Galakrond Warlock is by no means "not as strong as the other decks". It is probably the strongest deck in the game behind Demon Hunter, with the ability to aggressive when needed. Of the two viable Warlock decks (zoo and Galakrond), Galakrond is far better. However, if your goal is simply to rank up the ladder as fast as possible, then Aggro/Tempo Demon Hunter is your best bet. You should hurry though, since the class is facing another nerf soon.
Daily Reminder that you should never DE any extra cards because there's really no telling what becomes a problem in the future....and no, I didn't have a golden Albatross that one time and thought it would be ridiculous for that card to ever be nerfed, whatever gave you that idea?
Kael'thas was obvious. That card was always going to be a problem. I assume they knew that but since he's a free legendary they gaves us at least a bit of time to meme with it before they nerfed it. I hope Spell Druid sticks around at least...it's probably the most interesting thing the class has done for like...a year.
Felwing is another one of those cards where I'm still puzzled as to why they thought it would be a good idea to release. Did they just not remember Heal Zoolock and how it took over the meta for quite a while?
I’m assuming the safe bet is 3 mana. The effect is insane, and the workaround cataclysm seems out of character for blizzard, since they rarely encourage combo. Darkest hour will die, and very few people will miss it, including me, since whenever I played it I drew combo before I died maybe 1/5 times. Just a generally bad feeling deck for everyon
The problem isn't necessarily with Elusives in general, but rather the number of Elusives per deck and the popularity of the decks that run tons of Elusive units. If you're playing Bannerman, you're running some Challenger units, some Purifies and some Single Combats. But the reason people don't fill their entire deck with them is that then you'll lose to a different deck instead. Elusives are an interesting concept, but the ability itself is so niche and specific that you can't run cards that counter them without just making your deck bad. And Runeterra is about winning more games than you lose, not about making that one Elusive player feel bad for a few minutes.
No deck can run every single card in the game, and you can't build a deck made entirely of counters. The fact that Elusives warrant this style of gameplay since they can't be interacted with normally is what makes them a problem. The fact that they can single-handedly counter entire gameplan is a problem. Another part of the problem is that Elusive units are meant to come at a cost; the fact that they can't be blocked comes at the cost of low stats, usually. However, considering the other abilities Elusives have like drawing or lifesteal coupled with their ability to easily buff their unblockable board makes this less of a drawback.
And your point about countering Elusives with other Elusives is what's known as meta warping, where one single strategy is so dominant that it becomes the only strategy in the game. It makes the existence of all the other cards in the game useless. One of the first questions to answer during deckbuilding becomes "how do I counter Elusives". If people can't play the decks they built like the game advertises because of Elusives, then it's not a fun game. I downloaded Runeterra, not Elusive simulator.
Best warlock deck is probably control galakrond, with around 4 core epic cards and since you get Galakrond for free its not that expensive.
But if you just want to grind up ladder, just play tempo dhunters. Its just faster, and its currently the undisputed best deck in hearthstone standard.
Zoolock gets eviscerated by dhunters, I can't really see anything happening with zoo unless your opponent literally draws shit for 3 turns back to back.
There was a really elaborate write up of a VFX artist about the improvement of their workflow over the years in the AMA: https://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/g0okne/hearthstone_team_ama_april_14/fnc6ll7/
I might be naive for saying this, but you never know. Wild rarely receives balance updates. I remember, that when I created the hpwn thread 1 year ago, there was a discussion among the devs about the oppressors in the wild format and bb was listed as one of them. So that card was on their radar even back then, but I guess the low win-rate of Big Warlock prevented it from getting a change. So the devs settled down with changing Barnes' cost to 5 and I don't know about you, but I'm one of the ppl who thought the nerf came in too late for it to matter. LyraSilvertongue explained the Barnes case a couple of posts above mine, so you can read all about it there.
My point is that external factors can affect the implementation of some balance changes. From what I heard, this was the case with Naga Sea Witch.
There are still some strong Warlock decks out there, one of the top contenders in the meta being Galakrond Warlock, as spotlighted in Shadows' article yesterday. The more regular Zoo isn't it the best possible spot right now so it might be a struggle. There are some lists that are still doing well, like this one from HSReplay (although it has a low sample size). It seems quite cheap (if you exclude the legendaries; they help but are not needed) if you want to try that one out.
Im new. Im a silver 5 player. I wanted to rank up at least to gold rank. Im using warlock zoo but it seems its not that good right now. Im playing standard. Is it me or is warlock decks are kinda weak at this current meta. Sorry this is probably nothing new to you guys. Hehe
Cubelock and Renolock and maybe now Discardlock again are enough other viable to strong decks Warlock has left in Wild, even if Darkest Hour and Mechathunlock will be unplayable after the nerf. As long as Warlock can cheat out a 6/18 taunt on turn 4 this class will be viable.
There go my 6.000 dust I spent yesterday to craft my first Darkest Hour deck ever. Needless to say I lost almost every game with it. But that one time I pulled the combo off on turn 3 was great!
I get where you're coming from, but 0 mana for a swingy tech card is too much of a good thing. Even back in the day when we used BGH to take down something big you still had to spend 3 mana for it.
