Hearthpwn

Greetings, Hearthpwn! Welcome to the Semi-Finals!

If you're just joining us, this is the Fan Creation Forum's third Class Creation Competition. We've reached the end of Phase V, and it's now time for you to help us determine which four of these fan-created classes will qualify for the grand finale!

Five phases into the competition, competitors have proven their classes worthy by having their Basic and Classic sets approved by voters, as well as their Blackrock Mountain and Grand Tournament sets. For the Phase V Semi-Finals, they've added their League of Explorers and Whispers of the Old Gods sets. Check out the new classes below, represented by their Hero, Hero Power, any class-exclusive keywords, and four example cards from their LoE and WotOG sets, as well as one additional example card from an earlier competition phase.

If what you see here piques your interest, click on any class's name to be directed to their post in the Phase V Submission Topic, where you can see their full Basic, Classic, BRM, TGT, LoE, and WotOG sets, as well as deeper explanations of their classes. Also, remember to check out the spoilers below each entry for any relevant tokens.

THE WORGEN by nurgling13 (post #6)

THE CHRONOMANCER by thepowrofcheese (post #7)

THE ALCHEMIST by nobravery (post #5)

THE ALCHEMIST by Turkeybag (post #4)

THE KING by maxlot (post #11)

THE CULT LEADER by OBoily (post #9)

THE FLAME WIELDER by SanderNightsite (post #2)

THE DRYAD by Broeck1 (post #8)

THE RACER by The_Odinson (post #3)

As usual, finalists, if I've messed something up with your class presentation here, let me know so that I can fix it ASAP! =D

 Its a bummer to be at the bottom of this thread. I feel like its so easy to overlook my class. That said, everyone left is a true champion and every class has really stepped up its game. So let's talk about it a bit.

The Worgen - nurgling13: This guy is killing it. He crushed that last poll, he's got one of the strongest design concepts and people really love it. His flavor is always on point and he's had some great unique ideas to keep his class on top. The spoiler doesn't do this class justice.

The Chronomancer - thepowrofcheese: This preview I think does a great job. It really highlights a major new approach for the class, fatigue pushing. Its got the power to do this well before players run out of cards leading to a dynamic new style of gameplay around that scaling damage source. He's done fairly well balancing a very very powerful hero power.

The Alchemist - nobravery: Our first Alchemist. Its amazing that 2 of these guys made it, but if you look at the two classes you can see how different they are and why they made it this far. nobravery has really gone very unique. He's built is class around a tons of synergies and combinations that are much less direct than most other classes. I think he's got some insanely powerful cards in his set however and I feel like things have gone a bit too far. Alchemist's Cheque in particularly is exceptionally strong, and combos very heavily, and Cataclysm is an effect I have a hard time fitting into the class from a Flavor standpoint.

The Alchemist - Turkeybag: The second Alchemist is a bit of the other direction. Focusing on the more experimental corrupted side we often see from the Forsaken in WoW, we've got crazy concoctions and mutated monstrosities. I think this preview kind of undercuts the overall theme of the class, and if you haven't checked out the submission thread, I would. Because that funky beast/undead flavor, and the Old God synergies don't get to shine through here because of the challenge cards.

The King - maxlot: This class has come a long way. And I think its really now finally a full blown experience. Its tough to build a class around rarity, especially when there are so few cards. However, not that things are this far there are so many different decks available, and his preview only just touches on that. Go check out the submission to see some of the other great things going on.

The Cult Leader - OBoily: I actually wasn't that happy with how this class went last round. I think things had really slowed down and become a bit stale, however now that WotOGs have hit, all those cultists have a lot more to do. This has led to a burst of power and flavor that this class really needed. The preview is great and this class is looking sweet.

The Flame Wielder - SanderNightsite: Another class that has evolved a lot from the first rounds. Stepping away from the Magma Rager ideas helped make this feel less like a gimmick. The one major not to Magma Ragers comes from the sweet new Legendary, the Illidan Firerage. I mean come on, the art and flavor is just insane. I think that this class might be the most concise of them all. Good stuff.

