Spiteful Summoner Druid ft. Void Ripper (Season 49)

1. Why play Spiteful Druid?

I think that this deck is absolutely T1 at the moment, and the only negative WR matchup is vs Taunt Druid and Quest/Baku Warrior, both of which are winnable around 35-40% of the time. You are even against Hunter and Cubelock and have positive WRs vs everything else on the ladder.

2. Why play this version?

While this deck is only a few cards from the standard Spiteful Druid lists, I feel like it is significantly more powerful than those other versions due to the tech choices that give it significantly better matchups across the board. Primordial Drake dramatically improve your paladin matchup and Void Ripper gives you OTK potential, which wins you games that you have no rights winning.

3. Matchup & Mulligans Guide

Keep: One 1 Drop, Keleseth, One 3 Drop (but not Ripper, MC Tech or Sprite*), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

Favored: All of the archetypes of Warrior play the same, keep their armor low, play fast but play around brawls. Don’t play your second Summoner if one of the 10 drop minions is already up. Pretty simple linear matchup.

Keep: One 1 Drop, Keleseth, 3 Drops (but not Ripper or Sprite*), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

Even: Very favored. MCT is so good in this matchup as they won’t play around it. Just control the board and you win.

Shudderwock: Very Favored. Go fast and literally don’t play around anything. Smack them hard and they will die.

Keep: Two 1 Drops, Keleseth, 3 Drops (but not Ripper or Sprite*), Chain Gang (if you have earlier plays), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

Quest: Favoured. Smorc. Only clear bounce targets if they haven’t bounced anything yet and its a good target (eg Novice), otherwise just kill them. If you focus too much on the board they will win.

Baku/Tempo: Favoured. Control the board and prioritize taunts and armor gain. This often ends with void ripper so keep counting!

Keep: Two 1 Drops, Keleseth, 3 Drops (but not Ripper or Sprite*), Chain Gang (if you have earlier plays), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

Even. MCT, Crypt Lord and Drake are MVP. Play the same as Baku/Tempo Rogue above.

Keep: Three 1 Drops, Keleseth, 3 Drops (but not Ripper or Sprite*), Chain Gang (if you have earlier plays), Malfurion (if you have earlier plays)

Even/Slightly unfavoured. Once you play Malf and dont due that turn you win. Control the board and you need to get to the DK asap to negate their hero power.

Keep: Two 1 Drops, Keleseth, 3 Drops (but not Ripper or Sprite*), Chain Gang (if you have earlier plays), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

Mirror: Even/Slightly favoured. I think Void makes you favored here, just win the board and try to get your summoner out first. ALWAYS PLAY AROUND MCT.

Taunt: Unfavoured. Go as fast as you can, unless you get a killer MCT or a good silence you’re unlikely to win.

Keep: One 1 Drop, Keleseth, One 3 Drop (but not Ripper, MC Tech or Sprite*), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

Zoo: Favoured. Just win the board and then GG

Cube: Even. Go fast and you win assuming they can’t get their taunts out. Most people are bad at this deck and their misplays make you win. Its probably less favoured when they’re actually good at the deck.

Keep: Two 1 Drops, Keleseth, 3 Drops (but not Ripper or Sprite*), Chain Gang (if you have earlier plays), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

Tempo: Even/Slightly Unfavoured. Same as Hunter.

Control: Favoured. Play around clears and you’ll win.

Keep: One 1 Drop, Keleseth, One 3 Drop (but not Ripper, MC Tech or Sprite*), Summoner (*Keep Sprite if you have Summoner)

I’ve only played one and I win the board and won. I think you’re clearly favoured and you just play the standard game.

4. Card Substitutions

I used three main versions on my climb to tech against pocket metas, but the version here is the one I predominantly used and is what I would recommend initially queuing with so that you can learn your pocket meta. I would recommend changing a small number of cards in short periods of time to respond to the meta rather than changing the deck. My secondary versions were:

Anti Control: Cut 1 Tar Creeper and Primordial Drake. Add 2nd  Void Ripper and either Cairne Bloodhoof or The Lich King.

Anti Burn (Mage and Baku Hunter): Cut Leeroy Jenkins and Primordial Drake for 2 Rotten Applebaum.

General Substitutions for each legendary and epic card: 

Prince Keleseth: This card really should not be cut, but if you’re desperate I would look to add 2 Dire Wolf Alpha and cut a 3 drop.

Void Ripper: This card has honestly been an MVP on my climb, but it is cuttable if you want to play the deck (but it will make it worse). I would probably add Cobalt Scalebane instead.

Leeroy Jenkins: Also a very strong card, and will be missed. I would not really play this deck without either Void Ripper or this but once again you can replace it with Cobalt Scalebane.

Spiteful Summoner: You cannot play this deck without Spiteful.

Grand Archivist: This card is also pretty core, even when it hits your face or your minions it always puts you in a really strong position. I would either substitute in Cobalt Scalebane, Cairne Bloodhoof or The Lich King.

Primordial Drake: It really hurts your Paladin matchup to cut this card, but if you’re not seeing much its not a bad cut. I would try to counter your meta with this slot. Gluttonous Ooze, Big Game Hunter,  Cobalt Scalebane, Harrison Jones, Rotten Applebaum, Cairne Bloodhoof or The Lich King are all fine options.

Ultimate Infestation: You cannot play this deck without UI.