Drafting-Horde Allies

Today, I wanted to get back to drafting a little bit. Don't fear, I'm not done with the individual deck reviews yet, but since Nationals is a multi-format event, we have to be prepared for more than just the top decks in Constructed. Today, I want to move on the Horde's common ally selection. One thing that I want to address before I get to the actual review is why I don't rank all the cards from 1 to whatever. The reason is very simple. After about your fourth pick, you should start picking based on needs and what you can expect for the rest of the draft. The further you get into the draft, the more your current choices will be determined by the ones you've already made. For example. if you were lucky enough to pick up 2 Moira's and a Tristan in HoA, but no three drops, it doesn't really matter that Vindicator Enkallus is better than Durdin Hammerhand. You NEED three drops, so Durdin would be the pick there.

Moving on the talk about Horde allies, Horde can be a little bit trickier to draft than Alliance. With both factions, you can go either control or aggro. But with Alliance that is generally determined by how many big drops you got and to a lesser extent what abilities you have because many of the low-mid-level allies are desired for both aggro and control. Jeleane Nightbreeze is going in any Alliance deck that has her in the pile. Alliance can flow more seamlessly between the two.

Horde control decks and Horde aggro decks generally want different cards. Zorn Stormfury is a perfect example. The Horde rush decks that are very popular right now consider this guy a very high pick. Horde control however, isn't going to have a whole lot of use for the little guy. The aggro deck is usually easier to draft because Horde is dangerously low on big allies so the control decks generally need some help from the uncommons and rares to be good.

Here are my rankings for the Horde Allies:

Heroes of Azeroth
1-drops

Wanted:

Gartok Skullsplitter
Voss Treebender

Playable:

Katali Stonetusk
Kagra of the Crossroads

Junk:

Brigg

The one-drops require a little extra information here. In a control deck I probably wouldn't play Kagra, and I wouldn't be terribly excited about playing Ka'tali. Sure he can trade with opposing one-drops early, but when you draw him late, he's just average if that. The 2/1, I would probably play in a control deck, but I wouldn't go out of my way to draft them.

In an aggro deck, the 2/1's are mid-to-high level picks and the other 2 become more playable. Kagra's ferocity becomes much better with some Zorn's or For the Hordes, and Ka'tali can save one of your guys to let it keep attacking which is a very solid tempo play.

2-drops

Wanted:

Confessor Mildred
Guardian Steelhorn
Jin'lak Nightfang
Zorn Stormfury

Playable:

Mias

Junk:

Orgrimmar Grunts

Most of the 2-drops are pretty solid. Like I said before, Zorn is really only a top pick in aggressive decks and if you can get more than one that can be very deadly. I'm not as big on Mias as some people. She will more often that not, take out the worst card in their hand and then just die. She's not a spectacular tempo play, and control decks would rather play something besides a 1/1 on turn 2. I'll play her if I don't have anything else in the slot, but I'm not usually too happy about it.

3-Drops

Wanted:

Benethor Draigo
Taz'Dingo
Vesh'ral

Playable:

Hur Shieldsmasher

Junk:

Bala Silentblade

Horde's three drops are all very solid in both aggro and control. I only listed ur as playable because there are several other 3-drops both in HoA and Dark Portal that I would rather play in my main deck. I will usually pick up one or two if I get the chance because there is some annoying armor out there, but most of the time I want one of the other guys who are just better. I've always wanted Bala to be good for some reason, but every time I've ever given her a shot she's just not good.

4-drops

Wanted:

Karkas Deathhowl
Vaerik Proudhoof

Playable:

Ophelia Barrows
Watcher Mal'wi
BG Mal'wani

Junk:

None

I've already prepared myself for the flood of hatemail regarding Ophelia Barrows, but she just doesn't so it for me anymore. There's just not that much graveyard recursion to make her ability spectacular. It will occasionally be great, but a lot of times it will just be ok. She's never going to trade with anything higher than a two-drop. She's a decent tempo play as it will probably take 2 attacks to kill her, but the two allies that attack her are likely to both survive (or be one drops and trading 4-drops for 1-drops is not how you win at WoW), meaning she slowed your opponent somewhat, but didn't do much about the allies still staring you down. I'll still play her, but there are a lot of other allies I would rather play and Horde 4-drops are quite strong in Dark Portal.

I listed Mal'wi as playable because he's a solid body if nothing else, but I'm not usually happy when he makes my deck. Mal'wani is probably junk, but he has the ability to randomly be incredible. I've played him a few times with very mixed results, but especially against savvy opponents who will manage his damage, he's probably no good.

