Ahm. I am actually surprised, that people are hyped for this card. Of course it's weak, the dragon costs 8 mana (i.e. it can be played only in the late-game) and its effect relies solely on the cards the opponent would play on a specific turn. So don't expect to summon more than 2 things most of the time. I don't even know what someone expects from this.
I am seeing Murozond as an ok-ish addition to thief priest decks or some mid-range dragon decks, though the new legendary pales before the might of the former Dr. OP. I don't know if I would even consider adding this card in my thief deck, since it doesn't offer anything exciting. Princess Talanji is way better, since she summons all kinds of shit and I can surprise my opponent with a huge play.
If I get the dragon, I will give him a try, but I don't expect anything extraordinary. I still prefer Archbishop Benedictus in my deck.
What this card really needs is for its battlecry to also destroy a targeted Dragon, and to be a crab.
But seriously...
This card intrigues me because it feels like T5 actively trying to prevent people from going all-in on Dragons. It obviously won't entirely stop them, because no card will do that, but it is extremely punishing to run midrange Dragons to be dropped on curve only to see them swept. My immediate question is whether there's an efficient tech-to-the-tech - my first thought was BGH directly into this played on curve would result in a net positive trade, but I think not a big enough one to be worthwhile.
I mean, with all the dragons in this set, there was bound to be some card like this.
When this triggers, it is absolutely nuts. This is a good tech card because the payoff is so powerful. Some tech cards aren't worth it simply because even when they do go off it isn't very exciting.
I think this will see some play. A 4 mana 4/4 isn't the worst card, but a 4 mana 8/8 rush is insane, and you will have at least 1 minion to attack. With ever class getting dragons, there is bound to be at least 1 class who has a competitive dragon deck, so I could see some decks wanting to have anti-dragon tech.
The most important part to enjoying Wild is to never reach rank 5. Preferably mess around at rank 15 if possible, where literally anything goes and your long-built collection can be used to its fullest.
As a good player you may find yourself 'accidentally' climbing to rank 10. That's OK, but to actually enjoy the game mode try to avoid going any further.
Of course if you are a Spike player this may all sound preposterous, but Wild is actually great at low ranks because that is where a lot of people with large collections and no interest in climbing the ladder hang out. You just need to relax and play something a bit stupid to appreciate it.
I actually reached rank 13 last season due to not playing wild for a few months. But, unlike what you described, I faced big priests back to back at those ranks. So this seems even less appealing to me than the warlocks and mages at higher ranks.
OK, so it's not all sunshine and roses, but there is genuine diversity and plenty of surprise decks. Also I did specify rank 15. Rank 14 is normally quite diverse too but 13-11 get worse as people actually try to bridge the gap to 10.
I don't know if there is much variation with this across servers though (I'm on EU).
About shudderwock infinite if it allows it in standard it's a once per turn shudderwock and not 9 times so it's much more sane, also has a chance to mess up every turn.
Resounding 'meh' from me. Penalty isn't big enough to be all that punishing, nor are there any hero powers in Standard that are overly threatening. The only way I can see this card seeing constructed play is in Wild as an Odd-Rogue tech to disrupt other Odd Rogues - and even then, existing techs are probably more effective, albeit less universally splashable.
When I look at this skin, my eyes start bleeding. Also, it's very cheap from Blizzard to not offer some kind of bonus legendary to the new players to whom this package is obviously destined. Next rotation is coming (april?), but hey! You need witchwood packs huh? No way new players can afford a somewhat complete wild experience, so what's the benefit for them? They could have proposed a cheaper pack of the newer set ( they did it once before) for those who can't afford the 50/80 packages. Christmas time!? Nope. Goose milking time!
This is probably the most playable neutral epic we have seen so far. It is a decent tempo play on turn 3, assuming you have also played a 1 and 2 drop. And the effect will remain in place until your opponent uses their hero power, which means that sooner or later your opponent will have to spend an extra mana crystal.
