[omega_grunt666]

That deck is hard to play against, but its being nerfed next patch. Otherwise some good cards to look into are Sen'jin Shieldmasta (Taz'dingo!), Sunwalker, Abomination. Taunts are usually pretty good against it, Otherwise I would take Faerie Dragon as a creature they have trouble dealing with since it can't be directly removed and can force them to play a creature instead of hiding behind spells/traps. And generally a 3/2 for 2 is pretty good, ones that have added bonuses like Youthful Brewmaster/Faerie Dragon/Acidic Ooze are just great. OTK Hunters are also why rush decks are so popular right now, if you can kill them before that turn 6/7 unleash then easy win. If you're playing mage, Ice Block/Barrier can stop a hunter rush and leave them open for another turn to give you more time to burn.

As for paladins, hero power whenever you aren't going to spend the mana on something more important, even against a mage/druid/rogue making them spend that mana to keep the board clear can be good for you. Most people are conditioned to never leave an initiate alive for fear that it will be Blessing Of Kings'd into a free 5/5 that can attack that turn.

Also turn 5/6 Counterspell on mage can be funny vs rush hunter, though dangerous.


*edit*
Forgot another rule: Don't overplay your hand. If you have solid board control don't be afraid to pass the turn with 8/10 mana (generally you should hero power) otherwise you can be vulnerable to AoE removal especially vs Mage/Warlock and to a lesser extent Paladin/Priest. Having the cards to play for later gives you more options, and means you're that much less likely to rely on top decking for answers.(Screw RNGsus)

The biggest cost of playing any card is the fact your expending a card, its why things like Wisp and healing spells are considered bad. They set you behind cardwise for very little benefit. On the other hand things like Twilight/Azure Drake are considered great because they draw that replacement and you still get something out of the cost. as a paladin, If you opponent spends a card deal with your HERO POWER, you're way ahead in the long run. And at worst, they counter with 2 mana and their hero power, even trade. It means they had to choose between having 2 more mana that turn to play cards with, or leaving you with a slightly stronger board presence.