To date, Hearthstone has 10 playable classes. Each of these classes has their own specific set of cards, with some Neutral cards available for use with any class. Vastly different decks can be made with each class, utilizing the unique mechanics and cards, reinforcing specific strengths or trying to cover for some of the weaknesses.
For this list, we'll be taking a look at the Shaman class. This class has a unique mechanic all to its own; this mechanic can help you gain board control early, but if not played wisely, it can severely limit what you can do on each turn. Let's go over general strategies with the Shaman Class, as well as some of the best cards currently available to it:
10 OVERLOAD
The unique mechanic available to the Shaman Class is Overload. A card with overload is generally stronger than the Mana cost suggests, but the Overload value takes available Mana away on your next turn; basically allowing you to use Mana from that next turn on this one. If used wisely, this can allow you to dominate the early game and get a quick advantage, but if used poorly, it is going to end up hampering your possibilities in the mid-game.
9 GALAKROND
Though this isn't a mechanic entirely unique to the Shaman Class, each class that does have access to Galakrond has different benefits. Invoking Galakrond as the Shaman summons a 2/1 Storm with Rush, allowing it to attack minions on the same turn that it was summoned. This is one of, if not the absolute best, Galakrond Invoke ability.
Summoning Galakrond summons 2 Storms with at least 2/2 stats, though they can be more powerful depending on how many times you've Invoked Galakrond before summoning him.
8 TOTEMS
Totems are another mechanic entirely unique to the Shamam. The Shaman's Hero Power summons a random basic totem, but there are other Totems that the Shaman can have as cards in their deck, as well. Totems generally give passive effects, such as buffing the attack damage of nearby minions, adding a lackey to your hand at the end of each turn, and so forth.
There are other cards that buff these Totems, which can really make the board get out of hand quickly if your opponent doesn't take care of the problem, fast.
7 LACKEYS
As mentioned before, there's a Totem that adds a lackey to your hand at the end of every turn, and a couple of other cards specific to the Shaman Class that have to do with lackeys, too. While a deck can't really be built entirely around lackeys with the Shaman, they can be of some solid benefit as a part of the deck.
6 HEX
Much like the Polymorph spell for the Mage, if the enemy has a minion that is, quite simply, out of control, just slap a Hex on it and call it a day. Hex is a 4-cost spell that turns a minion into a 0/1 Frog with Taunt. On the flipside, if you find yourself in desperate need of a Taunt minion to survive one more turn, this can be used on your own minions, as well. Just don't expect them to be happy about it.
5 BLOODLUST
One of the more frustrating cards in the entire game, Bloodlust gives all of your minions +3 Attack until your next turn. If you find your side of the board full of smaller minions that your opponent hasn't found much of a threat, play this card, and make them regret it. Opponents can seriously go from full health to dead in a single turn with this card.
4 CORRUPT ELEMENTALIST
If you're running a Galakrond deck, then the Corrupt Elementalist is a card that you are absolutely going to want to have around. It might look pretty weak; a 6-cost minion that's only 3/3? But it invokes Galakrond twice, giving you one 3/3 minion and two 2/1 minions with Rush, all in one card.
Plus, invoking Galakrond twice upgrades the effect he has when summoned once, so this is a pretty sweet card, all things considered.
3 CORRUPT THE WATERS
A lot of Shaman decks run with Corrupt The Waters; a 1-cost Quest that, once you play 6 cards with Battlecry, changes your Hero Power. That new Hero Power allows friendly Battlecry's to trigger twice on that turn, which can really have some serious effect if you've built your deck to be centered around those Battlecry effects.
2 MURLOCS
Running a Murloc deck is absolutely possible with the Shaman, as well. There are quite a few really strong Murloc cards available here, like Plague Or Murlocs, which transforms ALL minions into random Murlocs. Underbelly Angler, which adds a random Murloc to your hand after you play a Murloc. And Scargil, making your Murlocs only cost 1-Mana.
1 DRAGON'S PACK
Another great fit in a Galakrond deck, Dragon's Pack can seriously change the flow of the match. This is a 5-cost spell that summons two 2/3 Spirit Wolves with Taunt, but if you've invoked twice, those Spirit Wolves are instead 4/5. Summoning two 4/5 Taunt minions for the cost of 5-Mana is, to be honest, absolutely insane, and this card should definitely find its way into any deck involving Galakrond.