A collaborative expansion between McF4rtson and Zanywoop
With the Burning Legion invading Azeroth (AGAIN), it is time for both the Alliance and the Horde to take up arms against what might be the greatest threat in all of history. But, they are not alone in this fight. *No* one likes the Legion. The Heroes of Azeroth will be aided by the countless enemies they have fought over the years. Could this be the fabled Army of Light, destined to defeat the crazed Sargeras and his innumerable armies once and for all? Or will we all decide green is good and side with our fel-fueled friends in the Burning Legion?
Welcome, welcome one and all! This here's been a multi-month group project between myself and my good friend McF4rtson. Basically, we started this expansion on the idea that the Old Gods got their own expansion, and Sargeras always wants in on that action. Thus we made a massive Demon-filled expansion, with Demon Lords, Alternate Hero Powers and value galore! This was also no mere 140+ card expansion- Soon, we'll unveil the power behind the great hand of the Destroyer himself...
An invasion of all new concepts!
With all the hyperbole out of the way, some numbers. McF4rtson wacked up a beautiful little graph to resemble the data collection tables that we see on official expansions (And mind you, it wasn't as easy as we thought), so here's our official numbers:
With that, the total card count for our... "original" set comes out at 134 cards, which is equal to Whispers of the Old Gods. We have massive folders full of concepts and art that never found a place, but we do feel everything we present here is up to our standards. We should also note now this Expansion was built with the idea of appearing in standard 2017, utilizing some design space that we couldn't access due to BRM, TGT, and LoE. Some cards take space that were used before or we felt were necessary due to loss of cards we love.
Let's start our journey down the burning green lane with our friends the tree-huggers, shall we?
Druid cards
Commons
Discussion:
Val'sharah Trainee: An early game Druid minion designed to give either a quick solution to aggro bursts or a slower answer. Balanced with Enchanted Raven. Does not become a beast, no token there.
Imperious Warder: Hero power "Token." In this expac we worked very diligently with some alternate HP concepts. While you'll more see what I mean later, this concept more of a quick stat-dump for Control decks. The downside is there and certainly hurts after a point, but isn't that pain. If she is summoned by a non-Druid, congrats! You're half a druid now.
Unending Alms: We decided to do an overlying card concept that shows up in our classes, much like the Portals, Forbidden cards and Valiants and aspirants. In our case, we worked with cards that basically trigger more than once, or have an effect that finds a way to give you more value. Alms here gives you two bursts of healing AND cycles itself. Slower value perhaps, but 12 health was never anything to scoff at.
Rares
Discussion:
Bountiful Bloom: We added a bit of Discover love in here, no worries. Costly but it's got a delayed power effect. Think Nourish turn 5 with both effects. True value. So yes, it's a Fandral Staghelm on a stick, but assures value. The two mana cost is to keep it a bit more balanced.
Darkspear Sabamasta': Here is the alternate Hero Power concept I mentioned earlier. You lose tempo and no longer have access to your Hero Power... but your new Hero Power is truly majestic. This is the simplest version, with a total of 6 mana 6/8 stats, with staggered play and shuffled mana cost.
Barkskin Mauler: Feral Rage says hi. A tempo/lategame minion with decent stats and a strong battlecry, assuring value (It's Worth 7 mana) but not exactly swinging the game. That Bountiful Bloom doh...
Epics and Legendary
Discussion:
Empowered Moonkin: We always want to build High Spell Damage minions, but the instant boost is the problem. But then how do you keep it around? Empowered Moonkin seeks to bridge that gap, slowly turning into a massive beast (ha ha). Also... that art. Seriously. THAT. ART.
Broll Bearmantle: You shall not pass! The taunt to end all beast taunts. With Darkspear Sabamasta', your Broll will turn into a force to be reckoned with. He's meant to compete with Twin Emperor Vek'lor and even make Tirion step back. Not sure if it's enough, but hey.
Primal Force: Some conditional removal. Stronger against small boards, and certainly helps with the mid-game removal.
Classes coming in daily, stay tuned!
Here's also a preview of some neutral cards! We'll ramp up rarities as days go on.
Hunter is a class that is doing fairly well in the current state of things. The main things they will lose when Legion would hypothetically roll out would be BRM, TGT, and LOE. Specific cards lost would be Quick Shot, King's Elekk, Powershot, and Lock and Load. Two main types of hunter decks that exist in modern HS are hybrid/midrange Hunter, and Secrets Hunter. The former loses nearly nothing and while the latter also loses nothing, it is clearly the weaker variant of the two. In addition, I'm pushing for more combo or maybe slower Hunter decks, as you might notice from some of my card choices.
Commons
Explanations:
Spellbound Arrow: Some of you might have heard of a Hunter deck called "Malyhunter". Essentially, you would use your Hero Power to slowly chip away at Health while using Hunter's AOE to keep yourself alive. Then, you'd use King's Elekk to fish for Thaurissian and Malygos. With this card, Malyhunter will have a fighting chance. In addition, for all Hunters who like to keep their Eaglehorn Bow, this card could prove to be very efficient removal/lethal damage.
Nighthaven Huntress: For a very long time, Hunter's go-to turn three play on an empty board was, and still is, Animal Companion. Nighthaven Huntress, though much slower, is an attempt at adding some diversity in the Hunter 3-Mana slot. With Deathrattle synergy and giving access to two 1-Mana pings, it might find its place in slightly slower, N'Zoth decks.
Twinbarrel Shootstick: A new weapon for Hunter. Though it doesn't have as much value as Eaglehorn Bow, it's main attraction is it's ability to do 6 damage the turn it is played.
Rares
Explanations:
Highmountain Trapper: I find this card to be extremely powerful. Any Hunter deck can make use of more Secrets, so this card will easily find it's way into several decklists. Unlike Mad Scientist, the Secret is NOT from your deck and you will have to play it for its full cost.
Kindred Spirits: Although there is currently no such thing as Control Hunter, I made this card with the intention of further support down the road. It is rarely wise to advocate a single archetype too strongly in one expansion by releasing many cards, so this card may either be a one-of tech, or may very will be disenchanted until the time for it to shine comes.
Devilish Devilsaur: Looks like Hunter has some Demon? support. If this card were a Beast, it would be far too powerful. As it stands, it might be a replacement for Stranglethorn Tiger, trading the 1 Attack for instant damage.
Epics
Explantions:
Miser's Volley: With Lock and Load gone, this card concept can enter the meta. This card can be very strong, either in the mid or late game. With 7 mana, you can pump out 10 damage with a Kill Command. Or, you can play this and Call of the Wild. It's a versatile card, capable of generating insane tempo.
Scorched Earth: Here's a Secret that puts a spin on things. So, yeah. Hunter has Scorched Earth - Explosive Trap now. There isn't too much to explain about this card, it's quite straightforward. I can only imagine what sort of meta impact this card would have.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Hakkar the Houndmaster: Woah! Another Demon? What could this mean... Hakkar is very clearly a combo-oriented, bursty legendary. It was given a 7-Mana cost to synergize with Unleash the Hounds. With this card in the meta, players will have to be far more careful in the late game to not saturate their board with fodder. You can do up to 18 damage with this card and Unleash the Hounds if your opponent has a full board. However, I feel as though this sort of burst is far more interactive than Force of Nature and Savage Roar, which *always* does 14 damage. If youropponent is careful, then this means you will have to work to get as many Beasts on your side of the field as possible, before dropping this down in which case it's just an expensive Savage Roar.
Mage is in a fairly unique spot and is also fresh off a nerf. That is not to say mage is weak, though. Tempo Mage and Freeze Mage are still excellent decks, but the former will be losing a lot of its power if Legion were to roll out. They will lose Flamewaker, Forgotten Torch, Arcane Blast, and Ethereal Conjurer. And, as everyone knows, Mage excels in Arena, so it was those two main points I kept in mind when designing the Mage cards.
Commons
Explanations:
Frostfire Duality: This card is very much a tool for slow decks. The cards you shuffle into your deck are certainly strong, but casting this spell for 1 mana for no immediate effect is something Tempo Mage cannot do. It's an odd card, but perhaps it will find its spot in a future deck.
Stable Portal: A great card for Arena, and I also predict it will be good in Constructed. It will not be disgusting as its Unstable counterpart, but it offers more choice in exchange for the slightly less Mana reduction for the given minion.
Fractal Gateway: This will be Mage's new Secret for the Legion expansion. This was originally "Whenever your opponent casts a spell, add two copies of it into your hand." which, I believe, coincided with a previous winner of a weekly contest. After much deliberation with Zanywoop and another player, it was deemed to be far too strong. Mirror Entity is much easier to play around. Spells, on the other hand, not so much. Counterspell offers a one-for-one trade, there shouldn't be a Secret that offers a two-for-one. Therefore, Fractal Gateway is a Counterspell side-grade, for Mage decks that want to gain more hand advantage.
Rares
Explanations:
Kobold Candlemaker: So this is the new Flamewaker. It's strong. Kobold Candlemaker will not be able to deal with your enemy's early flooded boards as easily, and has less synergy with cheap spells such as Mirror Image, but will make Arcane Explosion very viable. So, we may see a Midrange Mage come to the forefront with this card. With Arcane Blast out of the way, it was possible for this card to enter the meta.
Unending Embers: For the Legion Expansion, spells that have a secondary effect are coined as "Unending". This is a fairly straightforward card. Though you are dealing 6 damage for 5 Mana, you are able to do so over two or more turns, turning this into a removal-based card that can also be used as a Fireball if needed.
