Griftah - (3) - Still a fair Chillwind Yeti, and you will get first crack at the discover card and you'll have some information on what they are holding. It might also give you an out to play into.
Akali, the Rhino - (2) - Bit of an expensive card for only 5 attack, but the future value is just insane. It's a bit deck dependent but this card should be at least an above average card.
Crowd Roaster - (3) - This is going to fill really bad to lose to since it's such a huge swing. It's similar to Blazecaller but it' can't target face and has worse stat distribution, but the trigger doesn't need to be set up 1 turn in advance.
Stampeding Roar - (4) - Expensive and very situational for Arena. This is only worthwhile in the lowest bucket and with lots of BIG beasts in your Druid deck.
Farraki Battleaxe - (3) - I feel it's too weak and slow for 5 mana, but it's still a weapon that fits into a unique mana slot for Paladin, so it'll find a spot depending on how this is bucketed.
Spirit of the Frog - (5) - It's really situation, and doesn't guarentee you even draw a card from your deck. At 3 mana, it feels really hard to justify a situational spell tutor.
Arcanosaur - (4) - More expensive and requires a turn to set up compared to Duskbreaker. Granted Elementals are easier to come by, it still requires a turn to prepare for a double sided AOE. Doesn't feel good at all.
Grim Rally - (4) - Much worse then Power of the Wild, but it's a pretty unique card for Warlock and probably can find some fringe use in some decks.
Totemic Smash - (2) - Cool card, it's at worse a Holy Smite with an upside. Easy pick depending on it's bucket.
Akali, the Rhino Rating 3(Average): You can get some good value as long as you have additional Rush minions in your deck, otherwise it's a bit on the pricey side.
Crowd Roaster Rating 4(Poor): The stats on this are a bit wonky, but the Battlecry is awesome if you can trigger it. If you've got several Dragons in your draft this definitely moves up in rank.
Stampeding Roar Rating 5(Terrible): This is way too situational for Arena. Unless you have a specific type of deck this is going to be a dead card.
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"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
Wardruid Loti - 1.5 - Yes, the forms aren't exactly insane for the mana cost, but that flexibility...
Stampeding Roar - 4 - Everyone dreams of that Ultrasaur scenario, and while the minion can be a bit weaker than normal 6 mana minions stat wise since you are giving it rush, the fact it's only for specific minions, and it's random means that you will flunk with this more often than not. Ofcourse there will be moments where you (more like your opponent) bring something huge and give it rush, which makes this insane but more often than not...
HUNTER
Master's Call - 4 - Do not be fooled by that sweet temptation. Hunters may get more beasts than most other heroes, but the chances for all 3 of those cards to be beasts is kinda low, (yes, like all other cards, sometimes you will have a deck that is perfect with this). which means that this will often be a 3 mana ''discover a minion from your deck''. Not awful, but certainly not good.
Revenge of the Wild - 2.5 - I know I was just talking about things only being good sometimes, but this can be one hell of a deal for just 2 mana. Even if you only bring one mid size beast back to the board, since it only cost you 2 mana, it was probably worth it. And there is allot of potential for some insane plays.
MAGE
Arcanosaur - 4 - The condition isn't too hard (though it still is a condition you need to fullfill so it's not a good thing), but it comes 1 turn late, has a weak body and it also damages your own stuff. I said a few times that AOE will very rarely be useless, but this is still a last resort pick.
PALADIN
Farraki Battleaxe - 3.5 - I really like buffing up minions effects, but paladin has access to allot of better weapons.
SHAMAN
Big Bad Voodoo - 2.5 - If I am a bit of a sucker for buffing up minions effects, then I am a really big sucker for summoning minions with higher cost. There are a few minions in this meta that are high cost, with good effect, battlecry or deathrattle, but have bad stats, that are just begging for this card, and even if you don't get a amazingly good minion, more often than not the minion should be good enough for the 2 mana cost and the fact it gets summoned later.
Getting a 5/5 minion a few turns later for 2 mana is a pretty worthy investment (sure there is potential for something awful, but also for something really good).
Spirit of the Frog - 4 - Like allot of other spirits, the potential is there, but it often isn't worth the hassle.
Totemic Smash - 2.5 - A 1 mana deal 2 damage spell with a bit of an upide is pretty good for shaman.
WARLOCK
Grim Rally - 2.5 - Warlocks have a few good ways to flood the board, so I am quite confident in this card.
WARRIOR
Akali, the Rhino - 2.5 - A bit too weak and situational for me to consider giving it a better score, but if you get the overkill even once, even the weakest rush minion you just drew, became a big threat.
Emberscale Drake - 3 - The stats are fine, and the armor gain is nice, but since you won't always have a dragon, plus the fact it isn't that incredible to begin with, I can't give this a better rating (and he pushes the dragon synergy a bit, but that's not a huge factor).
NEUTRAL
Crowd Roaster - 3 - 7 damage is a big deal, but you kinda have to play it with the battlecry, since he dies too easily.
Master's Call - (4) - A large percentage of the time it's a 3 mana discover a minion from your deck. Is that worth it ? Probably not.
Wardruid Loti - (1) - Everything you could want in a card. It's a fair card in terms of mana value for it's level of flexibility, but this card is good in any spot almost.
Big Bad Voodoo - (3) - Probably worse then Ancestral Spirit on average since there's uncontrollable RNG at work, but there's potential to high as well. On a decent sized minion, it's a new minion for 2 mana which is a good swing.
Emberscale Drake - (3) - A fine card with minimal upside. Moreso a playable dragon for Warrior and a decent roll for Bone Drake
Griftah (2) - It's a Yeti. The idea that giving your opponent a card is a big downside doesn't make much sense to me because it's not even an entirely symmetrical effect and you'll know the card your opponent has and can therefore play around it. Ahead on the board? Pick two weak cards. Need removal but your opponent doesn't? Focus on that. There's plenty of ways to make this better for you than it is for them, as well as having a great stat line AND giving you information.
Arcanosaur (3) - Not that hard to set up given how prevalent the likes of Fire Fly are and elementals in general, especially in Mage. Maybe I'm a little optimistic but we've seen just how good Duskbreaker is time and time again. If Duskbreaker is a (1), then I think this is a (3).
