Everyone says Fire Fly is stronger simply because you can play it turn 1, but this is an objectively stronger card overall when played on any other turn. Token druid might be back.
As everyone else has said, Devout Pupil looks like a great inclusion in Libram Paladin. So I'd like to focus on this card's applications in Priest.
I see this going mainly into one deck in Priest: Cube Priest. That deck would love a low mana Devout Pupil to use Grave Rune and Psyche Split on. Along with these buff cards, Renew and Apotheosis work towards the discount as well. Also, Sethekk Veilweaver and Renew can help generate friendly targeting spells. For Cube Priest, I don't think that the deck would need to alter its card inclusions too much to make this work really well, not to mention they are getting a new buff card in Gift of Luminance that works well with the deck and adds to the discount.
In a more straight up Tempo Priest, Devout Pupil could work, but the main issue with the archetype is that there is no efficient way besides Sethekk Veilweaver to reload on resources in the midgame after you've spent your entire hand on cheap tempo in the early game.
What makes this minion good isn't it's stats for cost but how it curves for Demon Hunter from Marrow Slicer into this, allowing for Demon Hunter to deal 9 damage with their weapon on turn 5 - which is pretty massive.
because of her ability to give your hero extra attack there's a potential for her to be placed in tempo OR control decks, tempo obviously wanting to deal extra damage for lethal and control to remove high value targets on your opponents side of the board.
Outside of it's soul fragment synergy this minion is just good enough to play in arena by itself, as I keep saying it's stats are pretty good.
So, if I'm reading it correctly, this matches the best stats even from different minions, right? Say there is an Ysera (fully healed) on board and a Boulderfist Ogre, this minion would enter the field as a 2-mana 6/12?
I don't think this card will see play in a fast meta with small-medium minions, but if the meta slows down or large minions come back, this might be an answer in aggro/midrange decks to larger threats. It's cheap enough to be comboed with Paladin buff spells or even that new broom card, but I think this card is entirely dependent on how the meta looks.
3 mana 3/2 is pretty bad for stats, although a Bloodfen Raptor that comes with a board clear does sound pretty nice.
Demon Hunter's board removal is also pretty weak, they're very reliant on using either their face or minions, and they sometimes can't compete with opponents who can swarm the board if they don't have Altruis the Outcast in hand.
So another board clear available to DH is what they need for any hopes of a control shell.
3 mana AOE is not bad, it's seen play with Hellfire, and instead of 4 mana that also deals damage to your opponent it only damages minions, letting you save your health for later.
This minion's only weakness aside from it's cost is the requirement of a soul fragment in your deck. If you haven't been able to place any fragments this is a weak minion that will do nothing to win you the game
I see no current applications for this card, but I love it so much, it might just be my favorite card in the expansion. The flavor and consistency with Augmented Elek is wonderful, and the card is just kinda cute. I might toy around with it in my Rafaam deck just to add deck-refill, but it probably won't make the cut in any decklist.
Good stats and effect for early game and good combo piece with some board clear spell for later game. Seems like a very versatile 1-drop for decks that use a lot of spells. No doubt that will find its way to mage decks.
With the new Mage legendary, there are going to be some super degenerate OTK combos. Whether or not the combos are good enough to be meta remains to be seen, but this card spooks me for that reason. In Rogue it can get some good value, might help the carpet-deathrattle archetype by refreshing the reduced deathrattles.
I am really liking all the Mage/Rogue hybrids. The idea the you have a number of "free" spells in Rogue already makes this worth it since it is bringing the freeze aspect to that class on top of their Sap shenanigans seems to make this an ideal candidate for most Rogue builds.
For Mage, it encourages you to run smaller cost cards. The freeze ability is at home with Mage, but needing to play multiple cards to trigger the combo effect makes it less appealing for Mage to run it. Although, with [Hearthstone Card (Incanter's Flow) Not Found], this could be included in most decks simply because it them becomes a (0) mana freeze option that could potentially deal more damage with Ray of Frost.
