The problem is the base set has a lot of shit picks in the 5 drops slot so Azure Drake is about all there is to be played, otherwise it's just generally good.
Azure Drake isn't OP. The problem is that the vast majority of other Basic and Classic 5-drops do not pull their weight, especially the neutrals.
Also note that many of the halfway-decent 5-cost cards in Classic are not minions or are not meant to be played on curve; this exacerbates the situation because Azure Drake becomes the only 5-drop minion from the set that can be played on curve for many classes.
The card itself is not really a problem, exactly, and it's certainly not worthy of a nerf. Azure Drake isn't great in every single deck. But you will always see a lot of it at lower ranks and in Casual mode because it's a solid, cheap replacement for many of the cards budget players don't have.
The real question is, why dont people play bloodmage thalnos more often if Azure Drake is so good. The answer to that question is fairly simple, 5 drops are historically terrible and 2 drops are historically speaking amazing.
It has a very average power level for a competitive card. It is fairly slow and has a minimal impact on most games, especially when played on curve. The reason it might seem good is that 5 drops are fairly terrible in general, and decks like Tempo Mage and Dragon Priest have horrible draw power, so they are starving for a card that has synergy with the deck and provides some meaningful card advantage. When guys are throwing down 1 mana+coin for Pirate/weapon+Patches+2/1 Pirate or just a 3/4 on turn 1 or a 7/7 on turn 3 and ending every game on turn 5-7, I think there are more things to complain about than a 4/4 for 5 that does nothing but sit there for a turn when played on curve.
The real question is, why dont people play bloodmage thalnos more often if Azure Drake is so good. The answer to that question is fairly simple, 5 drops are historically terrible and 2 drops are historically speaking amazing.
Azure Drake is ok. It's used a lot because it's a versatile card, not because it's too powerful. If a versatile card is correctly costed, it will inevitably be used much more than many other cards.
Hello 2017, we at HS community inform you than this year we will be dumber than ever. We meant no harm tho, it's just than some of us suffer from high blood pressure because all that salt and are unable to think clearly at times.
I could definitely see azure drake being nerfed. I wish they would just rotate it out, though. It's not a broken card, but it is an extremely efficient card. And unless they print a better version, it will probably see play in at least some in deck in every meta. THat is just... boring. I may also be a bit biased as a priest player... Azure drake is extremely difficult for control priest to deal with.
This would also be a reasonable time to do it since most of the dragon cards are rotating out. I just wish they would make classic more dynamic, maybe rotate some cards out, but also potentially rotate some of the less meta-defining cards from older sets back in. Shake things up a bit more than just having a base set of cards which causes problems if it is very good.
As you can see there are 6 Tier 1 decks, 4 of which run Azure Drake. There are 4 Tier 2 decks, 2 of which run Azure Drake. There are 7 Tier 3 decks, 6 of which run Azure Drake. Now, I'm not saying Azure Drake is op and needs a nerf, but when 12 out of the best 17 decks in the game play it, there's something wrong. As I said, I don't think Azure Drake is too powerful, you'll never lose or win a game because of it, but it has too much going for it and will see play all the time.
Azure is just a good solid card. Cycles, offers a body, has bonus spell power. It's just all around a good card, no need to nerf it. It's not something destroying the very game we used to like such as smalltime or flamewreathed faceless did. Anyway blizz, when are we getting our draw 2 ancient of lore back? Does anyone honestly think drawing 2 cards from a 5/5 for SEVEN MANA would be outrageous in this "you never reach turn 6" meta?
Yeah, after they removed charge from Force of Nature combo druid was dead, no reason to nerf Ancient of Lore. Also really sad about Keeper of the Grove that card was auto include in druid decks, but it was just a really well designed card and never saw complaints about it; now its just utter unplayable shit.
Azure Drake is perfectly balanced, its not op and not bad for constructed. Its worth slightly more than average vanilla card. If we convert it to stats it's basically a 6/6 for 5 mana which is perfectly balanced, to make the cut to be playable in constructed. Also its the lack of good 5 drops that makes it much more playable than it is supposed to be.
Azure Drake is perfectly balanced, its not op and not bad for constructed. Its worth slightly more than average vanilla card. If we convert it to stats it's basically a 6/6 for 5 mana which is perfectly balanced, to make the cut to be playable in constructed. Also its the lack of good 5 drops that makes it much more playable than it is supposed to be.
Actually a 6/6 for 5 mana is not perfectly balanced. The premium stats for 5 drops is 5/6 as Pit Fighter or Drakonid Operative. The only 5 drops with better stats have drawbacks like Corrupted Healbot, Earth Elemental or Doomguard. But your probably right about the lack of better 5 drops.
He might still be affected by other cards in rotation, I remember he was less popular when Sludge Belcher was the dominant 5 drop, since drake couldn't trade into it favourably.
While it's not a target for the "nerf this" crowd....it's almost in every deck it seems. Card draw + spell power + pressure all in one card. It's a standard card and will never go away. Aren't they trying to get away from auto include cards? any deck that uses spells and isn't an aggro deck needs it.