Dalaran Hunk: With Medivh's Valet part of the game, Blizzard may be trying to push for Secrets Mage. Dalaran Hunk adds some consistency to that strategy, while also boasting a statline similar to that of Ethereal Arcanist after one buff. I was very careful while designing this card as there are two, rather unforgettable, precedents: Mad Scientist, a key card in Naxxramas-era Face Hunter, and Mysterious Challenger, the one card that gave rise to Secrets Paladin. Mad Scientist' major concern was its Mana cost. At 2 mana, it could pull a 2-Mana or even a 3-Mana spell from your deck, thereby guaranteeing value. And Mysterious Challenger... well... Dalaran Hunk, I'd say, leans closer to Mad Scientist in terms of playstyle. However, it has an added caveat: You must control no other Secrets to get the Hunk's full value. Therefore, the 4-Mana Cost of Dalaran Hunk suddenly becomes very relevant, as Mage secrets are 3-Mana. Careful planning will be needed to make use of this card.
Epics
Explantions:
Unending Chill: An alternative to Frost Nova. While Frost Nova is capable of stopping an entire board, Unending Chill bank on the fact that your opponent will not always have a fully loaded board. In addition, your opponent will have to be more conscious of minion placement. Cone of Cold is rarely used, so most, if not all, people will not care where their minions are, which is very understandable. With Unending Chill, this card could be relevant enough for minion placement to be something to consider. In any case, Unending Chill is quite strong, in terms of pure value, but it will have to compete with Frost Nova, Ice Block, and Ice Barrier in the 3-Mana slot for Freeze Mage, and the fact that Frost Nova is the safer option in terms of stalling.
Quel'dorei Battlemage: This card is another tool for faster Mage variants, either Tempo or Midrange. It's quite straightforward, and I balanced it against Thing From Below. It is also comparable to Arcane Giant, which might be the more reliable option, but it does lack Taunt. There could be decks in the future revolving around playing many spells, and then dropping Arcane Giant and Quel'dorei Battlemage in quick succession, similar to the old Giants Mage deck.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Magna Aegwynn: Magna Aegwynn defeated the Avatar of Sargeras singlehandedly in a quick, decisive battle. Little did she know that Sargeras implanted himself in her womb, thereby corrupting her future son, Medivh. In any case, Magna was an extremely powerful Mage, being the Guardian of Tirisfal and all, and is recognized as one of the greatest sorcerers in all of Azeroth's history. History lesson aside, Magna is a spin on Animated Armor, but also protects herself, a very effective combination. This is an interesting Mage Legendary, but would be slightly awkward to put into existing decks, even though it is undeniably strong. Tempo Mage already has Azure Drakes, while Freeze Mage doesn't really care for board development, though Magna could be used to help slow down your enemy. There is, however, a deadly combo: Darkspeaker + Magna Aegwynn. A 10 mana combo, with a very low consistency, but still very fun to consider. I think Magna will be at least used more often than Flame Leviathan, Rhonin, or Anomalous.
I will make no illusions - Paladin is my favorite class. I've run one type of Paladin deck or another since waaaaaay back in Naxxramas, back when they were horribly weak. Indeed, the only decks you'll find me regularly playing is Malyhunter and my varying Paladin decks. With that said, Pally is fairly stronk right now. I've build a few more situational cards to play around with...
A note that the discussion may take a bit, I've got some time constraints today.
Commons
Discussion
Bygone Knight: A quick tempo card for those moments that you have no choice but HP turn two. Also a very decent Aggro Paladin card. And no, this one doesn't change your hero power, just adds a bit of an addendum.
Penance: Paladin will probably never get hard removal, but I will say that any decent control deck needs one, and this was as close as I wanted to get to a destroy effect.
Bastion of Argus: I always wanted a card that constantly applied divine shield, but I couldn't make it permanent. Here, you get a bit more survival for your silver hand knights or Turn 3 minions. And oh hey, 4 drops in paladin? What a concept.
Rares
Discussion
Unending Aegis: UNLIMITED BUBBLES! This is expensive for what it does, yeah, but the double divine shield it what puts it over the edge. It can very possibly provide double trading in two instances, which is pretty powerful. And yeah, I do miss my old buff pally full of eggs. One day I'll play you again, old friend
Ancient Guardian: A slower version of Priest of the Feast for pally. It holds the line and should hopefully get you a decent amount of health. Paladin does have a lot of heals, I agree, though few reward you for fighting an aggro deck. You will likely get more value out of it if they have to trade 2 or 3 minions into it.
Vindication: The issue with the BRM cards that benefited from dead minions is that none could really benefit from the empty board. Vindication allows you to build a weapon for future turns after decent trading or a solid consac.
Epics and Legendary
Discussion
Blessing of Khan'sac: I did always feel that paladin could use an extra boardclear, but really REALLY didn't need an unconditional one. This can also create a disincentive for your opponent to play minions until your weapon is broken. Also immediately kills Acidic Swamp Ooze.
Eadric the Impure: The trade-off is you can't really play Silver Hand Knights while he's up, but also makes weapons pretty strong. Trades fairly quickly, nullifies 4 mana 7/7's and should likely get some decent trades if they have no 4 mana 7/7's.
Faceless Redemptor: The concept is that you can give a friendly minion a free trade while also gaining a copy of it. I could almost see my way to even making it five mana because it can't copy enemy minions, but it's a hard sell.
Ok, let's not get too excited now. We all know where Priest stands in the meta, so let's not be a parrot and list the problems priest has. So, going into the Hearthstone Legion expansion, Priest will lose a few of their power cards, namely Watery Grave Entomb, Excavated Evil, Wyrmrest Agent, Twilight Whelp, [Dragon-related neutrals], Museum Curator, Flash Heal, and Rez. So yeah. Pretty much everything. This basically puts me, the creator of the Priest cards, in a very, very tough spot. All of the cards are going to cycle out, but yet none of them are powerful enough to push Priest forward. I'm going to be pretty blunt, I am not attempting to fully fix priest in on expac, and most likely Blizz won't either. Releasing nine meta-defining cards is just plain stupid. I will please some people with these cards, and disappoint others. Just keep in mind I did my best with what is most likely the most difficult of classes to design cards for.
Oh, a bit of a forewarning, I will be defending my card choices for Priest *very* hard. I am a firm believer that Priest is, yes, weak, but keep in mind many other classes are losing cards, losing entire archetypes, etc. The solution is absolutely not to bombard them with value cards, but slowly fill in the gaps that Priest has.
Commons
Explanations:
Gnomeregan Decaon: Ok. So. The Deacon. Before I get any flak about the rarity choice, this card absolutely must be a common. This effect has appeared on a Rare, and a Classic Rare, too. All players should be familiar enough with this effect that a temporary version could be brought down into common. In addition, Priest is losing almost all of their early game minions (see class introduction), so another reason to give this card a Common rarity. With Flash Heal leaving, this card is able to enter the meta. This causes Priest to have some form of control early game while slapping down a good body.
Shadow Raven: The polar opposite to Gnomeregan Deacon. Clearly, this is an aggressive card. And, yes, I am hinting at an Aggro Priest, mostly likely in the future. With this expansion, Classic, and WoToG, there won't be enough tools for an Aggro Priest, but perhaps later.
Vampiric Touch: So Priest has Bash now. Ok, look. I think Entomb is an absolutely terrible design. It's garbage. Sure, I made it before Blizzard did, but I still hate it. Priest should not be able to deal with any minion they come across with their *6* hard removals. It's disgusting. So, with Entomb gone, how will Priest deal with troublesome minions? Especially ones with 4 Attack? This card will help, maybe. In any case, it will be used in a variety of decklists, the same way Bash was a one-of or two-of in Control Warrior.
Rares
Explanations:
Undercity Fanatic: And so, this is Shadow Raven's companion, the second of the Shadowform-related cards. This card is not as aggro-oriented as Shadow Raven, and it can certainly be put into any sort of decklist, filling the void left long ago by Dark Cultist. Some clarification on this card: This card *enters* Shadowform, and does not *cast* it. Therefore, even if you play this card twice in a row, you keep the basic form of Shadowform. This card will make you leave Shadwform if you played the actual Shadowform card earlier. And yes, if you silence this minion, you keep Shadowform. Admittedly, this is a very complex card and should be epic, but for Priest' only 3-drop minion available, I didn't want it to be too difficult to obtain. In addition, the two epics I currently have are quite unique enough.
Soulbound Construct: So this is a combo card. You can play it as a 5 mana 3/8, which is full value, but not the best stat distribution. The most interesting part of this card, however, is that it fits seamlessly into *both* a ressurect-based and a silence-based Priest deck. So, I decided to release this card as a tool for future innovation. Maybe it is only good for disenchanting when Legion first rolls out, but it could be an excellent launchpad for future adventures/expansions to work off of.
Shadowy Apparitions: Alright, so Priest gets two heavy spells in Legion. The first is a recovery spell, meant for slightly faster Priest decks to fill up your board or to stall against a board of small minions. It is fairly straight forward, perhaps it will see a bit of play as it does shield for 12 damage.
Epics
Explantions:
Boundless Light: This was the first card designed for the Priest class, and I love it. Simple, but super fun to watch in play. This was the only case in which I said something like "Ok, Priest really got the short end of the stick, let's give them something good." It's actually quite a simple card, but it is huge against Aggro decks.
Holey Donut: Ok. so I may have a bit of a tendency to make "silly" cards. Since this was a very serious-in-tone expansion, I tried to keep that a bit low-key, but when I find art like this... I can't resist. I just can't. In any case. So this is Priest's new Lightbomb/Twisting Nether. I do realize changing Attack to 0 is a very dangerous concept, but i figured the very high mana cost of this card should help mitigate really dumb things where your opponent's board is filled with nothing but 0 Attack minions. I did think changing Health and/or Attack, to make this card a bit more reliable in destroying minions, but that might be too similar to Twisting Nether. In any case... I feel as though Lightbomb was very healthy for Priest, so I gave Priest a powerful AOE.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Calia Menethil: Calia is the sister of the late Arthas Menethil, better known as the Lich King, who is very much dead. The player meets her in World of Warcraft in the Netherlight Temple. Notice that Calia is the only outright stats-focused minion in the Priest class cards released. I did this because a) I don't think Priest is a stats-oriented class, and b) There has never been a Priest class legendary extensively played. Confessor Paletress was played at some point, but Entomb-Control Priest really didn't last long. Rez is also cycling out, so Resurrect Priest will most like fade away. However, a third resurrecter, Calia, could keep the deck afloat, but by playing more minions instead. This Legendary is rather simple, but I think it will have a positive impact for many Priest decks.
