With the advent of Specialist format, I can't find a good way to rate cards. I can see use for even some of the worst cards in a Secondary or Tertiary deck. If every card is at least some level of "competitively playable" then what is the point in randomly assigning them a number?
The difference between a 5 star and a 1 star card is easy to see. But the delineation between 2, 3, and 4 is really muddled.
So instead, I will just look at the class (& neutral) cards as a whole and try to gauge where they will stand come April 9th. For people who require card ratings, I will rate the cards 1-3 (occasionally 4).
1- a card that will see niche or no play. 2- a card that might see some play in the main or play in side decks. 3- a card that is maindecked quite often. 4- I think this is one of the (very few) best cards in the set.
As a starting point, I think the Lackeys are good. So creating them is a good thing. The card that creates them may still be bad though. I also think Twinspell is very good. In fact, I think it's one of the stronger mechanics they've introduced. For the most part, being a Twinspell is a good thing.
Onto the cards........and such.
Druid
I think Druid may be in trouble. At first glance, it looks like Druid did pretty well this expansion. For starters, Keeper Stalladris looks like a card that will probably fit into just about every druid to provide extra value out of cards you are already playing. Druid appears to have gone in two main directions: Token Druid and Heal Druid. The Big Beast direction appears to have been abandoned for now.
Starting with Token Druid- This seems like it will be the best and most accessible variant. But that doesn't mean that it will be incredibly successful. In Hearthstone, it is always easier to be the aggressor. And I'm not sure Druid does that better than other aggressive classes. Acornbearer, Dreamway Guardians, and Landscaping give you a nice early curve.But Token Druid without Spreading Plague is going to struggle against the fastest Aggro decks. The Forest's Aid and Blessing of the Ancients seem like prime canidates to be 1-ofs to me.
Heal Druid doesn't look like it came together in this set. This isn't surprising as Heal is often a bad mechanic in many CCGs. It ends up being very conditional. My suspicion is that Heal and Ramp Druid will become the same thing. This feels like the spiritual successor to Taunt Druid. Ramp to Lucentbark, copy it with things like Floop, Da Undertakah, Faceless Manipulator, Gloop Sprayer, or Splintergraft, and then repeatedly jam 4/8 taunts. Clearly, there are obvious weaknesses to things like silence. The second this deck becomes a threat, it's easy enough to counter.
Of the two of these, Token and Heal/Ramp, I think Token is the obvious winner. I believe it will find itself in the middle of the pack: losing to faster aggro decks like Zoo or Secret Paladin, but having much more game against slower decks like Control Warrior or Shaman.
Hunter didn't have to do too well this expac. Enough beast support remains that Midrange Beast Hunter should still be one of the better decks in the game. Furthermore, I think Unleash the Beast slides right in and makes Zul'jin appealing top end for the deck. It got Hench-Clan Hogsteed, which I think may be one of the best cards in the set, and it's perfect for Hunter. It also got Shimmerfly, which might not be a good card, but still might be played as a turn 1 beast that can curve into Headhunter's Hatchet.
In RoS, Hunter took two directions as well: Spellpower and Mech Deathrattle (Mechrattle). I am not a strong believer in either deck right now. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the two were merged.
In Spellpower Hunter, there are some interesting synergies between Vereesa Windrunner, Arcane Fletcher, Rapid Fire, and Halazzi, the Lynx. At some point in the game, being able to launch 12 damage to the face for 4 mana is appealing. This is not a fast deck. To that end, repeated use of Spider Bomb via the mechrattle cards seems like a good way to maintain control before Veressa can end the game.
Mage needed a lot of help even prior to the rotation, and it is losing a lot in the rotation. How did it do? To be honest, I am very unsure. Mage got a lot of new things, and I'm not sure how they will all fit together. Mage also appears to have "abandoned" some of the directions that it could go after the rotation.
Big Spell Mage is dead. Hero Power mage was a victim of Baku's early retirement. Elemental Mage lost most of it's elementals and gained almost nothing playable. And it's difficult to imagine a Big Hand Mage without the elemental backbone. It did get Kalecgos, which is very powerful in a vacuum. But I'm not sure where he fits. He'll fit somewhere, because he's that good. But I have no clue what that deck looks like.
There is a pretty clear tempo or "cheap spell" mage, which might find some crossover with spell power synergies. Mana Cyclone is very interesting as a cheap reload after playing a lot of spells. And Magic Dart Frog draws obvious comparisons to Flamewaker. There are other tools like Vex Crow and Exotic Mountseller that could work here. It seems pretty reasonable to believe a deck like this tops out with something like Archmage Antonidas.
The other direction appears to be a Conjuring or Khadgar mage. This deck would look to "twinsummon" minions with spells like Power of Creation, Unexpected Results, or Conjurer's Calling. Count me out of this version for now. Spells that summon random average minions which are only interesting when combo'd with a Legendary minion feels like a weak basis for a deck.
Paladin, as a class, was hard carried by Genn, Baku, Divine Favor, Sunkeeper Tarim, and Equality. All three are gone or nerfed. So Paladin had a lot of work to do. Luckily, Secret Paladin got a lot of work done.
As a rule, Secret decks are bad in Hearthstone. They need a lot of overpowered support in order to be played. And at that point, they are usually very good because the support is overpowered and secrets are frustrating. Secret Paladin got a lot of overpowered support. Mysterious Blade probably becomes the one of the best weapons in the game. Sunreaver Spy Draws favorable comparisons to Totem Golem. And Never Surrender! gives Secret Paladin its own version of Counterspell.