The Dryad - Broeck1: My fellow Wild Card has been plagued by lack of time to really design cards. He's struggled in the past rounds, but I think stepped up here. Maybe not quite to the highest level but there is still some great stuff. His corrupted Ysera is nuts and the art and style evolved very very well to fit the new sets. Tough competition to be sure.

The Racer - The_Odinson: The darkest of dark horses. Myself, a Wild Card. I actually came in dead last in the last round, however my fellow competitors respected me enough to bring me back for one last chance. I hope you'll not only enjoy my preview and its different approach and focus toward the least played Old God, but also check out my full submission and really get a feel for my class and what I've done there. I took a very difficult task on board and I think there are some really interesting and innovative things going on. I'd love to make it just one more round forward and show off my last few great ideas. Thanks to everyone from the discussion and anyone who votes for me to move on. Its been a wild ride, and I want to go one more lap.

I see Asylum chose my card that had the beefiest art.

Quote from nurgling13 >>

I see Asylum chose my card that had the beefiest art.

Quote from Asylum_Rhapsody >>

Quote from nurgling13 >>

I see Asylum chose my card that had the beefiest art.

THAT'S NOT THE REASON. <___<
The reason I picked that one was because your class has some unique mechanics dealing with whether something is a class card or not, and none of the rest of your example cards for this phase showcased that, so I thought of the options that you gave me that Overpower would result in a more versatile and comprehensive showcase of your class.
Though, to be fair, I do not blame you for thinking that.

I'll start off by talking about my showcase, The Alchemist by Turkeybag (ME!)

This is far different than my usual showcases. First up aside from Asylum's choice I have no concoct cards. In phase 1 all my cards had concoct and I feel I have explored the keyword well and thus I've been showing off less and less of it. A lot of core class cards use it and it is definitely a large part of the classes identity and playstyle but there is so much more to the class and I've decided to showcase that this time. The class started out as mainly a control class but I kept adding more and more stuff to fit in other areas and I think it's done wonders for the class. Now the class can be taken in so many different directions and even control has so many viable sub archetypes such as Joust N'zoth, Beast, Concoct Taunt, and Turbo Starseeker (I can give you the decklists if your interested :P). The class is now kind of about letting players experiment themselves with so many different cool things to discover about the class, many I probably don't even know about myself! I'm still finding new combos in the class to this day :P 

This is why I showcased Forbidden Knowledge. This card alone adds so many different options for deck building. Since discovering a card from your deck gives you a copy of it, you can use it to duplicate old gods or other win conditions like Leon, Master Mutator's buffed minion. It can also just be used to add consistency to decks built around specific cards. My personal favorite deck that I made using it is called Turbo Starseeker, which plays like a control deck but it's goal is to get The Golden Monkey as early as possible.

Graveyard Creeper is an example of complex decisions being adding into a basic card. Since most aggro decks consist of cards costing 1-3 mana this guy can really limit their options, that's his obvious use. However you can also use him to stop combos. Say you wanna tech your deck against Power Overwhelming and Ice Lance, you could use this guy plus a 1 drop of your choice to do that. But then the question is what 1 drop and what other stuff could you tech him against in that same deck or others? 

Overworked Apprentice is a really cool card I added to showcase the dangers of alchemy flavor wise. He has great card draw with tempo so he'll fit into a fair number of decks, each of which has an accident secret they dread most and their own way to play around it! I think he's a pretty cool and interactive card draw card, plus giving your opponent a secret combos really well with Eater of Secrets or Kezan Mystic.

Leon, Master Mutator is another card that shows off the exploration of the class. Forbidden Knowledge allows you to have the consistency to make a deck around him but there are so many possible targets to choose from. Do you wanna use him on a charge minion and aim for an OTK? A taught minion for an unbreakable wall? A combo piece that never lives long enough, possibly Malygos or Tomb Terror (from my LoE set)? So many choices, so many ways to use those choices. The options are endless!