Farraki Battleaxe (3) - Weapons are good, just the way it is really. This is definitely on the weaker side but a 3/3 is probably worth say, 3.5-4 mana, add in the effect which should still be possible at this stage of the game and you can get some nice bonus benefits.
Grim Rally (3) - In constructed this has fairly obvious connotations, but I'm not seeing it as much in arena. It's a 3 rather than a 4 because you absolutely can try to draft a zoo-esque deck in arena, but it's not always going to happen and I'd say you're much more likely to have 2-3 minions on the board, max.
Crowd Roaster (4 - 3 in Warrior) - Probably being a little optimistic again but I think the effect is so powerful and in some classes, like Warrior, not that hard to pull off. Depending on the draft this is a top tier (1) level pick.
Akali, the Rhino (3) - As with Crowd Roaster, it's incredibly draft dependant. If you get this early, you focus on rush minions where feasible, if you get it late then you ignore it unless you have plenty of rush minions in your deck already. Sort of impossible to evaluate in a vacuum, it could be a (2) or it could be a (4).
Stampeding Roar (3) - If Ironhide Direhorn didn't exist, I'd give this a (4) if not a (5). But that's a common card, a 7 mana 7/7 with rush that, upon overkill, summons a 5/5? That combination is an arena killer, it really is, it's likely to flat out win you the game. I think, or hope at least, that Ironhide is common enough to justify picking up a single copy of Stampeding Roar.
Master's Call (4) - Loads of potential in constructed, less so in arena with the less-specialised drafts.
Wardruid Loti (1) - Top tier pick, absolutely top tier. Each form is okay in and of itself without being insane, but the incredible flexibility more than makes up for it and is even more important in arena than it is in constructed.
Big Bad Voodoo (3) - I really like Ancestral Spirit in arena. I don't think it's a particularly highly rated card, but I'd put it at a (2) personally in the right deck. Despite this on the face of it being better, it's probably not, and I'd rather not sacrifice myself to the RNG gods. Still solid though in a format with much less silence.
Emberscale Drake (2) - Decent stats, nice little bonus effect, and another dragon for the dragon warrior package.
Elemental Evocation (3) - Draft dependent, sure, but I don't think the Innervate is as strong in Mage as it is in Druid and it wasn't a classically strong arena card to begin with. Potentially a big tempo swing with this card if you get say a Frost Elemental out on Turn 1, but, I'm not sure that's common enough to give it a better rating.
Bloodscalp Strategist (3) - Fine stats, great value card if you can pull off the effect and Candleshot is already a top tier arena card, but usually it's a 3 mana 2/4.
Iv been out of a loop a bit these past couple days, so i have a lot to catch up on. Here we go:
Legendary:
Akali, the Rhino (2): This card is kinda draft dependent, obviously if you can hit another Rush minion with the ability it becomes absolutely insane, but you do have to have those. Shouldnt be too hard i suppose, but is not a guarantee by no means.
Griftah (5): Giving your opponent resources, any resources is bad. You might not even have a choice of giving him a bad card either. Way too risky for arena imho.
Princess Talanji (4): Im gonna say that even the greediest of arena priests dont have that many steal cards to make her worth it.
Wardruid Loti (1): Very versatile card to fit almost any situation. That being said, the transforms arent like completely broken, but the versatility is obvously super valuable.
Epic:
Big Bad Voodoo (3): It will play kinda differently compared to Ancestral Spirit, but i think that many ppl will evaluate it in the same light, so they might not pick it at all, but i think it could actually be an interesting card .. probably a win more card, or mby a tempo card? Imagine giving this to your 4-drop ur about to trade in ... and you now have a 5-drop for 2 mana. Sure RNG is still RNG and you have to have a board, but i think this card will surprise us.
Blast Wave (1): Absolute top. Sure, the setup might not be the easiest, but it is quite common to have at least some minions with 1 hp on the board when you AOE. This card will be disgusting card generator and depending on how often will it be offered, might force us to play around it. Nasty.
Crowd Roaster (4): In dragon decks it will be a 1, in non-dragon decks it will be 4 or even 5. Not much else to say.
Haunting Visions (1): Pretty much Primordial Glyph for shaman. I suppose shaman has a lot more shitty spells than mage, but it should still perform quite well on average. The different cost reduction might be an advantage or a disadvantage, will depend on the situation. But the overall versatility of the card will make it a top pick imho.
Master's Call (3): You will never get to draw 3 cards with this, but the versatility of having an option to select the draw from 3 minions might actually make this card interesting nonetheless. I guess we will see.
Stampeding Roar (5): Not an arena card. i guess if it summons at least a 5-cost beast, the Rush might be worth it, but i rly dont see this working out. Mby if you get a few Ironhide Direhorns then this could be an intersting pick up.
Rare:
Bloodscalp Strategist (3): Unless a hunter gets a new weapon in the xpac, im having a hard time seeing this trigger very often. You get like one or two weapons on average right now. Obviously when it does trigger, the value is insane.
Emberscale Drake (3): Good stats on its own and nice effect if it triggers. Tho the Dragon tag itself will probably be more valuable on this minion than its battecry to trigger the other, more valuable, dragon synergies.
Farraki Battleaxe (2): Assassin's Blade is not the best weapon ever, but it is playable. This loses 1 durability for some insane buff potential. I think this will see plenty of play and will make us quite salty.
Grim Rally (4): This card might be tricky in arena, it might often times be very easy to sacrifice a 1/1 token to buff your board (or a deathrattle you want to trigger) but it can also end up being a completely dead card at times. I would say it will be draft dependant, if this card will be worth a pick up.
Murloc Tastyfin (5): Absolutely abysmal stats for a 4-drop and while draw 2 cards is amazing, those have to be murlocs, which is less amazing. Probably will draw 0-1 on average. Pass.
Predatory Instincts (4): Solely draft dependant and on top of that very expensive card draw. Yes there is a buff attached to it, but i rly dont see this performing well, even if you have many beasts, i would probably not even pick this.
