Hearthpwn

 Quote from An1ron >>

I don't know why we need such strange changes. It makes it a better card for agro deck, because you can now play him as substantial 2 drop on turn 2 OR in slower matchups like a regular card with manathrist effect.

In my opinion, changing mana cost to 3/6/9 mana solves the problem. First of all, it lowers the power of the card a lot. (3 mana 2/2 deal 2 damage is much weaker than 2 mana and so one). Secondly, you cant shadowstep 3 mana version for free now ( you have to pay 1 mana for each shadowstep +2 mana for other versions).Thirdly, it makes bran/anubrakan/atalor combo for druid much weaker  ( you need to have extra 4 armour for the combo).  And lastly, the number flavour and power of the card keeps at a high level. You can't slam it in every deck, but slower/greedier decks are still gonna play him

I was proposing these changes on the assumption that Brann is going to stay until rotation (given he's been problematic for ages and hasn't been changed).  I actually dont see these changes as strange at all, and to me it keeps the flavour of the original card intact.  If you want the tempo play you lose the late game play.

Imo adding 1 mana to each step probably kills the card in most decks and also feels weird with the manathirst breakpoints (leaving you with a floating mana if you play on manathirst curve).  Maybe my change also kills the card, because it effectively adds 2 mana to the cost of the first two stages without adding any mana to the cost (if you're playing him for the 8/8 Astalor).

As for the proposed change making him a "substantial 2 drop" - I'm not sure it does.  Would aggro decks run a "1-of" 2/2 legendary just for a measly 2 damage battlecry? They might, but I think it's more likely to be used as a late-game back-up to push over the line, and if they don't play him by turn 4 then functionally it's the same as it currently is.

I think a change to deathrattle would also kill the card in pretty much every deck (except rogue and possibly druid) who would both probably find some other way to abuse it.  Xyrella (and multiple res options) could also be busted but that wouldn't matter right now because priest is in a terrible place.

p.s. The interaction with shadowstep is always going to result in multiple Astalors - the problem here is shadowstep, not Astalor, and rogue can never play two 8 mana Astalors in the same turn without a bunch of coins (I think...), so changing the mana cost doesnt matter here either.

Do you think if you swaped the manathirst and battlecry effects from Astalor Bloodsworn he would be more balanced and still be usable?

I.e. play him on 2 you get the two damage (but not the 5/5 version added to hand).  Combined with Brann gives you 4 damage (but only one 5/5 version when meeting the manathirst requirement).

It would still need another change for the 8/8 version to limit the final Brann shenanigins (i.e. keep the manathirst part separate from the battlecry as it is for the other verions).  That would still give 24 damage from hand with Brann.

What do you think?   Obviously does nothing for shadowstep nonsense but would also help wtih Shaman repeating battlecries and punish the non-manathirst version quite heavily.