Well there is a lot more to take into consideration than looking at cards like murloc knight and piloted shredder in isolation (A problem most card reviews have in my opinion).
For starters: in what kind of deck would murloc knight be played? in decks focusing on flooding the board, especially with 1/1 recruits so that you can get combos of with quartermaster, horsetrainer or cult master. So actually getting something more out of your hero power makes it actually playable.
Secondly you shouldnt underestimate the value of a "must remove" card, poossibly forcing your opponent to use expensive removal or unfavorable trades to get rid of this card is already an advantage for you.
and thirdly even getting the inspire effect off only once already makes you break even for the cost in most cases in my opinion (somebody care to do the math?).
To summarize: sure in many cases it will just be removed immediately, but in the cases it isnt it nearly guarantees you a win and since its not a major win condition card for the deck it makes for a great "bonus" win condition.
As for other sleeper cards: im suprised about all the good responds im hearing about Mukla's Champion, to be honest i thought he was too slow and havent faced/played him yet. Is he really that good? and in what decks is he played?
“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!” - Smaug
Gormok the Impaler "You can't get 4 bodies reliably enough for this guy to work." Paladin objects. So does Warlock. I guess Shaman too. This Guy rocks late game when you need that last bit of damage in an aggro deck.
Just to add, Murloc Knight can also summon a Murloc Knight which can also summon another Murloc Knight. Most would also prefer topdecking it late game as it provides much better value with limited removals on opponent's hand.
Murloc Knight is a 6 drop to get its effect. Most Murlocs are pretty weak for the mana compared to others. Piloted shredder is a beast, a guaranteed effect, top of tier 4 drop that even if silenced can at least trade with Azure Drakes etc.
I just think a turn 4/5 or a turn 6 play just to get a tiny murloc is silly when I could throw out Piloted, Belcher / Loatheb, and any number of way better 6 drops to keep a strong tempo?
There will be rare games where this guy will shine, but you'll already be winning that game in the first place.
murloc knight is a better value if survived for more than 1 turn... I play both shredder and knight in my deck... a turn 6 knight + hero power give you at least 6/6 worth of stats over 3 bodies if it then dies it has given its value. it has the potentiel to be more... shredder is propably better tha´n knight for sure but knight is imo one of the best 4 drops for midrange pally..
Murloc knight is a 6 drop most of the time, and it is awesome, but you don't replace shreeder for it. As a 6 drop, his value is great and the enemy has to kill him the next turn you played it or he will be in real trouble.
This minion is great, probably one of the best commons of tgt.
What most people didn't realize is that inspire is kinda like activated abilities on cards from Magic: The Gathering. You can play those cards on curve, or you can play them when you can utilize the effect for an added bonus.
If you play Chillwind Yeti it will always be a 4/5, even if that turn you would float the remaining mana because you won't play any other card.
Inspire minions IMO give you the option to play with a slightly lower curve, because dropping cards like Murloc Knight on turn 6 lets you get more value from the card, compared to a vanilla minion, should you happen to draw your 4 drop later in the game whe you have 10 mana IE.
If you manage to get that additional value repeatedly, Inspire cards might help you generate enough value to go late game against a control deck. That's what pretty much everyone understimated IMO.
Nothing surprised me. Cards are just as bad as they were predicted to be, it will just take time for the hype to end and people match with classic decks more often. For now people are just forced to play new stuff because they want their preorder to make sense.
Living Roots is the real deal, 2 1/1s on turn 1 is exactly what Druid needed. I would say Darnassus Aspirant too but everyone already expected that card to be really good. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good when Mage drops Mirror Entity though.
I can easily say that people underestimated Mysterious Challenger. I've recently constructed a Paladragon Control deck, and it's ok in the 12 rank area. I'm not that good of a deck builder, but I know a little of what I'm doing.
I run only three secrets: Noble Sacrifice, Competitive Spirit, and Avenge. The main downside of Mysterious Challenger is people say that the secrets are not worth their card value, and that they should be other, better spells. "I wouldn't want to draw a Paladin Secret."
