You spend the first week of the expansion trying new decks
I spend the first week of the expansion grinding achievement
We are not the same
Yeah it's that time again.
Demon Hunter
S'thenowhere to Hide:
As easy as it gets. Put S'theno in your deck and fill it with cheap spells + a minion tutor (Abyssal Depths is useful. Cost reduction also helps but is not necessary given the amount of 0-mana spells DH has accesss to. Easier in Wild because you get Twin Slice there which reduces the amount of cards you have to have in hand to go off.
If you don't own S'theno you can try to use Amalgam of the Deep to discover her. The Neutral Naga pool is relatively small so it shouldn't take too long.
It Cost me...Nothing:
If you're trying to do this with just Predation you're going to suffer. Emperor Thaurissan was my tool of choice, but the Quest works as well. If you run only 1 and 2-mana cards you can use Sigil of Alacrity as well. Wayward Sage helps too for obvious reasons.
Ambidextrous:
Unironically easier before the new set came out because Warglaives of Azzinoth was still in the Core set. Without it, this just takes way longer because Multi-Strike only gives you one proc per card. Flamereaper doesn't work, it's not you doing the killing, but the weapon's effect.
Druid
Started from the Bottom:
Getting a Bottomfeeder to die and ressurect 5 times is stupid, so we're not doing that. Instead we use handbuffs. Survival of the Fittest is the most convenient choice for obvious reasons but at this point there's so many handbuffing mechanics in the neutral section that you can probably piece it together from other stuff as well. Just take whatever you have and try to make it work.
She's all Thumbs:
Agonizingly slow. The only saving grace is that Green-Thumb Gardener goes great with the next achievement as well so you can kill two birds with one stone.
If you wish to maximize progress you run Wildheart Guff, a 10-mana spell of your choice and Brann Bronzebeard. You get to 20-mana, spennd 11 of it and then Brann + Gardener for a full 20-mana refresh. Realistically you're probably better off just refreshing 7-8 mana regularly though.
Cult of Personality:
I pray for your sake that you don't open Hedra the Heretic because this is legit one of the most frustrating achievements to grind. 75 minions doesn't sound like much until you realize how difficult it is to guarantee to summon 5-mana+ minions only. In case you aren't aware, you need to have Hedra in hand to juice her effect. However, unlikeCommander Sivara she doesn't remember the order of spell played so if you want to guarantee to only summon big guys you can only play big spells while she'S in hand.
Oh and as a fun bonus, Hedra, unlike most other cards, doesn't go off the spells' original cost, so if you reduced the cost of a big spell she will summon from that cost, which may or may not be below (5).
You can technically discover Hedra from Amalgam but trust me, if youu attempt to do that you will blow your brains out before you get 5 procs on the achievement.
Oh and before you try to get cute with Zola or bounce shenanigans try to remember: You have to refuel Hedra every time she returns to hand so you're just gonna run out of big spells eventually. It's not worth it. just be happy to get 6 procs per game.
Hunter
An Acquired Taste:
Doesn't work with Professor Slate so only Urchin Spines are available. 60 minions total isn't too difficult at the very least. If you don't want to rely on your opponent playing spells you can just use ye olde Mad Summoner (If you keep reading these posts and still haven't crafted that guy you are a moron). Bola Shot is also very efficient to save on hand space.
In theory you can reliably do this one without owning the relevant card thanks to Pandaren Importer. Just fill your deck with enough Standard Hunter spells to only leave 3 open (including Spines). The downside of that is that your deck is now absolute garbage with little to no draw and you're essentially relying on topdecking both Importer and your damaging spells. I wouldn't do it if I were you. ~800 experience isn't worth the pain. Just play Battlegrounds instead.
Should Have Gone for the Head:
My favourite achievement...because the easiest way to do it is without owning Hydralodon and not even in Hunter. Instead you play Warlock in Wild, use Ambassador Faelin to hopefully get the HYdra (the chances are good, you probably won't need more than 3-4 tries). Then you just dredge the Hydra up and play it with Defile. Instant completion as long as your board is mostly empty.
Also works in Standard with Spammy Arcanist but requires some mana-cheating for that.