I do think that Secret Paladin is going to struggle in games that last much longer than 6-or-so turns. It turns out that including 6-10 bad cards to support 4 or 5 good cards ends up being a bad deal if those 4 or 5 good cards are handled. To that end, Prince Liam that can change the character of your deck and give you something to do in longer games. This is something the deck will have to work out in a world without Divine Favor or Call to Arms. I have a sneaking suspicion that this deck might morph into a dragon-hybrid some day, moving from hyper aggro to something more midrange.
Paladin also got some weird control stuff which will run into the same control paladin problem as always - how am I winning? Paladin got some pretty garbage looking spells like Call to Adventure and Lightforged Blessing. Maybe these cards go into a deck with Immortal Prelate, but that card feels really bad with the loss of Spikeridge Steed.
Kangor's Endless Army is still around, and maybe that's enough in a world without Psychic Scream. But Carnivorous Cube was a very big part of that deck's success.
It looks like Wall Priest and Res priest are going to get married and have a baby in Rise of Shadows. Or it will be a tempo class. This is going to be a few interesting early weeks for priest.
Regarding Res Priest, it lost Psychic Scream, which is a huge loss, but it still has Mass Hysteria, and it gained Forbidden Words. It lost Diamond Spellstone, but it gained Catrina Muerte and Mass Resurrection. The loss of Shadow Visions certainly hurts the consistency of the deck, but there may still be enough here. Also Mass Ressurection is so much worse than spellstone. It may be a big challenge.
Priest also got a substantial silence package, largely supported by neutral cards. This appears to be a completely reasonable way to play priest, and it might even be better than a Wall/Res variant. It does have, as ever, the problem of playing cards that are trash without being combo'd in a deck that contains little card draw outside of Cleric/Circle.
I'd also be on the lookout for some kind of Miracle Priest. Priest now has six 0 cost spells. Gadgetzan, Grave Horror, and Questing Adventurer are all still here.
Rogue got A LOT. I fear a great amount of it is being highly overrated, however. But time will tell.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Bounce Rogue or Pogo Rogue. This deck received some amazing support. Tak Nozwhisker, Waggle Pick, Togwaggle’s Scheme, Daring Escape, etc. None of these cards keep you alive. This is good, otherwise the deck would be broken. Your ability to heal pretty much comes down to landing a big Zilliax and juggling Earthen Ring Farseer-type cards. I think we are headed into a much more aggressive metagame, both because the cards are there and not every deck can go “infinite” now. Rogue’s AOE still sucks. Vanish loses a lot of its luster in a world without Cube. This deck will work, but I don’t know if it will live long enough to do so. A quick side note: I think Unidentified Contract is completely overrated in a world where Sap and Walk the Plank exist.
Burgle Rogue fits into a similar category. Strike that, Academic Espionage decks fit into a similar category. I think there’s probably a good Tempo Burgle deck that plays Vendetta, Underbelly Fence, Hench-Clan Burglar, and Tess.
I think Hench-Clan Burglar is also a great help to Pirate Rogues, which I suspect may be the best Rogue variant when all is said and done. It’s probably less Myra-focused and more “good cards” + Hooktusk focused.
Finally, Heistbaron. I would put it in the “good cards” category. Its activation requirement is incredibly minimal. Its payoff is massive. I’m not sure exactly where it fits, but with a package so small, I think it will be played in a lot of “good stuff” rogue decks, be it Burgle or Hooktusk.
Poor old Shaman. Pretty unanimously one of the worst classes of the last metagame, in particular when Flametongue was nerfed. It needed help. Like Paladin, it got some.
Shaman’s murloc package is insane. Underbelly Angler is probably one of the best cards in the set. Same with Sludge Slurper. There’s also nice overlap with overload cards, Thunderhead and Likkim. Soul of the Murloc is arguably better than Soul of the Forest. I think this deck is going to be very formidable.
Control Shaman also got some good toys. Hagatha’s Scheme strikes me as the best Scheme in the set, although that isn't saying much. Keep in mind that Lightning Storm, Beakered Lightning, and even voltaic Burst still exist for our AOE purposes. Swampqueen Hagatha is amazingly strong and shares perfect synergy with Shudderwock. The two cards almost make their own hyper-value win condition. I’m glad to see it got Witch’s Brew. It needed it heal that cambe before our next card. Walking Fountain is amazing, but comes out very late.
All in all, I think Shaman may have premier aggro and control decks.
Warlock lost almost everything that made Warlock good for the last year+. So it needed new things a lot. What we got was a really nice buff to zoo...and some weird shuffle shit. More on that later.
Rafaam simply looks like a ubiquitously good card. I think it will be played in control (if it exists), side decks, maybe even main decked in zoo. It's just good.
Imp/Demon Zoo looks like it will be the real deal. I think Jumbo Imp is fhilarious.But it's on the edge of playable. Impferno is probably 1 mana too much to be broken, which means it's a fair card. And EVIL Genius looks fun with random Imps and Scarab Egg. I don't know if the deck is going to go full imp, because there are better cards out there. But I do think Zoo got enough to be one of the better decks in the format.
On to control warlock...someone smarter than me will have to figure this out. I think Warlock lost too much sustain and AOE to even try this shuffle stuff. And I don't think the shuffle stuff is even good right now. For example, I think this deck wants to play Dr. Morrigan...think about that for a second.