Soup Vendor (4): This effect will be very hard to trigger in arena and the stats distribution isnt the best. Mby a deck with some lifesteal shenanigans or WL can make use of this card, but probably not.
Spirit of the Frog (4): Id rather have Mana Tide Totem than this. Card draw is card draw, but this one is quite conditional, i dont think it will do that well in arena environment.
Spirit of the Raptor (3): I suppose an ok cycle card, you should get at least one card draw on the turn you play this and mby one more next turn, if you are lucky. Might perform better in the end (card draw is good after all), but so far seems just average.
Common:
Arcanosaur (4): Solely draft dependant. If you get a couple of elementals, this is probably a 1.
Elemental Evocation (5): Prenerf Innervate for Elementals ...ok? I guess you can make the same ramp BS druid was able to do in the past, like plaing a 4-drop (ele) on T1 with coin etc. but since this is just for one tribe, i dont think anyone will actually draft this. This will come in play probably when you get it via random effects only.
Overlord's Whip (4): I mean it is a weapon and there could be some synergy with it, but generally this is not gonna go well for you.
Saronite Taskmaster (2): Looks like a pretty decent 1-drop. But the 0/3 taunt can become quite a nuisance. We will have to see how this one performs live.
Totemic Smash (3): Decent card overall. Can come in hand in many situations, on the other hand, its just 2 dmg. So in the end, just average.
Crowd Roaster (4): In dragon decks it will be a 1, in non-dragon decks it will be 4 or even 5. Not much else to say. Do be on a lookout for this if your opponent plays a dragon on T6 tho.
You only need a dragon in the hand for this to work. Maybe you confused it with how elementals work?
Crowd Roaster (4): In dragon decks it will be a 1, in non-dragon decks it will be 4 or even 5. Not much else to say. Do be on a lookout for this if your opponent plays a dragon on T6 tho.
You only need a dragon in the hand for this to work. Maybe you confused it with how elementals work?
Captain Hooktusk Rating 4(Poor): The stats are terrible and I can only see this being useful if you've drafted several Pirates for your deck.
Wardruid Loti Rating 1(Excellent): It's cheap and extremely versatile. Being able to create your own solution for different situations is really powerful.
Big Bad Voodoo Rating 3(Average): Given that the effect is random I don't know that it merits more than an Average rating.
Master's Call Rating 4(Poor): I would never expect to get the full potential from this card in Arena, so you're likely to just be Discovering one minion in your deck. Sadly, it does nothing to the board, so it's really a last ditch effort to find something useful.
Bloodscalp Strategist Rating 3(Average): It seems okay to me and has a decent upside if you're able to trigger it.
Emberscale Drake Rating 3(Average): I think it's fine as a vanilla 5/5 body for 5 mana, but the Armor is irrelevent. The Dragon tag does count for something and could possibly be useful in other interactions.
Elemental Evocation Rating 4(Poor): We've got quite a few Elementals floating around, so this could prove useful in the early game. If you've got an Elemental-heavy deck it probably goes up slightly in value.
Sightless Ranger Rating 4(Poor): It's only good if you can trigger the Overkill, giving you 5/6 worth of combined stats for only 5 mana. If you can't manage that it's overcosted.
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"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
Griftah (5): Giving your opponent resources, any resources is bad. You might not even have a choice of giving him a bad card either. Way too risky for arena imho.
I've seen a few people giving Griftah similar ratings and I'm trying to understand why, and I can't. Why is giving your opponent a card a bad thing if it's a symmetrical effect? Surely they at the very least cancel each other out, making this a 4/5 and therefore at least average? Tanglefur Mystic is a pretty good arena card, certainly not a 4 or 5, why wouldn't the same apply here?
Not calling anyone out or anything I'm just genuinely curious as to the thought process.
Captain Hooktusk - (4) - Depending on what shapes up for the rest of the expansion we could see more draftable Pirates. Right now it's only really looking like Ticket Scalper that might see consistent play.
Gonk, the Raptor - (3) - Stat distribution is fine, but the ability doesn't feel impactful enough. We've been seeing a lot of cards that synergize with Hero power killing a minion, so maybe we'll see some more support cards.
Bloodscalp Strategist - (3) - A fine card with a nice upside (although a bit situational considering the amount of weapons Hunters have right now). Most secrets are in the higher buckets so it's hard to take them over quality minions often, but having the ability to discover a Freezing Trap or Venomstrike Trap for cheap can be really high value.
Elemental Evocation - (5) - Not seeing how this works consistently in Arena right now.
Sightless Ranger - (3) - Has initiative and potentially a decent upside. You can imagine the best likely scenario. You play this, it kills a 1/1, and leaves you with a 3/3, 1/1, 1/1, so basically a 5/5 over 3 bodies deal 1 damage. Worse case scenario it's 5 mana deal 3 damage. On average it's probably somewhere in the middle which is a fine card.
Seance - (4) - So first you need to be behind before playing this which is the first problem. But I can see some insane steals with this card, but a lot of the cards that are insane have immediate impact so you'll instantly be behind. Hard to draft this but it can work in some spots.
Griftah (5): Giving your opponent resources, any resources is bad. You might not even have a choice of giving him a bad card either. Way too risky for arena imho.
I've seen a few people giving Griftah similar ratings and I'm trying to understand why, and I can't. Why is giving your opponent a card a bad thing if it's a symmetrical effect? Surely they at the very least cancel each other out, making this a 4/5 and therefore at least average? Tanglefur Mystic is a pretty good arena card, certainly not a 4 or 5, why wouldn't the same apply here?
Not calling anyone out or anything I'm just genuinely curious as to the thought process.
Giving your opponent a measly 2 drop is probably not gonna bite you in the ass (tho i did lose a few games literally only cause of the 2-drop they got from that card as well, so i have some experience with this). But Griftah might give them a hard removal, or aoe or a very impactful card and that can in the end cost you a game or at very least cost you a card advantage, when the card you gave them trades for several of yours.
