Ashes of Outland: Arena Impact
Submitted 4 years, 9 months ago by
sinti
Ashes of Outland is Hearthstone's newest expansion and is set to release on April 7, 2020.
Quick Info
- Introducing the Demon Hunter class. Hearthstone's finally got a new playable class!
- Illidan is the basic Demon Hunter hero.
- Prime Minions - Legendary minions with two forms. After they are removed from the board, they come back more powerful.
- Imprisoned Demons - They are inactive for two turns but have powerful effects.
- Outcast, the new Demon Hunter Keyword gives the card a bonus if it is cast while being the right-most or left-most card in your hand.
- The Priest class sees a large overhaul with the launch of the expansion.
Arena Drafting Pool
The card pool for Ashes of Outlands launch:
- Basic
- Classic
- Rise of Shadows
- Saviors of Uldum
- Descent of Dragons
- Galakrond's Awakening
- Ashes of Outland
- Demon Hunter Initiate
This thread is dedicated to discussing the impact of these cards on the ARENA environment.
Click below to see how Arena Mods at Out of Cards rated the cards revealed so far!
You can read everyone's detailed card evaluation by clicking on their pictures.
Click on the class' icon to see their cards.
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Ashes of Outland is Hearthstone's newest expansion and is set to release on April 7, 2020.
Quick Info
Arena Drafting Pool
The card pool for Ashes of Outlands launch:
This thread is dedicated to discussing the impact of these cards on the ARENA environment.
Click below to see how Arena Mods at Out of Cards rated the cards revealed so far!
You can read everyone's detailed card evaluation by clicking on their pictures.
Click on the class' icon to see their cards.
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Demon Hunter
Basic Set
Initiate Set
Ashes of Outland
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Druid
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Hunter
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Mage
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Paladin
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Priest
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Rogue
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Shaman
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Warlock
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Warrior
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Neutral
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Basic Set
Initiate Set
Ashes of Outland
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Basic Set
Inner Demon - 4 - Big finisher with the same scale as Pyroblast but can only go face when no taunt is on board.
Chaos Nova - 5 - Same scale as Hellfire and a smidge better since that 4 health number kills the very prevalent 3/4 for 3 crowd.
Glaivebound Adept - 4 - Fragile but very potent minion. I like it but, realistically, you need to play this on T6 to ensure you get the trigger and if it dies easy then you've paid 6 mana to do 6 points and probably wipe out a minion/spell in trade. Seems good, even in that worst case scenario.
Aldrachi Warblades - 4 - Solid weapon with an offset to face damage if you clear with it.
Coordinated Strike - 3 - Rush makes it a decent removal piece.
Satyr Overseer - 4 - IDK… need to see this in action. I think it's too costly (5 mana card, really) but at 5 mana a 4/2, 2/2, and ping seems pretty good.
Soul Cleave - 3 - Lifesteal for an attack class is much better than lifesteal for a class like priest. I think this is a good removal piece for the cost and class.
Chaos Strike - 5 - Pretty easy math here. If Arcane Shot cost 1 more and had a cantrip, you'd choose it over most cards in hunter's set.
Sightless Watcher - 5 - Top stats for an aggressive class and give you the chance to set up your next draw. Awesome card!
Shadowhoof Slayer - 4 - Class-based powercreep on Elven Archer. Solid 1 drop.
Initiate Set
Nethrandamus - 5 - Very strong card. It should be easy enough to get a few minions to die and the payoff is huge even at a pair of 3 drops.
Altruis the Outcast - 4 - Awesome card. A bit tricky to get value but the damage going to all enemies is great.
Flamereaper - 5 - Pricey but incredible. Yes, please!
Wrathspike Brute - 5 - Another "all enemies" damaged card, tied to a taunt. Love it.
Wrathscale Naga - 3 - Maybe I'm underestimating this, but your opponent has the ability to clear it and direct/mitigate the damage.
Eye Beam - 5 - Great spell to control the board and you could get it at a zero cost. Awesome.
Hulking Overfiend - 5 - A great board clear option. Beefed up Batterhead which always seemed to low an attack for the job and cost.
Illidari Felblade - 5 - Another "wow" card. Great versatility, and mean as hell if you can trigger and get immune the turn you play it.
Raging Felscreamer - 3 - Decent vanilla with an upside that is draft dependent.
Soul Split - 2 - Too draft defendant to bother.
Feast of Souls - 3 - Very interesting card that is likely to be OP in constructed but a little tougher to draft in arena. How bad will it feel to have your minions die on your opponent's turn and never get to use this?
Blade Dance - 4 - This looks like a good card though it does have some reliance on your ability to boost attack and/or weapon up.
Command the Illidari - 5 - Great card. Looks pretty OP but I guess we'll see for sure next week!
Umberwing - 4 - Nice spread of assets for 2 mana.
Mana Burn - 3 - Tough to rate. I think it has some value as a disruptive card but it still feels like tempo lost for no real gain.
