With the piece meal release of another two cards by Blizzard we got a chance to see some glimmer of hope for Shamans. Now before we continue I should state something. I have always thought shaman were a good class, not a great class but statistically one of the most balanced in terms of w/l.
Shamans for the longest time have had a great arsenal of spells and minions to provide a punch that could really cause havoc. However they came with a draw back. Overload. Yet now it seems their may be a balancing point for the elemental master.
Now I initially overlooked one huge aspect of this card. "Mana Crystals", Plural meaning all. So you can unleash a storm of elemental havoc on your opponent and as long as the last card you play is the Lava Shock you will not be punished. Fact that it is not a minion only card means you will always have a target to use this card on and thus be able to have your full mana your next turn.
Ok so how relevant is this?
Turn 5 use to be a very sticky spot for shamans. Mostly they could not play a Lightning Storm with out sacrificing the ability of getting a Fire Elemental out the next turn. With this card you can play Lightning Storm and then the Lava Shock and be able to get a Fire Elementall out on turn 6.
We also have to consider this is another damage to the face card. So let us count 2x Lava shock, 2x Lava Burst, 2x Lightning Bolt, 2x Crackle or 4+10+6+6-12 or 26-32 total damage just off spells. Throw in some spell power totems and minions and that increases. The posibility of a pure burn shaman deck will be something of a reality. All you need is card draw and some minions and your set to go.
"WOW THEY ARE GONNA BE OP" Hold your horses there. The down side to this card is hand advantage. Shamans have a very difficult time getting any extra card generation as their staple, Mana Tide Totem is easy to kill. However thanks to cards like Azure Drake, Loot Hoarder and Gnomish Inventor this draw back can be reduced in its impact. It is also important to remember that Antique Healbot does exist and can off set that spell blast you may be thinking of trying.
So will this turn Shaman into and "OP" Class? No. Will it increase its play ability and chance at win? YES
"Will Shaman become the dominant class in Hearthstone?" No.
Sorry to be glib, and I love playing Shaman, but I just can't see it ever happening. I would just be happy if Shaman were on equal footing with other classes in competitive Hearthstone.
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Retired streamer and Hearthstone journalist @Shevvek
I'll just copy my post from the lava shock thread:
I'm definitely not sold on this card. There are several issues with it:
1. It's a low impact tempo card (meaning, it has high mana efficience and low card efficience), which means it's best if combined with card draw. What is it shaman lacks most? Card draw.
2. It's a low cost removal spell. Looking at Earthshock,Lightning Bolt, Hex, Crackle, Rockbiter, that's absolutely no category shaman is lacking in.
3. It's quite situational. You need 1 overload to make it identical to arcane shot, which imo wouldn't be run by shaman even if he could(again because of card draw), with 2 overload you effectively get an enhanced moonfire, which imo still is only decent, but not great, only with 3+ it really becomes strong. However, there needs to be some minion you actually want to use it on. You will often end up using this card in suboptimal circumstances because of this.
4. A lot of overload cards already aren't good enough to be included in most decks thanks to various issues, and two mediocre cards don't make a good one; Strong decks are built upon cards that are already good on their own and get better if combined.
5. The main problem with overload imo is that it denies you playing certain cards on curve, not that it adds up so much. This card doesn't help when you're for example at turn 6 with one overload and you badly want to play flame elemental(which happens often), but instead when you played several overload cards in a single turn(which doesn't happen often and generally isn't a good idea because of the already mentioned lack of card draw).
So, point 1 means this card probably won't be good in the late game since shaman struggles with card draw foremost by then and point 3 means it probably won't be good in the early game because you can't have enough overload by then. This leaves the mid game, and even there, it's quite situational. Unless I find a way to solve the problem with the draw, I'm not sure I would even use this card at all.
It will be useful in an all-burn Shaman deck. Some sort like a miracle play where u fork lightning n lava burst like a madman n then end with lava shock so that you can go again next turn.
As for fitting it in the current shaman variants, i have doubts. First of all, it doesn't come with a body, so that's a huge drawback. 2 mana for 2 damage is very very weak, especially with more and more 3+ health minions. So the unlocking of overload brings it average at best.
