Ilidan has a hero power that now suddenly matters a lot: You always attack first!
He's unbeatable with the beast build late game. Early in the game you always screw people by sniping their macaws and canons. Against pirates you always get to prevent them growing first and can even snipe their taunt and growing guy.
I've gotten several firsts with him so far lol.
Just got 1st again with pirates ( 9100mmr). Why? Everyone went beasts. Guess what happens with beasts when you never go first lol
Macaw has improved Illidan's playability in the early and mid game. Getting 1-2 birds and any good deathrattle will give you a big edge. I'm not sure without looking at overall statistics, however I would say he has moved up as a good top 4 hero but not necessarily a tier one.
Well, I have never seen Illidan ending up 1st. Yeah, his HP is very good against Macaw or any other combos, but there will always be someone playing stuff like Pirates or Deathrattle, who will just crush this Illidan, if he doesn't have a powerfull enough build.
No he's always strong because of the "go first" mechanic. This massively screws other people's canons and macaws early game, and those are the two best cards everyone runs. If you get those two cards early you get to force any build you want, usually, because you have a massive advantage in every match.
Then later in the game you are unbeatable because 80% of fights are about going first.
Only murlocs beat you, but they beat everything anyway.
I would more phrase it like "Illidan finally playable" :-D
He was bottom tier since release and now he is a viable champion somewhere in the central tiers which is fine, but I really don't see the potential for him to rise to the top tiers at all.
I would more phrase it like "Illidan finally playable" :-D
He was bottom tier since release and now he is a viable champion somewhere in the central tiers which is fine, but I really don't see the potential for him to rise to the top tiers at all.
Yeah, he is a bit like Archivist Elysiana in Standard about a year ago, when she was put in many decks, because of Control Warrior's domination. Illidan is good, because he beats some of the popular new builds, but he is still mediocre, because he can easily get countrered by a big taunt with Divine Shield or smth. I think as soon as some new minions or nerfs come, he will go back to being one of the worst heroes.
Oh, good call. I don't think I've ever been offered him since the new patch, but I'll definitely give him a shot next time around unless I've got a no-brainer alternative.
He's not just "playable" he's top tier in my opinion. From now on I will always pick him except over Hooktusk or maybe Patches, because Patches is fun to play.
I think a strategy people are also overlooking is to stay on tavern 2. Before there was nothing on 2 and 3 just had stronger minions. Now there's not really much on 3 that you want except the pirate that grows when you play more.
On 2 you get Macaw, the best minion in the game, and canon, the best early game card in the game. Not only that but you get bomb and spawn of n'zoth on 2, which are very strong with ilidan and macaw. Added bonus that staying on 2 a turn longer means you don't take 6-7+ damage and you aren't even going to be weaker next turn because 3s all suck at this point anyway. Even 4s tend to not be game-defining. Better to protect your HP ( hence why saurolisk is top build ).
The taunt doesn't work against Ilidan because he gets 2 attacks before you get yours. So your taunt dies and then a random thing dies, and it's never good what thing of yours will die if you play beasts.
If you play Pirates with Ilidan you destroy beast because then you can get 4 attacks with the windfury guys. Then beast guy has no board basically. 20-30 damage, bam.
The taunt doesn't work against Ilidan because he gets 2 attacks before you get yours. So your taunt dies and then a random thing dies, and it's never good what thing of yours will die if you play beasts.
If you play Pirates with Ilidan you destroy beast because then you can get 4 attacks with the windfury guys. Then beast guy has no board basically. 20-30 damage, bam.
I don't think that's true. The taunt I set up is always at least 2 hits. Either 1/1 with divine shield or a bigger beast... or other taunted minion like the gold pump pirate, never goldrin.
Ilidan has a hero power that now suddenly matters a lot: You always attack first!
He's unbeatable with the beast build late game. Early in the game you always screw people by sniping their macaws and canons. Against pirates you always get to prevent them growing first and can even snipe their taunt and growing guy.
I've gotten several firsts with him so far lol.
Just got 1st again with pirates ( 9100mmr).
Why? Everyone went beasts. Guess what happens with beasts when you never go first lol
Yeah if beasts are offered as tribe and if you actually manage to force them.
Macaw has improved Illidan's playability in the early and mid game. Getting 1-2 birds and any good deathrattle will give you a big edge. I'm not sure without looking at overall statistics, however I would say he has moved up as a good top 4 hero but not necessarily a tier one.
Well, I have never seen Illidan ending up 1st. Yeah, his HP is very good against Macaw or any other combos, but there will always be someone playing stuff like Pirates or Deathrattle, who will just crush this Illidan, if he doesn't have a powerfull enough build.
No he's always strong because of the "go first" mechanic. This massively screws other people's canons and macaws early game, and those are the two best cards everyone runs. If you get those two cards early you get to force any build you want, usually, because you have a massive advantage in every match.
Then later in the game you are unbeatable because 80% of fights are about going first.
Only murlocs beat you, but they beat everything anyway.
I would more phrase it like "Illidan finally playable" :-D
He was bottom tier since release and now he is a viable champion somewhere in the central tiers which is fine, but I really don't see the potential for him to rise to the top tiers at all.
Yeah, he is a bit like Archivist Elysiana in Standard about a year ago, when she was put in many decks, because of Control Warrior's domination. Illidan is good, because he beats some of the popular new builds, but he is still mediocre, because he can easily get countrered by a big taunt with Divine Shield or smth. I think as soon as some new minions or nerfs come, he will go back to being one of the worst heroes.
Oh, good call. I don't think I've ever been offered him since the new patch, but I'll definitely give him a shot next time around unless I've got a no-brainer alternative.
He's not just "playable" he's top tier in my opinion. From now on I will always pick him except over Hooktusk or maybe Patches, because Patches is fun to play.
I think a strategy people are also overlooking is to stay on tavern 2. Before there was nothing on 2 and 3 just had stronger minions. Now there's not really much on 3 that you want except the pirate that grows when you play more.
On 2 you get Macaw, the best minion in the game, and canon, the best early game card in the game. Not only that but you get bomb and spawn of n'zoth on 2, which are very strong with ilidan and macaw. Added bonus that staying on 2 a turn longer means you don't take 6-7+ damage and you aren't even going to be weaker next turn because 3s all suck at this point anyway. Even 4s tend to not be game-defining. Better to protect your HP ( hence why saurolisk is top build ).
Usually I taunt up a big beast (best is probably saurolisk) so that no one can target my macaw.
The taunt doesn't work against Ilidan because he gets 2 attacks before you get yours. So your taunt dies and then a random thing dies, and it's never good what thing of yours will die if you play beasts.
If you play Pirates with Ilidan you destroy beast because then you can get 4 attacks with the windfury guys. Then beast guy has no board basically. 20-30 damage, bam.
I don't think that's true. The taunt I set up is always at least 2 hits. Either 1/1 with divine shield or a bigger beast... or other taunted minion like the gold pump pirate, never goldrin.
With Goldrinn nerf he is terrible again.