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Once an unviable deck, the Aggro Paladin has gone through several iterations to become one of the top tier archetypes on the ladder. Originally, I would not have even called “Aggro Paladin,” an aggro archetype. Instead, it played more like a midrange deck with slower cards like
Quartermaster,
Equality, and
Dr. Boom, integrated within it. Unlike the decks of the past, Chakki’s Aggro Paladin is a genuine aggression deck; it is the culmination of months of fastidious tinkering to come up with the lean mean machine we now know as the Face Paladin.
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How to Play:
Unlike its predecessor, the new and improved Aggro Paladin goes face much more frequently. Every minion in it has two or less health points, which means this deck is not built to outlast, it has a set amount of damage and trading minions could be taking away from potential game winning moves. Going to the face early and often is the key to success; there are limited resources for damage and even if the opponent is building up board presence, it is imperative to always go to the face, if you have the opportunity. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to deplete your card supply, having two
Divine Favor’s immediately restocks your hand.
Against Hunter: This is the only class that you have to be tepidly cautious with. You’ll have to play like Zoolock, consistently trading and trying to control the board. Divine shield minions allow stronger board control, often going two for one and the Paladin hero power allows free trades, helping further solidify the board. Try not to use
Muster for Battle as
Unleash the Hounds is a direct counter and will give the Hunter another tool for
Kill Command. Overall, it’s a matchup that it’s inherently reliant on knowing when to trade and when to go face; a skill that can only be learnt through dedication to the deck and multiple matches.
Against Everything Else: If you’re not playing Face Hunter, pretend like you are the Face Hunter, attacking the opposing hero as often as possible. Try to use
Blessing of Might and
Blessing of Kings on either Charge or Divine Shield minions as they will give you the most value. The dream scenario is turn-1
Argent Squire, turn-2
Abusive Sergeant plus Blessing of Kings, for a total of six damage to the face with an intimidating board presence! Save the
Ironbeak Owl’s for big walls or intimidating cards later in the game. Buffed up minions with charge are the ultimate equalizer, allowing you the element of surprise and discretion to use when necessary.
Mulligan Phase:
With ten 1-drops, this deck is pretty easy to mulligan for; just prioritize the Argent Squire,
Leper Gnome, and
Worgen Infiltrator over the Abusive Sergeant and
Southsea Deckhand. If you have the coin mulligan hard for the
Shielded Minibot, in my opinion, this is the best 2-drop card in the game with the versatility to either trade or go to the face effectively. If you’re going up against a slower deck, Muster for Battle could be good choice as it will give you multiple bodies to combo off of and give you board control on turn-3.
Combinations:![]()
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- Blessing of Might/Blessing of Kings + Divine Shield/Stealth/Charge Minions: This is the crux of the deck and where the majority of the damage comes from. Getting a Blessing of Kings off on an Arcane Golem can be devastating, doing 8-damage to the opponent and leaving a formidable minion on the board.
- Knife Juggler + Muster for Battle: It doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it’s devastating. The best way for it to occur is by dropping the Knife Juggler on turn-2, it’s a risky move but worth it if it pays off for a turn-3, overwhelming Muster play. Holding onto these two cards for a turn-5 combo is not always the best move as this deck is more conducive to playing out the hand and applying as much pressure as possible.
- Southsea Deckhand + Weapon: Don’t ever drop the pirate without a weapon. Four weapons with two having 4-durablity should easily activate this cards ability. Buffing it up with a Blessing of Might or Kings is also recommended because doing 6-10 uninterrupted damage is too good to pass up!
Possible Replacements:![]()
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Consecration: I’ve found this card to be a bit too slow against midrange/control, often times not even doing anything when used. Replacing it with a Wolfrider leans out the deck more and gives you another effective body to buff up and slam the opponents face with!
Additional Notes:
Overall, this deck can be very effective if played correctly. The biggest mistake I made when I first started playing it was that I traded minions too often. Going to the opponents face is crucial to winning games and when you are attacking for big damage coalesced with little mana it’s hard not to win. Get in as many aggro games as you can because in a couple weeks it looks like
The Grand Tournament will have something to say about it. As always, if you have any questions or comments, make sure to leave them below!
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