Basically in arena, you would rather not get extra resources yourself, if it means your opponent wont get anything either. Giving your opponent anything is a risky move, since RNG can bite you in the ass and literally cost you the game. So you generally try to avoid these situations if you can. More so, if the good outcome is about as probable (or even less) as the bad outcome. Simply not worth the risk.
Captain Hooktusk (4): Master Oakheart-esque effect, which on itself is very strong, but the Pirate restriction is a problem, unless we get a few more good pirates in RR cause the current pool is not so hot. That being said, the Rush would probably tip the card into insane category, if we would get enough pirates (even just average ones) in an average draft.
Seance (3): Kinda situational, but can be very strong to snag a big drop from your opponent (or a good class minion that can provide extra value), but they do have to play such minion first. If the meta slows down, this card might be quite good, otherwise probably not.
Gonk, the Raptor (2): Decent enough stats on itself and there is brewing some beast synergy, so the tribe is worth something. The ability is quite strong, but without other support cards, might be hard to nigh impossible to get any use from it with just your Hero Power.
Fair enough, thanks for the write-up. I definitely disagree, I think simple variance tells us that the card can't possibly be worse than average, but hey, whole reason these threads are interesting is the disagreements.
Sightless Ranger (4) - Even if you pull off the effect it's not a particularly amazing minion - unless you can do it twice. With only 4 health, that seems unlikely.
Captain Hooktusk (5) - It's a 8 mana 6/3? In a very specific deck this could work but generally speaking it's a big old no for me. Pirates at the moment tend to rely on battlecries too.
Seance (4) - 2 mana to draw one card essentially, which, well, isn't very good.
Gonk, the Raptor (3) - Unless you've somehow got the DK or a Bite in hand or something, what're the chances you're going to do multiple attacks anyway? The only way this is good is with a very specific draft, but fortunately the statline is...okay.
Bog Slosher (3) - 3 mana 3/3 with a good upside but a loss of tempo.
Linecracker (1) - The kind of card that thrives in arena, hell, I'd call a neutral 7 mana 5/10 a pretty good card even without the overkill, that 10 health is huge. Could even make its way up to (1). Edit: Changed my mind. It's a 1. That stat-line is just too good.
Bog Slosher (2): I know bouncing crap back is anti-tempo, but it can be a rly powerful play and gettin a +2/+2 on top of that seems quite nice. Elemental tag is also very nice for shaman, so this card seems like a solid addition.
Linecracker (1): Pretty high stats for a 7 drop and effect that can win you the game. Period. It might be a bit slow, but it will have to be answered in a turn or two quite fast and if you dont have hard removal, gg trading for 10 hp. This card will be pretty annoying, thats for sure.
Da Undatakah Rating 3(Average): Unless you've got a decent selection of Deathrattle minions I don't think this rates any higher. If you play it without gaining the Battlecry it's mostly 'meh'.
Gonk, the Raptor Rating 3(Average): It has an odd ability that will be tough to use consistently in Arena. The stats are alright otherwise, and it should prove useful simply by being a decent-sized minion.
Linecracker Rating 1(Excellent): That statline is awesome and I can see this quickly becoming a nightmare in Arena.
Bog Slosher Rating 3(Average): It should create some fun scenarios with Saronite Chain Gang or simply bouncing back your own totems.
Regenerate Rating 5(Terrible): Free heals are nice, but unless you've got some other cool interactions with other cards in your draft there's really no reason to pick this.
Sand Drudge Rating 3(Average): It's fine as a 3/3 itself, but if you've got a spell-heavy deck this probably jumps up to a 2.
Seance Rating 3(Average): This is pretty situational, as you've got to have something on the board worth copying in the first place.
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"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
Griftah (5): Giving your opponent resources, any resources is bad. You might not even have a choice of giving him a bad card either. Way too risky for arena imho.
I've seen a few people giving Griftah similar ratings and I'm trying to understand why, and I can't. Why is giving your opponent a card a bad thing if it's a symmetrical effect? Surely they at the very least cancel each other out, making this a 4/5 and therefore at least average? Tanglefur Mystic is a pretty good arena card, certainly not a 4 or 5, why wouldn't the same apply here?
Not calling anyone out or anything I'm just genuinely curious as to the thought process.
Giving your opponent a measly 2 drop is probably not gonna bite you in the ass (tho i did lose a few games literally only cause of the 2-drop they got from that card as well, so i have some experience with this). But Griftah might give them a hard removal, or aoe or a very impactful card and that can in the end cost you a game or at very least cost you a card advantage, when the card you gave them trades for several of yours.
Basically in arena, you would rather not get extra resources yourself, if it means your opponent wont get anything either. Giving your opponent anything is a risky move, since RNG can bite you in the ass and literally cost you the game. So you generally try to avoid these situations if you can. More so, if the good outcome is about as probable (or even less) as the bad outcome. Simply not worth the risk.
If your Griftah ends up giving them something dramatic that wins them the game, then you are probably playing the card wrong. It's controllable rng. Also, we tend to remember the times where cards like Tanglefur Mystic instantly lose us the game, while we forget the times it won us the game.
Mosh'Ogg Announcer Rating 2(Good): Unless your opponent has hard removal this could be a pain to get rid of. It is certain to cause quite a bit of disruption and frustration in Arena.
Snapjaw Shellfighter Rating 3(Average): This is another one of those cards that will be frustrating for your opponent and could prove challenging if it's beside a large Taunt.
Mark of the Loa Rating 2(Good): Those are a lot of stats to throw around in the early game, not to mention the Taunt aspect. This could be really tough for most players to deal with.
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"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
Da Undatakah - (3) - Situational but a strong card in the right deck. It'll never be that bad unless you play it as a 8 mana, 8/5, so outside of this situation, it'll at least be an average card, potentially insane card.
Mosh'Ogg Announcer - (1) - Great stat distribution and a protection ability. It smooth kills 4/6s on turn 5 and even 6/6s on turn 6. Very strong card with a built in semi immunity.
Snapjaw Shellfighter - (2) - The ability is potentially good (protecting valuable minions), but sometimes can be horrible (8/8 into a 1/1). Overall, the stat distribution is solid for a 5 drop, and the health can make it a good minion to trade off several small drops.
