Hearthpwn

So, this Insanity Challenge has really pushed me into a weird space. When I first looked at other players entries I was confused and frustrated by what I was seeing. Hero Powers that don't do anything. Tons and tons of forced synergy. Hyper pushed weird ideas. Then I decided to enter myself and start designing a class. After looking at the rules and starting to think about ideas I too ended up doing the same thing. I instantly knew I wanted to do Loki, a Trickster, a scoundrel, and a manipulator. A guy that puts these crazy plans into motion, lies, cheats and steals whatever advantage he can and isn't afraid to put everything on the line to win. This of course still led me to a do-nothing Hero Power and a bunch of super forced synergy. I eventually decided that I was trying to do everything in 25 cards and a Hero Power. So I pulled things back, and tried to create a Hero Power that while functional, is still more bad than good. The  other idea was still to try and create at least 1 solid idea and a few cards that make it our win condition, while generating some of the oddest versions of removal and minions I could. Anyway, to really understand things, lets just look into the cards.

Basic Set:
Deep Sea Murloc - This seems fairly strong, only hitting minions helps though. 

Water Burst - Fine, though this is one of the few other Basic cards that is already a direct copy. I don't really know if the art works for me. It just looks like purple clouds. I don't get any water besides the frame.

Water of Empowerment - This idea of buffing your next minion is interesting, but it feels very out of place in Basic to me. We've never seen an effect like it before. Its not overly complex, but its something new players may not always remember or their opponents. Its something you can kind of keep track of, especially for the player using it, but opponents might be confused. Otherwise I think +1/+1 and Taunt is fine for 1 mana.

Whisper of Azshara - This seems fine. Having to try to plan ahead is a big deal.

River Crab - Even weird partial cards cost some amount of stats most of the time. Its true that now there are cards that are full value minions that Draw cards, but that is not something that we would have seen in a Basic set. This is power creeped pretty heavily. It needs a stat point shaved off.

Murl-volve - This I really don't like in Basic. I know Mage's Polymorph is in Basic, but this isn't that. Hell this card is meant to be discovered by players, not just something you kind of give away, plus it creates crazy burst potential because of how huge Old Murk-Eye can be. A Basic card just shouldn't generate Legendary cards. Move this to Classic if you want to keep it around.

Blessing of Water - Spell Damage buffs are scary. Multiple spell damage cards are scary. Stacking both together is extra scary. I think that yes, realistically the cost is balanced, but the effect is very very dangerous.

Seduction of Azshara - This is cool actually. I like it a lot, but the from Whisper of Azshara's seems more fitting for this effect.

Tsunami - Fine. Weird that all your Water based minions take damage from this flavor wise, but I get it balance wise.

Naga Healer - Ok, again crazy power creep. Darkshire Alchemist was given to Priest specifically to try to help it be better, and it was considered pretty pushed at the time. This is flat better than that, and its in your Basic set. This is better than every other healing minion ever printed and its in your Basic set. That makes no sense to me. Remember, the original base idea for healing values was the twice the mana spend plus 2. So if you spent 1 mana, restore 4, if you spent 2 restore 6, 3 restore 8. This is 5 healing for half a mana. 1 stat point. That is too much. Don't let some of the current crazily pushed cards warp your view of what your Basic set should be. 

Classic Set:
Jinyu Champion - The Power Creep continues. I know, this is just a 2/2 for 1 and a 1 mana deal 2 put together. But there's a reason we've never seen that. Its because the value is too high. This is 1 stat point too good no matter how you slice it, especially for Classic.

Overflow - Again pushed. This is effectively 3 mana, Deal 3, Restore 3 to your Hero, but you get to break it up into multiple cards and use the effects as you need them. 

Water of Purification - Fine, but the art looks like Lightning to me not water.

Coldlight Waterspeaker - Fine, interesting interaction with your Hero Power.

Staff of the Jinyu - This being the only weapon is really really out of place. No other class just has on random weapon. You're either a weapon class with multiple weapons or you aren't. Weapon is kind of its own keyword in a way, and so just having this one random weapon is poor design. It eats into other classes identities and muddles your classes own identity.

Deep Sea Goblin - Just want to point out that Gilgoblins or Giblins are their own thing. They aren't just underwater Goblins, so the name should probably adjust accordingly. This is the one and only card that itself has flow, and it doesn't even seem that good. Hell, sometimes the random 4 drop will be worse than this. That's actually awful.

