Shaman as one of my favorite classes suffers from a problem a few other classes such as paladin have where a large pool of cards are required in every deck regardless of play style (hex, 1 mana removal spells [bolt/rockbiter/earthshock], burst cards[alkir/doomhammer], drakes, ect). While GvG was a cool addition to many classes in terms of fun new toys, shaman only got a few cards that are either tribal or well stated minions. No really mechanical bending or cool effects have really been explored in the shaman class aside form ancestral call (to bad effect). While extremely common to do I've been contemplating some exciting and useful shaman card additions that would really open deck varieties. I'd like to know what you think of some of the card ideas and what else you would add to really make the shaman class mechanically exciting, please try to include cards with reasonable balance but enough of an effect to either allow an alternate deck type to be played or use uncommonly used cards.
Card - Tauren Totem Master - (Possible changes 2/3 or 1/4 for the same mana cost)
Tauren Totem Master is the shaman evolution of hero power influencing cards. While aucheni soul priest (and to a lesser extend shield bash) are the grand father's of hero power manipulation, the recent addition of Steamwheedle Sniper and Quatermaster (also Floating Watcher/Malganis to a lesser extent) directly effecting hero powers, it makes sense the most rng based class hero power could use some control. Tauren Totem Master is a total 3 mana 3/3 (2 mana and 1 over load) with an ability making it roughly on par with competators, but as a class card is allowed to be "innervated" out on turn 2. Used on turn 2 will over load turn 3 encouraging the use your hero power as synergy. The ability to pick the totem you need every time would be incredibly helpful and reduce rng, if anything the skill involved in selecting the right totem at the right moment would be curtail. Totemic Might is a sad excuse of hero power interaction.
The ability In general is what makes the card flavorful and needs to be in the game, it only makes sense to use it on a creature that would be used at a time where your likely to use your hero power soon after. At 3 (and 3 attack) health this creature is easily removed by turn 1 and 2 removal spells such as darkbomb, lightning bolt, SWP, Fire war axe among a few to name. While removable the effect isn't game breaking and offers a heavy reward to the player without crippling the opponent. If too over powered changing the minion to a 2/3 would suffice however other changes such as making the creature a 1/4 seams more ideal as it would be similar to armor smith, likely to survive to use it's intended effect but without abusing board presence in addition to the ability.
Card - Farseer Nobundo
While legendaries are often over abundant, the rising amount of rolled damage in shaman is also rising. Lightning storm, crackle and boom bots are currently examples of large damage rolls and using this is similar to a spell power minion. While a niche card it would eventually be desired should more random roll cards be produced.
Card - Tesla Coil
The kind of mech card shaman wish they got. Overload decks only synergize with unbound elemental at the 3 mana slot currently and need more ways to utilize overload as a benefit. With Tesla Coil you are paying 5 mana for a 4 mana creature in return to effect your opponents tempo, as long as tesla coil is alive your opponent must suffer the effects of over load. Playable on turn 4 after an unbound is available the synergy would be quite great should you have tempo yourself. While rather sturdy at 5 hp, when this minion dies, the opponent may used the locked Mana Crystals as though they weren't overloaded so they have the opportunity to regain their mana back, but must divide their mana that turn, the first chuck to destroy tesla coil, then the rest to make plays. This card while over loads your opponent for 1 on their turn as it comes with over load 1, must be played in combination with heavy overload cards such as earth elemental turn 5 follow up or feral spirit/lightning storm to heavily benefit. Technically this is a symmetrical effect as you are overloaded in addition to your opponent, however you gain the benefit of great mana cost spells and minions.
Card - Astral Spirit
More of a fun card than competitive, this card is for face damage shaman to bypass taunts or kill protected creatures, while it can bypass taunt easily, it cannot trade with taunts ever and can be blocked by regular minions. More of a tech card depending on your opponents deck.
Card - Chain Lightning (if spell power adds +1 to all bolts, then overload 3-4, if just another 1-3 bolt then fine) (Perhaps making the overload cost = +spell damage would be unique and cool, but confusing to word.)
