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Defiance Paladins

Throne Deck By
itsdannyboi

+15

Cost Curve

Type

Faction

Information

This is my paladins list from Into the Shadows that I updated for Defiance and posted here. I added Hojan and Reyna and swapped my Winchester Merchant for the Hidden Road Smuggler.

Hidden Road Smuggler fits really well since he is lifesteal so he meshed with Oathbreaker and has a good body on 3.

Oh boy though Hojan is amazing. Really the star of this deck especially if you get a Telut down. I am thinking about main decking Telut just for Hojan. Hojan and Copperhall Paladin give you some really awesome ramp in this deck when combined with Anointer of the Faithful or really any of your other weapons in this deck.

Reyna is a nice top end pressure card and I like her ablity to avoid slay, feeding time, deathstrike, annihilate, etc. Doesn't evade Vanquish sadly though.

A really great great great strategy is this:
-T2 play anointer of the faithful, give bond to Reyna, Oathbreaker, Throne Warden, or even Sigvard if you want though I usually don't give to Sigvard unless I have to.
-T3 play Hojan -> Hojan gets renowned -> plays sigil -> gets empowered -> is now a 5/4
-You can now bond and play any of the threats I listed above on T3 which is an insane amount of pressure. I think this is the real reason for Hojan's ability and do not think it's a waste to play his Renown ability when he cannot use it.

This deck is great fun and I love the tribal synergy. Let me know your thoughts!

Details

Shiftstone Cost
Does not include campaign cost
41,400
Premium Cost
218,400
Influence Requirements
4 3
Power Sources
21 16 12
Power Calculator
Shiftstoned Icon View Deck on Shiftstoned
Deck Rarities
8 16 35 3 7
Card Types
30 13 12 0 25
Contains Cards From Campaigns
The Tale of Horus Traver [Set1002]
Dead Reckoning [Set1003]
Into Shadow [Set1004]
Archetype
Tempo Combo
Added
December 14, 2018
Views
7,946
Eternal Version
Defiance
BBCode For Comments
Deck URL

Revisions (Since last major patch) December 14, 2018

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Comments

gusgusem Eternal Version: 1.42.3
Hi, thanks for the list!! Its the first deck that works so well in gauntlet for me. Its amazingly balanced for gauntlet, the power base, the removals, everything works great! I made a couple of changes, and uploaded the list in order to share it with some friends. I hope it is ok, I can delete it if you mind.

Nevertheless amazing job! Thanks for sharing!
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42.3
Glad you like it!!!
gusgusem Eternal Version: 1.42.3
Here is the link, if you want to try the changes, Paladins Gauntlet :)

I use the Elder's Feather for cheap ramping sometimes, or life gain from Hojan, Crownbreaker when in trouble with power or aggro decks. Also sometimes a flying unit helps a lot
Blackhaven Eternal Version: 1.42
I think you should try weapons that aren't Bloodletter, since most of your units have lifesteal already - you are only getting +3/+3 for 3. I recommend trying out Vanquisher's Blade, Thief's Pick, and Inquisitor Blade.
itsdannyboi Edited Eternal Version: 1.42
It's kind of a holdover from my original paladin's list.... My primary reason for playing it is it is a weapon on 3 with pretty good value. 3/3 for 3 even without lifesteal is great IMO, though thief's pick could be good. Bloodletter is quite good on Valkyrie Enforcer, Throne Warden, and Reyna (or maybe unempowered Hojan?) which IMO is reason enough to play it. I think I will probably try out Inquisitor Blade and Thief's Pick separately and see if I get any boosts from it.

