Ok, I'm not 100% sure how you came to the conclusion that your class is balanced, but I'm going to point some stuff out to you, since this is seems to be the first time you've created a class or even a large number of cards. I'm going to go over things in a spoiler so as not to fill up the thread with a giant post.
First, let's talk about Milling and Discard. Now, I know you feel like these things are ok, and this game obviously has "interaction" because it has removal spells and damage spells that only affect minions. However, because Hearthstone is a game of turn, meaning one player has his turn to do his things and the other play this gets his turn to react to that, interaction isn't actually that high. Yes, your actions are generally modified by what your opponent does, and he you, but there is instant speed response, besides secrets, which you opponent chooses when to attempt to trigger, not you. So, Blizzards statement that they don't want Milling and Discard to be a thing because it means you could lose the game without ever getting a chance to play is still very very correct and important to this game. Since you only get 2 copies of any non-legendary card and 1 of each legendary if your deck is highly dependant on 2-5 cards to actually kill you opponent then the ability to completely remove these without your opponent every being able to stop you is horrifyingly bad for the game. You call it a "control" mechanic, but its really a denial mechanic. You're not controlling your opponents actions, you're straight up taking them away, which isn't very fair to them, especially since they have no way to stop you from doing that, all the cards do it as part of them being played so you opponent literally is just stuck there while you wreck their deck. Also, this gives you tons of information. It shows you the cards you are killing, meaning you can get a better idea, and maybe know completely what you need to play around, since you could just mill both copies of something and then know your opponent just can't have that anymore. I hope this sheds some light on why this isn't good for the game.
Now, lets look some of the cards.
Ok, so first off, there are no secrets in the Basic Set, that mechanic doesn't show up for any class until common, this is just a simple design issue. I recommend before you think about starting another class design, or if you want to redesign this on that you go to THIS thread and read the basic rules they put forth that explain some things about how Blizzard chose to approach class design for keywords and abilities. Now, the first 2 of these secrets are similar to existing ones, at least kind of. Hydro-Shield is a 1 mana secret that rather than returning the minion to hand, shuffles it back into the deck. There is a Druid spell that costs 6 to do this, 6 mana!!! Yes, they can "play around it" but you've still discounted it at least 3 mana too many. Drag to the Depths also costs 1 and it effectively counters your opponents next minion. Are you joking? Is this a troll card? Snipe deals 4 damage to the next minion played for 2 mana, this kills anything and it also silences it. Oh, except it doesn't work in the mirror. That's a great design, my class is super over powered against everything else but the mirror is a giant mindless disaster mess because half you cards do nothing. Then, you have Edge of the World, which denies you opponent a card draw for 1 mana, this effectively cost you 1 mana to destroy a card also, since every card is a resource this is effectively 1 mana deny your opponent that resource. Are you starting to see a trend here? Then, finally we have Wash Away the Horde, which is just amazingly bad except against Paladin and Hunter because lets be honest no other class really ever makes 3+ minions in a turn, but this obviously hard counters Muster for Battle and any Unleash the Hounds for a decent amount. Let's also bring up that only your Basic and Classic set have any Secrets, so what, you decided you wanted your class to have them but then you forgot about the theme? You have to keep making Secrets if you start making them, no class has ever abandoned a mechanic like this.
Now, onto the Basic Set as a whole. Again, you've used your keywords everywhere, which no other class does really, keywords are supposed to help explain your class after you get past the Basics, not clutter your basic set with stuff you have to try to figure out and remember. But onto some of the problem cards.
So, we have Great White Shark. The single most over budgeted minion in the entire game. Its a mana 2/3 with Charge, something that is worth at least 2 stat points even on low drops. It has Dive Down, which means it can only die in minion combat or to an AoE spell, which should probably be worth at least 1 stat point, and it has Waterborn tacked on, which is probably fine and not worth anything but still. So you have about 8 stats worth of minions for 2 mana, with no drawback. We have Neptulon's Wrath, which is just a Dark Bomb, except it also kills one of your opponents cards. Yes, its true they may "never" have drawn it, but since your class is doing this repeatedly and plans to generally win through fatigue once you've wiped out your opponents deck and remaining resources it seems blatantly over powered.
Now we have the first insane offender in Pounding Waves. This is silence and kill 2 random minions and a random card in your opponents deck for 5 mana. Assassinate kills 1 guy, but doesn't silence it and doesn't do any other extra anything for 5 mana. The new card Dark Bargin destroys 2 random minions for 6 and has the discard 2 mechanic, which you could avoid in some way, but still, costs 1 more mana than, and has a drawback. Yours costs 5 and has an upside, and its in the Basic set.