Splitting Image - (1) - Probably Mage's best secret to date. This is going to be very infuriating to play against, and it'll definitely cost you games. Imagine a minion with Taunt protected by this secret ? You'll just end up losing the game afterwards.
Linecracker - (1) - Great stats, and a huge threat given it's ability. The health means it has a chance to stick around and potentially develop it's attack power. From previous big minions with weak attacks, I can potentially see the issue with this card being weak and ignoble, but after 1 swing, it can instantly be a huge 10/x minion.
Mark of the Loa - (2) - Fair flexible card, nothing busted about it, just a solid card overall.
Bog Slosher - (2) - Overall feels pretty good. There will be situations where you don't want to bounce back your minion, but the buff makes even totems a good target to return back. Seems pretty good.
Regenerate - (5) - I mean.... waste of a deck slot.
Sand Drudge - (2) - This card seems like a huge problem card since it snow balls like crazy for Priest. Potentially could make Priest much stronger in the early game.
Griftah - (3) - Still a fair Chillwind Yeti, and you will get first crack at the discover card and you'll have some information on what they are holding. It might also give you an out to play into.
Akali, the Rhino - (2) - Bit of an expensive card for only 5 attack, but the future value is just insane. It's a bit deck dependent but this card should be at least an above average card.
Crowd Roaster - (3) - This is going to fill really bad to lose to since it's such a huge swing. It's similar to Blazecaller but it' can't target face and has worse stat distribution, but the trigger doesn't need to be set up 1 turn in advance.
Stampeding Roar - (4) - Expensive and very situational for Arena. This is only worthwhile in the lowest bucket and with lots of BIG beasts in your Druid deck.
Farraki Battleaxe - (3) - I feel it's too weak and slow for 5 mana, but it's still a weapon that fits into a unique mana slot for Paladin, so it'll find a spot depending on how this is bucketed.
Spirit of the Frog - (5) - It's really situation, and doesn't guarentee you even draw a card from your deck. At 3 mana, it feels really hard to justify a situational spell tutor.
Arcanosaur - (4) - More expensive and requires a turn to set up compared to Duskbreaker. Granted Elementals are easier to come by, it still requires a turn to prepare for a double sided AOE. Doesn't feel good at all.
Grim Rally - (4) - Much worse then Power of the Wild, but it's a pretty unique card for Warlock and probably can find some fringe use in some decks.
Totemic Smash - (2) - Cool card, it's at worse a Holy Smite with an upside. Easy pick depending on it's bucket.
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Akali, the Rhino Rating 3(Average): You can get some good value as long as you have additional Rush minions in your deck, otherwise it's a bit on the pricey side.
Crowd Roaster Rating 4(Poor): The stats on this are a bit wonky, but the Battlecry is awesome if you can trigger it. If you've got several Dragons in your draft this definitely moves up in rank.
Stampeding Roar Rating 5(Terrible): This is way too situational for Arena. Unless you have a specific type of deck this is going to be a dead card.
"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
DRUID
Wardruid Loti - 1.5 - Yes, the forms aren't exactly insane for the mana cost, but that flexibility...
Stampeding Roar - 4 - Everyone dreams of that Ultrasaur scenario, and while the minion can be a bit weaker than normal 6 mana minions stat wise since you are giving it rush, the fact it's only for specific minions, and it's random means that you will flunk with this more often than not. Ofcourse there will be moments where you (more like your opponent) bring something huge and give it rush, which makes this insane but more often than not...
HUNTER
Master's Call - 4 - Do not be fooled by that sweet temptation. Hunters may get more beasts than most other heroes, but the chances for all 3 of those cards to be beasts is kinda low, (yes, like all other cards, sometimes you will have a deck that is perfect with this). which means that this will often be a 3 mana ''discover a minion from your deck''. Not awful, but certainly not good.
Revenge of the Wild - 2.5 - I know I was just talking about things only being good sometimes, but this can be one hell of a deal for just 2 mana. Even if you only bring one mid size beast back to the board, since it only cost you 2 mana, it was probably worth it. And there is allot of potential for some insane plays.
MAGE
Arcanosaur - 4 - The condition isn't too hard (though it still is a condition you need to fullfill so it's not a good thing), but it comes 1 turn late, has a weak body and it also damages your own stuff. I said a few times that AOE will very rarely be useless, but this is still a last resort pick.
PALADIN
Farraki Battleaxe - 3.5 - I really like buffing up minions effects, but paladin has access to allot of better weapons.
SHAMAN
Big Bad Voodoo - 2.5 - If I am a bit of a sucker for buffing up minions effects, then I am a really big sucker for summoning minions with higher cost. There are a few minions in this meta that are high cost, with good effect, battlecry or deathrattle, but have bad stats, that are just begging for this card, and even if you don't get a amazingly good minion, more often than not the minion should be good enough for the 2 mana cost and the fact it gets summoned later.
Getting a 5/5 minion a few turns later for 2 mana is a pretty worthy investment (sure there is potential for something awful, but also for something really good).
Spirit of the Frog - 4 - Like allot of other spirits, the potential is there, but it often isn't worth the hassle.
Totemic Smash - 2.5 - A 1 mana deal 2 damage spell with a bit of an upide is pretty good for shaman.
WARLOCK
Grim Rally - 2.5 - Warlocks have a few good ways to flood the board, so I am quite confident in this card.
WARRIOR
Akali, the Rhino - 2.5 - A bit too weak and situational for me to consider giving it a better score, but if you get the overkill even once, even the weakest rush minion you just drew, became a big threat.
Emberscale Drake - 3 - The stats are fine, and the armor gain is nice, but since you won't always have a dragon, plus the fact it isn't that incredible to begin with, I can't give this a better rating (and he pushes the dragon synergy a bit, but that's not a huge factor).
NEUTRAL
Crowd Roaster - 3 - 7 damage is a big deal, but you kinda have to play it with the battlecry, since he dies too easily.
Master's Call - (4) - A large percentage of the time it's a 3 mana discover a minion from your deck. Is that worth it ? Probably not.