Possible favorable scenarios, as the OP says are all at turn 5: Feral+lava or lightning storm+lava. With feral + lava, you are putting down two 2/3 taunt bodies, and dealing 2 damage, on turn 5. 2 damage on turn 5 is not gonna be game changing most of the time. So with a two card combo and 5 mana, you build a decent board and deal 2 damage, too weak IMO. Plus, you can already do most of it without lava shock, at the price of overload, lava shock gives you the ability to drop a loatheb, fire elemental, or azure drake. All are situational cards that you might not want to drop at that point of time. Same goes for lightning+lava shock, you clear the board, and finish off 1 left over minion, on turn 5. Not much leftovers after a lightning storm on turn 5, none that we can't take care of. Then next turn you are clear to drop a bomb.
Looking at the whole picture, lava shock requires 3 cards for it to return maximum value, a 3-card combo in two turns that establishes a board that other classes can do with 2 cards in 2 turns. Or it is a 3-card combo that clears a board and drops a bomb the next turn, a move that can be achieved with holy nova + slyvannas, that's two cards.
So my verdict: too combo-ish to achieve regular results, requires too many situational cards, poor on its own. Will see less play than Reincarnate.
Unless shamans get some nice draw mechanic, this card won't shine.
On itself, it is just a (not so) cheap removal. It will depend on synergies with a very nice hand to work out some nice combos. As it was stated before, shamans lack drawing mechanics to properly benefit from this card.
It will work decently on Overload and Tempo decks, and maybe some new Miracle Shaman with Auctioneer (which is possible, but gimmicky).
Oh i just realized that this card might not work as we initially thought.
Technically, after you cast a lightning storm this turn, are your crystals overloaded? Or does it overload on the next turn? The turn you cast a overloaded card, little locks appear BELOW your crystals, and only on the next turn the locks move up ONTO the mana crystals.
So, what does "unlock overloaded mana crystals" mean? Does it just remove the locks regardless of the location of the locks? Or does it only work when the locks effectively "lock" onto the crystals?
I like it even though it's only useful late in the game when an agro deck has lethal next turn. I would like to play an overload/cheap burn deck and this is an obvious pick for it, but in my 2 current Shaman decks I can't think of anything I'd take out to replace with this.
Oh i just realized that this card might not work as we initially thought.
Technically, after you cast a lightning storm this turn, are your crystals overloaded? Or does it overload on the next turn? The turn you cast a overloaded card, little locks appear BELOW your crystals, and only on the next turn the locks move up ONTO the mana crystals.
So, what does "unlock overloaded mana crystals" mean? Does it just remove the locks regardless of the location of the locks? Or does it only work when the locks effectively "lock" onto the crystals?
It removes ALL currently locked mana crystals. Both current turn and the following turn. If you cast an overload spell after Lava Shock, those mana crystals will still be locked.
But if u cast an overload spell, those crystal are not locked yet, right? It only gets locked next turn.
Oh i just realized that this card might not work as we initially thought.
Technically, after you cast a lightning storm this turn, are your crystals overloaded? Or does it overload on the next turn? The turn you cast a overloaded card, little locks appear BELOW your crystals, and only on the next turn the locks move up ONTO the mana crystals.
So, what does "unlock overloaded mana crystals" mean? Does it just remove the locks regardless of the location of the locks? Or does it only work when the locks effectively "lock" onto the crystals?
It removes ALL currently locked mana crystals. Both current turn and the following turn. If you cast an overload spell after Lava Shock, those mana crystals will still be locked.
But if u cast an overload spell, those crystal are not locked yet, right? It only gets locked next turn.
Ben Brode Jarraxxus confirmed that it wipes away **ALL** of the locked crystals, so if you play out a bunch of overload spells, then end the turn with Lava Shock, you won't have any locked crystals the next turn.
There's a lot of potential, as the overload cards can be quite good without the overload on them.
No. This one card will not unlock the hidden potential for Shaman. Lava Shock is way too situational. Also requires you to have a serious hand will all the right cards to make it work. How often can Shaman say that?
In fact, the class is always going to be second tier because...
A.) The hero power relies on RNG. And therefore will bone you at times. B.) Zero good card draw dynamics currently.
wait until all cards are revealed and then wait to see how the meta will adapt. i main druid and shaman and we havent seen yet the druid cards. not to mention that big dragons are more playable in druid cause of innervate etc. we only have seen 7 of the 31 cards so there are 24 to go. plenty id say
Until all Cards are released, i would be very careful with suggestions and speculations like "Will XY be like XZ?" .....
