This card is good because it does something that mage, particularly burn mage, loves. It draws cards from your deck. Will it fizzle sometimes? Yes, of course. That doesn't mean it is a bad card.
Mage runs a ton of expensive spells and two of the best decks in the game atm, razakus and keleseth rogue, run very cheap spells. This means that this card should resolve most of the time and if that is the case then this card is very good because it allows you to contest the early game and/or put pressure on other decks while not sacrificing card advantage in a way that is forwarding your own strategy.
Even if this card fizzles it is often going to go one-for-one in terms of card advantage because early game creature are very weak in hearthstone right now. There aren't any more totem golems or tunnel troggs in the game right now.
The best answer to a card like this are early game weapons which will be kept in check by all of the weapon destruction cards that will be in the meta presumably.
I think this is terrible compared to Elekk. Even when Elekk whiffed it was fine. a 3/2 beast for 2 in Hunter simply played into their strategy anyway. IF they hit on a Highmane it was just gravy. The downside was almost nil.
If this whiffs it's pretty bad.
I don't see this getting play at all. Even in Arena you'll pass on this most of the time.
Should have given this spell power or something else instead of Beast.
Finally something with Joust that isn't understated for its mana cost. Also it seems they want to push the "big Mage" archetype: lots of synergies with high cost spells.
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For what profit is it to a man, if he gains the world and loses his own soul?
I think a card like this is just what mage needed. Although I never play mage, it is clear to me that this card is a buff to quest mage (and other combo mages) because it can get you the spells you need for certain combos, and although it has weak stats and the effect is unreliable, I think this is going to be played in at least a few mage decks.
Don't forget this thing about joust: sometimes, even when you fail to win joust, you still have an information about what your opponent play, or just a validation about what you think he actually play.
"There is 10 cards left in my opponent's deck, i play this raven and nothing is showed in his deck? So he don't have spells in his deck anymore, so the powerfull spell i know he play is in this hand. Or the spell is showed so i know he don't draw it yet. etc..."
Pretty good in a new "big spell" mage archetype they seem to be pushing. Goes well with the Summoner card they revealed. I can imagine a deck with only minions in the beginning and big spells to finish it off with Medivh combo. We'll see.
Don't forget this thing about joust: sometimes, even when you fail to win joust, you still have an information about what your opponent play, or just a validation about what you think he actually play.
"There is 10 cards left in my opponent's deck, i play this raven and nothing is showed in his deck? So he don't have spells in his deck anymore, so the powerfull spell i know he play is in this hand. Or the spell is showed so i know he don't draw it yet. etc..."
Also: Your opponent still has information about what is in YOUR deck.
Will Mages drop all cheap spells in order to add this bird? No, I don't think so. Because in order to get value from this card, you can't play with Frostbolts. Understand that and let it sink it. If you do not draw a spell with this card, it is absolutely worst than any class 2-drops as well as many neutral 2-drops.
Don't forget this thing about joust: sometimes, even when you fail to win joust, you still have an information about what your opponent play, or just a validation about what you think he actually play.
"There is 10 cards left in my opponent's deck, i play this raven and nothing is showed in his deck? So he don't have spells in his deck anymore, so the powerfull spell i know he play is in this hand. Or the spell is showed so i know he don't draw it yet. etc..."
This is a Highlander deck card, maybe.
In highlander maybe, you can build with Piroblast trying to cast for 0, but if very unlikely will be more strong than OP priest, no one play Highlander mage anymore for a reason.
Don't forget this thing about joust: sometimes, even when you fail to win joust, you still have an information about what your opponent play, or just a validation about what you think he actually play.
"There is 10 cards left in my opponent's deck, i play this raven and nothing is showed in his deck? So he don't have spells in his deck anymore, so the powerfull spell i know he play is in this hand. Or the spell is showed so i know he don't draw it yet. etc..."
Also: Your opponent still has information about what is in YOUR deck.
Will Mages drop all cheap spells in order to add this bird? No, I don't think so. Because in order to get value from this card, you can't play with Frostbolts. Understand that and let it sink it. If you do not draw a spell with this card, it is absolutely worst than any class 2-drops as well as many neutral 2-drops.
This is a Highlander deck card, maybe.
You do realize Jade druid will be playing 11-12 1-cost and 2-cost spells in their deck? Mages only play 4 2-cost spells in their deck. Jade druids only have 6-8 cards that contest mage spells, 2X Branching Paths(4), 2X Nourish(5), 2X Spreading Plague(6), 2X Ultimate Infestation(10).
