Most of the Hunter cards this expansion look very promising. Dragon Hunter is my absolute favourite archetype of all time so this card really brings it back to me.
3 mana summon two 2/1's and give your other minions +1 attack - seems pretty good to me.
This is almost a strictly better Doubling Imp if only because warlock handbuff basically got not support outside of it. I think this card will really propel the Galakrond Zoo deck, it seems very powerful early board pressure and also enable some nice trades and burst damage.
Very hard card to judge, I'm not entirely sure this would actually fit in odd hunter for wild, but maybe the reward is worth the slow start. As a avid Hunter player I will definitelly give it a try.
Even Meme Hunter, here we go again. But with all seriousness, this card is actually really strong and I guarantee you it will be played in wild, atleast.
Shu'ma's ability doesn't seem good enough to make up for its stats at that mana cost. The repeating value is going to be rare: if your opponent cannot deal with a 7-health minion on turn 7, wouldn't you rather play a War Golem? At least with the War Golem it will cost them something to kill it with minions or a weapon.
Even for token decks, this seems weak. The tokens are summoned at the end of the turn, so you can't attach buffs or deathrattles to them on the turn that they are summoned. Druid, Shaman and Hunter have no shortage of tokens to summon, so a new token generator is only interesting if it is better than what is already there.
Dragonrider Talritha is going to be unreliable, since the buff might attach itself to an expensive dragon that you won't be able to play until for example turn 7 or 9. But the stats are decent and there isn't much competition at the 3 mana slot in a Dragon Paladin deck, so it will likely see play if the deck itself does.
Envoy of Lazul is the hardest to predict. 2/2 is not great but still useful early game. Scouting has been rated higher in predictions than in actual play, looking at Chameleos and Madame Lazul. For value, this is roughly Mind Vision on a stick; a not very exciting effect, but "on a stick" can make all the difference, see Vilespine Slayer.
The real issue is whether there will be a deck that the Envoy fits into. It doesn't do anything useful in a Divine Spirit / Inner Fire combo deck. The 2/2 is a downside in a resurrect deck. There is no particular synergy with the quest. So it will only see play if a new Priest archetype can make use of it. Maybe a deck built around Galakrond, the Unspeakable, since both the hero and the synergy cards have a removal theme, so it seems to be aimed at long games.
[i]Edit[/i]: Maybe they're trying to push a Princess Talanji deck, but I played a Talanji deck with randomly discovered minions and it's not good. Versus aggro Talanji is too slow to matter, while one wave of threats isn't going to defeat control.
The board flood Zoo deck looks so far to be pretty powerful.
Quite a few demon synergies with cards like Jumbo Imp and other token cards the deck could see some play. I feel what the deck really needs is the demon equivalent of Soul of the Murloc in order to really shine.
The huge amount of variance to Galakrond's battlecry might be enough to ensure the deck does not see play. Although the hero power and Invoke cards do seem to be quite powerful token generators, so that might be enough on its own.
They should consider adding a upgrade button to golden if they are adding all of these for free. For me I can't stand having a normal hero with a golden hero portrait haha.
I think right now this card just will not see play in a Secret Hunter list. However, after rotation of cards like Masked Contender and Subject 9 then this card will see play.
This will see play in every Tempo Galakrond Rogue because it is so cheap.
It is a 1 mana add a random lackey to your hand and also an Invoke activator, which are going to enable some extremely powerful plays in the mid to late game. The card may appear weak on the surface, but the deck it is going to be a part of will be very powerful.
Its not awful, but you certainly won't put this guy in your deck. It's only good from random effects. Cards like this might appear good on paper, but their effects are simply too 'fair' to actually see competitive play.
Seems very powerful, and control Priest is already a thing without it. This card just pushes that deck to the next level, giving it late game infinite value and a big tempo swing when played, removing the opponents board.
I don't see it being played, the only reason you might is if Druid gets more cards like Breath of Dreams.
