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Wild format
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With the start of the Year of the Raven, Mean Streets of GadgetzanKazakus and Mean Streets of GadgetzanRaza the Chained have rotated to wild, making Highlander Priest a wild-exclusive archetype. For more information, see Game format.

Raza the Chained full

Surrender your will to the Kabal.

Highlander Priest (also known as Kazakus Priest or Reno Priest, Raza Priest or Razakus Priest) is a Priest deck type. It is built around the powerlevel of Mean Streets of GadgetzanKazakus, Mean Streets of GadgetzanRaza the Chained, and The League of ExplorersReno Jackson.

The deck relies on a few key cards to leverage its power. Reno Jackson allows the Priest to greatly extend their health and save themselves against aggro decks, Kazakus provides extreme flexibility with his potion to fit whatever situation the board is in, and Raza the Chained improves the efficiency of their Hero Power not only to get more healing off of LegacyLesser Heal, but also with Knights of the Frozen ThroneShadowreaper Anduin's Hero Power for premium removal and damage in the late game. The deck can be built in various different ways, making use of shells such as the Dragon package, Deathrattle package, or a burst damage Combo-oriented version.

The Dragon package is similar to traditional Dragon Priest, and is built through the power of Mean Streets of GadgetzanDrakonid Operative and One Night in KarazhanNetherspite Historian, and allows for a proactive approach in the mid-game. The Spell package features One Night in KarazhanMedivh, the Guardian, alongisde Journey to Un'GoroFree From Amber to generate multiple large threats in the late game. The Deathrattle package makes use of resurrection synergy available to the priest in the form of Kazakus Potions, Whispers of the Old GodsN'Zoth, the Corruptor and the Journey to Un'Goro Priest Quest Journey to Un'GoroAwaken the Makers.

Highlander Priest aims to take the controlling role in a game. Generally, they will focus on removing minions in the early game, and try to stabilize during the mid-game, and start chaining threats in the late game. Making sure to utilize the single copies of different situational spells at the right time is key to making Highlander Priest successful, and can be a real challenge.

Highlander Priest became extremely dominant after the release of the Knights of the Frozen Throne, thanks to Knights of the Frozen ThroneShadowreaper Anduin. The Priest Hero card's Battlecry allowed the deck to make up having only 1 copy of their most powerful board clear and removal while his new Hero Power Knights of the Frozen ThroneVoidform allows incredible synergy with Raza's effect to not only remove enemy minions but also allows the Priest player to put pressure on the opponent or burst them down when combined with LegacyProphet Velen and The Grand TournamentSpawn of Shadows. Other cards from the expansion allows for more consistency and flexibility for the deck from board clear (Knights of the Frozen ThroneSpirit Lash), single target removal (Knights of the Frozen ThroneEmbrace Darkness), minion value (Knights of the Frozen ThroneThe Lich King, Knights of the Frozen ThroneObsidian Statue, Knights of the Frozen ThroneEternal Servitude), handle early game pressure (Knights of the Frozen ThroneHappy Ghoul) or increase the win rate against unfavorable match up (Knights of the Frozen ThroneSkulking Geist against Jade Druid) while also justify inclusion of many older cards. After the nerfs targeting Jade Druid, Highlander Priest became an extremely dominant deck in the meta, leading to its nerf in Patch 10.2.0.23180, reducing Raza's Hero Power reduction to 1 and dramatically reducing its burst damage potential.

With the Year of the Raven retiring the last of the singleton cards, Highlander Priest became a Wild-only deck.

2 years later, in Patch 16.6.0.43246 Raza was unnerfed, restoring the deck to its original power.

The nickname for this deck type is a reference to the phrase "In the end, there can be only one," from the 1986 film Highlander.

Common cards[]

Wild iconThis section concerns content exclusive to Wild format.

The following cards are usually in the deck.

Core cards[]

The following cards are played in most or all versions of the deck:

Raise Dead
Potion of Madness
Northshire Cleric
Renew
Penance
Shadow Visions
Shadow Word: Death
Shadow Word: Pain
Spirit Lash
Zephrys the Great
Mindrender Illucia
Kazakus
Raza the Chained
Reno Jackson
Psychic Scream
Shadowreaper Anduin

Combo-oriented build[]

The following cards are commonly played in the Combo-oriented version:

Bloodmage Thalnos
Doomsayer
Loot Hoarder
Novice Engineer
Radiant Elemental
Seance
Spirit Lash
Wild Pyromancer
Acolyte of Pain
Spawn of Shadows
Lorekeeper Polkelt

Deathrattle build[]

The following cards are commonly played in the Deathrattle version:

Awaken the Makers
Mistress of Mixtures
Weasel Tunneler
Bloodmage Thalnos
Dead Ringer
Loot Hoarder
Twilight's Call
Bad Luck Albatross
Convincing Infiltrator
Khartut Defender
Obsidian Statue
N'Zoth, the Corruptor

Dragon build[]

The following cards are commonly played in the Dragon version:

Cleric of Scales
Breath of the Infinite
Twilight Acolyte
Duskbreaker
Twilight Drake
Twilight Guardian
Big Ol' Whelp
Cobalt Spellkin
Drakonid Operative
Evasive Drakonid
Murozond the Infinite
Dragonqueen Alexstrasza

Optional cards[]

The following cards are played more than occasionally, but not always:

Forbidden Words
Power Word: Shield
Regenerate
Silence
Binding Heal
Flash Heal
Pen Flinger
Dirty Rat
Divine Hymn
Insight
Mo'arg Artificer
Brann Bronzebeard
Curious Glimmerroot
Gilded Gargoyle
Gluttonous Ooze
Happy Ghoul
Kabal Talonpriest
Mirage Caller
Nazmani Bloodweaver
Palm Reading
Shadow Madness
Tar Creeper
Vivid Nightmare
Zola the Gorgon
Auchenai Soulpriest
Greater Healing Potion
Holy Nova
Priest of the Feast
Shadow Word: Horror
Elise the Trailblazer
Excavated Evil
Kabal Songstealer
Lyra the Sunshard
Mass Hysteria
Zilliax
Cabal Shadow Priest
Dragonfire Potion
Emperor Thaurissan
Lightbomb
Skulking Geist
Sylvanas Windrunner
Prophet Velen
Free From Amber
The Lich King
Plague of Death
Mind Control
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