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There is no power creep. it shares the 4 slot but not wiping cwyeti outright

Quote from Domtux »

Quote from RukiMotomiya »

While I don't think GvG power creeped much, this is probably the most pure example of Power Creep in the set: While the Deathrattle can be a downside, being a Deathrattle and Mech makes it superior to Yeti often and Druid will like having a Yeti with text, even if it is just small text...I wonder if they'll run a Yeti Brothers deck that tries to Innervate either of these out early by running both? It is also nicer than Yeti with Teacher/Gadgetzan.

In Arena, it is Yeti+ in the same common slot, so you probably pick it just like Yeti except slightly better, which means it is one of the best Arena picks there is. Chillwind Yeti will still be a good pick due to the stats, though, and probably won't drop much.

No sir. Dr. Boom is strictly better than War Golem. Frostbolt is strictly better than Darkbomb. These are examples of powercreep. This card is not always better than yeti.

Except Frostbolt is a mage card and Darkbomb is a warlock card. One class' cards can't be directly compared to another's due to how the class are balanced. Fireball for example is always better than Mortal Strike for most of the game at which point it becomes equal. Warlocks have always had to pay a premium on direct damage of any sort with high-costs, drawbacks, or targeting limitations. Darkbomb is as good as it is going to get for Warlock without having to suffer any of those effects. It sits between Soulfire and Shadow Bolt perfectly fine.

As for the this card not always being better than Yeti... this is true. With anti-deathrattle cards being a thing, the symmetrical effect, and the potential anti-mech cards in the future.

AFAIK the whole set has been released, so there are no anti-mech cards. The existence of anti-deathrattle is a strike against Mechanical Yeti. And yet it is getting dangerously close to power creep. The Spare Parts are within a pretty small power range meaning it's very unlikely that your opponent will get a vastly better deal out of things than you. And both the mech and deathrattle are so generally good that even in a non themed deck they could be beneficial. 

between this and the other sticky mechs like spider tank, the midrange mech decks are going to be very powerful. i cant wait to see what pops up next week

I do not think that people will stop using Chillwind Yeti over this one, since all are 4 mana solid 4/5 minions. 

Chances are that we will see both on decks. Unless if it's a Mech deck, of course.

Quote from Protar »

AFAIK the whole set has been released, so there are no anti-mech cards. The existence of anti-deathrattle is a strike against Mechanical Yeti. And yet it is getting dangerously close to power creep. The Spare Parts are within a pretty small power range meaning it's very unlikely that your opponent will get a vastly better deal out of things than you. And both the mech and deathrattle are so generally good that even in a non themed deck they could be beneficial. 

Meh, there have been a number of cards flirting with power creep in GvG but I don't think this one is really it.  Both players get the deathrattle, spare parts are hardly game breaking, and it's a deathrattle which means it is vulnerable to anti-deathrattle and also that your opponent has nearly as much control over when the spare parts come into play as you do - they just gotta kill it!  Especially within the mech archtype there are going to be far more egregious infractions against the "2N+1" value rule than "deathrattle: give both players a small buff".

Quote from wafffles43 »

Quote from Protar »

AFAIK the whole set has been released, so there are no anti-mech cards. The existence of anti-deathrattle is a strike against Mechanical Yeti. And yet it is getting dangerously close to power creep. The Spare Parts are within a pretty small power range meaning it's very unlikely that your opponent will get a vastly better deal out of things than you. And both the mech and deathrattle are so generally good that even in a non themed deck they could be beneficial. 

Meh, there have been a number of cards flirting with power creep in GvG but I don't think this one is really it.  Both players get the deathrattle, spare parts are hardly game breaking, and it's a deathrattle which means it is vulnerable to anti-deathrattle and also that your opponent has nearly as much control over when the spare parts come into play as you do - they just gotta kill it!  Especially within the mech archtype there are going to be far more egregious infractions against the "2N+1" value rule than "deathrattle: give both players a small buff".

