Hearthstone Designer Iksar was out on reddit talking to the community when he confirmed that once the Christmas holidays are over, he and the rest of the team will be getting back to work and one of the first things they are going to talk about is game balance.
The answer comes from a request for Blizzard to deal with Evolve Shaman, one of the strongest decks, if not the strongest, in Standard right now. Although we don't have an exact timing or details of changes, it looks like there's a patch planned for 3 weeks from now focusing on duels content which would be a great time to push in some card balance as well.
If you were in charge of balance changes, what cards would you change and how would you change them? Let us know in the comments below!
Quote From Iksar Can you fix evolve shaman which is ruining your primarily game mode before putting work into a minor achievement bug plsthx
We'll look at game balance when we get back in the office on Monday.
Comments
today is monday. When do we expect any outcome?
Today
Probably in a few days: maybe Thursday could be the day?
1. they have to identify the Problem(s)
2. they have to find solution(s) for these Problem(s)
3. they have to playtest the solution(s)
4. they have to predict how the meta will change and potentially have to nerf more cards(basically going back to 1.)
5. The Apple/Android store have to approve the new build (can take between 1 - 7 days)
I don't expect them to announce the nerfs anytime soon.
You guys remember when Shaman was absolute dog food trash tier? I do....
As a predominantly Wild player I don't have an issue with any of the Evolve Effects. Mind you, in Wild Evolve Shaman is kept easily in check.
But if I were to change anything it'd be how the Weapon works. Nerfing it's attack is pointless as you aren't playing Bogspine for the attack value but for the effect. Make it a Battle cry and Deathrattle alà Bloodrazor. That way the Shaman player has to work a little harder at keeping a Board.
IMO nerfing the attack value would actually have an impact. With 4 attack you most likely just die receiving 4 damage face turn after turn while trying to keep the shaman's board empty. Lowering the attack value might just keep you alive long enough to regain control.
EDIT: not to mention Dread Corsair shenanigans as FrostyFeet pointed out.
I agree that this should be their first attempt. It would also prevent 0-Cost Dread Corsairs being played alongside it, which is a huge deal tempo-wise. Changing the effect to Battlecry or Deathrattle would just kill the card, as would a mana cost increase, although I personally would mind since I hate the evolve strategy.
Changing Hoard Pillager's effect to Deathrattle also sounds like a smart nerf that Bomb Warriors could've also used in the previous meta. It's also more flavorful that way: she hoards the goods until she's forced to give them up. But I'm ok with just Boggspine nerf (at least for now).
I honestly don't get why so many players gets tilted over the Dread Corsair issue when its obviously only a problem when they cheat mana and get the weapon online on turn 2-3. At turn 5, and with shaman's early game being largely nonexistent, in most cases many decks can deal with one random 5 drop, even 2 wouldn't exactly be too much.
I agree with setting Hoard Pillager to a deathrattle. A smart way of denying shaman its bs reload value while maintaining the essential power of the card for other decks.
3 weeks from now there should be already the mini expansion launched btw
3 weeks from now would be far, far too late. The standard meta is already a 2 decks vs the rest kinda thing for 2 weeks now and that's not gonna change unless team 5 steps in.
For standard: Rogue and shaman are by far the biggest threats and need to be adjusted. After that they should probably look at preemptively correcting bomb warrior and maybe paladin/warlock too.
Wild: just save us from the secret mage/reno priest/darkglare warlock trinity, please.
Revert the Raza and Molten giant changes, and butcher all the wild-only secret mage cards for all I care.
Imagine doing card nerfs with such lingering hate.. some decks u talked about are of course problematic but nerfing so much and so hard is admirable but mistaken
Do tell which nerfs you consider "so hard".
I liked a proposal for Boggspine Knuckles which I saw on the forums: rather than making the effect a battlecry (which would just make the card unplayable) make it a Battlecry and Deathrattle. This would keep the value of the card as it is, but it would hinder the reload effect of Hoard Pillager
Agree it's the combo with Hoard Pillager that makes it as bad as it is now.
Getting Shaman right will be tricky. I think that Boggspine Knuckles was just a mistake. The card gives you TWO full-board evolves, AND you can tutor it, AND you can later re-equip it for another two evolves. On most of your games, you can evolve all your minions every turn starting in the mid-game.
That's not just OP, that’s BORING. As much hate as last year’s Evolve Shaman got, it was at least an interesting deck to play and the mirror matches were very dependent on skill. You had to think about what minions you and your opponent had in order to decide whether it was time to use one of your limited Evolves. I wish a balanced version of that had stuck around for a while
I don't get the people complaining against Shaman, I went 12-0 last season against it.
IMO nerf Librams reduction to the ones in hand. Paladin is soooooooo annoying to play against (I don't have enough o's to make the "so" as long as it should be). I know it's not impossible to beat, it's just painfully boring to play them.
and Priest in Wild.
Knuckles should have less attack or cost 6.
They schould take a look at Froxy Fraud and Swindle.
Not swindle ,draw is sussposed to be a rogue class strnetgh its one of only good draw cards rogue has at all and nerfing it to 3 would kill it.
Make Boggspine Knuckles a Battlecry, so Shaman has to establish a board beforehand and can’t just vomit crap onto the board and upgrade it.
Also, they should go ahead and nerf Tickatus into the ground or change it real soon, if the meta ever slows down even slightly then this card becomes outright oppresive.
Revert Crimson Sigil Runner
Give Aldrachi Warblades an Outcast effect
Libram of Wisdom should only buff attack
Phase Stalker should be a 2/2 with battlecry
Spirit Jailer to 1 shard
Occult Conjurer to 5 mana
Wriggling Horror to 3 mana, more in line with Fallen Sun Cleric
Make Bonechewer Brawler vanilla, in line with Pompous Thespian
Lightforged Zealot to 5 mana or 2/2 taunt
[Hearthstone Card (Goody Two Shields) Not Found] to 3/2
Animated Broomstick 2 mana 2/1
Hand of A'dal 3 mana
Foxy Fraud to 3 mana or 1/2
Blur 1 mana plus +2 Attack