Battlefiend - 5 - WTF… maybe I'm overestimating things but the class looks to have some serious power cards.
Consume Magic - 4 - Seems solid. Silence is strong, cantrip is great. Dependent since you have to get the Outcast trigger for it to be good value.
Ur'zul Horror - 4 - Solid one cost option that has a kickback.
Blur - 2 - Constructed card that will be mostly bad for arena where you can't build for it reliably.
Twin Slice - 4 - Good value that can help maintain board control.
Ashes of Outland
Kayn Sunfury - 5 - Megastud. Solid stats for the cost and a game-winning ability.
Metamorphosis - 5 - Very powerful and avoids taunt. Spread out over two turns but I assume this works like all other HP manipulation and you could, if played later in the game, use the original HP then flip it to this and use again. Would you be able to double dip when it swaps back? Great late game / finisher.
Pit Commander - 3 - Taunt makes it decent but triggering the ability will be highly dependent on draft and current hand.
Warglaives of Azzinoth - 4 - Clear the board then go face! Very good weapon that can absolutely flip the board and change the game in your favor.
Coilfang Warlord - 5 - True game changing ability. Take down just about anything and get a 5/9 taunt… seems pretty OP.
Furious Felfin - 4 - Low cost removal piece that fits really well with the HP and could have Mrgl Synergy. Good card.
Imprisoned Antaen - 4 - Incredible ability but the tempo loss is really high.
Priestess of Fury - 5 - Another great ability with little downside based on stats/cost.
Skull of Gul'dan - 4 - Card draw is always important and the Outcast trigger doesn't seem like it will be tremendously limiting.
Ashtongue Battlelord - 4 - The very obvious comp is Sen'jin Shieldmasta with a class-card boost. Stud.
Crimson Sigil Runner - 4 - Solid card, similar to Kobold Librarian but a slight downgrade since Outcast is most difficult to control at mulligan.
Fel Summoner - 1 - Trash stats for arena and a dependent deathrattle. Pass.
Immolation Aura - 5 - Wait, what? 2 mana Consecration and it has some potential as a damage trigger… really strong card.
Netherwalker - 4 - Discover is always strong and this is a decent body with the stats and ability. The demon pool has some duds but it's a safe bet you will be able to get something good.
Spectral Sight - 5 - Again, Outcast seems like it will be easy to trigger and this is 2 cards for 2 mana.
Ysiel Windsinger - 2 - Very limited use due to spells being relatively scarce in arena.
Archspore Msshi'fn - 5 - Excellent stats and ability. That late game payoff is bonkers.
Marsh Hydra - 5 - Crazy good combination with rush ensuring you get the triggered ability at least once.
Glowfly Swarm - 1 - Spells just aren't common enough in arena drafts to make this worth selecting, especially since you need to have 3 spells in hand to make this a positive tempo play. Then there's the "tell" you give to your opponent about your hand. Hard pass.
Germination - 3 - Certainly a strong card in the right situation but the stand alone score has to reflect reliability more than potential value.
Ironbark - 4 - Solid buff stat-wise and the always functional taunt.
Fungal Fortunes - 2 - Pretty lousy draw option in arena since you generally have a higher ratio of minions.
Overgrowth - 3 - Ramp isn't as effective in arena and this will eat up a valuable turn early.
Bogbeam - 3 - Not bad for the cost but not great, either. Best late when it's free, obviously.
Imprisoned Satyr - 1 - Constructed card that will almost always be too much tempo loss in arena to be any good.
Beastmaster Leoroxx - 3 - Certainly a powerful effect when you can build for it but doing so is tough in arena drafts. Hunter has plenty of beasts so this will definitely be scary if it brings down 3 beasts of varied values. Abusable for sure in constructed.
Zixor, Apex Predator - 5 - I'd prefer the stats were swapped but this is still a stud, thanks to the beast tag. Late game board refill from the Prime is awesome. Four four/four Zixors! Sounds like a Dr. Seuss line. :D
Nagrand Slam - 5 - Spectacular card, clever pun, giant pile-o-stats that will draw hate.
Augmented Porcupine - 4 - Cool idea but the deathrattle trigger makes controlling it a bit tough. Definitely a plus that this is a beast.
Mok'Nathal Lion - 4 - Rush on a beast with a strong attack and an upside. Should be a ton of fun in constructed decks, too.
Scrap Shot - 3 - Better in constructed but will less reliable in arena. Nice value if you can pull it off, though.
Pack Tactics - 4 - Pretty strong if you can pair it with a value minion (deathrattle, poison, etc.) since you get a known quantity with the 3/3 body.
Imprisoned Felmaw - 3 - Big stats and it will act as a random swing so the value is there. Unfortunately, hunter tends to be tempo based and this is a bad tempo card.
Scavenger's Ingenuity - 3 - If you have enough beasts it will be very good. Mid-tier score here simply because it's likely to be a really bad card if you only end up with a few beasts.
Helboar - 3 - It's a nice card based on cost, beast tag, and a deathrattle that will be pretty amazing in any arena deck with good beast support.