Wardruid Loti - (1) - Everything you could want in a card. It's a fair card in terms of mana value for it's level of flexibility, but this card is good in any spot almost.
Big Bad Voodoo - (3) - Probably worse then Ancestral Spirit on average since there's uncontrollable RNG at work, but there's potential to high as well. On a decent sized minion, it's a new minion for 2 mana which is a good swing.
Emberscale Drake - (3) - A fine card with minimal upside. Moreso a playable dragon for Warrior and a decent roll for Bone Drake
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Griftah (2) - It's a Yeti. The idea that giving your opponent a card is a big downside doesn't make much sense to me because it's not even an entirely symmetrical effect and you'll know the card your opponent has and can therefore play around it. Ahead on the board? Pick two weak cards. Need removal but your opponent doesn't? Focus on that. There's plenty of ways to make this better for you than it is for them, as well as having a great stat line AND giving you information.
Arcanosaur (3) - Not that hard to set up given how prevalent the likes of Fire Fly are and elementals in general, especially in Mage. Maybe I'm a little optimistic but we've seen just how good Duskbreaker is time and time again. If Duskbreaker is a (1), then I think this is a (3).
Farraki Battleaxe (3) - Weapons are good, just the way it is really. This is definitely on the weaker side but a 3/3 is probably worth say, 3.5-4 mana, add in the effect which should still be possible at this stage of the game and you can get some nice bonus benefits.
Totemic Smash (2) - Not much to say, great card.
Grim Rally (3) - In constructed this has fairly obvious connotations, but I'm not seeing it as much in arena. It's a 3 rather than a 4 because you absolutely can try to draft a zoo-esque deck in arena, but it's not always going to happen and I'd say you're much more likely to have 2-3 minions on the board, max.
Spirit of the Frog (5) - 3 mana do nothing, lovely.
Crowd Roaster (4 - 3 in Warrior) - Probably being a little optimistic again but I think the effect is so powerful and in some classes, like Warrior, not that hard to pull off. Depending on the draft this is a top tier (1) level pick.
Akali, the Rhino (3) - As with Crowd Roaster, it's incredibly draft dependant. If you get this early, you focus on rush minions where feasible, if you get it late then you ignore it unless you have plenty of rush minions in your deck already. Sort of impossible to evaluate in a vacuum, it could be a (2) or it could be a (4).
Stampeding Roar (3) - If Ironhide Direhorn didn't exist, I'd give this a (4) if not a (5). But that's a common card, a 7 mana 7/7 with rush that, upon overkill, summons a 5/5? That combination is an arena killer, it really is, it's likely to flat out win you the game. I think, or hope at least, that Ironhide is common enough to justify picking up a single copy of Stampeding Roar.
Master's Call (4) - Loads of potential in constructed, less so in arena with the less-specialised drafts.
Wardruid Loti (1) - Top tier pick, absolutely top tier. Each form is okay in and of itself without being insane, but the incredible flexibility more than makes up for it and is even more important in arena than it is in constructed.
Big Bad Voodoo (3) - I really like Ancestral Spirit in arena. I don't think it's a particularly highly rated card, but I'd put it at a (2) personally in the right deck. Despite this on the face of it being better, it's probably not, and I'd rather not sacrifice myself to the RNG gods. Still solid though in a format with much less silence.
Emberscale Drake (2) - Decent stats, nice little bonus effect, and another dragon for the dragon warrior package.
Elemental Evocation (3) - Draft dependent, sure, but I don't think the Innervate is as strong in Mage as it is in Druid and it wasn't a classically strong arena card to begin with. Potentially a big tempo swing with this card if you get say a Frost Elemental out on Turn 1, but, I'm not sure that's common enough to give it a better rating.
Bloodscalp Strategist (3) - Fine stats, great value card if you can pull off the effect and Candleshot is already a top tier arena card, but usually it's a 3 mana 2/4.
Iv been out of a loop a bit these past couple days, so i have a lot to catch up on. Here we go:
Legendary:
Akali, the Rhino (2): This card is kinda draft dependent, obviously if you can hit another Rush minion with the ability it becomes absolutely insane, but you do have to have those. Shouldnt be too hard i suppose, but is not a guarantee by no means.
Griftah (5): Giving your opponent resources, any resources is bad. You might not even have a choice of giving him a bad card either. Way too risky for arena imho.
Princess Talanji (4): Im gonna say that even the greediest of arena priests dont have that many steal cards to make her worth it.
Wardruid Loti (1): Very versatile card to fit almost any situation. That being said, the transforms arent like completely broken, but the versatility is obvously super valuable.
Epic:
Big Bad Voodoo (3): It will play kinda differently compared to Ancestral Spirit, but i think that many ppl will evaluate it in the same light, so they might not pick it at all, but i think it could actually be an interesting card .. probably a win more card, or mby a tempo card? Imagine giving this to your 4-drop ur about to trade in ... and you now have a 5-drop for 2 mana. Sure RNG is still RNG and you have to have a board, but i think this card will surprise us.
Blast Wave (1): Absolute top. Sure, the setup might not be the easiest, but it is quite common to have at least some minions with 1 hp on the board when you AOE. This card will be disgusting card generator and depending on how often will it be offered, might force us to play around it. Nasty.
Crowd Roaster (4): In dragon decks it will be a 1, in non-dragon decks it will be 4 or even 5. Not much else to say.
Haunting Visions (1): Pretty much Primordial Glyph for shaman. I suppose shaman has a lot more shitty spells than mage, but it should still perform quite well on average. The different cost reduction might be an advantage or a disadvantage, will depend on the situation. But the overall versatility of the card will make it a top pick imho.
Master's Call (3): You will never get to draw 3 cards with this, but the versatility of having an option to select the draw from 3 minions might actually make this card interesting nonetheless. I guess we will see.
Stampeding Roar (5): Not an arena card. i guess if it summons at least a 5-cost beast, the Rush might be worth it, but i rly dont see this working out. Mby if you get a few Ironhide Direhorns then this could be an intersting pick up.
Rare:
Bloodscalp Strategist (3): Unless a hunter gets a new weapon in the xpac, im having a hard time seeing this trigger very often. You get like one or two weapons on average right now. Obviously when it does trigger, the value is insane.