Well, first off, I barely have drawn the secrets. Most of the time, I'm playing my other cards on curve. By turn 6, if my board is empty, Mysterious Challenger is the swing card that's needed for Paladin to take it from the Midgame to the Late game. I play a 6/6 for 6, and I net three secrets from my deck, making sure I won't draw them later on, and to put them onto the battlefield for free, which normally would have costed me 3 more mana. Then my opponent plays out their turn. The major trigger is when the opponent attacks. Attempting to make a valuable trade into my 6/6 with your 5/5 and then some, or whatever? Noble Sacrifice summons a 2/1, and blocks. Then Avenge Triggers and makes the 6/6 into a 9/8. The opponent is left stunned, thinking about how to use 6 mana to take care of a freaking 9/8, and they can't attack with their 5/5 now... So I'd assume it'd be dealt with, you know, Polymorph / Hex / BGH / Combiantion of spells, but most of the time, it lives. Competitive spirit gives it +1/+1, making it a 10/9.
Then I play Dr. Boom or Chillmaw on curve, and hit the face for 10.
And that's assuming I have no other board. If I had a Sludge Belcher, and then played Mysterious Challenger, then Belcher's main attacker would mitigate away because Noble Sac, and then I get either a 6/7 Belcher or a 9/8 Challenger. THEN they both get +1/+1. If Belcher dies? Slime still gets +1/+1.
Murloc Knight is also amazing in arena. If you have any inspire cards on the board on turn 5 and then you drop it + HP next turn it's just such amazeballs value.
Justicar Trueheart has impressed me, especially in American (auchenai) control priest, as it not only synergizes with auchenai for board control in control match-ups, but occasionally will allow for triggering inspire on Confessor Paletress twice, which is game ending. This is not to say that I think the justicar is an auto include or is op, indeed if Gorehowl comes back I would drop it in a heartbeat for Harrison... But rather to say that justicar has been far more impressive than I thought she would be.
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I am The Cripple Who Is Whole, and the loving creator of Dragon Lord Velen:
Murloc Knight: I don't have one but I played against countless Paladins using this card and it's really insane. ALso, it apparently has a 50% chance of summoning a Murloc Knight, it happens painfully often. As a turn 4 play it's kinda weak and easy to clear, but played on an empty board, maybe after an enemy Aoe, it creates a board all by himself and it has basically taunt since it must be killed quickly.
Living roots: 2 minions on the board on turn 1 to handle cancer hunter and get rid of paladin's divine shields, a cheap removal, a turn 6 Azure Drake + 3 damage, 2 extra minions on the board pre-combo, 2 extra damage when played at 10 mana with combo. Really versatile card.
Druid of the Saber: similarly to Living Roots, this small druid is a reasonably priced and extremely versatile card. In the early game it can help vs aggro by charging on a Huffer, Knife Juggler or stuff like that, and on turn 8 it's a minion that will very likely survive until turn 9 adding an extra 5 damage to combo. Also, it enables Druid of the Claw + Druid of the Saber + Savage Roar for 10 mana / 12 damage if you cannot draw Force of Nature or you've already used it as removal.
I agree Mysterious Challenger definately has potential. I faced it once against a shockadin and I havte to admit its probably one of the strongest turn 6 plays in the game: a 6/6 + 3 secrets against which you can hardly play around is incredibly powerful.
Glad to see so many other cards to be better than expected too. now we just have to wait and see what remains once the dust settles (no pun intended). I for one am optimistic that atleast decks like Dragonpriest and Tokenpala will see competitive play in the new meta.
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“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!” - Smaug
2 legendaries out of 35 packs is actually above average. If Im not mistaken its roughly 1leg per 20 packs. Ofcourse getting bolf twice is indeed bad luck...
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“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!” - Smaug
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Well there is a lot more to take into consideration than looking at cards like murloc knight and piloted shredder in isolation (A problem most card reviews have in my opinion).
For starters: in what kind of deck would murloc knight be played? in decks focusing on flooding the board, especially with 1/1 recruits so that you can get combos of with quartermaster, horsetrainer or cult master. So actually getting something more out of your hero power makes it actually playable.