Astromancer Solarian - 5 - The Primes are all top stats for the cost with a huge payoff later in the game. This one may be one of the best since it'll target enemies when able.
Evocation - 5 - Obviously a late game card but a full hand should set you up with a few nice options.
Apexis Blast - 4 - It's direct damage at a decent cost. Your deck will have minions so you're very unlikely to get that free summon.
Apexis Smuggler - 3 - Solid 2 drop with upside but secrets tend to be sub optimal plays that you don't want to draft in high numbers.
Deep Freeze - 4 - A good play, especially since you can set up a sting of freezing if you are facing something tough to take down.
Imprisoned Observer - 3 - Another really good ability but these dormant cards look like too much tempo loss. This one also gives your opponent 2 turns to best prepare for the board blast.
Font of Power - 4 - Should prove valuable for its versatility. Spell mage will be very interesting in constructed.
Netherwind Portal - 3 - Seems decent but can have some feelsbadman, too. Casino mage is back in force.
Incanter's Flow - 2 - Constructed card that is lower value in arena since your spell count will be lower.
Starscryer - 3 - I'm a bit torn here. The draw is always good and it's got the "class card" bonus over Loot Hoarder which is a decent arena minion. Drawing a spell only is enough to downgrade it some since you tend to have less spells in arena.
Lady Liadrin - 2 - Poor stats for the cost so it depends entirely on whether you've played decent buffs, which isn't going to be consistent in drafts.
Murgur Murgurgle - 5 - Maybe the least awesome of the primes but still a good card. I think I'll have to see it in play as it may be more appropriate to give it a score of 2.
Libram of Hope - 5 - Great value. The only way it's not incredible is if you're ahead all game and don't have anything to heal.
Underlight Angling Rod - 4 - There's enough murlocs to make this a feelsbadman card but it should be well worth it, anyway.
Aldor Truthseeker - 4 - Good stand alone value with an upside.
Libram of Wisdom - 3 - Nice recurring buff with better use in constructed than arena.
Imprisoned Sungill - 3 - A decent spread on the cheap but I'm still not sold on the tempo loss being worth it.
Libram of Justice - 2 - Pretty hefty cost that's only a good value if your opponent really has a big, wide board.
Aldor Attendant - 3 - Another good 2 drop but the upside seems weak even if you have one or two librams.
Hand of A'dal - 4 - Great card. Very odd that this gets added at the same time Priest's shield gets nerfed. This is clearly better than the 1 mana, 0/2 buff with cantrip and is now far, far better than the new version.
Soul Mirror - 3 - An awkward removal piece at an awkward cost. Not sure this is something you want to draft.
Reliquary of Souls - 5 - 1 mana 1/3 is always a great start. This one has a tremendous upside later in the game.
Skeletal Dragon - 4 - Stellar upside if unanswered. Decent value with taunt to protect your face but I feel like hiding it behind taunt would be better.
Sethekk Veilweaver - 4 - Good stats for a 2 drop with a decent upside if triggered. A repeating ability like this can be a game changer, though it is tough to ensure you have enough spells to trigger.
Psyche Split - 3 - Lots of potential without being OP. Feels like you'll want to get at least an undamaged 4 drop to really get big value so it's a late game play that may not be super reliable.
Dragonmaw Overseer - 4 - Obviously needs a target but this will be very strong, same as Shadow Ascendant.
Dragonmaw Sentinel - 3 - Mediocre without a dragon to proc it.
Apotheosis - 3 - Decent card, earning an average score.
Renew - 4 - A quick heal with a discover attached is quite good.
Imprisoned Homunculus - 2 - Cheap but slow. These dormant cards aren't great but this one likely works better with priest than some of the others for their class.
Akama - 5 - Top stats for a 3 drop with the big, untouchable upside to come later.
Shadowjeweler Hanar - 3 - Ok stats for the cost that could combine well with Rogue's blades as minion removal. The new secrets are good but I'm not sure you can get enough to really take advantage of this.
Greyheart Sage - 4 - Really strong but I'm not sure the stealth pool is big enough to ensure you can trigger him.
Bamboozle - 5 - Cool boost to the Rogue secret arsenal. Definitely a high value turn… in most cases.
Ambush - 4 - Strong secret that plays a discounted (but conditional) Emperor Cobra.
Ashtongue Slayer - 3 - Again, requiring stealth makes it tough to rely on in arena. Might be a very cool, very strong deck in constructed, though.
Blackjack Stunner - 3 - Very much dependent on deck build, and that means it'll be unreliable.
Cursed Vagrant - 5 - Big value that needs to be accounted for when playing rogue.
Dirty Tricks - 3 - Interesting, but spells aren't as plentiful in arena so you could be waiting a while for a trigger.
Spymistress - 4 - Great 1 drop, which is great for an aggressive class.
The Lurker Below - 4 - Sure it's a bit fragile with the stat distribution, but it's a big body that can (with a little setup) be a board clear. Similar to my favorite Rumble Run card Leap Frog without being OP AF.