In hindsight, Alonsus Foal might have been the better character... but undead priest art isn't easy to find.
The hearthstone community has a rocky relationship with it's resident assassin. It's been good sometimes, but often it gets sorely neglected in expansions. We tried for a few new concepts, spell heavy this go around, and no we didn't excessively into the older concepts like miracle and blizzard's enemy class cards. We went for a more weapon heavy approach, and we're putting in a bid for more trading via your face.
Commons
Discussion
Renegade Junker: Tunnel Trogg says hi.Junker generally can make your turn 2 Hero power at least worth something. Access to a 2/3 to start trading on turn 2 is generally strong. It doesn't get too much boost because it's slightly more consistent than trogg. This is heavily designed to push the weapon rogue concept. Also, rest in peace Buccaneer.
Darkshore Outlaw: Again, turn making your hero power just a bit stronger. Rogue often doesn't have a decent turn 3 minion- You don't quite want to waste your SI:7 Agent when there's no targets. It's a deathrattle more so than you can't abuse Shadowstep for a buttload of poison.
Hit and Run: Mill AND enemy class cards? How can this be? In any case, now you've got two more draws for your mill before you also self-destruct from lack of cards left in your deck. In any instance, it is a decent draw for rogue. It's decently expensive but hey! Draw yourself some Flame Leviathans!
Rares
Discussion
Unending Assault: Many daggers, handle it!
So yes, you are dis-incentivized from attacking. The first one CAN attack face simply because then you can at least kill the opponent if this is the only weapon in your hand. It very much pushes trading, and yes, you did read that right, Blade of Betrayal IS 1 mana. So this is four mana for 10 damage over 4 turns. However, this also means no Hero Power for 4 turns. Originally this spell had even more weapons, believe me.
Utmost Subtlety: You maaaaaay have seen this last week in the Custom Card Comp, mostly because we love this concept. I always said that rogue needed a more consistent boardclear. Combine with a little bit of Backstab and you can start wrecking shop. This also may've gone through more iterations than any other card we have (Well... Excluding one lord of the Burning Legion... You'll understand later.). I Will confess, originally it could legitimately be played for 0-mana. Chalk that one up to a goof.
Master Infiltrator: So often McF4rtson and I talk about the mana cost of minions in various spots in classes. We like to compare and contrast the minions in each mana cost. We inevitably get back to around to 6-mana... and we NEVER remember Kidnapper. So we decided to fix that gaping hole in the 6-mana minion slot for rogue. Now unlike Kidnapper, this one guarantees value. It's not going to stay unplayable if it goes over 10-mana, but it gives you sometime to dodge top-decks. Also, mill rogue though!
Epics and Legendary
Discussion
Tactical Retreat: Rogue got much of our Discover love. We figured that giving rogue heals was a bit unflavorful, so here we gave them a survival angle. You can still be hit in the normal random damage ways, and yes Hunter can shoot you in the face. The discover gives you much more of a suvivability ratio than the stealth- There are plenty of rogue spells to deal with minions (Betrayal, Fan of Knives, Vanish...). So, you've got some time to turn the game back in your favor.
Garona Halforcen: This concept is fun. Do you go for a powerful spell you didn't draft so you can swing the board? Do you draft a bunch of cheap spells to capitalize on being able to play them in quick succession? Do you draft expensive spells and hope to get your Preparations? Well, I can tell you that Shadowstep says Hi. And yes, I do see the Xaril, Poisoned Mind comparison. The similarities are not lost onme, but I will say that this is not as easy to play on turn 4. Here discover is less reliable, and may not grab you anything in your deck. Rogue spells are generally cheap mind you, so don't expect triple Pyroblast.
Killing Spree: Let's get some stabs up in here! Unending Arsenal into Preparation into Killing Spree. GO HAM ON 'EM. It's 7 mana because we all know the pain of Doomhammer into double Rockbiter Weapon. We are promoting more Deadly Poison with this expac, so weapon is a far more viable finisher here.
I guess I got stuck with all the hard classes to make cards for. :P But, I am a shaman "main", so there's no better class for me. History lesson: I've played since beta and fell in love with the true, classic midrange Shaman; double Unbound Elemental, double Fire Elemental, and Al'Akir. And, I have seen Shaman rise and fall throughout my time playing this game. I'm happy Shaman is so strong right now, and even happier that it is a midrange variant that is dominating, not an aggro. Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my slow-midrange Shaman, not the explosive midrange popularized by Legend players. In any case, I know Shaman's time is coming to an end. We are about to lose so many cards: Lava Shock, Totem Golem, Tuskarr Totemic, Healing Wave, Ancestral Knowledge, Tunnel Trogg, Stormcrack, Thunder Bluff Valiant, Elemental Destruction, the list goes on. Almost every single one of these cards were at one point part of the meta. It will be extremely difficult to fill in the void left by these powerful cards. In the Legion expansion, I predict Shaman will fall from grace, but hopefully may keep a presence in the lower Tier Two of the meta. Keep in mind, Shaman still has some very powerful cards such as 4 mana 7/7, 0 mana 5/5, Spirit Claws, and Maelstrom Portal.
Commons
Explanations:
Murloc Shock: Shaman loses so much power in the Legion expansion, I decided to give them something to fix a long-time problem that was never fully solved, card draw. Though Azure Drake, Thalnos, and Mana Tide are all excellent cards, this will be Shaman's most readily available card cycling card while also potentially creating a bit of value. In addition, Shaman has quite a bit of Murloc support. I am clearly supporting Murloc Shaman in the future, even though there are not enough tools in this expansion.
Greymist Ascendant: This will Shaman's only healer after TGT leaves. As it might be apparent, this card can be used as a tech, or as a body in Murloc decks. It's weak body isn't much, but it does make a great target for a Warleader buff.
Bloodhoof Stalwart: And here is a big, mid-late game minion for Shaman. Trading one Health from an Ancient of War for Ancestral Healing, this card can serve as a big wall, and an alternative to Bog Creeper in Control Shaman decklists, if they are still running the Ancestral Spirit combo.
Rares
Explanations:
Ancestral Some-fin: This is the future Murloc Shaman's big power card. This is what Onyx Bishop is to Rez Priest, what Forgotten Torch is to Aggro-Freeze Mage. I am very interested to see what this card might do to the meta. Other than that, it is quite straightforward, you have a chance of getting some poor, or a 3-mana Murloc for 2 mana.
Air Elemental: I remember when Totem Golem first came out, it was Shaman's saving grace. With no Tunnel Trogg, Shaman's early game was abysmal until this came out. And even then, I still remember when Mage would just Flamecannon this and call it a day. Now with *both* Tunnel Trogg and Totem Golem gone, Shaman is severly lacking an early game minion. As such, Air Elemental comes into play. With a light Overload, you can summon a powerful minion that excels at 2-for-1 trades in the early game.
Exodar Stormcaller: Though this is no Thunder Bluff Valiant, Exodar Stormcaller helps to further strengthen Totem synergy while not being too over the board. I think it will be more of an Arena pick that a part of Constructed, but perhaps Spell Damage shaman, or, perhaps, even MalyShaman might pick up, give this card a niche in the meta.
Epics
Explantions:
Way of the Mist: Very fun card, balanced against Shadowform. I chose not to give a buff to minions in your hand, as that might actually over-make up for the tempo loss.
Enhance-o Shamano: Now here's something Totem Midrange players can get their hands on! This could be a big win condition for the future Midrange Shaman, comboed with a Bloodlust. I really like this design. It is still a huge threat, but is far less snowbally than Thunder Bluff and promotes summon Totems from outside your Hero Power.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Zuluhed the Whacked: There aren't many evil Shamans, but Zuluhed is an exception. Though he has no direct role in the World of Warcraft Legion expansion, he was an orc shaman part of the Shadow Council, which Gul'dan led. He was also the one who first to relocate the lost Demon Soul, which would have ties to Illidan, the Cataclysm, and all sorts of nasty things. In any case, Zuluhed synergizes heavily with Overload-centric decks, refilling your hand after you've lost lost of mana advantage. Lastly, he can be played just by himself for a strong card cycle.
Some final notes on Shaman: These cards are not necessarily weak, but are certainly not very flashy and/or do not fit into all decks as of the current meta. In essence, I'm giving Shaman a break as they still have access to excellent cards, as I have listed above.
Finally! A class that's not nearly as stressful to make cards for. So, Warlock is pretty much Zoolock, a mid tier two deck that can still win pretty much any matchup as long as they can snowball hard enough. However, the Abusive Sergeant was quite an effective nerf, and some powerful cards will be rotating out, such as Img Gang Boss, Dark Peddler, and even Gormok, though I rarely see him played nowadays. The thing about Zoolock, however, is that it is a very old deck list and most of it's best cards are in the Classic set. It probably will never die out. Renolock, on the other hand, is on its last legs. Reno Jackson is about to cycle out and Midrange Shaman eats Renolock for breakfast. So, that's what I have to work with, when making the Warlock class cards.
Commons
Explanations:
Life Poke: The one and only true cycling card in all of Hearthstone. Hassle free, 1 mana, you instantly fish farther into your deck. Sure, you deal 4 damage to your face... will it be worth it? Especially since Warlock has something calling Life Tap. This card was mostly inspired by the art more than necessity, to be honest. Still, I think it's balanced, but only because it's in the Warlock class, where there isn't much draw outside of its Hero Power.