I am not sure this will be used in any competitive decks, but if you are missing a slot, this guy is always here as a flexible option. Maybe some players with small collections will open him and they can just toss him into any of their decks. This card is playable, and very flexible, but not good enough to replace another card in your deck.
A little curious why you're asking 'do you know' when my original post went into that area in significantly more detail than you did, but for the sake of clarity I'll explain further:
Yes, you can go through building a deck tuned for that specific mana timing. You can treat 1-drops as 2, 2-drops as 3. The trouble with that, as I was setting out in my original post, is that a) a solid 35% of the time you won't be drawing this card in the first half of your deck, if at all, meaning that's fully a third of your games in which you're running an out-of-kilter curve (and probably some inefficient minions that you added to try to capitalise on the raw stat boost.
In other games, you'll draw both copies. At which point, either one is dead, or you've broken your deck design again because your curve changed from what you expected it to be.
Now, as I laid out above, that problem isn't entirely unsurmountable. There are, no doubt, builds which will optimise a one-copy draw while remaining balanced enough to function with a 0- and 2-copy draw. But those builds will take time to find, and further time to refine. And even after that's done, I don't expect these decks to be particularly oppressive because of the significant downsides to what you're doing.
The comparison to Keleseth is a phenomenally unhelpful one, by the way, which I'm disappointed the community has latched onto for some reason. Keleseth required very little in the way of deck modification - drop the 2s, add in a couple more 1s and 3s to ensure early curve, you're good. And past turn 2-3, having no other 2-drops had very little impact on your game plan. That is not the case here. With this card, you are having to tailor your entire deck to function properly with a fluctuating curve, and you are under the negative effect of +1 costed minions for the entire game after playing it. The positive effect is greater, yes, but it's not the fire-and-forget that Keleseth was. Surrender to Madness is a far more apt comparison - and while this card is significantly stronger than that was, that doesn't make it good.
Edit: Forgot to mention one point which you raised in your post - the idea that this card would make 'zoo' archetypes (which are pretty unseen in Druid, by the way, as it either focusses on more of a token setup-burst build or a slower survival-token one, but that's by the way). This thought is wholly incorrect. Zoo as an archetype exists and works through early consistency, value and tempo. This card helps with value, while actively hurting both consistency and tempo. Running it in a zoo build would be an atrociously bad idea.
Delayed Faceless Manipulator which can be silenced doesn't look like a great deal to me. Also it works only with enemy minions, so any combo potencial is gone. Definitely one of weaker legendaries.
Really inconsistent, it would be much better if it could replay the battlecries too. Maybe can be teched in to steal opponent's galakrond or kronx, or a lategame finisher of the highlander classes (e.g. puzzle box, zuljin)
So [Hearthstone Card (Sabotour) Not Found] 2.0 that is permanent until your opponent uses their HP. I guess this was to counter SOME of the quest decks like Shaman but bad against Druid and Hagatha.
Great control card with value generation which gives hope to cards like Princess Talanji. But as far as Galakrond is concerned, I like other versions more.
New Priest Minion - Murozond the Infinite
Ahm. I am actually surprised, that people are hyped for this card. Of course it's weak, the dragon costs 8 mana (i.e. it can be played only in the late-game) and its effect relies solely on the cards the opponent would play on a specific turn. So don't expect to summon more than 2 things most of the time. I don't even know what someone expects from this.
I am seeing Murozond as an ok-ish addition to thief priest decks or some mid-range dragon decks, though the new legendary pales before the might of the former Dr. OP. I don't know if I would even consider adding this card in my thief deck, since it doesn't offer anything exciting. Princess Talanji is way better, since she summons all kinds of shit and I can surprise my opponent with a huge play.
If I get the dragon, I will give him a try, but I don't expect anything extraordinary. I still prefer Archbishop Benedictus in my deck.
