When I first saw the card I was somewhat happy because I saw it as a card that can propel the good ol' classic Midrange Shaman into high tiers. However in reality all it did was buff Face Shaman even more and make it even more stupid to play against than before. Face Shaman lost Crackle, but in return they got the most broken 4drop in the game.
Why is it so broken? The 7/7 stat is not really the problem- it's the cost. 4 mana with 2 overload is way too absurd for a vanilla 7/7. Typically, for most(if not all) Overload cards, the sum of the mana cost and the Overload value is roughly equal to the reasonable cost for its effect +1. For example, Feral Spirit summons two 2-mana worth minions and has 3 mana cost + 2 Overload. Ancestral Knowledge is an Arcane Intellect for 2 mana with 2 overload, adding up to 4. The reason why Overload cards cost as such is that they can come into play earlier than its non-overload counterparts; in other words, tempo.
Now let's look at Flamewreathed Faceless. Its "total" cost is 4+2=6. A vanilla 7/7 minion (War Golem) costs 7. Yes it is true that trash cards like War Golem is not really a consideration when it comes to balance, and rightfully so. But even if you ignore War Golem and consider a 7/7 vanilla minion as deserving to cost 6 mana to be competitive enough for constructed, a 4 mana 2 overload 7/7 is still a problem, because its cost adds up exactly to 6, which means there is practically no penalty whatsoever for such a high tempo. High-impact/tempo overload cards like these must always be more "expensive" than their non-overload counterparts. The concept of overload is to play a powerful card for lower cost and take a disadvantage next turn, but Flamewreathed Faceless does not give you any disadvange in terms of mana, if not an advantage. What's more, if you play this on turn 4, you are left with 2 mana next turn and you can use that mana to unlock your overloaded mana right away.
In my opinion the overload should at least be 3. Hell, it could even be fine at 4 overload because of how much tempo it generates, but that would be absurd. Even if it was overload 3 it is still very playable, but at least you wouldn't be able to unlock you overload the following turn. Or maybe 5 mana 2 overload, but perhaps that would make it too slow.
In any case the card is broken at this point, especially with BGH dead(not that it didn't deserve to be destroyed). If a nerf were to happen in the future, this card better be on the chopping block, maybe along with Doomhammer(or Tunnel Trogg maybe).
Handlock has been playing 4 mana 8/8's since the dawn of time, without the overload drawback. There are counters to big minions. Put more removal in your deck. BGH can be played the very turn after your opponent plays their Flamewreathed Faceless. Anyone calling BGH "dead" is over reacting immensely.
Is it me or does your math suck? If you play it on turn 4 and overload 2, then on turn 5 you have 3 mana, not 2. So even if you did nerf it to 3 it's still possible to unlock your crystals. Hell I wouldn't even say the card is stupidly broken since I've seen people run more utility to counter them and it works quite well. Seriously, you even want Doomhammer and Tunnel Trogg nerfed when they were the only things keeping the shaman class together since LoE.
Handlock has been playing 4 mana 8/8's since the dawn of time, without the overload drawback. There are counters to big minions. Put more removal in your deck. BGH can be played the very turn after your opponent plays their Flamewreathed Faceless. Anyone calling BGH "dead" is over reacting immensely.
Yeah the handlock players give up 3 turns to make that tempo swing, cut them some slack. they also lose 4 health from T2 and 3 tap (but gain 2 cards). It's not like they can play normally then pop out a standard 4 mana 8/8
Is it me or does your math suck? If you play it on turn 4 and overload 2, then on turn 5 you have 3 mana, not 2. So even if you did nerf it to 3 it's still possible to unlock your crystals. Hell I wouldn't even say the card is stupidly broken since I've seen people run more utility to counter them and it works quite well. Seriously, you even want Doomhammer and Tunnel Trogg nerfed when they were the only things keeping the shaman class together since LoE.
Oops my bad. I think I was thinking too much about turn 3 coin play when writing that. Still a general cost nerf was where I was trying to get to. With overload 3, you can't play two of these back to back on turns 4 & 5, and removals punish it better. e.g. You can't play it again right away after the Rogue Saps it.