Vile Enchantress: Ooooooooook. So. This expansion took *months*, and Warlock was the second class finished, right behind Shaman. That means Vile Enchantress was actually created *before* the Abusive nerf. With Abusive Sergeant weakened and Imp Gang Boss gone, Vile Enchantress may very well be the go-to 3-drop for Zoolocks, even if it does have a very slight drawback.
Encroaching Dark: An interesting card for Demons. Given the recent success of Demonfire, I think another buff could be quite beneficial for the class. And, for once, this buff won't give your opponent Mana Crystals, or anything. I think Vile Enchantress and this card are perhaps the most powerful Warlock cards in this expansion.
Rares
Explanations:
Unending Evil: Given the success of Silverware Golem, I have now become very hesitant to create cards that have an effect upon discarding. However, I think this card is quite alright, as it just generates some hand advantage. It's not as impactful as Silverware Golem, or course, but it may replace Fist of Jarraxxus, as that card was at first used in discard-based Zoolocks.
Alluring Succubus: This card is pretty straightforward, and the drawback is probably alright to stomach to see at least Arena play. (It also buffs the errata'd Bane of Doom kappa)
Dark Soul: Waaaay back in the day, I had this exact same card but it discarded your *whole* hand and you drew the same number of cards. So yeah, that's not happening. This is more like an Arcane Intellect now, and still has incredible combos and synergies with things like Malchezaar's Imp and SIlverware Golem. It's rather straightforward, nothing too flashy.
Fel Shredder: If you've ever seen Handlock players, they will opt for two different styles of play, depending how they mulligan. They either get a "Mountain Giant start" or a "Molten Giant start". We're going to focus on the Molten Giant start. Since they keep Molten Giant from the get-go instead of trying to draw it late as a recovery mechanic, here, Fel Shredder will probably even be an upgrade to the old Molten Giant, as Aggro decks will be hitting you with lots of small attacks. However, the obvious downside is that Fel Shredder is quite dead if you draw it mid-late game. However, at least you'll always be able to play it as an 8/8, if your Health is around 15 or so and you just want some more threats on the board.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Xavius, Nightmare Lord: I'll do a writeup for him later. I think he's fairly balanced and straightforward, and loads of fun to play, however!
The final class is go! I don't have much time to post this morning. so I'll probably have to write these up late.
Commons
Discussion
Orgrimmar Flagbearer: Voidwalker? What's a Voidwalker? Early taunts are always fun, but this is more designed to heavy push the taunt buff archetype we went for. Drop a mana off your Ragetotems and gain a body for your desperate defense. Simplistic design, but it does a lot of work for warrior.
Juggernaut Rush: So I actually really love the concept behind Fool's Bane. I recognize it's so unplayable many of us actually forgot about it, but I wanted to give it some love this expac. This basically turns Fool's bane into a 6 mana AoE with the possibility of you actually gaining armor. Early on in the game you can use it to slow down aggro decks, taking out a 3/2 and gaining 2 armor. It doesn't do much else, in a balancing way, but I feel what it does do is already pretty strong.
War Artist: First off, if you get the joke, kudos. War artist is a newer direction for warrior, allowing you to trade more favorably with matched boards, as a lifesaving measure. This is a more subtle taunt warrior buff. Protect the King says hi.
Rares
Discussion
Wolfcult Eviscerator: Ok, so I really like the concept of Medivh's Valet. Basically he only gets value starting turn three-turn four, when the turntwo minions have started attacking. If they have charge minions turn one, yeah you can get one damage worth of value, but playing him on curve loses you a lot of advantage. He's powerful, but not before turn 4.
Desperate Defense: I liked the idea of bolster, but yeah I accept it's absolute pants. In theory it can never. This is my attempt to give it a buff. +2/+4 for free is nothing to scoff at. you won't hit 12 health until at least turn five (Unless you're juust getting wrecked in general), and by then you can easily drop two taunts and gain serious value. NOt convinced even then people will run it because of hand clogging and having that dead card, but perhaps it's better that way.
All Hands on Deck!: Pirates are generally fun, and there are several great combos that can come from this. Greenskin will see more play, Bloodsail Buccaneer (Wait does this count as a taunt buff?), and even some buffs for pirates!
Epics and legendary
Discussion
Hellreaver: Hero Power interaction on a weapon? What is this? In any case, Hellreaver has it's niche uses. Personally, I was designing it to trade against big minions (It used to drop attack to 2), but McF4rtson made an important point- The reason Keeper of Uldaman is strong is because it can buff your weak minions as well. So, if you've got some weak tokens or an acolyte of pain, now you've got a way to trade up with it. However, you cannot gain any passive armor until you've used this hero power, so it's not as broken.
Magtheridon: Aggro, get on your knees and cry. Your doom hath cometh... On turn 9, but still. Magtheridon is a beast. He can almost always trade two or three, and can have his effect procced on your turn by a whirlwind or inner rage. Off your turn, he can hold the line against almost anything. He has no real defense against spells and destroys, simply because they don't have to trigger immune to remove him. Straight trades will almost always be in the attacker's favor if they've got big minions, because his attack is piddly. Buff him up a bit keep him alive and able to attack.
Ragetotem Bulwark: Arcane giant's control cousin. With Protect the King and the multitude of Taunt buffers we gave this expac, we have faith he can be a very strong mid-to-late game stall mechanic. With your various taunts it's actually not unlikely to see this played as early as turn six or turn five. He also adds a need for Polymorphing or Hexxing midgame taunts to slow down the massive taunt walls.
The neutrals have arrived! We're starting with Demons, then some non-demons, then Legendaries. We've got Demons to push and fun ideas abound. Without adieu...
Good job you guys. I always like to see how creative people can get with their cards and you two have some neat ideas. The Druid epics are just mind-blowing, love them. Btw, where did you find the artwork for the Moonkin? xD
@WaterwaIker The Moonkin art came from a basic search I usually run (Wow ____ art or Wow ____ TCG), and there's actually a lot of good Moonkin art out there. Thank you for the kind words :)
@Hatchy88 There's a lot of fun Hero Power interacts in here, get hyped
The Hunter commons seem alright. I don't suppose Spellbound Arrow would be run in any Hunter deck that does not run Secrets. Nighthaven Huntress is probably the coolest one, I really like giving the class an ability to ping. Twinbarrel Shootstick is pretty straightforward, nothing too special about it, should be pretty good in Arena.
Onto the rares, I think Highmountain Trapper might be a little too strong; it's basically 2-mana 2/3 draw a card. I agree Hunters need a good 2-drop right now (their early game sucks), but think it would still see a lot of play if it was a 2/2. Kindred Spirits is nice but, sadly, shouldn't be enough to make a Control-ish Hunter viable. Devilish Devilsaur, on the other hand, I think is too weak. The class has better damage based removal options, and if you charge it into the face, the body it leaves is not much of a threat at 5-mana. I can see why you guys might have been hesitant in making it stronger.
Again, the Epics are the coolest ones. Miser's Volley is nice, maybe just a bit too slow, but I simply love Scorched Earth. It synergyzes very well with UtH and Explosive and I think it could bring a lot of consistency to slower Hunter lists.
Hakkar is also a really cool Legendary; I love the flavor and the combo potential, and there are so many variables and possibilities of counterplay that I don't believe it could become problematic like CotW, for instance.
Now, about the Mage cards... I might be a bit biased on my analysis. My relationship with the class is kind of a love-hate one.
It seems to me like Frostfire Duality could improve the CW matchup for Freeze Mage even more than Antonidas, and I'm glad Flamewanker is gone so you cannot play it just to shoot BS missiles at your opponent's minions. Stable Portal is whatever, not very interesting, but seems better than A Light in the Darkness. Fractal Gateway is cool and balanced but I can't really tell if it would be worth runing over Counterspell.
I can't tell whether I like or hate Kobold Candlemaker; it's better balanced than Flamewanker, for sure (and seems strictly better than Twisted Kobold), but I'd prefer you just let Tempo Mage die (I hate that deck lol). Unending Embers is really, really cool; this "one-time Hero Power" thing is one of the best ideas you had. Dalaran Hunk, though, seems to me like a problem card, just like Mad Scientist; definitely not in Freeze Mage, but in Tempo it might be even better. I definitely don't like it.
Now, this is the first time the Epics are not my favorites. Unending Chill is alright and I already talked about the Hero Power thing, but I think you could distribute the Unending spells better among the classes, unless you plan on giving two to each of the ones who will get them, of course. I absolutely hate the Battlemage; it's even easier to abuse than Thing from Below, which is a terrible design, as is Arcane Giant, although to a lesser extent, and any card which can have its Cost reduced permanently to the point where it gives you free tempo. Kill it before it lay eggs. EDIT: Just realized you only get Cost reduction if it's in your hand. Then I guess it's fine. Sorry about that, wasn't paying too much attention.
Then, to wrap it up, there's Aegwynn. I actually quite like this mechanic and how it works so differently against each class; for instance, if you play this against Zoo, they just trade 3 tokens into it and then it's gone; against Hunter though, it might as well have 8 Health, 'cus they'll need to spend a lot of resources to kill it. I know how tricky it is to balance it on a minion (I made a similar one a while ago and I'm still trying to decide whether it should cost 4 or 5 mana), but I think you guys nailed it.
Pretty good job, overall. I'm definitely looking forward to see the Rogue cards.
EDIT: Wow, I had no idea this would turn into such a huge wall of text. Sorry about that. lol
Thank you very much for the well-written critique. I think I agree with pretty much all of what you said. A note about the Unending spells: Mage is the only one with two unending spells since it had so few minions, which was a subtle way of me trying to balance out the minion-saturated Arena.