Then you have Swallowing Flood, because you needed to really completely shit on your opponent. Since almost every single one of your minions is Waterborn none of them die, so you just get a 7 mana, kill all your opponents minions and 3 random cards from their deck. This is just hilarious out of control. The 2 comparisons for this are Lightbomb and Twisting Nether I guess. One of these only damages minions, therefore only killing them if they have don't have more health than attack, but it affects both sides of the board. The other kills everything, but again, is both ways, you and them, for 8 mana. Your kills pretty much only the opponents minions, but it also silences all of them, so the don't get any deathrattles, now that is some dedication to balance....
Lastly we have Servant of Neptulon which is effectively a near infinite 1/1 that costs 1 mana and mills 1, so you can just keep eating up your opponents hero power or trade into minions while dismantling your opponents deck, yeah you really "weakened" up your minions.
The remaining cards in the Base set are pretty benign, not glaring issues outside of the keyword stuff.
I could continue, but I don't think I need to say much more about it other than it needs a serious look. Nothing against you trying to do something different, but I think you've tried far far too hard to really push the idea you want to push without honestly thinking about what it means. If you'd like more analysis from me I'll keep going, but I don't want to waste too much of my time if you think I'm just being a jerk or I'm a moron.
If you want you could look at my class and its design ideas and concepts as well and maybe you'll find that helpful. You can check that out HERE
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women.
@The_Odinson: I feel like playing devils advocate today. Nothing against you but I haven't done this in awhile.
Counterpoint 1: Simplicity is Hearthstone's Vinegar and Sugar.
See that is just a big problem with Hearthstone, its charm and its fault, its weakness and its strength, its vinegar and its sugar. Because they made the game so simplistic, anything that even has an inkling of higher power level is straight up power creep.
You know what I think of Blizzard's statement? Its a load of Hooey. The real reason they didn't stick with Mill or Discard or Theft is because it would be "Unfair" and "Disruptive". In MTG there is a thing called Mill, Discard, Land Destruction and Counterspells. All are disruptive for different reasons. As they are all meant to be the counterplay to certain archetypes. Take those away and leave it so the game little interactivity during an opponent's turn and you have no means of solid counterplay aside from spells and minions and weapons you can play on your turn.
Also what really hurts this game is not even 40 or 60 card decks and Blizzard's stubborn refusal to implement such things; as if their 30 card decks were some holy cow.
Counterpoint 2: Denial = Control.
Its honestly no different than if I played Shaman and stuffed my deck filled with removal and a few minions. My goal in such a Shaman deck is simple, I deny you board presence and win by grinding out the match. Its not the same form of control with Tidehunter, but its still control and its just more punishing to the unprepared.
Counterpoint 3: Mill =/= Not Fair.
You know what else is not "fair"? OTKs from annoying Patron Warriors. OTKs from Shaman and Warlock backed up by a Emperor Thaurissan + Malygos. Druid who still have a OTK combo that can take out a 16 Health hero with just two cards, four with Emperor. Or even, to dredge up an oldie, Miracle Rogue back when it was at the height of its power. Even Dr. Boom is unbalanced and Blizzard acknowledges that and still refuses to nerf it.
Not everything is fair and not everything fights the same way as others, Unless you purpose to homogenize all things.
Counterpoint 4: Knowledge = Power.
Yeah, milling the bottom cards of an opponent's deck tells them a lot about what your playing. Unless you forgot to notice, there is also three cards which give you information on the cards in your opponent's hand and one that gives you direct information on the top three cards of your opponent's deck. Try to deny it if you wish, but its the only logical means this game can step forward, Joust from TGT is an example of the ability to peek into your opponent's deck.
Counterpoint 5: Secrets.
Hydro Shield makes perfect sense as a secret within the Basic Set. It is a spoiler, a taste to what it so to come, so is many other basics. Hydro Shield is fine, its more like Freezing Trap if anything.
Drag to the Depths. About as trolly as most mage secrets in the game. Yep its a hard counter secret. I look at it more like Hex honestly.
Edge of the World. Denial of Card Draw = Control of Card Draw.
Wash Away the Horde. You left out Patron Warrior, Tempo Mage and Aggro Druid. Its Anti-Swarm Tech.
Counterpoint 6: Basics are not weak.
