If they can do all that Riot can release one substantial balance patch once a month...yeesh
So Riot's tentative plan is to release a meta-changing patch every 4 weeks -- all the odd-numbered patches. The problems recently have been:
They've actually mostly liked the recent meta, which is the reason why 2.9.0 only had 4 card changes. Apparently, a lot of their internal tracking metrics are all showing what they consider to be positive numbers.
They want to treat every expansion as potentially meta-changing on its own with no balance of existing cards. 2.11.0 is going to be a huge buck to that convention, but given the animosity of the community they didn't think they could wait until 2.13.0 (end of July).
I slightly object to the "they're focusing on skins instead of balance because skins make money" argument -- it's technically true, but they are also 2 totally different teams with radically different skill sets and committing more personnel towards balancing doesn't necessarily mean you get better results. The bigger issue is that the Live Balance team's assessments of what is and isn't fun just doesn't seem to match the community at large, so now we have this delay in them figuring out what they should/shouldn't balance in addition to the existing 3-4 week delay to test/build/distribute a new patch.
As for Kench, it's probably harder to fit him into any other region than Targon. Demacia and Freljord is an option but there's simply no enough option in it other than buffing him up so he would die less, they don't have any other things to offer such as a proper consistent win condition like Star Spring.
Targon/Soraka is definitely the most competitive build for TK, but before the current Arelia/Nasus/TLC meta I've seen mild success with both Frejlord/Ashe (frostbite) and Demacia/Lux (detain & barrier). If you're looking for specific decklists, try browsing Mogwai's YouTube videos.
Yeah maybe. But all I can say is that they went on Redit to be like hey we're taking a more proactive approach. Then a month goes by between mini expansions and next to nothing is done.
That doesnt sound new to me that sounds like more of the same and that we arent getting back to the age where vanilla cards were re-designed and gameplay avenues were opened.
Down votes don't matter to me, I'm not a Riot apologist. When MTG is taking a more active role with balance adjustments as a paper game then a digital card game being run by an esports giant you have a problem.
I tried to use a Kindred/Lux deck around the time she was released and it didn't feel bad to play at the time. You basically just have two engines in the deck, though personally I felt like that was overkill for the most part. This idea is a bit more meme than realistic in my opinion but you could try using it. Unfortunately, I don't have the deck anymore and I can't remember what I put in.
As for Kench, it's probably harder to fit him into any other region than Targon. Demacia and Freljord is an option but there's simply no enough option in it other than buffing him up so he would die less, they don't have any other things to offer such as a proper consistent win condition like Star Spring.
This "event" is the height of pathos by Blizzard, in fact, it may well appear to be a private "event" created by the fanbase rather than by the game's developers themselves...
What would have to be done to make it a proper event? Instead of a simple tweet or even adding an in-game notification as they say now, there should be a special quest the 15th of every month (there is supposed to be a fourth slot for special quests by the way) that rewards you with extra XP if you play 5 games with Nozdormu the Eternal in your deck that day.
It should be clarified that you wouldn't have to compulsory do that special quest I propose if you don't want to, since it would be a special quest, it wouldn't take any daily mission slot and there would be no room for any re-roll (as when the 15th of each month ends, that quest will simply disappear).
Speaking from experience, after the first summon, the DH usually does not have any deathrattle minions to summon from their hands so I usually just clear them out. After playing a lot of control Warrior, I just demolish demon hunters because Bulwark of Azzinoth is an absolutely amazing card.
Play control shaman, run Perpetual Flame and laugh as you clear their entire board and half their hand for 1 mana (Overload isn't real).
Haha, I've been on the receiving end of a few full-board clears from Perpetual Flame and can vouch for how salty that can make an opponent feel! I think I might need to experience this satisfaction against DR DH myself; is there a list you've been having fun with or would recommend?
When in doubt about a Control Shaman list, you can always trust WiRer: https://twitter.com/wiRerHS/status/1400848417572720654
Don't get me wrong, this is a relatively fun and creative brawl, but we could really see some variety in terms of tavern brawls. We had this one 30 weeks ago and 60 weeks ago. Three repeats in little over a year.
My second attempt. Now it mentions a specific school, but I gave myself a leeway to include more than one school in the text. Don't be confused, though, because all your spells need to be either Shadow or Fel - not both at once.