A decently cool effect I am sure I've seen on a couple of custom cards, but I don't have high hopes for this card. Hunter's only AoE spell right now is Explosive Trap, which is easy to play around, and Twin Shotworks well with this card, but not well enough to justify its inclusion. There are still a ton of hunter cards to be revealed so there might be some synergy, but this won't work as it currently stands.
Historically speaking 4 mana 4/2 weapons have seen play in constructed -
Truesilver champion is a staple in a lot of control paladin decks before the Lightforged Zealot took it's deck slot, and the Wagglepick was used in Rogue Miracle shells for a while when RoS first launched.
Obviously a must include for Demon Hunters who want to use the Soul Fragment package, since 4 damage can clear most enemies and the soul fragments can be used to mitigate damage to your hero.
Even playable in Arena, for removal and surprise healing your opponent can't predict
This has potential, but because it costs 3 already, it would need a really solid set up to work well. Too bad that Kael'thas Sunstrider changes the cost of a spell to (0) instead of just saying that it doesn't cost mana... that would be hilarious.
Best 4 mana combo. Argent Braggart + Subdue on the other minion = fun things. I'd totally do this to a Ysera or even a solid mid-range minion. AND it will work great with Libram Paladin decks.
A very powerful effect to be sure, but I think Professor Slate will only go into decks that already run cheap damaging spells. Face Hunter already does this, and they like efficiently stated minions that help them maintain control of the board like Dwarven Sharpshooter. The issue with using Professor Slate outside of Face Hunter is that you have to cut cards to include a few cheap damaging spells that are mediocre without having the one-of build-around card to play them with, so they'll be mediocre more times than they are that poisonous removal.
This is a fun card, not great stat wise but she has an interesting effect.
There's no way to plan around what you will get with her, but since she has the unique ability to cycle through the discover effect she can be used to search for a spell needed on the turn she's played or possibly a spell needed to clear the board down the line.
She has a soft synergy with Speaker Gidra, since she'll be able to pull a spell to increase Gidra's attack without having to use a spell that's in your deck.
She won't be a win condition but will be a fun card to play with in Arena or Casual mode
I can see with all the hijinks that are going into this set and in the current meta that this would be part of a solid combo, but necessarily an OTK. But with mana reduction as well as the ability to trigger deathrattles, this could easily find a way into Galakrond decks all around. And if there is a good way to protect it, rez priest will probably run it because it is a trigger effect from being in play to "remember" a spell. Nothing like seeing 3+ Plague of Death played or a number of the Zephrys the Great "perfect" cards being shuffled into your deck.
And just thinking about how fun this could be with any highlander build... especially with Kazakus, I just hope it can live up to the hype I am feeling from it.
Exodia Mage is going to be viable again... I'd like to see other uses for this, but that is the most prominent and knee jerk reaction to this card. I'd like to see the potential for some Rogue hilarity with it though.
NO. Just... no. While standard has a few spells that would really abuse this minion, the last thing that the class needs in wild is something that allows everything they do to be poisonous. Granted, in Wild there are a number of ways to eliminate a minion, this is giving Hunter an ability that would typically be left for "caster classes". Having this on the board and having and [Hearthstone Card (exploding trap) Not Found] go off gives a board clear even to the "evasive" minions.
Educated Elekk
People seem to forget that Plague of Death silences before killing so it ignores any on board effect.
New Druid & Hunter Spell - Adorable Infestation
Everyone says Fire Fly is stronger simply because you can play it turn 1, but this is an objectively stronger card overall when played on any other turn. Token druid might be back.
New Paladin & Priest Minion - Devout Pupil
As everyone else has said, Devout Pupil looks like a great inclusion in Libram Paladin. So I'd like to focus on this card's applications in Priest.
I see this going mainly into one deck in Priest: Cube Priest. That deck would love a low mana Devout Pupil to use Grave Rune and Psyche Split on. Along with these buff cards, Renew and Apotheosis work towards the discount as well. Also, Sethekk Veilweaver and Renew can help generate friendly targeting spells. For Cube Priest, I don't think that the deck would need to alter its card inclusions too much to make this work really well, not to mention they are getting a new buff card in Gift of Luminance that works well with the deck and adds to the discount.
