The Crone

[Vlad 411]

This thread is for comments about our The Crone guide for One Night in Karazhan.

[CaptLando 26]

I defeated The Crone on Heroic easily with my midrange hunter deck. It only took one attempt, and Dorothee did not suffer a single damage.

The decklist is as follows:

2x Hunter's Mark

2x Webspinner

1x Bear Trap*

2x Freezing Trap

2x Haunted Creeper

1x King's Elekk

1x Knife Juggler

2x Mad Scientist

1x Snake Trap

2x Animal Companion

1x Eaglehorn Bow

1x Ironbeak Owl

2x Kill Command

2x Unleash the Hounds*

2x Houndmaster

1x Infested Wolf

2x Piloted Shredder

1x Loatheb

1x Savannah Highmane

1x Dr. Boom*

*I would make substitutions for Bear Trap, Unleash the Hounds, and Dr. Boom. Maybe add one or two Sludge Belchers (play to the left for a taunt with charge) and another Knife Juggler or Princess Huhuran.

Mad Scientist's purpose in life is to die. If The Crone had any minions on the board, I'd play Scientist to the left and charge into whatever minion it is, as long as it has 2 or less health. If there are no minions on the board, play Scientist to the right as a taunt. He will gladly take the next charge attack.

Infested Wolf is an excellent card for playing to the right as a taunt. If/when it dies, you get two more taunt minions instantly.

You want to play Knife Juggler to the left and let taunts keep him alive. The Crone's minions have low health, and more often than not, Juggler's power will kill them for you. Hunter's Marks are included so that Knife Juggler can make quick work of the minions with more health, like Druid of the Claw or Abomination. (If Ironbeak Owl is in hand, silence Abomination first!)

I don't own Princess Huhuran, but Webspinner's deathrattle gifted her to me. She could not have worked out any better. Her battlecry triggered Infested Wolf's deathrattle, which activated Knife Juggler's ability, killing off two of her minions, then leaving me with 2 additional little taunts. Add another 6 face damage for Princess being played to the left as a charge minion.

Freezing Trap is iffy. It worked out great for me- returned a Flame Juggler that had been buffed with Mark of the Wild to her hand. I guess worst case scenario would be if it were to return a charge minion. At least it saves you from that minion's attack for a turn or two.

Savannah Highmane + Houndmaster was a fun 2-turn combo for me. Play Highmane to the left for 6 charge damage. Then on the following turn, play Houndmaster to the left as another charge and give the Highmane +2/+2 and taunt. It's unnecessary, because you SHOULD be able to kill The Crone by the following turn with or without the Houndmaster's buff, but it's still a cool combination. :)

IF you are not able to deal lethal by Turn 8, Loatheb can buy you another turn by preventing her from casting Twisting Nether.

edited for terminology

Edited August 24, 2016 by CaptLando

[Tick 0]

I have a MUCH better deck that exploits DreadSteed. Once you get DreadSteed's on the right of Dorothee, You cannot lose. 

You can get as many as you want with the death rattle trigger, and put Fleesheating ghouls on the left, as well as the Darkshire Councilmen... You quickly get 10+ attack minions with these, while your taunts constantly replenish.

You can kill off the Baron Rivendare when you have sufficient Darksteeds (you don't need many) and you can trigger them with dark rituals or attacks.

I rolled so I had 1 Dreadsteed in my main pile, and 1 cheaper unit to trigger it all. I drew the Baron later, or you can draw a 2nd Dreadsteed and be fine with that.

Undertaker also gets OP once you lay down the steeds.

1X forbidden Ritual

1X undertaker

2x flame Imp (good for 1st turn)

2x mortal coil

2x powerOverwhelming

2X Void walker
2x Demonfire

2X Knife juggler

2x nerubian egg

2X darkshire councilman

2x flesheating ghoul

2x Raid leader

2X spawn of N'Zoth

1x Baron Rivendare

1X Dark Iron Dwarf

2X Defender of Argus

2X Dread Steed

Spawn of N'Zoth, Dark Iron Dwarf, are optional. You can sub other units into this for Boosting based on units dying or deathrattles.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Tick