Week one of The League of Explorers brought us one Reno Jackson. This 4/6 for 6 drop fully restores your health should you not have duplicates of any card in your deck. A well timed Reno drop can completely shift your opponent’s battle plans as the addition of 30 health means aggressive decks like Face Hunter or Aggro Druid will need to have more legs to stand on for late game. Let’s take a look at one of the biggest beneficiaries of Mr. Jackson, the Warlock.
Warlock’s main bit is his hero power – Life Tap allows you to draw a card for the cost of two health. Many Warlocks liberally use this ability early in the game to net more combo potential later but have a tendency to overdo it, losing a significant chunk of health – enough to swing the game in his opposition’s favor. With Reno Jackson, this has changed. Let’s break down my personal fusion of Reno Jackson with the Dragon Warlock class.
Having only one of any card in your deck is a good tip for Reno Jackson’s strategy to work, though if you must have duplicates, be sure to manage them wisely. There is nothing worse than thinking you’re in the clear with Reno’s ability and forget you left two Unstable Portals in your deck.
Make up for this duplicate deficit by creating an overall better mana curve in your deck. Toss in an Unstable Ghoul, an Acolyte of Pain, Cult Master, and other decent cards that promote card draw and good early-game control.
Spells aren’t a pillar of this deck, instead focus on a blend of dragon synergy, card draw, and Reno Jackson. However, I’ve felt that spells like Hellfire and Shadowflame are essential board-clearing options. One of each should do the trick as this deck is lacking in silencing and a little in old fashioned removal.
Legendaries are a big fixture in this deck, meaning it isn’t exactly cheap. Alexstraza is good for immediately getting your opponent into an easier kill range or, if you’ve used up Reno Jackson, giving your single digit health a little boost. Chromaggus can net you a bonus Reno (and other cards you’ll draw as a Warlock), making your control over the game nigh unbreakable.
Should you have Mal’Ganis, toss him in – I simply don’t have him. Jaraxxus should stay away, though. You can’t give him more than 15 health, and some classes like Hunter and Warrior can make 15 health vanish in an instant.
This deck is malleable, so feel free to take out cards as the meta adjusts. I tossed in Kezan Mystic due to the sheer amount of secrets at Paladin, Mage, and Hunter’s disposal. If I’m not fighting one of those classes, however, that card loses its luster. Antique Healbot was put in on the off chance Reno Jackson is toward the bottom of the deck.
My win record hasn’t been flawless, but out of the last dozen or so games I’ve used this deck, I’ve won ten of them. A few came down to “heart of the cards” moments with Reno Jackson saving me at literally one health left, but it goes to show you how much of a force he is to be reckoned with. Since there are three more wings slated for League of Explorers, expect more of these bizarre, one-off decks while the metagame shifts. I see control decks coming back, but you never know for sure.