My card from Asylum's is Cloning Elixir. Like with Leon there are a lot of options to think about. You could use it on a powerful deathrattle minion or something with a strong end of turn effect like Emperor Thaurissan (allowing some crazy combos) but it's also really strong in ways you may not expect. For example if you use this on an enemy charge minion you can then trade it into one of their other minions which would also kill their charge minion. Useful!

I hope you enjoyed my showcase and that it inspired a few deck ideas for if you ever got your hands on my class!

I shall now write my thoughts about the other classes!

@Schukala
Ugh, yeah he is. Damn it how did that get missed. He had it but he got changed a little and I must have missed adding it back. One of the issues with so few remaining active competitors is that there isn't much feedback so it's far easier to miss something like this. Pity given I was really happy with my cards :(

EDIT: IF possible would a a moderator be able to change the card to this version:

It's ultimately up to the mods but it is the same card just with the text being functional, and it really should have been picked up in the discussion topic but there is just a lack of active people in there giving feedback. The reason one Cost is capital and the other isn't is just because hearthstone is weird and cost on cards is always capitalized unless it is cost (x) in which case it isn't. Looks weird but it's consistent with hearthstones other cards.

Unfortunately I lost over an hours worth of work I put into commenting on each class because my computer is dumb. I don't have time to do that again so I'll do a quick reply to each instead and only for the challenge cards. It is the semi finals so I wont hold back punches.

THE WORGEN by nurgling13: Ancient Sword is awesome. Fur-st Mate is a card I quite like that fits the pirate theme and is flavorful but I think it'll cost you votes given people are really fed up with pirates atm. Overpower is simple but shows off your classes class minion theme well. Simple but good. The challenge cards hit you hard though with Hark Spymaster making little sense as your class has no other secret cards and a Worgen card using Hunter, Mage or Paladin spells is bizarre. Plus he's a spymaster but he gives your opponent a secret he can't see and that's odd. He does show off the Human/Worgen thing well though. Swarthy Mercenary is a bit busted tbh. You play a zoo deck and drop him after flooding the bored and your opponent is basically screwed. Overall an alright showcase.

THE CHRONOMANCER by thepowrofcheese: Another victim of the brutal challenge cards. Prolong Indefinitely is like an upsized Sap that's completely lost it's identity. Sap's power lies in tempo and since this costs double it loses that. Plus the high cost minions you want to aim sap at are already close to 10 mana so the cost change seems to be best when aimed at low cost minions but then damage spells like Fireball would just do the job better. Just seems pointless. Fatesplitter creates a token from wild and that is completely against what blizzard is aiming for since you can't discover or get any wild cards in standard whatsoever. Plus it's busted when you have two of them. End Times and Murozond are pretty awesome and unique but also worrisome as they really punish control decks and promote aggro. Paradox is simple but good. Overall a pretty lackluster showcase.

THE ALCHEMIST by nobravery: I absolutely love Telekinesis and the synergy with Faceless Deceiver and Renegade Doppleganger is pretty sweet. However this showcase is crippled by it's challenge cards. Alchemist's Cheque is busted with Gadgetzan Auctioneer and you can use it with Cataclysm to bring out a super strong minion while your opponent has no mana. Now onto Cataclysm. I strongly dislike this card. You play a zoo deck and when the opponent can finally try out the brand new old gods the expansion's about you simply say no. Add in coins from Allchemist's Cheque and some powerful deathrattle minions like Twilight Summoner and this card is not only broken but a real fun killer. Overall a rather lackluster showcase.

THE KING by maxlot: The first class to not suffer from the challenge cards. Requisition is a pretty cool card draw card, Slippery First Mate is an excellent card that perfectly shows off the rarity mechanic. Enchanted Heirloom is capped at 5/4 but that is still too good seeing as it's twice as good as Arcanite Reaper and costs less. It may be slow but that's not enough of a drawback imo. Royal Diplomat is a unique take on a secret counter card, and Celebrations is a great deceptively simple card! Solid showcase.

