Our old friend from the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan has returned in Forged in the Barrens and he still loves creating custom cards! Kazakus, Golem Shaper is a legendary card in Hearthstone's first major set in the Year of the Gryphon and his effect is quite unique in that you can create a card to play that is tailoring to your needs right now.
Although the Golems created may not perfect, like our genie friend Zephrys the Great was able to conjure, they should be able to help us get out of sticky situations and close out games.
Table of Contents
Kazakus, Golem Shaper
Kazakus, Golem Shaper has the same statline as the original Kazakus, a 4-cost 3/3 and although it isn't a highlander build around, we do see a deckbuilding restriction put into place - you can't have any 4-cost cards in your deck. Now, that doesn't mean you can't build a deck that has a few 4-cost cards because this effect will still work once you draw the cards out of your deck. If you want things to be consistent though, take it to heart and build your deck around no 4-cost cards.
So, what exactly is a custom golem? What beautiful minions can we construct on the fly and what potential do we have from the card?
Kazakus' Custom Golems
First, we need to explain how the effect works. Don't worry, it's quite simple and makes use of the Hearthstone Discover interface.
- Choose the mana cost of your golem. It can be 1, 5, or 10 mana.
- Choose the first effect (herb) to add to the card. You will be given 3 randomized options out of a pool of 6.
- Choose the second effect (herb) to add to the card. You will be given 3 more randomized options, from a pool of 6, to pick from.
- This effect has different scaling based on the cost of your Golem.
Once you have completed the above steps, you'll get your custom minion added to your hand.
Kazakus' First Herb Effects
There are six different herbs available in the first pool. You'll get to discover one of these options from a randomly chosen pool of three.
- Swiftthistle - Rush
- Earthroot - Taunt
- Sungrass - Divine Shield
- Liferoot - Lifesteal
- Fadeleaf - Stealth
- Grave Moss - Poisonous
Kazakus' Second Herb Effects
The second herb you get to choose is a new pool and the effects increase in strength the higher the cost of your golem is.
Wildvine
- Battlecry: Give your other minions +1/+1.
- Battlecry: Give your other minions +2/+2.
- Battlecry: Give your other minions +4/+4.
Gromsblood
- Battlecry: Summon a copy of this. (This is always the same)
Icecap
- Battlecry: Freeze a random enemy minion.
- Battlecry: Freeze two random enemy minions.
- Battlecry: Freeze all enemy minions.
Firebloom
- Battlecry: Deal 3 damage to a random enemy minion.
- Battlecry: Deal 3 damage to two random enemy minions.
- Battlecry: Deal 3 damage to three random enemy minions.
Mageroyal
- Spell Damage +1
- Spell Damage +2
- Spell Damage +4
Kingsblood
- Battlecry: Draw a card.
- Battlecry: Draw two cards.
- Battlecry: Draw four cards.
Build-a-Golem Simulator
We've put together a tool to build golems! Head on over to Kazakus, Golem Shaper's card page to play around with it.
This guide will be updated with more information on the card when it becomes available.
Quote From Celestalon Kazakus, Golem Shaper, works very similar to how the original Kazakus from Mean Streets worked. Choose a golem size (1/5/10), then discover an herb to mix into the clay for one effect, then discover a second herb. You get that golem, with those 2 effects, in hand.
Cant wait to see all the herb options. Always fun to have a build ya own card like the original one.
Well there's Swiftthistle, and Earthroot, and Sungrass… Liferoot and Fadeleaf… Oh, and Grave Moss… Of course you can't forget Wildvine. Gromsblood! And Icecap and Firebloom too! And Mageroyal… aaaaannnnd… Kingsblood! That's your checklist, achievement hunters. ;)
Comments
So from Celestalon's comment, we can expect an achievement where you need to choose each effect, let's hope that's not hard to track
aha, so kazakus is a golem shaper now
*Disclaimer, I know nothing about lore, I just like memes
It is less about lore and more about Kazakus
I'll give it 5 stars because I love utility cards, but since we don't know its effects right now that can drop fast. Drawing cards is great and even though taunt is good it's not as good as other effects as other kazakus cards, it feels more like the Adapt mechanic.
What I don't like is that is has counter synergy if you play both kazakus, you need to have drawn the other for this one to work : /
Why aren't the golems Elementals ?
Never have been War Golem, Harvest Golem, Arcane Golem,
Anima Golem, Wrapped Golem, Scrap Golem, The Curator. Piloted Sky Golem
Exception would be the amalgam family
Good question. Wonder if it's a balance thing
I would guess they are more of a magical type such as Arcane Golem rather than an Earth Elemental.
Because golems aren't elementals.
Elementals are sentient spirits of nature animating a portion of the substance they are named for (usually).
Golems are mindless constructs animated by magic or machinery (or both).
Effects we already know from MSoG:
Speculation for effects based on the ingredients (just from the names, I'll look into WoW descriptions too):
Celestalon said (here) it will work like deathstalker rexxar so that probably means 6 herbs are keywords and 6 are effects
I definitely agree with the speculation. We've also already seen fadeleaf in the game through Xaril, Poisoned Mind and his Fadeleaf Toxin which soft-confirms the Stealth card imo.
We'll have the guide updated as soon as we can get proper confirmations. I hope people see this comment in the meantime!
I didn't even think to check Xaril, forgot they used used potions too. Turns out they also have a firebloom toxin which deals damage so I think that one is also likely to be right
Damn, totally forgot about Firebloom! I can't say I used Xaril much but I do remember doing the card reveal for it (back when Blizzard gave me cards to reveal) and how stealth through fadeleaf in rogues was really nice flavor to have. I always love when they dive into the Warcraft universe in ways one might not expect!
Very nice list, I was doing the same thing when I saw the tweet. My only guess as to Wildvine is perhaps Frenzy as that's the new keyword this expansion.
Maybe frenzy refresh (x) mana? Ingame wildvine potions apparently restore health and mana over time so I'm seeing health or mana being linked to it
Wildvine = Toki Effect?
I don't think they'd take the battlecry from a legendary to be an option for a token (plus this would probably end up with a token that generates more wild cards than a legendary which seems a little odd) but I could be wrong
Or Ramp Maybe? As a lot of Ramp Cards have the "Nature" theme.
Biology Project
Wild Growth
Overgrowth
Jade Blossom
Twig of the World Tree
Lightning Bloom
This idea fits with the item in wow, but from a balance and design pov I'm not sure on it