Lady Vashj - 4 - Aggressive stats and the late game pay off is great. The only downside is you may not have enough spells to draw later in the game.
Shattered Rumbler - His predecessor Rumbling Elemental is still a personal favorite of mine. This guy is a good stat distribution with a decent chance to have a huge impact on the game.
Boggspine Knuckles - 4 - Attack with a minion then this weapon to transform the damaged minion into something bigger. What's not to like? Oh, right, RNGesus… lol
Torrent - 4 - Great damage for the cost even without the discount.
Vivid Spores - 3 - A good card for sure but so dependent on having a board to get value. Definitely better than the 3 score if you have a swarm deck.
Bogstrok Clacker - 4 - The dev team is all in on the evolve mechanic… again. :( Good card that can certainly be a quick board flip.
Serpentshrine Portal - 4 - Great card, though there will be sadpanda moments when you get something terrible as a 3 drop.
Totemic Reflection - 3 - Expensive buff that is only valuable if it hits a totem. Too bad most totems aren't great and don't get drafted often. Even as a turn 5 HP + this you are still looking at twin 2/4 totems which are unlikely to be game changing.
Marshspawn - 4 - Top stats as a 3/4 for 3 with an elemental tag and the potential to discover a spell is incredible.
Keli'dan the Breaker - 5 - The easy comp is Assassinate which makes this a supercharged version that leaves a 3/3 body on the board for 1 extra mana. It's less likely you draw it when needed as a full clear but those times will feel pretty stinkin' glorious!
Kanrethad Ebonlocke - 5 - This is one of the "weaker" primes in that it relies on having some demons and having played said demons to get the late game value. Still, that doesn't seem too tough in Warlock drafts.
Darkglare - 5 - Essentially a "free" life tap with the potential to be a very good ramp turn, though that will be far more tricky in arena than in constructed.
Shadow Council - 5 - This is an incredible way to turn an awkward, small-minion, or otherwise weak hand into something much, much better. At 1 mana, you'll be able to play some of those newly created, buffed demons, too.
Enhanced Dreadlord - 5 - The total stats are 10/12 with taunt and lifesteal for 8 mana. Warlock gets a stud here.
The Dark Portal - 1 - It's highly unlikely you'll have 8 cards in arena. This is just too costly.
Imprisoned Scrap Imp - 2 - Even warlock can struggle to keep a large hand size in arena. This is tempo loss with no guarantee that you'll even be able to take advantage of the buff.
Hand of Gul'dan - 4 - Card draw is always good and this is a decent enough even though you're unlikely to get the discard use.
Nightshade Matron - 4 - High stat rush minion for the cost with a downside.
Unstable Felbolt - 4 - Great value for the cost and you should be able to mitigate the downside with good planning.
Kargath Bladefist - 5 - This is the best prime in the game for arena purposes. Rush means you get to control the whole process and the late game prime also has rush so you keep initiative and get at least 10 armor. Not many cards better than this in the arena pool, honestly.
Bulwark of Azzinoth - 5 - Really powerful protection. This is similar to Animated Armor but weapon are far more difficult to remove than a minion.
Warmaul Challenger - 4 - Very cool, unique mechanic. Strong early in games but dwindling usefulness as the game gets into the late stages.
Bladestorm - 3 - Interesting concept that will likely prove tricky and awkward in arena. Pretty hysterical way to kill a board with only 1, high health minion like Ysera, though. I'm definitely curious to see this in action as I may be severely underestimating it.
Bloodboil Brute - 5 - Very good without the discounted cost and it should be easy to get the discount since it will count ALL damaged minions on board.
Scrap Golem - 4 - Good value card with taunt, mech tag, and an armor boost.
Corsair Cache - 3 - Draft dependent but a pretty good card if you have the weapons to support it.
Bonechewer Raider - 4 - Again, a damage trigger that check ALL minions that shouldn't be hard to meet.
Imprisoned Gan'arg - 3 - The least terrible of the Imprisoned minions, with decent enough value at such a low cost that the tempo loss isn't as big a deal compared to the others.
Sword and Board - 3 - Good value and the cheap cost make it easy to fit in anywhere along the curve.
Al'ar - 2 - Too fragile to be a good 5 drop and the resulting 0/3 is an easy kill, as well.
Kael'thas Sunstrider - 3 - Chances are slim you'll ever trigger him so it's a 6 mana 4/7 which is mediocre.
Magtheridon - 3 - Tough to gauge without playing it, for me. Clearly massive payoff for your patience but any transform or silence makes it a totally wasted turn.
Maiev Shadowsong - 4 - Decent stats and a strong ability that will be very useful for an aggressive class, mostly as a way to circumvent taunt.
Teron Gorefiend - 4 - Top stats for a 3 drop and an ability that can be set up nicely. Swing with minions then let them die and come back bigger.