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LEGION: A Hearthstone Expansion
A collaborative expansion between McF4rtson and Zanywoop
Welcome, welcome one and all! This here's been a multi-month group project between myself and my good friend McF4rtson. Basically, we started this expansion on the idea that the Old Gods got their own expansion, and Sargeras always wants in on that action. Thus we made a massive Demon-filled expansion, with Demon Lords, Alternate Hero Powers and value galore! This was also no mere 140+ card expansion- Soon, we'll unveil the power behind the great hand of the Destroyer himself...
An invasion of all new concepts!
With all the hyperbole out of the way, some numbers. McF4rtson wacked up a beautiful little graph to resemble the data collection tables that we see on official expansions (And mind you, it wasn't as easy as we thought), so here's our official numbers:
With that, the total card count for our... "original" set comes out at 134 cards, which is equal to Whispers of the Old Gods. We have massive folders full of concepts and art that never found a place, but we do feel everything we present here is up to our standards. We should also note now this Expansion was built with the idea of appearing in standard 2017, utilizing some design space that we couldn't access due to BRM, TGT, and LoE. Some cards take space that were used before or we felt were necessary due to loss of cards we love.
Table of Contents
Druid - Released
Hunter - Released
Mage - Released
Paladin - Released
Priest - Released
Rogue - Released
Shaman - Released
Warlock - 10/17/16
Warrior - 10/18/16
Neutrals - 10/19/16 and beyond
Warlock Errata:
Let's start our journey down the burning green lane with our friends the tree-huggers, shall we?
Druid cards
Commons
Discussion:
Val'sharah Trainee: An early game Druid minion designed to give either a quick solution to aggro bursts or a slower answer. Balanced with Enchanted Raven. Does not become a beast, no token there.
Imperious Warder: Hero power "Token." In this expac we worked very diligently with some alternate HP concepts. While you'll more see what I mean later, this concept more of a quick stat-dump for Control decks. The downside is there and certainly hurts after a point, but isn't that pain. If she is summoned by a non-Druid, congrats! You're half a druid now.
Unending Alms: We decided to do an overlying card concept that shows up in our classes, much like the Portals, Forbidden cards and Valiants and aspirants. In our case, we worked with cards that basically trigger more than once, or have an effect that finds a way to give you more value. Alms here gives you two bursts of healing AND cycles itself. Slower value perhaps, but 12 health was never anything to scoff at.
Rares
Discussion:
Bountiful Bloom: We added a bit of Discover love in here, no worries. Costly but it's got a delayed power effect. Think Nourish turn 5 with both effects. True value. So yes, it's a Fandral Staghelm on a stick, but assures value. The two mana cost is to keep it a bit more balanced.
Darkspear Sabamasta': Here is the alternate Hero Power concept I mentioned earlier. You lose tempo and no longer have access to your Hero Power... but your new Hero Power is truly majestic. This is the simplest version, with a total of 6 mana 6/8 stats, with staggered play and shuffled mana cost.
Barkskin Mauler: Feral Rage says hi. A tempo/lategame minion with decent stats and a strong battlecry, assuring value (It's Worth 7 mana) but not exactly swinging the game. That Bountiful Bloom doh...
Epics and Legendary
Discussion:
Empowered Moonkin: We always want to build High Spell Damage minions, but the instant boost is the problem. But then how do you keep it around? Empowered Moonkin seeks to bridge that gap, slowly turning into a massive beast (ha ha). Also... that art. Seriously. THAT. ART.
Broll Bearmantle: You shall not pass! The taunt to end all beast taunts. With Darkspear Sabamasta', your Broll will turn into a force to be reckoned with. He's meant to compete with Twin Emperor Vek'lor and even make Tirion step back. Not sure if it's enough, but hey.
Primal Force: Some conditional removal. Stronger against small boards, and certainly helps with the mid-game removal.
Classes coming in daily, stay tuned!
Here's also a preview of some neutral cards! We'll ramp up rarities as days go on.
Hunter
Hunter is a class that is doing fairly well in the current state of things. The main things they will lose when Legion would hypothetically roll out would be BRM, TGT, and LOE. Specific cards lost would be Quick Shot, King's Elekk, Powershot, and Lock and Load. Two main types of hunter decks that exist in modern HS are hybrid/midrange Hunter, and Secrets Hunter. The former loses nearly nothing and while the latter also loses nothing, it is clearly the weaker variant of the two. In addition, I'm pushing for more combo or maybe slower Hunter decks, as you might notice from some of my card choices.
Commons
Explanations:
Spellbound Arrow: Some of you might have heard of a Hunter deck called "Malyhunter". Essentially, you would use your Hero Power to slowly chip away at Health while using Hunter's AOE to keep yourself alive. Then, you'd use King's Elekk to fish for Thaurissian and Malygos. With this card, Malyhunter will have a fighting chance. In addition, for all Hunters who like to keep their Eaglehorn Bow, this card could prove to be very efficient removal/lethal damage.
Nighthaven Huntress: For a very long time, Hunter's go-to turn three play on an empty board was, and still is, Animal Companion. Nighthaven Huntress, though much slower, is an attempt at adding some diversity in the Hunter 3-Mana slot. With Deathrattle synergy and giving access to two 1-Mana pings, it might find its place in slightly slower, N'Zoth decks.
Twinbarrel Shootstick: A new weapon for Hunter. Though it doesn't have as much value as Eaglehorn Bow, it's main attraction is it's ability to do 6 damage the turn it is played.
Rares
Explanations:
Highmountain Trapper: I find this card to be extremely powerful. Any Hunter deck can make use of more Secrets, so this card will easily find it's way into several decklists. Unlike Mad Scientist, the Secret is NOT from your deck and you will have to play it for its full cost.
Kindred Spirits: Although there is currently no such thing as Control Hunter, I made this card with the intention of further support down the road. It is rarely wise to advocate a single archetype too strongly in one expansion by releasing many cards, so this card may either be a one-of tech, or may very will be disenchanted until the time for it to shine comes.
Devilish Devilsaur: Looks like Hunter has some Demon? support. If this card were a Beast, it would be far too powerful. As it stands, it might be a replacement for Stranglethorn Tiger, trading the 1 Attack for instant damage.
Epics
Explantions:
Miser's Volley: With Lock and Load gone, this card concept can enter the meta. This card can be very strong, either in the mid or late game. With 7 mana, you can pump out 10 damage with a Kill Command. Or, you can play this and Call of the Wild. It's a versatile card, capable of generating insane tempo.
Scorched Earth: Here's a Secret that puts a spin on things. So, yeah. Hunter has Scorched Earth - Explosive Trap now. There isn't too much to explain about this card, it's quite straightforward. I can only imagine what sort of meta impact this card would have.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Hakkar the Houndmaster: Woah! Another Demon? What could this mean...
Hakkar is very clearly a combo-oriented, bursty legendary. It was given a 7-Mana cost to synergize with Unleash the Hounds. With this card in the meta, players will have to be far more careful in the late game to not saturate their board with fodder. You can do up to 18 damage with this card and Unleash the Hounds if your opponent has a full board. However, I feel as though this sort of burst is far more interactive than Force of Nature and Savage Roar, which *always* does 14 damage. If youropponent is careful, then this means you will have to work to get as many Beasts on your side of the field as possible, before dropping this down in which case it's just an expensive Savage Roar.
Mage
Mage is in a fairly unique spot and is also fresh off a nerf. That is not to say mage is weak, though. Tempo Mage and Freeze Mage are still excellent decks, but the former will be losing a lot of its power if Legion were to roll out. They will lose Flamewaker, Forgotten Torch, Arcane Blast, and Ethereal Conjurer. And, as everyone knows, Mage excels in Arena, so it was those two main points I kept in mind when designing the Mage cards.
Commons
Explanations:
Frostfire Duality: This card is very much a tool for slow decks. The cards you shuffle into your deck are certainly strong, but casting this spell for 1 mana for no immediate effect is something Tempo Mage cannot do. It's an odd card, but perhaps it will find its spot in a future deck.
Stable Portal: A great card for Arena, and I also predict it will be good in Constructed. It will not be disgusting as its Unstable counterpart, but it offers more choice in exchange for the slightly less Mana reduction for the given minion.
Fractal Gateway: This will be Mage's new Secret for the Legion expansion. This was originally "Whenever your opponent casts a spell, add two copies of it into your hand." which, I believe, coincided with a previous winner of a weekly contest. After much deliberation with Zanywoop and another player, it was deemed to be far too strong. Mirror Entity is much easier to play around. Spells, on the other hand, not so much. Counterspell offers a one-for-one trade, there shouldn't be a Secret that offers a two-for-one. Therefore, Fractal Gateway is a Counterspell side-grade, for Mage decks that want to gain more hand advantage.
Rares
Explanations:
Kobold Candlemaker: So this is the new Flamewaker. It's strong. Kobold Candlemaker will not be able to deal with your enemy's early flooded boards as easily, and has less synergy with cheap spells such as Mirror Image, but will make Arcane Explosion very viable. So, we may see a Midrange Mage come to the forefront with this card. With Arcane Blast out of the way, it was possible for this card to enter the meta.
Unending Embers: For the Legion Expansion, spells that have a secondary effect are coined as "Unending". This is a fairly straightforward card. Though you are dealing 6 damage for 5 Mana, you are able to do so over two or more turns, turning this into a removal-based card that can also be used as a Fireball if needed.
Dalaran Hunk: With Medivh's Valet part of the game, Blizzard may be trying to push for Secrets Mage. Dalaran Hunk adds some consistency to that strategy, while also boasting a statline similar to that of Ethereal Arcanist after one buff. I was very careful while designing this card as there are two, rather unforgettable, precedents: Mad Scientist, a key card in Naxxramas-era Face Hunter, and Mysterious Challenger, the one card that gave rise to Secrets Paladin. Mad Scientist' major concern was its Mana cost. At 2 mana, it could pull a 2-Mana or even a 3-Mana spell from your deck, thereby guaranteeing value. And Mysterious Challenger... well...
