Hearthstone strategies: All Basic Hunter Deck

All Basic Hunter Deck

This deck is pretty robust (been to Platinum 1* with it pre-reset), but its most useful feature is that all you need to do to make it is level a Hunter to 10 :)

Starting Hand

Some decent starting cards would include  Arcane Shot to deal with your opponent's early drops and  Animal Companion to follow up on turn 3, as it's a very strong play - coining it out on turn 2 is arguably the best turn 2 play available when going second.  Ironfur Grizzly can also be useful on turn 3 but it's a more defensive play.

Strategy

This is a rush deck, essentially, so maintain creature advantage and use your  Starving Buzzards wisely - this requires no expert cards (but feel free to add some - I suggest  Unleash the Houndsinstead of  Silverback Patriarch as an example, or  Scavenging Hyena instead of  Bloodfen Raptor). Hope this helps people who aren't buying packs :)

UPDATE:  Unleash the Hounds has been nerfed in the recent patch (11/12/13), so it's not as highly recommended as it once was. It's still a useful card, but no longer has as much potential... more updates as the new meta evolves :)

UPDATE:  Unleash the Hounds has now been buffed again so may well be viable for this deck once it costs 2 mana :)

UPDATE:  Unleash the Hounds is indeed viable - there are some decent plays with it using  Knife Juggler,  Scavenging Hyena and of course  Starving Buzzard, or even  Cult Master if you're straying away from beasts, but  Cult Master doesn't have as much synergy in this deck.

UPDATE: Still viable but now costs 3 instead of 2 Mana.

UPDATE:  Starving Buzzard has been significantly changed! This will affect this deck as the draw power is pushed towards late-game.  Cult Master is being used by some people - that involves sacrificing your creatures, though, so it depends on your preference.

UPDATE:  Hunter's Mark has been slightly nerfed, but that hopefully shouldn't make too much of a difference to this deck... let me know in the comments how things go! Taking out your opponent's beefy minion for 2 mana is still a pretty decent trade.

Card Notes (6)

Minions

• Bloodfen Raptor x2 - this could also be replaced with River Crocolisk
• Oasis Snapjaw x2 - a good target for Houndmasters to buff
• Starving Buzzard x2 - card draw is very important, so make sure you can use this when you play it. UPDATE: With the upcoming nerf this card will become weaker but still useful.
• Tundra Rhino x2 - if your opponent leaves this minion alive, surprise him with a Core Hound :)

Spells

• Animal Companion x2 - you can get a 4/4 Taunt, a 4/2 Charge or a 2/4 which gives your other minions +1 attack. All are situationally useful, but you have no control over which you get...
• Hunter's Mark x2 - using this with Arcane Shot or Multi-Shot can take out almost any minion, or allow you to suicide your boar into it

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