You got a 4/2 body with BGH for 3 mana (making the destroy effect cost zero)
To be honest, the choice to go after bloodbloom did surprise me a little as well, mostly because there's collateral damage in the form of mecha'thun decks that also used the card. But ultimately I think it makes sense for the long term health of the game, since bloodbloom's very existence requires all high-cost spells in the class to be designed knowing that they might come down for two mana, either on turn two (one with the coin) or in tandem with another play as DH warlock does.
Without bloodbloom, darkest hour isn't a particularly scary card, and it would feel absurd to nerf it in standard where it's a meme. Plus it isn't easy to nerf, seeing as increasing the mana cost doesn't really do anything to DH warlock.
It's really weird that they're not touching secret mage at all. Despite what people in the comments here are saying that deck is stronger and more consistent than both reno and regular quest mage.
The nerf to Bloodbloom could also be a big nerf to Mecha'thun warlock. I guess they need to run the Dollmaster Dorian combo instead.
Either way, both of those decks were big counters to Reno Galaxy mage (which counters secret mage pretty hard), which is what I've been playing lately, so I'm happy.
Big priest is terrible. Its win rate isn't even tier 4 at this point. Only reason it still sees play is because certain players are incapable of playing anything else.
Hearthstone Class Identity is Constantly Evolving - Card Draw to Be More Universal
Meanwhile Priest
Hearthstone Class Identity is Constantly Evolving - Card Draw to Be More Universal
Pretty sure they axed Acolyte specifically to allow for more class based draw, because you can design those more efficiently.
Need help!
Galakrond Warlock is by no means "not as strong as the other decks". It is probably the strongest deck in the game behind Demon Hunter, with the ability to aggressive when needed. Of the two viable Warlock decks (zoo and Galakrond), Galakrond is far better. However, if your goal is simply to rank up the ladder as fast as possible, then Aggro/Tempo Demon Hunter is your best bet. You should hurry though, since the class is facing another nerf soon.
Blizzard Believes Sacrificial Pact is Not Fun - Looking at Potential Changes to It and More Cards in Hearthstone's Standard Format
Daily Reminder that you should never DE any extra cards because there's really no telling what becomes a problem in the future....and no, I didn't have a golden Albatross that one time and thought it would be ridiculous for that card to ever be nerfed, whatever gave you that idea?
Kael'thas was obvious. That card was always going to be a problem. I assume they knew that but since he's a free legendary they gaves us at least a bit of time to meme with it before they nerfed it. I hope Spell Druid sticks around at least...it's probably the most interesting thing the class has done for like...a year.
Felwing is another one of those cards where I'm still puzzled as to why they thought it would be a good idea to release. Did they just not remember Heal Zoolock and how it took over the meta for quite a while?
Also good to see that DH is still on the radar.
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
Bloodbloom on (3) is far from enough.
You just delay earliest DH turn from 5 to 6, which is really, really not enough as a nerf, considering their survival package.
(4) is a safer nerf point, leaving the deck alive, but vulnerable. Mecha'thun will adjust with Drakkari Enchanter.
Alternatively, the limit to (5) as a Bloodbloom target is also a good idea, but that outright kills DHlock (which I'd be fine with personally).
Elusives aren't the problem. YOU are
The problem isn't necessarily with Elusives in general, but rather the number of Elusives per deck and the popularity of the decks that run tons of Elusive units. If you're playing Bannerman, you're running some Challenger units, some Purifies and some Single Combats. But the reason people don't fill their entire deck with them is that then you'll lose to a different deck instead. Elusives are an interesting concept, but the ability itself is so niche and specific that you can't run cards that counter them without just making your deck bad. And Runeterra is about winning more games than you lose, not about making that one Elusive player feel bad for a few minutes.
No deck can run every single card in the game, and you can't build a deck made entirely of counters. The fact that Elusives warrant this style of gameplay since they can't be interacted with normally is what makes them a problem. The fact that they can single-handedly counter entire gameplan is a problem. Another part of the problem is that Elusive units are meant to come at a cost; the fact that they can't be blocked comes at the cost of low stats, usually. However, considering the other abilities Elusives have like drawing or lifesteal coupled with their ability to easily buff their unblockable board makes this less of a drawback.
And your point about countering Elusives with other Elusives is what's known as meta warping, where one single strategy is so dominant that it becomes the only strategy in the game. It makes the existence of all the other cards in the game useless. One of the first questions to answer during deckbuilding becomes "how do I counter Elusives". If people can't play the decks they built like the game advertises because of Elusives, then it's not a fun game. I downloaded Runeterra, not Elusive simulator.
Need help!
Best warlock deck is probably control galakrond, with around 4 core epic cards and since you get Galakrond for free its not that expensive.
But if you just want to grind up ladder, just play tempo dhunters. Its just faster, and its currently the undisputed best deck in hearthstone standard.
Zoolock gets eviscerated by dhunters, I can't really see anything happening with zoo unless your opponent literally draws shit for 3 turns back to back.
Hearthstone Class Identity is Constantly Evolving - Card Draw to Be More Universal
Loot Hoarder, Novice Engineer. They're pretty efficient as neutrals.
