Dissecting the Essence of Magic: A Malygos Warlock Guide
An look into the card Malygos and the Warlock Malygos deck with a in-depth guide to play.
Malygos is a 9-mana dragon, who has 4 attack and 12 health with Spell Damage +5. This ability has lead to a number of decks playing him as a finisher, creating powerful combinations using low cost spells with the added power of these spells and Malygos being reduced in cost thanks to Emperor Thaurissan. All classes except for Paladin and Warrior have had a deck list that has revolved around him.
The deck that shall be featured in this article will be Maylgos Warlock. The decklist is on the left. The usual ending combo in this deck is using reduced Malygos + 2 reduced Darkbombs and Soulfire, which equals 25 damage in one turn. This combo has the potential of adding an extra 9 damage from another Soulfire, if using the first one doesn't discard the second one, and that more damage can be discovered from Dark Peddler. While this is considered the ending combo, usually games are won before Malygos is drawn and played by simply having such a powerful board state. Against more aggressive decks, using the ending combo cards as removal is recommended. The general game plan of this deck is to control the board though dragon synergy and low cost minions so you can then unleash the powerful combo. One card which can be changed is Chillmaw. The reason behind this card is that it beats a board of Patrons but against more aggressive decks, it can be a little slow, so a Sludge Belcher can be a good replacement.
The Mulligan
Now how to play the deck. During the mulligan, you always want to keep Zombie Chow and Dark Peddler. Against more aggressive decks, always hard mulligan for Chow and Dark Peddler, never keeping 3 drops. Keeping the Ironbeak Owl against Paladins is also a valid keep if there is the Zombie Chow in hand. If you are playing against a deck which you suspect a 1-health minion on turn one, keeping Mortal Coil as an answer is fine but Zombie Chow remains better. Against more mid-range decks, you should again mulligan for Zombie Chow and Peddler but keeping 3 drops is fine, except for Big Game Hunter. Lastly against control decks, look for Zombie Chow but keeping slower cards such as Twilight Drake is fine.
Against Aggressive decks
When playing against aggressive decks, always look to control the board in the first few turns. Playing Brann Bronzebeard as a tempo drop on turn 3 is fine if there is no other play, but Brann Bronzebeard and Antique Healbot is a devastating combo once the aggressive decks have ran out of steam. Always look to trade in these match-ups. Once you have a Taunt on board and a few other minions, becoming the aggressor is fine. When using Dark Peddler, the cards to look for are either the Taunts or potentially the heals. These cards are Voidwalker, Goldshire Footman, Shieldbearer, Tournament Attendee and Voodoo Doctor, with Zombie Chow also being a good pick. Interestingly picking Bloodsail Corsair (Battlecry: Remove 1 Durability from your opponent's weapon) into Paladin and Hunter can be a good idea, as removing their weapon can be very advantageous. Finally, using the Defender of Argus on one minion against extremely aggressive decks is fine. Against Hunters, make sure to remove their beasts late game as to remove the extra damage on Kill Command. Also, since most face hunters don't run 7 attack minions, playing a tempo Big Game Hunter is fine. Against Secret Paladins, make sure to keep the board clear going into turn 6. Using spells to remove the board is fine as well. Against Aggro Shaman, this isn't a favored match-up, so just look to control the board though a good curve, using Soulfire to remove Totem Golem.
Against Tempo decks
Tempo and mid-range based match-ups are fine for this deck. Look to control the board with a nice curve. Keeping Brann Bronzebeard to be able to use it for a double Battlecry effect is advised, unless it is the only card that can be played. (But that's unlikely with the number of low cost cards in the deck.) Using spells to control the board is fine but you should try to keep them as a finisher. Mainly use the spells to remove the more dangerous minions, such as Flamewaker. When using the Dark Peddler, look for cards like Soulfire and stronger minions. Again, Bloodsail Corsair is a good pick up against the more weapon based classes.
Against Control Based Decks
Lastly control match-ups is where this deck shines. In the mulligan look for the Zombie Chow and Dark Peddler, but there is the option to be a bit more greedy by keeping Twilight Drakes. With these match-ups, look to control the board again by using your minions while trying to deal some face damage and then use Emperor Thaurissan to reduce the combo pieces to end the game. In all of the match-ups make sure to weave in as many Hero Powers to gain the card advantage. In all of these match-ups, it's best not to use any of the combo pieces except on high priority targets. One example is using Darkbombs against Patron Warrior's Grim Patrons when Hellfire isn't in hand so that the Warrior can't refill the board. In these type of match-ups, using Dark Peddler to obtain Corruption is a valid choice to remove any big threats your opponent may play. Against Priest, watch out for the turn 6 with Cabal Shadow Priest which has the potential to steal a number of this deck's minions.
This deck has the potential to deal an insane amount of damage in one turn and is quite competitive and can be used to climb. With the coming Standard rotation a number of cards are being rotated out, so this deck may not become viable then. But not all the cards have been shown, so maybe Malygos Warlock can stay in standard. Or maybe Malygos needs to find a new home.
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