Mo'arg Artificer - 4 - Great stats with an ability that can certainly change the game. Better in classes that can take advantage of it, of course.
Replicat-o-tron - 3 - This is another unique ability that is pretty cool. It'll be awesome for Paladin & Shaman, and in any deck that is swarm based and can also be used to "heal" a medium sized minion. But it can backfire on you if your opponent doesn't kill it.
Waste Warden - 3 - Awesome, unique ability that will be better in constructed than arena. Could easily provide some big swings in arena, too, though.
Blistering Rot - 3 - Variable score based on class, as the buff classes can definitely take advantage of this.
Infectious Sporeling - 3 - Awesome ability that can cripple any big target but it has to make it through your opponent's turn, which is unlikely.Scrapyard Colossus - 4 - Beefy taunt with a big price tag that is well worth it if your opponent can't silence/transform it.Bonechewer Brawler - 4 - Great stats for a neutral, taunt minion and there's some upside.
Bonechewer Vanguard - 5 - Excellent ability on a taunt minion. Good stats that improve make this a very scary minion.
Burrowing Scorpid - 4 - Ping is always useful and this is an upgrade in cost and ability over Stormpike Commando which is still a good arena card.
Dragonmaw Sky Stalker - 5 - Great stats across 2 bodies for the cost.
Disguised Wanderer - 2 - The 1 health Rustsworn Inquisitor is too weak to make up for the tempo loss of a 3/3 for 4. It would need rush to matter.
Ethereal Augmerchant - 3 - Spell damage isn't useful all that often in arena. Still good as a ping to finish off an opponent's minion, though.
Felfin Navigator - 3 - Vanilla stats with upside.
Frozen Shadoweaver - 4 - Good, aggressive stats and freeze has always been useful in arena.
Guardian Augmerchant - 4 - A cheap way to protect a high value minion or any minion while trading.
Imprisoned Vilefiend - 3 - Better than most imprisoned since it has rush but still too much lost tempo, imo.
Overconfident Orc - 3 - Great the turn you play it (unless against mage) but that 1 attack will feel quite weak once it's been hit. Might surprise me… I feel like it's better than a 3 score but not really sure.
Rocket Augmerchant - 4 - We've seen the effectiveness of this ability with Goblin Lackey and this has an extra attack point. Nice!
Ruststeed Raider - 4 - Solid removal piece that likely leaves a taunt minion on board afterwards.
Rustsworn Cultist - 3 - A good swarm minion but quite situational.
Rustsworn Initiate - 4 - Solid 2 drop with the chance to give you an extra edge if you can take advantage of the spell damage.
Scavenging Shivarra - 4 - A big fragile but that ability is very good, especially in classes that lack single target minion removal.
Soulbound Ashtongue - 3 - Great stats for the cost but that ping will feel much less useful than a ping that doesn't hit your own face.
Supreme Abyssal - 2 - It can take down an entire board… one minion at a time. Good stats but not something I want in my arena decks in most cases.
Terrorguard Escapee - 3 - Decent stats for the cost but nothing too exciting, and no ability (like taunt) to give it a boost in value.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
Demon Hunter! It is very exciting to see a new class introduced. I can't wait to give it a try, and start working towards that golden hero portrait.
I'm really curious how the shallow card pool for Demon Hunter (45 class cards) compared to the other classes (~68 each) will impact drafts. Will we see heavy reliance on neutral cards, which will put Demon Hunter at a disadvantage, or will we see "class heavy" drafts that lead to very powerful decks due to the smaller card pool?
Based on the hero power and card sets, I expect this class to play an aggressive game and will draft with that in mind. The class has draw, attack interactions, demon synergy, board control, and some very good early game minions. In general, the biggest impact on the arena environment generally comes from the common and basic cards, as they have higher offering rates in drafts. For this reason, it's important to take a look at common and rare cards in the Basic, Initiate, and Ashes sets. These sets offer many strong, cheap minions for the early game so I expect fast starts from Demon Hunter decks. Then there are some great options for a big finish to close out games, though taunt can impeded those options.
Basic Set
Inner Demon - 4 - Big finisher with the same scale as Pyroblast but can only go face when no taunt is on board.
Chaos Nova - 5 - Same scale as Hellfire and a smidge better since that 4 health number kills the very prevalent 3/4 for 3 crowd.
Glaivebound Adept - 4 - Fragile but very potent minion. I like it but, realistically, you need to play this on T6 to ensure you get the trigger and if it dies easy then you've paid 6 mana to do 6 points and probably wipe out a minion/spell in trade. Seems good, even in that worst case scenario.
Aldrachi Warblades - 4 - Solid weapon with an offset to face damage if you clear with it.
Coordinated Strike - 3 - Rush makes it a decent removal piece.
Satyr Overseer - 4 - IDK… need to see this in action. I think it's too costly (5 mana card, really) but at 5 mana a 4/2, 2/2, and ping seems pretty good.
Soul Cleave - 3 - Lifesteal for an attack class is much better than lifesteal for a class like priest. I think this is a good removal piece for the cost and class.