As it stands this card is a 9 mana do nothing. The card takes a minimum of two turns to really do anything and the body is not threatening enough to warrant your opponent answering it. Then you are also as the mercy of draw RNG for it to even be effective. There are also lots of undesirable dragons that you can summon from the portals.
I feel this card needed Taunt in order to be playable, right now without any other OP dragon synergy cards, this will not see any play.
So this is 3 damage AND add a random Lackey to your hand.
The card will see play from necessity of the Galakrond deck requiring Invoke cards, the tempo plays that this will enable later in the game are huge. The card itself is not insane, but the deck it enables should be very powerful.
Rogue having their Invoke activators giving them Lackeys is already very powerful, top that off with this cards battlecry and you will have some huge tempo swings available. Compare it to Wondrous Wand and you can see how this card will see play.
A control Shaman with a couple powerful dragons with battlecry such as Twilight Drake can already make this card work, and it is in most cases a Flamestrike that can be played on turn 3.
If Shaman gets a bunch of well-statted dragons then a midrange board focused deck would definitely run this card.
New Hunter Minion - Primordial Explorer
Most of the Hunter cards this expansion look very promising. Dragon Hunter is my absolute favourite archetype of all time so this card really brings it back to me.
New Hunter Minion - Phase Stalker
I'd be surprised if this card didn't see play in both Wild and Standard. Potentionally even better than Mad Scientist.
Fiendish Rites
3 mana summon two 2/1's and give your other minions +1 attack - seems pretty good to me.
This is almost a strictly better Doubling Imp if only because warlock handbuff basically got not support outside of it. I think this card will really propel the Galakrond Zoo deck, it seems very powerful early board pressure and also enable some nice trades and burst damage.
New Hunter Spell - Toxic Reinforcements
Very hard card to judge, I'm not entirely sure this would actually fit in odd hunter for wild, but maybe the reward is worth the slow start. As a avid Hunter player I will definitelly give it a try.
New Hunter Minion - Dragonbane
Even Meme Hunter, here we go again. But with all seriousness, this card is actually really strong and I guarantee you it will be played in wild, atleast.
New Druid Minion - Emerald Explorer
Not too shabby, though I can't see this being played all that much in wild.
New Druid Spell - Breath of Dreams
I mean, this card is just absolutely bonkers and will definitelly make Ramp Dragon Druid a thing, we'll see if it's good enough for wild though.
Three New Cards Revealed - Shu'ma, Dragonrider Talritha, Envoy of Lazul
Shu'ma's ability doesn't seem good enough to make up for its stats at that mana cost. The repeating value is going to be rare: if your opponent cannot deal with a 7-health minion on turn 7, wouldn't you rather play a War Golem? At least with the War Golem it will cost them something to kill it with minions or a weapon.
Even for token decks, this seems weak. The tokens are summoned at the end of the turn, so you can't attach buffs or deathrattles to them on the turn that they are summoned. Druid, Shaman and Hunter have no shortage of tokens to summon, so a new token generator is only interesting if it is better than what is already there.
Dragonrider Talritha is going to be unreliable, since the buff might attach itself to an expensive dragon that you won't be able to play until for example turn 7 or 9. But the stats are decent and there isn't much competition at the 3 mana slot in a Dragon Paladin deck, so it will likely see play if the deck itself does.
Envoy of Lazul is the hardest to predict. 2/2 is not great but still useful early game. Scouting has been rated higher in predictions than in actual play, looking at Chameleos and Madame Lazul. For value, this is roughly Mind Vision on a stick; a not very exciting effect, but "on a stick" can make all the difference, see Vilespine Slayer.
The real issue is whether there will be a deck that the Envoy fits into. It doesn't do anything useful in a Divine Spirit / Inner Fire combo deck. The 2/2 is a downside in a resurrect deck. There is no particular synergy with the quest. So it will only see play if a new Priest archetype can make use of it. Maybe a deck built around Galakrond, the Unspeakable, since both the hero and the synergy cards have a removal theme, so it seems to be aimed at long games.
