Hi guys, this thread is dedicated to any new players out there looking for crafting guide resources, particularly on the epic cards in the standard set. This list consists primarily of classic cards with a couple of the more recent standard additions. I have based my list on how relevant/strong I see these cards in the meta, as well as their long-term usefulness. With that said, let's get into the list.
10. Twisting Nether. This 8-mana Warlock board clear allows you to destroy all minions on the board. If you are planning to play a control, or even combo style warlock deck, this card can help you stall into the later turns of the game. This card is particularly strong against Jade decks in the current meta, and although Nether doesn't see play in all warlock decks, it is a classic card and a good consideration for crafting.
9. Dragonfire Potion. This 6-mana priest AoE spell is arguably priest's strongest boardclear as of now. Dragon Priest is strong in the current meta and this card allows you to clear any minions without the dragon subtext. Even though the next standard rotation will affect dragon decks with many of the Blackrock Mountain cards leaving standard, a 5-damage removal is very valuable.
8. Shield Slam. 1-mana removal based on current armor total as a warrior, which typically acquires armor with no problem. Staple in any control-themed warrior deck and it's a classic card.
7. Faceless Manipulator. Our first non-spell and neutral card is the Manipulator, which has tremendous flexibility and is a staple in many combo-focused decks. The ability to copy a charging minion or huge taunt is potentially game-winning.
6. Ice Block. The next card on our list is a 3-mana mage secret which allows you to survive lethal damage for a turn. This card sees play in any freeze mage build and is even seeing play in some current versions of tempo mage decks. Ice Block is great if played to survive and then do massive burst on the following turn, or even if the secret is not triggered and you are able to play a big heal like Reno Jackson or Alexstrasza to hold out even longer.
5. Brawl. Another warrior class card here, Brawl is another control warrior staple and can be very helpful in specific matchups. As control warriors do not tend to play many minions per turn vs. other decks, this can punish decks which flood the board and create huge, game-altering tempo swings.
4. Ancient of War. Our first Druid card is this monster of a taunt. If Trump was gonna build a wall, he should make it out of these guys. Druid's ability to ramp (or accelerate mana usage) makes this a nightmare for aggro decks and it is by no means an easy card to take care of without specific removal cards.
3. Dirty Rat. Our second and final non-classic card is this neutral epic. Dirty Rat is a strong minion for its cost and will more often than not be a strong play against various deck types. It has a high health stat and can force aggro decks to trade multiple minions into it. On the flipside, against control decks this can summon valuable minions from your opponent's hand to bypass and effectively negate a powerful battlecry. Our dirty hero is also a good combination with the likes of Mind Control Tech. Also, if your opponent plays a Doomsayer, you can use this bad boy to kill off another minion from your opponent's hand when his turn starts. Be prepared for occasional salt.
2. Preparation. This 0-mana Rogue card doesn't look like much, but boy can it put in work. Prep allows rogues a huge amount of flexibility with their cards and can also act as a combo enabler. 0-mana Fan of Knives, Prep into Sprint, combo with Eviscerate, synergies with Gadgetzan Auctioneer, the possibilities are endless.
1. Doomsayer. Our #1 card is Doomsayer, a 0/7 for 2-mana which destroys all minions at the start of your next turn when played if it survives. As this card will typically be played on turn 2 or 3, it is often very hard to remove as your opponent has likely not developed enough of a board to remove this minion and will require additional removal to clear it. It also stalls your opponent from effectively developing minions on his turn if he cannot remove it, furthering the value of this card. You can even go so far as to compare it to a 0/7 taunt because if killed, it will still absorb at least 7 damage. Doomsayer is a staple in any control deck and is a neutral card, so it can be played in all classes.
*Honorable Mentions (no order)*
These guys aren't as prevalent in the current meta but are still strong epics to craft:
My biggest problem with these is that they favor specific classes - Druid in particular. if someone likes playing paladin or shaman, they may want to craft Lay on Hands or Doomhammer more than Shield Slam or Preparation. Heck, if someone likes playing aggro paladin, they may even want to consider crafting Small Time Recruits or Meanstreet Marshal. My point is, there are not truly best class epics to craft, because everyone has their preferred class.
With that said, I do agree that these are some of the best epics in the game, and I'm very happy to see newer cards like Dirty Rat and Dragonfire Potion mixed among the classics. Overall, the only one I'd even consider disagreeing with is Faceless Manipulator - I'd put it at the 9-10 spot, because honestly, it's rarely seen in constructed anymore, even if it is insanely good.
Hi guys, this thread is dedicated to any new players out there looking for crafting guide resources, particularly on the epic cards in the standard set. This list consists primarily of classic cards with a couple of the more recent standard additions. I have based my list on how relevant/strong I see these cards in the meta, as well as their long-term usefulness. With that said, let's get into the list.
