Rise of Shadows Card Nerfs - What Do Pros Want To See Smacked?
IGN's Cam Shea got a chance to speak with a few of Hearthstone's pros at this past weekend's HCT World Championship and talked about card nerfs. Below you'll find our recap and you can read their thoughts it full here.
Card nerfs have been a very popular community topic post expansion launch, as they always are, though could it be different this time around? Here's what pros had to say about the Rise of Shadows set and any cards they think should get hit with the nerf bat.
- Ike thinks the meta hasn't fully progressed yet due to "sixteen of the best players ... [not] sharing anything"
- Justsaiyan says Dr. Boom, Mad Genius is a problem. Everyone is playing Warrior which means long games, he feels like not even playing mirrors. Boom is strong due to the DK rotation.
- Bunnyhoppor thinks Rogue is too strong. He also has this to say:
- Rogue opposition needs to have an answer for Waggle Pick or Raiding Party.
- Edwin VanCleef should be removed. He proposes moving Edwin to the Hall of Fame and making Preparation's effect a 2-cost reduction.
- Magic Carpet is not an issue right now but could be if Rogue gets nerfed.
- Possibly need to do something about Dr. Boom, Mad Genius because it might be healthy for player sentiment.
- Wants to see changes before Hearthstone Grandmasters begins as he doesn't want to see everyone only playing Rogue and Warrior.
- Hunterace thinks the biggest problem is EVIL Miscreant due to the Rogue pool being very strong. Bump the cost up to 4.
Proposed Nerf Targets
Some of these are conditionally, though they certainly echo community thoughts.
Your Thoughts
Are there any cards you think need to be hit with a nerf after these past few weeks of playing Rise of Shadows? Let us know down below.
Personally, I'm quite amazed Magic Carpet was even printed and will continue to quite enjoy the shenanigans in Zoolock while I still can. Increasing the cost seems like the most viable way to deal with it to keep the effect intact.
I also think that Augmented Elekk gives Warrior way too much power. Increasing its cost so it can remain a viable option for getting onto the field later in the game seems acceptable.
Okay, all these propositions are crap, the Edwin and Prep one especially. Like, seriously?! Edwin isn't, nor has he ever been a problem. He requires a lot of setup and there's a lot of cards that can take him out. Omega Devastator is only available for one class, a class that has multiple spells that can instakill minions but is weak against decks that can fill their boards easily.
Here's some better change propositions:
Magic Carpet? Zoolock was severely under-performing in the tourney.
I'm surprised by the lack of mentions for Sea Giant or Mountain Giant. Giants have enabled some nut turns for decks for a long time now.
The problem with Rogue is that we didn't get any good taunts to make up for what was lost (RIP Saronite Chain Gang and Tar Creeper).
Context is important though. If Rogue does get nerfed, Zoo definitely gets some nice gains.
Not a pro myself but Zoo definitely has huge problems with Rogue as it comes down to perfect draws or just really, really bad ones from the rogue.
Zoo would definitely be in a better place with Tempo Rogue nerfed. With Rogue nerfed we would also see an uptick in Shaman, which fares well vs Zoo. I think Mid-Range Hunter would be the one to replace Tempo Rogue as the big bad though.
Conjurers calling - up to 4 mana
Evil miscreant - 1/3 stats
Elysiana - up to 10 mana
Dr boom - lose ability of discover a mech
Elekk - 4 mana
Magic carpet - cost up to 4
Nourish - cost down to 5
...
I think this will bring balance between 9 classes
Edit... barnes up to 6 cost and 4/5 stats! Good for control decks , but not OP
I'd second edwin, it's one of those cards that gives your value turn exponential extra value which is pretty out there. The other rogue cards can stay.
Leeroy Jenkins is what makes waggle pick insane, if he were to be HoF, waggle pick would feel much more fair. Also leeroy just in general feels like a problem card
with that rogue would still have its consistency intact, and just its over the top legendaries removed.
some other cards could be Dr. boom hero, soul of the forest, and maybe something for hunter.
