Aggro Blood is a cheap and well-performing deck. I like it. Its low cost means easy to experiment, and decent win rate means actually worth playing. I write this guide to generate some discussions and share my thoughts, since I see a lot of opinions around this deck with which I disagree.

Overview

(+) Fast

(+) Consistent

(+) Relatively easy to pilot

(+) Flexible

(+) Cheap

(-) Extremely tempo dependent

(-) Have to choose between reach and consistency

(-) Weak to AoE

(-) Lack of swing cards to fight evolve battles

Deck

This is the deck I finalised after some 40 games of experiments. It has a very aggressive, consistent curve that guarantees a 1-drop almost always. An early 1-drop can deal 2–4 damage in a game and soak up 2, so they are important. There’s also a lot of reach in here to close out games since Wards are so prevalent these days. The deck could also be built with fewer 1 drops and more mid-game around Vengeance if you want it to have a little bit more staying power. Something like this.

Aggro Blood is about early game tempo converted into late game direct damage either through Storm minions or spells. Cards that fulfil these criteria are therefore present. The number of certain cards are very debatable, however. My personal list is made in a way that you can afford to hard mulligan for a 1-drop, after which your curve tends to work itself out.

The general game plan for this deck is getting in chip damage (if you run the more aggro version) while maintaining board control until your opponent’s swing turn (4 or 5 usually), then use all your reach to finish them off. It’s important to be aware of all the AoE they have access to at certain points in time. This deck tends to interact badly against things like Ancient Lion Spirit and Wardrobe Raider, so play around them if you can. The more Vengeance-centric version runs bigger cards in place of a more consistent start, and has a few more turns to grind out non-Storm minion damage along with fuel, so play that a little more mid-range. There’s still a lot of damage in that version, however, so know your limits then just go face.

Card Choices

Vania is the core of the blood package, and the reason why someone would ever even run Aggro Blood in the first place. This fusion of strong synergy and independent strength is a unique draw of the archetype. She’s an ok 2-drop and gets extra value out of evolve, along with everything else in the deck.

Summon Bloodkin is a solid and flexible card. It has synergy with Vania and Night Horde, and is decent on its own. This is a two drop that’s resilient to early turn 2 removal options such as Blazing Breath and Blackened Scripture.

The best 3 drop you have. Fits into your curve, and synergise with the blood package. It gets removed pretty often without its effect, but a curve’s a curve. If it activates then it’s nuts. The Ward + Clash combination is very hard to punish otherwise.

Last part of the blood combo. It’s essentially Bloodkin + Blazing Breath, which is ok. Its synergy with the aforementioned cards are frankly incredible, however, and it’s a very good answer usually to early drops by your opponent. Its flexibility and reach when it comes to board interaction is exactly what the deck wants. It’s also your only chance against Sword usually.

Your best bet against other tempo decks. The card’s tough to remove early with its 3 DEF, and its effect usually means it always gets in the extra damage or two, making it well worth the slot despite the low ATK. The card’s stat line also make it a very good evolve rush candidate, of which this deck doesn’t have many.

Every aggro deck needs 1 drops, and this is the ideal. It’s cheap, has an effect that supplements your game plan. Overall solid, always good for consistency.

A glorified Goblin almost all of the time. It’s still a 1 drop, and is necessary for consistency. The occasional upside never really matters, unless you’re playing the more Vengeance-centric version.

It’s a 1-drop.

A 2-drop that doesn’t really want to trade. Go face almost always. It’s good and cheap reach that can supplements damage anywhere if need be. If you’re going to get your 2 drop Blackened Scripture-ed might as well get in the 2 damage first. Gets Quickblader to hell, so adjust accordingly.

THE card. 3 damage for 2 mana is ridiculous in this game. Mandatory.

Your biggest minion. Good stats for mid-game evolve/trade/face. It’s necessary reach a lot of the time, and makes your board less susceptible to damage-based AoE clear that isn’t Revelation.

Staple in all aggressive decks. Remove Ward or giant minions is always important since you want your direct damage to go face. This card is just a bit too good to not run.