EDIT: Okay so I've been thinking about this more and I think it's really important to curve up with Hojan a nice weapon. So think T2 play Hojan, T3 play Bloodletter (or some equally good 3 drop weapon, though Bloodletter is quite good on 3 IMO) and so then Hojan becomes a whopping 9/8 (2/1 + 2/2 empower to get you from 2 power to 3, play weapon +3/3, Renown -> empower +2/2 = 2/1 + 7/7 = 9/8) which is devastating that early in the game. I have been play testing Inquisitors Blade and so far I don't like it, that one extra power isn't very nice in my playtesting. I will try thief's pick next.
neolights2363 Eternal Version: 1.42
I’m confused. Is this deck supposed to play out like a midrange argenport deck? Or is it supposed to be agreessive with bonding out paladins quickly? If it’s Aggro what other plays do we have besides anointer into hojan into turn 3 big boi. Shouldn’t we have better payoffs like more Reyna IF we’re going midrange?
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
I think you are to change your strategy depending on how you are drawing and what you are playing. I think there's an element of it that you are essentially trying to overwhelm your opponent, not neccessarily aggro them. You want to put a lot of pressure on them and force them to take tempo losses. You want to hit your market up and get a Telut or Martyrs Chains as those will really help you win. I think I want to add another Reyna, she seems quite good in the deck, maybe I'd drop Sigvard entirely and add two Reynas, or maybe one Reyna and another SotSK. That would all come down to play testing though.
neolights2363 Eternal Version: 1.42
I’m gathering the tone of an aggressive midrange deck. Cool then def more Reyna.
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
Let me know how adding more Reyna works for you. I only added one because that's all I pulled on day one, I think it'd be worth to craft more though because I have always enjoyed when I had her in hand and on the field.
Sceadugenga Eternal Version: 1.42
I'm playing 3 Reyna 0 Sivgard and find it to be a substantial improvement. Average cost 5 for a 4/5 lifesteal just isnt really worth enough to me, whereas Reyna can just blank entire strategies. Any thing feln can barely touch it, kerendon and winchest will have a harder time, and she diesnt die to peak.
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
Okay awesome that's what I figured would happen. I originally included Sigvard last set due to a dare from a friend to get Sigvard to work. I liked him as you could get some pretty good value swings (since the strategy is to just provide a lot of pressure on the opponent) and so I often found myself dropping him for cost 2 while still playing other cards making for a really good tempo turn.

I really like Reyna a lot so I will probably just craft the other two and ditch the Sigvard as she should be fairly easy to get out considering Anointer, Hojan, and Copperhall. Thanks!
martyvburen Eternal Version: 1.42
Loving it so far. Didn't have the Shiftstone for Reyna or Sigvard, so I went up three Knight of Sorrow. Man, that card is good in this deck. It shuts down so much when it comes in even as a 5/5, but can consistently be a 6/6 or 7/7 with either Tribute (which no one expects, because who plays Knight of Sorrow on Ladder?) or a couple of Anointers. Kept the sideboard the same, because good god Martyr's Chains is hilarious.
Sceadugenga Eternal Version: 1.42
This list is a ton of fun! I've been horsing around with a kerendon list to take advantage of Brel, and warhelm is a nice bit of additional tech :). This list has serious potential! It is possible though that one of the merchants is better than the smuggler, because annointer's free weapons are so important to the opening turns of your aggression.
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
I used to (before defiance) use Winchest Merchant and kept a copy of anointer in the market, but I feel the black market + smuggler together is much more powerful than being able to pull an anointer at times. Just have to rely on Cull the Deck almost at this point. I do wish I could improve the consistency a little by having anointer in the market but I like it this way.
sto650 Edited Eternal Version: 1.42
This looks pretty cool! I'll probably try it out when I tire of my current concoction of Empowered Combrei. Side note: I strongly suggest you consider replacing Azindel's Gift with a Thief's Pick. Thief's Pick can just flat win a game all by itself, especially on a Hojan. Edit: have you thought about Order of the Spire, with all the weapons and empower flying around?
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
I don't like how slow Order is, and thief's pick could be fun but Azindel's Gift is great when your opponent has card advantage over you. It has won me many games where I was set to lose, drop Azindel's Gift, couple turns later I have the win.

