Hearthpwn

When they announced plague cards they said the idea of plague cards is that they would have “a catastrophic effect that would affect both players,” not “every minion on the board.”   The first one shown was an AOE that hit every minion, but that wasn’t the rule for all of them.   Just look at the rogue plague of madness as another example.   Yes they are generally removal-ish but the key was powerful symmetrical effects that you try to manipulate to your benefit.  Plague of flames perfectly fits that stated goal. 

At least it’s an epic, so less likely to pull it and if I do more dust (ignore the better epic I might have pulled)

I think this has potential if you have a big magnetic card you want to have a target for on turn 8+.  Not only is it a sticky minion, it’s a minion that your opponent won’t want to kill the first half of.  It reminds me of decks where you would run skelomancer to be a bonemare target.  Probably a bit too slow though outside of combos with boom, coffin crasher, cloning legendary spell, reckless experimenter, etc. 

I think it is important for decks to have counters so I hope they don't completely kill the ability to have an OTK deck.  Shudderwock feels like it is intended to fill the Exodia mage slot in the meta (now that a lot of the random spell generation needed for the quest has rotated out).  This type of Combo deck requires you to draw most of your deck while trying to stay alive and can be easily killed by a strong agro or midrange deck, but is an option if the meta is too control heavy.  But, like Exodia Mage, this only works if the deck isn't too good. 

The animations though .... how long will this go on ...

I largely agree with most of your points, especially the main one that Cube is the lynch pin.  I would disagree only in so far as you suggest that none of the Cards are overpowered.  I think that Cube is very powerful.  That being said, it is no just Cube that is responsible.  The other issue is how easy it is for a Warlock to kill its own Cubes.  Another option to limit the one-turn burst potential, but otherwise allow for the long term value offered by Cube would be to look at Dark Pact.   If Dark Pact also silenced the minion it targeted, then it couldn't be used to create super bursts with Doom Guard, but Cube lock could still build toward a big Doom Guard Guldan turn.

Shudderwock, mostly because Baku the Mooneater is a neutral and so not an option.

Thoughts on Blackwald Pixie or Clockwork Automaton for juicing the Rag shot?

See, you joke, but I think a dragon/beast hunter may actually be a thing since Carrion Drake and Scaleworm seem decently strong.  I think we may see a solid Tier 3 deck out of this.

Preorder: 70

Year of the Raven New Year's Celebration: 4

Log-In Packs: 3? (based on the hearthpwn data mine)

Gold Purchases: 27 packs worth

= 104-ish

Quote from Xynot >>

Why does Blizzard even bother with rarity?  This common is the best card yet while the legend is garbage.  Devs seem just plain stupid.  Still not buying the expansion, no need since the best card is a common.

Except it is hard countered by aggro. 

For people questioning whether these guys are 'pros' or not:

Hunterace: Total earnings: $7,715.64 From 5 tournaments (https://www.esportsearnings.com/players/39487-hunterace-)

RDU: Total earnings: $143,482.89 from 50 tournaments (https://www.esportsearnings.com/players/8377-rdu-dima-radu)

Orange: Total earnings: $225,745.38 From 41 Tournaments (https://www.esportsearnings.com/players/14151-orange-jon-westberg)

DrJikininki: Total earnings: $20,153.75 From 9 Tournaments (https://www.esportsearnings.com/players/37065-drjikininki-)

Raven: Total earnings: I couldn't find anything for this, but he is known as a popular streamer and has cast at many Hearthstone tourneys.

I'm not counting their streaming earnings b/c I have no idea, but there's the hard info there regarding their tournament winnings. DrJinkininki and hunterace have much fewer earnings but with far less tournaments to show for it (that they've actually won money in, not counting tourneys they didn't make any money at), so time will tell if it's lucrative for them at all.

Personally I've heard of all these guys, but I'm sort of a stream/tourney junkie. I can understand why some haven't though, but that's no indication of their status as pros. I mean, I'm sure there's really popular world-reknown sumo champions that most of you have never heard of.

that wouldn't work, imagine one player having it disabled and the other not...

Honestly, I don't think it's that meta-breaking yet. I mean, Cubelock can face you with three charge 5/7s as early as turn 6 - that's meta-breaking, and it did dominate the previous meta.

Just speed up the animations, people can already kill Shudderwock Shaman before it does its combo anyway.

Quote from Dongstructo >>

It has zero counterplay. There's no silences, no anti-battlecries, no defensive measures that prevent it (oh sorry, Warlocks can sudden betrayal them the discard hound and pray to Jesus they knock out the Grummle or the Shudderwock, hahahahahaha), only SMASH FACE BEFORE DIE TURN AND MAYBE WIN, and chipping down their deck 80% made up of answers designed to stall you is basically impossible for any control or midrange deck, or anything fun.

I have to completely disagree with OP's rhetoric; I'm a huge fan of this expansion, and I'm quite excited to see what comes in the next couple weeks. 

"*insert latest expansion* is the worst and most disappointing expansion ever!"

It actually took longer than last time - I'm surprised. :O

The only benefit I see coming from this is that searching your collection for damage interactions will be easier. you can simply type damage to bring up all cards that say takes damage, when damaged or whatever it may be

Agreed, I’d love to see the artists credited!