Pirate Warrior Deck List

[Damien 1,514]

This thread is for comments about our Pirate Warrior Deck List Guide.

[Keizoku 185]

It should be Bloodsail Cultist in paragraph 3.1.4, not Bloodsail Corsair.

 

No love for Naga Corsair? Seems like a good fit for the deck, even at 4 mana.

[Valks 2,375]

On 12/1/2016 at 10:41 PM, Keizoku said:

It should be Bloodsail Cultist in paragraph 3.1.4, not Bloodsail Corsair.

 

No love for Naga Corsair? Seems like a good fit for the deck, even at 4 mana.

Card was fixed.

As for Naga Corsair, I feel like the big downside is that it doesn't give you +1 durability. What would you hope to drop for it?

[FanOfValeera 253]

7 hours ago, Blainie said:

Card was fixed.

As for Naga Corsair, I feel like the big downside is that it doesn't give you +1 durability. What would you hope to drop for it?

Mortal strikes?

I am saying this as 1 attack buffer together with the durability of the weapon, cultist and upgrades would give the same 4 damage. And this is not too situational and it is a pirate and it is a 5/4 body and also... I guess thats it.

So, I think its worth trying.

Against other aggro decks where mortal strikes will be 6 damage sometimes, having the body, and not exactly a small one I would say, will have a better effect, in my opinion of course.

Why I dont try this, I have like no cards from the set, only bought one with gold and 6 packs the game give. Nothing related to this deck sadly.

[Keizoku 185]

12 hours ago, Blainie said:

As for Naga Corsair, I feel like the big downside is that it doesn't give you +1 durability. What would you hope to drop for it?

Yeah, +1/+1 would have been better, but it would have made for a crazy powerful neutral common.

Right now, I'm going to use one as placeholder for Hobart Grapplehammer. Didn't pull him yet and I have an already way too long list of more universally useful/archetype-defining legendaries to craft before him.

After that, it'll depend. The Flame Jugglers and Sir Finley Mrrgglton are going to have to go at one point, we'll see what to replace them with then. 

[JooBatanete 4]

On 12/3/2016 at 9:59 AM, FanOfValeera said:

Mortal strikes?

I am saying this as 1 attack buffer together with the durability of the weapon, cultist and upgrades would give the same 4 damage. And this is not too situational and it is a pirate and it is a 5/4 body and also... I guess thats it.

So, I think its worth trying.

Against other aggro decks where mortal strikes will be 6 damage sometimes, having the body, and not exactly a small one I would say, will have a better effect, in my opinion of course.

Why I dont try this, I have like no cards from the set, only bought one with gold and 6 packs the game give. Nothing related to this deck sadly.

You definitely don't cut MS's from the deck. Once your opponent starts playing taunts, MS is the only means of reach you have in the deck(unless you picked up hunter hero power), so you will just lose the game if you don't have it.

[RavensMilk 0]

I ran this deck for 30 games and took some notes.  

W/L of 21-9.  

Shamans were the biggest issue followed by Freeze Mage.  

Weapon removal tools can really be annoying and slow things down. 

The deck takes some getting used too this deck but it excels with a lot of early game tools that can have you dealing out major damage in the early turns.  Most games didn't last ten turns with about 40% of wins came by turn 6.  

The trick is getting into a groove and know when to hit the face and when to trade a minion.

Lastly Hunters, Druids, Warlocks and Mages about 2/3's of the opponent in the games.  

 

[FeelinFine 0]

12 hours ago, RavensMilk said:

I ran this deck for 30 games and took some notes.  

 

 

Did you run into Dragon/Reno Priest at all? I'm around 20-19 and every other game is against a Reno/Priest deck.  If you have how does an all out agro deck like this do against such control decks?

[Guest Aenohe]

Hi

I can't get higher than rank 9. What am I doing wrong?

[positiv2 952]

19 minutes ago, Guest Aenohe said:

Hi

I can't get higher than rank 9. What am I doing wrong?

It's really hard to say without seeing or reading what you do at all. Most common mistake is trading too much.

[Abelcain 1]

I don't have much experience with aggro warriors so I'm a little confused.

I know the best starting hand is the nzoth pirate, deckhand, and raider, since you get a weapon which buffs the raider and gives the deckhand charge.

 

But if I don't get a n'zoth or a weapon in my opening hand, when should I play the pirates?

Like should I still put out the raider as a 2/2, or hold it until i get a weapon? Should I put out the deckhand without charge?

And if I have those pirates and something like "upgrade", should I use it for its weapon on turn one, or save it until i get a real weapon or a n'zoth?

[positiv2 952]

52 minutes ago, Abelcain said:

But if I don't get a n'zoth or a weapon in my opening hand, when should I play the pirates?

Like should I still put out the raider as a 2/2, or hold it until i get a weapon? Should I put out the deckhand without charge?

And if I have those pirates and something like "upgrade", should I use it for its weapon on turn one, or save it until i get a real weapon or a n'zoth?

