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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:

Forbidden Words
Northshire Cleric
Potion of Madness
Zephrys the Great
Shadow Word: Pain
Shadow Word: Death
Shadow Visions
Spirit Lash
Seance
Penance
Kazakus
Raza the Chained
Dragonfire Potion
Lightbomb
Reno Jackson
Psychic Scream
Shadowreaper Anduin
Dragonqueen Alexstrasza

Combo-oriented build

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

Regenerate
Circle of Healing
Silence
Holy Smite
Radiant Elemental
Doomsayer
Loot Hoarder
Novice Engineer
Wild Pyromancer
Bloodmage Thalnos
Spirit Lash
Acolyte of Pain
Mirage Caller
Spawn of Shadows
Emperor Thaurissan
Prophet Velen

Deathrattle build

The following cards are commonly played in the Deathrattle version:

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

Dragon build

The following cards are commonly played in the Dragon version:

Twilight Whelp
Netherspite Historian
Wyrmrest Agent
Twilight Acolyte
Breath of the Infinite
Twilight Drake
Twilight Guardian
Duskbreaker
Frizz Kindleroost
Azure Drake
Blackwing Corruptor
Drakonid Operative
Evasive Drakonid
Primordial Drake
Dragonqueen Alexstrasza

Optional cards

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

Power Word: Shield
Flash Heal
Binding Heal
Dirty Rat
Divine Hymn
Kabal Talonpriest
Curious Glimmerroot
Happy Ghoul
Gilded Gargoyle
Gluttonous Ooze
Tar Creeper
Brann Bronzebeard
Shadow Madness
Unidentified Elixir
Vivid Nightmare
Dragon Soul
Piloted Shredder
Auchenai Soulpriest
Priest of the Feast
Holy Nova
Greater Healing Potion
Shadow Word: Horror
Kabal Songstealer
Sludge Belcher
Lyra the Sunshard
Elise the Trailblazer
Zilliax
Excavated Evil
Mass Hysteria
Cabal Shadow Priest
Skulking Geist
Sylvanas Windrunner
Free From Amber
The Lich King
Plague of Death
Mind Control
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