Twinning!:
A bit grindy, but nothing egregious. Play Hunter with draw and Zola the Gorgon (and maybe also Youthful Brewmaster) and try to maximize your procs.
Mage
Shark Bait Hoo Ha Ha:
Have you played Mech Mage? They do that by accident.
Ini-bots, Roll Out!:
Literally the same as before. Just stack your deck with mechs and two Spell tutors. It doesn't get easier.
Spelling Bee:
There are two ways to do this:
One is to just play Naga MAge and maybe add Brann and Zola for maximum efficiency.
The other involves an elaborate combo that I thought of too late to actually use it myself so I'm not 100% sure it even works. Essentially you want Sivara in your hand together with two Potion of Illusion and the tokens from Conjure Mana Biscuit (or Coins). You then play one Potion + the two Biscuits or coins (while making sure these are the spells Sivara remembers of course, which is the hardest part). Then you play Sivara to get them back and play the 2nd potion on her. This way you can infinitely cycle her through the mana refreshes and potions. Just make sure you always play the potion you got back right after copying your first Sivara so she remembers it and returns it. If I didn't miscalculate this is effectively an infinite combo (as long as you have boardspace obviously).
Paladin
Light 'Em Up:
Main reason to not dust your Libram package in Wild. Pretty self-explanatory too. Just get enough cheap Holy spells and dump them on the guy.
If you want to be really spicy you can try and somehow obtain a Radiant Elemental or Sorcerer's Apprentice and do it all in a single turn with Holy Maki Roll
Soy Glad to Be Here:
The hardest part about this is taking 20 damage. I tried to just put a bunch of self-damaging cards in my deck and set it up that way but that made me vulnerable to just dying, so at the end I essentially just played control and used fatigue to set myself up while using Time Out! to make sure I didn't die by my opponent.
If you own High Priest Thekal this gets monumentally easier.
Under the Radar:
One game. 29 mechs. One spell.
Priest
You Spin Me Right Round:
Probably one of the most difficult achievements...that I completed casually while doing another one because I just happened to discover a Whirlpool while the board was full.
If you want to force this you essentially have to find a way to reduce both Mad Summoner and Whirlpool so they can be played together. Palm Reading, Illuminate and Insight are all useful tools.
A cheeky way is to use Florist with copying effects since Whirlpool is a Nature spell and the only one in Priest's arsenal.
Psst...Worship N'zoth:
Pretty simple. Just play a Silence Priest deck with Selfish Shellfish. Priest has card draw now so getting your stuff is no issue. Trying to get more damage with bigger minions is generally not worth it. 4-mana 7/7 is best stats for the cost.
Catfished:
Incredibly annoying and long-winded. Getting Blackwater Behemoth out there and ressurecting him is not the issue, but taking damage is. Making use of fatigue is important. You'll be grinding this one for a while but it's not as bad as some of the other grindy achievements.
Rogue
Fishing Minigame:
This is the worst one. No contest. There is no possible way to cheese this. Your only option is zo use Azsharan Vessel and Ambassador Faelin to shuffle stuff to the bottom and then use the two copies of Gone Fishin' you are allowed to play to draw the stuff. You get a whopping 2 procs per game and need to do that 30 times. There is no way to reliably generate more copies outside of maybe Valeera the Hollow (which requires you to drag out the game while only giving you 2 more procs per game).
It's miserable and the worst part is that Azsharan Vessel and Faelin aren't even good enough to run in a regular tempo Pirate deck so you have to play a worse version just to do this.
Put the Money in the Bag!:
Self-explanatory. Just play Pirate Rogue and keep plundering. Brann and Zola and various Bounce effects can allow you to get more than one proc per game. However, most opponents will usually surrender once you've stolen 5 cards from their deck for the third time so don't get overly greedy.
Foodfight Gone Wrong:
Surprisingly simple. You don't have to use the battlecry to deal lethal damage, you can also just use Mr. Smite and ram the fish-guy into their face. Play enough pirate Rogue and this will just happen by itself.