You can play most of the pirates even if you aren't getting much synergy out of them. You can play Bloodsail Raider a 2/3 if you have no better turn 2 play. If you haven't drawn Patches the Pirate, playing Southsea Deckhand on turn 1 without charge is often fine.
As for Upgrade!, you should attempt to avoid playing it as a weapon, and rather wait for a weapon most of the time.

[darquill 1]

Hi,

I'm a relatively new player trying to learn how to play properly.

I was trying out this deck, but failing hard, so obviously I'm doing something (everything? :P) wrong.
I have real trouble when faced with big health taunts (Tar Creeper, Saronite Chain Gang, others..), where I have to trade a lot and loose minions/weapon's durability in order to go to face later, but then basically I loose board control and loose the game.

Some replays here. I'm aware of some noob mistakes I did (aka forgetting that Southsea Deckhand is NOT a battlecry, facepalm).

https://hsreplay.net/replay/9bx6jvTf4nFE554niPqmV8
https://hsreplay.net/replay/wrgZFNNspvfRTM5SRqkPBo
https://hsreplay.net/replay/8M96N2M7fHCCUqzmShpVf3
https://hsreplay.net/replay/FVDXsq7Jzh7qyjKN4CnVW2

Any help would be appreciated :)

Cheers

[Caldyrvan 377]

Hey, I think it's not so much about you being a noob but more about pirate warrior being no longer that strong anymore.

Mr. Time to rotate out and the usual bunch of other pirates are doing well in Rogue and Druid Aggro decks, but for pirate warrior, he got his axe nerf, ppl got used to the plays he makes, they got a lot more experience and confidence against this type of deck as well as a lot of (often cheap) tools to slow him down and ending up as you described it.

When you get the perfect starting hand as well as drawing additional cards you need will probably still end in a win for you but feels definitely like a gamble deck.

I'm not sure this post is any help for you but I wish you luck in you games, warrior or not :)

[Keizoku 185]

5 hours ago, Caldyrvan said:

Hey, I think it's not so much about you being a noob but more about pirate warrior being no longer that strong anymore.

It never was that strong. Never. It always has been a one-trick pony of dealing so massive damage in the early game slower decks couldn't keep up. And it only got a chance to shine because of retards pro players going for Reno Jackson decks brainlessly skillfully trusting in 25+ extra hit points being enough to go the distance and polarize the meta into either hyper-agressive or control decks. Pirate Warrior specialized into (graphical description of sexual violence censored) those retards pro players before they even had the chance to slam dunk with Reno.

Now that decks are actually less retarded more tought out and more open to tempo plays and mid-range, Pirate Warrior logically falters since its only strength, to punish greedy control decks that believed early game happened to other people, is no longer applicable. Prince Keleseth gave it a bit of a second wind, but the next rotation removing N'Zoth's First Mate and Bloodsail Cultist will kill it dead on the spot in standard.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Keizoku
typos

[Caldyrvan 377]

As I said, it's not his/hers fault or playing bad. It's the deck type that sucks :D 

[FanOfValeera 253]

I seriously hope you guys are joking right now. We are talking about a deck which terrorized the Gadgetzan meta, actually until the half of Un'goro, it was the best deck in the game. Saying the deck is weak because it can only deal early burst damage, so it can punish control decks is like saying jade druid is weak because it takes advantage of meta being not as fast as before. Dealing 30+ damage in 4 turns is a serious power (quite a cancerous one tbh), which cannot be explained by characteristics of other archetypes, this is quite a limited view of the case.

Deck type sucks? No, it doesn't, there are only more counters to it, even jade druid, which was punished by aggro decks before, is good against them right now, and decks like murloc paladin, zoo and tempo rogue have a similar explosive start with more late game power.

As meta changes, pirate warrior is not the king, but don't let shi*lander priests fool you, remember several months ago, and how many pirate warriors you can play in row.

Also, N'Zoth's First Mate and Bloodsail Cultist are not the only cards which rotate out, Patches the Pirate is gone too, and that is the biggest loss.

All in all, I am glad that pirate warriors are not common, but this doesn't change the fact that they shaped the meta at some point. This is why even some renolocks started playing Bloodsail Cultist+Patches the Pirate, cutting some late game.

[Keizoku 185]

22 minutes ago, FanOfValeera said:

I seriously hope you guys are joking right now.

No, I'm not.

Quote

We are talking about a deck which terrorized the Gadgetzan meta, actually until the half of Un'goro, it was the best deck in the game.

No; it wasn't. Midrange Shaman and God Druid were much, much, much more oppressive than Pirate Warrior ever was in their respective metas.

Quote

Saying the deck is weak because it can only deal early burst damage, so it can punish control decks is like saying jade druid is weak because it takes advantage of meta being not as fast as before. Dealing 30+ damage in 4 turns is a serious power (quite a cancerous one tbh), which cannot be explained by characteristics of other archetypes, this is quite a limited view of the case.

And yet it's it's only strength, and an easily counterable one.

Quote

 decks like murloc paladin, zoo and tempo rogue have a similar explosive start with more late game power.

Hence why they are now played instead of Pirate Warrior: those decks are actually much more well-rounded instead of banking absolutely everything on wiining before turn 6.