I'm so tired of the the way this game just wanting me to always be at 50% win rate over all. Any win streak I get, it will be matched by a losing streak. If I win 8 in a row, you can bet I'll lose the next 6 or 7 because the game wants me to. It's super frustrating.
Matchmaking is effed up too. When I switched to a Priest deck after playing Shaman, guess what the first opponent I faced? You guessed it, a Control Warlock. This game makes me hurt myself so much
Demonxz95 - Said my piece in Discord, but reducing the Cost reduction to 2 might be a good idea. Plus then it's 2s all around; better for memes!
BasilAnguis - The Echo is out of place, as the others have noted. Either it's a Witchwood card and cannot be related to schools, or it's FitB-or-later and cannot have Echo. I like anchor's idea about straight Cost-reduction.
Neoguli - Unfortunately, this will not count for the prompt.
Elfensilver - This reads like a Mage card, as they like the randomly-split damage effects. I like the Druid+Arcane combination, though: there's got to be something there that can be distinctly Druid.
anchorm4n - Acolyte of Frost seems like the most interesting of the bunch. Medivh is too much and the Reaper is just-another Shadow Priest clear card, of which there are many.
R - Definitely go with Combat Dominie; I think that's a potential winner. Only issue could be the recent backlash/nerfs with the Paladin: some people might see this card and its potential with Hand of A'dal and get scared.
Lundy - The first iteration of Zro is the better one, in my opinion. Shiva's Guard is not fully clear, as you noted, and there are only so many ways for the Mage to gain Armor.
Wailor - I like Shai the most: gives you a solid game-plan (blast the enemy while you clear with the Shadow spells), and encourages fun deck-building. Icecaller is fine but might be too annoying, having more Frost Novas, on a body, that you can play twice.
I love the mechanics of these two champions, and they fit similar roles, but I’m having a hard putting them into good decks. I’ve tried mixing with both Shurima and Freljord, but I’m having a hard time maximizing their potential.
I think a quest to play 3 games with him in your deck is the most likely. I expect it would disappear on the 16th, so they probably wouldn't want to do anything that requires much effort. So something that can be done trivially alongside a daily quest makes a lot of sense. I guess they could have an XP modifier span the whole day for players with Noz in their decks, though that's likely to mean more effort for the devs and would incentivise playing lots, so I doubt it.
Whatever they do, you can be sure there will be people who don't see it as a complete freebie that no-one is forced into and will complain about it :P
Hope its a special quest and nto double exp with noz in deck for a day.
I really hate the 15seconds turns of nozdormu, always have and if is going to be reward for it, i want it doen as quikly as possible so i can go abck to playing normally and not putting garbage card in my deck that does nothign but make it worse.
While I also don't like the fact they just chose to hide the problem instead of fixing it, or rather they knowingly chose to release an obviously imbalanced piece of mana cheating for Warlock in the first place for like the 6th time without learning their lesson (Skull, Voidcaller, Possessed Lackey, Bloodbloom, Darkglare, now this...about the only piece of mana cheating Warlock never abused is Cho'Gall), your critique is missing a crucial point.
There's a world of difference between an oppressive aggro deck, an oppressive control deck and an oppressive combo deck. Obviously, every time a deck is oppressive, it's a problem. It warps the meta into a state where decks that aren't good against the oppressive deck get completely pushed out of the game (think control vs Raza Priest...most control has vanished since the unnerf to Raza). Strategies that have a hefty foundation and history just disappear because their most common matchup is nearly unwinnable. And while on the surface of it the meta looks healthy and the oppressive deck may not even be boasting a great winrate, the reason is that the only decks that remain in the meta are the ones the deck struggles against. Everything else is completely removed from the statistics, it's not allowed to exist.
Now the difference, and the point I think you're missing, is that each type of oppressive deck has a different effect on the meta. If an aggressive deck is oppresive, it pushes all decks that aren't able to keep pace with it out of the meta. Slower aggro decks than it vanish. Control that can't keep the aggro under control get weeded out and only the hyper-streamlined ones remain, often without a wincon other than surviving. Combos that are either too slow (and thus die over time) or too greedy (not enough early defense) have to optimise into a state where they can keep pace, otherwise they also completely vanish (Quest Mage is a prime example). Midrange mostly disappears. While that is not a healthy meta, it's a meta that forces all decks to adapt a faster pace or die to the main threat. And since the main threat is mostly just minions being on board, that's a goal that can be achieved in a variety of ways.