A lot of your arguments can be boiled down to how a basic card is strong. News flash, basics for classes are not weak cards. Also to counterpoint you here, one of your other complaints is the power level of minions. They have horrible stat lines and are general.
Great White Shark. Its a 2m 2/3 with charge and two forms of protection. The shark's primary purpose is to take out small minions. The only reasonable nerf is 3m yet that clogs up the 3m slot even more which is a terrible idea. 1/3 would be the closest your ever going to get.
Pounding Waves. Kills a Semi-random card from the opponent's deck as It mills the bottom; it doesn't mill an entirely random card from the deck. Oh yes lets just focus on all that AoE Damage Tidehunter has... Oh Wait. The class utilizes Drown in place of Damage Spells in order to make up for the fact that they don't utilize Damage Spells. If we take away Drown, we homogenize the class and worsen it as a result. Besides the only reason it silences is because Deathrattle became such a threat from Naxxramas and we all know how toxic of a game environment that was. Its called a Hard Counter to Deathrattle, against non-deathrattle minions it reads: "Destroy two random enemy minions. Mill 1."
Let me guess, you and many others are having a knee-jerk reaction to the fact it has Silence as well? Wouldn't surprise me.
Swallowing Flood. Its only one-sided if you play an entire deck of class minions. This also assumes NO ONE would ever make a deck with say Ragnaros the Firelord or Sludgebelcher or Sylvanas Windrunner or Emperor Thaurissan or a whole host of deathrattle minions and mech support. Same with Lavaborn Serpent. Remember your trading Protection for Power. You want minions with higher attack and better board presence? Go add Neutral Minions to your deck. Also lets say I am running a class-only deck, no neutrals, I bet you $15 that the average attack amongst my minions is going to be 2... so scary. Also your not even comparing it to Flamestrike, one-sided 7m removal ring-a-bell?
Neptulon's Servant. More balanced than what Blizzard makes with Adventures and Expansion. If I totaled in the hero power, its a 3m 1/1 that mills 1 and comes back to your hand upon activation of your hero power IF its dead. Because we all want to burn 3m every turn to bring back a 1/1 that mills 1...
@The_Odinson: I feel like playing devils advocate today. Nothing against you but I haven't done this in awhile.
Counterpoint 1: Simplicity is Hearthstone's Vinegar and Sugar.
See that is just a big problem with Hearthstone, its charm and its fault, its weakness and its strength, its vinegar and its sugar. Because they made the game so simplistic, anything that even has an inkling of higher power level is straight up power creep.
You know what I think of Blizzard's statement? Its a load of Hooey. The real reason they didn't stick with Mill or Discard or Theft is because it would be "Unfair" and "Disruptive". In MTG there is a thing called Mill, Discard, Land Destruction and Counterspells. All are disruptive for different reasons. As they are all meant to be the counterplay to certain archetypes. Take those away and leave it so the game little interactivity during an opponent's turn and you have no means of solid counterplay aside from spells and minions and weapons you can play on your turn.
Also what really hurts this game is not even 40 or 60 card decks and Blizzard's stubborn refusal to implement such things; as if their 30 card decks were some holy cow.
You bring up Magic here which is great. Magic, if you follow it at all currently, you may know, doesn't support extremely disruptive strategies anymore. Land destruction is all but gone from any but the oldest formats because WotC didn't like the if the person playing it had the right hand the opponent didn't really get to play the game at all. Discard has a similar treatment, in that no discard spell can pick land from your opponent (thus forcing them potentially into mana screw), and random and mass discard spells are all but gone. Counterspells have seen an increase in cost, and a reduction in quantity for years now. No longer are there multiple 2 mana hard counters, 3 is as cheap as a non-conditional counterspell is going to get.
Milling is another thing entirely. Magic has 2 major factors that make it generally ok. 1, again they never overdue it or make huge milling effect for cheap anymore. Gone are the days of Glimpse the Unthinkable and Traumatize. 2, decks are 60 cards, that means you have way way more resources to be milled, and typically most mill effects are in the 2-3 card range. 3, you have heaps of redundancy in Magic. Not only can you play more copies of any 1 card, up to 4 not just 2, there are also multiple cards within each format that perform the same relative function so you've never losing a key card, just another piece. 4, you have land, this means that some number of the cards you mill are likely to not be that important to your opponent anyway, but in Hearthstone every card is a minion or a spell, there are no generally inconsequential cards.