Secondly you shouldnt underestimate the value of a "must remove" card, poossibly forcing your opponent to use expensive removal or unfavorable trades to get rid of this card is already an advantage for you.
and thirdly even getting the inspire effect off only once already makes you break even for the cost in most cases in my opinion (somebody care to do the math?).
To summarize: sure in many cases it will just be removed immediately, but in the cases it isnt it nearly guarantees you a win and since its not a major win condition card for the deck it makes for a great "bonus" win condition.
As for other sleeper cards: im suprised about all the good responds im hearing about Mukla's Champion, to be honest i thought he was too slow and havent faced/played him yet. Is he really that good? and in what decks is he played?
“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!” - Smaug
Gormok the Impaler "You can't get 4 bodies reliably enough for this guy to work." Paladin objects. So does Warlock. I guess Shaman too. This Guy rocks late game when you need that last bit of damage in an aggro deck.
Just to add, Murloc Knight can also summon a Murloc Knight which can also summon another Murloc Knight. Most would also prefer topdecking it late game as it provides much better value with limited removals on opponent's hand.
Murloc knight is a 6 drop most of the time, and it is awesome, but you don't replace shreeder for it. As a 6 drop, his value is great and the enemy has to kill him the next turn you played it or he will be in real trouble.
This minion is great, probably one of the best commons of tgt.
What most people didn't realize is that inspire is kinda like activated abilities on cards from Magic: The Gathering. You can play those cards on curve, or you can play them when you can utilize the effect for an added bonus.
If you play Chillwind Yeti it will always be a 4/5, even if that turn you would float the remaining mana because you won't play any other card.
Inspire minions IMO give you the option to play with a slightly lower curve, because dropping cards like Murloc Knight on turn 6 lets you get more value from the card, compared to a vanilla minion, should you happen to draw your 4 drop later in the game whe you have 10 mana IE.
If you manage to get that additional value repeatedly, Inspire cards might help you generate enough value to go late game against a control deck. That's what pretty much everyone understimated IMO.
My comments refer mostly to the wild format.
Nothing surprised me. Cards are just as bad as they were predicted to be, it will just take time for the hype to end and people match with classic decks more often. For now people are just forced to play new stuff because they want their preorder to make sense.
"The light shall burn you!" - heals face.
Confessor Paletress is much more consistent than I expected her to be.
Great write up. I completely agree with all of the statements.
I love Tuskarr Totemic as well. He's so much value with a 37.5% chance to get a Flametongue, Mana Tide or Golem totem is awesome.
King Elekk is great as well.
My signature speaks for itself
◥·̆◤TO ARMS TOTEMS!◥·̆◤
I agree [card]Holy Champion[/card] is just amazing
Living Roots is the real deal, 2 1/1s on turn 1 is exactly what Druid needed. I would say Darnassus Aspirant too but everyone already expected that card to be really good. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good when Mage drops Mirror Entity though.
Greetings.
I can easily say that people underestimated Mysterious Challenger. I've recently constructed a Paladragon Control deck, and it's ok in the 12 rank area. I'm not that good of a deck builder, but I know a little of what I'm doing.
I run only three secrets: Noble Sacrifice, Competitive Spirit, and Avenge. The main downside of Mysterious Challenger is people say that the secrets are not worth their card value, and that they should be other, better spells. "I wouldn't want to draw a Paladin Secret."
Well, first off, I barely have drawn the secrets. Most of the time, I'm playing my other cards on curve. By turn 6, if my board is empty, Mysterious Challenger is the swing card that's needed for Paladin to take it from the Midgame to the Late game. I play a 6/6 for 6, and I net three secrets from my deck, making sure I won't draw them later on, and to put them onto the battlefield for free, which normally would have costed me 3 more mana. Then my opponent plays out their turn. The major trigger is when the opponent attacks. Attempting to make a valuable trade into my 6/6 with your 5/5 and then some, or whatever? Noble Sacrifice summons a 2/1, and blocks. Then Avenge Triggers and makes the 6/6 into a 9/8. The opponent is left stunned, thinking about how to use 6 mana to take care of a freaking 9/8, and they can't attack with their 5/5 now... So I'd assume it'd be dealt with, you know, Polymorph / Hex / BGH / Combiantion of spells, but most of the time, it lives. Competitive spirit gives it +1/+1, making it a 10/9.
