Hearthpwn

A couple people have argued that a hero power is worth roughly 1 mana, not 2 as it's costed. This is a misapprehension. The hero powers really are worth 2 mana—more or less (obviously, some are better than others).

Compare Fireblast to Shiv or Reinforce to Novice Engineer. Yes, Shiv can be comboed, it can proc Gadgetzan Auctioneer, etc. and yes, Novice Engineer can proc things like Hobgoblin that a hero power can't. They have a purpose in combo decks, essentially reducing your deck size from 30 to 29 or 28, so that you can draw your combo pieces faster, while offering a small upside.

But fundamentally, they're the same thing as those two hero powers: deal 1 damage without reducing your hand size; put a 1/1 on the board without reducing your hand size. By the same token, Armor Up! is like a worse Shield Block (40% as much armor for 67% of the mana cost) and Life Tap is like a better Arcane Intellect (same effect—increase your hand size by one—for two-thirds as much mana, plus a little health).

Thank you for your reply.

I'm afraid you are assuming, like I did to some extent, that Novice Engineer and Shiv are true to the mana value on their own. I understand your argument but I believe these claims are false. 

Arcane Intellect actually shows that cycling has more value than we might think at first. In Freeze Mage it is superior to Life Tap, and it can combo with Sorcerer's Apprentice for example because its a spell, so that being a spell has value too.

Fencing Coach is a 1 mana 2/2, why would you make him 3/2?

Quote from arrumph jump

A couple people have argued that a hero power is worth roughly 1 mana, not 2 as it's costed. This is a misapprehension. The hero powers really are worth 2 mana—more or less (obviously, some are better than others).

No they aren't. They're actually worth less than 1 mana. The reason they cost 2 mana is because they don't require a card. Hero Powers are valued at somewhere between 0 and 0.5 mana.

I see this minion as being played to allow using the hero power on curve for minions like the kodo summoner.

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Quote from Firebolts jump

Because Inspire and because, as much math as we can do, we aren't the designers. And most of the testers are pro players.

tell that to this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4Gfr5jOYrA

It took six fucking turns for the paladin player to finally do something right. Jesus. 

EDIT: TURN SEVEN WTF

wow.. it's like.. they gave total newbies to play it.. who actually play it? it's terrible gameplay.. He got a 1/1 and let the loot hoarder live for like 10 turns. hhm so I have seal of light in my hand.. my opponent have a high valueinion with 2 hp on board oh I know SMorc.

on second thought maybe they are face hunter players .

if you seen the stormwind champion vs ogre brute commercial the player that has stormwind champion is GREATWOLF

Greatwolf?

Quote from Firebolts jump

Because Inspire and because, as much math as we can do, we aren't the designers. And most of the testers are pro players.

Since the devs created Mogor's Champion I'm not sure we can trust them on math too much

Quote from arrumph jump

A couple people have argued that a hero power is worth roughly 1 mana, not 2 as it's costed. This is a misapprehension. The hero powers really are worth 2 mana—more or less (obviously, some are better than others).

Compare Fireblast to Shiv or Reinforce to Novice Engineer. Yes, Shiv can be comboed, it can proc Gadgetzan Auctioneer, etc. and yes, Novice Engineer can proc things like Hobgoblin that a hero power can't. They have a purpose in combo decks, essentially reducing your deck size from 30 to 29 or 28, so that you can draw your combo pieces faster, while offering a small upside.

But fundamentally, they're the same thing as those two hero powers: deal 1 damage without reducing your hand size; put a 1/1 on the board without reducing your hand size. By the same token, Armor Up! is like a worse Shield Block (40% as much armor for 67% of the mana cost) and Life Tap is like a better Arcane Intellect (same effect—increase your hand size by one—for two-thirds as much mana, plus a little health).

I think it means, they are only 1 mana point of value (excluding life tap obviously). Not worth 1 mana cards. Because in that sense, the card also has a value, which is 1 mana I believe? Drawing a card (as an effect) is worth 2 mana. So arcane intellect costs 1 mana (because it draws itself + 2 mana (because it nets you +1 card). This is the difference.

All that being said, Fencing Coach's ability is giving you a free hero power. Which is, a 1 mana worth of effect in itself. Or was, before the inspire mechanic. If the inspire mechanic, 2/2 worth of stats and the mana worth of your ability is better than 3 mana; then and only then it becomes a good card. The value of your hero power may vary depending on the hero power and the situation. Fireblasting an otherwise unkillable 5/1 minion is of course much better than 1 mana worth.

Arcane Intellect makes your deck shorter by 1 card (because it draws itself). I'm having a hard time valuing that.

And the value isn't neglectible because you can run 2x Arcane Intellect and, say, 2x Mad Scientist which also makes your deck shorter - by 4 cards now!

but why is drawing a card worth 2 mana? I can't think of any card played for the draw alone outside of decks like Freeze Mage. If anything Warriors are happy to Battle Rage for 2 cards, but that has the aforementioned cycling value too and I don't know how to value that.

That question depends on what mage decks are played. Arcane Intellect is obviously great for cycling for freeze mage, but also a tempo loss for aggressive decks. There are no really other control or midrange decks for mage (not as consistent I mean). Not an amazing card, but I run 1 of in my homebrew mage decks. Control decks benefit from cycle, as it makes drawing answers easier. Getting to flamestrikes, big game hunters etc. in time is very important. Drawing it 1 turn late can make a world of difference. But for control, 2 is too much because as you said 2 scientists are also mandatory. A control mage should be vary of fatigue.

Also Life Tap costs 2 mana and 2 health. 2 health itself is somehow valued as 1 mana so it counters the strong hero ability (not really if you ask me :P). Health's mana is probably the least stable as it depends on how much of it is available. It's like when less health you have, the prices go up :P

They could have pushed the statline but that would have probably been too risky. It would have probably become an auto-include in some decks.

For example, lets assume it would have been a 3 mana 3/2. For warlocks: 3 mana 3/2, take 2 damage and draw a card. For mages it would have been semi SI:7 Agent.