Costing 6 mana to deal 6 damage (not particularly amazing) Spell Power makes this card utterly amazing in addition to being playable the same turn as a mage could play fire ball. Potentially usable as an aoe, the targets are completely random resulting in either an epic clear or utter flop. Essentially avenging wrath for a shaman adding spell power could either up the damage on each bolt (potentially broken as spell power would triple the effect) or add an extra bolt of 1-3 damage. On a clear board you get full face damage.
i really like Tesla Coil to the point where im a little surprised it isn't a card in the actual game. 13 overloard cards, with only about half of them actually being worth running, it would be very interesting to see.
overall nice work but Nobundo would allow 2 mana crackles to reliably kill guardian of kings, flame elemental, and any other 6 health or below minion. tesla coil would make the punishment side effect for using otherwise op spells and minions symmetrical. astral spirit would probably literally break the game trying to completely reverse a mechanic and definitely wouldn't be fun to program
It's not that hard: control wins aggro and loses to midrange. Combo should never be included in this equation. I'm a banana. Bananas don't speak English. Please, do correct any grammar mistakes I make, even the most minor and insignificant ones. GENERATION 40: The first time you see this, copy it into your signature on any forum and add 1 to the generation. This is a social experiment.
Very good ideas. I like Tesla Coil in particular (but don't like the misspelling of "affect" :P). Astral Spirit is OP - its stats are as good as vanilla so it should at least cost 6 mana for the effect it gives.
Thanks for the feed back so far. Astral Spirit perhaps should either have overload or cost 6 I agree in hind sight in addition to breaking the game as a whole :/. Crackle is essentially the only combo that really benefits form Nobundo but perhaps its rather strong as a +3 spell damage essentially. I do like removing the random damage factor however. Additionally pardon my typos if that bothers you.
I've also pondered the possibility of adding secrets to the shaman class since they would be the only class to price secrets at 0 casting mana with overload as a cost to make the secrets neither useless nor overpowered. I thought grounding totem would initially be good but spell bender is far too similar so the next best option was to use the iconic shaman shields which for some random reason were absent from hearthstone (along with purge since 4 secrets are at minimum needed.)
-[Changed/Altered to 3 spell damage to attacker]
Lightning shield: Great for protecting totems and trading, you pay a delayed 2 mana for essentially a defensive abusive sergeant / fire elemental ability without a body.
Water shield: Effecting mana pools seam appropriate and with tesla coil being a thing, perhaps and alternate method to transfer overload would be ideal. Easy to play around but at least causes your opponent to use a low mana spell before a large one (essentially blocks mind control or pyro blast).
Earth Shield: Similar to the mage's ice barrier, the shield provided is at half strength and will often negate low attack creatures for a small damage negation on the other ability part. However the niche of potentially blocking a large minion attack makes the ability unique. May cause confusion with lightning shield.
Purge: An earth shock you can't really control but with the benefit of potentially hitting for 2 damage instead of 1 for the 2 mana. This can stop charge wombo combos but is essentially worthless against defender of argus or any throw away minion. The damage may be too strong, but if played early it causes the shaman to completely skip their following turn.
Lightning Shield seems overcosted when Noble Sacrifice costs 1 mana, deals two damage to the attacker and protects the original target from damage.
Purge is greatly inferior to Earth Shock. Even if it were Overload 1 it would still be worse than Earth Shock, since your silence will most likely be wasted (your enemy can easily play around it by summoning a minion with Battlecry or a minion with no effect). The 50% chance of dealing a measly 1 extra damage doesn't make up for the disadvantage.
Lightning Shield has the added benefit of not being used on your hero guaranteeing a a unit will trade up. Also while you are paying 2 in the long run your essentially paying nothing the turn you play lightning shield making the tempo gain of 3 attack in trading definitely worth while. It might be considered a bad card but its definitely playable, class cards can't all be stellar. Perhaps +4 attack might be more appropriate, it can't have a chump blocker mechanic since it needs to differ from noble sacrifice. This makes me feel a redesign is in order to lightning shield.
