10 Top Standard Hearthstone Decks for the Post Pally Nerf Meta - Standard Meta Snapshot

The recent Balance patch that brought nerfs for Pure Paladin is nearly a week old, and it's time once again for us to take a look at the decks that are performing best in its wake. Here are the five decks with the best overall winrates (according to HSReplay) at Diamond and Legend ranks.

Or, if you're a contrarian, we've once again included a counter-pick for each meta deck, an off-meta strategy that appears to do well against it - this brings our total to 10 decks for your viewing pleasure.

Hound Hunter

Hollow Hound has taken Hunter to the top of the dog pile this week, providing board control and Health stabilization to a class that can use the extra time the Hound buys to assemble a beat stick of large Beasts. This version of the deck adds some early game in the form of Secrets Wandering Monster and Hidden Meaning, with Costumed Singer to draw them.

Counter-pick: Unholy Death Knight

One way to counter Hound Hunter is to play a deck that tries to go even bigger, but our featured deck this week pivots into the other direction with an aggressive curve and a spell-light build to use Magatha, Bane of Music to her fullest potential. Unholy Death Knight's army of tiny minions is so persistent that it can take a Hollow Hound on the chin and keep on coming, especially as it feeds Lord Marrowgar.

Totem Shaman

Totem Shaman has finally hit the big-time, thanks to new cards Remixed Totemcarver and Backstage Bouncer. This list also makes use of Jam Session for an additional source of buffs for its Totems, even if it can potentiallly backfire with Magatha, Bane of Music.

Counter-pick: Control Priest

As ever, the best answer to a low-curve, swarmy aggressive deck is Control Priest - the deck with the board clears that keep on giving. This list gets a little greedier with Queen Azshara, and also maindecks a Rustrot Viper to eat scary weapons. E.T.C., Band Manager has booked this gig for Shadow Word: Ruin, Steamcleaner, and Theotar, the Mad Duke.

Pure Paladin

Pure Paladin has fallen from the top of the meta, but adjustments to the deck have kept it afloat in an unfriendly tide. The Mana increase to Feast and Famine only opened players' eyes to the power of For Quel'Thalas! in combination with Horn of the Windlord, so now the deck has even more Weapon buffs.

Counter-pick: Relic Demon Hunter

Relic Demon Hunter matches well against the newly-humbled Pure Paladin, with the scaling removal to kill its minions while also boosting up its Relics for a big Artificer Xy'mox turn later. This list packs a pair of Enchanters for even more minion pain, and Prosecutor Mel'tranix for timely disruption.

Enrage Warrior

Enrage Warrior continues to make a name for itself ("Larry") in the mini-set meta, using the litany of buffs it received in the dark days for Riffs and Thori'belore to craft a top-five archetype. This list goes heavier into card draw with Treasure Guard, who also makes Roaring Applause more effective.

Counter-pick: Secret Rogue

The deck to beat Enrage Warrior is a Secret Rogue that finds new ways to create tempo with Concoctions and Scourge Illusionist discounting Pozzik, Audio Engineer or Mothership.

Evolve Shaman

Evolve Shaman has adapted to the new world of Standard, with the once-overloooked combo of Baroness Vashj and Blazing Transmutation leading the way. Backstage Bouncer is a powerful tool for a deck that can summon 1-Drops on the cheap, and Pack the House is a lot of fun for refilling the board.

Counter-pick: Outcast Demon Hunter

If you're going to survive the fight against Evolve Shaman, you have to keep their board clear while buffing a board of your own. Enter Outcast Demon Hunter, a deck packed with Rush minions hale enough to take a hit and keep swinging, or small minions that can spawn more small minions with help from Hawkstrider Rancher.

What top decks are you playing in Post-Audiopocalyptic Hearthstone? Share them in our deckbuilder and show them off in the comments below.