During the game's alpha and beta phases, Al'Akir was generally considered to be an extremely underpowered and undesirable card, widely named one of the worst legendaries in the game. However, as with the value of any card, over time a shifting meta game and new deck types has led players to discover the potential of the card.
Ben Brode states that during the game's alpha he was receiving so much negative feedback regarding Al'Akir card that the team very nearly buffed the card, with even top players within Blizzard asking him "How come you made him so bad?!" and asking him to "make this guy good". With Brode having originally pitched the card as a 3/3, Eric Dodds later increased the minion's stats to 3/5, but this was not enough to counter the negative feedback about the card, with the developers eventually scheduling a further buff to 3/7. However, when the developers examined the alpha's backend stats, Al'Akir was found to in fact have the highest win rate of any legendary in the game at that time. The developers therefore realised that the card was simply under-appreciated, and quickly reverted the planned changes to the card, avoiding making "a pretty terrible mistake".[1] This was the first time the developers used "hard data" to inform balance changes.
Now that devs have butchered both Rockbiter Weapon and Flametongue Totem, Akir is stuck with literally nothing. Flametongue + Akir is very similar finisher as Grommash + Whirlwind and I don't recall seeing anyone complaining about Grommash's burst damage.
Can we get that Akir buff now or does Team 5 still not care about shaman? If the answer is no, at least have the decency to swap Kalimos into Classic set.
They'd rather ditch the card and reprint it in a non-evergreen set.
I understand the frustration of a cool character or a symbolic card being too bad for its name, but let's be realistic...
PS : considering Al'Akir as a pure finisher is wrong. Finishers don't have taunt, and they rarely have divine shield. On the other hand, he is also not a stall card. Stall cards don't have charge, and neither windfury. He's just a jack of all trades.
PPS: Al'akir fits Corpsetaker, but i have yet to see Cenarius in a meta deck...
So you reference early misconceptions of the card being weak, and fail to highlight the part where it actually had the highest win rate of any legendary at the time, then ask it be buffed?
I get that it was helped by Rockbiter and Flametongue, but Al'Akir is fine by itself. It is a very versatile card, much more than just a finisher (for which divine shield and taunt play no part). Besides with flametongue nerfed there is more space for attack buffs to be printed in shaman, which I think is what you should actually be asking for.
Yup, the last buff they made that was visible on the card was when they made Unleash the Hounds cost 2 mana. That went to xxxx so they never did it again. Just stop asking for it, buffs will only come as new synergies and occationally mistakes and functionality changes.
He will get a huge buff in standard when TLK rotates, and the flametongue nerf might suggest new synergies as well. Keep your hopes up!
Just cause a card is bad right now doesnt mean it cant become good in the future. For example, Prophet Velen was basically unplayable for literally years. Look at it these days. Just give it time.
They'd rather ditch the card and reprint it in a non-evergreen set.
I understand the frustration of a cool character or a symbolic card being too bad for its name, but let's be realistic...
PS : considering Al'Akir as a pure finisher is wrong. Finishers don't have taunt, and they rarely have divine shield. On the other hand, he is also not a stall card. Stall cards don't have charge, and neither windfury. He's just a jack of all trades.
PPS: Al'akir fits Corpsetaker, but i have yet to see Cenarius in a meta deck...
So is Shaman as a class in whole, trying to do everything while being unable to get anything right.
Hoping for a buff on Al'Akir the Windlord is pointless, given that Blizzard has already stated that it will never buff cards, and it never has. The only real buff they ever made was return Molten Giant to its original mana cost of 20 along with sending it to the Hall of Fame. Nowadays the windlord is a fine card, given that it still have sinergies with Rockbiter Weapon and Corpsetaker, and sees play way more often than other Classic class legendaries, like Cenarius and Lord Jaraxxus. To make it better, Blizzard just need to print some cheap attack buffs or other sinergies. No direct buff is needed to make the card viable, given that it is quite versatile and an alright finisher, despite not being that strong,
Quoted from HS Wiki (https://hearthstone.gamepedia.com/Al'Akir_the_Windlord):
However, when the developers examined the alpha's backend stats, Al'Akir was found to in fact have the highest win rate of any legendary in the game at that time. The developers therefore realised that the card was simply under-appreciated, and quickly reverted the planned changes to the card, avoiding making "a pretty terrible mistake".[1] This was the first time the developers used "hard data" to inform balance changes.
Now that devs have butchered both Rockbiter Weapon and Flametongue Totem, Akir is stuck with literally nothing.
Flametongue + Akir is very similar finisher as Grommash + Whirlwind and I don't recall seeing anyone complaining about Grommash's burst damage.
Can we get that Akir buff now or does Team 5 still not care about shaman?
If the answer is no, at least have the decency to swap Kalimos into Classic set.
Blizz care about Shaman?
XD XD XD XD
In your dreams bro.
They'd rather ditch the card and reprint it in a non-evergreen set.
I understand the frustration of a cool character or a symbolic card being too bad for its name, but let's be realistic...
PS : considering Al'Akir as a pure finisher is wrong. Finishers don't have taunt, and they rarely have divine shield. On the other hand, he is also not a stall card. Stall cards don't have charge, and neither windfury. He's just a jack of all trades.
PPS: Al'akir fits Corpsetaker, but i have yet to see Cenarius in a meta deck...
So you reference early misconceptions of the card being weak, and fail to highlight the part where it actually had the highest win rate of any legendary at the time, then ask it be buffed?
I get that it was helped by Rockbiter and Flametongue, but Al'Akir is fine by itself. It is a very versatile card, much more than just a finisher (for which divine shield and taunt play no part). Besides with flametongue nerfed there is more space for attack buffs to be printed in shaman, which I think is what you should actually be asking for.
Maybe they will give it a freeze effect :)
slap lifesteal on it. case closed.
The pleasue is mine.
Why rework it when you can print an overcreep card. Blizzard logic ...
A buff? What is that thing?
Yup, the last buff they made that was visible on the card was when they made Unleash the Hounds cost 2 mana. That went to xxxx so they never did it again. Just stop asking for it, buffs will only come as new synergies and occationally mistakes and functionality changes.
He will get a huge buff in standard when TLK rotates, and the flametongue nerf might suggest new synergies as well. Keep your hopes up!
Editor of the Heartpwn Legendary Crafting Guide:
https://www.hearthpwn.com/forums/hearthstone-general/card-discussion/205920-legendary-tier-list-crafting-guide
They just need to lower the mana cost and everything will be good , 6 mana maybe ?
Just cause a card is bad right now doesnt mean it cant become good in the future. For example, Prophet Velen was basically unplayable for literally years. Look at it these days. Just give it time.
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So is Shaman as a class in whole, trying to do everything while being unable to get anything right.
/thread
Hoping for a buff on Al'Akir the Windlord is pointless, given that Blizzard has already stated that it will never buff cards, and it never has. The only real buff they ever made was return Molten Giant to its original mana cost of 20 along with sending it to the Hall of Fame. Nowadays the windlord is a fine card, given that it still have sinergies with Rockbiter Weapon and Corpsetaker, and sees play way more often than other Classic class legendaries, like Cenarius and Lord Jaraxxus. To make it better, Blizzard just need to print some cheap attack buffs or other sinergies. No direct buff is needed to make the card viable, given that it is quite versatile and an alright finisher, despite not being that strong,
blizzard wont buff cards, stop asking.
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