I just played with my Warlock Zoo deck against a Warrior. I thought that it was a Control Warrior, which turned out to be a devastating error. It was a Grim Patron Warrior, and I delivered a perfect board full of Imps just when he was able to play the Warsong Commander Grim Patron combo.
Maybe this matchup is pretty much hopeless anyway, with Imp-losion, Imp Gang Boss, Haunted Creeper and Voidwalker I have just too many minions that are ideal to multiply Grim Patrons. But I wasn't all that far from being able to burst down his remaining health, so maybe it is not entirely hopeless.
But I need to recognize earlier if a Warrior is likely to be a Grim Patron style one, and not only after they played their combo. Are there any particular signs that indicate a Grim Patron Warrior and not a Control Warrior?
Best Answer
The sign to me is usually the presence of an early Unstable Ghoul. Control warriors usually don't play the ghoul, but GPW's do.
Another sign would be the presence is a Warbot. Control warriors don't play this card, but it can be useful in GPW decks. This is usually the earliest, easiest way of telling for me.
Waterseas edit: Acolyte of Pain is a great card that comes out early. This card is used along with Whirlwind, Bouncing Blades or CTM for quick card draw. All of those cards also lead to the drawing of their combo.