And even then the mage can still win the joust with firelands portal, flamestrike, and pyroblast unless the druid hits ultimate infestation of which there are only ever two in a deck.
Against Keleseth Rogue the raven always wins the joust because they only use 0-mana spells.
Razakus priest is infamous for running cheap spells several of which are 1-2 mana.
This card is more likely to proc than you think in this meta and while we don't know what will see play in the next meta its likely that these 3 decks will make up some portion of it.
Finally even if the battlecry doesn't go off it isn't that bad because early game cards suck right now and it will likely still go one-for-one.
I love the artwork on this card. I hope we find a use for it somewhere. Drawing your Flamestrikes / Blizzards / Meteors / Fireland's Portals and being able to draw this guy from Curator sounds fun-- I just don't know if it's good enough / consistent enough....
I want to run this in a deck with Spiteful Summoner and Zola the Gorgon followed up with medivah. Minion based with only high cost spells. Depending on what else comes it could be interesting, though probably not competitive.
I think it looks fun but will not be practical. Due to druid generally running ultimate infestation and priest in some cases having a much heavier top end spell setup. But a fun card.
This card is good because it does something that mage, particularly burn mage, loves. It draws cards from your deck. Will it fizzle sometimes? Yes, of course. That doesn't mean it is a bad card.
Mage runs a ton of expensive spells and two of the best decks in the game atm, razakus and keleseth rogue, run very cheap spells. This means that this card should resolve most of the time and if that is the case then this card is very good because it allows you to contest the early game and/or put pressure on other decks while not sacrificing card advantage in a way that is forwarding your own strategy.
Even if this card fizzles it is often going to go one-for-one in terms of card advantage because early game creature are very weak in hearthstone right now. There aren't any more totem golems or tunnel troggs in the game right now.
The best answer to a card like this are early game weapons which will be kept in check by all of the weapon destruction cards that will be in the meta presumably.
I think this is terrible compared to Elekk. Even when Elekk whiffed it was fine. a 3/2 beast for 2 in Hunter simply played into their strategy anyway. IF they hit on a Highmane it was just gravy. The downside was almost nil.
If this whiffs it's pretty bad.
I don't see this getting play at all. Even in Arena you'll pass on this most of the time.
Should have given this spell power or something else instead of Beast.
Galavant Animation
King's Elekk 2: Electric Boogaloo
Finally something with Joust that isn't understated for its mana cost. Also it seems they want to push the "big Mage" archetype: lots of synergies with high cost spells.
For what profit is it to a man, if he gains the world and loses his own soul?
I think a card like this is just what mage needed. Although I never play mage, it is clear to me that this card is a buff to quest mage (and other combo mages) because it can get you the spells you need for certain combos, and although it has weak stats and the effect is unreliable, I think this is going to be played in at least a few mage decks.
I think I know what I'm talking about.
Much needed indirect Ultimate Infestation buff.
Anger is the punishment we give ourselves for someone else's mistake.
Don't forget this thing about joust: sometimes, even when you fail to win joust, you still have an information about what your opponent play, or just a validation about what you think he actually play.
"There is 10 cards left in my opponent's deck, i play this raven and nothing is showed in his deck? So he don't have spells in his deck anymore, so the powerfull spell i know he play is in this hand. Or the spell is showed so i know he don't draw it yet. etc..."
Pretty good in a new "big spell" mage archetype they seem to be pushing. Goes well with the Summoner card they revealed. I can imagine a deck with only minions in the beginning and big spells to finish it off with Medivh combo. We'll see.
Great fun, yet Flamestrike and Pyroblast mean that you will win anytime except against Druid and its ultimate infestation.
I voted Meta-defining
At first, i thought this card to be rubbish. But now i find it VERY intriguing for deckbuilding.
Clearly, it involves adding 3-4 high cost spells, namely Pyroblast and Firelands Portal.
I am definitely going to experiment with it, and i already have a few ideas...
I love the artwork on this card. I hope we find a use for it somewhere. Drawing your Flamestrikes / Blizzards / Meteors / Fireland's Portals and being able to draw this guy from Curator sounds fun-- I just don't know if it's good enough / consistent enough....
I want to run this in a deck with Spiteful Summoner and Zola the Gorgon followed up with medivah. Minion based with only high cost spells. Depending on what else comes it could be interesting, though probably not competitive.
Is good for the foreseeable big spell mage deck incoming from this expansion and tied jousts go to caster, they don't lose now.
I think it looks fun but will not be practical. Due to druid generally running ultimate infestation and priest in some cases having a much heavier top end spell setup. But a fun card.
joust back boiiii