Silence for any deck that needs it, if this had rotated I think they should have added a new one, it's good everyone has access for tech tools if needed.
I guess the take-home message is that if you want to make powerful minions, always stick within vanilla stats but give them interesting/powerful effects.
Makes sense. This is sort of where it gets tricky balancing those ideas while adhering to source material. In War3, a Grunt's whole identity is being a basic unit that won't go down easily in the early game. I won't deny that ends up being a bit less interesting in HS than in War3, but I'd feel weird giving cards extra things they didn't have originally.
How about flipping the whole effect around and making the grunt be a 2 mana 2/2 with an effect like: "Has +2 health if you have less than 5 mana"? That way it is overstatted in the early game but you pay the price of it being weak in the mid-late game.
Note that losing a buff in Hearthstone doesn't reduce your health unless you were above your base health. E.g. if he has 3 or 4 health at the start of turn 5 he'll go down to 2, but he won't lose any health if he's only got 1 or 2 left.
It's a slight departure from the intended upgrade mechanic, but perhaps it is an interesting twist on it nonetheless.
If there is a way to cheat him out earlier, then it will be worth it as long as the minion it swings at with it's Rush ability isn't the same one you you swing at with your hero
There is. Raging Felscreamer survived the purge. And this one happens to be a demon.
I'm just not seeing the strong plays available with this. If you could bank the cost reduction for next turn (like with Nature Studies), it would be amazing. If it had rush or taunt (like people mentioned above), it would be a solid tempo play. But it's just a cheap 3/5.
This seems very good to me. Think about sticking that DR on an Imprisoned Phoenix: spell damage +4 that you can safely bank into a dormant minion for a massive burst later on.
Do you think when they printed this card (not that long ago, right?), they were hinting at the upcoming expansion? We know that they plan things long in advance, before we ever hear about them.
I agree with DarkFrostX: a cost specification would make this playable, like 3 mana or more. We need the dream of getting King Krush off this, but it shouldn't happen too often.
I guess the take-home message is that if you want to make powerful minions, always stick within vanilla stats but give them interesting/powerful effects.
Makes sense. This is sort of where it gets tricky balancing those ideas while adhering to source material. In War3, a Grunt's whole identity is being a basic unit that won't go down easily in the early game. I won't deny that ends up being a bit less interesting in HS than in War3, but I'd feel weird giving cards extra things they didn't have originally.
Shade, Sentinel Owl, Sentry Ward, Spirit Hawk.
The Spirit Hawk only disables Stealth, it does not reveal the opponent's hand. I agree that the hand-revealing cards need a re-work though.
Still no where good enough in today power standard. In oder to be playabe and worthy of legendary status , this card shoud has Rush, while Baine has Taunt.
I don't see the point to it, adding abilities would be cool but not exactly that. Maybe leave the base without abilities and Baine gets a random effect like Adapt or something like the sort.
Woah, this actually is a very well thought out integration of a tournament system in Hearthstone. This might need a bit of streamlining for it to work in HS, like removing the "inspect" aspect when banning decks (I really like the idea of banning a class rather than a deck), but I have no issue seeing working with some Blizzard polish.
I am honestly surprised we still haven't gotten one in 8 years.
Thank you for reading.
Team 5 probably can't come up with a way to monetize a Tournament Mode short of it costing Gold. Like you said, it's been years and the single mode everyone asks for is nowhere in sight and probably not even in production.
I haven't played any of the competitors, but if they have a Tournament Mode, they surely have a leg up on Hearthstone.
The change is great, I remember playing it in some decks along Bloodreaver Gul'dan and always end up discarding it, yeah I guess it was my fault but If I was playing it it was because I didn't have good enough demons.
New Neutral Minion - Ironbeak Owl
Silence for any deck that needs it, if this had rotated I think they should have added a new one, it's good everyone has access for tech tools if needed.
New Neutral Minion - Sleepy Dragon
Maybe it'll see play in big warrior? Now that priest loses Mass Resurrection I'm not sure who wants to play this aside from general ramp druid.
New Neutral Minion - Murloc Tidecaller
Yeah I guess it make sense since this is straigh support for any deck that wants to aggro murlocs.
New Neutral Minion - Crazed Alchemist
I mean, it's a tool, I dunno, I don't think it'll see play, maybe in some weird priest combo.