THE CULT LEADER by OBoily: Spooky Strawman is on the strong side, premium stats and a decent effect you can use to your advantage by playing on curve. Indistinct Shade is another card that creates a token from the wild set and that's not good. It's fine balance wise at least. Sinister Giant seems rather boring as you'd need to one 4 big minions with no real effect. Fine balance wise, just not for me. Ataclan, the Summoner is an excellent card that'll often give you old gods meaning that the best way to use him is in a deck that benefits from all old gods and that's awesome! Secret Gathering is a solid card that gives synergy to Cultists. An alright showcase overall.

THE FLAME WIELDER by SanderNightsite: Tomb Explorer is a simple but solid secret counter. Dragon's Call is something I'm not really a fan of as games will literally come down to if this card draws a dragon or not and that's a bit to much RNG for me but it does push super heavy dragon decks and that's cool. Treasure Protector is a cool and simple tempo card. Illidan Firerage is something I question as it's like Illidan Stormrage (a card that's never really seen play due to it's high cost and low health) but it costs 1 more and is just as easy to kill. I know this class can synergies well with Magma Ragers but I fear this will share the same fate as the original Illidan, but hopefully not! Fire Rune is pretty sweet. It's like the opposite of Divine Favor as it's good vs aggro decks but terrible vs control decks. Overall a pretty solid showcase.

THE DRYAD by Broeck1: Thicket Monstrosity is a good card that shows off the class themes well. Mysterious Wanderer is a scary but fair card that could push a super secret heavy deck type. I like it! Yogg-Saron's Pet is likely broken. The can't be damaged by spells effect is HUGE meaning aoe doesn't hit him, damage spells can't kill him and so on. Drop this guy against a spell heavy deck and you might just auto win. Not to mention he can pull secrets out for you as well. Ysera, The Dreamless is a flavorful and cool take on Ysera. Illusion of Generosity is a great secret. A good showcase and a worthy wildcard!

THE RACER by The_Odinson: I love Unsavory Guide, he has a really unique and cool effect but I have a question, if your opponent has a taunt minion would he be able to bypass it or just not attack? Given untargetable minions (stuff with stealth or immune) don't benefit taunt he probably would? Surprise Inspection is pretty sweet as it's a great counter to Emperor Thaurissan OTK decks and it has versatility since it can also take out secrets. God's Speed is pretty sweet as you'll likely want multiply 10 cost minions with it and that might make hybrid old god decks a thing! Klaxxi Inciter is just amazing, and Dr. Autto, Octo-Engineer is pretty cool and definitely something you don't want surviving for long. A pretty damn great showcase and an excellent wild card!

Anyway those are my thoughts, good luck everyone!

PS: Thanks heaps SanderNightsite for changing updating Graveyard Creeper :D

Quote from Broeck1 >>

 

 The Dryad: Oh wow, this is my favorite class by a mile. The artwork, the mechanics, the synergies, its just all so beautiful. Blizzard should hire this guy. He even outthought them on the Poisonous keyword. Mysterious Wanderer makes Grim Patron look like a fool. All those secrets too, brilliant. I just opened the submission thread and found Boundless Delusion, man... If you havent seen that yet I suggest you go there now, it brings tears of joy to your eyes. And What about that Corrupted Ysera!! 10/10 class, would play, #winnerofthecompetition.

The Racer: Hasnt been my favorite class throughout this competition. This might seen harsh, but I think it is a little boring. Though, if you take a closer look you'll notice how consistent this class is as a whole. Cards are balanced, artwork is consistent, effects are simpel but Good. Also, the keyword has been pretty hard to build a class around, but Odinsin has Done that very well. Therefore I think Odinsin has done a really Good job. I really hope people take the time and effort to look past their first impression. The racer might be one of the few classes here that could be implemented into hearthstone without too much trouble. Isnt that what this competition is about?

 

Ok, bye.

 

Oh my god, the placements for a ton of the top potential qualifying classes keep shifting around inconsistently. This is terrifying. o_o

Quote from Winterburn >>

- The King : I hate the promote mechanic and the class doesn't appeal to me at all. I don't find anything fun in this class.