Alterac Duels Meta Update #1 - Best 12-Win Hearthstone Duels Decks for December Week 3

Greetings,

and welcome to the first Fractured in Alterac Valley Duels meta report. It is quite clear that the new set really turned Standard upside down: Freeze Shaman (or better, Frost Shaman) has come back from the meme status and Warlock has found yet another way to annoy the community. Did the same thing happen for Duels? What decks are still good? Do we have any worthy novelties?

Well, worry not, as we've got your back. Here below you'll find a handful of 12-win decks achieved with multiple classes, which may give you the inspiration you need to get one yourself. Have fun!

Disclaimer: some decks in this article were collected from Firestone. You can find out more about Firestone and install the app here!

In case you missed them, we published other collections of 12-win Duels starting decks to take inspiration from!

If you've had 12 win luck in Duels since the recent balance changes, be sure to add your starting decks to our site via the deckbuilder and share them in the comments below!

Moreover, if you manage to find even more 12-wins decks (maybe even your own!) and you'd like us to showcase them, please contact us on Twitter at @OutOfCardsHS or @Avalon_OOC or through an in-site ping in Private Message.

Yugu's 12 Wins Outlander Demon Hunter

New expansion, same old Outlander Demon Hunter. With Alterac Valley's class set built around tokens and big Demons, there's nothing this archetype would want to try out. No worries though, as the deck is as strong as it was a couple weeks ago.

The only notable novelty is in the Passive Treasure department, with Imp-credible Trousers, which represents a far more useful upside for playing Fel spells than the one provided by Corrupted Felstone.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Fireshaper

Second pool - Imp-credible Trousers

Yugu's 12 Wins Outlander Demon Hunter

Duels · Combo Demon Hunter · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 0 Sigil of Silence x 1
• 1 Consume Magic x 1
• 1 Crimson Sigil Runner x 1
• 1 Double Jump x 1
• 1 Final Showdown x 1
• 1 Fury (Rank 1) x 1
• 1 Illidari Studies x 1
• 1 Mana Burn x 1
• 1 Throw Glaive x 1
• 1 Twin Slice x 1
• 2 Chaos Strike x 1
• 2 Spectral Sight x 1
• 3 Acrobatics x 1
• 3 Aldrachi Warblades x 1
• 3 Eye Beam x 1

2,080 Dust 1,840 3 Copy Deck Code

Fliboce's 12 Wins Beast Druid

It was obvious that someone was going to try out Beast Druid in Duels, but we definitely didn't expect the results to come this fast. To be more precise, Fliboce was able to bring the starting deck you see below to 12 wins not once, but twice - definitely impressive for a new entry in the Duels meta!

The archetype wants to win games in the same way as any other aggressive deck: stack unit on unit, buff them and go face. What's really interesting is that Oracle of Elune can lead up to some rather amusing scenarios, duplicating the likes of Wickerclaw and especially Frostsaber Matriarch, which is the number one reason why you want to play this deck.

On a final note, Fliboce was able to have a taste of the new Mantle of Ignition Passive Treasure, and was able to generate lots of pressure (and wins) with Royal Gift shenanigans.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Crystal Gem/Starving

Second pool - Mantle of Ignition/Battle Stance

Beast Druid

Duels · Beast Druid · by Fliboce · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 1 Adorable Infestation x 1
• 1 Druid of the Reef x 1
• 1 Enchanted Raven x 1
• 1 Vibrant Squirrel x 1
• 2 Clawfury Adept x 1
• 2 Golakka Crawler x 1
• 2 Mark of Y'Shaarj x 1
• 2 Thorngrowth Sentries x 1
• 2 Wickerclaw x 1
• 3 Heart of the Wild x 1
• 3 Oracle of Elune x 1
• 3 Savage Roar x 1
• 4 Park Panther x 1
• 5 Arbor Up x 1
• 7 Frostsaber Matriarch x 1

1,480 Dust 1,953 0 Copy Deck Code

Persia's 12 Wins Questline Druid

Questline Druid has always been a pretty straightforward deck: gain armor and hit the opponent in the face before they overwhelm you with on-board stats. Fractured in Alterac Valley didn't bring any notable toys to play with, except for Capture Coldtooth Mine.

In fact, Persia modified their starting deck so that CCM will always draw Sphere of Sapience. Sure, Pounce and Claw are important for you to get your hands on Guff the Tough as soon as possible, but being able to destroy Twig of the World Tree on demand for 10 additional mana is an even more relevant effect for you.

