The Meta seems ...

... quite healthy actually. I find myself rather surprised to discover that 6 out of 9 classes have an overall positive winrate (according to hsreplay), and 5 of those 6 are extremely closely matched. And even the three classes that are overall less than 50% winrate still have at least one good deck available that is above 50%. All I can say is that I'm pleasantly surprised. 

I cannot help but notice, that hearthstone has improved much over the last time. Actually, since Brode left. Coincidence? 

Quote From kramerofboandls

I cannot help but notice, that hearthstone has improved much over the last time. Actually, since Brode left. Coincidence? 

he left a while ago so i think it is not because he left , and he did good stuff for the game too , sure not everything but still - i think without him Hearthstone wouldn't be were it is right now :)

To the OP: I also like the meta right now because there are so many T2 Decks you can play with decent success - and lot`s of homebrews / meme decks that can also work pretty decent :) 

There's still a bunch of stuff thaht should probably be adressed, but overall yeah, the meta is at least diverse.

Granted, Mage kinda got dumpstered, but Highlander is still very much playable, so it's not that bad. The discovery nerf actually ended up being enough to finally take Warrior down a notch and even Murloc Paladin seems to fade away a bit (thank god)

If anyhting they'll have to address Priest eventually (again). Divine Spirit is just so very obviously shit design and they keep dancing around it. At the very least they seem to be running out of excuses at this point.

I fear that we're all gonna hate Zephrys at some point, but right now he's still fun (but there are a few times he just doesn't seem to get how the game works. someone needs to tell him that Deathrattles need to be silenced and there is, in fact, a 0-mana spell that does that.

Quote From YourPrivateNightmare

I fear that we're all gonna hate Zephrys at some point, but right now he's still fun (but there are a few times he just doesn't seem to get how the game works. someone needs to tell him that Deathrattles need to be silenced and there is, in fact, a 0-mana spell that does that.

Well so far i still like Zephrys :) - but i get what you're saying - but didn't they say that right now he does not check for Deathrattles but they will still update him ?

I mean they already patched him once so he can give you Inner Rage for example if it would get you lethal and he did not do that before - so i guess there´s hope they will make him "better" or at least make him check for deathrattles 

I think it's a bit of a drag that Warrior has been the only viable control class for ages now. It really makes the meta a lot more onesided when one of the three major archetypes of decks is represented by a single class.

Quote From AliRadicali

I think it's a bit of a drag that Warrior has been the only viable control class for ages now. It really makes the meta a lot more onesided when one of the three major archetypes of decks is represented by a single class.

for ages is a bit of an overstatement. Warrior only came back as a control class during Rumble when Odd Warrior finally became good enough (thanks to the Dragon package)

the only reason why Warrior even got to this point is because pretty much all other "control" classes got more proactive strategies (well that and Dr. Boom). Take Mage for example: the tools are all there but it's just more effective to be a bit more on the proactive side with Mountain Giants and whatnot.

In fact, Warrior just happens to be the only class who is still able to play the old school control game of "just remove everything your opponent have and win when they die from old age....which is mostly due to the complete overload of removal they have. Bommb Warrior was technically a step in the right direction (as are the new taunt cards) so I'm looking forward to the rotation when a lot of the overly efficient removal and Boom go away so Warrior can build their contorl decks more proactively

Quote From YourPrivateNightmare

Quote From AliRadicali

I think it's a bit of a drag that Warrior has been the only viable control class for ages now. It really makes the meta a lot more onesided when one of the three major archetypes of decks is represented by a single class.

for ages is a bit of an overstatement. Warrior only came back as a control class during Rumble when Odd Warrior finally became good enough (thanks to the Dragon package) 

Not totally correct: Odd Warrior was already popular around the Spiteful Nerf. Yeah, it wasn't pure Odd package since it used to run the Quest, but it was still tier 1.

God it's been a while since I started loathing the class.

Please Devs, PLEASE, don't give Warrior OP stuff in the next expansion and keep its power level in check after the rotation. That's all I have to ask: playing against Garrosh/Magni without the need to puke.

I am really enjoying the diversity in the current meta - I have at least 1 deck with each class that 1) is fun to pay and 2) isn't a total dumpster-fire of meme-ery and can actually win games.

It will be really interesting to see how the new expansion(s) work with the quests and if the next meta will propel some of the "stragglers" into the limelight: i.e. are they actually going to print more Reborn minions for Paladin? Try to give Warrior more tools than just Armored Goonto make Weapon Warrior a thing? More draw/shuffle mechanics for Warlock?