In a more straight up Tempo Priest, Devout Pupil could work, but the main issue with the archetype is that there is no efficient way besides Sethekk Veilweaver to reload on resources in the midgame after you've spent your entire hand on cheap tempo in the early game.
New Demon Hunter Minion - Soulshard Lapidary
5/5 in stats is acceptable for a 5 mana minion.
What makes this minion good isn't it's stats for cost but how it curves for Demon Hunter from Marrow Slicer into this, allowing for Demon Hunter to deal 9 damage with their weapon on turn 5 - which is pretty massive.
because of her ability to give your hero extra attack there's a potential for her to be placed in tempo OR control decks, tempo obviously wanting to deal extra damage for lethal and control to remove high value targets on your opponents side of the board.
Outside of it's soul fragment synergy this minion is just good enough to play in arena by itself, as I keep saying it's stats are pretty good.
New Paladin & Priest Minion - Devout Pupil
Libram paladin could actually be OP this time... If paladin gets some card draw. But not so good in priest.
Professor Slate is a New Hunter Legendary Revealed for Hearthstone's Scholomance Academy Expansion
Which might be the point. Low cost AoE would make this absolutely insane. In the meantime have fun with explosive trap.
Argent Braggart
So, if I'm reading it correctly, this matches the best stats even from different minions, right? Say there is an Ysera (fully healed) on board and a Boulderfist Ogre, this minion would enter the field as a 2-mana 6/12?
New Paladin Minion - Argent Braggart
I don't think this card will see play in a fast meta with small-medium minions, but if the meta slows down or large minions come back, this might be an answer in aggro/midrange decks to larger threats. It's cheap enough to be comboed with Paladin buff spells or even that new broom card, but I think this card is entirely dependent on how the meta looks.
New Demon Hunter Minion - Shardshatter Mystic
3 mana 3/2 is pretty bad for stats, although a Bloodfen Raptor that comes with a board clear does sound pretty nice.
Demon Hunter's board removal is also pretty weak, they're very reliant on using either their face or minions, and they sometimes can't compete with opponents who can swarm the board if they don't have Altruis the Outcast in hand.
So another board clear available to DH is what they need for any hopes of a control shell.
3 mana AOE is not bad, it's seen play with Hellfire, and instead of 4 mana that also deals damage to your opponent it only damages minions, letting you save your health for later.
This minion's only weakness aside from it's cost is the requirement of a soul fragment in your deck. If you haven't been able to place any fragments this is a weak minion that will do nothing to win you the game
New Neutral Minion - Educated Elekk
I see no current applications for this card, but I love it so much, it might just be my favorite card in the expansion. The flavor and consistency with Augmented Elek is wonderful, and the card is just kinda cute. I might toy around with it in my Rafaam deck just to add deck-refill, but it probably won't make the cut in any decklist.
New Mage Minion - Lab Partner
Good stats and effect for early game and good combo piece with some board clear spell for later game. Seems like a very versatile 1-drop for decks that use a lot of spells. No doubt that will find its way to mage decks.
New Mage & Rogue Spell - Potion of Illusion
With the new Mage legendary, there are going to be some super degenerate OTK combos. Whether or not the combos are good enough to be meta remains to be seen, but this card spooks me for that reason. In Rogue it can get some good value, might help the carpet-deathrattle archetype by refreshing the reduced deathrattles.
Brain Freeze
I am really liking all the Mage/Rogue hybrids. The idea the you have a number of "free" spells in Rogue already makes this worth it since it is bringing the freeze aspect to that class on top of their Sap shenanigans seems to make this an ideal candidate for most Rogue builds.
For Mage, it encourages you to run smaller cost cards. The freeze ability is at home with Mage, but needing to play multiple cards to trigger the combo effect makes it less appealing for Mage to run it. Although, with [Hearthstone Card (Incanter's Flow) Not Found], this could be included in most decks simply because it them becomes a (0) mana freeze option that could potentially deal more damage with Ray of Frost.