[Game] Card Treasure Hunt (The Resurrection Attempt)
That's it! And with points for perfect reasoning too, your turn :)
New Card Reveal - Dragonmaw Poacher
What this card really needs is for its battlecry to also destroy a targeted Dragon, and to be a crab.
But seriously...
This card intrigues me because it feels like T5 actively trying to prevent people from going all-in on Dragons. It obviously won't entirely stop them, because no card will do that, but it is extremely punishing to run midrange Dragons to be dropped on curve only to see them swept. My immediate question is whether there's an efficient tech-to-the-tech - my first thought was BGH directly into this played on curve would result in a net positive trade, but I think not a big enough one to be worthwhile.
New Neutral Minion - Dragonmaw Poacher
I mean, with all the dragons in this set, there was bound to be some card like this.
When this triggers, it is absolutely nuts. This is a good tech card because the payoff is so powerful. Some tech cards aren't worth it simply because even when they do go off it isn't very exciting.
I think this will see some play. A 4 mana 4/4 isn't the worst card, but a 4 mana 8/8 rush is insane, and you will have at least 1 minion to attack. With ever class getting dragons, there is bound to be at least 1 class who has a competitive dragon deck, so I could see some decks wanting to have anti-dragon tech.
Wild players: how do you still enjoy it?
OK, so it's not all sunshine and roses, but there is genuine diversity and plenty of surprise decks. Also I did specify rank 15. Rank 14 is normally quite diverse too but 13-11 get worse as people actually try to bridge the gap to 10.
I don't know if there is much variation with this across servers though (I'm on EU).
New Neutral Minion - Faceless Corruptor
About shudderwock infinite if it allows it in standard it's a once per turn shudderwock and not 9 times so it's much more sane, also has a chance to mess up every turn.
Card Reveal - Blowtorch Saboteur
Resounding 'meh' from me. Penalty isn't big enough to be all that punishing, nor are there any hero powers in Standard that are overly threatening. The only way I can see this card seeing constructed play is in Wild as an Odd-Rogue tech to disrupt other Odd Rogues - and even then, existing techs are probably more effective, albeit less universally splashable.
Hearthstone's Winter Veil 2019! Returning Card Back + Card Pack Bundle w/ New Druid Hero - Dame Hazelbark
When I look at this skin, my eyes start bleeding. Also, it's very cheap from Blizzard to not offer some kind of bonus legendary to the new players to whom this package is obviously destined. Next rotation is coming (april?), but hey! You need witchwood packs huh? No way new players can afford a somewhat complete wild experience, so what's the benefit for them? They could have proposed a cheaper pack of the newer set ( they did it once before) for those who can't afford the 50/80 packages. Christmas time!? Nope. Goose milking time!
Fate Weaver
Mana cheating is always strong, so potential of this card is obviously insane. Looking forward to see some amazing action with this beauty :-)
Descent of Dragons
no we won't, the extra legendary Galakrond that Evil classes are getting is free and you won't be able to get it from packs so it's fair in that sense
how will it play out in the meta is a different topic and for now we can only guess
Umbral Skulker
For some reason I feel like they are trying to push combo/miracle rogue with rogue invoke synergies
Card Reveals - Faceless Corruptor & Murozond (Priest Legendary)
Tess does not play out summoned minions battlecries either. Makes sense this wouldnt too.
New Priest Minion - Murozond the Infinite
I can see this being a little annoying against some control matchups if they played like a big minion or something.
New Neutral Minion - Blowtorch Saboteur
This is probably the most playable neutral epic we have seen so far. It is a decent tempo play on turn 3, assuming you have also played a 1 and 2 drop. And the effect will remain in place until your opponent uses their hero power, which means that sooner or later your opponent will have to spend an extra mana crystal.
I am not sure this will be used in any competitive decks, but if you are missing a slot, this guy is always here as a flexible option. Maybe some players with small collections will open him and they can just toss him into any of their decks. This card is playable, and very flexible, but not good enough to replace another card in your deck.