Just thinking they had to HoF Genn/Baku over the restrictions they imposed on printing certain types of card, so will the quests do the same? Or allow them MORE room to make cards that fit the quests to help balance them? Time will tell...

I like that I can play my secret burn mage r5 and manage to win quite a few matches. The decline in warrior made this possible :-)

They improve from year to year!

I would guess their data analysis has become strong enough to detect broken stuff in the developpment.

I‘m totally impressed that things like the hunter quest turn out to be viable. All highlanders see (saw) play. 

In general, the vaste field of T2 decks is a good indicator of a healthy meta. Little shifts are enough to bring totally new decks into the ladder

Quote From YourPrivateNightmare

Quote From AliRadicali

I think it's a bit of a drag that Warrior has been the only viable control class for ages now. It really makes the meta a lot more onesided when one of the three major archetypes of decks is represented by a single class.

for ages is a bit of an overstatement. Warrior only came back as a control class during Rumble when Odd Warrior finally became good enough (thanks to the Dragon package)

the only reason why Warrior even got to this point is because pretty much all other "control" classes got more proactive strategies (well that and Dr. Boom). Take Mage for example: the tools are all there but it's just more effective to be a bit more on the proactive side with Mountain Giants and whatnot.

In fact, Warrior just happens to be the only class who is still able to play the old school control game of "just remove everything your opponent have and win when they die from old age....which is mostly due to the complete overload of removal they have. Bommb Warrior was technically a step in the right direction (as are the new taunt cards) so I'm looking forward to the rotation when a lot of the overly efficient removal and Boom go away so Warrior can build their contorl decks more proactively

 

Warrior has late-game inevitability. Any control deck that wants to coexist alongside Warrior and have a chance to beat it (EG Quest druid ATM) needs a proactive win condition because in fatigue they lose to warriors. Hence Phaoris, Nomi, Floop, etc.: the hope is to run warrior out of mass removal and win on the spot, because eventually rushing mechs will overcome any amount of threats.

Warriors have a proactive win condition in bombs and they choose not to use it in the current meta because slow and steady wins the race more reliably ATM. Having inevitability is a feature, not a cost.

Quote From AliRadicali

Quote From YourPrivateNightmare

Quote From AliRadicali

I think it's a bit of a drag that Warrior has been the only viable control class for ages now. It really makes the meta a lot more onesided when one of the three major archetypes of decks is represented by a single class.

for ages is a bit of an overstatement. Warrior only came back as a control class during Rumble when Odd Warrior finally became good enough (thanks to the Dragon package)

the only reason why Warrior even got to this point is because pretty much all other "control" classes got more proactive strategies (well that and Dr. Boom). Take Mage for example: the tools are all there but it's just more effective to be a bit more on the proactive side with Mountain Giants and whatnot.

In fact, Warrior just happens to be the only class who is still able to play the old school control game of "just remove everything your opponent have and win when they die from old age....which is mostly due to the complete overload of removal they have. Bommb Warrior was technically a step in the right direction (as are the new taunt cards) so I'm looking forward to the rotation when a lot of the overly efficient removal and Boom go away so Warrior can build their contorl decks more proactively

 

Warrior has late-game inevitability. Any control deck that wants to coexist alongside Warrior and have a chance to beat it (EG Quest druid ATM) needs a proactive win condition because in fatigue they lose to warriors. Hence Phaoris, Nomi, Floop, etc.: the hope is to run warrior out of mass removal and win on the spot, because eventually rushing mechs will overcome any amount of threats.

 

Warriors have a proactive win condition in bombs and they choose not to use it in the current meta because slow and steady wins the race more reliably ATM. Having inevitability is a feature, not a cost.

well yes, their "inevitability" (more like a huge amount of ressource generation of which most doubles as removal, inevitability would be more akin to Jade Golems or Mecha'thun) obviously contributes to their overall success, but it kinda demonstrates the problem that control decks have in general atm, which is that they rely too much on infinite ressources to be viable.

What I'm trying to say is: Warrior is doing to other control decks now what other control decks were doing to Warrior last year (before he got Boom). This just demonstrates that infinite ressources are bad for the game, especially when available to classes with strong control tools.

In other words: this might be the last year Warrior even gets to do this before they have to use bombs as their main win condition. It really seems like Blizzard is finally moving away from the ResidentSleeper playstyle