New Hunter Minion - Professor Slate
A decently cool effect I am sure I've seen on a couple of custom cards, but I don't have high hopes for this card. Hunter's only AoE spell right now is Explosive Trap, which is easy to play around, and Twin Shotworks well with this card, but not well enough to justify its inclusion. There are still a ton of hunter cards to be revealed so there might be some synergy, but this won't work as it currently stands.
New Demon Hunter Weapon - Marrowslicer
Historically speaking 4 mana 4/2 weapons have seen play in constructed -
Truesilver champion is a staple in a lot of control paladin decks before the Lightforged Zealot took it's deck slot, and the Wagglepick was used in Rogue Miracle shells for a while when RoS first launched.
Obviously a must include for Demon Hunters who want to use the Soul Fragment package, since 4 damage can clear most enemies and the soul fragments can be used to mitigate damage to your hero.
Even playable in Arena, for removal and surprise healing your opponent can't predict
Speaker Gidra
This has potential, but because it costs 3 already, it would need a really solid set up to work well. Too bad that Kael'thas Sunstrider changes the cost of a spell to (0) instead of just saying that it doesn't cost mana... that would be hilarious.
Argent Braggart
Best 4 mana combo. Argent Braggart + Subdue on the other minion = fun things. I'd totally do this to a Ysera or even a solid mid-range minion. AND it will work great with Libram Paladin decks.
New Hunter Minion - Professor Slate
A very powerful effect to be sure, but I think Professor Slate will only go into decks that already run cheap damaging spells. Face Hunter already does this, and they like efficiently stated minions that help them maintain control of the board like Dwarven Sharpshooter. The issue with using Professor Slate outside of Face Hunter is that you have to cut cards to include a few cheap damaging spells that are mediocre without having the one-of build-around card to play them with, so they'll be mediocre more times than they are that poisonous removal.
New Shaman Minion - Instructor Fireheart
This is a fun card, not great stat wise but she has an interesting effect.
There's no way to plan around what you will get with her, but since she has the unique ability to cycle through the discover effect she can be used to search for a spell needed on the turn she's played or possibly a spell needed to clear the board down the line.
She has a soft synergy with Speaker Gidra, since she'll be able to pull a spell to increase Gidra's attack without having to use a spell that's in your deck.
She won't be a win condition but will be a fun card to play with in Arena or Casual mode
Educated Elekk
I can see with all the hijinks that are going into this set and in the current meta that this would be part of a solid combo, but necessarily an OTK. But with mana reduction as well as the ability to trigger deathrattles, this could easily find a way into Galakrond decks all around. And if there is a good way to protect it, rez priest will probably run it because it is a trigger effect from being in play to "remember" a spell. Nothing like seeing 3+ Plague of Death played or a number of the Zephrys the Great "perfect" cards being shuffled into your deck.
And just thinking about how fun this could be with any highlander build... especially with Kazakus, I just hope it can live up to the hype I am feeling from it.
Potion of Illusion is a New Mage & Rogue Card Revealed for Hearthstone's Scholomance Academy Expansion
Yeah, I taught about Quad Apprentice as well, but wanted to give Maiev a spotlight.
Either way, EXODIA OBLITERATES!
New Druid & Shaman Minion - Speaker Gidra
Rockbiter Weapon makes that minion a 5 mana 6/6 Rush windfury, sweet.
Blizzard's Celestalon Talks Demon Hunter, Scholomance Academy, and New Classes in Hearthstone
Thanks for the summary and the info. Much appreciated.
Potion of Illusion
Exodia Mage is going to be viable again... I'd like to see other uses for this, but that is the most prominent and knee jerk reaction to this card. I'd like to see the potential for some Rogue hilarity with it though.
Professor Slate
NO. Just... no. While standard has a few spells that would really abuse this minion, the last thing that the class needs in wild is something that allows everything they do to be poisonous. Granted, in Wild there are a number of ways to eliminate a minion, this is giving Hunter an ability that would typically be left for "caster classes". Having this on the board and having and [Hearthstone Card (exploding trap) Not Found] go off gives a board clear even to the "evasive" minions.