Dalaran Hunk, I'd say, leans closer to Mad Scientist in terms of playstyle. However, it has an added caveat: You must control no other Secrets to get the Hunk's full value. Therefore, the 4-Mana Cost of Dalaran Hunk suddenly becomes very relevant, as Mage secrets are 3-Mana. Careful planning will be needed to make use of this card.
Epics
Explantions:
Unending Chill: An alternative to Frost Nova. While Frost Nova is capable of stopping an entire board, Unending Chill bank on the fact that your opponent will not always have a fully loaded board. In addition, your opponent will have to be more conscious of minion placement. Cone of Cold is rarely used, so most, if not all, people will not care where their minions are, which is very understandable. With Unending Chill, this card could be relevant enough for minion placement to be something to consider. In any case, Unending Chill is quite strong, in terms of pure value, but it will have to compete with Frost Nova, Ice Block, and Ice Barrier in the 3-Mana slot for Freeze Mage, and the fact that Frost Nova is the safer option in terms of stalling.
Quel'dorei Battlemage: This card is another tool for faster Mage variants, either Tempo or Midrange. It's quite straightforward, and I balanced it against Thing From Below. It is also comparable to Arcane Giant, which might be the more reliable option, but it does lack Taunt. There could be decks in the future revolving around playing many spells, and then dropping Arcane Giant and Quel'dorei Battlemage in quick succession, similar to the old Giants Mage deck.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Magna Aegwynn: Magna Aegwynn defeated the Avatar of Sargeras singlehandedly in a quick, decisive battle. Little did she know that Sargeras implanted himself in her womb, thereby corrupting her future son, Medivh. In any case, Magna was an extremely powerful Mage, being the Guardian of Tirisfal and all, and is recognized as one of the greatest sorcerers in all of Azeroth's history. History lesson aside, Magna is a spin on Animated Armor, but also protects herself, a very effective combination. This is an interesting Mage Legendary, but would be slightly awkward to put into existing decks, even though it is undeniably strong. Tempo Mage already has Azure Drakes, while Freeze Mage doesn't really care for board development, though Magna could be used to help slow down your enemy. There is, however, a deadly combo: Darkspeaker + Magna Aegwynn. A 10 mana combo, with a very low consistency, but still very fun to consider. I think Magna will be at least used more often than Flame Leviathan, Rhonin, or Anomalous.
Paladin
I will make no illusions - Paladin is my favorite class. I've run one type of Paladin deck or another since waaaaaay back in Naxxramas, back when they were horribly weak. Indeed, the only decks you'll find me regularly playing is Malyhunter and my varying Paladin decks. With that said, Pally is fairly stronk right now. I've build a few more situational cards to play around with...
A note that the discussion may take a bit, I've got some time constraints today.
Commons
Discussion
Bygone Knight: A quick tempo card for those moments that you have no choice but HP turn two. Also a very decent Aggro Paladin card. And no, this one doesn't change your hero power, just adds a bit of an addendum.
Penance: Paladin will probably never get hard removal, but I will say that any decent control deck needs one, and this was as close as I wanted to get to a destroy effect.
Bastion of Argus: I always wanted a card that constantly applied divine shield, but I couldn't make it permanent. Here, you get a bit more survival for your silver hand knights or Turn 3 minions. And oh hey, 4 drops in paladin? What a concept.
Rares
Discussion
Unending Aegis: UNLIMITED BUBBLES! This is expensive for what it does, yeah, but the double divine shield it what puts it over the edge. It can very possibly provide double trading in two instances, which is pretty powerful. And yeah, I do miss my old buff pally full of eggs. One day I'll play you again, old friend
Ancient Guardian: A slower version of Priest of the Feast for pally. It holds the line and should hopefully get you a decent amount of health. Paladin does have a lot of heals, I agree, though few reward you for fighting an aggro deck. You will likely get more value out of it if they have to trade 2 or 3 minions into it.
Vindication: The issue with the BRM cards that benefited from dead minions is that none could really benefit from the empty board. Vindication allows you to build a weapon for future turns after decent trading or a solid consac.
Epics and Legendary
Discussion
Blessing of Khan'sac: I did always feel that paladin could use an extra boardclear, but really REALLY didn't need an unconditional one. This can also create a disincentive for your opponent to play minions until your weapon is broken. Also immediately kills Acidic Swamp Ooze.
Eadric the Impure: The trade-off is you can't really play Silver Hand Knights while he's up, but also makes weapons pretty strong. Trades fairly quickly, nullifies 4 mana 7/7's and should likely get some decent trades if they have no 4 mana 7/7's.
Faceless Redemptor: The concept is that you can give a friendly minion a free trade while also gaining a copy of it. I could almost see my way to even making it five mana because it can't copy enemy minions, but it's a hard sell.
Neutral fun things
Priest
Ok, let's not get too excited now. We all know where Priest stands in the meta, so let's not be a parrot and list the problems priest has. So, going into the Hearthstone Legion expansion, Priest will lose a few of their power cards, namely
Watery GraveEntomb, Excavated Evil, Wyrmrest Agent, Twilight Whelp, [Dragon-related neutrals], Museum Curator, Flash Heal, and Rez. So yeah. Pretty much everything. This basically puts me, the creator of the Priest cards, in a very, very tough spot. All of the cards are going to cycle out, but yet none of them are powerful enough to push Priest forward. I'm going to be pretty blunt, I am not attempting to fully fix priest in on expac, and most likely Blizz won't either. Releasing nine meta-defining cards is just plain stupid. I will please some people with these cards, and disappoint others. Just keep in mind I did my best with what is most likely the most difficult of classes to design cards for.Oh, a bit of a forewarning, I will be defending my card choices for Priest *very* hard. I am a firm believer that Priest is, yes, weak, but keep in mind many other classes are losing cards, losing entire archetypes, etc. The solution is absolutely not to bombard them with value cards, but slowly fill in the gaps that Priest has.
Commons
Explanations:
Gnomeregan Decaon: Ok. So. The Deacon. Before I get any flak about the rarity choice, this card absolutely must be a common. This effect has appeared on a Rare, and a Classic Rare, too. All players should be familiar enough with this effect that a temporary version could be brought down into common. In addition, Priest is losing almost all of their early game minions (see class introduction), so another reason to give this card a Common rarity. With Flash Heal leaving, this card is able to enter the meta. This causes Priest to have some form of control early game while slapping down a good body.
Shadow Raven: The polar opposite to Gnomeregan Deacon. Clearly, this is an aggressive card. And, yes, I am hinting at an Aggro Priest, mostly likely in the future. With this expansion, Classic, and WoToG, there won't be enough tools for an Aggro Priest, but perhaps later.
Vampiric Touch: So Priest has Bash now. Ok, look. I think Entomb is an absolutely terrible design. It's garbage. Sure, I made it before Blizzard did, but I still hate it. Priest should not be able to deal with any minion they come across with their *6* hard removals. It's disgusting. So, with Entomb gone, how will Priest deal with troublesome minions? Especially ones with 4 Attack? This card will help, maybe. In any case, it will be used in a variety of decklists, the same way Bash was a one-of or two-of in Control Warrior.
Rares
Explanations:
Undercity Fanatic: And so, this is Shadow Raven's companion, the second of the Shadowform-related cards. This card is not as aggro-oriented as Shadow Raven, and it can certainly be put into any sort of decklist, filling the void left long ago by Dark Cultist. Some clarification on this card: This card *enters* Shadowform, and does not *cast* it. Therefore, even if you play this card twice in a row, you keep the basic form of Shadowform. This card will make you leave Shadwform if you played the actual Shadowform card earlier. And yes, if you silence this minion, you keep Shadowform. Admittedly, this is a very complex card and should be epic, but for Priest' only 3-drop minion available, I didn't want it to be too difficult to obtain. In addition, the two epics I currently have are quite unique enough.
Soulbound Construct: So this is a combo card. You can play it as a 5 mana 3/8, which is full value, but not the best stat distribution. The most interesting part of this card, however, is that it fits seamlessly into *both* a ressurect-based and a silence-based Priest deck. So, I decided to release this card as a tool for future innovation. Maybe it is only good for disenchanting when Legion first rolls out, but it could be an excellent launchpad for future adventures/expansions to work off of.
Shadowy Apparitions: Alright, so Priest gets two heavy spells in Legion. The first is a recovery spell, meant for slightly faster Priest decks to fill up your board or to stall against a board of small minions. It is fairly straight forward, perhaps it will see a bit of play as it does shield for 12 damage.
Epics
Explantions:
Boundless Light: This was the first card designed for the Priest class, and I love it. Simple, but super fun to watch in play. This was the only case in which I said something like "Ok, Priest really got the short end of the stick, let's give them something good." It's actually quite a simple card, but it is huge against Aggro decks.
Holey Donut: Ok. so I may have a bit of a tendency to make "silly" cards. Since this was a very serious-in-tone expansion, I tried to keep that a bit low-key, but when I find art like this... I can't resist. I just can't. In any case. So this is Priest's new Lightbomb/Twisting Nether. I do realize changing Attack to 0 is a very dangerous concept, but i figured the very high mana cost of this card should help mitigate really dumb things where your opponent's board is filled with nothing but 0 Attack minions. I did think changing Health and/or Attack, to make this card a bit more reliable in destroying minions, but that might be too similar to Twisting Nether. In any case... I feel as though Lightbomb was very healthy for Priest, so I gave Priest a powerful AOE.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Calia Menethil: Calia is the sister of the late Arthas Menethil, better known as the Lich King, who is very much dead. The player meets her in World of Warcraft in the Netherlight Temple. Notice that Calia is the only outright stats-focused minion in the Priest class cards released. I did this because a) I don't think Priest is a stats-oriented class, and b) There has never been a Priest class legendary extensively played. Confessor Paletress was played at some point, but Entomb-Control Priest really didn't last long. Rez is also cycling out, so Resurrect Priest will most like fade away. However, a third resurrecter, Calia, could keep the deck afloat, but by playing more minions instead. This Legendary is rather simple, but I think it will have a positive impact for many Priest decks.