Then I play Dr. Boom or Chillmaw on curve, and hit the face for 10.
And that's assuming I have no other board. If I had a Sludge Belcher, and then played Mysterious Challenger, then Belcher's main attacker would mitigate away because Noble Sac, and then I get either a 6/7 Belcher or a 9/8 Challenger. THEN they both get +1/+1. If Belcher dies? Slime still gets +1/+1.
The Roshambo to Hearthstone. Please be nice. Don't insult or be mad at someone for throwing Rock.
Murloc Knight is also amazing in arena. If you have any inspire cards on the board on turn 5 and then you drop it + HP next turn it's just such amazeballs value.
I believed murloc knight since day 1. First card I tested after release haha
I just recently added Confuse to my Dragon Priest - helped me in getting some awesome finishes with ysera and so on :D
So much burst damage
# Invictus Maneo #
Current Standard Deck: Kolento's Big Shaman:
https://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/1267569-big-shaman
Justicar Trueheart has impressed me, especially in American (auchenai) control priest, as it not only synergizes with auchenai for board control in control match-ups, but occasionally will allow for triggering inspire on Confessor Paletress twice, which is game ending. This is not to say that I think the justicar is an auto include or is op, indeed if Gorehowl comes back I would drop it in a heartbeat for Harrison... But rather to say that justicar has been far more impressive than I thought she would be.
I am The Cripple Who Is Whole, and the loving creator of Dragon Lord Velen:
Murloc Knight: I don't have one but I played against countless Paladins using this card and it's really insane. ALso, it apparently has a 50% chance of summoning a Murloc Knight, it happens painfully often. As a turn 4 play it's kinda weak and easy to clear, but played on an empty board, maybe after an enemy Aoe, it creates a board all by himself and it has basically taunt since it must be killed quickly.
Living roots: 2 minions on the board on turn 1 to handle cancer hunter and get rid of paladin's divine shields, a cheap removal, a turn 6 Azure Drake + 3 damage, 2 extra minions on the board pre-combo, 2 extra damage when played at 10 mana with combo. Really versatile card.
Druid of the Saber: similarly to Living Roots, this small druid is a reasonably priced and extremely versatile card. In the early game it can help vs aggro by charging on a Huffer, Knife Juggler or stuff like that, and on turn 8 it's a minion that will very likely survive until turn 9 adding an extra 5 damage to combo. Also, it enables Druid of the Claw + Druid of the Saber + Savage Roar for 10 mana / 12 damage if you cannot draw Force of Nature or you've already used it as removal.
I agree Mysterious Challenger definately has potential. I faced it once against a shockadin and I havte to admit its probably one of the strongest turn 6 plays in the game: a 6/6 + 3 secrets against which you can hardly play around is incredibly powerful.
Glad to see so many other cards to be better than expected too. now we just have to wait and see what remains once the dust settles (no pun intended). I for one am optimistic that atleast decks like Dragonpriest and Tokenpala will see competitive play in the new meta.
“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!” - Smaug
Murloc Knight blew me away more than any others... When it summons another of itself things can get way out of hand...
Mysterious Challenger is my guilty pleasure of the new cards... I got ONE and built a deck around him, token generators and secrets! Super fun deck.
I also find tournament medic pretty fun, I have to admit, he's been useful, probably a shit card but I like it!
I have also had the displeasure of opening only 2 legendaries from 35 packs, and the were BOTH BOLF. Super sad face. He really sucks. really.
2 legendaries out of 35 packs is actually above average. If Im not mistaken its roughly 1leg per 20 packs. Ofcourse getting bolf twice is indeed bad luck...
“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!” - Smaug