I suppose that it's worth mentioning that an old-school style Handlock gained some support with all of the things that Silence Priest can also use. So...hope????? Maybe Jaraxxus makes his return to the Hearthstone stage. Actually, upon reflection, this may be the best version of control warlock.
To start, I find Dr. Boom's Scheme offensively terrible. It may be the worst card I've ever seen designed...and yet, I still think it could see play in a side deck. That's why I switched to this style of review.
Look - I would consider Warrior one of the strongest classes going into the roation. This is primarily because of Dr. Boom, but also because the dragon stuff is emminently playable. Rush Warrior was already like a T2/3 deck as well. So Warrior didn't need much. But I think it got good stuff anyway.
Bomb Warrior looks like a ton of fun, and perhaps very competitive. My best guess it that it hybridizes with Rush warrior. Blastmaster seems like a temop card. Wrenchcalibur is a weapon, and those generate tempo over turns. I think it's a 5 card package that fits into an otherwise Midrange deck. Hogsteed is so good for this thanks to being a great Ashmore target.
In general, Control Warrior will have to decide between being prediominently dragon or mech. Both versions will play some mechs.
Ignore the fuck out of this Big Warrior crap. I think it's a bait.
For the most part, I'll hit the highlights, although I'm more than happy to discuss other cards below. Tis the season!
Almost every neutral legendary looks super interesting and, ironically, most appear to be combo oriented to a degree. Ladder may be safe for combo, but tournament looks shaky IMO. We got so much disruption. (FINALLY!) I feel like some deck will make T1 or T2 use of Vargoth.
As for the epics, I could see a word where Hench-Clan Hag is maindecked. Unseen Saboteur looks like the most "Ladder viable" disruption card. Magic Carpet is neat, but maybe unnecessry. Perhaps a 1-of in Zoo. I don't know what they're doing with the Demon Portals. It would be fun if it were good though...it proably won't be. Azerite Elemental might see some play in Mage. As stated above, I have no idea what that class wants to do...but spells are a part of it, and +2 Spell damage is no joke.
The rares have a lot of cards I don't care to say much about. But I do want to say a lot about Exotic Mountseller. She's the sexy cousin of Gadgetzan Auctioneer. I think Mad Summoner might be better than the completely terrible that he appears to be. Sunreaver Warmage reminds me of Arcane Tyrant which was a very good card. I think this card will be popular in the same kinds of classes...Mage and Druid.
In the commons, we have Safeguard. It's imminently interesting, but I can't decide if it's terrible or playable. It has a good collection of tribe and keywords, and that's always beneficial.
I wish that Proud Defender cost 1 mana less with some stat adjustment. I still think some control decks may have to rely on it though.
I'm going to make a strange call on Travelling Healer being a neutral that sees more play than expected. I think the divine shield is being underrated, and heal is all but gone from most non-heal classes.
Faceless Rager looks like it might actually be good in anything that plays the "silence" minions or twilight drake. I don't know if it's the top card on your list, but I think you consider it.
Hench-Clan Hogsteed may be the best card in the set. It's a beast. It's a murloc. It has rush. It has deathrattle. If I were still rating cards, this is one of the few that would get a pretty no brainer 5 star. I'd be surprised if an aggro deck decided NOT to play this card.
Toxfin is crazy good...in murloc. So your murloc-milage may varry.
By your definition of "4", Magic Dart Frog is going to be a four, I'd bet anything on it.
Other than that, looks pretty legit. I don't pay much attention to 2 vs 3, but I compliment you on some perceptive 1s that other folks have not yet come to grips with. Tak Nozwisker is top on that list.
Not sold on Sludge Slurper . . . or more accurately not sold on Shaman this go around. It seems like Shaman is still being punished for mid-range dominance three years ago.
To me, we're looking at a 7 class meta. I don't think the druid token model is going to be consistent enough without the ramp we used to enjoy, and you seem to rightfully guess that heal druid isn't a reality yet.
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By your definition of "4", Magic Dart Frog is going to be a four, I'd bet anything on it.
Other than that, looks pretty legit. I don't pay much attention to 2 vs 3, but I compliment you on some perceptive 1s that other folks have not yet come to grips with. Tak Nozwisker is top on that list.
Not sold on Sludge Slurper . . . or more accurately not sold on Shaman this go around. It seems like Shaman is still being punished for mid-range dominance three years ago.
To me, we're looking at a 7 class meta. I don't think the druid token model is going to be consistent enough without the ramp we used to enjoy, and you seem to rightfully guess that heal druid isn't a reality yet.
Thanks!
I think Dart Frog is good. My confusion comes from where I see mage as an entire class. If we have a token-aggro metagame, Dart Frog is a beast. If things are slower, he's very bad. I'm not sure if Mage wants to be board battle class or something else - value, burn, Toni-OTK. My rating has as much to do with my lack of imagination regarding Mage as anything.
Conversely, I am bullish on Shaman. A lot of this is because I mostly played Shaman this format, because I hated the format. It does a number of things well that went unnoticed. Plus, it's a class with a Hero Card.
I should have said this in the main article, but it should be noted that all three remaining hero card classes (Hunter, Warrior, and Shaman) all have good early game right now. Early game...that can transition into oppressive late game. (Hunter has much less value.)
