Hearthstone: Naxxramas - Construct Quarter, Patchwerk, Grobbulus, Gluth, Thaddius

With the exception of a single fight, it's the Mage's chance to shine in this week's Naxxramas content update. Secrets, spells, and an army of taunts are very much key to surviving the horrors of the Construct Quarter. Here's a complete guide to killing all four bosses lurking around in this new dungeon wing.

Patchwerk strategy - Normal

Hero Ability

Normal - Destroy a minion (4 Mana).

Heroic - Destroy a minion (4 Mana).

Patchwerk strategy - Normal

Cards aren't good enough for Patchwerk it seems, and so you'll have to contend with his devastating weapon that can effectively kill you in six turns. If that wasn't bad enough, he'll be able to eliminate a minion of his choice by the time turn four rolls around.

We put together a Mage deck with plenty of taunts to keep him occupied, Deathrattle minions to complicate his Hero Ability, and four powerful minions that are immune to his removal spell. You should have no trouble taking him down if you Mulligan for a smooth mana curve.

Patchwerk strategy - Heroic

Things get a good deal more complicated on Heroic difficulty, as Patchwerk's weapon can now strike twice each turn. We found success using this fairly defensive Mage deck, although it is absolutely critical that you have Acidic Swamp Ooze in your hand by the time you're able to play it. You can also use spells like Ice Lance and Frostbolt to keep him at bay while you dig for your own tools of destruction.

Reward

Once Patchwerk's down, you'll be able to add the Undertaker to your collection. You'll need to buff it fast to get value from this play.

Grobbulus

Hero Ability

Normal - Deal 1 damage to all minions. If any die, summon a slime (2 Mana).

Heroic - Deal 2 damage to all enemies. If any die, summon a slime (0 Mana).

Grobbulus strategy - Normal

You shouldn't have too much trouble taking Grobbulus down on Normal difficulty, but you do need to be mindful of his Hero Ability when it comes to your fragile minions. The Priest is an excellent class for this encounter, thanks to its invaluable healing powers. We killed Grobbulus using this cheap deck posted over at Hearthpwn, albeit with Earthen Ring Farseers swapped in for the Dark Cultists you haven't unlocked yet.

Control the board, use your healing effectively, and use Inner Fire and Divine Spirit to create a few deadly monsters of your own.

Grobbulus strategy - Heroic

Grobbulus is very much this week's public enemy number one, and it's a creature that could probably give Gothik a run for his money when it comes to sheer frustration. Some players have reported success using the same deck we used for the first fight, with Earthen Ring Farseers swapped back out for the newly-acquired Dark Cultists. You need a huge amount of luck to pull this off, however, drawing Lightspawns, Deathlords, Inner Fires and Divine Spirits at just the right time.

In the end, we switched over to a variation of the classic Freeze Mage to finish him off. Simply control the board, wipe his minions when he has a full selection, and wait for Alexstrasza to fall into your lap - a pricier strategy, but a much more reliable one. If you're determined to stay on a budget, keep persevering with the Priest.

Reward

Secret-loving classes are going to get a lot of use from the early game play of Mad Scientist. It's a double-edged sword though if your strategy revolves around playing secrets in a very specific order.

Gluth

Hero Ability

Normal - Change the Health of all minions to 1 (2 Mana).

Heroic - Change the Health of enemy minions to 1 (0 Mana).

Gluth strategy - Normal

Gluth's a bit of a pushover if you use the right cards, and this secret-based deck posted by Hearthpwn user Vargas has all the tools you need to get the job done. There's one very important consideration, however, and that's to make sure you have the Acidic Swamp Ooze in your opening hand. Once you've disarmed Gluth, start developing your side of the board, and slowly take charge of the match.

Gluth strategy - Heroic

The strategy doesn't change much for the Heroic fight, but if there's a small possibility of beating Gluth on Normal without the Ooze, that definitely isn't the case here. Use the same deck as before, but restart the fight until you can begin the game with the Ooze in your hand. Without it, you're simply delaying your inevitable demise.

Reward

When Gluth's dead you'll be rewarded with the Zombie Chow card. Best played in the early game, and finished off before that healing can do your opponent too many favours.

Thaddius

Hero Ability

Normal - Swap the Attack and Health of all minions (0 Mana).

Heroic - Swap the Attack and Health of all minions (0 Mana).

Thaddius strategy - Normal

We used a slightly tweaked version of another deck by Vargas to take down the final boss of the Construct Quarter. Specifically, we took out the two Legendary cards you won't have unlocked yet, and popped in a pair of sturdy Spectral Knights instead.

We ended up delivering the finishing blow from the first card we played - a Nerubian Egg of all things. Mulligan hard for that and his Hero Ability will give you an instant 4/4 on the board. From here, play carefully around the Health and Attack switches, and try to think a turn or two ahead for both you and your enemy's minions.

Thaddius strategy - Heroic

Using the original version of the deck, Mulligan aggressively for a Nerubian Egg, the Dancing Swords, and either a Fireball or a Polymorph spell. By doing so, you can deal with both Stalagg and Feugen by the time turn four has ended. From here, it's simply a case of using the same tactics you used in Normal - control the board, and think very carefully about that constant polarity shift before trading minions.

Reward

Read the text of the Wailing Soul carefully before putting it into play. Those are your taunts you're silencing after all...

Class challenges

It's the turn of the Warrior and Priest to get their new cards this week. In the former, make sure you get your Enrage minions out as soon as possible, so they can benefit from Grobbulus' Hero Ability. Try to hold back on using your Death's Bite weapon until you have minions that will benefit from the Deathrattle mechanic, but do be aware that Grobbulus packs a few Acidic Swamp Oozes.

As for the Priest challenge, it's very similar to a very focused fight against Thaddius. Make sure you play the Nerubian Eggs as soon as you can, heal yourself by chomping through your opponent's zombies, and throw Inner Fire at a worthy target. Just like in the Heroic fight, pay very close attention to the board's polarity before trading minions or going in for the kill.

Construct Quarter reward

Once you've killed every last boss in the Construct Quarter, Feugen and Stalagg are yours to play with - presumably as a pair, and to chaotic effect.

You can find the rest of our Naxxramas boss guides from the first page of this article.