The Grand Tournament is here, and while there’s still a lot of time for the meta to solidify, some new decks are starting to emerge. After languishing at the bottom of the competitive heap for ages, Shamans are finally able to put forward some exciting and powerful decks. Here are the cards that you’re going to want to craft to get your Shaman game up to snuff.
Neutral Cards
The neutral cards that are available through The Grand Tournament mostly revolve around the Inspire mechanic and the use of your hero power. While this is less than useful for some classes (like Rogues), it’s a huge help to Shamans, who have the most inconsistent hero power. Here are some cards that are definitely worth crafting:
Justicar Trueheart
This is a card that, on the face of it, doesn’t seem that powerful — a 6/3 for 6 is (in terms of stats) pretty terrible, and a lot of players, pros included, wrote this card off when it was released.
But the fact that it permanently changes your hero power, giving Shamans unprecedented control to choose which basic totem spawns, is too good to ignore, and Justicar Trueheart is seeing a lot of play in new totem decks. Being able to drop a taunt or spellpower totem exactly when you need it can be very effective, and synergizes well with many of the Shamans’ new cards.
Gormok the Impaler
Before The Grand Tournament, this card would not have had much of a place in a Shaman deck, but the new viability of the Totem Shaman has made it very attractive. With Tukarr Totemic and a Haunted Creeper on the board, you have a really solid chance of being able to activate Gormok the Impaler‘s battlecry, which is incredible value and can help you permanently secure control of the board.
This card isn’t much use in other Shaman decks, but Totem Shamans can get serious mileage out of the value Gormok brings.
Honorable Mention
There are many other cards that may or may not be worth crafting depending on your deck. Here’s a quick rundown of what you have available:
- Fencing Coach is a potentially valuable addition to any Inspire-based deck, though it competes with some other Shaman drops.
- Lance Carrier actually has some pretty great synergy with a Totem deck and is easy to fit in.
- Mukla’s Champion is a great addition to any token/aggro deck that makes use of inspire, and has incredible synergy with cards like Thunder Bluff Valiant.
Shaman Cards
Totem Golem
There’s a clear winner in terms of Shaman cards, and it’s the Totem Golem — this card alone makes the Totem Shaman deck viable, and just by being a totem, makes a ton of other cards more useful and valuable. It’s a huge 2-drop that curves well into dropping another totem next turn, which can set you up for a huge Draenei Totemcarver play, and eventual Thunder Bluff Valiant, or just secure board control.
With a Healing Totem, this card can potentially clear two or even three low-cost drops, giving Shaman decks a much-needed way to control the early board.
Tuskarr Totemic
This is another card that gives the Shaman some excellent early game power and that synergizes extremely well with some of the other Grand Tournament cards. Its Battlecry is random, so sometimes it’s barely more valuable than a Razorfen Hunter, but the Tuskarr Totemic can summon any totem, which means it can pull a Mana Tide Totem, a Flametongue Totem, or even a Totem Golem, all of which are incredible value.
The Tuskarr Totemic also plays well into an upcoming Draenei Totemcarver or Thunder Bluff Valiant.
Thunder Bluff Valiant
This is an all-around great card that is part of what makes the Totem Shaman viable and powerful. With a solid 3/6 body, the Thunder Bluff Valiant is very likely to make it to the next turn, when his Inspire bonus can give your board what is basically a mini-Bloodlust.
Synergizing with Totem Golem and Tuskarr Totemic, this card also makes long-forgotten Shaman cards like Totemic Might more attractive. A must-have for any Totem Shaman, the Thunder Bluff Valiant may even be strong enough to include in any Shaman deck.
Honorable Mentions
There are a lot of good cards for the Shaman class in The Grand Tournament, but not all of them have an obvious use just yet. Here are some that you might want to craft if they fit your deck and playstyle:
- The Mistcaller has an incredible effect and the potential to completely change the game, but he’s too slow for aggressive shamans and a poor fit for Malygos or Tempo Shamans. That being said, this card has a seriously impressive effect and may yet find a place in the meta.
- Ancestral Knowledge is tricky to play, but could be very powerful in Shaman decks that rely on combos or late-game play, like Malygos or Neptulon decks. It’s fairly good card draw for its cost, so it may have a place in any Shaman deck.
- The Draenei Totemcarver is a pretty good card that has the potential to be as much as a 6/6 for 4, but it requires board control and is still not as strong as Piloted Shredder in many cases. It could still be worth including in a Totem Shaman deck if you’re aware of its limitations.
Final Thoughts
The meta is still fairly new for The Grand Tournament, and there may yet be decks that haven’t been explored. If you don’t see a card here that you like, don’t be afraid to experiment! Chances are high that the decks you see today aren’t at all like the decks you’ll see a few months down the road. Use this guide as a baseline, and good luck!