The only card that needs to go is Dr. Boom.
I love rogue. It has always been my favorite class. Hot take, its WAY overrated currently. Everyone runs weapon hate x2. If anything on Evil Miscreant needs a nerf, it is the body. At 1/5 it is really sturdy.
The meta is what it is. Adjust to it. I have never been a fan of Van Cleef. Silence is such a good tech right now.
This is why I have such a love hate with Rogue Anytime it gets near the top, people clamor for it to get nerfed. Rogue is decent at best now, no where as good or fun as the old Miracle days.
btw, I have been playing control Shaman and Priest with great success.
While I feel putting Edwin in the HoF and especially making Prep 2 mana is on the brink of absurdity, they do sound like actual nerfs Blizzard could make. Which scares me.
Same goes for Elekk. If you think he's too powerful because he can come early on the board, make him a 4 mana 3/5, don't just bump his cost by one. Cards don't need to be straight up killed in order to balance them.
You want to increase the cost of Prep? Instead of just bumping it up to 2, make it cost 1 mana or if you really hate gadgetzan just make it 2 mana but the next spell you cast this turn costs 4 less. Or you know... buff some garbage cards from other classes so maybe the power level of those cards actually gets the same without obliterating anything? Oh wait, right, our philosophy is "we don't buff anything".
They should nerf Token Druid. The deck is nuts, even if you run a control deck full of AoE is just not enough for how easily Token Druid refills the board. In addition they have so many ways to buff their tokens. In addition, Keeper Stalladris and Archmage Vargoth give them too much value.
I would like to see The Forest's Aid nerfed. It's too strong and I have a golden copy of it.
Nerf posts are so painful to me because the community (including myself) asks for some changes (those written in the article are pretty reasonable and deserved to me) and then our expectations get rekt so hard most of the times (e.g.: Kingsbane nerfed via Deadly Poison, which has its sense but c'mon).
I want to be wrong so hard, but... oh well let's see what they have for us
Leeroy. It would also solves most of the problems with rogue
All propositions seem fair, especially Dr. Boom. But come the FUCK ON... Edwin???? I have much respect for Bunny as a player, but moving one of the most iconic and staple CLASS legendary card in the game is nonsense. Pick and miscreant nerf would balance rogue anyway.
Edwin is and has always been a bullshit card, doesn't matter if it's iconic.
Bunnyhoppor is a great player but suggesting HoF of Edwin VanCleef makes no sense whatsoever.
And Preparation to (2) means obliterating the card entirely.
No. Just no.
Stop giving Rogue over-the-top cards, but leave the Classic set alone.
OR remove the whole Classic for ALL classes.
amen to that brother, we posted the same shit at same time xD
Bunnyhopper is a scrub if he thinks Edwin should be HoF’d and Prep should cost 2. Dumbest nerfs I’ve heard in a long long time.
I think you misread, he's saying the cost reduction to be moved down to 2 instead of 3. I agree with the Edwin comment though moving it to HoF is a terrible idea.
In the article it said that prep should cost 2, they changed that later.
I think evil miscreant is good, maybe nerf to 1/3 , up to 4 maná kill the card. Raiding party is good the problema is togwaggle pick 4 maná is perfect curve. Maybe up to 5
What I really want to know is, I remember blizzard saying that they were not gonna print any more hero cards this year. ( I might be wrong guys, if so please tell me.But even if I am wrong this comment can still make some sense) If you are saying something like that I will understand you. But why dont you rotate the remaning hero cards to wild? Like what you did to Genn Greymane and Baku the Mooneater even though it wasn't their time but you rotated them anyways. If you can rotate the cards from previous year then you can just rotate the current hero cards as well. Hero cards really powerful everyone knows that. Then why only 3 class currently have them? It's probably Blizzard doesnt care about balance.