A Postmortem Analysis of Three 12-Win Arena Runs in Three Days

Deck/Draft Overview: First off, the decklist on the left is not complete. The main cards that are missing are Sprint, two Bog Creepers, and Ysera. Ysera was only drawn in two games and only played in one. By no means was this deck "pick Ysera, get 12 wins." Overall it was a pretty solid draft though I would have preferred more removal. There were no problems getting the Elemental synergy rolling despite the lack of Elemental triggers for Servant of Kalimos. The most important factor when drafting is judging the effect of each card on the board the turn it is played (what I call the card's "impact"). If you look at each card in the draft, you will find very few low impact cards. I attribute the success of the deck to always being able to answer an opponent's threat or make one of my own via high impact minions.

Mulligan Strategy: With six 1-drops, there should be no excuse for not having one in your opening hand. Keep only 1 to 3 cost cards and Kalimos if you also have an Elemental trigger in hand, though I would advise otherwise vs. aggressive decks and you cannot afford to sacrifice tempo for value. Drop Sap against all classes. Sadly, Ysera is too slow to keep in Un'Goro Arenas so just hope to draw into it on a later turn.

Playstyle: Play on curve and hero power on turn 2 if you have nothing else to play. Use dagger charges only when needed and never go face with dagger before turn 6. In my experience with this draft, keeping the board in check was no issue at all. Once you hit mid to late game, keep the same playstyle of clear-and-develop in mind. Only now instead of using dagger and Blowgill Sniper you are using Sap and Vilespine Slayer. Don't leave yourself vulnerable to AoE unless your opponent is topdecking. Your goal is not to steamroll your opponent in the late game but just last long enough for Ysera to win the game for you.

MVP Cards/Synergies: 

      Vilespine Slayer: Don't ask me why this card exists, it just does. Absolutely incredible removal that dodges Counterspell/Spellbender and 'Cannot be targeted by spells or hero power' cards. This is a must pick. It dealt with cards like Boulderfist Ogre and Water Elemental (coin FTW). It pulled me back into a winning position in multiple games that were otherwise lost. If you can get more than one of these, by all means draft them. Keep in mind you may want to save lower cost cards in order to combo them, it will be worth it every time.

      Bog Creeper: Nothing else to say besides this card has great stats for the cost and slows down the game considerably. Luckily, I was able to draft two and I would've gladly taken more if given the opportunity. BogChamp. 

      Journey Below: Super flexible card and while it's variance is somewhat high, it's result is rarely bad. I often times saved this for combo potential. Keep in mind that if you are playing this on turn 1 or just because you are going to need a minion to play next turn, always prioritize minions that fit your curve over minions that are high value.

Underperforming Card(s): 

      Ravasaur Runt: Time and time again I am consistently disappointed by this card. There are just too many bad Adapts to make it worth playing even when it does Adapt. Not to mention that a 2 mana 2/2 is plain awful in Arena. It is still worth picking in fast decks, but this was not one of them. I can't remember a single time that I played this card and had it do anything remotely worthwhile on the board.

Deck/Draft Overview: I didn't have high hopes after drafting this Paladin Deck. No Equalities, only one Spikeridged Steed, and only one Truesilver Champion... yikes. I did get two Consecrations and an Abomination (a card I think is highly underrated in Arena) so my AoE was looking average if not a bit above average. I was satisfied with my early game cards (looking at you Stubborn Gastropod and Vicious Fledgling). The midgame didn't really have any gaps besides a strong six drop. The late game cards are all pretty clunky and depended on having board control going into the late game to really get value. That was the key. Have board control going into the late game.

Mulligan Strategy: Keep early minions and all weapons. Consecrate is a keep vs. token or aggressive classes (Paladin/Shaman/Hunter). Toss anything else 4 cost or higher, the only exception is to always keep Spikeridged Steed.

Playstyle: Get. Board. Early. This means playing cards off curve and sacrificing value for tempo. Don't be stingy with Gastropod and Lost in the Jungle, just flood the board. The worst case scenario is you get AoE'd and you end up neutral on the board and down 1 or 2 cards. This is easily remedied by your high value midgame and late game cards. Early game tempo is especially valuable in this deck because when you hit turns 4/5/6 you can weapon/Consecrate anything they have on board and let your Nesting Roc/Stormwind Champion/Dinosize win the game for you. This deck struggles vs silences and single target removals such as Sap and Polymorph. If you run out of steam you might find yourself struggling to get back in the game.

MVP Cards/Synergies: 

      Light's Justice: Invaluable in the early-mid game and highly underrated in Arena. This card falls into the category of too good to ignore but not good enough to ooze, meaning you have to do something about it but using any sort of weapon removal on it leaves you susceptible to stronger weapons like Truesilver Champion and Vinecleaver.