Water Bubble - Very interesting. Great art.

Water of Regeneration - This looks like a storm, more than some sort of regenerative water. Also, I'm not sure what regeneration has to do with drawing a card. The balance is fine though.

Azshara's Indoctrination - Very interesting idea. I am not a fan of having 2 different 2-Cost Silence effects in the same class though. I'd like to see this change.

Water of Protection - Again, this art isn't doing much. It just looks like bubbles under the water. That doesn't really get anything across about what this card does. It doesn't push flavor. Balance seems fine though.

Murloc Breeding Ground - This seems awful. At best you're getting 3 murlocs for 3. It can never be better than that, because the board only holds 7 minions. 

Naga Summoner - Interesting. I like that its not a Murloc itself. Seems fair.

Giant Flood - This doesn't look like a giant flood. It looks like a shipwreck on the ocean. I am extremely curious how this functions with Spell Damage, because if it works like I think, its completely broken.

Mistress of the Tide - The only other Flow card. This one is more fun, but still the mechanic needs more presence. 

Lady Vashj - Considering how Flow barely exists this seems really boring, weak and sad. Its your Classic class legendary. It should feel like it really really represents what your class is about, but how can it. Because Flow just isn't important. You created a keyword and then never used it. So really this is just 8 mana for a 4/4 Restore 9 Health to your Hero. BLAH! Also, in terms of representing the actual character it does a bad job. Lady Vashj was a high end Raid boss known for being a savagely hard fight. She herself used the powerful Serpent Spine Bow and blasted players with Lightning based spells. Just because she's a Naga, doesn't mean she uses water magic. 

Basic Set:
Counselling - Nothing wrong here. Name is a bit odd to me. Something like Conference, Roundtable, Mentor, Advise, or just Counsel makes more sense to me. If you want to keep the name as is, it still is mispelled. Counselling has 2 L's.

Fortitude - This seems fine, decent art.

Disarm - I know weapon removal is like the one counter-play effect that actually exists at Basic, but remember, you Basic set is supposed to be the cards that could go into any new players deck. A card that only works against 5 of the 9 classes doesn't suit that. I'd suggest moving this to Classic and moving something else, like maybe Motivate to Basic.

Call for Reinforcements - I don't like that this is just better than Force of Nature. I know Force of Nature got nerfed to this state, but I also think that this card is just too good. Its 5 mana for 12 stats and Taunt. I'd bump this up 1 mana.

Shield Up - This is very pushed. 0 mana for 2 stat points is already the space things are supposed to be in, and you're throwing in Taunt at 0 mana as well. I know your Hero Power makes 0/2 taunts, and its supposed to be worth 0 mana, but that's honestly worth more than 0 mana. Just look at Mark of the Wild. That costs 2 more mana for just 2 Attack. If you're unhappy about making his 1 mana, buff the Health to 3. That's still pushed but its not as crazy. 

Slash - No issues.

Guarding Veteran - I feel like this should be Veteran Guard. Guarding Veteran sounds so weird to me. 

Chokepoint Captain - This is a weird card. Your class is already naturally Taunt heavy, and this is spending a lot of points to give its effect. I think making this a 4/3 seems fine. 

Swamp Patroller - This one is weird. The card itself is mostly fine, though I'm not sure what your intended interaction is with this and Chokepoint Captain. The really weird part though it why this draws cards. What about being a Swamp Patroller makes you the guy that draws cards/generates value? I feel like the art inspired the name and the effect was just slapped on. That's not all bad, but it would feel a bit better if it made more sense.

Imprison - This is fine. Finally found the right place for it.

Classic Set:
Goblin Guardian - This I believe should read, 'Whenever and enemy minion attacks'.

Tested Defender - This is fine. Strong, its very similar to Shielded Minibot.

Wandering Protector - This is scary. Yes, in the minion or spell is large enough, this dies to 6 or more damage, but if the minion/spell deals less than that this just takes a ton of work. It would take four sources of 3 damage to kill this. or 2 of 4, and of course anything below that does actual nothing. Most AoEs don't hurt this. Most commonly played minions can't kill this alone. Its just nasty. Throw a buff or 2 on it, heaven forbid a Gear Up and its almost unstoppable. That said, every class needs a few pushed cards, and this is right in the zone it probably needs to be to make the class powerful/good enough.