In order to attest this starting deck's potential, Mapdreis achieved 12 wins using the same 15 cards, with Fireshaper and [Hearthstone Card (ooops, all spells!) Not Found] as Passive Treasures.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Fireshaper

Second pool - Legendary Loot

Persia's 12 Wins Questline Druid

Duels · Quest Druid · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 1 Lost in the Park x 1
• 1 Sphere of Sapience x 1
• 2 Capture Coldtooth Mine x 1
• 2 Guess the Weight x 1
• 2 Jerry Rig Carpenter x 1
• 2 Lunar Eclipse x 1
• 2 Moonlit Guidance x 1
• 2 Solar Eclipse x 1
• 3 Feral Rage x 1
• 3 Moontouched Amulet x 1
• 3 Swipe x 1
• 4 Bite x 1
• 4 Twig of the World Tree x 1
• 5 Blingtron 3000 x 1
• 6 Starfire x 1

7,680 Dust 804 0 Copy Deck Code

Hsdqrmukou's 12 Wins Deathrattle Hunter

Following Expedited Burial's introduction in the pre-Alterac patch, Deathrattle Hunter's 12 wins runs have become more and more popular. Who would've known that reducing your big Deathrattles to 1 mana and abusing them with the likes of Deathstrider as soon as turn 2 would've been broken?

Korrak the Bloodrager is the only new inclusion, and we totally recommend running it: we're talking about a really sticky minion that can be duplicated with Death Games over and over again, for a quite troublesome board to deal with.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Ever-Changing Elixir

Second pool - Expedited Burial

hsdqrmukou's 12 Wins Deathrattle Hunter

Duels · Deathrattle Hunter · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 0 Devouring Swarm x 1
• 1 Carrion Studies x 1
• 2 Cult Neophyte x 1
• 2 Golakka Crawler x 1
• 2 Nerubian Egg x 1
• 2 Terrorscale Stalker x 1
• 3 Bloated Python x 1
• 3 Death's Head Cultist x 1
• 3 Devilsaur Egg x 1
• 3 Mankrik x 1
• 4 Korrak the Bloodrager x 1
• 4 Monstrous Parrot x 1
• 5 Burning Blade Acolyte x 1
• 5 Imported Tarantula x 1
• 7 Darkmoon Tonk x 1

4,520 Dust 1,000 0 Copy Deck Code

Persia's 12 Wins Deathrattle Hunter

However, you can achieve great results with Deathrattle Hunter even if you don't get offered Expedited Burial: here's a 12 wins run by Persia with an "average" Passive like Emerald Goggles, which isn't bad but not the greatest either.

So yes, the archetype is clearly a frontrunner in this early Fractured in Alterac Valley meta.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Starving

Second pool - Emerald Goggles

Persia's 12 Wins Deathrattle Hunter

Duels · Deathrattle Hunter · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 1 Carrion Studies x 1
• 2 Doggie Biscuit x 1
• 2 Feign Death x 1
• 2 Nerubian Egg x 1
• 2 Selective Breeder x 1
• 3 Bloated Python x 1
• 3 Death's Head Cultist x 1
• 3 Devilsaur Egg x 1
• 4 Korrak the Bloodrager x 1
• 4 Monstrous Parrot x 1
• 4 Stormpike Battle Ram x 1
• 4 Warsong Wrangler x 1
• 5 Burning Blade Acolyte x 1
• 5 Imported Tarantula x 1
• 7 Darkmoon Tonk x 1

3,520 Dust 1,182 0 Copy Deck Code

Firestone - 12 Wins Frost Hero Power Mage

Thanks to the general focus on Frost spells in the recent expansion, Frost Hero Power Mage got some new and interesting cards to experiment with, both in the class and neutral sections.

• Amplified Snowflurry is a Tour Guide with more stats and a Freeze effect on top of it.
• Snowblind Harpy is a conditional Shieldmaiden for 2 less mana, and the restriction of having a Frost spell in hand can be easily neutralized when you have plenty in your deck.
• Herald of Lokholar, however, is a straight up worse Frostweave Dungeoneer, and therefore we don't see it making the cut any time soon.

All in all, Frost Shards Mage's power level is still up there, and now it has more tools at disposal (there's also Glacial Downpour to be picked, but let's leave this for another time).