In hindsight, Alonsus Foal might have been the better character... but undead priest art isn't easy to find.
Rogue
The hearthstone community has a rocky relationship with it's resident assassin. It's been good sometimes, but often it gets sorely neglected in expansions. We tried for a few new concepts, spell heavy this go around, and no we didn't excessively into the older concepts like miracle and blizzard's enemy class cards. We went for a more weapon heavy approach, and we're putting in a bid for more trading via your face.
Commons
Discussion
Renegade Junker: Tunnel Trogg says hi.Junker generally can make your turn 2 Hero power at least worth something. Access to a 2/3 to start trading on turn 2 is generally strong. It doesn't get too much boost because it's slightly more consistent than trogg. This is heavily designed to push the weapon rogue concept. Also, rest in peace Buccaneer.
Darkshore Outlaw: Again, turn making your hero power just a bit stronger. Rogue often doesn't have a decent turn 3 minion- You don't quite want to waste your SI:7 Agent when there's no targets. It's a deathrattle more so than you can't abuse Shadowstep for a buttload of poison.
Hit and Run: Mill AND enemy class cards? How can this be? In any case, now you've got two more draws for your mill before you also self-destruct from lack of cards left in your deck. In any instance, it is a decent draw for rogue. It's decently expensive but hey! Draw yourself some Flame Leviathans!
Rares
Discussion
Unending Assault: Many daggers, handle it!
So yes, you are dis-incentivized from attacking. The first one CAN attack face simply because then you can at least kill the opponent if this is the only weapon in your hand. It very much pushes trading, and yes, you did read that right, Blade of Betrayal IS 1 mana. So this is four mana for 10 damage over 4 turns. However, this also means no Hero Power for 4 turns. Originally this spell had even more weapons, believe me.
Utmost Subtlety: You maaaaaay have seen this last week in the Custom Card Comp, mostly because we love this concept. I always said that rogue needed a more consistent boardclear. Combine with a little bit of Backstab and you can start wrecking shop. This also may've gone through more iterations than any other card we have (Well... Excluding one lord of the Burning Legion... You'll understand later.). I Will confess, originally it could legitimately be played for 0-mana. Chalk that one up to a goof.
Master Infiltrator: So often McF4rtson and I talk about the mana cost of minions in various spots in classes. We like to compare and contrast the minions in each mana cost. We inevitably get back to around to 6-mana... and we NEVER remember Kidnapper. So we decided to fix that gaping hole in the 6-mana minion slot for rogue. Now unlike Kidnapper, this one guarantees value. It's not going to stay unplayable if it goes over 10-mana, but it gives you sometime to dodge top-decks. Also, mill rogue though!
Epics and Legendary
Discussion
Tactical Retreat: Rogue got much of our Discover love. We figured that giving rogue heals was a bit unflavorful, so here we gave them a survival angle. You can still be hit in the normal random damage ways, and yes Hunter can shoot you in the face. The discover gives you much more of a suvivability ratio than the stealth- There are plenty of rogue spells to deal with minions (Betrayal, Fan of Knives, Vanish...). So, you've got some time to turn the game back in your favor.
Garona Halforcen: This concept is fun. Do you go for a powerful spell you didn't draft so you can swing the board? Do you draft a bunch of cheap spells to capitalize on being able to play them in quick succession? Do you draft expensive spells and hope to get your Preparations? Well, I can tell you that Shadowstep says Hi. And yes, I do see the Xaril, Poisoned Mind comparison. The similarities are not lost onme, but I will say that this is not as easy to play on turn 4. Here discover is less reliable, and may not grab you anything in your deck. Rogue spells are generally cheap mind you, so don't expect triple Pyroblast.
Killing Spree: Let's get some stabs up in here! Unending Arsenal into Preparation into Killing Spree. GO HAM ON 'EM. It's 7 mana because we all know the pain of Doomhammer into double Rockbiter Weapon. We are promoting more Deadly Poison with this expac, so weapon is a far more viable finisher here.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand more fun neutrals!
Shaman
I guess I got stuck with all the hard classes to make cards for. :P But, I am a shaman "main", so there's no better class for me. History lesson: I've played since beta and fell in love with the true, classic midrange Shaman; double Unbound Elemental, double Fire Elemental, and Al'Akir. And, I have seen Shaman rise and fall throughout my time playing this game. I'm happy Shaman is so strong right now, and even happier that it is a midrange variant that is dominating, not an aggro. Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my slow-midrange Shaman, not the explosive midrange popularized by Legend players. In any case, I know Shaman's time is coming to an end. We are about to lose so many cards: Lava Shock, Totem Golem, Tuskarr Totemic, Healing Wave, Ancestral Knowledge, Tunnel Trogg, Stormcrack, Thunder Bluff Valiant, Elemental Destruction, the list goes on. Almost every single one of these cards were at one point part of the meta. It will be extremely difficult to fill in the void left by these powerful cards. In the Legion expansion, I predict Shaman will fall from grace, but hopefully may keep a presence in the lower Tier Two of the meta. Keep in mind, Shaman still has some very powerful cards such as 4 mana 7/7, 0 mana 5/5, Spirit Claws, and Maelstrom Portal.
Commons
Explanations:
Murloc Shock: Shaman loses so much power in the Legion expansion, I decided to give them something to fix a long-time problem that was never fully solved, card draw. Though Azure Drake, Thalnos, and Mana Tide are all excellent cards, this will be Shaman's most readily available card cycling card while also potentially creating a bit of value. In addition, Shaman has quite a bit of Murloc support. I am clearly supporting Murloc Shaman in the future, even though there are not enough tools in this expansion.
Greymist Ascendant: This will Shaman's only healer after TGT leaves. As it might be apparent, this card can be used as a tech, or as a body in Murloc decks. It's weak body isn't much, but it does make a great target for a Warleader buff.
Bloodhoof Stalwart: And here is a big, mid-late game minion for Shaman. Trading one Health from an Ancient of War for Ancestral Healing, this card can serve as a big wall, and an alternative to Bog Creeper in Control Shaman decklists, if they are still running the Ancestral Spirit combo.
Rares
Explanations:
Ancestral Some-fin: This is the future Murloc Shaman's big power card. This is what Onyx Bishop is to Rez Priest, what Forgotten Torch is to Aggro-Freeze Mage. I am very interested to see what this card might do to the meta. Other than that, it is quite straightforward, you have a chance of getting some poor, or a 3-mana Murloc for 2 mana.
Air Elemental: I remember when Totem Golem first came out, it was Shaman's saving grace. With no Tunnel Trogg, Shaman's early game was abysmal until this came out. And even then, I still remember when Mage would just Flamecannon this and call it a day. Now with *both* Tunnel Trogg and Totem Golem gone, Shaman is severly lacking an early game minion. As such, Air Elemental comes into play. With a light Overload, you can summon a powerful minion that excels at 2-for-1 trades in the early game.
Exodar Stormcaller: Though this is no Thunder Bluff Valiant, Exodar Stormcaller helps to further strengthen Totem synergy while not being too over the board. I think it will be more of an Arena pick that a part of Constructed, but perhaps Spell Damage shaman, or, perhaps, even MalyShaman might pick up, give this card a niche in the meta.
Epics
Explantions:
Way of the Mist: Very fun card, balanced against Shadowform. I chose not to give a buff to minions in your hand, as that might actually over-make up for the tempo loss.
Enhance-o Shamano: Now here's something Totem Midrange players can get their hands on! This could be a big win condition for the future Midrange Shaman, comboed with a Bloodlust. I really like this design. It is still a huge threat, but is far less snowbally than Thunder Bluff and promotes summon Totems from outside your Hero Power.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Zuluhed the Whacked: There aren't many evil Shamans, but Zuluhed is an exception. Though he has no direct role in the World of Warcraft Legion expansion, he was an orc shaman part of the Shadow Council, which Gul'dan led. He was also the one who first to relocate the lost Demon Soul, which would have ties to Illidan, the Cataclysm, and all sorts of nasty things. In any case, Zuluhed synergizes heavily with Overload-centric decks, refilling your hand after you've lost lost of mana advantage. Lastly, he can be played just by himself for a strong card cycle.
Some final notes on Shaman: These cards are not necessarily weak, but are certainly not very flashy and/or do not fit into all decks as of the current meta. In essence, I'm giving Shaman a break as they still have access to excellent cards, as I have listed above.
Warlock
Finally! A class that's not nearly as stressful to make cards for. So, Warlock is pretty much Zoolock, a mid tier two deck that can still win pretty much any matchup as long as they can snowball hard enough. However, the Abusive Sergeant was quite an effective nerf, and some powerful cards will be rotating out, such as Img Gang Boss, Dark Peddler, and even Gormok, though I rarely see him played nowadays. The thing about Zoolock, however, is that it is a very old deck list and most of it's best cards are in the Classic set. It probably will never die out. Renolock, on the other hand, is on its last legs. Reno Jackson is about to cycle out and Midrange Shaman eats Renolock for breakfast. So, that's what I have to work with, when making the Warlock class cards.
Commons
Explanations:
Life Poke: The one and only true cycling card in all of Hearthstone. Hassle free, 1 mana, you instantly fish farther into your deck. Sure, you deal 4 damage to your face... will it be worth it? Especially since Warlock has something calling Life Tap. This card was mostly inspired by the art more than necessity, to be honest. Still, I think it's balanced, but only because it's in the Warlock class, where there isn't much draw outside of its Hero Power.
Vile Enchantress: Ooooooooook. So. This expansion took *months*, and Warlock was the second class finished, right behind Shaman. That means Vile Enchantress was actually created *before* the Abusive nerf. With Abusive Sergeant weakened and Imp Gang Boss gone, Vile Enchantress may very well be the go-to 3-drop for Zoolocks, even if it does have a very slight drawback.
