Combo decks are having a hard time in Hearthstone now, all except one: Malygos OTK Rogue. The current iteration of Malygos Rogue makes heavy use of Galakrond and Heistbaron Togwaggle to draw some zero-cost cards that can then be used to destroy the opponent out of the blue.
The overall reach of the deck is typically 34: Malygos adds five points of spell damage to two copies of Sinister Strike and two copies of Eviscerate. All of these can be played in a single turn either by getting some of them discounted in advance or with a single Preparation and three coins from Umbral Skulker.
This means that this iteration of Malygos Rogue can be out-armored, but the deck can also complete a partial combo surprisingly quickly to launch a quick 16 to 25 damage upon its unsuspecting victim.
Malygos Rogue decklist
Deck code: AAECAaIHDLICtAPtBYYJoIADkpcD2p0Dtq4Dwa4D47QDn7cDy8ADCbQBzQPGBYgH9acDua4D/q4Dqq8Dzq8DAA==
I first played with the commonly used Malygos Rogue decklists, but I found a lot of room for improvement. In particular, the common lists use too many combo cards for redundancy, even though you rarely use the full combo anyway. By cutting the mana gain cards down to one copy of Preparation and one copy of Umbral Skulker, I still have the possibility to go for the full 34-damage combo, but I also have a much more proactive deck with fewer dead cards in it.
The main addition I made is the SN1P-SN4P and Zilliax package. This package is already extremely important for Galakrond Rogue, and the current Malygos Rogue is not that different, so there was a good reason to expect great things from them. Indeed, the cards perform extremely well in the list and really help against aggressive decks.
I have also chosen to cut EVIL Miscreant from the deck. When I had it included, I was often in positions where I had a hard time freeing up hand space for my zero-cost cards, and leaving it out has allowed me to manage my hand size more easily. The Invoke cards already provide plenty of Lackeys for Heistbaron Togwaggle. I am running Bloodmage Thalnos instead because it allows me to go through my deck faster and can also help with spell damage to boost up Backstab, Seal Fate, or even the final combo turn.
One interesting thing about the deck is that this may be the first deck ever where Jepetto Joybuzz is actually worth it. Make no mistake, it is still one of the worst-performing cards in the deck, but unlike in most other decks where it has been used, it is not even the very worst card at all times. The deck just has so many good targets for it, because you mostly care about the Battlecry effects and not stats, so Malygos, Heistbaron Togwaggle, Flik Skyshiv, and Kronx Dragonhoof can all be excellent draws from Jepetto.
Malygos Rogue mulligan
The main card you mulligan for is Pharaoh Cat. Getting on the board on the first turn is just so important. Other than that, Seal Fate can be useful in most matchups and Edwin VanCleef is usually a good keep when you’re on the Coin; I would not keep it when going first.
Beyond those, look for a curve and if you have some good early game already, you can even keep cards like Heistbaron Togwaggle or Galakrond.
Malygos Rogue tips and tricks
Always think about how you are going to end the game. It is especially important to know how much reach you have with Malygos and various spells:
- Sinister Strike: 8 damage
- Eviscerate: 9 damage
- Two Sinister Strikes: 16 damage
- Sinister Strike and Eviscerate: 17 damage
- Two Sinister Strikes and Eviscerate: 25 damage
- Sinister Strike and two Eviscerates: 26 damage
- Two Sinister Strikes and two Eviscerates: 34 damage
You rarely win the game from 30, even though the deck is technically capable of doing that. Try to chip in some damage, because once your opponent is down to around 16, you have tons of ways to finish the job, and even 20+ can be done in multiple ways. Remember that a fully invoked Galakrond also gives you a five-attack weapon that can add to your reach.
Malygos Rogue gameplay video
Finally, here is a recap of this guide and some gameplay footage of me playing this deck. I hope it gives you a better idea of what this fun combo deck is all about.