-Updated version of previous post
While it might be considered over powered despite being a 2 mana delayed lightning bolt, another possibility to make lightning shield both unique and still good would to cause the activation of lightning shield to zap the target for 3 spell damage thus protecting the creature potentially. Much like will be explained with purge, lightning shield will benefit from spell damage creatures offering some surprising combos, especially in Malygos decks. With no chump blocker, surviving creatures will live to deal damage and this will ensure protection to a minion as your face is not protected by lightning shield. There is also an added benefit of 2 sources of damage killing divine shield attackers (1st from the secret, then 2nd from your creature that is being traded for). Purge on the other hand i feel is fine the way it is with no need for a redesign.
Purge I would agree would in general usage be inferior to earthshock since your opponent controls what is silenced, however a few scenarios offer a slight edge over earth shock aside from the chance to deal 1 extra damage. (I'm aware rare scenarios shouldn't be a basis for balancing). Sharing a similar price and effect purge has to be in line with the hunter card snipe. First at 0 mana initial cast, you can cast purge on a turn you have 0 mana left over, over loading yourself buffs unbound elemental without using mana for the turn (also would make tesla coil great), it forces your opponent to play a lesser creature that turn to play around purge and finally, it stops you from being comboed to death, you can stall gromash + task master, Alkir + rock biters or even king krush (removes charge on all 3) which is something earth shock cannot do. You trade control and a higher cost to alter your opponents play and provide safety in addtion to those rare overload synergies. Also your opponent would need to be aware of your spell power minions very carefully since having a spell power totem and a drake would make purge surprise them with a 3-4 secret burst (spell power is factored upon activation of the secret, not the playing of it). If the enemy has a fire elemental and chooses to kill a taunt totem over a spell power totem, the fire elemental would take 1 extra damage. Other odd synergy involve acting as a free draw with auctioneer (if you'd even still use that card) or making violet teacher more appealing. Malygod would be silly with this spell, you could malygos, lighting bolt for 10 mana and both purge + lightning shield to protect malygos. Even more potential with ancestral calling malygos, unloading your hand of spells and finishing the turn with 2 spell damage secrets.
Shaman as one of my favorite classes suffers from a problem a few other classes such as paladin have where a large pool of cards are required in every deck regardless of play style (hex, 1 mana removal spells [bolt/rockbiter/earthshock], burst cards[alkir/doomhammer], drakes, ect). While GvG was a cool addition to many classes in terms of fun new toys, shaman only got a few cards that are either tribal or well stated minions. No really mechanical bending or cool effects have really been explored in the shaman class aside form ancestral call (to bad effect). While extremely common to do I've been contemplating some exciting and useful shaman card additions that would really open deck varieties. I'd like to know what you think of some of the card ideas and what else you would add to really make the shaman class mechanically exciting, please try to include cards with reasonable balance but enough of an effect to either allow an alternate deck type to be played or use uncommonly used cards.
Card - Tauren Totem Master - (Possible changes 2/3 or 1/4 for the same mana cost)
Tauren Totem Master is the shaman evolution of hero power influencing cards. While aucheni soul priest (and to a lesser extend shield bash) are the grand father's of hero power manipulation, the recent addition of Steamwheedle Sniper and Quatermaster (also Floating Watcher/Malganis to a lesser extent) directly effecting hero powers, it makes sense the most rng based class hero power could use some control. Tauren Totem Master is a total 3 mana 3/3 (2 mana and 1 over load) with an ability making it roughly on par with competators, but as a class card is allowed to be "innervated" out on turn 2. Used on turn 2 will over load turn 3 encouraging the use your hero power as synergy. The ability to pick the totem you need every time would be incredibly helpful and reduce rng, if anything the skill involved in selecting the right totem at the right moment would be curtail. Totemic Might is a sad excuse of hero power interaction.
The ability In general is what makes the card flavorful and needs to be in the game, it only makes sense to use it on a creature that would be used at a time where your likely to use your hero power soon after. At 3 (and 3 attack) health this creature is easily removed by turn 1 and 2 removal spells such as darkbomb, lightning bolt, SWP, Fire war axe among a few to name. While removable the effect isn't game breaking and offers a heavy reward to the player without crippling the opponent. If too over powered changing the minion to a 2/3 would suffice however other changes such as making the creature a 1/4 seams more ideal as it would be similar to armor smith, likely to survive to use it's intended effect but without abusing board presence in addition to the ability.