Lastly, in Magic you have the sideboard and even some times main deck answers to threats from opponents, and you can respond directly to what they are doing. You have instant speed reaction time. In Hearthstone that doesn't exist. This mechanic can't be stopped or controlled it just happens to you and you have to deal with it. Magic isn't like that, its built heavily on player and card interactions on a dynamic level.
Counterpoint 2: Denial = Control.
Its honestly no different than if I played Shaman and stuffed my deck filled with removal and a few minions. My goal in such a Shaman deck is simple, I deny you board presence and win by grinding out the match. Its not the same form of control with Tidehunter, but its still control and its just more punishing to the unprepared.
Here, you are comparing responding to your opponents cards to directly taking away a card. These are not the same idea, no matter what you believe. If I have to use 1 of my cards to deal with one of your cards after you've played it and maybe gotten something out of it, its entirely different from you never having access to the card to begin with. There wasn't a choice about you just never had it, and outside of a very small portion of the cards created this is just tacked on for free. Cards that are perfectly fine without the text just have it to push how punishing the idea can be. If the milling wasn't a bonus effect on cards and something you had to waste mana and tempo on that might make it at least fair, but probably not.
Counterpoint 3: Mill =/= Not Fair.
You know what else is not "fair"? OTKs from annoying Patron Warriors. OTKs from Shaman and Warlock backed up by a Emperor Thaurissan + Malygos. Druid who still have a OTK combo that can take out a 16 Health hero with just two cards, four with Emperor. Or even, to dredge up an oldie, Miracle Rogue back when it was at the height of its power. Even Dr. Boom is unbalanced and Blizzard acknowledges that and still refuses to nerf it.
Not everything is fair and not everything fights the same way as others, Unless you purpose to homogenize all things.
One of my favorite things about your post is how you say its fine for something to be unfair. Lets be honest, there are some degenerate things in Hearthstone, but none of them in any other class or deck prevent you from playing your cards how you want. Yes, Face Hunter is stupid and a lot of times you lose and never really got to do anything. Patron is annoying and wins many games if its allowed to get to turn 7+ (Why do you think people want to play Face Hunter and Pally, so the opponent doesn't get to those turns). However, you still have your cards and you get to play them and make all the choices on your turn. If you can't win the game before your opponent that isn't some "flaw" in the game, its how games work. You both pick a strategy and cards, build your deck, and face off. This mechanic can cut you off from that ability to play the deck you want to play. It can take away your win conditions. Yes there are so unbalanced cards, but not a single one of them prevents you from playing your cards and strategy.
Counterpoint 4: Knowledge = Power.
Yeah, milling the bottom cards of an opponent's deck tells them a lot about what your playing. Unless you forgot to notice, there is also three cards which give you information on the cards in your opponent's hand and one that gives you direct information on the top three cards of your opponent's deck. Try to deny it if you wish, but its the only logical means this game can step forward, Joust from TGT is an example of the ability to peek into your opponent's deck.
You talk like milling from the bottom and from the top are somehow relevant ideas. In Hearthstone literally no class can manipulate or control its deck. This means that you have no clue what is on top or bottom so which one you mill from doesn't really matter. What matters is that you get to know if you've milled specific answers or threats your opponent could have to your strategy. You know they don't have those cards, unlike Joust, which tells you what they have in their deck, sure fine, but it doesn't remove that as a thing they could play. It just informs you about what they have, it doesn't show you not only cards in their deck but take those options away.
Counterpoint 5: Secrets.
Hydro Shield makes perfect sense as a secret within the Basic Set. It is a spoiler, a taste to what it so to come, so is many other basics. Hydro Shield is fine, its more like Freezing Trap if anything.
I wasn't trying to say you couldn't put a secret in your base set if you didn't want to, that is your design option, I was just pointing out that blizzard has never, because of keeping the Basic Set as easy as possible, put class specific keywords or card types (i.e. secrets) in that set because it adds complexity very quickly. You also compare the card to Freezing Trap, which gain, cost more than this, but also gives the card in your hand. Yes its cost is increased, but you still have it as an option, this removes the card from your hand meaning in terms of card advantage it was an even trade. This spell costs too little mana, as does pretty much every one of his secrets. Paladin secrets cost 1 mana, and none of them are close to this. These are better than Hunter secrets which cost 2 mana. You understand what I'm saying right? Its not that hard to get that it costs too little. I don't care about how powerful you want to make the effect as long as it as an equivalent cost.
Drag to the Depths. About as trolly as most mage secrets in the game. Yep its a hard counter secret. I look at it more like Hex honestly.