[i]Edit[/i]: Maybe they're trying to push a Princess Talanji deck, but I played a Talanji deck with randomly discovered minions and it's not good. Versus aggro Talanji is too slow to matter, while one wave of threats isn't going to defeat control.
New Druid Minion - Ysera, Unleashed
As a wild player this seems terribly slow and unplayable honestly. Even in Standard this doesn't seem to make the cut.
Galakrond, the Wretched
The board flood Zoo deck looks so far to be pretty powerful.
Quite a few demon synergies with cards like Jumbo Imp and other token cards the deck could see some play. I feel what the deck really needs is the demon equivalent of Soul of the Murloc in order to really shine.
The huge amount of variance to Galakrond's battlecry might be enough to ensure the deck does not see play. Although the hero power and Invoke cards do seem to be quite powerful token generators, so that might be enough on its own.
New Warlock Hero - Galakrond, the Wretched
Will definitelly use this in my Oddlock in Wild.
New Priest Hero - Galakrond, the Unspeakable
Can't see this competing with Anduin in Wild, though it's definitelly a pretty decent card for Standard!
New Rogue Hero - Galakrond, the Nightmare
They should consider adding a upgrade button to golden if they are adding all of these for free. For me I can't stand having a normal hero with a golden hero portrait haha.
New Neutral Minion - Shu'ma
Weird card, but I'm sure it will find it's place somewhere. Some greedier odd decks in wild maybe?
Phase Stalker
I think right now this card just will not see play in a Secret Hunter list. However, after rotation of cards like Masked Contender and Subject 9 then this card will see play.
Praise Galakrond!
This will see play in every Tempo Galakrond Rogue because it is so cheap.
It is a 1 mana add a random lackey to your hand and also an Invoke activator, which are going to enable some extremely powerful plays in the mid to late game. The card may appear weak on the surface, but the deck it is going to be a part of will be very powerful.
Twin Tyrant
Its not awful, but you certainly won't put this guy in your deck. It's only good from random effects. Cards like this might appear good on paper, but their effects are simply too 'fair' to actually see competitive play.
Really solid in arena, potentially a new North Sea Kraken.
Galakrond, the Unspeakable
Seems very powerful, and control Priest is already a thing without it. This card just pushes that deck to the next level, giving it late game infinite value and a big tempo swing when played, removing the opponents board.
Ysera, Unleashed
I don't see it being played, the only reason you might is if Druid gets more cards like Breath of Dreams.
As it stands this card is a 9 mana do nothing. The card takes a minimum of two turns to really do anything and the body is not threatening enough to warrant your opponent answering it. Then you are also as the mercy of draw RNG for it to even be effective. There are also lots of undesirable dragons that you can summon from the portals.
I feel this card needed Taunt in order to be playable, right now without any other OP dragon synergy cards, this will not see any play.
Seal Fate
So this is 3 damage AND add a random Lackey to your hand.
The card will see play from necessity of the Galakrond deck requiring Invoke cards, the tempo plays that this will enable later in the game are huge. The card itself is not insane, but the deck it enables should be very powerful.
Galakrond, the Nightmare
The tempo Rogue dream.
Rogue having their Invoke activators giving them Lackeys is already very powerful, top that off with this cards battlecry and you will have some huge tempo swings available. Compare it to Wondrous Wand and you can see how this card will see play.
New Hunter Minion - Dragonbane
Very good card, what else is there to say? Just slot it into any Hunter deck and it still works.
Lightning Breath
Seems absolutely insane.
A control Shaman with a couple powerful dragons with battlecry such as Twilight Drake can already make this card work, and it is in most cases a Flamestrike that can be played on turn 3.
If Shaman gets a bunch of well-statted dragons then a midrange board focused deck would definitely run this card.
New Warlock Minion - Veiled Worshipper
Good stats and great ability.
New Neutral Minion - Shu'ma
Eh, I’d say that it would be like Octosari, nobody expected it to be good, but it could find a niche in certain decks.