Hearthpwn

One of the most common critiques on the current state of the game is the exaggerated number of cards that involve mana reduction, therefore transforming Hearthstone into some sort of solitaire-like card game, as it allows you to play an abnormal amount of cards per turn. In order to bring some light into the discussion, I decided to share some figures about this.

Definition of mana reduction

When it comes to determining the number of cards that reduce mana costs, I only selected those that actually reduce the cost of cards in your hand and hero powers. Cards like Pride Seeker and Siphon Mana are included, but cards like Grey Sage Parrot and Rune of the Archmage are not considered, as they don't actually reduce any card's cost (although it could be considered mana cheating. I consider it myself just the effect of the spell/minion).

Year of the Gryphon overview

With the Year of the Gryphon complete, it is possible to examine every single card that belongs to this year (I'm excluding the essential set).

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Sets	Cards that involve mana reduction
Forged in the Barrens	13
Wailing Caverns	4
United in Stormwind	16
Deadmines	2
Fractured in Alterac Valley	19

 

An upward trend has been observed since the beginning of the Year of the Gryphon, starting from 13 cards in March 2021 (Forged in the Barren's release date) to 54 cards in December 2021 (Fractured in Alterac's release date). A chart evincing this upward trend can be seen below:

Here is the full list of cards that involve mana reduction:

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Name	Description	Set
Blackwater Cutlass	Tradeable After you Trade this, reduce the cost of a spell in your hand by (1).	Deadmines
Need for Greed	Tradeable Draw 3 cards. If drawn this turn, this costs (3).	Deadmines
Arcane Luminary	Cards that didn't start in your deck cost (2) less, but not less than (1).	Forged in the Barrens
Barrens Scavenger	Taunt Costs (1) while your deck has 10 or fewer cards.	Forged in the Barrens
Barrens Trapper	Your Deathrattle cards cost (1) less.	Forged in the Barrens
Cariel Roame	Rush, Divine Shield Whenever this attacks, reduce the Cost of Holy spells in your hand by (1).	Forged in the Barrens
Celestial Alignment	Set each player to 0 Mana Crystals. Set the Cost of cards in all hands and decks to (1).	Forged in the Barrens
Efficient Octo-bot	Frenzy: Reduce the cost of cards in your hand by (1).	Forged in the Barrens
Kindling Elemental	Battlecry: The next Elemental you play costs (1) less.	Forged in the Barrens
Living Seed (Rank 1)	Draw a Beast. Reduce its Cost by (1). (Upgrades when you have 5 Mana.)	Forged in the Barrens
Power Word: Fortitude	Give a minion +3/+5. Costs (1) less for each spell in your hand.	Forged in the Barrens
Razormane Battleguard	The first Taunt minion you play each turn costs (2) less.	Forged in the Barrens
Scabbs Cutterbutter	Combo: The next two cards you play this turn cost (3) less.	Forged in the Barrens
Tamsin Roame	Whenever you cast a Shadow spell that costs (1) or more, add a copy to your hand that costs (0).	Forged in the Barrens
Yoink!	Discover a Hero Power and set its Cost to (0). Swap back after 2 uses.	Forged in the Barrens
Amplified Snowflurry	Battlecry: Your next Hero Power costs (0) and Freezes the target.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Cera'thine Fleetrunner	Battlecry: Replace your minions in hand and deck with ones from other classes. They cost (2) less.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Dun Baldar Bunker	At the end of your turn, draw a Secret and set its Cost to (1). Lasts 3 turns.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Frostsaber Matriarch	Taunt. Costs (1) less for each Beast you've summoned this game.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Frostwolf Warmaster	Costs (1) less for each card you've played this turn.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Lokholar, the Ice Lord	Rush, Windfury Costs (5) less if you have 15 Health or less.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Pride Seeker	Battlecry: Your next Choose One card costs (2) less.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Reconnaissance	Discover a Deathrattle minion from another class. It costs (2) less.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Shield Shatter	Deal 5 damage to all minions. Costs (1) less for each Armor you have.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Shivering Sorceress	Battlecry: Reduce the Cost of the highest Cost spell in your hand by (1).	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Siphon Mana	Deal 2 damage. Honorable Kill: Reduce the Cost of spells in your hand by (1).	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Sneaky Scout	Stealth Honorable Kill: Your next Hero Power costs (0).	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Stonehearth Vindicator	Battlecry: Draw a spell that costs (3) or less. It costs (0) this turn.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Stormpike Battle Ram	Rush Deathrattle: Your next Beasts costs (2) less.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Stormpike Marshall	Taunt If you took 5 or more damage on your opponent's turn, this costs (1).	Fractured in Alterac Valley
To the Front!	Your minions cost (2) less this turn, but not less than (1).	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Ur'zul Giant	Costs (1) less for each friendly minion that died this game.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Vanndar Stormpike	Battlecry: If this costs less than every minion in your deck, reduce their Cost by (3).	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Wildpaw Gnoll	Rush Costs (1) less for each card you've added to your hand from another class.	Fractured in Alterac Valley
Anetheron	Costs (1) if your hand is full.	United in Stormwind
Auctionhouse Gavel	After your hero attacks, reduce the Cost of a Battlecry minion in your hand by (1).	United in Stormwind
Celestial Ink Set	After you spend 5 Mana on spells, reduce the cost of a spell in your hand by (5). Lose 1 Durability.	United in Stormwind
Deeprun Engineer	Battlecry: Discover a Mech. It costs (1) less.	United in Stormwind
Felgorger	Battlecry: Draw a Fel spell. Reduce its Cost by (2).	United in Stormwind
Final Showdown	Questline: Draw 4 cards in one turn. Reward: Reduce the Cost of the cards drawn by (1).	United in Stormwind
Florist	At the end of your turn, reduce the cost of a Nature spell in your hand by (1).	United in Stormwind
Goldshire Gnoll	Rush Costs (1) less for each other card in your hand.	United in Stormwind
Granite Forgeborn	Battlecry: Reduce the cost of Elementals in your hand and deck by (1).	United in Stormwind
Hot Streak	Your next Fire spell this turn costs (2) less.	United in Stormwind
Irebound Brute	Taunt Costs (1) less for each card drawn this turn.	United in Stormwind
Runed Mithril Rod	After you draw 4 cards, reduce the Cost of cards in your hand by (1). Lose 1 Durability.	United in Stormwind
SI:7 Assassin	Costs (1) less for each SI:7 card you've played this game. Combo: Destroy an enemy minion.	United in Stormwind
SI:7 Skulker	Stealth Battlecry: The next card you draw costs (1) less.	United in Stormwind
Sigil of Alacrity	At the start of your next turn, draw a card and reduce its Cost by (1).	United in Stormwind
Two-Faced Investor	At the end of your turn, reduce the Cost of a card in your hand by (1). (50% chance to increase.)	United in Stormwind
Devout Dungeoneer	Battlecry: Draw a spell. If it's a Holy spell, reduce its Cost by (2).	Wailing Caverns
Fangbound Druid	Taunt Deathrattle: Reduce the Cost of a Beast in your hand by (2).	Wailing Caverns
Floecaster	Costs (2) less for each Frozen enemy.	Wailing Caverns
Lady Anacondra	Your Nature spells cost (2) less.	Wailing Caverns