Shaman
Dance of the Moonlight Minions:
Actually kind of interesting. There are multiple ways to get more procs. Naturally Mad Summoner is our board-filler of choice, but in order to maximize progress you can try to play a Questline deck to get double casts, Electra Stormsurge for a less elaborate way to doublecast or School Teacher to highroll a Nagaling with Bioluminescence (which you can then repeat ad nauseam with Bolner and Brann)
Feeding Frenzy:
Very easy achievement as long as you don't do it with Shaman. Instead play Hunter and use the multitude of Beast tutors and replicators (Selective Breeder, Warsong Wrangler, etc.) alongside shuffle buffs from Northshire Farmer and Dire Frenzy to make many many big Piranhas that you rush into everything you can. If there's nothing to rush into then just drop a Tundra Rhino and go face. It'S their fault for not playing minions.
Frigid Hot Waters:
If you own Radiance then reading this sentence already took more time than completing the achievement. IT's mind-numbingly simple.
If you don't own Radiance, go into Standard and use Menacing Nimbus and Amalgam of the Deep until you find it. I did it on my first try with Nimbus.
Warlock
75 Course Meal:
Harder than it looks. If you want to guarantee to get the proc you have to kill Gigafin's butt with a spell like Grimoire of Sacrifice, Grim Rally or Ritual of Doom. Getting to that point while the opponent has a big board might be more difficult than it sounds.
A good way to streamline the process is to run only Gigafin and Terrorguard Escapee and then use The Dark Portal to tutor and reduce either card and guarantee you always have something to munch.
I would advise not to try and find Gigafin off Amalgam or Faelin. It'S too inconsistent and by the time you get it you might be already dead. I tried and only got to 21 procs before I just gave up because it took so much time.
#@*&%!:
Sounds harder than it is. Curse Warlock is a surprisingly playable deck. Not good, but playable. The damage ramps rather quickly and optimizing curse generation is already the best way to play the deck so you're not setting yourself back by trying to complete the achievement.
If you have the full Curse package I'd just encourage you to play it for a bit. It's quite fun as long as you don't run into Pirate Warrior. If you don't have all the Curse cards it might take longer, but Brann and Zola are always helpful, as is Tamsin Roame and Queen Azshara
Scaling Scales:
Gigafin is the best target due to having the highest base attack of all Murlocs, but even without him it's not hard. There's enogh neutral handbuffing for this to work out in any way you want it to. I did it with Spirit of the Bat. First time that card has been useful to anybody.
Warrior
Sea of Thieves:
Much like the other Colossal achievements, you can try and get Nellie off Ambassador Faelin. I can't tell you if trying to get this in Wild or Standard is easier, but from experience there are just more expensive Pirates in Wild overall.
Unfortunately I can't confirm whether Brann makes it so both battlecries count towards the achievement but logic would indicate that it doesn't. Either way, getting this won't take forever. JUst keep trying.
Lavalue Town:
Gorehowl. Done.
In Hot Water:
Fuck this one. Only do this on bottom ranks. It's mindnumbingly unfun and you will lose most of your games. Your only objective is to survive as long as possible and play as much garbage as you can. Try doing it in Wild, at least there you have a better selection of random stuff.
You can run Vanndar Stormpike to maximize the amount of big idiots you can play per turn but without good tutors you're not getting it most of the time, so don't try and wait for him. Rip Fires on turn 4 if you haven't found Vanndar by then.
Neutral
Squelched:
Easy pickings. Mad Summoner in Warlock. Just kill off a single goon with a spell of your choice and then play Starfish. Finished in about 5 games if you own two Starfish.
Army of Azsahra:
Completes itself as you play. not worth forcing. A lot of the above achievement utilize Nagas anyways.
Shiny Hunting:
Treasure Guard is a good addition to any achievement hunting deck because she draws you cards while defending. If you want to accelerate this anyways you go into Wild and make use of Hunter's many Deathrattle activators like Play Dead and Terrorscale Stalker. Just use whatever you have.
Quick note: Tamsin's Phylactery doesn't work because it's the Phylactery applying the deathrattle to another minions so it's no longer Treasure Guard doing the drawing.
Minesweeper:
This one's funny...because it doesn't specify that you have to deal damage with its effect. It's much easier to just buff the Mine to a fat beatstick and ram it into something repeatedly. Alternatively you can also use the Deathrattle path from the above achievement.