10. Twisting Nether. This 8-mana Warlock board clear allows you to destroy all minions on the board. If you are planning to play a control, or even combo style warlock deck, this card can help you stall into the later turns of the game. This card is particularly strong against Jade decks in the current meta, and although Nether doesn't see play in all warlock decks, it is a classic card and a good consideration for crafting.
9. Dragonfire Potion. This 6-mana priest AoE spell is arguably priest's strongest boardclear as of now. Dragon Priest is strong in the current meta and this card allows you to clear any minions without the dragon subtext. Even though the next standard rotation will affect dragon decks with many of the Blackrock Mountain cards leaving standard, a 5-damage removal is very valuable.
8. Shield Slam. 1-mana removal based on current armor total as a warrior, which typically acquires armor with no problem. Staple in any control-themed warrior deck and it's a classic card.
7. Faceless Manipulator. Our first non-spell and neutral card is the Manipulator, which has tremendous flexibility and is a staple in many combo-focused decks. The ability to copy a charging minion or huge taunt is potentially game-winning.
6. Ice Block. The next card on our list is a 3-mana mage secret which allows you to survive lethal damage for a turn. This card sees play in any freeze mage build and is even seeing play in some current versions of tempo mage decks. Ice Block is great if played to survive and then do massive burst on the following turn, or even if the secret is not triggered and you are able to play a big heal like Reno Jackson or Alexstrasza to hold out even longer.
5. Brawl. Another warrior class card here, Brawl is another control warrior staple and can be very helpful in specific matchups. As control warriors do not tend to play many minions per turn vs. other decks, this can punish decks which flood the board and create huge, game-altering tempo swings.
4. Ancient of War. Our first Druid card is this monster of a taunt. If Trump was gonna build a wall, he should make it out of these guys. Druid's ability to ramp (or accelerate mana usage) makes this a nightmare for aggro decks and it is by no means an easy card to take care of without specific removal cards.
3. Dirty Rat. Our second and final non-classic card is this neutral epic. Dirty Rat is a strong minion for its cost and will more often than not be a strong play against various deck types. It has a high health stat and can force aggro decks to trade multiple minions into it. On the flipside, against control decks this can summon valuable minions from your opponent's hand to bypass and effectively negate a powerful battlecry. Our dirty hero is also a good combination with the likes of Mind Control Tech. Also, if your opponent plays a Doomsayer, you can use this bad boy to kill off another minion from your opponent's hand when his turn starts. Be prepared for occasional salt.
2. Preparation. This 0-mana Rogue card doesn't look like much, but boy can it put in work. Prep allows rogues a huge amount of flexibility with their cards and can also act as a combo enabler. 0-mana Fan of Knives, Prep into Sprint, combo with Eviscerate, synergies with Gadgetzan Auctioneer, the possibilities are endless.
1. Doomsayer. Our #1 card is Doomsayer, a 0/7 for 2-mana which destroys all minions at the start of your next turn when played if it survives. As this card will typically be played on turn 2 or 3, it is often very hard to remove as your opponent has likely not developed enough of a board to remove this minion and will require additional removal to clear it. It also stalls your opponent from effectively developing minions on his turn if he cannot remove it, furthering the value of this card. You can even go so far as to compare it to a 0/7 taunt because if killed, it will still absorb at least 7 damage. Doomsayer is a staple in any control deck and is a neutral card, so it can be played in all classes.
*Honorable Mentions (no order)*
These guys aren't as prevalent in the current meta but are still strong epics to craft:
Lay on Hands, Mountain Giant, Arcane Blast, Gorehowl, Doomhammer, Cabal Shadow Priest, Arcane Giant
My biggest problem with these is that they favor specific classes - Druid in particular. if someone likes playing paladin or shaman, they may want to craft Lay on Hands or Doomhammer more than Shield Slam or Preparation. Heck, if someone likes playing aggro paladin, they may even want to consider crafting Small Time Recruits or Meanstreet Marshal. My point is, there are not truly best class epics to craft, because everyone has their preferred class.
With that said, I do agree that these are some of the best epics in the game, and I'm very happy to see newer cards like Dirty Rat and Dragonfire Potion mixed among the classics. Overall, the only one I'd even consider disagreeing with is Faceless Manipulator - I'd put it at the 9-10 spot, because honestly, it's rarely seen in constructed anymore, even if it is insanely good.
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Nice post OP. I would like to give some suggestions that could improve this for the new players:
Another card I would add to the pool is Cabalist's Tome. It provides a ton of value and has been run in many Mage decks. Anyway just my 2 cents :).
Cheers! :D