Curious to hear what everyone is thinking about the mini-set so far. I'm actually enjoying ladder more now than I have in a long time. For me, I've really enjoyed that the mini-set is very board-based. It feels more like OG Hearthstone to me. I've mostly been playing Terran decks, and the shift from launching one big Starship, to lots of little ones for cheap has been really enjoyable (if only moderately successful from a WR perspective).
The two main things I'm NOT enjoying about this expansion (or at least questioning) are:
1. It's taken away A LOT from deckbuilding. If you're going to use ONE of the mini-set cards, you're pretty much using all 15 that are available to you, so your deckbuilding choices are very limited. I guess this could be a pro or con. I think deckbuilding SHOULD be a major/fun part of Hearthstone, but for people who don't find that aspect as enjoyable, this could be a good thing.
2. The DK Zerg deck is very pervasive. It gets a little old, even though I don't see it as overly powerful or unbeatable. I do wish there was more interesting silence than Librarian though. (I think DK Zerg is becoming ubiquitous enough at this point where at least considering silence tech is reasonable.)
How is everyone else feeling? I know the forums tend to bias strongly in the negative direction, but I'm having fun, and it doesn't feel like the meta has been figured out yet.
Best mini set of all time and has seen by far the most amount of cards. Honestly loving it, feels like a new expansion. Gonna take a couple of tweaks to get it right but hopefully this happens every mini set now, just shake things up massively. I’d honestly be happy just in this first balance patch if Dungar got hit and that was that.
I think point 1 is the real downside. Only time will tell if this mini-set becomes the true meta, but if it does, pretty much half of every deck will be identical because there's no point going "half-in".
Imo this is the worst approach to card design and leads to either:
a) all the cards being used (because its top tier), or b) none of the cards being used (because its trash tier).
I say this knowing that it's difficult to design new, interesting, and balanced cards. The "forced synergy" is arguably a lazy way of ensuring that balance is more controllable as future sets are released
I think point 1 is the real downside. Only time will tell if this mini-set becomes the true meta, but if it does, pretty much half of every deck will be identical because there's no point going "half-in".
Imo this is the worst approach to card design and leads to either:
a) all the cards being used (because its top tier), or b) none of the cards being used (because its trash tier).
I say this knowing that it's difficult to design new, interesting, and balanced cards. The "forced synergy" is arguably a lazy way of ensuring that balance is more controllable as future sets are released
I guess I have to agree with you on this being a bad approach to card design. To your point, this expansion makes me totally uninterested in playing Druid because their Protoss cards just aren't good compared to the other stuff Druid can do (Dungar nonsense). I do find it interesting though that I'm having fun with cards that I believe you've correctly identified as being poorly designed. Historically in Hearthstone, I've equated poor design with a complete absence of fun (looking at you, United in Stormwind Questlines...).
better than most, because its forced archetypes are impactful enough to run and big enough to force build-arounds.
Its strength is also its biggest weakness, save for a few of them, you will never run just one or two SC cards for their utility in another strategy.
Meta-wise, some strategies are too high rolly and old bullshit like dungar and handbuff hunter prevent the meta from being good.
While I agree with you on it being unfortunate that old decks like Dungar Druid prevent the meta from being good, isn't that kind of always the case with the mini-sets? They're so few cards that they are never able to fully shake-up the meta in a meaningful way. I'd honestly prefer four full-blown expansions without mini-sets each year over three with mini-sets for this reason. (I know it would be more expensive, but this is really the only video game I've played for years, so I do feel like the fun is at least somewhat consistent with the cost.)
Very impactful. Battleships are no longer slow, clunky cards that "could have won me the match if I had one more turn". Having a 1 mana button is genuinely terrifying now.
If it wasnt for the weird idiotic bug and OP zerg shit, it would be good. Still, its better than most and cant wait for some of the truely bs stuff to go out of rotiation so the game is playable for once
It's fine but its shelf life will be very short. They're not likely to print any more Protoss or Zerg cards (until the inevitable Starcraft II tie-in) so this expansion will be mostly forgotten in a year.
It's fine but its shelf life will be very short. They're not likely to print any more Protoss or Zerg cards (until the inevitable Starcraft II tie-in) so this expansion will be mostly forgotten in a year.
Still, it's a nice distraction for a bit.
It’s not an expansion it’s a mini set, and the packages particularly Zerg are very strong, it’s even made DK playable in wild. Much better to have an impactful mini set with nothing inherently broken than one low impact that has 1 or 2 outliers like usual.
It's fine but its shelf life will be very short. They're not likely to print any more Protoss or Zerg cards (until the inevitable Starcraft II tie-in) so this expansion will be mostly forgotten in a year.
