Hearthpwn

This card has become a problem. It enables really bullshit Priest OTKs especially with the new Boomsday Project cards. It needs to get nerfed immediately.

I got rekt by this card.

So the opponent went second and played Radiant Elemental on turn 1 (with The Coin), and since I had some bad starting draws, I suffered. Opponent turn 2 went something like this: 2 Power Word: Shields, hit me with 2 face damage. But that's not so bad right? I still had 28HP. I can't really remove something 7 Health on a minion on my turn 3 since I was running Evolve Shaman and the Devolve wasn't in my hand (RIP). So opponent's turn 3 came and I kinda had that gut feeling about a K.O. comin' my way. I was right. 2 Divine Spirits and Inner Fire for a 28/28 and I was dead.

Crazy buff for rogues, who now have TWICE as many classes to steal Sorcerer's Apprentice from.

It seemed weird at first for Blizzard to tie priest in this Tempo Mage-ish "cast a bunch of spells all at once" mentality with this card and Lyra the Sunshard. When Radiant Elemental was revealed, there was a memey outcry that it felt too much like Sorcerer's Apprentice, and that argument seemed fair to me at the time.

However, seeing these cards in practice, they feel unmistakably Priest-like to play. The trick here is that Priest spells feel fundamentally different to play than Mage spells, and this difference defines the difference in class identity between Priest and Mage. Mage spells are simple, to the point, and often damage-based (Fireball, Frostbolt, Flamestrike, Flame Geyser, Pyroblast...) On the other hand, priest spells usually include buffs (Power Word: Shield, Divine Spirit, Power Word: Tentacles), situational removal (Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Word: Death, Shadow Word: Horror), and weird gimmicks (Shadowform, Confuse, Purify).

Both Radiant Elemental and Sorcerer's Apprentice help you cast spells, but playing Priest spells more easily is a completely different benefit from playing Mage spells more easily.

PS: The statline difference is significant, too. The Sorcerer's Apprentice's 3 attack is fit for going face to go for a burst finish like Mage likes to do. The Radiant Elemental's 3 health is fit for value trading and healing like Priest likes to do.

After playing around with this guy I'm confident that this is the 2-drop Priest has been waiting for! While priest spells are generally low impact, a lot of them are also cheap and generate a lot of value, several even cycle themselves. It just feels so good to go Coin + This + PW: Shield + Mind Vision, then follow it up with a turn 2 Thoughtsteal or Shadow Visions + more miracle shenanigans.

It's a better apprentice since it has more health. It can actually trade and not die, as well as giving you the added bonus of casting spells for cheaper.

This would be a dope light lamp. 

Standard OTK Priest!

Get an extra Mind Blast or two off Shadow Visions, then on turn ten:

Prophet Velen + Radiant Elemental + The Coin (From going second or Burgly Bully) + Radiant Elemental + Mind Blast + Mind Blast + Mind Blast.

Raza the Chained + Holy Smite + Holy Smite + Embrace the Shadow + Lesser Heal could also be used to avoid Shadow Visions RNG.

It's quite a bit more work without Emperor Thaurissan, but it is possible.

Auctionmaster Beardo could also be worked in with some more cheap spells in a Raza the Chained variant for more consistent plays or a 'Miracle Priest' If you will.

I think this guy some day will be just like me.

Amazing! Combos nicely with mirror visage, and gives priest the chance to make up for some of the tempo lost from playing all of the slow control priest spells.  Positive effect if it is rezzed by Onyx Bishop instead of a deathrattle minion or Barnes or something.

Considering all the big minions that could be in play, even Mindgames begins to look feasible.   

Turn 2 into a 0 mana pw:shield

Turn 3 into 1 mana shadow visions into free shield, or other free mana potion or holy smite

Turn 4 into 2 mana Shadowform (setting up Raza on turn 5 for free 2dmg pings the rest of the game).  Or even on Turn 4 with a 2 mana sw:death to get rid of a big threat and still have some kind of board presence.  2 Mana Thoughtsteal, why not.

Turn 5 into 3 mana Mindgames for a massive creature or Shadow Madness for removal.

This card + Raza make Shadowform viable.  Finally.  I think.  Would be amazing for that to be enough.

If you need that Shadow ping but couldn't get into it in the early game.  This card + Mirror Visage + Shadowform + 2 mana ping would be cool for 8 mana and not much tempo lost.  (5/7 in stats in 3 minions + 2 damage that turn)

But what replaces Flash Heal? I'm using that one for OTK Velen decks.

Like when priest become mage

Yeah who cares about class identity!?

Mage's class identity is the one card they have that reduces cost?

of course it is, after all, it wants to be just like them

Must-pick in Arena?

Well, this is like exactly the kind of 2-drop priest needed to make everything else work.