I can't find the explanation maybe I missed it. At first I thought they would replace the fire totem with a more unique and cool minion, that would only make sense to align it with the other 0/2 totems and it's the most disliked totem.
But then I realized they were removing the air totem and I lost it. The new totem is only better for aggro deck (and given the new OP 1 drop shamans have in the core set, I can see they are pushing aggro), for slower control deck this is a pure nerf in my opinion.
Also it's generally the most disliked HP, and of those who like it, it's for the air and earth totem... I don't get it. Maybe it's because of a balance issue but how could they make a card so powerful that it breaks Wrath of Air Totem ? Could it be because of that absurd 1 drop with spell damage ? Or they just don't like that the air totem is so much better than the others and it's easier to nerf 1 than buff 3 ?
No it is just because Air Totem was always unfun to play with, with Spirit Claw for example. Your opponent hates it when you yolo roll it and you hate it when you don't get it for your synergies
Furthermore it is the odd one out of the 4 totems, every other totem helps you to improve you board presence just air totem doesn't and isn't the totem "arctype" really board centered with buffs etc
And Spell Damage itself also limits design space, now you can lower the downside of overload (as they did) and print better control tools for the early game
I think the big thing was how RNG it could be. Getting that through RNG and then using an aoe, completely changes what it could clear.
That was a huge part of shaman's identity and the only reason to play shaman HP to me but hey, that makes sense, I guess it's frustrating when the opponent gets the lucky air totem at the perfect time. But there is the same problem with taunt and healing totem to an extent so... Hmm.
I would've been happier with a complete revamp of the HP to be honest, if they're going to change it, change it in a big way.
No it is just because Air Totem was always unfun to play with, with Spirit Claw for example. Your opponent hates it when you yolo roll it and you hate it when you don't get it for your synergies
Furthermore it is the odd one out of the 4 totems, every other totem helps you to improve you board presence just air totem doesn't and isn't the totem "arctype" really board centered with buffs etc
And Spell Damage itself also limits design space, now you can lower the downside of overload (as they did) and print better control tools for the early game
Don't you hate it when you're denied lethal with taunt totem ? Or with armor up ? I mean opponents hate when you can do anything to react, if they hate the RNG nature of the shaman HP this change is not going to fix it, they will just project their hate on taunt totem instead of spell damage totem.
I can see how spell damage limits design space. But that's kind of an unfair point in the expansion where they released a 1 mana 3/2 with spell damage, there seems to be plenty of design space for it.
I really like overload too and I hope they don't dumb it down too much.
And I don't know it just feels lame to nerf the worst hero power in the game.
I was quite surprised that they took out Wrath of Air Totem as opposed to a different one. I see some logic to it, I'm not butthurt over it being gone. However in the deck that made this hero power feel best--Odd Shaman--games were won on the backs of 2-3 spell damage totems.
Anyway--what the heck does the new one do?? Can't find it anywhere
My first reaction was how weird is it that they're getting rid of spell damage totem when they've spent all year trying to make spell damage shaman a thing--and revealed new core cards (IIRC?) that support it too? It seems so foreign to imagine that they were printing so much spell damage support that they thought little wrath of air totem would push it into OP territory
I was quite surprised that they took out Wrath of Air Totem as opposed to a different one. I see some logic to it, I'm not butthurt over it being gone. However in the deck that made this hero power feel best--Odd Shaman--games were won on the backs of 2-3 spell damage totems.
Anyway--what the heck does the new one do?? Can't find it anywhere
0/2 at the end of your turn give +1 atk to another random friendly minion.
Marginally useful in aggro decks, total trash (as bad as fire and healing totems) in other decks. In my opinion. Maybe there will be some support cards.
The shaman hero power basically comes down to 25% chance to summon taunt totem, 75% chance to waste 2 mana. Was 50/50 before, oh well.
Don't you know, of all the hero powers, upgraded and basic, the shaman one was the most broken. Everyone has been complaining about it for 6 years. Yep there's nothing more consistent and game-winning than the Shaman hero power.
My first reaction was how weird is it that they're getting rid of spell damage totem when they've spent all year trying to make spell damage shaman a thing--and revealed new core cards (IIRC?) that support it too? It seems so foreign to imagine that they were printing so much spell damage support that they thought little wrath of air totem would push it into OP territory
I think what they're aiming to do is limit the amount of generic + Spell Damage to add more spell damage school specific cards like the +3 Nature Spell Damage legendary to promote board clears with stuff like lightning storm, while simultaneously discouraging using that same spell power to go face by classifying it as a different school like fire in the case of Lava Burst (assuming it's still in). At least that's my first thought, and would probably be more important for classes like Priest or Mage that might have a bigger appreciation for the differences between their magic schools.
Kind of surprised that the 'zappy boi' nod is a common though.
RIP Odd Shaman, my favourite deck. Over the last couple of years it went from utter meme to the cream of Tier 3. Never thought it would end like this.
I get that the variance might have been a bit high with AoE, but I don't see introducing a totem with a RANDOM effect as fixing that.
Here's a better rework: Totems summon in a set cycle, 1/1-Healing-Taunt-Spell Damage. Then you can plan ahead, and both you and your opponent know which one you'll get next.
Honesty though, my preferred fix would just be to delete Searing Totem outright and make the HP a 33% roll instead of 25%.
Shaman has been a joke class since release that's why.
Oh c'mon are you serious??? Trogg shaman, Totem buff shaman, Old evolve shaman, Shudder shaman, Elemental shaman, Galakrond shaman and Quest shaman (before nerf), New evolve shaman. All those decks were tier1 at their time.
But the new one is a dead minion in damage spell related decks, same story..
Except it isn't dead in damage spell related decks.