Still, it's a nice distraction for a bit.
It’s not an expansion it’s a mini set, and the packages particularly Zerg are very strong, it’s even made DK playable in wild. Much better to have an impactful mini set with nothing inherently broken than one low impact that has 1 or 2 outliers like usual.
For sure. I can't remember a time that the mini-set completely changed the meta like this one has. I don't typically play Wild, but it says something if it's affected the Wild meta even slightly, as that's a much taller order.
I've got to say, this has to be the most impactful mini-set in the game's history. I can't think of a time that a mini-set shook things up like this. And yeah, maybe the cards don't see super long-term play, but man oh man are they fun. And reading comments on some of the forums, it seems like the consensus is that people are having more fun in Hearthstone (standard) than they've had in a long time. Zerg DK, Terran Shaman, Terran Warrior, Protoss Priest and Protoss Druid are all super fun to play. Launching the cheaper Battlecruisers throughout the game has provided a very welcome strategic element (when to launch). I found myself facing a Terran Shaman last night where I knew the game was over if he decided to NOT launch his 1-mana Starship on turn 5, but he made the right call and did (and I lost, but good on him).
The power-level of the Protoss Druid deck is somewhat concerning though. I saw Chump say this (and I agree), but the fact that the Groovy Cat effect essentially provides a double-buff is nuts and makes questionable sense. I think from a card-text perspective, it does make sense, but from a gameplay perspective it just seems more effective that the devs would have really intended...especially with Leeroy in the game again.
Anyway, after 10 years, I was SUPER close to quitting Hearthstone (thank you, Asteroids), but this mini-set really turned things around for me.
I remember when Hearthstone first came out. I was feeling the nostalgia. My favorite Warcraft characters as cards! Thats how I feel about this mini-set. I am enjoying seeing the Starcraft universe. I was fond of the Zerg. A swarm that hatches and forms into different zerg or structures was something I never seen in a game personally.
I find the clash irrelevant. Yes the Starcraft cards are doing amazing in the meta right now but thats got nothing to do with it. They could have just made another WoW mini-set and used silver knights, undead, and hunters instead. The mechancis and intereactions is whats special here. The addition of different Blizzard games may open up new ideas. Something I feel we all wanted.
I am happy for this addition. We've already had Diablo content in non ranked modes. This is on its way to giving non WoW players a curiosity of what this card game is like. I'd gladly welcome non WoW players who only care about Starcraft. At the end of the day its just a childrens card game ;)
Curious to hear what everyone is thinking about the mini-set so far. I'm actually enjoying ladder more now than I have in a long time. For me, I've really enjoyed that the mini-set is very board-based. It feels more like OG Hearthstone to me. I've mostly been playing Terran decks, and the shift from launching one big Starship, to lots of little ones for cheap has been really enjoyable (if only moderately successful from a WR perspective).
The two main things I'm NOT enjoying about this expansion (or at least questioning) are:
1. It's taken away A LOT from deckbuilding. If you're going to use ONE of the mini-set cards, you're pretty much using all 15 that are available to you, so your deckbuilding choices are very limited. I guess this could be a pro or con. I think deckbuilding SHOULD be a major/fun part of Hearthstone, but for people who don't find that aspect as enjoyable, this could be a good thing.
2. The DK Zerg deck is very pervasive. It gets a little old, even though I don't see it as overly powerful or unbeatable. I do wish there was more interesting silence than Librarian though. (I think DK Zerg is becoming ubiquitous enough at this point where at least considering silence tech is reasonable.)
How is everyone else feeling? I know the forums tend to bias strongly in the negative direction, but I'm having fun, and it doesn't feel like the meta has been figured out yet.
Best mini set of all time and has seen by far the most amount of cards. Honestly loving it, feels like a new expansion. Gonna take a couple of tweaks to get it right but hopefully this happens every mini set now, just shake things up massively. I’d honestly be happy just in this first balance patch if Dungar got hit and that was that.
better than most, because its forced archetypes are impactful enough to run and big enough to force build-arounds.
Its strength is also its biggest weakness, save for a few of them, you will never run just one or two SC cards for their utility in another strategy.
Meta-wise, some strategies are too high rolly and old bullshit like dungar and handbuff hunter prevent the meta from being good.
I think point 1 is the real downside. Only time will tell if this mini-set becomes the true meta, but if it does, pretty much half of every deck will be identical because there's no point going "half-in".
Imo this is the worst approach to card design and leads to either:
a) all the cards being used (because its top tier), or b) none of the cards being used (because its trash tier).