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Arctic Armor

Second pool - Battle Totem

Firestone - 12 Wins Frost Hero Power Mage

Duels · Hero Power Mage · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 0 Flurry (Rank 1) x 1
• 1 Armor Vendor x 1
• 1 Wildfire x 1
• 2 Amplified Snowflurry x 1
• 2 Youthful Brewmaster x 1
• 3 Frost Nova x 1
• 3 Frostweave Dungeoneer x 1
• 3 Snowblind Harpy x 1
• 3 Zola the Gorgon x 1
• 4 Leyline Manipulator x 1
• 4 Reckless Apprentice x 1
• 4 Spice Bread Baker x 1
• 4 Varden Dawngrasp x 1
• 5 Loatheb x 1
• 8 Mordresh Fire Eye x 1

7,480 Dust 1,046 0 Copy Deck Code

HotokeTaro's 12 Wins Big Paladin

Here's another deck that has received no new cards, but it's still a banger.

A solid Hero Power in From Golden Light, an incredible Signature Treasure in Royal Greatsword and a large pool of viable Passive Treasures to choose from make Divine Shield/Big Paladin a force to be reckoned with, and it's been like this for a while now.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Grommash's Armguards

Second pool - Legendary Loot

HotokeTaro's 12 Wins Big Paladin

Duels · Big Paladin · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 1 Righteous Protector x 1
• 2 Annoy-o-Tron x 1
• 2 Far Watch Post x 1
• 2 Nerub'ar Weblord x 1
• 2 Shielded Minibot x 1
• 3 Consecration x 1
• 3 Gift of Luminance x 1
• 3 Goody Two-Shields x 1
• 3 Stoneskin Basilisk x 1
• 4 Call to Arms x 1
• 4 Cariel Roame x 1
• 7 Mr. Smite x 1
• 7 Troggzor the Earthinator x 1
• 8 Ragnaros, Lightlord x 1
• 10 Y'Shaarj, Rage Unbound x 1

8,720 Dust 1,083 0 Copy Deck Code

Dsorrow's 12 Wins Deathrattle Priest

Alterac Valley's Deathrattle package is quite amusing, especially the new Xyrella, the Devout granting a very powerful value swing. Dsorrow took this chance to try out the archetype in Duels, and was able to bring home some results.

In fact, Journey to Un'Goro's Awaken the Makers and Kobolds & Catacombs' Twilight's Call represents powerful inclusion for Deathrattle Priest, granting you lots of heal and more Xyrella, the Devout fodder.

The starting deck you see below includes some quite aggressive Deathrattles in Leper Gnome and Shadowed Spirit, but doesn't have any problems in going the distance thanks to N'Zoth, the Corruptor and the aforementioned Xyrella Hero Card.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Rocket Backpacks

Second pool - Totem of the Dead

Dsorrow's 12 Wins Deathrattle Priest

Duels · Deathrattle Priest · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 0 Raise Dead x 1
• 1 Awaken the Makers x 1
• 1 Call of the Grave x 1
• 1 Crystalline Oracle x 1
• 1 Leper Gnome x 1
• 2 Condemn (Rank 1) x 1
• 2 Plated Beetle x 1
• 3 Shadowed Spirit x 1
• 3 Twilight's Call x 1
• 4 Korrak the Bloodrager x 1
• 5 Burning Blade Acolyte x 1
• 5 Vectus x 1
• 6 Undying Disciple x 1
• 8 Xyrella, the Devout x 1
• 10 N'Zoth, the Corruptor x 1

9,320 Dust 1,391 0 Copy Deck Code

Yumeha_gbf's 12 Wins Kingsbane Rogue

Duels Rogue is tier F, they say. Well, they may be right, but at least there are some players that are yet to lose hope in the class and keep experimenting with it. Yumeha_gbf, in particular, decided to have a closer look to Weapon Rogue, and with the help of Kingsbane they were able to bring the archetype to 12 wins.