Just one question , do you rate by powerlevel? Because in the top description you wrote 1- a card that will see niche or no play ... etc. But dont you think cards like Underbelly Angler and Sludge Slurper or Blessing of the Ancients and The Forest's Aid or Oblivitron and Nine Lives should have the same rating since they go most likely into the same deck? Thus see the same amount of play, or not if they dont.
I actually think you omit one thing here,which is randm discovery.Essentially while some of those cards will never go into a proper deck they are decent to discover.So basically cards like power of creation or magic trick or lightforged blessing are better than 1 i my opinion because of that.
I also don't agree with desperate measure card from paladin.Otherwise i think i agree with everything.
Memedeck-seeker. Always tries to build new decks. Hates tournements, streamers, netdecks and poor-o players. ah, but a tournement mode could be great !!!
You talked about 5 stars also but didn't even give a definition to 5 stars and;
no 5 stars and six 4 stars ?
You've got to be kidding.
Thanks for the effort but your considerations are biased.
ah but notes seem ok.
What the actual f**k? Do you even know what the words opinion and bias mean? There is something especially annoying with people try and shit on someone going above and beyond. Your garage post was the equivalent to replying to an angry woman that just sent you a three paragraph rant via text while you're at work with "k. youre wrong though" *tableflip*
I actually think you omit one thing here,which is randm discovery.Essentially while some of those cards will never go into a proper deck they are decent to discover.So basically cards like power of creation or magic trick or lightforged blessing are better than 1 i my opinion because of that.
I also don't agree with desperate measure card from paladin.Otherwise i think i agree with everything.
2 secret discover value from 1 card. You act as if Hunter doesnt already have this spell and it is used.
Hunter secrets are much better than paladin secrets not to menton you are comparing discovery(which is great,hydrologist was great especially in ungoro) with random effect.Paladin secrets are generally low impact,but random paladin secrets are just bad.
Hunter secrets are much better than paladin secrets not to menton you are comparing discovery(which is great,hydrologist was great especially in ungoro) with random effect.Paladin secrets are generally low impact,but random paladin secrets are just bad.
Like i had issues with the previous post i made about some cards he rated differently , even tho they likely go into the same deck, with Desperate Measures he did it right.
If he thinks the whole secret Paladin will work and be a viable archetype, he correctly rated all cards that go into that deck equally.
Oh i agree with the secret paladin rating,just not with this particular card.Paladin secrets excell when played at correct time and are meaningless otherwise,which is why i think this card is overrated here.
Hunter secrets are much better than paladin secrets not to menton you are comparing discovery(which is great,hydrologist was great especially in ungoro) with random effect.Paladin secrets are generally low impact,but random paladin secrets are just bad.
I thought this was discover, not random. I feel like hidden wisdom/never surrender are secrets you dont want as random but its still only 1 mana which same cost as secrets. Likely to see play but realizing now that its random, if i change my secret pal it might be first to go.
I think I would make an exception and actually rate Dr. Boom's Scheme a straight 0 I am actually infuriated by everything in this card: the absurd slowness, the outrageous cost, the abysmal effect, the irrelevant artwork. If pack fillers had pack fillers of their own , then that would be Dr. Boom's Scheme
I think I would make an exception and actually rate Dr. Boom's Scheme a straight 0 I am actually infuriated by everything in this card: the absurd slowness, the outrageous cost, the abysmal effect, the irrelevant artwork. If pack fillers had pack fillers of their own , then that would be Dr. Boom's Scheme
cost 10 Put a bomb in your opponent deck lol
Strong but more reasonable cost 5 summon a boombot.
I think I would make an exception and actually rate Dr. Boom's Scheme a straight 0 I am actually infuriated by everything in this card: the absurd slowness, the outrageous cost, the abysmal effect, the irrelevant artwork. If pack fillers had pack fillers of their own , then that would be Dr. Boom's Scheme
worst card in HS history. until they print a card that says double ur armour this turn. theres already something like it in RUmble run
With the advent of Specialist format, I can't find a good way to rate cards. I can see use for even some of the worst cards in a Secondary or Tertiary deck. If every card is at least some level of "competitively playable" then what is the point in randomly assigning them a number?
The difference between a 5 star and a 1 star card is easy to see. But the delineation between 2, 3, and 4 is really muddled.
So instead, I will just look at the class (& neutral) cards as a whole and try to gauge where they will stand come April 9th. For people who require card ratings, I will rate the cards 1-3 (occasionally 4).
1- a card that will see niche or no play.
2- a card that might see some play in the main or play in side decks.
3- a card that is maindecked quite often.
4- I think this is one of the (very few) best cards in the set.
As a starting point, I think the Lackeys are good. So creating them is a good thing. The card that creates them may still be bad though. I also think Twinspell is very good. In fact, I think it's one of the stronger mechanics they've introduced. For the most part, being a Twinspell is a good thing.
Onto the cards........and such.
Druid
I think Druid may be in trouble. At first glance, it looks like Druid did pretty well this expansion. For starters, Keeper Stalladris looks like a card that will probably fit into just about every druid to provide extra value out of cards you are already playing. Druid appears to have gone in two main directions: Token Druid and Heal Druid. The Big Beast direction appears to have been abandoned for now.