But when a combo deck becomes oppressive, it's game over. Aggro once again has to go hyperaggro (think the current odd DH that consists of almost nothing but little fucking 1-drop assholes) to kill the combo before it goes off. All decks that can't do that vanish. Midrange has no chance, control has no chance, any slower combo decks have no chance. In fact unless the combo deck is specifically vulnerable to certain tech cards everyone has access to (which Explosive Runes isn't), most non-aggro decks have no chance. Literally the only way to combat an oppressive combo deck is to kill it fast or tech it out (and then you have to draw the tech card before they kill you, so it's not like it's guaranteed).
The devs have to react to oppressive combo decks much more quickly than to oppresive aggro decks, because combo decks being on top forces a supremely unhealthy meta that consists solely of aggro, tech decks and even faster combos.
Sigh... Ok, let me spell it out for you, cause apparently you need that. They mention in the very first sentence that they're banning it in Wild. No mention of Standard. They follow with "After deliberating on the appropriate action, we’ve decided to ban the card in order to maintain its current, and healthier, function in standard". They reference the ban in Wild they've already mentioned with "we've decided to ban the card". They're NOT now saying "'we've decided to ban the card in Standard". They ARE saying they've decided to ban the card in Wild in order to MAINTAIN its current function in Standard. How can you tell? Simple logic. If they were banning it in both Wild and Standard, where exactly would the card be retaining its current, healthier function? IT WOULD BE BANNED IN ALL FORMATS.
Another Patch Another Missed Opportunity
So Riot's tentative plan is to release a meta-changing patch every 4 weeks -- all the odd-numbered patches. The problems recently have been:
I slightly object to the "they're focusing on skins instead of balance because skins make money" argument -- it's technically true, but they are also 2 totally different teams with radically different skill sets and committing more personnel towards balancing doesn't necessarily mean you get better results. The bigger issue is that the Live Balance team's assessments of what is and isn't fun just doesn't seem to match the community at large, so now we have this delay in them figuring out what they should/shouldn't balance in addition to the existing 3-4 week delay to test/build/distribute a new patch.
Kench and Kindred
This is my current Kindred/Nassau deck that I’m running:
Dsorrow's Divine Shield Paladin
I just went 12-2 with this list, first try.
The deck feels so smooth: I had much fun playing it and only lost to a couple of overwhelming opponents (couldn't really do much about it).
Treasures: Invigorating Light and Avenging Armaments.
Another Patch Another Missed Opportunity
I'm gonna give an example, I play genshin impact on the side and you want to know what they released as a summer event?
Literally an island paradise with a boat to travel with as a seasonal event!!!
Plus a brand new boss.
If they can do all that Riot can release one substantial balance patch once a month...yeesh
Kench and Kindred
Targon/Soraka is definitely the most competitive build for TK, but before the current Arelia/Nasus/TLC meta I've seen mild success with both Frejlord/Ashe (frostbite) and Demacia/Lux (detain & barrier). If you're looking for specific decklists, try browsing Mogwai's YouTube videos.
Kench and Kindred
I’ve tried them both, although I wasn’t really a fan of Soraka/Kench. I have a Kindred/Nassau deck that I like, but it’s not crazy effectiv
Another Patch Another Missed Opportunity
Yeah maybe. But all I can say is that they went on Redit to be like hey we're taking a more proactive approach. Then a month goes by between mini expansions and next to nothing is done.
That doesnt sound new to me that sounds like more of the same and that we arent getting back to the age where vanilla cards were re-designed and gameplay avenues were opened.
Down votes don't matter to me, I'm not a Riot apologist. When MTG is taking a more active role with balance adjustments as a paper game then a digital card game being run by an esports giant you have a problem.
Kench and Kindred
I tried to use a Kindred/Lux deck around the time she was released and it didn't feel bad to play at the time. You basically just have two engines in the deck, though personally I felt like that was overkill for the most part. This idea is a bit more meme than realistic in my opinion but you could try using it. Unfortunately, I don't have the deck anymore and I can't remember what I put in.
As for Kench, it's probably harder to fit him into any other region than Targon. Demacia and Freljord is an option but there's simply no enough option in it other than buffing him up so he would die less, they don't have any other things to offer such as a proper consistent win condition like Star Spring.
