Hearthpwn

Hey everyone, I hope you are hyped for Scholomance Academy because I sure am ! One thing in particular that caught my eye is the new dual-class cards. It's an idea that has been thrown around for a very long time in the custom Hearthstone community and it's nice to see the devs exploring this new ground. These cards are also super flavorful which makes it even better.

The thing is, with 10 classes there are 45 possible combinations... Little too much for one expansion of 135 cards where you also have to print Neutral and normal class cards. So we only get 10 of them this time around. And we might never get the other combinations ! If only there was something I could do about it... Well I DID ! Here is a little set from my favorite combination : Hunter-Mage.

My goal was to show the similarities between the two classes and direct damage spells seem to me like a great fit ! Fireball and Arcane Shot are staples of Mage and Hunter and I happen to have a soft spot for burn decks. I though about Secrets as well but the difference in cost between Hunter and Mage secrets made me reconsider. 

Teacher's Pet is a Beast as this is a minion type associated with both Hunter and Mage. It provides Spell Damage which is new for Hunter but certainly appreciated (think about the synergy with Kill Command !) Mage is more used to the keyword but their often is a paywall in front of it. Spell Damage +1 is worth 1 Mana but it costs 2 at least with cards like Bloodmage Thalnos and so Spell Damage +2 costs 4 with cards like Azure Explorer. However, recent cards break that rule, namely Ethereal Augmerchant, with the restriction that a minion on board is needed.

Blazing Trail is a cheap burn spell that synergizes with Spell Damage and provides reload. 1-cost spells are may in both Hunter and Mage and they usually fit into an aggressive playstyle. It can also Discover itself, which is often the case with the keyword and provides a good amount of resiliance to the archetype, as value is often the downfall of burn decks. Marked Shot was a big point of reference.

Giant Shot offers a more beefy option when it comes to direct damage. Pyroblast and Fireball are good reference points for it. I think it becomes very good when it goes down to 5 Mana or less but I really wanted to make the cost reduction temporary to limit the opressive nature of high level burst. The thing is, Hunter and Mage don't have access to 0 cost spells (outside of Incanter's Flow shenanigans) which means you have to wait for turn 8 at least to play this. It's a good finisher and efficient removal in a pinch so I'm pretty happy with it.

Alyx Flashfinger plays with Hero Powers has it's a big part of both Hunter and Mage identity. She also ties up the whole Spell Damage package, guarantying that the keyord is useful even when you're out of burn. Her balance is based on Arcane Amplifier and Dragonbane.

I hope you like it ! I might do more if I get positive feedback and I encourage anyone who has a knack for custom card design to try something like this.