Starting with Token Druid- This seems like it will be the best and most accessible variant. But that doesn't mean that it will be incredibly successful. In Hearthstone, it is always easier to be the aggressor. And I'm not sure Druid does that better than other aggressive classes. Acornbearer, Dreamway Guardians, and Landscaping give you a nice early curve.But Token Druid without Spreading Plague is going to struggle against the fastest Aggro decks. The Forest's Aid and Blessing of the Ancients seem like prime canidates to be 1-ofs to me.
Heal Druid doesn't look like it came together in this set. This isn't surprising as Heal is often a bad mechanic in many CCGs. It ends up being very conditional. My suspicion is that Heal and Ramp Druid will become the same thing. This feels like the spiritual successor to Taunt Druid. Ramp to Lucentbark, copy it with things like Floop, Da Undertakah, Faceless Manipulator, Gloop Sprayer, or Splintergraft, and then repeatedly jam 4/8 taunts. Clearly, there are obvious weaknesses to things like silence. The second this deck becomes a threat, it's easy enough to counter.
Of the two of these, Token and Heal/Ramp, I think Token is the obvious winner. I believe it will find itself in the middle of the pack: losing to faster aggro decks like Zoo or Secret Paladin, but having much more game against slower decks like Control Warrior or Shaman.
Lucentbark - 2
Keeper Stalladris - 3
Crystal Stag - 2
Crystalsong Portal - 3
The Forest's Aid - 3
Lifeweaver - 1
Dreamway Guardians - 3
Blessing of the Ancients - 2
Acornbearer - 3
Crystal Power - 2
Hunter
Hunter didn't have to do too well this expac. Enough beast support remains that Midrange Beast Hunter should still be one of the better decks in the game. Furthermore, I think Unleash the Beast slides right in and makes Zul'jin appealing top end for the deck. It got Hench-Clan Hogsteed, which I think may be one of the best cards in the set, and it's perfect for Hunter. It also got Shimmerfly, which might not be a good card, but still might be played as a turn 1 beast that can curve into Headhunter's Hatchet.
In RoS, Hunter took two directions as well: Spellpower and Mech Deathrattle (Mechrattle). I am not a strong believer in either deck right now. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the two were merged.
In Spellpower Hunter, there are some interesting synergies between Vereesa Windrunner, Arcane Fletcher, Rapid Fire, and Halazzi, the Lynx. At some point in the game, being able to launch 12 damage to the face for 4 mana is appealing. This is not a fast deck. To that end, repeated use of Spider Bomb via the mechrattle cards seems like a good way to maintain control before Veressa can end the game.
Vereesa Windrunner - 2
Oblivitron - 1
Arcane Fletcher - 2
Nine Lives - 3
Unleash the Beast - 3
Hunting Party - 1
Shimmerfly - 2
Marked Shot - 1
Ursatron - 3
Rapid Fire - 2
Mage
Mage needed a lot of help even prior to the rotation, and it is losing a lot in the rotation. How did it do? To be honest, I am very unsure. Mage got a lot of new things, and I'm not sure how they will all fit together. Mage also appears to have "abandoned" some of the directions that it could go after the rotation.
Big Spell Mage is dead. Hero Power mage was a victim of Baku's early retirement. Elemental Mage lost most of it's elementals and gained almost nothing playable. And it's difficult to imagine a Big Hand Mage without the elemental backbone.
It did get Kalecgos, which is very powerful in a vacuum. But I'm not sure where he fits. He'll fit somewhere, because he's that good. But I have no clue what that deck looks like.
There is a pretty clear tempo or "cheap spell" mage, which might find some crossover with spell power synergies. Mana Cyclone is very interesting as a cheap reload after playing a lot of spells. And Magic Dart Frog draws obvious comparisons to Flamewaker. There are other tools like Vex Crow and Exotic Mountseller that could work here. It seems pretty reasonable to believe a deck like this tops out with something like Archmage Antonidas.
The other direction appears to be a Conjuring or Khadgar mage. This deck would look to "twinsummon" minions with spells like Power of Creation, Unexpected Results, or Conjurer's Calling. Count me out of this version for now. Spells that summon random average minions which are only interesting when combo'd with a Legendary minion feels like a weak basis for a deck.
Kalecgos - 3
Khadgar - 2
Power of Creation - 1
Mana Cyclone - 3
Kirin Tor Tricaster - 1
Conjurer's Calling - 3
Magic Trick - 1
Messenger Raven - 2
Magic Dart Frog - 2
Ray of Frost - 3
Paladin
Paladin, as a class, was hard carried by Genn, Baku, Divine Favor, Sunkeeper Tarim, and Equality. All three are gone or nerfed. So Paladin had a lot of work to do. Luckily, Secret Paladin got a lot of work done.
As a rule, Secret decks are bad in Hearthstone. They need a lot of overpowered support in order to be played. And at that point, they are usually very good because the support is overpowered and secrets are frustrating. Secret Paladin got a lot of overpowered support. Mysterious Blade probably becomes the one of the best weapons in the game. Sunreaver Spy Draws favorable comparisons to Totem Golem. And Never Surrender! gives Secret Paladin its own version of Counterspell.
I do think that Secret Paladin is going to struggle in games that last much longer than 6-or-so turns. It turns out that including 6-10 bad cards to support 4 or 5 good cards ends up being a bad deal if those 4 or 5 good cards are handled. To that end, Prince Liam that can change the character of your deck and give you something to do in longer games. This is something the deck will have to work out in a world without Divine Favor or Call to Arms. I have a sneaking suspicion that this deck might morph into a dragon-hybrid some day, moving from hyper aggro to something more midrange.