Why? Nobody will take it seriously anyway. It's understood that everything said about the meta after BRM is pure speculation. As if anyone is gonna PM you and say "hey rmb you said that Rogue will be the best control class after BRM? Lol u noob u wrong neener neener!".
i don't see the need to be "very careful".
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"Put your face in the light!" - Tirion Fordring
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With the piece meal release of another two cards by Blizzard we got a chance to see some glimmer of hope for Shamans. Now before we continue I should state something. I have always thought shaman were a good class, not a great class but statistically one of the most balanced in terms of w/l.
Shamans for the longest time have had a great arsenal of spells and minions to provide a punch that could really cause havoc. However they came with a draw back. Overload. Yet now it seems their may be a balancing point for the elemental master.
Now I initially overlooked one huge aspect of this card. "Mana Crystals", Plural meaning all. So you can unleash a storm of elemental havoc on your opponent and as long as the last card you play is the Lava Shock you will not be punished. Fact that it is not a minion only card means you will always have a target to use this card on and thus be able to have your full mana your next turn.
Ok so how relevant is this?
Turn 5 use to be a very sticky spot for shamans. Mostly they could not play a Lightning Storm with out sacrificing the ability of getting a Fire Elemental out the next turn. With this card you can play Lightning Storm and then the Lava Shock and be able to get a Fire Elementall out on turn 6.
We also have to consider this is another damage to the face card. So let us count 2x Lava shock, 2x Lava Burst, 2x Lightning Bolt, 2x Crackle or 4+10+6+6-12 or 26-32 total damage just off spells. Throw in some spell power totems and minions and that increases. The posibility of a pure burn shaman deck will be something of a reality. All you need is card draw and some minions and your set to go.
"WOW THEY ARE GONNA BE OP" Hold your horses there. The down side to this card is hand advantage. Shamans have a very difficult time getting any extra card generation as their staple, Mana Tide Totem is easy to kill. However thanks to cards like Azure Drake, Loot Hoarder and Gnomish Inventor this draw back can be reduced in its impact. It is also important to remember that Antique Healbot does exist and can off set that spell blast you may be thinking of trying.
So will this turn Shaman into and "OP" Class? No. Will it increase its play ability and chance at win? YES
"Will Shaman become the dominant class in Hearthstone?" No.
Sorry to be glib, and I love playing Shaman, but I just can't see it ever happening. I would just be happy if Shaman were on equal footing with other classes in competitive Hearthstone.
Retired streamer and Hearthstone journalist @Shevvek
We have to wait and see until all the cards are out before we declare the new fotm class.
I'll just copy my post from the lava shock thread:
I'm definitely not sold on this card. There are several issues with it:
1. It's a low impact tempo card (meaning, it has high mana efficience and low card efficience), which means it's best if combined with card draw. What is it shaman lacks most? Card draw.
2. It's a low cost removal spell. Looking at Earthshock,Lightning Bolt, Hex, Crackle, Rockbiter, that's absolutely no category shaman is lacking in.
3. It's quite situational. You need 1 overload to make it identical to arcane shot, which imo wouldn't be run by shaman even if he could(again because of card draw), with 2 overload you effectively get an enhanced moonfire, which imo still is only decent, but not great, only with 3+ it really becomes strong. However, there needs to be some minion you actually want to use it on. You will often end up using this card in suboptimal circumstances because of this.
4. A lot of overload cards already aren't good enough to be included in most decks thanks to various issues, and two mediocre cards don't make a good one; Strong decks are built upon cards that are already good on their own and get better if combined.
5. The main problem with overload imo is that it denies you playing certain cards on curve, not that it adds up so much. This card doesn't help when you're for example at turn 6 with one overload and you badly want to play flame elemental(which happens often), but instead when you played several overload cards in a single turn(which doesn't happen often and generally isn't a good idea because of the already mentioned lack of card draw).
So, point 1 means this card probably won't be good in the late game since shaman struggles with card draw foremost by then and point 3 means it probably won't be good in the early game because you can't have enough overload by then. This leaves the mid game, and even there, it's quite situational. Unless I find a way to solve the problem with the draw, I'm not sure I would even use this card at all.
*Masturbates furiously in the corner*
It will be useful in an all-burn Shaman deck. Some sort like a miracle play where u fork lightning n lava burst like a madman n then end with lava shock so that you can go again next turn.
As for fitting it in the current shaman variants, i have doubts. First of all, it doesn't come with a body, so that's a huge drawback. 2 mana for 2 damage is very very weak, especially with more and more 3+ health minions. So the unlocking of overload brings it average at best.
