrower
Matt is a freelance arranger of words concerning boardgames and video games. He's appeared on IGN, PC Gamer, Gamezebo, and others.