Similarly to the previous achievement, Phylactery doesn't work here either.
Seven-Sided Strike:
I'm gonna make a point out of deliberately not explaining how to do this in the most efficient way because it's so easy to figure out.
Might and Magic:
Just play a Mage deck with minions, Barbaric Sorceress, and a couple 10-mana Spells. Eventually you're gonna get it.
Upside Down and Turned Around:
Somewhat tricky, but you can do it by just using Faelin with Shadowstep and Brann until the bottom of your deck is filled. Then just Finley with a big hand and it's done. Alternatively you can also use Togwaggle's Scheme but that one's unreliable because it doesn't shuffle to the bottom of the deck.
Seashells by the Seafloor:
Also compltes itself with time. No need to force it, but if you want to you know how.
What Lurks Below:
As long as you play a deck with a decent Collossal this comes together eventually. If you don't, Faelin is always good help.
Just and Old Fish Tale:
Much like the Mine one...you don't have to use the effect. Just put granny on roids and have her throw hands.
All your Mechs are Bleong to Us:
As with Treasure Guard and Naval Mine, a Deathrattle-centric deck works. Copying and targetted ressurrections is also good. Overall summoning 75 mechs isn't too hard so regardless of your card collection you should get this done within a reasonable time frame.
Hold your Breath:
This one's surprisingly fun. Just play a Shaman deck with Windfury and Windspeaker and get to work. Stuff like Reincarnate and other ressurrection effects also works well.
Rock, Paper, Blade!:
The only one that cannot be completed without luck. You just have to hope your opponent plays into it. At the very least there's plenty of Druids around these days and they tend to run big spells and minions. I can't tell you if the achievement procs off a 0-mana Naga Giant though.
Treasures Once Lost:
Simple and boring. You can challenge yourself and try to get the achievement in a single game with bounce effects. Tell me how it went.
Shale University:
Due to the larger spell-pool this is a lot easier in Wild since you can do it in just one class and won't have to worry about getting duplicates all the time. Try to keep track of the spells though so you don't waste time near the end.
Under Da Sea:
While you do the other achievements just run Azsharan cards if they fit the deck. Azsharan Vessel doesn't work because you don't actually play the Sunken card. Paladin's Azsharan card is a good way to force it since you can just bounce and copy the Sunken card and keep replaying it (while maintaining a strong board to drag out the game)
Amalgam Aquarium:
Lastly, here's a really interesting one. Now, on face value, this is simple. just put Amalgam in 10 different tribal decks and you're gonna breez through this.
However, there is a very interesting interaction here. See, Amalgam of the Deep can also discover Nightmare Amalgam and Circus Amalgam from any tribe (in Wild only of course). This becomes particularly exploitable if you use it on a tribe that your class doesn't have minions for and that has a very small Neutral Pool...such as Totems. So waht you want to do is put Serpent Ward into your deck, tutor your Amalgams and discover as many Amalgams from the Totem as you can (Hunter works best here because they have like 10 different options to tutor and duplicate the amalgams).
The fun part about this is that apparently discovering an Amalgam counts as a random tribe for the achievement so if you just keep discovering them you can competle the achievement without much thought (This is based off my own experience where I discovered a Nightmare Amalgam off a Quillboar, which gave me progress on the achievement when Quillboar and Totem where the only tribes left. I then discovered a Quillboar with my next Amalgam, which completed the achievement, which indicates that the discovered Amalgam counted for Totems randomly and not Quillboar despite being discovered from a Quillboar. I cannot, however, rule out that maybe just for this achievement the "all"-tribe counts seperately and discovering an Amalgam will only give you progress once. That's for you to find out)
Oh and just for your info, if you discover from an Amalgam you'll be offered random minions from any tribe and not just Amalgams
Final Thoughts
Overall this expansion was a huge improvement over the previous one, but there are still some needlessly grindy ones included. It's just complete bullshit to have an achievement for a card that you cannot realistically play more than two copies off each game.
On the flipside, there are also a bunch of achievements that are almost too simple, but I guess that's preferrable to the absurdly convoluted or luck-based ones.
As per usual, add your own thoughts, tell me what you missed, or ask me questions.
I need sleep.