I say this knowing that it's difficult to design new, interesting, and balanced cards. The "forced synergy" is arguably a lazy way of ensuring that balance is more controllable as future sets are released
I guess I have to agree with you on this being a bad approach to card design. To your point, this expansion makes me totally uninterested in playing Druid because their Protoss cards just aren't good compared to the other stuff Druid can do (Dungar nonsense). I do find it interesting though that I'm having fun with cards that I believe you've correctly identified as being poorly designed. Historically in Hearthstone, I've equated poor design with a complete absence of fun (looking at you, United in Stormwind Questlines...).
While I agree with you on it being unfortunate that old decks like Dungar Druid prevent the meta from being good, isn't that kind of always the case with the mini-sets? They're so few cards that they are never able to fully shake-up the meta in a meaningful way. I'd honestly prefer four full-blown expansions without mini-sets each year over three with mini-sets for this reason. (I know it would be more expensive, but this is really the only video game I've played for years, so I do feel like the fun is at least somewhat consistent with the cost.)
the problem isnt old stuff still being playable in my opinion, rather that they become better because they counter new stuff so effectively.
Very impactful. Battleships are no longer slow, clunky cards that "could have won me the match if I had one more turn". Having a 1 mana button is genuinely terrifying now.
I fucking love this set. My favorite mini set of all time. Havent played zerg yet...mostly terran and protoss. They did a great job on the design
If it wasnt for the weird idiotic bug and OP zerg shit, it would be good. Still, its better than most and cant wait for some of the truely bs stuff to go out of rotiation so the game is playable for once
This mini-set was well worth the gold. I'm killing it with Zerg DK and I haven't tried the battleship decks yet, they look really fun.
It's fine but its shelf life will be very short. They're not likely to print any more Protoss or Zerg cards (until the inevitable Starcraft II tie-in) so this expansion will be mostly forgotten in a year.
Still, it's a nice distraction for a bit.
It’s not an expansion it’s a mini set, and the packages particularly Zerg are very strong, it’s even made DK playable in wild. Much better to have an impactful mini set with nothing inherently broken than one low impact that has 1 or 2 outliers like usual.
For sure. I can't remember a time that the mini-set completely changed the meta like this one has. I don't typically play Wild, but it says something if it's affected the Wild meta even slightly, as that's a much taller order.
I absolutely love the Zerg cards!
Alex is wrong about nearly everything he speaks about.
"Get nae nae'd"
I'm not disputing that. I'm just saying that I don't think many of the cards will see long term play. It's not a criticism, just an observation.
Update after playing the new meta for a few days:
I've got to say, this has to be the most impactful mini-set in the game's history. I can't think of a time that a mini-set shook things up like this. And yeah, maybe the cards don't see super long-term play, but man oh man are they fun. And reading comments on some of the forums, it seems like the consensus is that people are having more fun in Hearthstone (standard) than they've had in a long time. Zerg DK, Terran Shaman, Terran Warrior, Protoss Priest and Protoss Druid are all super fun to play. Launching the cheaper Battlecruisers throughout the game has provided a very welcome strategic element (when to launch). I found myself facing a Terran Shaman last night where I knew the game was over if he decided to NOT launch his 1-mana Starship on turn 5, but he made the right call and did (and I lost, but good on him).
The power-level of the Protoss Druid deck is somewhat concerning though. I saw Chump say this (and I agree), but the fact that the Groovy Cat effect essentially provides a double-buff is nuts and makes questionable sense. I think from a card-text perspective, it does make sense, but from a gameplay perspective it just seems more effective that the devs would have really intended...especially with Leeroy in the game again.
Anyway, after 10 years, I was SUPER close to quitting Hearthstone (thank you, Asteroids), but this mini-set really turned things around for me.
They should have just created a new game mode call Starstone since that is the meta now.
I remember when Hearthstone first came out. I was feeling the nostalgia. My favorite Warcraft characters as cards! Thats how I feel about this mini-set. I am enjoying seeing the Starcraft universe. I was fond of the Zerg. A swarm that hatches and forms into different zerg or structures was something I never seen in a game personally.
I find the clash irrelevant. Yes the Starcraft cards are doing amazing in the meta right now but thats got nothing to do with it. They could have just made another WoW mini-set and used silver knights, undead, and hunters instead. The mechancis and intereactions is whats special here. The addition of different Blizzard games may open up new ideas. Something I feel we all wanted.
I am happy for this addition. We've already had Diablo content in non ranked modes. This is on its way to giving non WoW players a curiosity of what this card game is like. I'd gladly welcome non WoW players who only care about Starcraft. At the end of the day its just a childrens card game ;)
All hail our Starcraft overlords