Epic Druid Card Reveal - Embiggen
A little curious why you're asking 'do you know' when my original post went into that area in significantly more detail than you did, but for the sake of clarity I'll explain further:
Yes, you can go through building a deck tuned for that specific mana timing. You can treat 1-drops as 2, 2-drops as 3. The trouble with that, as I was setting out in my original post, is that a) a solid 35% of the time you won't be drawing this card in the first half of your deck, if at all, meaning that's fully a third of your games in which you're running an out-of-kilter curve (and probably some inefficient minions that you added to try to capitalise on the raw stat boost.
In other games, you'll draw both copies. At which point, either one is dead, or you've broken your deck design again because your curve changed from what you expected it to be.
Now, as I laid out above, that problem isn't entirely unsurmountable. There are, no doubt, builds which will optimise a one-copy draw while remaining balanced enough to function with a 0- and 2-copy draw. But those builds will take time to find, and further time to refine. And even after that's done, I don't expect these decks to be particularly oppressive because of the significant downsides to what you're doing.
The comparison to Keleseth is a phenomenally unhelpful one, by the way, which I'm disappointed the community has latched onto for some reason. Keleseth required very little in the way of deck modification - drop the 2s, add in a couple more 1s and 3s to ensure early curve, you're good. And past turn 2-3, having no other 2-drops had very little impact on your game plan. That is not the case here. With this card, you are having to tailor your entire deck to function properly with a fluctuating curve, and you are under the negative effect of +1 costed minions for the entire game after playing it. The positive effect is greater, yes, but it's not the fire-and-forget that Keleseth was. Surrender to Madness is a far more apt comparison - and while this card is significantly stronger than that was, that doesn't make it good.
Edit: Forgot to mention one point which you raised in your post - the idea that this card would make 'zoo' archetypes (which are pretty unseen in Druid, by the way, as it either focusses on more of a token setup-burst build or a slower survival-token one, but that's by the way). This thought is wholly incorrect. Zoo as an archetype exists and works through early consistency, value and tempo. This card helps with value, while actively hurting both consistency and tempo. Running it in a zoo build would be an atrociously bad idea.
New Neutral Minion - Faceless Corruptor
I actually kinda like this it can probably fit in some Shudderwock deck or some type of Handbuff Paladin list.
Mindflayer Kaahrj
Delayed Faceless Manipulator which can be silenced doesn't look like a great deal to me. Also it works only with enemy minions, so any combo potencial is gone. Definitely one of weaker legendaries.
New Warlock Spell - Dark Skies
Seems decent against some aggro decks. At least it doesn't hit your face like Spreading Madness.
Wild players: how do you still enjoy it?
By only playing meme/gimmick decks around rank 15, crushing netdecks from time to time feels extra good, when it's with a homebrew memedeck :)
New Priest Minion - Murozond the Infinite
Really inconsistent, it would be much better if it could replay the battlecries too. Maybe can be teched in to steal opponent's galakrond or kronx, or a lategame finisher of the highlander classes (e.g. puzzle box, zuljin)
New Neutral Minion - Dragonmaw Poacher
People memed about 4 mana 7/7s, now we got a 4 mana 8/8 WITH RUSH......sometimes.
Warlock Card Reveal - Dark Skies
More good handlock support.
New Neutral Minion - Blowtorch Saboteur
So [Hearthstone Card (Sabotour) Not Found] 2.0 that is permanent until your opponent uses their HP. I guess this was to counter SOME of the quest decks like Shaman but bad against Druid and Hagatha.
Galakrond, the Unspeakable
Great control card with value generation which gives hope to cards like Princess Talanji. But as far as Galakrond is concerned, I like other versions more.
Card Reveal - Blowtorch Saboteur
The quality doesnt translate to usefulness. You should know this by now. There are plenty of legendaries to back this claim