Has decent attack. But honestly, is there any reason not running Sneaky Delinquent instead?
The fact is that this will nearly never live past the turn. You can do some shenanigans with Ramming Mount or Ace Hunter Kreen, but no hunter can keep a card in hand just so this can gain more value than it deserves.
Now we've seen all the cards, what are you hoping for in your packs? What will be your day 1 crafts?
I've evolved backwards (?) to F2P again and am mainly playing Wild. Here's my wishlist:
Caria Felsoul - One day, Big Demon Hunter will be a thing and this card will probably be a part of it.
Ice Trap - This will be a staple in all Hunter decks that aren't aggro.
Mass Polymorph - I don't know in which deck I can play this yet, but it will be super fun to mess with Priests and Warlocks in Wild!
Lightforged Cariel - Handbuff Paladin was very strong and fun to play a few months ago. Maybe it can make a comeback?
Xyrella, the Devout - I'm a sucker for Deathrattles so this is a top priority card for me. I'll probably just put it into a Boar Priest deck and replace the boars with Leper Gnomes. Then again, Priest also has lots of other strong Deathrattles which can be combined with Awaken the Makers and resurrection shenanigans.
Tamsin's Phylactery - Insert my reasoning for Xyrella here. Might be harder to make this work though.
Abominable Lieutenant - Soft Taunt due to the snowball potential. Might find a home in some big decks.
Those are the most interesting cards for me. Depending on my pack luck, I'd most of all try to toy around with Deathrattle Priest on day 1. What are your wishes and your plans?
Its bad. 2 attack really doesn't kill much, and this card needs to honor kill something to even be half way decent.
A very average card, even in arena its not really that scary because this thing has no rush. So your opponent will likely just trade in such a way to prevent this from getting value.
Mainly a good Mage defensive card, although I guess I could see Armor Warrior running this as well. Shame it clashes with Herald of Lokholar in its curve.
I really like this card. Some classes simply don't have a way to do a round 5 damage, which makes it incredibly awkward to deal with. Add in some buffs, some copies and this can become a real bitch to deal with.
The main usage I see for this cards are decks with a large second player disadvantage. Being able to basically turn your coin into a pre-nerf innervate can help these decks get back some of the tempo they lost by going second. Still a big if though.
Seems like a very strong anti-aggro card, since it allows you a huge tempo swing with spending the rest of your mana by clearing the board and 1 playing this. Might also be enough to cause aggro players to play around it on purpose.
This seems pretty insane, especially when going first. There's not really an efficient way to clear this without using spells, which just increases your problem. Imagine this T1, Doggie Biscuit T2? Or this T1 coin Adorable Infestation? Yeah this is crazy, Face Hunter is gonna love it.
Too bad leeroy isn't in standard or I'd legitimately play this to shaft it.
It has applications as a tech card. But for now, its unknowable because we have no idea whats going to be meta next.
To be honest, since most minions good enough for standard have by default a higher health stat than attack, this could potentially boost your removal options' efficacy. We'll see.
Might work in some wonky demon zoo with copying felosophy, which is why I think it has more potential than Felwalker. Still don't really feel it though.
Eat shit Quest Mage, guess you needed Minions after all, huh?
(IN any other matchup this is just awful unless your opponent literally has no way to just take it out with a 1-drop)
Wouldn't quest mage not care about this though? You either leave it stealthed (where it does no pressure against them) or you go face, and then use Runed Orb to kill it off. Or I missing some thought process here?
Point is that they can't clear it with a minion so you're basically getting a 2-mana 4/2 with stealth that's almost guaranteed to go face.
This has potential in Egg Warlock, but I kind of feel like we now have too many enablers and too few actual eggs, and this isn't the best enabler due to its delayed impact.
It looks bad, but realistically you'll never ignore this on board if it does come out.
Fits right into elemental frost shaman, or any shaman deck because even if its mere bait your opponent can never take the risk. At 5 health, its still a decent minion in of itself, not easily removed.
To get value, you need a board. And then you need your opponent to either ignore your board or not be able to deal with this minion first. And this doesn't have taunt.
So many things need to happen, and this being a fairly vanilla minion to begin with. In other words, just play something else.
Terrible even if you manage to trigger the honor kill. It'll deal with two minions but will likely be dead itself. So its a 5 mana removal option. Plenty of those elsewhere. Costs too much, and if you cant trigger its honor kill you've just shafted yourself.
New Neutral Minion - Gankster
Has decent attack. But honestly, is there any reason not running Sneaky Delinquent instead?
The fact is that this will nearly never live past the turn. You can do some shenanigans with Ramming Mount or Ace Hunter Kreen, but no hunter can keep a card in hand just so this can gain more value than it deserves.
What's on your Alterac Valley wishlist?
Now we've seen all the cards, what are you hoping for in your packs? What will be your day 1 crafts?
I've evolved backwards (?) to F2P again and am mainly playing Wild. Here's my wishlist:
Caria Felsoul - One day, Big Demon Hunter will be a thing and this card will probably be a part of it.
Ice Trap - This will be a staple in all Hunter decks that aren't aggro.
Mass Polymorph - I don't know in which deck I can play this yet, but it will be super fun to mess with Priests and Warlocks in Wild!
Lightforged Cariel - Handbuff Paladin was very strong and fun to play a few months ago. Maybe it can make a comeback?