Paladin also got some weird control stuff which will run into the same control paladin problem as always - how am I winning? Paladin got some pretty garbage looking spells like Call to Adventure and Lightforged Blessing. Maybe these cards go into a deck with Immortal Prelate, but that card feels really bad with the loss of Spikeridge Steed.
Kangor's Endless Army is still around, and maybe that's enough in a world without Psychic Scream. But Carnivorous Cube was a very big part of that deck's success.
Nozari - 1
Commander Rhyssa - 3
Dragon Speaker - 1
Duel! - 1
Call to Adventure - 1
Mysterious Blade - 3
Desperate Measures - 3
Bronze Herald - 2
Lightforged Blessing - 1
Never Surrender! - 3
Priest
It looks like Wall Priest and Res priest are going to get married and have a baby in Rise of Shadows. Or it will be a tempo class. This is going to be a few interesting early weeks for priest.
Regarding Res Priest, it lost Psychic Scream, which is a huge loss, but it still has Mass Hysteria, and it gained Forbidden Words. It lost Diamond Spellstone, but it gained Catrina Muerte and Mass Resurrection. The loss of Shadow Visions certainly hurts the consistency of the deck, but there may still be enough here. Also Mass Ressurection is so much worse than spellstone. It may be a big challenge.
Priest also got a substantial silence package, largely supported by neutral cards. This appears to be a completely reasonable way to play priest, and it might even be better than a Wall/Res variant. It does have, as ever, the problem of playing cards that are trash without being combo'd in a deck that contains little card draw outside of Cleric/Circle.
I'd also be on the lookout for some kind of Miracle Priest. Priest now has six 0 cost spells. Gadgetzan, Grave Horror, and Questing Adventurer are all still here.
Catrina Muerte - 3
Madame Lazul - 2
Shadowy Figure - 1
Lazul's Scheme - 2
Mass Resurrection - 2
Convincing Infiltrator - 3
Forbidden Words - 4
Hench-Clan Shadequill - 4
Unsleeping Soul - 2
EVIL Conscripter - 1
Rogue
Rogue got A LOT. I fear a great amount of it is being highly overrated, however. But time will tell.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Bounce Rogue or Pogo Rogue. This deck received some amazing support. Tak Nozwhisker, Waggle Pick, Togwaggle’s Scheme, Daring Escape, etc. None of these cards keep you alive. This is good, otherwise the deck would be broken. Your ability to heal pretty much comes down to landing a big Zilliax and juggling Earthen Ring Farseer-type cards. I think we are headed into a much more aggressive metagame, both because the cards are there and not every deck can go “infinite” now. Rogue’s AOE still sucks. Vanish loses a lot of its luster in a world without Cube. This deck will work, but I don’t know if it will live long enough to do so.
A quick side note: I think Unidentified Contract is completely overrated in a world where Sap and Walk the Plank exist.
Burgle Rogue fits into a similar category. Strike that, Academic Espionage decks fit into a similar category. I think there’s probably a good Tempo Burgle deck that plays Vendetta, Underbelly Fence, Hench-Clan Burglar, and Tess.
I think Hench-Clan Burglar is also a great help to Pirate Rogues, which I suspect may be the best Rogue variant when all is said and done. It’s probably less Myra-focused and more “good cards” + Hooktusk focused.
Finally, Heistbaron. I would put it in the “good cards” category. Its activation requirement is incredibly minimal. Its payoff is massive. I’m not sure exactly where it fits, but with a package so small, I think it will be played in a lot of “good stuff” rogue decks, be it Burgle or Hooktusk.
Tak Nozwhisker - 1
Heistbaron Togwaggle - 3
Unidentified Contract - 1
Waggle Pick - 2
Vendetta - 4
Underbelly Fence - 3
Togwaggle's Scheme - 2
Hench-Clan Burglar - 3
EVIL Miscreant - 2
Daring Escape - 1
Shaman
Poor old Shaman. Pretty unanimously one of the worst classes of the last metagame, in particular when Flametongue was nerfed. It needed help. Like Paladin, it got some.
Shaman’s murloc package is insane. Underbelly Angler is probably one of the best cards in the set. Same with Sludge Slurper. There’s also nice overlap with overload cards, Thunderhead and Likkim. Soul of the Murloc is arguably better than Soul of the Forest. I think this deck is going to be very formidable.
Control Shaman also got some good toys. Hagatha’s Scheme strikes me as the best Scheme in the set, although that isn't saying much. Keep in mind that Lightning Storm, Beakered Lightning, and even voltaic Burst still exist for our AOE purposes. Swampqueen Hagatha is amazingly strong and shares perfect synergy with Shudderwock. The two cards almost make their own hyper-value win condition. I’m glad to see it got Witch’s Brew. It needed it heal that cambe before our next card. Walking Fountain is amazing, but comes out very late.
All in all, I think Shaman may have premier aggro and control decks.
Swampqueen Hagatha - 2
Scargil - 2
Muckmorpher - 2
Witch's Brew - 2
Hagatha's Scheme - 3
Underbelly Angler - 3
Sludge Slurper - 4
Walking Fountain - 3
Soul of the Murloc - 3
Mutate - 1
Warlock
Warlock lost almost everything that made Warlock good for the last year+. So it needed new things a lot. What we got was a really nice buff to zoo...and some weird shuffle shit. More on that later.