Blizzard Has Heard the Community - Hearthstone's Nozdormu Day Will Be Added in-Game
This "event" is the height of pathos by Blizzard, in fact, it may well appear to be a private "event" created by the fanbase rather than by the game's developers themselves...
What would have to be done to make it a proper event? Instead of a simple tweet or even adding an in-game notification as they say now, there should be a special quest the 15th of every month (there is supposed to be a fourth slot for special quests by the way) that rewards you with extra XP if you play 5 games with Nozdormu the Eternal in your deck that day.
It should be clarified that you wouldn't have to compulsory do that special quest I propose if you don't want to, since it would be a special quest, it wouldn't take any daily mission slot and there would be no room for any re-roll (as when the 15th of each month ends, that quest will simply disappear).
Control Strategies vs Deathrattle Demon Hunter
Speaking from experience, after the first summon, the DH usually does not have any deathrattle minions to summon from their hands so I usually just clear them out. After playing a lot of control Warrior, I just demolish demon hunters because Bulwark of Azzinoth is an absolutely amazing card.
Control Strategies vs Deathrattle Demon Hunter
When in doubt about a Control Shaman list, you can always trust WiRer: https://twitter.com/wiRerHS/status/1400848417572720654
Battle of the Bans
Thanks for the decks, won on my first try
Battle of the Bans
Don't get me wrong, this is a relatively fun and creative brawl, but we could really see some variety in terms of tavern brawls. We had this one 30 weeks ago and 60 weeks ago. Three repeats in little over a year.
Blizzard Has Heard the Community - Hearthstone's Nozdormu Day Will Be Added in-Game
Perhaps increasing the chance of matchmaking with another Nozdormu deck in Casual. Not sure if this works though..
Book of Mercenaries Guff Runetotem is Now Available
Wait, there won’t be a skin bundle with this one?
Sneak Peek at Hearthstone Mercenaries - Screenshots and Descriptions of the New Mode via a Blizzard Survey
Another garbage just like Battlegrounds and Duels.
Focused Study - Card Design Competition Discussion Thread
My second attempt. Now it mentions a specific school, but I gave myself a leeway to include more than one school in the text. Don't be confused, though, because all your spells need to be either Shadow or Fel - not both at once.
Kench and Kindred
Did you try the classic Tahm Kench/Soraka and Kindred/Nasus decks?
Group Therapy! Need to blow off some steam? Mega salty? Here's the place!
I'm so tired of the the way this game just wanting me to always be at 50% win rate over all. Any win streak I get, it will be matched by a losing streak. If I win 8 in a row, you can bet I'll lose the next 6 or 7 because the game wants me to. It's super frustrating.
Matchmaking is effed up too. When I switched to a Priest deck after playing Shaman, guess what the first opponent I faced? You guessed it, a Control Warlock. This game makes me hurt myself so much
Blizzard Has Heard the Community - Hearthstone's Nozdormu Day Will Be Added in-Game
I would say 15 seconds a turn will be quite quick to finish :P
Focused Study - Card Design Competition Discussion Thread
Feedback:
Demonxz95 - Said my piece in Discord, but reducing the Cost reduction to 2 might be a good idea. Plus then it's 2s all around; better for memes!
BasilAnguis - The Echo is out of place, as the others have noted. Either it's a Witchwood card and cannot be related to schools, or it's FitB-or-later and cannot have Echo. I like anchor's idea about straight Cost-reduction.
Neoguli - Unfortunately, this will not count for the prompt.
Elfensilver - This reads like a Mage card, as they like the randomly-split damage effects. I like the Druid+Arcane combination, though: there's got to be something there that can be distinctly Druid.
anchorm4n - Acolyte of Frost seems like the most interesting of the bunch. Medivh is too much and the Reaper is just-another Shadow Priest clear card, of which there are many.
R - Definitely go with Combat Dominie; I think that's a potential winner. Only issue could be the recent backlash/nerfs with the Paladin: some people might see this card and its potential with Hand of A'dal and get scared.
Lundy - The first iteration of Zro is the better one, in my opinion. Shiva's Guard is not fully clear, as you noted, and there are only so many ways for the Mage to gain Armor.