Card - Farseer Nobundo
While legendaries are often over abundant, the rising amount of rolled damage in shaman is also rising. Lightning storm, crackle and boom bots are currently examples of large damage rolls and using this is similar to a spell power minion. While a niche card it would eventually be desired should more random roll cards be produced.
Card - Tesla Coil
The kind of mech card shaman wish they got. Overload decks only synergize with unbound elemental at the 3 mana slot currently and need more ways to utilize overload as a benefit. With Tesla Coil you are paying 5 mana for a 4 mana creature in return to effect your opponents tempo, as long as tesla coil is alive your opponent must suffer the effects of over load. Playable on turn 4 after an unbound is available the synergy would be quite great should you have tempo yourself. While rather sturdy at 5 hp, when this minion dies, the opponent may used the locked Mana Crystals as though they weren't overloaded so they have the opportunity to regain their mana back, but must divide their mana that turn, the first chuck to destroy tesla coil, then the rest to make plays. This card while over loads your opponent for 1 on their turn as it comes with over load 1, must be played in combination with heavy overload cards such as earth elemental turn 5 follow up or feral spirit/lightning storm to heavily benefit. Technically this is a symmetrical effect as you are overloaded in addition to your opponent, however you gain the benefit of great mana cost spells and minions.
Card - Astral Spirit
More of a fun card than competitive, this card is for face damage shaman to bypass taunts or kill protected creatures, while it can bypass taunt easily, it cannot trade with taunts ever and can be blocked by regular minions. More of a tech card depending on your opponents deck.
Card - Chain Lightning (if spell power adds +1 to all bolts, then overload 3-4, if just another 1-3 bolt then fine) (Perhaps making the overload cost = +spell damage would be unique and cool, but confusing to word.)
Costing 6 mana to deal 6 damage (not particularly amazing) Spell Power makes this card utterly amazing in addition to being playable the same turn as a mage could play fire ball. Potentially usable as an aoe, the targets are completely random resulting in either an epic clear or utter flop. Essentially avenging wrath for a shaman adding spell power could either up the damage on each bolt (potentially broken as spell power would triple the effect) or add an extra bolt of 1-3 damage. On a clear board you get full face damage.
VS
i really like Tesla Coil to the point where im a little surprised it isn't a card in the actual game. 13 overloard cards, with only about half of them actually being worth running, it would be very interesting to see.
overall nice work but Nobundo would allow 2 mana crackles to reliably kill guardian of kings, flame elemental, and any other 6 health or below minion. tesla coil would make the punishment side effect for using otherwise op spells and minions symmetrical. astral spirit would probably literally break the game trying to completely reverse a mechanic and definitely wouldn't be fun to program
It's not that hard: control wins aggro and loses to midrange. Combo should never be included in this equation.
I'm a banana. Bananas don't speak English. Please, do correct any grammar mistakes I make, even the most minor and insignificant ones.
GENERATION 40: The first time you see this, copy it into your signature on any forum and add 1 to the generation. This is a social experiment.
Very good ideas. I like Tesla Coil in particular (but don't like the misspelling of "affect" :P). Astral Spirit is OP - its stats are as good as vanilla so it should at least cost 6 mana for the effect it gives.
Thanks for the feed back so far. Astral Spirit perhaps should either have overload or cost 6 I agree in hind sight in addition to breaking the game as a whole :/. Crackle is essentially the only combo that really benefits form Nobundo but perhaps its rather strong as a +3 spell damage essentially. I do like removing the random damage factor however. Additionally pardon my typos if that bothers you.
I've also pondered the possibility of adding secrets to the shaman class since they would be the only class to price secrets at 0 casting mana with overload as a cost to make the secrets neither useless nor overpowered. I thought grounding totem would initially be good but spell bender is far too similar so the next best option was to use the iconic shaman shields which for some random reason were absent from hearthstone (along with purge since 4 secrets are at minimum needed.)