 

Conclusions

It seems that printing cards that involve mana reduction is becomin more common expansion after expansion. As the upward trend suggests, it won't be any surprise if they printed more than 19 cards involving mana reduction in the expansion to come after Fractured in Alterac.

Abusing game mechanics has never been ideal to keep a healthy metagame, so the developers should revise this tendency. Otherwise, it will discourage long-term players to keep playing Hearthstone, as they will feel outraged by the "evolution" of the game.

I would like to study more things, like the evolution of mana cheating since the beginning of the game, but it involves a lot of time and I will like to know if you support this idea first. What do you guys think?

At first, I thought, "Oh there haven't been THAT many", but then I saw the numbers and said to myself, "That's quite a bit. There's definitely too many, and they're good too." I really just wish the devs would stop with the mana reduction, or at least limit it to be "But not less than (1)".

I added the full list of cards that has the "mana reduction" mechanic. Maybe I had to add Defend the Dwarven District as well...

This was literally one of my first reactions during card reveals. Wow, they sure are making alot of cards that give cost reductions.

Devs dont learn their lesson. 

We all know after a couple weeks of the initial set launch there will likely be nerfs. I'd bet my life atleast a couple of the main cards to get nerfed will be ones that feature cost reductions in some way.

hoping for a mass removal/nerf of these cards at set rotation. Make Octobot cost 4, warlock weapon cost 5, etc.

While there are more cards with a cost reduction, the actual effect should be considered as well. There is a huge difference between cards like Incanter's Flow and cards that have a more niche application.
Incanter's or Battleguard apply to everything unconditionally while many new cards instead reduce their own cost based on a condition or only apply to single instances (next card, hero power, etc.) and barely to your whole hand (which is also limited). The only case is Cera'thine Fleetrunner but the new minions are random so no real planning is possible.

I think this approach is better and facilitates certain archetypes that focus on meeting the criteria. The issue is that when the criteria can be met too easily so that it is no longer a drawback or a challenge, but automatic. I can imagine a meta where you would be careful with your damage or you would face juiced Stormpike Marshal or Lokholar the Ice Lord way too early.

I'm totally for the "But not less than (1)" cap to deal with this madness

Hmm so with adding new cards there is an upward trend in cards with a certain mechanic? Who would have thought!!!?! 

At least compare to other years and differentiate the type of discount. 

Great idea OP! Please continue the trend of studying things, as that will likely make others realize how this game went to shit bit by bit, and knowingly.

Here are some ideas for more statistics:

- evolution of random effects on cards

- evolution of the number of filler/situational cards from each year

- evolution of the average number of turns to finish a game

- evolution of the number of bugs present in the game (known/reported ones, ofc)

Would be lovely to include some qualitative splitting too, like another user hinted at above. Like, split each category into something like "meaningful / meta defining" and "situational". Of course, this can only be done for old stuff which has seen play (while Alterac could only include it like a prediction of sorts).

Can't wait to read more stuff like this!