The Druid class has lacked reliable low-cost minions since Hearthstone’s release, and Blizzard’s attempts to rectify this gap haven’t really caught on in the current meta. From Robo Cub to Grove Tender, Druid players have mostly ignored these minions in favor of more consistent, powerful options such as Haunted Creeper or Shade of Naxxramas. However, Blackrock Mountain has given us Druid of the Flame, an arguably viable three-drop that might even open the door to another underappreciated Druid card: Druid of the Fang.

Druid of the Flame fits pretty well in the current meta on its own, at least when it comes to dealing with Face Hunter. While Shade of Naxxramas doesn’t have the durability to survive an encounter with Wolfriders, Arcane Golems, or even Knife Jugglers in the early game, Druid of the Flame’s 2/5 Fire Hawk Form can subdue almost every major Face Hunter minion and still stick around to do it again. This board presence can carry over into other match-ups as well, where Fire Hawk Form plus a Druid’s hero power destroys any three-health minion and still leaves a notable creature on the field for future use. Druid of the Flame’s 5/2 Firecat form is less sticky but still rather intimidating, and it’s perfect for breaking through a control deck’s Sludge Belchers, Loatheb, and a number of other popular four or five-drops.

Druid of the Flame is also a beast-type minion when she transforms, much like Druid of the Claw, which means we can take another look at creating a Beast Druid deck. Druid of the Fang spurred this idea when Goblins vs. Gnomes launched, but it failed to gain much traction due to a lack of beast-support outside of Hunters. Can a few more beast-type minions really make this kind of deck practical?

It took a few tries to nail down the idea that a Beast Druid deck should be a spin-off of Token Druid. I tried a standard sort of control deck that mirrored my experiences with Shaman and Paladin, but the deck failed to gain momentum once it was behind, particularly in terms of securing board presence. Token Druid became the natural choice after I remembered that Power of the Wild and Haunted Creeper are staples that kind of deck, and this Beast Druid deck was born.

Druid of the Flame is exactly what Beast Druid needed to gain a foothold as a potential alternative for Token Druid. Earlier Beast Druids could really only play Haunted Creeper or Power of the Wild and hope they would survive for a turn or two, but Druid of the Flame’s five health means that she can easily survive until Druid of the Fang on turn five. The combo also has an increased chance of success simply because there are now eight beasts in the deck: Creeper, Power of the Wild, Druid of the Flame, and Druid of the Claw.

The dream combo is obviously turn two Haunter Creeper/Power of the Wild, turn three Innervate into Druid of the Fang, but the deck has the same strengths as any other Token Druid. This is especially important if you’re worried about a Big Game Hunter ruining your day, but keep in mind that you’re playing a five mana 7/7. If your opponent does BGH your Fang then that means that he can’t destroy your Dr. Boom, Ragnaros, or any other big legendary in the same way. So you’re coming out ahead in the end, with either a legendary that won’t be instantly destroyed or by having the strong mechanics of a typical Token Druid to back you up.

Whether you’re a new player that needs a strong addition to your early game or a veteran that wants to mix up your typical Druid deck, Druid of the Flame can be a strong addition. She fits better in a deck that plays to her strengths, more in the direction of establishing board presence than trying to ramp up to big creatures, but she’s a good option if you have room for her. Give her a try, and while you’re at it you might want to take another look at Druid of the Fang as well. Blackrock Mountain is shaking up the meta, so this is the perfect time to try something new.