Great, lets compare another 1 mana card to a card that costs more mana than it. You have to understand the card is fine, it just needs to cost 3 mana. Its not some great leap in logic to figure out. Hex does this but leaves a 0/1 taunt, that does generally mean something, be it a few points of saved damage to kill it or the use of a hero power.
Edge of the World. Denial of Card Draw = Control of Card Draw.
I've gone over why Denial and Control are the same above, hopefully my point was understood there.
Wash Away the Horde. You left out Patron Warrior, Tempo Mage and Aggro Druid. Its Anti-Swarm Tech.
Right, so you hated one idea so much that you designed a card to beat it, and you put it in a class built around generally never letting your opponent do anything satisfying. Seems fun for everyone. Go home Secrets, you're drunk.
Counterpoint 6: Basics are not weak.
A lot of your arguments can be boiled down to how a basic card is strong. News flash, basics for classes are not weak cards. Also to counterpoint you here, one of your other complaints is the power level of minions. They have horrible stat lines and are general.
I never said Basic cards are weak, but I'm saying some of his basic cards are far better than other classes basic cards in an many cases any of their cards. The minions don't have that bad of stat lines honestly, its just there aren't any "late game" minions. There are plenty of 2/3s for 2, and nothing being a 2/1 or 1/2 for 2, so I'd say the statlines are completely normal. You have a 1/9 for 5 with the Emperor Cobra effect, hell Maexxna costs 6 and has the same overall stats, and you can only play 1 of it in your deck. Choosing to only make 1-4 drops is your call, but lets be clear, that doesn't make the minions weak, it just means they aren't expensive. There is a pretty big difference between power and cost. Most aggro decks don't care about minions that cost more than 4 anyway, so really he's just designed a bunch of efficient, sticky, synergistic minions, actually it seems perfect for aggro, especially when you have such amazing cheap tempo removal.
Great White Shark. Its a 2m 2/3 with charge and two forms of protection. The shark's primary purpose is to take out small minions. The only reasonable nerf is 3m yet that clogs up the 3m slot even more which is a terrible idea. 1/3 would be the closest your ever going to get.
He could make this a 2/2 or a 1/3 both of those are options, or if he's really into that statline and its simple enough to throw on a drawback like Can't Attack Players, so that his can be a sweet trading minion like you say that isn't just the stone nuts.
Pounding Waves. Kills a Semi-random card from the opponent's deck as It mills the bottom; it doesn't mill an entirely random card from the deck. Oh yes lets just focus on all that AoE Damage Tidehunter has... Oh Wait. The class utilizes Drown in place of Damage Spells in order to make up for the fact that they don't utilize Damage Spells. If we take away Drown, we homogenize the class and worsen it as a result. Besides the only reason it silences is because Deathrattle became such a threat from Naxxramas and we all know how toxic of a game environment that was. Its called a Hard Counter to Deathrattle, against non-deathrattle minions it reads: "Destroy two random enemy minions. Mill 1."
Let me guess, you and many others are having a knee-jerk reaction to the fact it has Silence as well? Wouldn't surprise me.
Ok, so first off, yes, the silence matters! If it didn't matter it wouldn't cost stat points on minions or put drawbacks onto removal that has a similar effect. You get to kill 2 minions for 5 mana without a drawback of any kind, that isn't fair, reasonable or ok, its OVER POWERED!!!! You don't even have a good argument against it costing the same as Assassinate, only 1 more than Polymorph, which still leaves your opponent a 1/1, but full deals with 2 of your opponents cards. Again, I'm not complaining about the effect, I'm complaining about the cost. Its a tempo nuke, its blows your opponent out of the game, that shouldn't happen at 5 mana.
Swallowing Flood. Its only one-sided if you play an entire deck of class minions. This also assumes NO ONE would ever make a deck with say Ragnaros the Firelord or Sludgebelcher or Sylvanas Windrunner or Emperor Thaurissan or a whole host of deathrattle minions and mech support. Same with Lavaborn Serpent. Remember your trading Protection for Power. You want minions with higher attack and better board presence? Go add Neutral Minions to your deck. Also lets say I am running a class-only deck, no neutrals, I bet you $15 that the average attack amongst my minions is going to be 2... so scary. Also your not even comparing it to Flamestrike, one-sided 7m removal ring-a-bell?