Possible favorable scenarios, as the OP says are all at turn 5: Feral+lava or lightning storm+lava. With feral + lava, you are putting down two 2/3 taunt bodies, and dealing 2 damage, on turn 5. 2 damage on turn 5 is not gonna be game changing most of the time. So with a two card combo and 5 mana, you build a decent board and deal 2 damage, too weak IMO. Plus, you can already do most of it without lava shock, at the price of overload, lava shock gives you the ability to drop a loatheb, fire elemental, or azure drake. All are situational cards that you might not want to drop at that point of time. Same goes for lightning+lava shock, you clear the board, and finish off 1 left over minion, on turn 5. Not much leftovers after a lightning storm on turn 5, none that we can't take care of. Then next turn you are clear to drop a bomb.
Looking at the whole picture, lava shock requires 3 cards for it to return maximum value, a 3-card combo in two turns that establishes a board that other classes can do with 2 cards in 2 turns. Or it is a 3-card combo that clears a board and drops a bomb the next turn, a move that can be achieved with holy nova + slyvannas, that's two cards.
So my verdict: too combo-ish to achieve regular results, requires too many situational cards, poor on its own. Will see less play than Reincarnate.
Shaman is screwed once more.
"Put your face in the light!" - Tirion Fordring
Unless shamans get some nice draw mechanic, this card won't shine.
On itself, it is just a (not so) cheap removal. It will depend on synergies with a very nice hand to work out some nice combos. As it was stated before, shamans lack drawing mechanics to properly benefit from this card.
It will work decently on Overload and Tempo decks, and maybe some new Miracle Shaman with Auctioneer (which is possible, but gimmicky).
Oh i just realized that this card might not work as we initially thought.
Technically, after you cast a lightning storm this turn, are your crystals overloaded? Or does it overload on the next turn? The turn you cast a overloaded card, little locks appear BELOW your crystals, and only on the next turn the locks move up ONTO the mana crystals.
So, what does "unlock overloaded mana crystals" mean? Does it just remove the locks regardless of the location of the locks? Or does it only work when the locks effectively "lock" onto the crystals?
"Put your face in the light!" - Tirion Fordring
I like it even though it's only useful late in the game when an agro deck has lethal next turn. I would like to play an overload/cheap burn deck and this is an obvious pick for it, but in my 2 current Shaman decks I can't think of anything I'd take out to replace with this.
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The Political Things, Night School, and f2p with HSThompson M-W-F after 10pm EST
I'm a bit sceptical, but hope Lava Shock will bring new deck-theories (as you wrote, a full spell damage build would be so much fun)!
12 wins in ArenA with: Mage and Paladin, first time legend with Rogue
But if u cast an overload spell, those crystal are not locked yet, right? It only gets locked next turn.
"Put your face in the light!" - Tirion Fordring
I cant stop laughing over this.
What's the significance of doing this in a corner? lol wtf
Would you rather choke the chicken in a corner...or in the middle of a room? Take your pick lol
Ben BrodeJarraxxus confirmed that it wipes away **ALL** of the locked crystals, so if you play out a bunch of overload spells, then end the turn with Lava Shock, you won't have any locked crystals the next turn.There's a lot of potential, as the overload cards can be quite good without the overload on them.
This space intentionally left blank.
No. This one card will not unlock the hidden potential for Shaman. Lava Shock is way too situational. Also requires you to have a serious hand will all the right cards to make it work. How often can Shaman say that?
In fact, the class is always going to be second tier because...
A.) The hero power relies on RNG. And therefore will bone you at times.
B.) Zero good card draw dynamics currently.
wait until all cards are revealed and then wait to see how the meta will adapt. i main druid and shaman and we havent seen yet the druid cards. not to mention that big dragons are more playable in druid cause of innervate etc. we only have seen 7 of the 31 cards so there are 24 to go. plenty id say
Too late, I made a thing! (Super rough draft)
Until all Cards are released, i would be very careful with suggestions and speculations like "Will XY be like XZ?" .....
only those with Straw in their heads fear the Spark of Truth
Why? Nobody will take it seriously anyway. It's understood that everything said about the meta after BRM is pure speculation. As if anyone is gonna PM you and say "hey rmb you said that Rogue will be the best control class after BRM? Lol u noob u wrong neener neener!".
i don't see the need to be "very careful".
"Put your face in the light!" - Tirion Fordring