Quote

 

As meta changes, pirate warrior is not the king, but don't let shi*lander priests fool you, remember several months ago, and how many pirate warriors you can play in row.

I do. I remember farming those netdecking retards that should never have climed past rank 20 pro players playing their "original content; do not steal" decks. And amusingly, they were less numerous than Cancer Shaman or Infinite Druid ever were (even though they lost just as hard by virtue of not knowing when to trade and/or commit a removal, but I digress).

Quote

Also, N'Zoth's First Mate and Bloodsail Cultist are not the only cards which rotate out, Patches the Pirate is gone too, and that is the biggest loss.

Those are the two workhorses of the deck, Patches is but the multiple-eyed floating cherry on top.

Quote

This is why even some renolocks started playing Bloodsail Cultist+Patches the Pirate, cutting some late game.

Retards Pro players realizing that early game wasn't something happening to other people and finding a way to avoid getting (graphical description of sexual violence censored), color me surprised. You do realize this is even more proof (if it was needed) Pirate Warrior was only ever really good at preying on slow control decks, right?

[Caldyrvan 377]

Careful with you walls of text you scare ppl away :)

[darquill 1]

Thank you all!

Any suggestion for a good learning deck that relies less on trying to kill in 4 turns, and more on actual skills in tempo/board control/etc..?

Cheers :)

[Caldyrvan 377]

I'm not the best guide, I think :D .. anyway but I would suggest to try a Zoo Warlock you can find a nice list here Zoo Warlock Deck List Guide.

Don't be scared by some of them being more expensive, a zoo deck can be build cheap and still doing pretty well.

Zoo is good to learn things like board positioning, when to attack face or make minion trades and keeping board control. To learn when to use Life Tap or not, this may help you later with other kinds of Warlock decks too. A lot of players do not feel comfortable doing damage to themselves but Life Tap is one of the strongest (basic)hero powers, maybe the best :)

Edited December 10, 2017 by Caldyrvan

[FanOfValeera 253]

14 hours ago, Keizoku said:

No; it wasn't. Midrange Shaman and God Druid were much, much, much more oppressive than Pirate Warrior ever was in their respective metas.

If god druid is malygos druid, that deck was never oppressive, and really hard to play honestly, as a combo deck. If it is jade druid, well yeah, it is overwhelming.

 

14 hours ago, Keizoku said:

And yet it's it's only strength, and an easily counterable one

Go check tempostorm tier lists, not that they are a super viable source, but it is at least a source. Pirate warrior is top tier from Meta Snapshot#16 to #35. This is 20 snapshots, with around 2 weeks between each, which adds up to 40 weeks (almost 10 months, which is around 2.5 metas). Apparently, it is not easily counterable, or every single player who ever had his hands on HS is an utter idiot. How hard could it be to stop 30+ damage on 4 turns, right?

 

14 hours ago, Keizoku said:

You do realize this is even more proof (if it was needed) Pirate Warrior was only ever really good at preying on slow control decks, right?

Yet one of the best counters to it was Control Mage. Maybe it doesn't prey on control decks, but on 'greedy' decks, these are different things.

We can argue on how we define a 'strong deck'. Not a single deck in history of this game is good against everything. With this approach, we can go ahead and say that secrets paladin was weak af, it can only beat greedy control decks, and gets destroyed by everything else, especially combo decks, what a garbage, right?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion in the end of course.

 

Edited December 10, 2017 by FanOfValeera

[Keizoku 185]

8 hours ago, FanOfValeera said:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion in the end of course.

Indeed. Now please stop responding to me until you have learned to differenciate cause from effect, thank you!

Edited December 10, 2017 by Keizoku

[Erdluf 6]

Comment in Chakki's deck says

"Spiteful Summoner is always guaranteed to give great value due to Mithril Spellstone being the only Spell in the deck."

Upgrade! is also in that deck list. Is there a typo in the list?

Thanks for all your K&C content. I really appreciate it!

[Synesthesy 114]

Pirate warrior wasn't, IMHO, the strongest deck. It was meta-defining: in that meta, you either played Pirate Warrior or a deck that counters Pirate Warrior. I remember Control Shaman in Wild was tier 1 in tempostorm list only because it was a good control deck against pirates.

A it was said, the power in pirate warrior lies in speed. You win in the first few turns; but as someone said, it was also is weakness, because it either win in the first few turns, or it lose badly. It was a "all in" deck based on dealing just the damage you need to win in the first 4/5 turns.

But it strength is not about power, but about speed. Winning in 4/5 turns means that the average time of a game is much shorter then any other deck I can think of that was played in that meta (face hunter wasn't good enough, face shaman was not as fast). Game shorter means more matches in the same time, more matches means more stars that may lead to legend.

This is why pirate warrior was played so much that it could polarize the ladder and make it "you either played Pirate Warrior or a deck that counters Pirate Warrior". Because remember, being the most played deck doesn't mean that being the most powerfull deck in a format, as it is shown by tournament scene, often won by deck that doesn't go very well on ladder.