Remember Flamestrike? its only deals 4 damage. In case you can't read or do math, that isn't even close to the same thing as Silencing and Destorying all of your opponents minions. And sure, you might play a few game ending legendaries, but they all likely cost equal or more than this, so you get to clear your opponents board before you play your sweet cards. Or, you just have to lose your 1 non-class minion to kill your opponents entire board, plus 3 of their other cards. And obviously aggro decks prove you don't need a bunch of 5 attack guys to win a game, you play a 3-4 1 drops and you'll finish a game fast enough.
Neptulon's Servant. More balanced than what Blizzard makes with Adventures and Expansion. If I totaled in the hero power, its a 3m 1/1 that mills 1 and comes back to your hand upon activation of your hero power IF its dead. Because we all want to burn 3m every turn to bring back a 1/1 that mills 1...
You may not do it every turn but it gives you an infinite 1/1, making your hero power cost 3, but not only freeze a random enemy but make you a 1/1 (like the pally hero power, which is one of the best in the game), and mills that one card. As a matter of fact I probably would do that just about every turn, since I'm neutralizing a threat, and running my opponent out of resources just by using my hero power.
I'm not saying someone can't design and develop a class that wants to disrupt/deny the opponent, but they need to focus on making the cards have cost balanced around the effect. At the moment that isn't the case here. I have no issue with most of the removal and minions if you adjust the cost, but as is most of them are way way way too efficient, and trying to play that off by making almost all your minions cost 1-4 mana and not be giant game ending monsters doesn't really mean anything when your main plan to win isn't through attacking anyway, its milling and fatigue.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women.
Summon a minion of your choice from your opponent's deck, then Drown (silence + destroy) it.
As a removal is broken as hell against many control decks (more now, that "Old Gods exist", but it's true that this fanmade is from 2015). But my biggest concern is that you are allowed to see all their fucking minions left (if you're able to choose the one you want from their deck...).
As others said, class concept is cool, but balance of many cards and mechanics is quite terrible imo :(
Ok, I'm not 100% sure how you came to the conclusion that your class is balanced, but I'm going to point some stuff out to you, since this is seems to be the first time you've created a class or even a large number of cards. I'm going to go over things in a spoiler so as not to fill up the thread with a giant post.
First, let's talk about Milling and Discard. Now, I know you feel like these things are ok, and this game obviously has "interaction" because it has removal spells and damage spells that only affect minions. However, because Hearthstone is a game of turn, meaning one player has his turn to do his things and the other play this gets his turn to react to that, interaction isn't actually that high. Yes, your actions are generally modified by what your opponent does, and he you, but there is instant speed response, besides secrets, which you opponent chooses when to attempt to trigger, not you. So, Blizzards statement that they don't want Milling and Discard to be a thing because it means you could lose the game without ever getting a chance to play is still very very correct and important to this game. Since you only get 2 copies of any non-legendary card and 1 of each legendary if your deck is highly dependant on 2-5 cards to actually kill you opponent then the ability to completely remove these without your opponent every being able to stop you is horrifyingly bad for the game. You call it a "control" mechanic, but its really a denial mechanic. You're not controlling your opponents actions, you're straight up taking them away, which isn't very fair to them, especially since they have no way to stop you from doing that, all the cards do it as part of them being played so you opponent literally is just stuck there while you wreck their deck. Also, this gives you tons of information. It shows you the cards you are killing, meaning you can get a better idea, and maybe know completely what you need to play around, since you could just mill both copies of something and then know your opponent just can't have that anymore. I hope this sheds some light on why this isn't good for the game.
Now, lets look some of the cards.
Ok, so first off, there are no secrets in the Basic Set, that mechanic doesn't show up for any class until common, this is just a simple design issue. I recommend before you think about starting another class design, or if you want to redesign this on that you go to THIS thread and read the basic rules they put forth that explain some things about how Blizzard chose to approach class design for keywords and abilities. Now, the first 2 of these secrets are similar to existing ones, at least kind of. Hydro-Shield is a 1 mana secret that rather than returning the minion to hand, shuffles it back into the deck. There is a Druid spell that costs 6 to do this, 6 mana!!! Yes, they can "play around it" but you've still discounted it at least 3 mana too many. Drag to the Depths also costs 1 and it effectively counters your opponents next minion. Are you joking? Is this a troll card? Snipe deals 4 damage to the next minion played for 2 mana, this kills anything and it also silences it. Oh, except it doesn't work in the mirror. That's a great design, my class is super over powered against everything else but the mirror is a giant mindless disaster mess because half you cards do nothing. Then, you have Edge of the World, which denies you opponent a card draw for 1 mana, this effectively cost you 1 mana to destroy a card also, since every card is a resource this is effectively 1 mana deny your opponent that resource. Are you starting to see a trend here? Then, finally we have Wash Away the Horde, which is just amazingly bad except against Paladin and Hunter because lets be honest no other class really ever makes 3+ minions in a turn, but this obviously hard counters Muster for Battle and any Unleash the Hounds for a decent amount. Let's also bring up that only your Basic and Classic set have any Secrets, so what, you decided you wanted your class to have them but then you forgot about the theme? You have to keep making Secrets if you start making them, no class has ever abandoned a mechanic like this.
