The full set of cards for Murder at Castle Nathria has been revealed a little while ago, and we're nearing the time when they can finally become a part of our collection. Still not sure what to make of Rogue or what kind of decks to play? We've broken down all class archetypes for the upcoming expansion and gathered a variety of theorycraft decks from streamers, pros, and community members to guide you on Day 1.
First off, there is a lot of other relevant content that you might be interested in:
- You can find all important information about the upcoming set in our Murder at Castle Nathria expansion guide.
- You can also build decks with all these new cards in our deckbuilder.
- The new Rewards Track has been fully detailed. Get a head start on the early XP gains!
- Major Patch 24.0 (plus hotfixes) prepared the ground for the expansion with various game mode updates and features.
- Need a more detailed overview of new themes and mechanics? We've also covered the Infuse keyword.
- This time around, you'll be able to open your packs faster than before - should you wish to!
Now, onto what's right around the corner. Before we jump into a variety of potential decks, here is a quick look at the class in the upcoming expansion:
Castle Nathria Rogue - Quick Impressions
- Shh, it's a Secret. The new expansion is hell-bent on pushing this particular package for the class. If only Shadowjeweler Hanar was still in Standard...
- Or is it a Miracle? We are about to find out what would happen if Edwin VanCleef actually learned how to be stealthy.
- While not receiving many new toys, we can expect most - if not all - of the current Rogue decks to survive. Whether one puts their trust in the reliable Azsharan Vessel or Jackpot! highrolls.
Castle Nathria Rogue - Expansion Cards & Archetypes
More Secret-related cards than anyone knows what to do with, and old Classic Miracle hopes restored? These are the two main 'new' directions, but we wouldn't be surprised to see some of the tried and tested Year of the Hydra class decks reign supreme instead.
Miracle Rogue
Both Sinstone Graveyard and Necrolord Draka benefit from playing as many cards within a single turn as (humanly) possible. Nowadays, this effect exists in a somewhat tempered form - if you compare it to the Classic days of one unmatched Edwin VanCleef. So perhaps it won't be as instantly broken as it could prove to be otherwise. Still, we are more than likely to see examples of an oversized Haunted Conscience or very sharp daggers. The Stealth ability is a problematic one to deal with for many classes, and Rogue's removal options should be prepared to move any Taunt cards out of the way.
What else goes well with any self-respecting Miracle toolkit? Ample card draw (and to some extent, cheap card generation), as well as sweet mana discounts. Both Door of Shadows and Serrated Bone Spike should prove useful in this regard. Expect to see Loan Shark + Sketchy Information trying to make a proper comeback. That is, if the deck won't end up being too susceptible to various forms of aggression. The high APM required to pull off any complicated turns is what we can already take for granted.
Secret Rogue
That's a rather sizable amount. In fact, more than half of the new expansion class cards being dedicated to a single Rogue archetype. One that doesn't necessarily inspire any faithful backstabbers. It also probably doesn't help there isn't any real Secret support in the existing Core Set 2022. On their own, Rogue secrets often feel pretty underwhelming.
Private Eye is fairly decent for a class that shouldn't have huge problems activating its effect. Halkias is a curious one, what with its card text barely even fitting into the frame. But it's not nearly enough to carry the deck, especially as most of the time it's unlikely to be in play when it's needed.
While Standard may have to wait until the Mini-Set or another expansion, Wild mode could perhaps have some fun with Shadowjeweler Hanar and friends meanwhile.
Other Rogue Options
Wait, what? We are already out of the new cards to build upon for our more or less familiar decks? Damn (secrets). At least both of the fresh inclusions shown above remain fairly versatile when it comes to reinforcing numerous existing archetypes. While Necrolord Draka is a bit more of a 'maybe'. The problem, as always, will be what to cut in order to make way.
Maestra of the Masquerade and Wildpaw Gnolls are still around, in any case. The Jackpot! variants are actually far more interested in specific strong high cost spells all other classes might've been receiving. It remains to be seen whether Mine Rogue and the Questline builds keep trying to overcome the odds.
Castle Nathria Rogue - Top Neutral Cards
This is very much stretching it when it comes to this particular category, no doubt. There is some added Neutral support for the Secret game plan, but that doesn't mean these cards will be actually strong enough to make the cut. One can't help but feel such direction is rather unwieldy.
The rest of them are honorable mentions that come with their own set of questions. Is Dispossessed Soul any useful for Miracle combos, or more likely just too expensive at that mana cost? Could Invitation Courier actually offer ultimate value when paired with Jackpot! or Reconnaissance? And most importantly, will Kael'thas Sinstrider find a way to break the game?
Castle Nathria Rogue - Day 1 Decks to Try
Not sure what to play for the class once it's time to enter Castle Nathria? We've gathered a handful of early deck ideas from all across the Hearthstone tavern just to help you out:
The Miraculous Maly-God
Jambre being Jambre, there just had to be something involving Malygos. And with a few hours devoted to testing during the theorycrafting streams, the results seemed fairly promising. Quick fingers are most likely required to pull off certain combos within a single turn.
That's a Supersized Miracle
Many players took to calling out various new Miracle Rogue builds as potentially broken, and NohandsGamer has a special YouTube video dedicated to this very matter. With a honorable inclusion of PocketTrain as the showcased deck's namesake.
The featured version is perhaps not something one might immediately expect, courtesy of Prince Renathal adding that extra amount of 10 cards and Health. Which could end up being crucial, since it does take time and surviving long enough to set up for pulling off board shattering miracles.
The Way of a Rogue Expert
If there is one player eternally dedicated to promoting Rogue's superiority, it would be Jesse Alexander. With takes that range from less controversial to more outrageous (hint: preceding statements to be taken with a grain of salt), the class analysis continues to run deep.
To the point that he has actually set up a separate Google doc in order to store dozens of theorycrafted Rogue decks for Castle Nathria (and then also for a number of other classes). If you are in need of greater inspiration for the class, this would be a good place to look. From the many featured, we're only showcasing a couple of decks below: just so the Secret and SI:7 (remember Find the Imposter still being a thing?) variants don't feel all abandoned.
Wild Mode - Also Full of Miracles
There are numerous ways to tackle Wild deckbuilding, and Roffle has initially attempted to fit in Sire Denathrius. But unsurprisingly, the deck was better off without. Sonya Shadowdancer is certainly pulling her weight here.
If Big Priest is your eternal enemy, this could be something to make their lives harder.
More Class Coverage for Murder at Castle Nathria
Want to look at what we've put together for another Castle Nathria suspect class? The navigation links below can take you there in an instant!
What do you think of Rogue's card package for the upcoming expansion? Which decks are you going to take for a spin once Murder at Castle Nathria goes live on August 2? Is there something else from your favorite content creator that we didn't include here? Let us know in the comments!
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