Hearthpwn

I'm seeing a lot of valid points about the bad points of this card, which are quite frankly really obvious.  I'm no great player, but I am curious if it's more playable than people are saying, however.  First off, its strength as a standalone card is its ability to swing a weaker board into a stronger one for board clear.  Dropping it immediately onto a board with one or two weenies will clear two minions, period.  It happens immediately and it can completely even out an otherwise hopelessly outclassed board.  You may argue that it requires a board to begin with and that KT is already considered too slow by many decks, but KT has slightly more specific requirements in that your minions must be near death to gain value and is a turn later on the mana curve.  Acidmaw will drop on a board of literally anything and guarantee your trades will go through, no strings attached.  

As for its low health, while its true it gets cleared by basically anything, it also will trade with literally anything.  It's abysmal health could be justified design-wise by the fact that you don't want this minion on the board long; you want it long enough for your board to clear theirs, for Acidmaw to clear one last minion almost guaranteed or to eat a spell, and for you to play another big minion that won't be detrimented by Acidmaw's effect.

People are trashing this card, and they may be right, but I do think there's more to this than meets the eye.

Interesting effect but probably too expensive. On the plus side Control Hunter may still become a thing without the two legendaries, making it one of the cheaper, yet effective, control decks.

control hunter. itll take more dust than that to make CH a thing ;) 

It's still a 10 mana combo, so it's obviously not the most reliable, but one edge Dreadscale+Acidmaw has over Deathwing (which a lot of people compare it to to cite the combos badness) is not only the lack of discard, but the continued presence of the two; they can't just reestablish a board, because it will all be cleared again by Dreadmaw's repeat effect.  In a sense, it creates the same effect as playing Doomsayer does for Freeze Mage in that it further slows development, but having this speed bump on top of a full board clear the previous turn can make it tricky to regain footing against the combo.

Not saying its a fantastic combo, but seeing as Hunter didn't have a true super strong board clear for big minions aside from Deathwing, I think it deserves a little merit.

Wild Pyro and double Hunter's Mark is three cards, which is a lot less reliable than a 2 card combo.  That three card combo kills two minions; Acidmaw kills as many of theirs as you have, which is  a far more potent mass clear than any of the removal pieces that hunter has.  Acidmaw+Dreadscale is expensive and probably not something you'd save every game, but it's a guaranteed clear which again, Hunter didn't have without Deathwing.

Besides (if I'm right about my optimism about Acidmaw and Dreadscale), I imagine a control oriented Hunter (who historically struggles to deal with lots of big threats without Control Warrior's plethora of removal) would be running both legendaries alongside Pyro and Mark. 

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Turn 10 Dreadscale + Acidmaw for a board wipe that leaves a pair of 4/2 beasts on the field.  Deinitely a decent power play, but now I'll be scared to play Tracking if I don't have either of the dragonsnakeworms.

A 4/2 and a 4/1 - Dreadscale hits Acidmaw

Acid Maw is dead, actually.

Nah Acidmaw Insta-kills other minions

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Yes hunters, please run this.

And please ignore Swipe, Arcane Explosion, Whirlwind, Fan of Knives, Lightning Storm, Explosive Sheep, Consecration, Holy Nova, and Hellfire.

And also Arcane Missiles which Might be in the hand cos of Rhonin dying to the combo

Neither of them dies. Also wouldnt it be a super sad combo for those 2 if either did die?

Boombot buff

The Dreadscale + Acidmaw combo is good, sure but how often will it be played. If you're in a position where you need this combo by T10 you're probably in big trouble anyway. Yes, it could swing the game at that point but how often are you going to have both available? Is it worth keeping that combo in your deck for the times when you're behind, or would it be better to just include cards that stop you getting behind in the first place?

Dunno whether Acidmaw is going to have the chops to compete with other available 7 drops.

Interesting effect but i can't see him in constructed yet. Maybe in some fundecks tho...

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The Dreadscale + Acidmaw combo is good, sure but how often will it be played. If you're in a position where you need this combo by T10 you're probably in big trouble anyway. Yes, it could swing the game at that point but how often are you going to have both available? Is it worth keeping that combo in your deck for the times when you're behind, or would it be better to just include cards that stop you getting behind in the first place?

Dunno whether Acidmaw is going to have the chops to compete with other available 7 drops.

There are more combos, like with unleash the hounds and Powershot. Both can be pretty good board clears (especially when you play both 2 times)

Doesn't really change the fact that  you could put Boom in that same slot and probably get more consistent and better value.