Here's my suggestion to Blizzard in the form of a business meeting script:
"How's the Shudderwock testing going?"
"Good. We can't think of every combo possible, but we know enough to know that it gets pretty out of hand in the late game. There could be infinite combo potential."
"How out of hand?"
"Well, the animations take a long time."
"Hmm, should we print a tech card that suppresses battlecry? Maybe a minion with decent health or stealth? Something that doesn't lock Shudderwock down but requires some skill as to when it should be played?"
That is true. OTK is not interactive by nature. Interestingly, we used to have Dirty Rat as tool to somewhat combat it. Maybe the community wouldn't be up in arms if there was tech tool to combat (and I mean combat it, not disable it). With Dirty Rat, there was at least a chance you could pull Archmage Antonidas or Sorcerer's Apprentice early.
I agree with that. And that's why I hated them HoFing Coldlight, because it was one of the few cards (along with Dirty Rat) that could negatively impact your opponents hand/deck (by burning cards)
Currently, it is still day 1 of the expansion and way too early to tell if there is a need for a Nerf regarding it's effect.
It is however not too early to fix the actual issue, the animation timing problem. This is a long standing problem that I don't understand how Blizzard has not addressed, but card animations should not eat away at the timer of the following turn. Animations that occur from the moment the player ends his turn should be counted in a separate phase and only after this phase concludes and the next player starts his turn should the timer begin.
I think most fair is to compare battlecries with deathrattles and therefore Shudderwock to N'Zoth. Battlecries are more powerful because they trigger instantly. N'Zoth limit its power by having only 6 other spots (at most) on the board occupied. Therefore I think it would be at least fair to give shudderwock a similar restriction: to trigger at most 6 battlecries (maybe even 4 or 5 at most is still fair). The wording has to contain the "at most" part as well to make sure Brann cannot double the amount of battlecries repeated. Secondly I think it should cost 10 same as N'Zoth. Further adjustments I cannot think if at the moment.
The combo itself is completely fine. It is no more powerful than any other OTK / TTK deck that exists. What is broken is the animation issue.
Every other combo deck in history was "play 5+ cards from hand in one turn," which meant for most of the game, you had cards in hand you either didn't want to play or didn't want to have drawn. This combo is "play the game normally with cards you'd play anyways, then play a single self contained OTK card."
Big difference.
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The animation issue can be mitigated by simply clicking the cards that pop up during the animation. Sure, it's a lot of clicking but it makes the animation go by twice as quickly (probably faster actually).
I hate when people call combo decks "hard-to-pilot" simply because they're combo decks. Blizzard's opinion that a healthy OTK deck is a hard OTK deck DOES NOT magically make every OTK/combo deck incredibly difficult. One of the small problems with Shudderwock is how easy it is to play right. People often compare it to Kingsbane because you need your Shudderwock to win, but it's often neglected that battlecry minions (the weapon buff for Shudderwock) can be played regardless of if Shudderwock is active, an advantage it has of Kingsbane. What makes a deck hard is when winning and losing can easily be decided by a misplay. I can see Shudderwock becoming a hard deck, but really only if it becomes nerfed. Right now, it's a bit too strong.
Honestly I do not think Shudderwock is OP. I do however, after playing with and against the deck some times, think setup might be a bit too easy, as cards like Sandbinder draws the specific cards you need to setup the combo. But overall I doubt the deck will stay strong for long, the aggro tools this expansion are just too good and probably what's going to shape the meta.
Here's my suggestion to Blizzard in the form of a business meeting script:
"How's the Shudderwock testing going?"
"Good. We can't think of every combo possible, but we know enough to know that it gets pretty out of hand in the late game. There could be infinite combo potential."
"How out of hand?"
"Well, the animations take a long time."
"Hmm, should we print a tech card that suppresses battlecry? Maybe a minion with decent health or stealth? Something that doesn't lock Shudderwock down but requires some skill as to when it should be played?"
"Good idea."
I think that the problem is with Murmuring Elemental more than with Shudderwock. I think that they should change Murmuring Elemental to read 'double the damage of the next battlecry'.
I like the idea of making Shudderwock always cost 9, that would help. I would also make murmuring Elemental only effect other elementals.
Animations are broken. Card power level is fine. It's good against cubelock so hopefully it will help balance the meta
Who has the sharpest claws wins- THIS IS Killing Bites
I think most fair is to compare battlecries with deathrattles and therefore Shudderwock to N'Zoth. Battlecries are more powerful because they trigger instantly. N'Zoth limit its power by having only 6 other spots (at most) on the board occupied. Therefore I think it would be at least fair to give shudderwock a similar restriction: to trigger at most 6 battlecries (maybe even 4 or 5 at most is still fair). The wording has to contain the "at most" part as well to make sure Brann cannot double the amount of battlecries repeated. Secondly I think it should cost 10 same as N'Zoth. Further adjustments I cannot think if at the moment.
Maybe he could simply not repeat the battlecries he repeated?
The tears are delicious.
This deck is broken in the sense that it's making shaman not win anymore.
The combo itself is completely fine. It is no more powerful than any other OTK / TTK deck that exists. What is broken is the animation issue.
I wanna glide down, over Mulholland
I wanna write her, name in the sky
I wanna free fall, out into nothin'
Gonna leave this, world for awhile
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The animation issue can be mitigated by simply clicking the cards that pop up during the animation. Sure, it's a lot of clicking but it makes the animation go by twice as quickly (probably faster actually).
How about this? No more bouncing would get rid of the TTK
Why u hav to be mad? is only card gaem.
It is the story of Exodia and Quest Rogue all over again.
I don't get why they design such cards that decide the outcome of a game at the instant of the matchup...
Meta-wise, it is actually balanced.
But players experience games, not meta stats.
I hate when people call combo decks "hard-to-pilot" simply because they're combo decks. Blizzard's opinion that a healthy OTK deck is a hard OTK deck DOES NOT magically make every OTK/combo deck incredibly difficult. One of the small problems with Shudderwock is how easy it is to play right. People often compare it to Kingsbane because you need your Shudderwock to win, but it's often neglected that battlecry minions (the weapon buff for Shudderwock) can be played regardless of if Shudderwock is active, an advantage it has of Kingsbane. What makes a deck hard is when winning and losing can easily be decided by a misplay. I can see Shudderwock becoming a hard deck, but really only if it becomes nerfed. Right now, it's a bit too strong.
Reno Quest Hunter
Honestly I do not think Shudderwock is OP. I do however, after playing with and against the deck some times, think setup might be a bit too easy, as cards like Sandbinder draws the specific cards you need to setup the combo. But overall I doubt the deck will stay strong for long, the aggro tools this expansion are just too good and probably what's going to shape the meta.
I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO "MY JAWS THAT BITE, MY CLAWS THAT CATCH" FOR THIRTY MINUTES *Dr strange's portal closes * x_x