It can *always* give +1 attack to the other totems your HP creates.
Wrath of Air totem is a textless 0/2 totem in decks that don't use spell damage effects. The new one at least has an effect regardless of how you built your deck, even if that effect is relatively minor.
I can't find the explanation maybe I missed it. At first I thought they would replace the fire totem with a more unique and cool minion, that would only make sense to align it with the other 0/2 totems and it's the most disliked totem.
But then I realized they were removing the air totem and I lost it. The new totem is only better for aggro deck (and given the new OP 1 drop shamans have in the core set, I can see they are pushing aggro), for slower control deck this is a pure nerf in my opinion.
Also it's generally the most disliked HP, and of those who like it, it's for the air and earth totem... I don't get it. Maybe it's because of a balance issue but how could they make a card so powerful that it breaks Wrath of Air Totem ? Could it be because of that absurd 1 drop with spell damage ? Or they just don't like that the air totem is so much better than the others and it's easier to nerf 1 than buff 3 ?
Probably because they didn't liked that it was a dead minion in non-damage spells related decks.
But the new one is a dead minion in damage spell related decks, same story..
I think the big thing was how RNG it could be. Getting that through RNG and then using an aoe, completely changes what it could clear.
No it is just because Air Totem was always unfun to play with, with Spirit Claw for example. Your opponent hates it when you yolo roll it and you hate it when you don't get it for your synergies
Furthermore it is the odd one out of the 4 totems, every other totem helps you to improve you board presence just air totem doesn't and isn't the totem "arctype" really board centered with buffs etc
And Spell Damage itself also limits design space, now you can lower the downside of overload (as they did) and print better control tools for the early game
That was a huge part of shaman's identity and the only reason to play shaman HP to me but hey, that makes sense, I guess it's frustrating when the opponent gets the lucky air totem at the perfect time. But there is the same problem with taunt and healing totem to an extent so... Hmm.
I would've been happier with a complete revamp of the HP to be honest, if they're going to change it, change it in a big way.
Shaman has been a joke class since release that's why.
Don't you hate it when you're denied lethal with taunt totem ? Or with armor up ? I mean opponents hate when you can do anything to react, if they hate the RNG nature of the shaman HP this change is not going to fix it, they will just project their hate on taunt totem instead of spell damage totem.
I can see how spell damage limits design space. But that's kind of an unfair point in the expansion where they released a 1 mana 3/2 with spell damage, there seems to be plenty of design space for it.
I really like overload too and I hope they don't dumb it down too much.
And I don't know it just feels lame to nerf the worst hero power in the game.
I was quite surprised that they took out Wrath of Air Totem as opposed to a different one. I see some logic to it, I'm not butthurt over it being gone. However in the deck that made this hero power feel best--Odd Shaman--games were won on the backs of 2-3 spell damage totems.
Anyway--what the heck does the new one do?? Can't find it anywhere
Except that even a spell related shaman decks plays minions and/or has totems on the board, so they still gain an effect out of the totem.
Shamans have had their moments too, plenty of crazy cards a meta decks. I see you still can't get past the Mistcallergate hehe
My first reaction was how weird is it that they're getting rid of spell damage totem when they've spent all year trying to make spell damage shaman a thing--and revealed new core cards (IIRC?) that support it too? It seems so foreign to imagine that they were printing so much spell damage support that they thought little wrath of air totem would push it into OP territory
0/2 at the end of your turn give +1 atk to another random friendly minion.
Marginally useful in aggro decks, total trash (as bad as fire and healing totems) in other decks. In my opinion. Maybe there will be some support cards.
The shaman hero power basically comes down to 25% chance to summon taunt totem, 75% chance to waste 2 mana. Was 50/50 before, oh well.
"We noticed Lady Vashj wasn't seeing enough play, so we decided to remove Wrath of Air totem from the game."
Love, Blizzard.
Don't you know, of all the hero powers, upgraded and basic, the shaman one was the most broken. Everyone has been complaining about it for 6 years. Yep there's nothing more consistent and game-winning than the Shaman hero power.
I think what they're aiming to do is limit the amount of generic + Spell Damage to add more spell damage school specific cards like the +3 Nature Spell Damage legendary to promote board clears with stuff like lightning storm, while simultaneously discouraging using that same spell power to go face by classifying it as a different school like fire in the case of Lava Burst (assuming it's still in). At least that's my first thought, and would probably be more important for classes like Priest or Mage that might have a bigger appreciation for the differences between their magic schools.
Kind of surprised that the 'zappy boi' nod is a common though.
RIP Odd Shaman, my favourite deck. Over the last couple of years it went from utter meme to the cream of Tier 3. Never thought it would end like this.
I get that the variance might have been a bit high with AoE, but I don't see introducing a totem with a RANDOM effect as fixing that.
Here's a better rework: Totems summon in a set cycle, 1/1-Healing-Taunt-Spell Damage. Then you can plan ahead, and both you and your opponent know which one you'll get next.
Honesty though, my preferred fix would just be to delete Searing Totem outright and make the HP a 33% roll instead of 25%.
Oh c'mon are you serious??? Trogg shaman, Totem buff shaman, Old evolve shaman, Shudder shaman, Elemental shaman, Galakrond shaman and Quest shaman (before nerf), New evolve shaman. All those decks were tier1 at their time.
Except it isn't dead in damage spell related decks.
It can *always* give +1 attack to the other totems your HP creates.
Wrath of Air totem is a textless 0/2 totem in decks that don't use spell damage effects. The new one at least has an effect regardless of how you built your deck, even if that effect is relatively minor.
Actualy, I think that Wrath of Air Totem makes the most sense to go. It's the one which needs the most specific situation.