Encroaching Dark: An interesting card for Demons. Given the recent success of Demonfire, I think another buff could be quite beneficial for the class. And, for once, this buff won't give your opponent Mana Crystals, or anything. I think Vile Enchantress and this card are perhaps the most powerful Warlock cards in this expansion.
Rares
Explanations:
Unending Evil: Given the success of Silverware Golem, I have now become very hesitant to create cards that have an effect upon discarding. However, I think this card is quite alright, as it just generates some hand advantage. It's not as impactful as Silverware Golem, or course, but it may replace Fist of Jarraxxus, as that card was at first used in discard-based Zoolocks.
Alluring Succubus: This card is pretty straightforward, and the drawback is probably alright to stomach to see at least Arena play. (It also buffs the errata'd Bane of Doom kappa)
You Face!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkeC9WVVsQ4 (this has got to be my favourite class card in this expansion)
Epics
Explantions:
Dark Soul: Waaaay back in the day, I had this exact same card but it discarded your *whole* hand and you drew the same number of cards. So yeah, that's not happening. This is more like an Arcane Intellect now, and still has incredible combos and synergies with things like Malchezaar's Imp and SIlverware Golem. It's rather straightforward, nothing too flashy.
Fel Shredder: If you've ever seen Handlock players, they will opt for two different styles of play, depending how they mulligan. They either get a "Mountain Giant start" or a "Molten Giant start". We're going to focus on the Molten Giant start. Since they keep Molten Giant from the get-go instead of trying to draw it late as a recovery mechanic, here, Fel Shredder will probably even be an upgrade to the old Molten Giant, as Aggro decks will be hitting you with lots of small attacks. However, the obvious downside is that Fel Shredder is quite dead if you draw it mid-late game. However, at least you'll always be able to play it as an 8/8, if your Health is around 15 or so and you just want some more threats on the board.
The Legendary
Explantion:
Xavius, Nightmare Lord: I'll do a writeup for him later. I think he's fairly balanced and straightforward, and loads of fun to play, however!
Warrior
The final class is go! I don't have much time to post this morning. so I'll probably have to write these up late.
Commons
Discussion
Orgrimmar Flagbearer: Voidwalker? What's a Voidwalker? Early taunts are always fun, but this is more designed to heavy push the taunt buff archetype we went for. Drop a mana off your Ragetotems and gain a body for your desperate defense. Simplistic design, but it does a lot of work for warrior.
Juggernaut Rush: So I actually really love the concept behind Fool's Bane. I recognize it's so unplayable many of us actually forgot about it, but I wanted to give it some love this expac. This basically turns Fool's bane into a 6 mana AoE with the possibility of you actually gaining armor. Early on in the game you can use it to slow down aggro decks, taking out a 3/2 and gaining 2 armor. It doesn't do much else, in a balancing way, but I feel what it does do is already pretty strong.
War Artist: First off, if you get the joke, kudos. War artist is a newer direction for warrior, allowing you to trade more favorably with matched boards, as a lifesaving measure. This is a more subtle taunt warrior buff. Protect the King says hi.
Rares
Discussion
Wolfcult Eviscerator: Ok, so I really like the concept of Medivh's Valet. Basically he only gets value starting turn three-turn four, when the turntwo minions have started attacking. If they have charge minions turn one, yeah you can get one damage worth of value, but playing him on curve loses you a lot of advantage. He's powerful, but not before turn 4.
Desperate Defense: I liked the idea of bolster, but yeah I accept it's absolute pants. In theory it can never. This is my attempt to give it a buff. +2/+4 for free is nothing to scoff at. you won't hit 12 health until at least turn five (Unless you're juust getting wrecked in general), and by then you can easily drop two taunts and gain serious value. NOt convinced even then people will run it because of hand clogging and having that dead card, but perhaps it's better that way.
All Hands on Deck!: Pirates are generally fun, and there are several great combos that can come from this. Greenskin will see more play, Bloodsail Buccaneer (Wait does this count as a taunt buff?), and even some buffs for pirates!
Epics and legendary
Discussion
Hellreaver: Hero Power interaction on a weapon? What is this? In any case, Hellreaver has it's niche uses. Personally, I was designing it to trade against big minions (It used to drop attack to 2), but McF4rtson made an important point- The reason Keeper of Uldaman is strong is because it can buff your weak minions as well. So, if you've got some weak tokens or an acolyte of pain, now you've got a way to trade up with it. However, you cannot gain any passive armor until you've used this hero power, so it's not as broken.
Magtheridon: Aggro, get on your knees and cry. Your doom hath cometh... On turn 9, but still. Magtheridon is a beast. He can almost always trade two or three, and can have his effect procced on your turn by a whirlwind or inner rage. Off your turn, he can hold the line against almost anything. He has no real defense against spells and destroys, simply because they don't have to trigger immune to remove him. Straight trades will almost always be in the attacker's favor if they've got big minions, because his attack is piddly. Buff him up a bit keep him alive and able to attack.
Ragetotem Bulwark: Arcane giant's control cousin. With Protect the King and the multitude of Taunt buffers we gave this expac, we have faith he can be a very strong mid-to-late game stall mechanic. With your various taunts it's actually not unlikely to see this played as early as turn six or turn five. He also adds a need for Polymorphing or Hexxing midgame taunts to slow down the massive taunt walls.
The neutrals have arrived! We're starting with Demons, then some non-demons, then Legendaries. We've got Demons to push and fun ideas abound. Without adieu...
Neutrals commons
Rares
Epics
Legendaries
Reserved
Woeden#1173 - NA
Sneak peek:
Good job you guys. I always like to see how creative people can get with their cards and you two have some neat ideas. The Druid epics are just mind-blowing, love them. Btw, where did you find the artwork for the Moonkin? xD
Hunter's out, bois.
@WaterwaIker The Moonkin art came from a basic search I usually run (Wow ____ art or Wow ____ TCG), and there's actually a lot of good Moonkin art out there. Thank you for the kind words :)
@Hatchy88 There's a lot of fun Hero Power interacts in here, get hyped
@Woeden RESERVED
can't wait for the warlock cards, it's going to take awhile i guess.. still an awesome job guys, keep it up.
Mage has been posted.
Alright, let's get started with the new cards.
The Hunter commons seem alright. I don't suppose Spellbound Arrow would be run in any Hunter deck that does not run Secrets. Nighthaven Huntress is probably the coolest one, I really like giving the class an ability to ping. Twinbarrel Shootstick is pretty straightforward, nothing too special about it, should be pretty good in Arena.
Onto the rares, I think Highmountain Trapper might be a little too strong; it's basically 2-mana 2/3 draw a card. I agree Hunters need a good 2-drop right now (their early game sucks), but think it would still see a lot of play if it was a 2/2. Kindred Spirits is nice but, sadly, shouldn't be enough to make a Control-ish Hunter viable. Devilish Devilsaur, on the other hand, I think is too weak. The class has better damage based removal options, and if you charge it into the face, the body it leaves is not much of a threat at 5-mana. I can see why you guys might have been hesitant in making it stronger.
Again, the Epics are the coolest ones. Miser's Volley is nice, maybe just a bit too slow, but I simply love Scorched Earth. It synergyzes very well with UtH and Explosive and I think it could bring a lot of consistency to slower Hunter lists.
Hakkar is also a really cool Legendary; I love the flavor and the combo potential, and there are so many variables and possibilities of counterplay that I don't believe it could become problematic like CotW, for instance.
Now, about the Mage cards... I might be a bit biased on my analysis. My relationship with the class is kind of a love-hate one.
It seems to me like Frostfire Duality could improve the CW matchup for Freeze Mage even more than Antonidas, and I'm glad Flamewanker is gone so you cannot play it just to shoot BS missiles at your opponent's minions. Stable Portal is whatever, not very interesting, but seems better than A Light in the Darkness. Fractal Gateway is cool and balanced but I can't really tell if it would be worth runing over Counterspell.
I can't tell whether I like or hate Kobold Candlemaker; it's better balanced than Flamewanker, for sure (and seems strictly better than Twisted Kobold), but I'd prefer you just let Tempo Mage die (I hate that deck lol). Unending Embers is really, really cool; this "one-time Hero Power" thing is one of the best ideas you had. Dalaran Hunk, though, seems to me like a problem card, just like Mad Scientist; definitely not in Freeze Mage, but in Tempo it might be even better. I definitely don't like it.
Now, this is the first time the Epics are not my favorites. Unending Chill is alright and I already talked about the Hero Power thing, but I think you could distribute the Unending spells better among the classes, unless you plan on giving two to each of the ones who will get them, of course. I absolutely hate the Battlemage; it's even easier to abuse than Thing from Below, which is a terrible design, as is Arcane Giant, although to a lesser extent, and any card which can have its Cost reduced permanently to the point where it gives you free tempo. Kill it before it lay eggs. EDIT: Just realized you only get Cost reduction if it's in your hand. Then I guess it's fine. Sorry about that, wasn't paying too much attention.
Then, to wrap it up, there's Aegwynn. I actually quite like this mechanic and how it works so differently against each class; for instance, if you play this against Zoo, they just trade 3 tokens into it and then it's gone; against Hunter though, it might as well have 8 Health, 'cus they'll need to spend a lot of resources to kill it. I know how tricky it is to balance it on a minion (I made a similar one a while ago and I'm still trying to decide whether it should cost 4 or 5 mana), but I think you guys nailed it.
Pretty good job, overall. I'm definitely looking forward to see the Rogue cards.
EDIT: Wow, I had no idea this would turn into such a huge wall of text. Sorry about that. lol
Thank you very much for the well-written critique. I think I agree with pretty much all of what you said. A note about the Unending spells: Mage is the only one with two unending spells since it had so few minions, which was a subtle way of me trying to balance out the minion-saturated Arena.