New Neutral Minion - Defender of Argus
It was nerfed and it was no longer relevant. The last deck I saw it with was Warlock Giants.
Right now I think this will see play in aggro decks.
'Warcraft III'-themed Expansion
How about flipping the whole effect around and making the grunt be a 2 mana 2/2 with an effect like: "Has +2 health if you have less than 5 mana"? That way it is overstatted in the early game but you pay the price of it being weak in the mid-late game.
Note that losing a buff in Hearthstone doesn't reduce your health unless you were above your base health. E.g. if he has 3 or 4 health at the start of turn 5 he'll go down to 2, but he won't lose any health if he's only got 1 or 2 left.
It's a slight departure from the intended upgrade mechanic, but perhaps it is an interesting twist on it nonetheless.
New Neutral Minion - Lone Champion
Nice tool to include for everyone and for any deck that wants some sustain.
New Demon Hunter Minion - Illidari Inquisitor
There is. Raging Felscreamer survived the purge. And this one happens to be a demon.
New Neutral Minion - Southsea Captain
It's fine, nice to see the pirate lord staying around, guess he will rotate once they want to remove pirates overall from a year.
New Druid Minion - Nordrassil Druid
I'm just not seeing the strong plays available with this. If you could bank the cost reduction for next turn (like with Nature Studies), it would be amazing. If it had rush or taunt (like people mentioned above), it would be a solid tempo play. But it's just a cheap 3/5.
New Mage Minion - Aegwynn, the Guardian
This seems very good to me. Think about sticking that DR on an Imprisoned Phoenix: spell damage +4 that you can safely bank into a dormant minion for a massive burst later on.
New Mage Minion - Aegwynn, the Guardian
Seems like a powerful card
New Demon Hunter Minion - Illidari Inquisitor
888 Huat Huat Huat
New Neutral Minion - Barrens Stablehand
Do you think when they printed this card (not that long ago, right?), they were hinting at the upcoming expansion? We know that they plan things long in advance, before we ever hear about them.
I agree with DarkFrostX: a cost specification would make this playable, like 3 mana or more. We need the dream of getting King Krush off this, but it shouldn't happen too often.
'Warcraft III'-themed Expansion
Makes sense. This is sort of where it gets tricky balancing those ideas while adhering to source material. In War3, a Grunt's whole identity is being a basic unit that won't go down easily in the early game. I won't deny that ends up being a bit less interesting in HS than in War3, but I'd feel weird giving cards extra things they didn't have originally.
The Spirit Hawk only disables Stealth, it does not reveal the opponent's hand. I agree that the hand-revealing cards need a re-work though.
New Neutral Minion - Barrens Stablehand
yeah the problem is all the cheap beasts, maybe the buff should have been a specific cost or a range of cost like 3-6
New Warrior Weapon - Fiery War Axe
Only in spirit. 2 mana Fiery War Axe is possible again via Bloodsail Deckhand, but the base card is staying at 3 mana.
New Neutral Minion - Cairne Bloodhoof
I don't see the point to it, adding abilities would be cool but not exactly that. Maybe leave the base without abilities and Baine gets a random effect like Adapt or something like the sort.
Guilds and Tournament Mode, A Hearthstone Concept
Thank you for reading.
Team 5 probably can't come up with a way to monetize a Tournament Mode short of it costing Gold. Like you said, it's been years and the single mode everyone asks for is nowhere in sight and probably not even in production.
I haven't played any of the competitors, but if they have a Tournament Mode, they surely have a leg up on Hearthstone.
New Warrior Weapon - Fiery War Axe
Not sure how many reliable weapons remain but if there aren't many this can find a spot in aggro pretty easily again.
New Warlock Minion - Lakkari Felhound
The change is great, I remember playing it in some decks along Bloodreaver Gul'dan and always end up discarding it, yeah I guess it was my fault but If I was playing it it was because I didn't have good enough demons.
New Warlock Minion - Possessed Villager
I think this will become a stable in zoolocks, one of the best turn 1s you can have.
Everything You Need to Know About Hearthstone's Mercenaries Game Mode
which mercenary would be the most promising?
New Warlock Spell - Mortal Coil
I guess it's fine though I don't think I'll play it in my control warlock decks since Supreme Archaeology is rotating.
New Warlock Spell - Fiendish Circle
I don't know how busted Imp-losion would be right now but I would have preferred that one, even chaning it to remove rolling the dice.