Both players get the Spare Part but as Spare Parts aren't particularly powerful, you're rarely going to screw yourself over by giving your opponent one. The Parts cancel each other out - they're not what I have an "issue" (though I'm not sure if I do have an issue) with. The issue is the mech and deathrattle tags. These are both beneficial tags with very few draw backs. Even with GvG there are only two niche cards which hurt Deathrattles. 

Yeti is still technically not strictly worse because obviously you can hedge and choose Yeti just in case they've got an anti-DR card, or if you're not feeling brave enough about giving your opponent a spare part. But most of the time Mech Yeti will be better, and that's kind of not okay given that they fill the exact same role and mana cost otherwise. 

I'm sorry yeti, but the machines have begun to take over! Before you know it all the cards will be mechs, and all the others...will be OBSOLETE.

"MECHANICAL YETI, GOOOOOO"  (Illegal Danish, 2008)

(19:40     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8h1chd0Dfw )

Quote from Mrd11 »

This is not power creep, it has both upsides and downsides. If you are not running a mech deck, or any mech synergy, this card is only a yeti with a symmetrycal underwhelming deathrattle. Why would you run this card over the normal yeti if you have no ways to take advantage of the mech tag? to weaken yourself giving the opponent cards and a possible weakness (deathrattle or mech) to exploit?  if theres an anti mech card ( and i think there will be) , this will be even easier to remove than normal yeti, though it will be top arena pick, just like its older bro.

TL;DR, different cards, both with advantages and disadvantages, roughly same power =/= power creep

Power Creep doesn't necessarily account for all circumstances, just the vast majority of them, and in most decks Mechanical Yeti is much better than Chillwind Yeti. The mech and Deathrattle can be a downside, but the vast majority of the time they will be an upside, as there are much more good cards FOR mechs then there are good cards AGAINST mechs, with Deathrattle synergy for Undertaker to boot and the ability to add in cards that play with Spare Parts.

When do you not want this over a Chillwind Yeti? Against Scarlet Purifier when it has 5 health OR 2 or less health OR any health when it allows it to trade, the Exorcist only if it becomes more than a 4/5 (Otherwise the Yeti crushes it and while you take 1 more damage it isn't bad enough to make up for Mech tag/Deathrattle tag), and if you cannot take advantage of the Spare Parts more than the opponent.

The first two will probably be somewhat rare, moreso the Exorcist, but even the Purifier needs somewhat specific conditions AND it is only against Paladin. The last scenario basically means the opponent is running a Spell interacter, but you are not, since the odds of either of you getting a better or worse Spare Part are random and can only be influenced by making a board state where more Spare Parts are useful when it dies. And of course, the last scenario can be minimized/removed by running a spell interacter yourself. Outside of these three somewhat specific scenarios, when is Mechanical Yeti worse than Chillwind Yeti?

In theory, if we got a super Mech hoser it could be worse, but even then only if the Mech hoser is everywhere and even then it is less Mechanical Yeti is not creep as much as the meta would be SO Mech hate filled that even a good Mech isn't viable OR a format where a 4 mana 4/5 without a big effect isn't viable. Do note that this isn't massive Power Creep, but it is notable and probably one of the few GvG cards I would say is power creeped.

TL;DR This card is better than normal Yeti so many times that it counts as power creep.

I got a taunt from my opponent's mecha yeti, and it saved my butt.  Giving your opponent a Spare Part is definitely a down side.

Anyways, a lot of the basic cards are a little underpowered.  For example, compare Mechanical Dragonling to Harvest Golem.  Yes, deathrattles are "worth a little less," but there are just so many reasons to go with Harvest Golem that it seems clear the Dragonling just doesn't have the same value.

Quote from Beonitas »

I read everything and I can understand that a lot of people argue that this is powercreep. Although it's at the very margin, I think it's not quite the case. For one reason, in particular: The asymmetry of the so called "symmetric effect". It's actually not symmetric, as the first player to benefit is the one on whose turn this thing is gonna get killed. This turn is more likely gonna be the opponent's turn on which he will also be able to utilize the Spare Part, giving the opponent an advantage. Then, of course, you might still have a strategy in mind for your spare parts, utilizing Wild Pyromancer and whatnot on your turn, but that's not the point here, as the opponent is the first one who can have the card.

