I've played a lot of pirates, and I'm not sad to see it knocked down a notch. However, it's probably a mistake to think that this kills the deck. That deck always finds a way to be relevant (at least in lower ranks), regardless of the nerfs that target it.
Swain is going to be terrifying.
Fiora is going to find a way to break the game.
If their goal was to completely shift the entire meta, I think they accomplished that.
Personally I love that pirates is getting shot in its big dumb aggro face.
The nerfs to both decimate and Riptide sermon make it difficult for aggro decks to justify running both cards.
Like yeah pass pass Riptide sermon is still a super viable play pattern for a control deck, but the aggro deck now needs to decide okay well if I want to flood the board, play Riptide, and decimate for 6 two times I might not have the spell mana to do all of that.
And honestly thank God
The second deck hit is plunder pirates but not as much because they don't run decimate. Like I don't love the deck because it's kinda ping ping ping blah here's my gangplank narf.
But people enjoy it thats good.
Massive Fiora buff to a 4 mana 4/4 honestly they did this for one reason and one reason only. Going wide became the only viable way to play LOR even the best control deck was Heimer grandma, and it just floods. Nami Tf just floods, aggro just floods, it was too easy and reliable and uncounterable.
So if you want to que into a tournament, or ladder with 3 decks that all do the same thing but just represent aggro vs control wincons then that one edgy Fiora player will wipe you and honestly that's okay.
Umm as for the buffs to daybreak and nightfall all good with me, same thing with master Yi being the worst card of the expansion actually doing something now.
The nerfs to high variance decks equally great I don't like peak, and I certainly don't like Concurrent time lines.
The buff to orn is nice, he was already on the edge of viability.
Swain is good, it used to be that Annie tf was undoubtedly the better deck by far, now it's a valid consideration between the two.
They didn't nerf anything that didn't need it like hate spike and ninja, and they didn't buff anything that will break the game but revitalizes low playmate champions.
Overall I can't wait, I literally won't que again till pirates gets murdered, and it's been several years in the making.
"Life Sentence should act as a Flik Skyshiv, getting rid all copies of a minion in any hand, deck and on the board, while also removing it from the resurrection pool"
It doesn't appear to read that way. It looks like it's just a "Silence + Destroy + Can't be resurrected" card for Mage.
I commented on this elsewhere, but it looks like Medivh's Unstable Rune can cancel your own team's effects -- which would be the only way it isn't completely and utterly busted.
That's the first thing I noticed about that treasure. It's very good in certain boss encounters, but considering that your team acts first in most situations -- especially with the change to initiative ties from earlier this year --, I expect Medivh and his Unstable Runes will be reserved as a counter to specific bosses that will remain on your bench during your climb.
Maw and Disorder is now out for Time Traveler, but there's also another surprise for the class that comes with it.
When Sylvanas is framed for the murder of Denathrius, she enlists Nathanos to clear herself. Of course, who actually murdered Denathrius remains a mystery. Any Time Traveler could do it and get away with it as they have a very easy means of expunging their name from the record. On the way to the court, they also discover that an old colleague from the chronomancer organization, Nirshen, has been held up and is now on the run.
As of this patch, Murozond from Whispers of the Old Gods has also received the Diamond treatment. If you have Murozond in your collection when the patch hits, you will automatically get a Diamond one. For a limited time, crafting Murozond will also give you a Diamond Murozond.
I've never really liked Thief priest and I pulled The Harvester of Envy recently as well but these 2 new cards actually seem like fun! Might try making a Dragon Thief priest
Here are the specifics from their balance presentation/livestream https://imgur.io/a/pOHTBUf
What I got wrong:
1. They overhauled Leona and put in the extra effort. She now challenges and has barrier so she acts like a midrange Diana which suits targon better.
2. The overhaul extended to the entire kit sun guardian now grows based on number of daybreak and only costs 3. Other changes are impactful cost reductions to spells.
3. Nocturn levels off fearsome, so he can be built with kalista and twisted tree lines instead of Diana.
Things I got kinda right:
1. Kenein, and hate spike revert
2. ILLOI revert
3. Sermon dmg reduction
4. They hit Concurrent timeliness but also targons Peak thank God, because you could ramp to 5 and hit asol on 6
5. Viego got hit, now costs the same as bontu dogo bogo
6. They just hit stats on 9 tails instead of cards still a 3 of in my oppinion.
7. Harrowing and rite of calling cost increase
8. And of course my biggest call decimate at 6 thank God.
9. Swain got overwhelm and lethiatan costs 7 that's big.
10. Yi didn't get easier to level but now permanently reduces spell cost. So you slowly accrue 0 cost spells in hand over time that is a powerful effect but still a bitch to level
11. Ohrn levels at 8 dmg so he can land flipped on 7
So I change my rating to a 8.7 for the extra work put into Leona and Nocturn.
The Gilneans only got the worgen curse quite recently (so Tess didn't inherit it), and she was never bitten like her dad was. So she's just a normal human. There was a quest where she wanted to become a worgen to better understand her people when she becomes queen, but didn't go through with it in the end (see https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Tess_Greymane#Battle_for_Azeroth).