Now, onto the Basic Set as a whole. Again, you've used your keywords everywhere, which no other class does really, keywords are supposed to help explain your class after you get past the Basics, not clutter your basic set with stuff you have to try to figure out and remember. But onto some of the problem cards.
So, we have Great White Shark. The single most over budgeted minion in the entire game. Its a mana 2/3 with Charge, something that is worth at least 2 stat points even on low drops. It has Dive Down, which means it can only die in minion combat or to an AoE spell, which should probably be worth at least 1 stat point, and it has Waterborn tacked on, which is probably fine and not worth anything but still. So you have about 8 stats worth of minions for 2 mana, with no drawback. We have Neptulon's Wrath, which is just a Dark Bomb, except it also kills one of your opponents cards. Yes, its true they may "never" have drawn it, but since your class is doing this repeatedly and plans to generally win through fatigue once you've wiped out your opponents deck and remaining resources it seems blatantly over powered.
Now we have the first insane offender in Pounding Waves. This is silence and kill 2 random minions and a random card in your opponents deck for 5 mana. Assassinate kills 1 guy, but doesn't silence it and doesn't do any other extra anything for 5 mana. The new card Dark Bargin destroys 2 random minions for 6 and has the discard 2 mechanic, which you could avoid in some way, but still, costs 1 more mana than, and has a drawback. Yours costs 5 and has an upside, and its in the Basic set.
Then you have Swallowing Flood, because you needed to really completely shit on your opponent. Since almost every single one of your minions is Waterborn none of them die, so you just get a 7 mana, kill all your opponents minions and 3 random cards from their deck. This is just hilarious out of control. The 2 comparisons for this are Lightbomb and Twisting Nether I guess. One of these only damages minions, therefore only killing them if they have don't have more health than attack, but it affects both sides of the board. The other kills everything, but again, is both ways, you and them, for 8 mana. Your kills pretty much only the opponents minions, but it also silences all of them, so the don't get any deathrattles, now that is some dedication to balance....
Lastly we have Servant of Neptulon which is effectively a near infinite 1/1 that costs 1 mana and mills 1, so you can just keep eating up your opponents hero power or trade into minions while dismantling your opponents deck, yeah you really "weakened" up your minions.
The remaining cards in the Base set are pretty benign, not glaring issues outside of the keyword stuff.
I could continue, but I don't think I need to say much more about it other than it needs a serious look. Nothing against you trying to do something different, but I think you've tried far far too hard to really push the idea you want to push without honestly thinking about what it means. If you'd like more analysis from me I'll keep going, but I don't want to waste too much of my time if you think I'm just being a jerk or I'm a moron.
If you want you could look at my class and its design ideas and concepts as well and maybe you'll find that helpful. You can check that out HERE
To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women.
@The_Odinson: I feel like playing devils advocate today. Nothing against you but I haven't done this in awhile.
Counterpoint 1: Simplicity is Hearthstone's Vinegar and Sugar.
See that is just a big problem with Hearthstone, its charm and its fault, its weakness and its strength, its vinegar and its sugar. Because they made the game so simplistic, anything that even has an inkling of higher power level is straight up power creep.
You know what I think of Blizzard's statement? Its a load of Hooey. The real reason they didn't stick with Mill or Discard or Theft is because it would be "Unfair" and "Disruptive". In MTG there is a thing called Mill, Discard, Land Destruction and Counterspells. All are disruptive for different reasons. As they are all meant to be the counterplay to certain archetypes. Take those away and leave it so the game little interactivity during an opponent's turn and you have no means of solid counterplay aside from spells and minions and weapons you can play on your turn.
Also what really hurts this game is not even 40 or 60 card decks and Blizzard's stubborn refusal to implement such things; as if their 30 card decks were some holy cow.
Counterpoint 2: Denial = Control.
Its honestly no different than if I played Shaman and stuffed my deck filled with removal and a few minions. My goal in such a Shaman deck is simple, I deny you board presence and win by grinding out the match. Its not the same form of control with Tidehunter, but its still control and its just more punishing to the unprepared.