Chaos Strike - 5 - Pretty easy math here. If Arcane Shot cost 1 more and had a cantrip, you'd choose it over most cards in hunter's set.
Sightless Watcher - 5 - Top stats for an aggressive class and give you the chance to set up your next draw. Awesome card!
Shadowhoof Slayer - 4 - Class-based powercreep on Elven Archer. Solid 1 drop.
Initiate Set
Nethrandamus - 5 - Very strong card. It should be easy enough to get a few minions to die and the payoff is huge even at a pair of 3 drops.
Altruis the Outcast - 4 - Awesome card. A bit tricky to get value but the damage going to all enemies is great.
Flamereaper - 5 - Pricey but incredible. Yes, please!
Wrathspike Brute - 5 - Another "all enemies" damaged card, tied to a taunt. Love it.
Wrathscale Naga - 3 - Maybe I'm underestimating this, but your opponent has the ability to clear it and direct/mitigate the damage.
Eye Beam - 5 - Great spell to control the board and you could get it at a zero cost. Awesome.
Hulking Overfiend - 5 - A great board clear option. Beefed up Batterhead which always seemed to low an attack for the job and cost.
Illidari Felblade - 5 - Another "wow" card. Great versatility, and mean as hell if you can trigger and get immune the turn you play it.
Raging Felscreamer - 3 - Decent vanilla with an upside that is draft dependent.
Soul Split - 2 - Too draft defendant to bother.
Feast of Souls - 3 - Very interesting card that is likely to be OP in constructed but a little tougher to draft in arena. How bad will it feel to have your minions die on your opponent's turn and never get to use this?
Blade Dance - 4 - This looks like a good card though it does have some reliance on your ability to boost attack and/or weapon up.
Command the Illidari - 5 - Great card. Looks pretty OP but I guess we'll see for sure next week!
Umberwing - 4 - Nice spread of assets for 2 mana.
Mana Burn - 3 - Tough to rate. I think it has some value as a disruptive card but it still feels like tempo lost for no real gain.
Battlefiend - 5 - WTF… maybe I'm overestimating things but the class looks to have some serious power cards.
Consume Magic - 4 - Seems solid. Silence is strong, cantrip is great. Dependent since you have to get the Outcast trigger for it to be good value.
Ur'zul Horror - 4 - Solid one cost option that has a kickback.
Blur - 2 - Constructed card that will be mostly bad for arena where you can't build for it reliably.
Twin Slice - 4 - Good value that can help maintain board control.
Ashes of Outland
Kayn Sunfury - 5 - Megastud. Solid stats for the cost and a game-winning ability.
Metamorphosis - 5 - Very powerful and avoids taunt. Spread out over two turns but I assume this works like all other HP manipulation and you could, if played later in the game, use the original HP then flip it to this and use again. Would you be able to double dip when it swaps back? Great late game / finisher.
Pit Commander - 3 - Taunt makes it decent but triggering the ability will be highly dependent on draft and current hand.
Warglaives of Azzinoth - 4 - Clear the board then go face! Very good weapon that can absolutely flip the board and change the game in your favor.
Coilfang Warlord - 5 - True game changing ability. Take down just about anything and get a 5/9 taunt… seems pretty OP.
Furious Felfin - 4 - Low cost removal piece that fits really well with the HP and could have Mrgl Synergy. Good card.
Imprisoned Antaen - 4 - Incredible ability but the tempo loss is really high.
Priestess of Fury - 5 - Another great ability with little downside based on stats/cost.
Skull of Gul'dan - 4 - Card draw is always important and the Outcast trigger doesn't seem like it will be tremendously limiting.
Ashtongue Battlelord - 4 - The very obvious comp is Sen'jin Shieldmasta with a class-card boost. Stud.
Crimson Sigil Runner - 4 - Solid card, similar to Kobold Librarian but a slight downgrade since Outcast is most difficult to control at mulligan.
Fel Summoner - 1 - Trash stats for arena and a dependent deathrattle. Pass.
Immolation Aura - 5 - Wait, what? 2 mana Consecration and it has some potential as a damage trigger… really strong card.
Netherwalker - 4 - Discover is always strong and this is a decent body with the stats and ability. The demon pool has some duds but it's a safe bet you will be able to get something good.
Spectral Sight - 5 - Again, Outcast seems like it will be easy to trigger and this is 2 cards for 2 mana.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
Priest gets quite a makeover with the newly introduced cards, as well as the buffs (and one nerf) to existing cards. Overall, the class certainly looks stronger coming out of all of the changes. For the most part, the buffed cards were good in the arena prior to being tweaked, so they are even stronger now. If I'm being honest, only the Soulpriest and Cleric will be truly missed from the cards heading to the Hall of Fame. As a whole, the net gain is positive when comparing the HoF'd cards to the cards that will replace them. I'm excited to get a priest draft so I can see the effect of these changes.
Priest New Cards:
Natalie Seline - 5 - Incredible removal piece that leaves a big body behind in the process.