-[Changed/Altered to 3 spell damage to attacker]
Lightning shield: Great for protecting totems and trading, you pay a delayed 2 mana for essentially a defensive abusive sergeant / fire elemental ability without a body.
Water shield: Effecting mana pools seam appropriate and with tesla coil being a thing, perhaps and alternate method to transfer overload would be ideal. Easy to play around but at least causes your opponent to use a low mana spell before a large one (essentially blocks mind control or pyro blast).
Earth Shield: Similar to the mage's ice barrier, the shield provided is at half strength and will often negate low attack creatures for a small damage negation on the other ability part. However the niche of potentially blocking a large minion attack makes the ability unique. May cause confusion with lightning shield.
Purge: An earth shock you can't really control but with the benefit of potentially hitting for 2 damage instead of 1 for the 2 mana. This can stop charge wombo combos but is essentially worthless against defender of argus or any throw away minion. The damage may be too strong, but if played early it causes the shaman to completely skip their following turn.
VS
Lightning Shield seems overcosted when Noble Sacrifice costs 1 mana, deals two damage to the attacker and protects the original target from damage.
Purge is greatly inferior to Earth Shock. Even if it were Overload 1 it would still be worse than Earth Shock, since your silence will most likely be wasted (your enemy can easily play around it by summoning a minion with Battlecry or a minion with no effect). The 50% chance of dealing a measly 1 extra damage doesn't make up for the disadvantage.
Lightning Shield has the added benefit of not being used on your hero guaranteeing a a unit will trade up. Also while you are paying 2 in the long run your essentially paying nothing the turn you play lightning shield making the tempo gain of 3 attack in trading definitely worth while. It might be considered a bad card but its definitely playable, class cards can't all be stellar. Perhaps +4 attack might be more appropriate, it can't have a chump blocker mechanic since it needs to differ from noble sacrifice. This makes me feel a redesign is in order to lightning shield.
-Updated version of previous post
While it might be considered over powered despite being a 2 mana delayed lightning bolt, another possibility to make lightning shield both unique and still good would to cause the activation of lightning shield to zap the target for 3 spell damage thus protecting the creature potentially. Much like will be explained with purge, lightning shield will benefit from spell damage creatures offering some surprising combos, especially in Malygos decks. With no chump blocker, surviving creatures will live to deal damage and this will ensure protection to a minion as your face is not protected by lightning shield. There is also an added benefit of 2 sources of damage killing divine shield attackers (1st from the secret, then 2nd from your creature that is being traded for). Purge on the other hand i feel is fine the way it is with no need for a redesign.
Purge I would agree would in general usage be inferior to earthshock since your opponent controls what is silenced, however a few scenarios offer a slight edge over earth shock aside from the chance to deal 1 extra damage. (I'm aware rare scenarios shouldn't be a basis for balancing). Sharing a similar price and effect purge has to be in line with the hunter card snipe. First at 0 mana initial cast, you can cast purge on a turn you have 0 mana left over, over loading yourself buffs unbound elemental without using mana for the turn (also would make tesla coil great), it forces your opponent to play a lesser creature that turn to play around purge and finally, it stops you from being comboed to death, you can stall gromash + task master, Alkir + rock biters or even king krush (removes charge on all 3) which is something earth shock cannot do. You trade control and a higher cost to alter your opponents play and provide safety in addtion to those rare overload synergies. Also your opponent would need to be aware of your spell power minions very carefully since having a spell power totem and a drake would make purge surprise them with a 3-4 secret burst (spell power is factored upon activation of the secret, not the playing of it). If the enemy has a fire elemental and chooses to kill a taunt totem over a spell power totem, the fire elemental would take 1 extra damage. Other odd synergy involve acting as a free draw with auctioneer (if you'd even still use that card) or making violet teacher more appealing. Malygod would be silly with this spell, you could malygos, lighting bolt for 10 mana and both purge + lightning shield to protect malygos. Even more potential with ancestral calling malygos, unloading your hand of spells and finishing the turn with 2 spell damage secrets.
VS
moved to General Chat