With all the commotion around Whispers of the Old Gods, it feels like it’s been a long time since the Blackrock Mountain adventure was released, when it’s just passed the one-year mark. While not the strongest expansion, Blackrock Mountain gave us dragons, elementals, and the infamous Grim Patron. Grim Patron dominated the meta-game for months, leading to one of the most sweeping nerfs to the humble Warsong Commander. Despite this, Patron Warrior is still a viable deck archetype, especially in this Druid-dominated meta-game.
The titular Grim Patron is still a force to be reckoned with, offering good board control on a mid to late-game level. Warrior spells that damage minions while buffing them couples well with Patrons, duplicating them and making good board control great. Cards like Battle Rage, which let you draw cards based on how many damaged minions you possess allow unparalleled card draw, made even better by Acolytes of Pain.
The wiggle room for win conditions is fairly deep. Between Patron dominance, Grommash Hellscream, Emperor Thaurissan-led combos, Elise Starseeker, and Frothing Berserkers, the versatility in this deck offers more than meets the eye. The only weakness in this deck comes in the form of early game. If you aren’t putting Unstable Ghouls and Acolytes of Pain on the board, you’re simply going to have an empty opening few turns, which for some classes like Warlock and Hunter, is more than enough time to set up elaborate board control.
Decks that will give you the most trouble may be from your fellow Warriors. Control and Fatigue Warriors are able to stall you out and keep your Patrons at bay with cards like Brawl. Freeze Mage’s ability to wipe the board without you being able to retaliate is something to keep in mind of, too.
Minions like Sir Finley are to be used once you determine what kind of deck your opponent’s using. If they’re aggressive and quickly gaining ground, aim for Druid or Mage’s pinging prowess. If they’re going control, go for Warlock’s card draw. It’s a small change on a surface level, but it actually can make or break this deck.
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