Counterpoint 3: Mill =/= Not Fair.
You know what else is not "fair"? OTKs from annoying Patron Warriors. OTKs from Shaman and Warlock backed up by a Emperor Thaurissan + Malygos. Druid who still have a OTK combo that can take out a 16 Health hero with just two cards, four with Emperor. Or even, to dredge up an oldie, Miracle Rogue back when it was at the height of its power. Even Dr. Boom is unbalanced and Blizzard acknowledges that and still refuses to nerf it.
Not everything is fair and not everything fights the same way as others, Unless you purpose to homogenize all things.
Counterpoint 4: Knowledge = Power.
Yeah, milling the bottom cards of an opponent's deck tells them a lot about what your playing. Unless you forgot to notice, there is also three cards which give you information on the cards in your opponent's hand and one that gives you direct information on the top three cards of your opponent's deck. Try to deny it if you wish, but its the only logical means this game can step forward, Joust from TGT is an example of the ability to peek into your opponent's deck.
Counterpoint 5: Secrets.
Hydro Shield makes perfect sense as a secret within the Basic Set. It is a spoiler, a taste to what it so to come, so is many other basics. Hydro Shield is fine, its more like Freezing Trap if anything.
Drag to the Depths. About as trolly as most mage secrets in the game. Yep its a hard counter secret. I look at it more like Hex honestly.
Edge of the World. Denial of Card Draw = Control of Card Draw.
Wash Away the Horde. You left out Patron Warrior, Tempo Mage and Aggro Druid. Its Anti-Swarm Tech.
Counterpoint 6: Basics are not weak.
A lot of your arguments can be boiled down to how a basic card is strong. News flash, basics for classes are not weak cards. Also to counterpoint you here, one of your other complaints is the power level of minions. They have horrible stat lines and are general.
Great White Shark. Its a 2m 2/3 with charge and two forms of protection. The shark's primary purpose is to take out small minions. The only reasonable nerf is 3m yet that clogs up the 3m slot even more which is a terrible idea. 1/3 would be the closest your ever going to get.
Pounding Waves. Kills a Semi-random card from the opponent's deck as It mills the bottom; it doesn't mill an entirely random card from the deck. Oh yes lets just focus on all that AoE Damage Tidehunter has... Oh Wait. The class utilizes Drown in place of Damage Spells in order to make up for the fact that they don't utilize Damage Spells. If we take away Drown, we homogenize the class and worsen it as a result. Besides the only reason it silences is because Deathrattle became such a threat from Naxxramas and we all know how toxic of a game environment that was. Its called a Hard Counter to Deathrattle, against non-deathrattle minions it reads: "Destroy two random enemy minions. Mill 1."
Let me guess, you and many others are having a knee-jerk reaction to the fact it has Silence as well? Wouldn't surprise me.
Swallowing Flood. Its only one-sided if you play an entire deck of class minions. This also assumes NO ONE would ever make a deck with say Ragnaros the Firelord or Sludgebelcher or Sylvanas Windrunner or Emperor Thaurissan or a whole host of deathrattle minions and mech support. Same with Lavaborn Serpent. Remember your trading Protection for Power. You want minions with higher attack and better board presence? Go add Neutral Minions to your deck. Also lets say I am running a class-only deck, no neutrals, I bet you $15 that the average attack amongst my minions is going to be 2... so scary. Also your not even comparing it to Flamestrike, one-sided 7m removal ring-a-bell?
Neptulon's Servant. More balanced than what Blizzard makes with Adventures and Expansion. If I totaled in the hero power, its a 3m 1/1 that mills 1 and comes back to your hand upon activation of your hero power IF its dead. Because we all want to burn 3m every turn to bring back a 1/1 that mills 1...
Mrghl Mrghl!
I'm going to reply within your spoilers, I'll bold my responses.
To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women.
I think none has talked about Set Adrift:
Summon a minion of your choice from your opponent's deck, then Drown (silence + destroy) it.
As a removal is broken as hell against many control decks (more now, that "Old Gods exist", but it's true that this fanmade is from 2015). But my biggest concern is that you are allowed to see all their fucking minions left (if you're able to choose the one you want from their deck...).
As others said, class concept is cool, but balance of many cards and mechanics is quite terrible imo :(
This is horribly useless info of me to input, but you use waaaay too much mtg art. It just irks me. Makes me unable to see these as Hearthstone cards.
TEMPO MAGE