Doomhammer was predicted by many to be nerfed. Blizz hates burst outta nowhere you know. I mentioned Tunnel Trogg because it only Face Shaman possible and Midrange Shaman does not really need it.(+1 attack for every overload card would have been just fine) I don't want a nerf on all three at the same time or anything like that. But Face shaman needs some of their tools chopped off.
When I first saw the card I was somewhat happy because I saw it as a card that can propel the good ol' classic Midrange Shaman into high tiers. However in reality all it did was buff Face Shaman even more and make it even more stupid to play against than before. Face Shaman lost Crackle, but in return they got the most broken 4drop in the game.
Why is it so broken? The 7/7 stat is not really the problem- it's the cost. 4 mana with 2 overload is way too absurd for a vanilla 7/7. Typically, for most(if not all) Overload cards, the sum of the mana cost and the Overload value is roughly equal to the reasonable cost for its effect +1. For example, Feral Spirit summons two 2-mana worth minions and has 3 mana cost + 2 Overload. Ancestral Knowledge is an Arcane Intellect for 2 mana with 2 overload, adding up to 4. The reason why Overload cards cost as such is that they can come into play earlier than its non-overload counterparts; in other words, tempo.
Now let's look at Flamewreathed Faceless. Its "total" cost is 4+2=6. A vanilla 7/7 minion (War Golem) costs 7. Yes it is true that trash cards like War Golem is not really a consideration when it comes to balance, and rightfully so. But even if you ignore War Golem and consider a 7/7 vanilla minion as deserving to cost 6 mana to be competitive enough for constructed, a 4 mana 2 overload 7/7 is still a problem, because its cost adds up exactly to 6, which means there is practically no penalty whatsoever for such a high tempo. High-impact/tempo overload cards like these must always be more "expensive" than their non-overload counterparts. The concept of overload is to play a powerful card for lower cost and take a disadvantage next turn, but Flamewreathed Faceless does not give you any disadvange in terms of mana, if not an advantage. What's more, if you play this on turn 4, you are left with 2 mana next turn and you can use that mana to unlock your overloaded mana right away.
In my opinion the overload should at least be 3. Hell, it could even be fine at 4 overload because of how much tempo it generates, but that would be absurd. Even if it was overload 3 it is still very playable, but at least you wouldn't be able to unlock you overload the following turn. Or maybe 5 mana 2 overload, but perhaps that would make it too slow.
In any case the card is broken at this point, especially with BGH dead(not that it didn't deserve to be destroyed). If a nerf were to happen in the future, this card better be on the chopping block, maybe along with Doomhammer(or Tunnel Trogg maybe).
Put your faith in the Lock. *Desideratus Bellum*
So it's an overload card that isn't total tempo killing shit, and it's a problem?
What's so bad about good cards?
Shamans no longer suck in arena? Cool
Handlock has been playing 4 mana 8/8's since the dawn of time, without the overload drawback. There are counters to big minions. Put more removal in your deck. BGH can be played the very turn after your opponent plays their Flamewreathed Faceless. Anyone calling BGH "dead" is over reacting immensely.
Is it me or does your math suck? If you play it on turn 4 and overload 2, then on turn 5 you have 3 mana, not 2. So even if you did nerf it to 3 it's still possible to unlock your crystals. Hell I wouldn't even say the card is stupidly broken since I've seen people run more utility to counter them and it works quite well. Seriously, you even want Doomhammer and Tunnel Trogg nerfed when they were the only things keeping the shaman class together since LoE.
Diehard druid player ^~^
Check out my theorycrafted Blistering Rot
Put your faith in the Lock. *Desideratus Bellum*
http://www.hearthpwn.com/forums/hearthstone-general/card-discussion/138291-why-i-believe-flamewreathed-faceless-is-op
http://www.hearthpwn.com/forums/hearthstone-general/card-discussion/140325-should-flamewreathed-faceless-be-nerfed