So a card should automatically be on the nerf list if it's played a lot? No, sir, Azure Drake is one of the cards about Blizzard should be proud they have printed.
Azure Drake is perfectly balanced, its not op and not bad for constructed. Its worth slightly more than average vanilla card. If we convert it to stats it's basically a 6/6 for 5 mana which is perfectly balanced, to make the cut to be playable in constructed. Also its the lack of good 5 drops that makes it much more playable than it is supposed to be.
Actually a 6/6 for 5 mana is not perfectly balanced. The premium stats for 5 drops is 5/6 as Pit Fighter or Drakonid Operative. The only 5 drops with better stats have drawbacks like Corrupted Healbot, Earth Elemental or Doomguard. But your probably right about the lack of better 5 drops.
Wow dude, seriously? He is just saying that Azure Drake is similar in power level to a 6/6 for 5 mana without any ability. He said that a minion with those stats, and obviously without any ability, for that amount of mana would be perfectly balanced and make the cut to be playable in constructed, because a vanilla 5/6 for 5 mana (Pit Fighter) obviously doesn't and is not enough (and so, it's not really balanced, at least for constructed). Drakonid Operative is a 5/6, yeah, but it also has a very powerful ability and is a dragon.
If Maximal18 is right or not, I really don't know, but please pay more attention while reading, his post wasn't that hard to understand...
The problem is the base set has a lot of shit picks in the 5 drops slot so Azure Drake is about all there is to be played, otherwise it's just generally good.
better nerf Wisp
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It only seems really good Because they refuse to make legitimate draw engines in this game.
Azure Drake isn't OP. The problem is that the vast majority of other Basic and Classic 5-drops do not pull their weight, especially the neutrals.
Also note that many of the halfway-decent 5-cost cards in Classic are not minions or are not meant to be played on curve; this exacerbates the situation because Azure Drake becomes the only 5-drop minion from the set that can be played on curve for many classes.
The card itself is not really a problem, exactly, and it's certainly not worthy of a nerf. Azure Drake isn't great in every single deck. But you will always see a lot of it at lower ranks and in Casual mode because it's a solid, cheap replacement for many of the cards budget players don't have.
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The real question is, why dont people play bloodmage thalnos more often if Azure Drake is so good. The answer to that question is fairly simple, 5 drops are historically terrible and 2 drops are historically speaking amazing.
Thalnos is everywhere except renolock and pirate warrior.
It has a very average power level for a competitive card. It is fairly slow and has a minimal impact on most games, especially when played on curve. The reason it might seem good is that 5 drops are fairly terrible in general, and decks like Tempo Mage and Dragon Priest have horrible draw power, so they are starving for a card that has synergy with the deck and provides some meaningful card advantage. When guys are throwing down 1 mana+coin for Pirate/weapon+Patches+2/1 Pirate or just a 3/4 on turn 1 or a 7/7 on turn 3 and ending every game on turn 5-7, I think there are more things to complain about than a 4/4 for 5 that does nothing but sit there for a turn when played on curve.
Yeah Drake is way too overpowered... make it a 2/2 and no spell damage. And maybe put it at 6 mana. That should be balanced. -_-
Still not sure if I hate Hearthstone...or love it.
Azure Drake is ok. It's used a lot because it's a versatile card, not because it's too powerful. If a versatile card is correctly costed, it will inevitably be used much more than many other cards.
Hello 2017, we at HS community inform you than this year we will be dumber than ever. We meant no harm tho, it's just than some of us suffer from high blood pressure because all that salt and are unable to think clearly at times.
Seriously, wtf is this thread about?
I could definitely see azure drake being nerfed. I wish they would just rotate it out, though. It's not a broken card, but it is an extremely efficient card. And unless they print a better version, it will probably see play in at least some in deck in every meta. THat is just... boring. I may also be a bit biased as a priest player... Azure drake is extremely difficult for control priest to deal with.
This would also be a reasonable time to do it since most of the dragon cards are rotating out. I just wish they would make classic more dynamic, maybe rotate some cards out, but also potentially rotate some of the less meta-defining cards from older sets back in. Shake things up a bit more than just having a base set of cards which causes problems if it is very good.
Azure Drake is perfectly balanced, its not op and not bad for constructed. Its worth slightly more than average vanilla card. If we convert it to stats it's basically a 6/6 for 5 mana which is perfectly balanced, to make the cut to be playable in constructed. Also its the lack of good 5 drops that makes it much more playable than it is supposed to be.
I still say he could be playable as a 3/4. He's too strong as a 4/4 with his spell damage, card draw and dragon synergy.
He might still be affected by other cards in rotation, I remember he was less popular when Sludge Belcher was the dominant 5 drop, since drake couldn't trade into it favourably.
Piloted Shredder, Knife Juggler, Mad Scientist, Dr. Boom
Need to be removed from this game