HomeGuidesHearthstone

Handlock deck list guide - Ashes of Outland - Hearthstone (April 2020)Ebon-lock-e your opponent out of the game.

Ebon-lock-e your opponent out of the game.

Handlock is aHearthstonedeck that has had a place in the game’s meta for a long time now. It may no longer be the powerhouse it once was, but it certainly caused problems whenGenn Greymanerefreshed the archetype for The Witchwood expansion. Since that card was doomed to the Hall of Fame, things looked pretty bad for the archetype.

However, we’re seeing a decent bit of experimentation with new cards from Ashes ofOutland.The Dark PortalandEnhanced Dreadlordare here to cheat out big minions, andKanrethad Ebonlocke(plus Kanrethad Prime) work fantastically with Handlock. Our revealed card,Keli’dan the Breakeris a great replacement for the rotating-outLord Godfreytoo, giving Handlock a surprising number of tools. We’ll see if any of them actually work.

In our latest Handlock guide, you can find the top deck list currently seeing play in competitive Hearthstone. You’ll also find some in-depth strategy advice on how to pilot the deck, Mulligan tips, and a closer look at the key cards and combos in the deck.

UPDATE - APRIL 2020

We’ve updated the deck list for Ashes of Outland thanks to the brand new cards added. We’ll keep you updated when we know more about the deck’s place in the meta!

Handlock deck list and strategy

Select and copy the long ID string below, then create a deck in Hearthstone to export this deck into your game.

Deck Import ID:AAECAf0GDNsG3AbECImdA6GhA/2kA/CsA/GsA9a5A/O7A+2+A+6/AwmjAY0I2psD5awD66wD7KwD7qwDv7kDxLkDAA==

More great Warlock guides:

General strategy

If you’ve been a fan of Handlock from back in the day then much of what you’ll see here will be immediately familiar to you. The loss ofGenn Greymanemakes the list slightly different from Even Warlock from the Year of the Raven, but this version is played similarly in principle and more akin to the original Handlock. You’ll need to Life Tap to fill your hand with cards, drop big minions on the board, and then overwhelm your opponent with them.

Descent of Dragons has added a few more pieces to the Handlock puzzle, so it’s a fun deck to try out again if you’ve missed it.

Early game:Life Tap. Life Tap. And Life Tap. That’s most likely going to be your play during the early turns.Mortal CoilandDark Skiescan help get enemy minions out of the way, andFrizz Kindleroostworks well as a future value generator, but you want your hand to be getting as large as possible.

Elsewhere,Lord GodfreyandTwisting Netherare your main AOE board clears. If you’ve taken a bit of a beating in the early game you can look to heal up withKhartut DefenderandZilliax.

Late game:Continue planting big minions on the board and taunting them up where possible to overload your opponent with giant threats.Alexstraszahelps activate your Dragon synergies whilst in hand and if you’ve discounted her withFrizz Kindleroostwill only cost 7 mana. She can heal you up to 15 if you’ve taken a beating or knock the enemy down to 15 if needed.Malygosis here too, as a decent finisher if you need that extra reach.SoulfireandNether Breathare cheap damage spells and can go face, so as long as you’ve got the discount or ifMalygoscan survive for a turn you can end the game with burst damage if needed.

Aggro opponents

Here are some thoughts on dealing with aggro decks:

Control opponents

Here are some tips on handling more control-orientated players on the ladder:

Handlock Mulligan guide

Different matchups will require different priorities in the Mulligan but there are a few you should definitely look out for:

Handlock tips and card combos

Keep all of these potential card combos in mind when playing Handlock.

-Mortal Coilwill draw you a card if the damage is used to kill a minion, which is a huge bonus as it maintains your hand size to get the full use out ofMountain GiantandTwilight Drakestill.

-Twilight Drakegains an extra point of Health for each card you have in your hand when you play the Dragon onto the board.

-Zzeraku the Warpedsummons a 6/6 every time you take damage, making hitting that Life Tap button even more valuable than usual. It’s amazingly powerful against Demon Hunter effects, like the awakening damage ofImprisoned Antaen.

-Sense Demonsis a 3 mana draw 2, just likeArcane Intellect. However, it’ll tutor for Demon minions, making it valuable for getting your larger minions into your hand, including Kanrethad Prime.

-Keli’dan the Breakeris a full board clear with a 3/3 attached if you draw him the same turn you play him, but even if you don’t, it’s strong single-target removal in the same wayVilespine Slayerwas.