Hearthpwn

Firelands Portal. EZ-PZ

Don't worry mate, it's not a bug. Dragon Fire Potion does not affect it, because it is a dragon. The card reads: "Can't be targeted with spells or hero powers" Effect that affect every minion on the board, (just like Duskbreaker) or either side of the board (like Flamstrikeor Blizzard, on Consecration) does not "target" Farie Dragon, but the dragon takes damage from is. 

Losing Mistress of Mixtures will be a big blow for control slash cubelock. Often the trading value and a 4 hp is barely a minimum to stay on the surface against swarming decks. If there will not be another good anti-aggro 1-drop in Witchwood set, the Control/Cubelock will drop many more games. And if it will loose just a little bit more than now, even 3-4% more it wont be so efficient. And I would bet on the fact that there won't be a new AA 1-drop, at least for now. And if there will be, it will be restricted to one other class, and will get a neutral minion in the 2nd expansion in the Year of the Raven...

Charge minions can do trumptrades, but won't, when rush minions will, on purpose. It's the same fast mechanic, and it's yes, it's the same mechanicwise, but will end up in very different results. Technically, in a vacuum same, but weaker, but the result of the new mechanic and the state of the game after Witchwood is pretty hard to predict, because of the high number of minions with rush, and the whole new interactions. 

Yeah! Rush gives the fight for the board a new perspective and a nice dynamism. But only, if you give enough tool to prosper. I'm curious...

*cough* Defile *cough*  

Cairne Bloodhoof won't rotate anywhere. He stays, because he is in the classic set! 

My tipp for Jade Golem is  plain 1/1.

Arena is value, arena is challenge. But, on the long run, I think problem solving is the key, because on the long run everybody has 'kind of the same' optinos. (on the long run = you probably have the weaker deck exactly the same amount of time, where you have the stronger set of cards). 

Okey, I got it. I think, there is no such thing as 'hurting arena'. Just kicked the 'arena-meta' in the arse, and now it will boil. Need to tweak something in the playstyle here and there, and have to learn to evaluate the options again. 

'Hurting the Arena' – implies that there was a perfectly balanced system, where everything had their place, and everything was fine, and the new cards are like cancerous cells in the good ol' system. I think, nobody can say this.

I don't think there are 'core' class cards in arena. You just have to cook with the ingredients you have. There is no 'rule' in arena, which says, 'If you want to win 12, you need 2x Flamestrike / Swipe / Holy Nova / Lightning Storm / Consecration / whatever. Of course they are nice to have, but I won't call them 'vital' or 'core'. 

Arena is just pure value. If you were able to run 7+ wins in arena before, you won't have problem to do so in GvG. I was afraid of these mentioned things, but yesterday I drafted a Priest deck, before the patch went live – it was an average deck, the highlight was 3x Auchenai Soulpriest. Went on some housework, than sit down, and play, and from the second game all my opponents came with decks filled with GvG cards. I'm ended up 8 wins, so there isn't any powercreep, just different options. It's fresher, fancier, gives more excitement and a lot of fun, but there isn't any powercreep, or difference in strength now and before. Just pay attention. :)

Yes, there will be control warrior, control paladin, and zoo-type decks. Of course, the archetypes won't die, but I won't be surprised that the cards in those decks changed completely. And because there is a 30card limit, and because the bigger card pool things will change, it's unable to predict how... 

Yes, some of the cards can be judged as underwhelming now, but there is more complex than: "This won't fit any of the current decks." True, won't fit the decks we know, but we don't know how the meta will change. Just too early to say anything.

Actually, I don't think so, that the "expected" value of the 'so far spoilered cards' from the expansion will be the same, when we see the big picutre. On the top of this, I think judging the expansion cards in the current metagame is a quite bad idea. You can't say [INSERT RANDOM UNDER/OVERWHELMINGLY JUDGED GvG CARD HERE] will be the same, in the new meta. Over 120 cards is the third of the current card set (if you estimate the cards which can be crafted or opened from packs). That's huge chunk, new archetype will rise, some of the current decks (if not the all of them) will fall, it's quite obviuos, and the we just saw a little more than the tip of the iceberg. 

Completely unnecesary to say that the released cards will be good, nor bad. Some say: Goblin Auto-Barber can't fit in miracle rogue decks, and Shieldmaiden is bad for control warriors. This many cards, which will come in the expansion, will completely change the meta, I guess. Actually we don't know if there be such a thing as Miracle Rouge for instance. It's a little dumb to be underwhelmned, nor overwhelmed by the "expected" strength or weakness of the cars we saw without the 70-80-ish more, which will come with Goblins and Gnomes.

I'm pretty excited about the new expansion, but actually don't know what to come. It's not Curse of Naxxramas, where you find some little tools to enhance an archetype. GvG will be much more with mechs, with new mechanics like the piloted mechs, or the legendary effects like Foe Reaper 4000 – and the much more to come. Who knows... So be patient until the release, and start theorycraft after. 

Zoo actually is a very fast paced deck, yes, but it's more of a control than aggro. Just because it's usually wins in turn 5-8, it is not a rushdown deck. The strength of zoo comes from board control, which is coming from cheap, efficient and sticky minions and the synergy between them. Enabling good trades with Dark Iron Dwarf, Power Overwhelming, Abusive Sergeant, Dire Wolf Alpha, Defender of Argus and some Knife Juggler hits. It's a control deck.