Shadow Word: Ruin - 4 - The low cost makes this quite strong. Even if it only kills one enemy minion, it's assassinate for 1 less mana, because priest doesn't have enough incredible removal. Certainly some downside if you have a 5+ attack minion but should be manageable.
Kul Tiran Chaplain - 4 - Top stats for a 2 drop with a great upside when it buffs health.
Scarlet Subjugator - 3 - Decent 1 drop with a useful ability but 1 drops aren't all that desirable when drafting.
Power Infusion - 4 - Adding +8 stats for 4 mana is good. The extra health buff is always great for Priest to trade and heal.
Psychic Conjurer - 3 - High variance for this one so it's tough to score better than average. A 1/1 for 1 is not very good on board, either.
Priest Buffed/Nerfed Cards:
Holy Smite - 5 - This improves as a minion removal piece because face burn (reach) is rarely priest's win condition.
Shadow Word: Death - 5 - This was great as spot removal and is now cheaper.
Thoughtsteal - 4 - This was a decent card that gets a better now that it costs one less.
Shadow Madness - 3 - This got a cost reduction, as well, making it a more effective means of removal.
Holy Nova - 5 - Wow. This was already a great card that is now cheaper at the expense of 2 points of face damage, which is a very worthwhile trade off.
Power Word: Shield - 2 - Another "wow" but for the opposite reason. This was a great card as a 1 mana, +2 health with a cantrip but gets nuked into oblivion in its new form.
Temple Enforcer - 5 - He was very strong as a 6 mana 6/6 and is clearly better now as a 5 mana 5/6.
Priest Removed (rotated to Hall of Fame) Cards:
Auchenai Soulpriest - A strong card that will be missed.
Divine Spirit - A decent card that didn't see tons of play.
Holy Fire - A good card that will be missed.
Northshire Cleric - She has always been a great 1 drop and will certainly be missed.
Prophet Velen - He is a legendary minion that wasn't in decks all that often.
Shadowform - Good card that provided some versatility as a strong 2 point ping.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
These are the cards Sinti and I don't agree on. We'll discuss them a bit and would love to hear what you think. Which of us do you agree with, and why?
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
I think im most surprised about Imprisoned Scrap Imp and Bulwark of Azzinoth, why do you think the Imp is so weak? The 2 turn delay? I admit the later you get it the worse, but it can just blow up the entire game if you get it early and provide game winning advantage.
On the other hand, Bulwark while cute, warrior already has the Hero Power to gain some life and he will ideally want to use another weapon to attack, not to sit on this. And chances are, this will not stop that much damage anyway. Honestly, even if it stops like 20 damage, wouldnt you rather have another legendary that will most likely help you to actually win the game rather than just prolong it?
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This is a great thread. Thanks for all the great work! Excited for the new Arena.
To be great is to be misunderstood
The 2 turn delay on dormant minions is the reason I don't like them. Arena is generally tempo based and only a few of these new dormant minions have the right combination of cost, ability, and class fit. Demon hunter, Priest, and Warrior have decent ones because they have high stats for the cost and an effect that is reliable. The others are far less reliable because they have conditions that need to be met to really take advantage but your opponent has time to mitigate those effects. Imprisoned Scrap Imp seems strong but you may only have 2 minions in hand, and you may want to hold instead of playing on curve in order to get that buff, which puts you even farther behind.
Bulwark of Azzinoth is a stall card, in my mind. Sure, you have other weapons you want to use but having this in hand allows you to shut down any board that has a few big minions. This will buy you an extra turn or 2 while you search for answers to a bad board state. It can also be used as a more offensive tool that lets you ignore your opponent's board while you go face to finish them off. I do, however, think that the legendary tag makes it less likely to be the best pick when lined up against other legendary cards.
Looking over that list, I'm most surprised by your low scores on Metamorphosis and Nagrand Slam. If I told you you could pay 1 mana each turn to have your Arcanite Reaper ignore all taunt, freeze, or other restrictions and go face, you'd like that Reaper even more, right? That's exactly what Metamorphosis is, and you can double down on Demon Hunter's regular hero power on each turn, too. With Nagrand Slam you're getting 12/20 in stats for 10 mana. Sure, it may have those beast crashing to their deaths but it'll take most of the board with it. It's also a massive face smash if you can clear your opponent's board. 10 mana for 12 face damage... I expect this to be a serious contender for the Nerf! calls.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
I rated Metamorphosis that low because it is a Legendary. Similar to Bulwark, i think you will want to pick something else when offered most of the time. Tho granted i didnt consider using both hero powers in one turn, that makes it a bit better as a late game topdeck, but still, your first turn it is "7 mana deal 5 damage", i guess it is not that bad and next turn it gets a lot better, if it werent a legendary, id rate it higher, but as it stands, i guess we will see.