Rafaam simply looks like a ubiquitously good card. I think it will be played in control (if it exists), side decks, maybe even main decked in zoo. It's just good.
Imp/Demon Zoo looks like it will be the real deal. I think Jumbo Imp is fhilarious.But it's on the edge of playable. Impferno is probably 1 mana too much to be broken, which means it's a fair card. And EVIL Genius looks fun with random Imps and Scarab Egg. I don't know if the deck is going to go full imp, because there are better cards out there. But I do think Zoo got enough to be one of the better decks in the format.
On to control warlock...someone smarter than me will have to figure this out. I think Warlock lost too much sustain and AOE to even try this shuffle stuff. And I don't think the shuffle stuff is even good right now. For example, I think this deck wants to play Dr. Morrigan...think about that for a second.
I suppose that it's worth mentioning that an old-school style Handlock gained some support with all of the things that Silence Priest can also use. So...hope????? Maybe Jaraxxus makes his return to the Hearthstone stage. Actually, upon reflection, this may be the best version of control warlock.
Fel Lord Betrug - 1
Arch-Villain Rafaam - 3
Jumbo Imp - 2
Darkest Hour - 1
Eager Underling - 2
Impferno - 2
Plot Twist - 3
Aranasi Broodmother - 3
Rafaam's Scheme - 1
EVIL Genius - 3
Warrior
To start, I find Dr. Boom's Scheme offensively terrible. It may be the worst card I've ever seen designed...and yet, I still think it could see play in a side deck. That's why I switched to this style of review.
Look - I would consider Warrior one of the strongest classes going into the roation. This is primarily because of Dr. Boom, but also because the dragon stuff is emminently playable. Rush Warrior was already like a T2/3 deck as well. So Warrior didn't need much. But I think it got good stuff anyway.
Bomb Warrior looks like a ton of fun, and perhaps very competitive. My best guess it that it hybridizes with Rush warrior. Blastmaster seems like a temop card. Wrenchcalibur is a weapon, and those generate tempo over turns. I think it's a 5 card package that fits into an otherwise Midrange deck. Hogsteed is so good for this thanks to being a great Ashmore target.
In general, Control Warrior will have to decide between being prediominently dragon or mech. Both versions will play some mechs.
Ignore the fuck out of this Big Warrior crap. I think it's a bait.
The Boom Reaver - 1
Blastmaster Boom - 3
Omega Devastator - 3
Wrenchcalibur - 3
Dimensional Ripper - 1
Clockwork Goblin - 2
Sweeping Strikes - 2
Dr. Boom's Scheme - 1
Vicious Scraphound - 1
Improve Morale - 1
Neutral
For the most part, I'll hit the highlights, although I'm more than happy to discuss other cards below. Tis the season!
Almost every neutral legendary looks super interesting and, ironically, most appear to be combo oriented to a degree. Ladder may be safe for combo, but tournament looks shaky IMO. We got so much disruption. (FINALLY!) I feel like some deck will make T1 or T2 use of Vargoth.
As for the epics, I could see a word where Hench-Clan Hag is maindecked. Unseen Saboteur looks like the most "Ladder viable" disruption card. Magic Carpet is neat, but maybe unnecessry. Perhaps a 1-of in Zoo. I don't know what they're doing with the Demon Portals. It would be fun if it were good though...it proably won't be. Azerite Elemental might see some play in Mage. As stated above, I have no idea what that class wants to do...but spells are a part of it, and +2 Spell damage is no joke.
The rares have a lot of cards I don't care to say much about. But I do want to say a lot about Exotic Mountseller. She's the sexy cousin of Gadgetzan Auctioneer. I think Mad Summoner might be better than the completely terrible that he appears to be. Sunreaver Warmage reminds me of Arcane Tyrant which was a very good card. I think this card will be popular in the same kinds of classes...Mage and Druid.
In the commons, we have Safeguard. It's imminently interesting, but I can't decide if it's terrible or playable. It has a good collection of tribe and keywords, and that's always beneficial.
I wish that Proud Defender cost 1 mana less with some stat adjustment. I still think some control decks may have to rely on it though.
I'm going to make a strange call on Travelling Healer being a neutral that sees more play than expected. I think the divine shield is being underrated, and heal is all but gone from most non-heal classes.
Faceless Rager looks like it might actually be good in anything that plays the "silence" minions or twilight drake. I don't know if it's the top card on your list, but I think you consider it.
Spellbook Binder...again, Mage confuses me..here maybe?
Sunreaver Spy is a Paladin card.
Hench-Clan Hogsteed may be the best card in the set. It's a beast. It's a murloc. It has rush. It has deathrattle. If I were still rating cards, this is one of the few that would get a pretty no brainer 5 star. I'd be surprised if an aggro deck decided NOT to play this card.
Toxfin is crazy good...in murloc. So your murloc-milage may varry.