I am currently trying to do a Kerendon (TJS) Empowered Dark Combrei essentially right now, so I'd love to take a look at your list and maybe glean some ideas. I currently just have too many cards >.<
sto650 Edited Eternal Version: 1.42
Here's my list: Combrei Empower with a Mediating Martyr
The one thing I'm not sure about is the initiates. It's possible they should be district infantry. But the deck really wants to hit it's sword/behemoth/chains, so I'm not eager to remove the ramp.
y2chae Eternal Version: 1.42
Only time this deck hasn't won for me is when I get unlucky with power screw
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
That's awesome to hear. This deck is so much fun and paladins are finally good!
drmaniac Eternal Version: 1.42
This is another deck, but I really want to fit brel in a paladin/armory hybrid with annointer. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard to play a runehammer turn 4 and brel turn 5 to basically get a sword of the sky king with warcry 2.
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
Yeah I saw Brel and I don't know what to do with her. I feel adding in fire might not lead to a Paladins deck, I think her purpose is to help bring back armory.
FireBee Eternal Version: 1.42
Great deck.
I've gone 12-2 so far in masters. Glad that Paladins are starting to have a good presence in the game.
Blackhaven Eternal Version: 1.42
I recommend tryout out Fenris Nightshade, he puts all the lifesteal in the deck to great use.
Solafide Eternal Version: 1.42
Good deck until they play Rejection on your first Harsh Rule.
LycaNinja Eternal Version: 1.42
Oh using the bond on a different Paladin to go off Hojan... IDK why I didn't think of that synergy to use since Hojan is triggered.
Alegis Edited Eternal Version: 1.42
Excellent deck list, thanks. Strolled through diamond straight to master as it's a great counter to skycraggro. Loved paladin tribal in the past, I'm glad it got a new edge with Hojan and the new merchant.

I ran 1 ironfist instead of 1 Sivgard; only so I didn't need to craft an extra Sivgard before I gave the deck a spin. Couldn't really use Ironfist well throughout my plays - if you have both I would stick with Sivgard.

itsdannyboi Edited Eternal Version: 1.42
Thank you for confirming this for me. I had a few people ask if they could sub this and I didn't think it would be too useful

Also congrats on masters thats awesome, I'm glad my deck took you there!
Alegis Eternal Version: 1.42
I'm going to play a bit with main decking Telut and placing Sword of the Sky king in market instead.

Didn't really need Dark Return that much vs aggro, could be an option to cut some cards from too.
Epsilon Eternal Version: 1.42
Fantastic deck! Having a blast with it in my first Defiance Gauntlet run. I agree with the above poster that Ironfist Chancellor seems nuts in this deck, even though he's not a Paladin. Any reason you left him out or was it just for thematic reasons (or not owning the cards?)
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
Thank you! I left him out because I already have two good 2 drops in the deck, you're right it doesn't go thematically, and because I also think that I'm not running enough weapons to capitalize on his ability.
Epsilon Eternal Version: 1.42
Yeah, now that I think of it, the extra weapons that get tossed around by the Anointers and Telut make it feel like there are more weapons to copy than there really are. This is why I leave the deckbuilding to others! ;-)
Any1wins Eternal Version: 1.42
I have been running 2 Ironfist Chancellor over Sivgard. Its nutty how much grind you can get
LycaNinja Eternal Version: 1.42
I wish some cards were Paladins over Soldiers but oh well... Someday Paladin tribal will be a thing of beauty.
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
its a thing of beauty today, the future is now!
itsdannyboi Eternal Version: 1.42
Hmm that's a fun tech though he doesn't benefit much from all the paladins per say. Did you sub in some more weapons since I feel 3 Vanquishers Blade and 3 Bloodletter isn't really much for him to copy?
Any1wins Eternal Version: 1.42
My apologies, I misremembered the list I decided on. I exchanged the 2 Sivgard and 1 Reyna for 1 Ironfist and 2 Copperhall. It was mostly a budget decision on my part.