Xyrella, the Devout - I'm a sucker for Deathrattles so this is a top priority card for me. I'll probably just put it into a Boar Priest deck and replace the boars with Leper Gnomes. Then again, Priest also has lots of other strong Deathrattles which can be combined with Awaken the Makers and resurrection shenanigans.
Shadowcrafter Scabbs - Bounce shenanigans are fun, Mana cheat OP.
Bru'kan of the Elements - Might find a home in Shudderwock lists.
Tamsin's Phylactery - Insert my reasoning for Xyrella here. Might be harder to make this work though.
Abominable Lieutenant - Soft Taunt due to the snowball potential. Might find a home in some big decks.
Those are the most interesting cards for me. Depending on my pack luck, I'd most of all try to toy around with Deathrattle Priest on day 1. What are your wishes and your plans?
New Neutral Minion - Direwolf Commander
Its bad. 2 attack really doesn't kill much, and this card needs to honor kill something to even be half way decent.
A very average card, even in arena its not really that scary because this thing has no rush. So your opponent will likely just trade in such a way to prevent this from getting value.
New Neutral Minion - Bunker Sergeant
Its a good card in some metas, but probably too normal for ranked.
Still, if token decks are everywhere, there's no reason not to tech this in.
Fractured in Alterac Valley Final Card Reveals - See All 55 New Cards For Hearthstone's December Expansion
Current Wild? Quest Mage? Do you even play wild? What are you talking about?
Ignite Fire Mage don't even need to run quest with Sanctum Chandler + Sorcerer Apprentice shenanigans.
Quest is too slow, Drek'thar APM Mage is the go-to.
I don't know which rank you're playing but those are the top two mage decks.
New Neutral Minion - Snowblind Harpy
Mainly a good Mage defensive card, although I guess I could see Armor Warrior running this as well. Shame it clashes with Herald of Lokholar in its curve.
New Neutral Minion - Kobold Taskmaster
Nifty arena card, but seems too slow for constructed assuming the scraps cost 1 mana.
New Neutral Minion - Korrak the Bloodrager
I really like this card. Some classes simply don't have a way to do a round 5 damage, which makes it incredibly awkward to deal with. Add in some buffs, some copies and this can become a real bitch to deal with.
New Neutral Minion - Frostwolf Warmaster
The main usage I see for this cards are decks with a large second player disadvantage. Being able to basically turn your coin into a pre-nerf innervate can help these decks get back some of the tempo they lost by going second. Still a big if though.
New Neutral Minion - Stormpike Marshal
Seems like a very strong anti-aggro card, since it allows you a huge tempo swing with spending the rest of your mana by clearing the board and 1 playing this. Might also be enough to cause aggro players to play around it on purpose.
Top 2
Patches the Pirate + Embiggen
or
Pogo-Hopper + Shadowstep
New Neutral Minion - Irondeep Trogg
This seems pretty insane, especially when going first. There's not really an efficient way to clear this without using spells, which just increases your problem. Imagine this T1, Doggie Biscuit T2? Or this T1 coin Adorable Infestation? Yeah this is crazy, Face Hunter is gonna love it.
New Neutral Minion - Piggyback Imp
Prove me wrong, Piggyback Imp.
New Neutral Minion - Reflecto Engineer
Too bad leeroy isn't in standard or I'd legitimately play this to shaft it.
It has applications as a tech card. But for now, its unknowable because we have no idea whats going to be meta next.
To be honest, since most minions good enough for standard have by default a higher health stat than attack, this could potentially boost your removal options' efficacy. We'll see.
New Warlock Minion - Grave Defiler
Might work in some wonky demon zoo with copying felosophy, which is why I think it has more potential than Felwalker. Still don't really feel it though.
New Neutral Minion - Tower Sergeant
Not consistent enough for aggro, and too weak for everything else.
But its not too bad a minion, just not good enough for standard.
New Neutral Minion - Gankster
Point is that they can't clear it with a minion so you're basically getting a 2-mana 4/2 with stealth that's almost guaranteed to go face.
New Warlock Minion - Felwalker
I don't believe in Fel Warlock, and outside of that shell this is just a mediocre taunt.
New Warlock Spell - Seeds of Destruction
Sure, later on it's good, but in the moment it's 2 mana do nothing. Warlock can do better things with 2 mana.
New Warlock Spell - Desecrated Graveyard
This has potential in Egg Warlock, but I kind of feel like we now have too many enablers and too few actual eggs, and this isn't the best enabler due to its delayed impact.
New Neutral Minion - Herald of Lokholar
Loot Hoarder is literally better.
Next please.
New Neutral Minion - Ice Revenant
It looks bad, but realistically you'll never ignore this on board if it does come out.
Fits right into elemental frost shaman, or any shaman deck because even if its mere bait your opponent can never take the risk. At 5 health, its still a decent minion in of itself, not easily removed.
New Warlock Spell - Full-Blown Evil
Seems a bit too weak for 3 mana, especially since warlock already has top notch removal. Maybe next year when some of it rotates out?
New Neutral Minion - Blood Guard
To get value, you need a board. And then you need your opponent to either ignore your board or not be able to deal with this minion first. And this doesn't have taunt.
So many things need to happen, and this being a fairly vanilla minion to begin with. In other words, just play something else.
New Neutral Minion - Frantic Hippogryph
Terrible even if you manage to trigger the honor kill. It'll deal with two minions but will likely be dead itself. So its a 5 mana removal option. Plenty of those elsewhere. Costs too much, and if you cant trigger its honor kill you've just shafted yourself.