Emberscale Drake (3): Good stats on its own and nice effect if it triggers. Tho the Dragon tag itself will probably be more valuable on this minion than its battecry to trigger the other, more valuable, dragon synergies.
Farraki Battleaxe (2): Assassin's Blade is not the best weapon ever, but it is playable. This loses 1 durability for some insane buff potential. I think this will see plenty of play and will make us quite salty.
Grim Rally (4): This card might be tricky in arena, it might often times be very easy to sacrifice a 1/1 token to buff your board (or a deathrattle you want to trigger) but it can also end up being a completely dead card at times. I would say it will be draft dependant, if this card will be worth a pick up.
Murloc Tastyfin (5): Absolutely abysmal stats for a 4-drop and while draw 2 cards is amazing, those have to be murlocs, which is less amazing. Probably will draw 0-1 on average. Pass.
Predatory Instincts (4): Solely draft dependant and on top of that very expensive card draw. Yes there is a buff attached to it, but i rly dont see this performing well, even if you have many beasts, i would probably not even pick this.
Soup Vendor (4): This effect will be very hard to trigger in arena and the stats distribution isnt the best. Mby a deck with some lifesteal shenanigans or WL can make use of this card, but probably not.
Spirit of the Frog (4): Id rather have Mana Tide Totem than this. Card draw is card draw, but this one is quite conditional, i dont think it will do that well in arena environment.
Spirit of the Raptor (3): I suppose an ok cycle card, you should get at least one card draw on the turn you play this and mby one more next turn, if you are lucky. Might perform better in the end (card draw is good after all), but so far seems just average.
Common:
Arcanosaur (4): Solely draft dependant. If you get a couple of elementals, this is probably a 1.
Elemental Evocation (5): Prenerf Innervate for Elementals ...ok? I guess you can make the same ramp BS druid was able to do in the past, like plaing a 4-drop (ele) on T1 with coin etc. but since this is just for one tribe, i dont think anyone will actually draft this. This will come in play probably when you get it via random effects only.
Overlord's Whip (4): I mean it is a weapon and there could be some synergy with it, but generally this is not gonna go well for you.
Saronite Taskmaster (2): Looks like a pretty decent 1-drop. But the 0/3 taunt can become quite a nuisance. We will have to see how this one performs live.
Totemic Smash (3): Decent card overall. Can come in hand in many situations, on the other hand, its just 2 dmg. So in the end, just average.
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You only need a dragon in the hand for this to work. Maybe you confused it with how elementals work?
Yes, sorry. I goofed :)
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Sightless Ranger (3): Looks like a decent card, but im not too sure you will be able to overkill anything on curve with it. But overall very playable.
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Captain Hooktusk Rating 4(Poor): The stats are terrible and I can only see this being useful if you've drafted several Pirates for your deck.
Wardruid Loti Rating 1(Excellent): It's cheap and extremely versatile. Being able to create your own solution for different situations is really powerful.
Big Bad Voodoo Rating 3(Average): Given that the effect is random I don't know that it merits more than an Average rating.
Master's Call Rating 4(Poor): I would never expect to get the full potential from this card in Arena, so you're likely to just be Discovering one minion in your deck. Sadly, it does nothing to the board, so it's really a last ditch effort to find something useful.
Bloodscalp Strategist Rating 3(Average): It seems okay to me and has a decent upside if you're able to trigger it.
Emberscale Drake Rating 3(Average): I think it's fine as a vanilla 5/5 body for 5 mana, but the Armor is irrelevent. The Dragon tag does count for something and could possibly be useful in other interactions.
Elemental Evocation Rating 4(Poor): We've got quite a few Elementals floating around, so this could prove useful in the early game. If you've got an Elemental-heavy deck it probably goes up slightly in value.
Sightless Ranger Rating 4(Poor): It's only good if you can trigger the Overkill, giving you 5/6 worth of combined stats for only 5 mana. If you can't manage that it's overcosted.
"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
I've seen a few people giving Griftah similar ratings and I'm trying to understand why, and I can't. Why is giving your opponent a card a bad thing if it's a symmetrical effect? Surely they at the very least cancel each other out, making this a 4/5 and therefore at least average? Tanglefur Mystic is a pretty good arena card, certainly not a 4 or 5, why wouldn't the same apply here?
Not calling anyone out or anything I'm just genuinely curious as to the thought process.
Captain Hooktusk - (4) - Depending on what shapes up for the rest of the expansion we could see more draftable Pirates. Right now it's only really looking like Ticket Scalper that might see consistent play.
Gonk, the Raptor - (3) - Stat distribution is fine, but the ability doesn't feel impactful enough. We've been seeing a lot of cards that synergize with Hero power killing a minion, so maybe we'll see some more support cards.
Bloodscalp Strategist - (3) - A fine card with a nice upside (although a bit situational considering the amount of weapons Hunters have right now). Most secrets are in the higher buckets so it's hard to take them over quality minions often, but having the ability to discover a Freezing Trap or Venomstrike Trap for cheap can be really high value.
Elemental Evocation - (5) - Not seeing how this works consistently in Arena right now.
Sightless Ranger - (3) - Has initiative and potentially a decent upside. You can imagine the best likely scenario. You play this, it kills a 1/1, and leaves you with a 3/3, 1/1, 1/1, so basically a 5/5 over 3 bodies deal 1 damage. Worse case scenario it's 5 mana deal 3 damage. On average it's probably somewhere in the middle which is a fine card.
Seance - (4) - So first you need to be behind before playing this which is the first problem. But I can see some insane steals with this card, but a lot of the cards that are insane have immediate impact so you'll instantly be behind. Hard to draft this but it can work in some spots.
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Giving your opponent a measly 2 drop is probably not gonna bite you in the ass (tho i did lose a few games literally only cause of the 2-drop they got from that card as well, so i have some experience with this). But Griftah might give them a hard removal, or aoe or a very impactful card and that can in the end cost you a game or at very least cost you a card advantage, when the card you gave them trades for several of yours.