Darnassus Sentinel - This is a powerhouse. Its a very very powerful combination of strong effects. Again, its probably fine, but we are hitting a mass of very pushed cards.

Guardian Angel - Jeez, the hits keep coming. In terms of raw stats this might look weak, but its so powerful. Getting these guys on the board and rolling can just lock someone out of a game. The first one of these isn't horribly, but if you get 2 or somehow 3 or 4 with Faceless Manipulator your opponent is just going to be done for haha. 

Kingsguard Rider - Interesting idea, decent execution. The reason this sort of works on MC Tech is that's the only card like it and its not a class card, but in most cases your opponent can just play around this. They'll know instantly what your class is and that this is a mechanic it uses. Making this and something only new players or truly desperate players are going to play in to, because its powerful.

Winterspring General - Same here. Your opponent is just only ever going to open themselves up if they have to gamble to win anyway. This just feels in terms of execution. 

General Martin Jonathan - I hate this. It negates 3 classes ability to hero power you out at all. Bouncing this and getting the effect over and over could make it impossible for your opponent to ever win, including in fatigue, because you'll just be taking way less damage than them. Its cheapish, and it is very very powerful. 

Retaliate - Cool card from another class to copy.

Gear Up - This is super hard to judge. It might be fine, its definitely strong.

Motivate - This kind of feels weak. The full healing of a single minion is worth 0 mana, and temporary Windfury can't be worth more than 1, so this feels like its one of the few over cost cards. 

Comeback - That fact that this can hit face, makes it look like this can just kill your opponent for 2 mana. This needs to say minion. Also, like I said, its very unlikely you'll get a chance to every trigger this.

He's Mine - Interesting idea, fair cost. I like this.

Aegis of Protection - I don't like that your "weapons" are just passives. It makes running multiples mostly pointless, and it makes the ones you have just feel super strong. 3 mana to just take 1 less damage from everything for the rest of the game is crazy. That's going to add up to tons of free Health, and of course it can stacks with Gen. Jonathan to push you into unkillable range. I'd be happier seeing this have a higher block amount but burn durability to prevent damage. You have Block 3. Whenever an enemy attacks you remove 1 durability. Then you can have 4-5 durability. So its like a big heal but in pieces, instead of just passively sitting there forever.

Dragonscale  Shield - This one is just a kick in the balls. If you can't get your Guard up to 3-4 range, you can just play this and make casters concede. Super fun and interactive....Unless they are packing weapon removal this just sits there forever. its just terrible.

So, this Insanity Challenge has really pushed me into a weird space. When I first looked at other players entries I was confused and frustrated by what I was seeing. Hero Powers that don't do anything. Tons and tons of forced synergy. Hyper pushed weird ideas. Then I decided to enter myself and start designing a class. After looking at the rules and starting to think about ideas I too ended up doing the same thing. I instantly knew I wanted to do Loki, a Trickster, a scoundrel, and a manipulator. A guy that puts these crazy plans into motion, lies, cheats and steals whatever advantage he can and isn't afraid to put everything on the line to win. This of course still led me to a do-nothing Hero Power and a bunch of super forced synergy. I eventually decided that I was trying to do everything in 25 cards and a Hero Power. So I pulled things back, and tried to create a Hero Power that while functional, is still more bad than good. The  other idea was still to try and create at least 1 solid idea and a few cards that make it our win condition, while generating some of the oddest versions of removal and minions I could. Anyway, to really understand things, lets just look into the cards.

So, this Insanity Challenge has really pushed me into a weird space. When I first looked at other players entries I was confused and frustrated by what I was seeing. Hero Powers that don't do anything. Tons and tons of forced synergy. Hyper pushed weird ideas. Then I decided to enter myself and start designing a class. After looking at the rules and starting to think about ideas I too ended up doing the same thing. I instantly knew I wanted to do Loki, a Trickster, a scoundrel, and a manipulator. A guy that puts these crazy plans into motion, lies, cheats and steals whatever advantage he can and isn't afraid to put everything on the line to win. This of course still led me to a do-nothing Hero Power and a bunch of super forced synergy. I eventually decided that I was trying to do everything in 25 cards and a Hero Power. So I pulled things back, and tried to create a Hero Power that while functional, is still more bad than good. The  other idea was still to try and create at least 1 solid idea and a few cards that make it our win condition, while generating some of the oddest versions of removal and minions I could. Anyway, to really understand things, lets just look into the cards.