this deck took me from gold 2 to top 25 Masters in one day. It's pretty good against the two popular ramp decks, and eats maul up, so you'll see plenty of good matchups right now.
The ShiftstonedEternal Power Calculator is a deck-building tool that visualizes your odds of drawing enough Influence and Power based specifically on the cards found in your deck.
This deck aims at a fairly specific metagame; all the decks I was facing were either kairos ramp decks (praxis and grodov), fire aggro, or maul. If you're seeing real control decks, which might dead your suffocates/annihilates, play something else in that slot (I suggest flame blasts). As for the question on grenadin drones, it's not for blocking, it's for attacking for 2. If it's not effective at doing that, swap it for something else that is.
Drone is the best out of the 1 drops with Bandit Queen. It is also good at making sure your Banner works on turn 2 (not as good as the shift units, though).
Alleyguide/Conscript are better suited for when you don’t have many other T1 plays, because they are kinda poopy after T1. This deck wants to close out the game on turn 4 or 5 and the shift units will have only gotten in 3-6 damage by then if played on time (turn 1 or 3) — the other 1-drops can get 8-10 damage by then and are still fine on turn 2.
Exactly what susuexp says. Plus urchin takes a warcry or war leader buff real well. If anything, bloodseeker is the weak link at the 1 slot and could be replaced with oni patrol.
Why no Crooked Alleyguide/Nimble Conscript?
Why does Grenadin drone fit in here, is it just for blocking or what? Would have put in one of the above 2, or even Oni Patrol?
Alleyguide/Conscript are better suited for when you don’t have many other T1 plays, because they are kinda poopy after T1. This deck wants to close out the game on turn 4 or 5 and the shift units will have only gotten in 3-6 damage by then if played on time (turn 1 or 3) — the other 1-drops can get 8-10 damage by then and are still fine on turn 2.