Hearthpwn

This Week's Finalists

Competition-Specific Restrictions:

There's something we've seen every once in a while in our competitions that's a little odd: Folks will submit a minion that itself casts a spell. Typically these entries don't do extraordinarily well, but there have been a couple of exceptions, and while the concept is odd, it's perhaps not entirely without merit. This week we're going to explore the concept and see what we can do with it.

• Your card must, itself, cast a spell. The most obvious existing examples include Yogg-Saron, Hope's End and Servant of Yogg-Saron, but you're free to have your cards cast specific spells rather than random ones.
• There must be an easily identifiable reason why your card is casting a spell rather than just having an effect identical to that spell's effect.

We have whittled down ~130 valid entries to just 16 of the community's favorites. 
Check out all the finalists below and vote in our poll (vote for as many or as few as you like) to help decide the winner and be sure to check back after the poll finishes for the announcement of the winner and the start of a new theme!

by nurgling13
by Nobroam
Mind Vision
by Asylum_Rhapsody
by CheeseEatingEtc
by Lathy
by nobravery
Hellfire
by Crucinel
by RandomScribbles
by Broeck1
by JaffaCakeJam
by Ashero86
Power Word: Glory
by Kralosiver
by Jhamel
by ZardozSpeaks
by jOta39
Commanding Shout
by ShadowsOfSense

There are some nice ideas here... it's also interesting to see there is a card that is almost the same as the card I designed for this week's competition... just saying.

I'm really surprised how many of these cards are casting spells with "targets chosen randomly". I expected a lot more straightforward cards, casting specific spells.

I'm not a huge fan of the casting random secrets, especially if they aren't in your deck. As some others have pointed out, part of the strategy of secrets is guessing what cards would be in your opponents deck, or bluffing your opponent (casting Counterspell, when your opponent expects Iceblock or something). These cards remove a lot of that strategy.

My favorite is Blind Oracle. Seems like it could turn "Steal Priest" into a real archetype. Shame this wasn't in gadgetzan, as stealing cards will probably not be as good when reno decks rotate out.

The only card that seems totally broken is Zenith. Shuffle a few times, play Malygos+Zenith. That's an extremely easy otk that can't be prevented easily.

What happens with Avatar of Sar. and an enemy Dreadsteed?

Quote from DarkHydra0 >>

What happens with Avatar of Sar. and an enemy Dreadsteed?

 

Jolt and Zenith are my personal favourites out of the bunch. 

Props to Tel'Dorei Spellcaster and Blessed Martyr. They're simple but, still, pretty good.

Blind Oracle seems too overpowered for a common card considering it's a recurring effect, in my opinion. Maybe it's nitpicking though; it does have a cool effect.

Murlhouse looks fun. Seems that the Murloc-cosplayer cards are all the rage right now (What's next, Finvannas Waverider?).

Quote from Lathy >>

I can't figure out if people see my card as a troll/meme entry

The entries this week are... something. I'm voting for Kalecgos, Blind Oracle and Esmerelda though, I really like the dragon synergy in Mage and Blind Oracle has a really cool effect and is an interesting early game priest card.  

I'm predicting that the next contest will be dinosaur themed.

I really like the mechanics of Kalecgos and Blind Oracle.