A card that’s twice the cost of Razory Claw, but is still run. Tells you how broken Razory Claw is. This card is for the later game when you float a bit of mana, because you can’t run 6 Razory Claws in your deck.

Fills the 3-drop slot. It’s good value for games that are slightly longer for some reasons, and increases the chance of top-decking the 2 DMG Blood Wolf lethal. There aren’t that many other 3-drops with which to compete.

Has amazing blowout potential sometimes, and messes with removal priority. Usually you evolve something else that makes said card a threat, then the opponent is stuck with either removing that card or the Mini Soul Devil. It works out better than Veight occasionally because of the fact that you don’t have to awkwardly evolve rush a minion with 3/2 stat line.

Fuck Death’s Breath is the beginning and the end of this card. It’s 3 damage for 2 which is also good for early game removal on extremely annoying things like enemy’s Urius, Veteran Lancer and such. It’s pretty unique, and acts like a 4th Razory Claw in the early game.

Other Musings

Too expensive I find. Good against other tempo based decks that floods, but you tend to die early against them due to teenage suicidal tendencies. This card rarely helps, and there’s maybe 2 games in my entire time playing this deck that I wished this card was in my hand instead of the Hungering Horde that I have instead.

Bloodfed Flowerbed is an interesting card. I usually find it really slow, but it does have its uses in a less removal-bait version of this deck that can grind out games due to its unmatched cost to damage ratio. It also clogs up your board sometimes with all the flooding you tend to do. Can be run instead of the Goblins. It’s part of the Vengeance package.

Good on Vengeance or can be your 4-drop, which my deck doesn’t run otherwise. Its not as good as Alucard however in late-game situation, and early game the Storm doesn’t activate anyway so it feels like a waste. Can be justified if you want a more minion-heavy deck. Part of the Vengeance package.

Decent card. I sometimes swap out Mini Soul Devil for it. Lower risk, lower rewards.

Also a decent 3-drop, to be run in the Vengeance-centric grinder version with Dark General and Alucard in place of Goblin Mage.

Same as above. Provides longevity and more reliable Vengeance access. The more aggressive version doesn’t want to spend 2 PP doing nothing, however.

Decent enough to run 1 copy. This is your highest reach at 4 ATK Storm. Can also be decent against closer tempo games. If you hit this against opposing Aggro Blood you won, also saves you from Albert lethal sometimes if the game goes that far. A 7-drop means he’s a dead card most of the time, so only 1 copy.

Very interesting card with which I need more time. It’s the only 5 drop worth running, and its stat line is absolutely immense. It usually comes a little late for board control games in my limited experience, but others have found success with 1 copy.

I’ve thought a lot about this card. It makes sense. It provides good value for two PP and also burn. However, it empirically does nothing, in my experience. It’s the only card in the entire deck that is absolutely worthless by itself. Its synergy may look strong, and it is in theory, but it just doesn't work out. Dropping this on turn 2 is honestly bad, since you’re giving up your literal strongest turn to accomplish nothing. The best time to drop this card is on turn 4 with an evolved Vania. Even then its immediate effect is summon 1 bat, and maybe deals 2 damage to the enemy face. Any later then you’re clogging up your board with 1/1s. It’s too slow early and too weak later.

Edit: Just watched a tournament game with Vampiric Fortress and the Vengeance package. This amulet did nothing but get bounced once and do 3 damage

Mulligan

Hard mulligan for 1 drops if you run more than 6, otherwise only if you have a turn 2 play. Turn 1 play priority is Goblin > Ambling Wraith > Cursebrand Vampire > Bloodfed Flowerbed. If you’re going 2nd against a likely Spartoi Soldier or Veteran Lancer next turn then you may want to reconsider. Yurius is your best 2-drop against non-Haven. Otherwise Bloodwolf or Summon Bloodkin interacts better against Blackened Scripture. Depending on the amount of 3-drops you run having one is always nice. Watch out for Blazing Breath on your Veight in the early game.

Matchups