So I conclude: Deathrattle and Mech Tag are both a big plus over Chillwind Yeti. Yet the effect of the deathrattle should count as a downside, because the opponent is the first one who can utilize it.

It doesn't matter whether some specific cards counter Deathrattle or Mech. That's not what powercreep is used for, as it does only account for a general case. (E.g. Dr. Boom would then not be power creep over War Golem if those extra minions were harmful for you, e.g. your opponent having two creatures more for Unleash the Hounds, so that he kills you. But this example is counted as Powercreep. The only one in the game, so far, in fact. All the other cases deal with different classes, so those cannot be compared.)

Well technically War Golem/Dr. Boom isn't power creep because Dr. Boom is legendary, so War Golem has the "advantage" that you can play two in a constructed deck.  This card is just barely not power creep because Yeti is favorable in a meta with lots of anti-deathrattle and anti-mech cards and effects.  True power creep isn't "this minion is stronger or does more", it is "this minion is favorable in all scenarioes".  Now, if this card were "Battlecry: Each player gets a spare part." I think we'd all agree it was power creep, same (obviously) with a deathrattle that only gave you a spare part, but as it stands I think it's balanced.  Plus, as you said, either your opponent gets the part first or you need to sack your own minion to get it first, further helping to reign in the power of this card's ability and pushing the Chillwind/Mechanical balance further back in Chillwind's favor.

I have been reading in the arena initial reactions thread, and one guy used a Mechanical Yeti and it did him harm, as the member got a stealth minion one, which jacked up his ability to trade effectively. 

Not saying it wouldn't be worth it if you are running mechs, but certainly I this demonstrates the risk.

Quote from wafffles43 »

Well technically War Golem/Dr. Boom isn't power creep because Dr. Boom is legendary, so War Golem has the "advantage" that you can play two in a constructed deck.  

This doesn't actually make a difference. If a Legendary is strictly better then a non-legendary you can never run two of that minion in your deck, you always have to run the Legendary instead of one of them to be competitive.

I played a few mech yeti's in the free arena run and was quite happy with him.  I feel like it's the good kind of power creep.  Clearly stronger in some cases but not all of them.  In some decks he may replace yeti, but in others it's a toss up.

A few downsides to giving your opponent a spare part (besides the part's effect itself) is giving them a 1 mana spell that can activate multiple cards such as Token or auctioneer, etc.

Quote from Beonitas »

Quote from Protar »

Quote from wafffles43 »

Well technically War Golem/Dr. Boom isn't power creep because Dr. Boom is legendary, so War Golem has the "advantage" that you can play two in a constructed deck.  

This doesn't actually make a difference. If a Legendary is strictly better then a non-legendary you can never run two of that minion in your deck, you always have to run the Legendary instead of one of them to be competitive.

In this case that may be true, but if it's a really good card, such as a Druid of the Claw, having a (Druid) Legendary that could be 4/6 with Taunt+Charge would still make Druid of the Claw a good card.

Well no it wouldn't, it would be strictly worse then that Legendary. It would always have to be Druid of the Claw + Legendary. In any case Mech Yeti is not strictly better but for all intents and purposes it is better. I doubt Yeti will see play any more. 

I think there's a pretty good reason Mechanical Yeti was introduced:  So that the 4/5 Yeti would remain about as likely to pop up in the Arena as it was before.  More cards make any one less likely to appear, and Yeti is really popular in the arena.

everytime i play it it usually ends up netting my opponent a great spare part

Why not both?

I have always LOVED the yeti stats, so having one that benefits even more is just so good! Absolutely love this card!
For example, the use for him in a Milling strategy is just amazing.

Demonstration:
http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/130995-gvg-midrange-mill-rouge-mionator