Basically in arena, you would rather not get extra resources yourself, if it means your opponent wont get anything either. Giving your opponent anything is a risky move, since RNG can bite you in the ass and literally cost you the game. So you generally try to avoid these situations if you can. More so, if the good outcome is about as probable (or even less) as the bad outcome. Simply not worth the risk.
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Captain Hooktusk (4): Master Oakheart-esque effect, which on itself is very strong, but the Pirate restriction is a problem, unless we get a few more good pirates in RR cause the current pool is not so hot. That being said, the Rush would probably tip the card into insane category, if we would get enough pirates (even just average ones) in an average draft.
Seance (3): Kinda situational, but can be very strong to snag a big drop from your opponent (or a good class minion that can provide extra value), but they do have to play such minion first. If the meta slows down, this card might be quite good, otherwise probably not.
Gonk, the Raptor (2): Decent enough stats on itself and there is brewing some beast synergy, so the tribe is worth something. The ability is quite strong, but without other support cards, might be hard to nigh impossible to get any use from it with just your Hero Power.
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Fair enough, thanks for the write-up. I definitely disagree, I think simple variance tells us that the card can't possibly be worse than average, but hey, whole reason these threads are interesting is the disagreements.
Sightless Ranger (4) - Even if you pull off the effect it's not a particularly amazing minion - unless you can do it twice. With only 4 health, that seems unlikely.
Captain Hooktusk (5) - It's a 8 mana 6/3? In a very specific deck this could work but generally speaking it's a big old no for me. Pirates at the moment tend to rely on battlecries too.
Seance (4) - 2 mana to draw one card essentially, which, well, isn't very good.
Gonk, the Raptor (3) - Unless you've somehow got the DK or a Bite in hand or something, what're the chances you're going to do multiple attacks anyway? The only way this is good is with a very specific draft, but fortunately the statline is...okay.
Bog Slosher (3) - 3 mana 3/3 with a good upside but a loss of tempo.
Linecracker (1) - The kind of card that thrives in arena, hell, I'd call a neutral 7 mana 5/10 a pretty good card even without the overkill, that 10 health is huge. Could even make its way up to (1).
Edit: Changed my mind. It's a 1. That stat-line is just too good.
Bog Slosher (2): I know bouncing crap back is anti-tempo, but it can be a rly powerful play and gettin a +2/+2 on top of that seems quite nice. Elemental tag is also very nice for shaman, so this card seems like a solid addition.
Linecracker (1): Pretty high stats for a 7 drop and effect that can win you the game. Period. It might be a bit slow, but it will have to be answered in a turn or two quite fast and if you dont have hard removal, gg trading for 10 hp. This card will be pretty annoying, thats for sure.
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Da Undatakah Rating 3(Average): Unless you've got a decent selection of Deathrattle minions I don't think this rates any higher. If you play it without gaining the Battlecry it's mostly 'meh'.
Gonk, the Raptor Rating 3(Average): It has an odd ability that will be tough to use consistently in Arena. The stats are alright otherwise, and it should prove useful simply by being a decent-sized minion.
Linecracker Rating 1(Excellent): That statline is awesome and I can see this quickly becoming a nightmare in Arena.
Bog Slosher Rating 3(Average): It should create some fun scenarios with Saronite Chain Gang or simply bouncing back your own totems.
Regenerate Rating 5(Terrible): Free heals are nice, but unless you've got some other cool interactions with other cards in your draft there's really no reason to pick this.
Sand Drudge Rating 3(Average): It's fine as a 3/3 itself, but if you've got a spell-heavy deck this probably jumps up to a 2.
Seance Rating 3(Average): This is pretty situational, as you've got to have something on the board worth copying in the first place.
"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
If your Griftah ends up giving them something dramatic that wins them the game, then you are probably playing the card wrong. It's controllable rng. Also, we tend to remember the times where cards like Tanglefur Mystic instantly lose us the game, while we forget the times it won us the game.
Mosh'Ogg Announcer Rating 2(Good): Unless your opponent has hard removal this could be a pain to get rid of. It is certain to cause quite a bit of disruption and frustration in Arena.
Snapjaw Shellfighter Rating 3(Average): This is another one of those cards that will be frustrating for your opponent and could prove challenging if it's beside a large Taunt.
Mark of the Loa Rating 2(Good): Those are a lot of stats to throw around in the early game, not to mention the Taunt aspect. This could be really tough for most players to deal with.
"To build or destroy...only you decide which joy." - Last Crack
Da Undatakah - (3) - Situational but a strong card in the right deck. It'll never be that bad unless you play it as a 8 mana, 8/5, so outside of this situation, it'll at least be an average card, potentially insane card.
Mosh'Ogg Announcer - (1) - Great stat distribution and a protection ability. It smooth kills 4/6s on turn 5 and even 6/6s on turn 6. Very strong card with a built in semi immunity.
Snapjaw Shellfighter - (2) - The ability is potentially good (protecting valuable minions), but sometimes can be horrible (8/8 into a 1/1). Overall, the stat distribution is solid for a 5 drop, and the health can make it a good minion to trade off several small drops.
Splitting Image - (1) - Probably Mage's best secret to date. This is going to be very infuriating to play against, and it'll definitely cost you games. Imagine a minion with Taunt protected by this secret ? You'll just end up losing the game afterwards.
Linecracker - (1) - Great stats, and a huge threat given it's ability. The health means it has a chance to stick around and potentially develop it's attack power. From previous big minions with weak attacks, I can potentially see the issue with this card being weak and ignoble, but after 1 swing, it can instantly be a huge 10/x minion.
Mark of the Loa - (2) - Fair flexible card, nothing busted about it, just a solid card overall.
Bog Slosher - (2) - Overall feels pretty good. There will be situations where you don't want to bounce back your minion, but the buff makes even totems a good target to return back. Seems pretty good.
Regenerate - (5) - I mean.... waste of a deck slot.
Sand Drudge - (2) - This card seems like a huge problem card since it snow balls like crazy for Priest. Potentially could make Priest much stronger in the early game.
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#2 NA Nov 18, #2 Asia July 19, #2 NA Feb 20, #2 NA June 20