5-drops

Wanted:

Kulan Earthguard
Wazzuli Wildmender

Others:

None

If you thought Alliance was short on 5-drops check out all the whopping Horde offerings. Luckily, they are both very good, but should generally only make it into control decks. If you are playing Horde control, you almost can't pass these guys because 5-drop is so thin and it just gets worse in the next set.

6-drops

Wanted:

Fata'fi
Zygore

Playable:

Besh'iah

Junk:

None

Fata'fi is very good, but I hate Zygore. Compared to Moira he is far inferior. If your opponent doesn't have a target he's just a grossly overcosted blank whereas Moira is still in a very efficient body. With Zygore you have to wait to play him until after your opponent has played their weapon, but Moira can get in there and get some swings in and then take out a weapon should it come out later. It's a very tough situation when your opponent is playing one of the weapon classes, but you don't know if he has one in the deck. Do you hold Zygore back for a threat he may not even have, or do you go ahead and play him and risk getting crushed by a weapon you could have destroyed? Also, Moira's 4 health means she will oftentimes be a 2-for-1 against weaponless decks simply by trading for 2 opposing allies. Despite all of this, Zygore should still be a relatively high pick because of how good weapons are in the format.

I list Besh'iah as playable because her 4 health at least means she can usually take out 2 allies and Horde 6-drops are still very thin.

Through the Dark Portal

1-drops

Wanted:

Julia Graves
Scout Omerrta
Waz'luk

Playable:

Ra'chee
Tiril Dawnstrider

Junk:

None

Again all the 2/1's are good and are very good in rush decks. I kind of like Ra'chee in control decks because he's a cheap heal effect on a big ally, that might let them take out one more guy than they would have otherwise, and Tiril Dawnstrider has had his uses for me, but he's far from spectacular.

2-drops

Wanted:

Bhenn Checks-the Sky
Debros Cousin to Moon
Grunt Baranka
Kalnuf Eagleheart

Playable:

Elithys Firestorm
Leeza Tomb Robber

Junk:

Arealun
Dayna Cousin to Sun

Bhenn checks the sky is a great tempo play in the mid game. For rush decks he can either exhaust an important protector or stop a big ally from attacking long enough to get some extra damage in. In control decks, he can stop a crucial attack in the mid-game to allow you time to make better trades for yourself.

Debros is better in rush decks and significantly better if you have a way to give her Ferocity.

Elithys Firestorm is junk for rush decks as she will devastate you, but she can be solid in a control deck, where the damage she does to your own guys won't be as crushing.

3-drops

Wanted:

Boneshanks
Ja'zaron

Playable:

Greefer
Morik

Junk:

Bluffwatchers
Magran Proudstep

These are pretty easy. Boneshanks is nuts in limited. Ja'zaron is also very good. A lot of people don't like Morik, but he's not terrible in the Horde rush decks where you hope to kill your opponent before those extra cards ake a difference.

4-drops

Wanted:

Guardian Steppestrider
Katsin Bloodoath
Outrider Zarg

Playable:

Ghank
Nyn'jah

Junk:

None

The top 3 here are all beasts. Katsin gets even better late in the game, but a 5/3 on 4 is no slouch either. Ghank is solid and will quite often net a solid 2-for-1, but sometimes it can be hard to get the conditions just right as the ally has to have damage on it and be exhuasted. His best use is late in the game when your opponent has just taken out one of your smaller allies with a big one hoping to take out more in the following turns.

I'm personally not a fan of Nyn'jah as he is just too clunky. He's still a 3/3 for 4 which you could play with no text if you needed to, but when his ability is best is when you already have a weapon so that he's Zygore. He usually won't live long enough for you to do much with the weapon you jack though, assuming your opponent even has a weapon. That's my biggest problem with the Horde's anti-equipment allies. When your opponent doesn't have a target, they aren't very good, but Moira, Chipper, and Ka'vai all have solid stats as well as equipment breaking capabilities.

5-drops

Wanted:

None

Playable:

Sister Rot

Junk:

Braynu Wildbloom

5-drops are even worse here as we have one that's not too exciting due to her 2 health, and one that has a good effect but too late to really abuse it.

6-drops

Wanted:

Vanda Skydaughter

That's the only uncommon 6-drop in Dark Portal for Horde. If you're playing control and need a 6-drop this is your only option in Dark Portal other than the rare and Race-spec'd Dramla Lifebender or the uncommon (and not very good, Tanwa the Marksman. Take her if you need 6-drops. Rush decks can also take her as an occasional big body can help finish off a teetering opponent.

The next few weeks look to be pretty exciting as not only is Nationals approaching, but so is Fires of Outland. That means Constructed preparation, Draft preparation, and new cards to review. Looks like it's going to be busy around here.