I don't see the point of bothering with more cards, for classes which are not meant to draw a lot.
Oh well, we'll see...
Need help!
Not as strong like other decks though. Thank you for the response.
Hearthstone Class Identity is Constantly Evolving - Card Draw to Be More Universal
Acolyte of Pain was a perfect neutral card draw engine since its a conditional card. But then it was taken off without any replacement in AoO.
Hopefully some other neutral card draw will be introduced next time.
Hearthstone Class Identity is Constantly Evolving - Card Draw to Be More Universal
There was a really elaborate write up of a VFX artist about the improvement of their workflow over the years in the AMA: https://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/g0okne/hearthstone_team_ama_april_14/fnc6ll7/
Maybe worth a post?
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
I might be naive for saying this, but you never know. Wild rarely receives balance updates. I remember, that when I created the hpwn thread 1 year ago, there was a discussion among the devs about the oppressors in the wild format and bb was listed as one of them. So that card was on their radar even back then, but I guess the low win-rate of Big Warlock prevented it from getting a change. So the devs settled down with changing Barnes' cost to 5 and I don't know about you, but I'm one of the ppl who thought the nerf came in too late for it to matter. LyraSilvertongue explained the Barnes case a couple of posts above mine, so you can read all about it there.
My point is that external factors can affect the implementation of some balance changes. From what I heard, this was the case with Naga Sea Witch.
Need help!
There are still some strong Warlock decks out there, one of the top contenders in the meta being Galakrond Warlock, as spotlighted in Shadows' article yesterday. The more regular Zoo isn't it the best possible spot right now so it might be a struggle. There are some lists that are still doing well, like this one from HSReplay (although it has a low sample size). It seems quite cheap (if you exclude the legendaries; they help but are not needed) if you want to try that one out.
Need help!
Im new. Im a silver 5 player. I wanted to rank up at least to gold rank. Im using warlock zoo but it seems its not that good right now. Im playing standard. Is it me or is warlock decks are kinda weak at this current meta. Sorry this is probably nothing new to you guys. Hehe
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
Cubelock and Renolock and maybe now Discardlock again are enough other viable to strong decks Warlock has left in Wild, even if Darkest Hour and Mechathunlock will be unplayable after the nerf. As long as Warlock can cheat out a 6/18 taunt on turn 4 this class will be viable.
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
There are enough ways to handle Secret Mage and a lot of tech cards against secrets.
Of course Secret Mage can be anoying - but it far from "unstoppable" like for example Darkest Hour Warlock which got its combo on turn 5.
There is nothing wrong about having really strong decks in Wild - the problem are the decks, which feel "unstoppable".
Legends of Runeterra - New Video for the Noxus Champion Showcase Featuring Darius
Dammit, Garen, how many times do I have to tell you! Stop thinking with your boner!
Elusives aren't the problem. YOU are
There's literally been one person on this site who has whined about elusives (yesterday) in the past weeks or so.
This is more you whining about Bannermen, which has just been nerfed, than anything else. Which makes you nothing more than a massive hypocrite.
Did you KNOW (oh my god!!?) Bannermen decks can also be COUNTERED? Crazy! (I KNOW!)
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
There go my 6.000 dust I spent yesterday to craft my first Darkest Hour deck ever. Needless to say I lost almost every game with it. But that one time I pulled the combo off on turn 3 was great!
Blizzard Believes Sacrificial Pact is Not Fun - Looking at Potential Changes to It and More Cards in Hearthstone's Standard Format
You got a 4/2 body with BGH for 3 mana (making the destroy effect cost zero)
Forgive me brothers...
Talking about sins, when playing Hearthstone. KEK. Still congratulations to your legend run.
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
It's not as though some idiot's tweet affected the patch schedule. I'm sure they've been looking at these changes for quite some time now.
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
To be honest, the choice to go after bloodbloom did surprise me a little as well, mostly because there's collateral damage in the form of mecha'thun decks that also used the card. But ultimately I think it makes sense for the long term health of the game, since bloodbloom's very existence requires all high-cost spells in the class to be designed knowing that they might come down for two mana, either on turn two (one with the coin) or in tandem with another play as DH warlock does.
Without bloodbloom, darkest hour isn't a particularly scary card, and it would feel absurd to nerf it in standard where it's a meme. Plus it isn't easy to nerf, seeing as increasing the mana cost doesn't really do anything to DH warlock.
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
It's really weird that they're not touching secret mage at all. Despite what people in the comments here are saying that deck is stronger and more consistent than both reno and regular quest mage.
The nerf to Bloodbloom could also be a big nerf to Mecha'thun warlock. I guess they need to run the Dollmaster Dorian combo instead.
Either way, both of those decks were big counters to Reno Galaxy mage (which counters secret mage pretty hard), which is what I've been playing lately, so I'm happy.
Quest Mage and Darkest Hour Warlock Changes Coming! Expect Changes to Open the Waygate and Bloodbloom
Big priest is terrible. Its win rate isn't even tier 4 at this point. Only reason it still sees play is because certain players are incapable of playing anything else.