In the lead up to Standard format and Whispers of the Old Gods, we’re already starting to see that some archetypes will never really go away. As more cards are revealed, the tried and true Control Warrior doesn’t look to be going anywhere. Let’s not look too far ahead, though, Control Warrior is a perfectly viable archetype in the current meta game.
It should be noted that this is probably one of the most expensive deck archetypes around due to the sheer number of legendary minions. It’s part of why Control Warrior isn’t as commonplace as Aggro or Face archetypes, which only require small-ish minions and spells.
Control Warrior focuses on early-game weapons and beefing up your armor in order to take advantage of the plethora of mid to high level cards. That armor comes from everything from your hero power, to minions, to spells. Your boosted armor not only protects you but, with cards like Shield Slam, can be a very effective removal tool.
A big part of Control Warrior decks is being sure to outlast your opponent no matter how beefy they are. Your armor is a huge part of this, but little additions like Elise Starseeker add a card to your deck which means you have one less turn of cards to burn, conceivably. It’s why this deck leaves out former staples like Acolyte of Pain. You want to outlast your opponent, period.
Minions like Deathlord and Sludge Belcher are your near-mandatory beefy taunt minions. These cards in particular do a good job of keeping your face out of your enemy’s line of sight.
This deck requires patience and knowing when to use your weapons or late-game minions in a variety of situations. It’s not for the player looking for a five minute face-off who just wants to climb the rungs of the ever-so infuriating ladder in a quick fashion. Be sure to know exactly what you’re doing every turn, and make sure you’re keeping an eye on your opponent’s every turn.