Jepetto Joybuzz - 3
Archivist Elysiana - 2
Chef Nomi - 1
Barista Lynchen - 3
Archmage Vargoth - 3
Big Bad Archmage - 1
Batterhead - 1
Whirlwind Tempest - 1
Unseen Saboteur - Unrateable
Portal Overfiend - 1
Azerite Elemental - 1
Hench-Clan Hag - 2
Magic Carpet - 2
Tunnel Blaster - 2
Underbelly Ooze - 1
Exotic Mounseller - 3
Mad Summoner - 1
Sunreaver Warmage - 4
Recurring Villain - 1
Hecklebot - unrateable
Portal Keeper - 1
Arcane Watcher - 2
Spellward Jeweler - unrateable
Burly Shovelfist - 1
Heroic Innkeeper - 1
Eccentric Scribe - 1
Safeguard - 3
Violet Warden - 1
Dalaran Crusader - 1
Proud Defender - 3
Soldier of Fortune - 1
Violet Spellword - 1
Travelling Healer - 2
Hench-Clan Sneak - 1
Flight Master - 1
Faceless Rager - 2
EVIL Cable Rat - 2
Spellbook Binder - 2
Sunreaver Spy - 4 (in paladin)
Mana Reservoir - 1
Dalaran Librarian - 2
Hench-Clan Hogsteed - 4
Arcane Servant - 1
Potion Vendor - 2
Toxfin - 3
By your definition of "4", Magic Dart Frog is going to be a four, I'd bet anything on it.
Other than that, looks pretty legit. I don't pay much attention to 2 vs 3, but I compliment you on some perceptive 1s that other folks have not yet come to grips with. Tak Nozwisker is top on that list.
Not sold on Sludge Slurper . . . or more accurately not sold on Shaman this go around. It seems like Shaman is still being punished for mid-range dominance three years ago.
To me, we're looking at a 7 class meta. I don't think the druid token model is going to be consistent enough without the ramp we used to enjoy, and you seem to rightfully guess that heal druid isn't a reality yet.
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Thanks!
I think Dart Frog is good. My confusion comes from where I see mage as an entire class. If we have a token-aggro metagame, Dart Frog is a beast. If things are slower, he's very bad. I'm not sure if Mage wants to be board battle class or something else - value, burn, Toni-OTK. My rating has as much to do with my lack of imagination regarding Mage as anything.
Conversely, I am bullish on Shaman. A lot of this is because I mostly played Shaman this format, because I hated the format. It does a number of things well that went unnoticed. Plus, it's a class with a Hero Card.
I should have said this in the main article, but it should be noted that all three remaining hero card classes (Hunter, Warrior, and Shaman) all have good early game right now. Early game...that can transition into oppressive late game. (Hunter has much less value.)
I really like your rewiev and agree with most of the notes. +1 from me ;)
Your numbers look like bingo. If they were perhaps they were more precise.
Gj and+1 for the effort^^
Just one question , do you rate by powerlevel? Because in the top description you wrote 1- a card that will see niche or no play ... etc. But dont you think cards like Underbelly Angler and Sludge Slurper or Blessing of the Ancients and The Forest's Aid or Oblivitron and Nine Lives should have the same rating since they go most likely into the same deck? Thus see the same amount of play, or not if they dont.
I actually think you omit one thing here,which is randm discovery.Essentially while some of those cards will never go into a proper deck they are decent to discover.So basically cards like power of creation or magic trick or lightforged blessing are better than 1 i my opinion because of that.
I also don't agree with desperate measure card from paladin.Otherwise i think i agree with everything.
You talked about 5 stars also but didn't even give a definition to 5 stars and;
no 5 stars and six 4 stars ?
You've got to be kidding.
Thanks for the effort but your considerations are biased.
ah but notes seem ok.
Memedeck-seeker. Always tries to build new decks. Hates tournements, streamers, netdecks and poor-o players.
ah, but a tournement mode could be great !!!
What the actual f**k? Do you even know what the words opinion and bias mean? There is something especially annoying with people try and shit on someone going above and beyond. Your garage post was the equivalent to replying to an angry woman that just sent you a three paragraph rant via text while you're at work with "k. youre wrong though" *tableflip*
Fun > Meta
2 secret discover value from 1 card. You act as if Hunter doesnt already have this spell and it is used.
Fun > Meta
Hunter secrets are much better than paladin secrets not to menton you are comparing discovery(which is great,hydrologist was great especially in ungoro) with random effect.Paladin secrets are generally low impact,but random paladin secrets are just bad.
Like i had issues with the previous post i made about some cards he rated differently , even tho they likely go into the same deck, with Desperate Measures he did it right.
If he thinks the whole secret Paladin will work and be a viable archetype, he correctly rated all cards that go into that deck equally.
Clickbait title!!
I thought this is Ben Brode's review
Oh i agree with the secret paladin rating,just not with this particular card.Paladin secrets excell when played at correct time and are meaningless otherwise,which is why i think this card is overrated here.
@Banner_hs Dude Ben's been doing those reviews for a long time now.
I thought this was discover, not random. I feel like hidden wisdom/never surrender are secrets you dont want as random but its still only 1 mana which same cost as secrets. Likely to see play but realizing now that its random, if i change my secret pal it might be first to go.
Fun > Meta
I think I would make an exception and actually rate Dr. Boom's Scheme a straight 0
I am actually infuriated by everything in this card: the absurd slowness, the outrageous cost, the abysmal effect, the irrelevant artwork.
If pack fillers had pack fillers of their own , then that would be Dr. Boom's Scheme
cost 10 Put a bomb in your opponent deck lol
Strong but more reasonable cost 5 summon a boombot.
Fun > Meta
worst card in HS history. until they print a card that says double ur armour this turn. theres already something like it in RUmble run
Nice work! Some I agree with and some I don't. That's what makes reading these fun; they're all different. Always like reading these from you.
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