Wailor - I like Shai the most: gives you a solid game-plan (blast the enemy while you clear with the Shadow spells), and encourages fun deck-building. Icecaller is fine but might be too annoying, having more Frost Novas, on a body, that you can play twice.
Kench and Kindred
I love the mechanics of these two champions, and they fit similar roles, but I’m having a hard putting them into good decks. I’ve tried mixing with both Shurima and Freljord, but I’m having a hard time maximizing their potential.
anyone with some interesting ideas?
Blizzard Has Heard the Community - Hearthstone's Nozdormu Day Will Be Added in-Game
Hope its a special quest and nto double exp with noz in deck for a day.
I really hate the 15seconds turns of nozdormu, always have and if is going to be reward for it, i want it doen as quikly as possible so i can go abck to playing normally and not putting garbage card in my deck that does nothign but make it worse.
Stealer of Souls Gets Banned! Patch 20.4.2 Update Notes Including Battlegrounds Balance and Bugfixes
While I also don't like the fact they just chose to hide the problem instead of fixing it, or rather they knowingly chose to release an obviously imbalanced piece of mana cheating for Warlock in the first place for like the 6th time without learning their lesson (Skull, Voidcaller, Possessed Lackey, Bloodbloom, Darkglare, now this...about the only piece of mana cheating Warlock never abused is Cho'Gall), your critique is missing a crucial point.
There's a world of difference between an oppressive aggro deck, an oppressive control deck and an oppressive combo deck. Obviously, every time a deck is oppressive, it's a problem. It warps the meta into a state where decks that aren't good against the oppressive deck get completely pushed out of the game (think control vs Raza Priest...most control has vanished since the unnerf to Raza). Strategies that have a hefty foundation and history just disappear because their most common matchup is nearly unwinnable. And while on the surface of it the meta looks healthy and the oppressive deck may not even be boasting a great winrate, the reason is that the only decks that remain in the meta are the ones the deck struggles against. Everything else is completely removed from the statistics, it's not allowed to exist.
Now the difference, and the point I think you're missing, is that each type of oppressive deck has a different effect on the meta. If an aggressive deck is oppresive, it pushes all decks that aren't able to keep pace with it out of the meta. Slower aggro decks than it vanish. Control that can't keep the aggro under control get weeded out and only the hyper-streamlined ones remain, often without a wincon other than surviving. Combos that are either too slow (and thus die over time) or too greedy (not enough early defense) have to optimise into a state where they can keep pace, otherwise they also completely vanish (Quest Mage is a prime example). Midrange mostly disappears. While that is not a healthy meta, it's a meta that forces all decks to adapt a faster pace or die to the main threat. And since the main threat is mostly just minions being on board, that's a goal that can be achieved in a variety of ways.
But when a combo deck becomes oppressive, it's game over. Aggro once again has to go hyperaggro (think the current odd DH that consists of almost nothing but little fucking 1-drop assholes) to kill the combo before it goes off. All decks that can't do that vanish. Midrange has no chance, control has no chance, any slower combo decks have no chance. In fact unless the combo deck is specifically vulnerable to certain tech cards everyone has access to (which Explosive Runes isn't), most non-aggro decks have no chance. Literally the only way to combat an oppressive combo deck is to kill it fast or tech it out (and then you have to draw the tech card before they kill you, so it's not like it's guaranteed).
The devs have to react to oppressive combo decks much more quickly than to oppresive aggro decks, because combo decks being on top forces a supremely unhealthy meta that consists solely of aggro, tech decks and even faster combos.
Stealer of Souls Gets Banned! Patch 20.4.2 Update Notes Including Battlegrounds Balance and Bugfixes
Sigh... Ok, let me spell it out for you, cause apparently you need that. They mention in the very first sentence that they're banning it in Wild. No mention of Standard. They follow with "After deliberating on the appropriate action, we’ve decided to ban the card in order to maintain its current, and healthier, function in standard". They reference the ban in Wild they've already mentioned with "we've decided to ban the card". They're NOT now saying "'we've decided to ban the card in Standard". They ARE saying they've decided to ban the card in Wild in order to MAINTAIN its current function in Standard. How can you tell? Simple logic. If they were banning it in both Wild and Standard, where exactly would the card be retaining its current, healthier function? IT WOULD BE BANNED IN ALL FORMATS.
Is it clear now?!