Imbue Druid isn't the newest deck but it's great for Budget players because, thanks to Trial cards, we can play legendaries like Hamuul Runetotem and Malorne the Waywatcher without spending any Dust. As far as new cards go, Crystalspine Cub is a neat little 1-Drop that the opponent often feels forced to deal with, Felwood Treant is incredibly efficient Ramp, and Forest's Gift is a very powerful buff spell that give us the punch we need to end the game. Shall we break it down?

Disclaimer: The decklist you see here is adapted from one I found on The Internet, and we'll talk about the change(s) I made down below. I would also like to say that, when I started work on this guide, I was unaware that Imbue Druid is apparently the current meta King - I just thought it was a good ladder option for budget players.

Strategy: How to Play

Play spells, Imbue, hit the button. Next section.

OK, so it is that simple 70% of the time. I never said this was on the complexity level of Patron Warrior. There are some choices, especially in the early game, but often the decision tree boils down to "What can I do this turn that will allow me to make a larger man next turn?" And usually the answer is play spells, Imbue, hit the button.

Because this deck has no board clears and very little removal, we want to spend the early part of the game using our minions to trade with our opponent's until we have control of the board and a couple of big Golems. If we reach the midgame and have a board of four or more minions, that's when we start applying pressure to the face with a big buff from Forest's Gift. I usually put the buff on my non-Golem minions to spread the power around, as most decks I played against aren't good at dealing with multiple big bodies. This is also the reason I cast Forest's Gift before Hero Powering if it's an Imbue trigger, unless I need the extra +1/+1 for lethal damage.

Mulligan Guide

Against faster decks, I keep Crystalspine Cub, Innervate, and Bitterbloom Knight as those are my best chances to fight for early board control. Against slower decks I like Symbiosis and Horn of Plenty in addition to Innervate and Knight, and if I have some of those I might also keep Petal Picker or Felwood Treant.

Combos & Synergies

This is a great place to talk about Hybridization, a draw spell we're running a single copy of because it can refill our hand with impactful minions. It's often the right choice to save a discounted Hero Power for a Hybridization turn, since we can draw a 0 Mana Charred Chameleon to give that Golem a buff and Rush. And be sure to remember that Felwood Treant plays by old school Nourish rules: the Mana Crystal it gives you is ready to use, effectively making it a 1-Cost 2/2 (or a free 2/2 if it's been discounted by Hybridization). If you can weave a Living Roots into your Forest's Gift turn, the extra +2/+2 you get from the tokens is not to be overlooked.

And if everything else fails, Malorne the Waywatcher will often find us something very powerful to swing the game back in our favor.

Tech Choices & Flex Slots

The version of this deck that I adapted ran two copies of Waveshaping as well as Shaladrassil, both of which I cut for Wrath and Photosynthesis because I wanted more removal and the health gain from Photosynthesis felt good against Mage. They're certainly worth considering, especially in a slower meta. If you're facing more aggressive decks, Mark of the Wild could help keep them out of your face, and Ebb and Flow is a card that, in retrospect, I think could have fit nicely (but I didn't think to try it).

In terms of non-Budget options, Ulfar seems like an intriguing option, but one that I personally have not tested.

When to Concede

It's important to understand that, in every healthy relationship, there's give and take. You don't have to win every argument, and being right is not as important as being happy. If you hurt your partner's feelings, it's often the correct move to apologize even if you're

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