Although it has no direct synergy with the archetype, Shadowcrafter Scabbs is a jacked up Vanish, which is incredibly useful for a deck that wants to directly hit the opponent in the head with a big weapon.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Fireshaper

Second pool - Legendary Loot

yumeha_gbf's 12 Wins Kingsbane Rogue

Duels · Kingsbane Rogue · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 0 Preparation x 1
• 1 Blackwater Cutlass x 1
• 1 Deadly Poison x 1
• 1 Kingsbane x 1
• 1 Paralytic Poison x 1
• 1 Prize Plunderer x 1
• 1 Silverleaf Poison x 1
• 1 Southsea Deckhand x 1
• 2 Fogsail Freebooter x 1
• 2 Secret Passage x 1
• 4 Dread Corsair x 1
• 4 Tinker's Sharpsword Oil x 1
• 5 Cutting Class x 1
• 7 Mr. Smite x 1
• 8 Shadowcrafter Scabbs x 1

5,640 Dust 1,162 0 Copy Deck Code

Firestone - 12 Wins Elemental Shaman

Although Fractured in Alterac Valley expansion did print a handful of Elementals, we dare to say that we expect this archetype to remain pretty much the same it was before the set release.

To be completely fair,  Duels' low health total in the first few matches makes it so that Lokholar the Ice Lord's discount effect will almost always activate in a matter of a few turns, and this unit's impact on the board will be even more relevant once you manage to discount it with the likes of Fire Plume Harbinger and Granite Forgeborn. For this reason we expect Lokholar to be the only new Elemental to see play in Elemental Shaman.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Crystal Gem

Second pool - Rally the Troops

Firestone - 12 Wins Elemental Shaman

Duels · Elemental Shaman · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 1 Wailing Vapor x 1
• 2 Bolner Hammerbeak x 1
• 2 Fire Plume Harbinger x 1
• 2 Sleetbreaker x 1
• 3 Arid Stormer x 1
• 3 Gyreworm x 1
• 3 Hot Spring Guardian x 1
• 3 Instructor Fireheart x 1
• 3 Mankrik x 1
• 4 Earth Revenant x 1
• 4 Granite Forgeborn x 1
• 5 Lilypad Lurker x 1
• 5 Loatheb x 1
• 5 Servant of Kalimos x 1
• 10 Lokholar the Ice Lord x 1

9,060 Dust 1,259 0 Copy Deck Code

AgentCroque's 12 Wins Pirate Warrior

See, in the last few days there has been quite an amusing exchange of Tweets between Croque and Persia regarding Rokara, the Valorous' role in Pirate Warrior: while the former claims that this Hero Card is a win-more tool in that deck, the latter has a completely opposite opinion.

Both these players tried to back up their opinion with fact, and both of them achieved 12 wins with what they believe is the best version of the archetype.

Croque goes for a Rokara-less list, focusing on Pirates and cheap Battlecries, with Gruntled Patron for a board-flooding effect thanks to Spiked Arms shenanigans.

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Ever-Changing Elixir

Second pool - Rally the Troops

[Duels] AgentCroque`s 12 Win Patron Pirate Warrior

Duels · Pirate Warrior · by AgentCroque · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 1 Bloodsail Corsair x 1
• 1 Bloodsail Deckhand x 1
• 1 N'Zoth's First Mate x 1
• 1 Raid the Docks x 1
• 1 Southsea Deckhand x 1
• 2 Bloodsail Raider x 1
• 2 Fogsail Freebooter x 1
• 2 Harbor Scamp x 1
• 3 Cargo Guard x 1
• 3 Defias Cannoneer x 1
• 3 Stormwind Freebooter x 1
• 4 Dread Corsair x 1
• 4 Gruntled Patron x 1
• 4 Sword Eater x 1
• 7 Mr. Smite x 1

3,720 Dust 1,491 0 Copy Deck Code

Persia's 12 Wins Pirate Warrior

On the other hand, Persia puts Rokara, the Valorous as the top-end of their personal list.

So, now you can tell us: which one do you personally prefer?

Passive Treasures Chosen

First pool - Crystal Gem

Second pool - Bronze Signet

Persia's 12 Wins Pirate Warrior

Duels · Pirate Warrior · by Avalon · 4 years, 3 months ago

• 1 Bloodsail Deckhand x 1
• 1 N'Zoth's First Mate x 1
• 1 Raid the Docks x 1
• 2 Bloodsail Raider x 1
• 2 Fogsail Freebooter x 1
• 2 Harbor Scamp x 1
• 3 Bloodsail Cultist x 1
• 3 Cargo Guard x 1
• 3 Defias Cannoneer x 1
• 3 Stormwind Freebooter x 1
• 4 Dread Corsair x 1
• 4 Gruntled Patron x 1
• 4 Sword Eater x 1
• 7 Mr. Smite x 1
• 7 Rokara, the Valorous x 1

5,280 Dust 1,535 5 Copy Deck Code