Nagrand Slam, i can appretiate the amount of stats for the cost, but do you really want a 10-cost cards as a hunter? What kind of board state are you in usually, if you get to 10 mana. Id probably like something that i can play earlier so im in a better position by then, or iv already won. I wouldnt mind having one Nagrand Slam in my deck, but i think i would really consider a second one.
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Thanks, glad to hear that! :) What cards are your favories from the new set?
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Well, I am a bit of strange guy when it comes to that but I have soft spot for the common, beefy staples that define specific Arena rotations/sets. Like the Amani War Bears, the North Sea Krakens and Twin Tyrants. In the case of AoO it is a bit hard to choose one like that. Maybe Bonechewer Vanguard? But probably not as it does nothing the turn it enters play.
To be great is to be misunderstood
I'm more inclined to agree with Sinti's rating, though Magtheridon seems very awkward and Sporeling probably requires an aggro deck to be good. We know from previous arena cards that mirror effects usually suck. Libram of Justice on the other hand looks like an obvious 5* card to me, the ability to remove anything out of nowhere is extremely powerful for Paladin. I'm a bit unsure about Blackjack Stunner. Obviously an extremely OP removal tool if the effect triggers, but I don't think it will be consistent enough to be worth a pick. Maybe with 4 secrets it could be good? I'll definitely be picking this card a couple times to see how it plays out.
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Hey Zashiki, nice to see you around! I see what you did with the table, aha! Cool to see other opinions. Im not too sure about Magtheridon just yet, but i feel like it should be good? Tho now that i think about it, it can actually be bad for you, if your opponent slows down as well and then you cant really develop the board either, unless you can kill off the 1/3s efficiently, hm maybe i was too hyped for him originally, will see.
Looking at the table again, i think Disguised Wanderer will probably take a lot of ppl by surprise. Mage will obviously have great time against that card, but pretty much any other class will have to trade for the token. And gettin 9 face damage to clear it is no joke, tho one can argue that the original body might not trade for a full card so in the end, it might just be a 1-for-1 trade, but that 9 damage will be threatening, if you can deal with that for sure.
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Thanks. The replies are certainly appreciated!
I have to agree I was way to low on Libram of Justice. The cost compared to similar cards for Paladin clouded my judgement. It's definitely a powerful tool for the class since Paladin lacks removal but tends to have plenty of board presence to finish off the 1 health minions.
@Zashiki - I'm glad you mentioned Blackjack Stunner, as that was another I though was too conditional to be a top score. It will certainly play like a 5 star card but only when you have enough secrets to support it, and that's not something you can do reliably while drafting.
@Sinti - That Demon Hunter Hero Power will cost 1 mana, so Metamorphosis really is only 1 more mana than an Arcanite Reaper but doesn't have to worry about taunt.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
Hm, i dont know why i thought it would be 2, i guess im just used to HP costing 2 :d That changes things a bit.
Ok, so i played one arena run as Demon Hunter, i know, super huge sample size, but no time to play more today! I went 10 wins, played vs 11 other Demon Hunters, kinda awkward, but at least you get to know what to expect. FAST.
Some findings:
These are pretty much all the cards iv seen in those 11 DH vs DH matches. Like i said, small sample size, but interesting that i kept seeing these over and over and over and not once stuff like Chaos Nova or Ashtongue Battlelord. Actually iv seen i think ONE lifesteal card in entire run from all opponents. So like i said, face damage put on Demon Hunter is felt A LOT, pushing them early makes it really hard for them then utilize the Hero Power or some other cards that give attack.
What was your experience guys?
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Clearly there were some OP Demon Hunter cards, glad those get some nerf.
I'd say the Burrowing Scorpid is one of my favorite neutrals. I see Ruststeed Raider quite a bit and it's definitely a good card.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
Agreed. Scorpid is very strong. I think your comparison was better than mine, it is basically a Stormpike Commando on steroids. Also agree about Ruststeed Raider, 5 damage can remove a lot of things on T5 and leaves an annoying taunt behind. Certainly good value for 5 mana.
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You had the score right... I wanted to give him 5/5 but didn't. The beast tag is a nice bonus, too.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
I meant the comparison to Stormpike Commando. I went with Fire Plume Phoenix cause of the mana cost ... and also cause i didnt remember to think of the Commando at that point :D But it is a better comparison overall ;-) Did we have such a strong power creep yet i wonder? More attack, less mana, bonus ability, beast tag. Phew, poor Commando.
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I've had Nethrandamus a few times now and it's been an absolute game winner. Crazy good card, especially if you can get to 10, which isn't terrible difficult.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"
Do you keep it on mulligan?
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For some reason, i didnt realize Nagrand Slam can actually go face. Which makes it less consistent "clear", but it also turns it into a "potentially better pyroblast". Ok, that probably makes it a lot better than i gave it credit for, since you can use it as finisher.
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Yes, if I have a decent start around it, which isn't difficult with the class's cheap, early game studs. Even drawn later in the game it's not hard to have a few minions die and get that counter going.
Now you kids are probably saying to yourselves, "Hey Matt, how can we get back on the right track?"