      Lost in the Woods: Fantastic early game card and is even playable in later stages of the game to buff Nesting Roc and Frostwolf Warlord. Great card to play with Stormwind Champion in hand. I can't praise this card enough; if you tend to look the other way when this card is offered to you in Arena just try it, it works.

      Flesheating Ghoul: Surprisingly, Flesheating Ghoul carried its weight and some. Granted, it really only has high impact early on, but keeping it alive was quite easy. Play Ghoul and trade on turn 3, then trade and Kooky it to a 2/6 or hide it behind a Taz'Dingo. I'll be the first to admit I underestimated the synergy this deck had with Ghoul. 10/10 would draft again.

      Frostwolf Warlord: I loved this card in Paladin/Shaman Arena three years ago and I still love it today. This card single handedly won at least three games when my opponent did not have an answer. When it was removed, you can guess what I played on turn 6 to follow up: Spikeridged Steed. It is worth noting that it can be worth saving Frostwolf Warlord for when you can combo with cards like Lost in the Woods and even just your Hero Power.

      Stormwind Champion: Always a solid pick in zoolike/token decks but especially devastating in decks that have lasting threats like Burglebot and Scaled Nightmare. This takes an even game and turns it into a landslide. Just make sure you have board control or it can be a weak turn 7 play.

Underperforming Card(s): 

      Smuggler's Run: I took this card early on but I already was having drafter's remorse when I realized how aggressive this deck was turning out. The most value I could get on this card was on turn one, because by mid to late game my hand was 2-3 cards at most. It's a shame because I have seen this card perform much better in the past.

      Red Mana Wyrm: I saw this coming a mile away. It's a somewhat sticky 5 drop and I was hoping to get more that one targetable buff, but it just didn't happen. Luckily I didn't draw into this card in every game. I still hold the belief that this card can be nasty in a more buff oriented paladin deck.

Deck/Draft Overview: This was not the highest tier score Mage Deck I drafted, but it was the most fun to play. I grabbed Kabal Crystal Runner early on in the draft, but never drafted any secrets. The few I was offered were overshadowed by better Mage cards. Curator was picked about halfway through the draft, and afterwards I placed a high value on Beasts, Murlocs, and Dragons. Onyxia was a must pick because this deck seriously lacks minions. The fact that it was a Dragon was icing on the cake. Two Pyroblasts is excessive, as only one is typically needed to win the game, but drafting two just makes drawing the one twice as likely. The rest of the cards are to be expected, just a ton of removal spells and Cabalist's Tome (as if this deck needed any more value).

Mulligan Strategy: Keep early removal and minions 3 mana or less. Notable keeps are Curator in all games, Primordial Drake vs token or aggressive classes (Paladin/Shaman/Hunter). Keep Meteor/Polymorph vs Priest. Blazecaller and Servant of Kalimos are ok to keep if and only if you have elemental synergy in your hand already.

Playstyle: This deck is super easy to play. Almost to the point that you could just draw a flowchart of how to mulligan and play each stage of the game. Control the board early with Flame Geyser and Frostbolts and your early drops. Use your Hero Power whenever you get the chance. In the midgame, aim to neutralize the board if not be dominating it. Nothing should survive Volcanic Potions and Polymorphs, use them at will to ensure you will live until the late game. Once you hit turn 7+, play on curve and set up elemental combos where possible. You should be trading 2-for-1 with every card you play at this point. If you are already ahead, end the game by trucking face and waiting on a Pyroblast if you haven't drawn one already. Note: Be careful of Counterspell if facing Mage, you need your Pyroblasts to land.

MVP Cards/Synergies: 

      Flame Geyser/Frostbolt: Easily the most high-value removal in the game. Flame Geyser not only removed early drops, but served as a trigger for Servant of Kalimos.

      The Curator: With 3 Beasts, 2 Dragons, and 2 Murlocs, The Curator pulled 3 cards every time it was played (~5 times). If The Curator was in my opening hand I did NOT mulligan it. I think this card is very underrated in Arena and single handedly carried a few games.

      Pyroblast: One Pyroblast is enough to finish off most Arena opponents by turn 10, but two Pyroblasts is just not fair. I only ever drew both Pyroblasts into my hand once, and ended up playing them both face to win the game. With two Pyroblasts, I am almost guaranteed to draw one by the time I make it halfway through my deck. As a result my opponents essentially start the game with 20hp.

Underperforming Card(s): 

      Kabal Crystal Runner: It goes without saying that a deck with Kabal Crystal Runner and no secrets is going to be somewhat clunky. That said, this was really the only bad card in the deck. As it turns out, the rest of the deck was too high value for this to even matter. Admittedly it was a bad draw in most games so it would just sit in my hand until I won.