Perjury looks so fun. I've been playing a secret thief Rogue and it's been real fun. Not the best win rate but recasting secrets with the Stash is satisfying.
I cannot express by words how much I love Defense Attorney Nathanos's face in the card art: he's literally like "c'mon guys, you know my client Sylvanas did nothing wrong" lol
Aww, Tess is playing with everyone's favourite Witchwood good boy, Blink Fox. That's adorable, and I'm taking it as confirmation that Blink Fox is basically her pet.
Good catch! I will report it to the person writing these patch notes (DeckTech), as it does seem like an error and not a last minute change.
(I don't normally fix Blizzard's... heh... patch notes typos unless they issue corrections to their own blog posts, otherwise there are also two small ones with "Evasive Wurm" (=Wyrm) and "Gigantfin" (=Giantfin); but our images are correct, so)
Its fairly bad. In big decks, this card is just sitting around until about turn 9 while the conditions hinder its consistency.
There's some synergy here with cards like Masked Reveler and Sigil of Reckoning, getting some big demons out early and playing this around turns 7-8, but its still so slow for today's game. At best in my opinion, this is just a card to get another Illidari Inquisitor or Xhilag of the Abyss, not necessarily to milk as much as possible from it.
Dont even bother with small demons. 5 mana summon a bunch of 2/2s or 3/3s? Even if all three were Piggyback Imp I'd still be yawning.
Xhilag of the Abyss antisinergizes with that card. The tentacles are demons, so you are polluting the demon pool with 4 useless 1/2.
You'll fully infuse it with xhilag's tentacles and have a 60% chance of getting it back from this one card. Not too bad a deal. I simply dont think this card is any good in a real big demon deck, because its just way too slow. If this card gets you another xhilag often enough, why not? At very worse, that's still 6 damage.
But of course, if somehow this card gets on big decks, then xhilag would be counter productive, on that I'll agree.
Typo: Khadgar is missing the "to all enemies" clause on Blizzard. (That text was on the ability in the reveal video.)
Note that the Archmage Nova ability MIGHT be targetable since it includes only one targetable ability in its "package."
I commented on this elsewhere, but it looks like Medivh's Unstable Rune can cancel your own team's effects -- which would be the only way it isn't completely and utterly busted.
10 Theorycraft Decks for Maw and Disorder - Aggro Demon Hunter, Quest Paladin, & More!
I am cackling.
Sule, you are a treasure.
How Excited Are You For The Next Patch?
That is kinda the goal of a balance patch yeah. Like I dont envy Riot of they add rotation everyone will be pissed.
If they do a massive comprehensive balance patch to shift the meta people will be pissed who aren't me.
So kind of a dammed if you do dammed if you don't scenario.
But I think after this patch lands the already great balance of LOR will be just about perfect.
10 Theorycraft Decks for Maw and Disorder - Aggro Demon Hunter, Quest Paladin, & More!
Hoping a meta defining Secret Mage deck!
How Excited Are You For The Next Patch?
I've played a lot of pirates, and I'm not sad to see it knocked down a notch. However, it's probably a mistake to think that this kills the deck. That deck always finds a way to be relevant (at least in lower ranks), regardless of the nerfs that target it.
Swain is going to be terrifying.
Fiora is going to find a way to break the game.
If their goal was to completely shift the entire meta, I think they accomplished that.
New Hearthstone Arena Rotation With Maw and Disorder Mini-Set - Don’t Forget Your “Free” Tavern Ticket!
Thanks for the reminder, as always :)
How Excited Are You For The Next Patch?
Personally I love that pirates is getting shot in its big dumb aggro face.
The nerfs to both decimate and Riptide sermon make it difficult for aggro decks to justify running both cards.
Like yeah pass pass Riptide sermon is still a super viable play pattern for a control deck, but the aggro deck now needs to decide okay well if I want to flood the board, play Riptide, and decimate for 6 two times I might not have the spell mana to do all of that.
And honestly thank God
The second deck hit is plunder pirates but not as much because they don't run decimate. Like I don't love the deck because it's kinda ping ping ping blah here's my gangplank narf.
But people enjoy it thats good.
Massive Fiora buff to a 4 mana 4/4 honestly they did this for one reason and one reason only. Going wide became the only viable way to play LOR even the best control deck was Heimer grandma, and it just floods. Nami Tf just floods, aggro just floods, it was too easy and reliable and uncounterable.
So if you want to que into a tournament, or ladder with 3 decks that all do the same thing but just represent aggro vs control wincons then that one edgy Fiora player will wipe you and honestly that's okay.
Umm as for the buffs to daybreak and nightfall all good with me, same thing with master Yi being the worst card of the expansion actually doing something now.
The nerfs to high variance decks equally great I don't like peak, and I certainly don't like Concurrent time lines.
The buff to orn is nice, he was already on the edge of viability.
Swain is good, it used to be that Annie tf was undoubtedly the better deck by far, now it's a valid consideration between the two.
They didn't nerf anything that didn't need it like hate spike and ninja, and they didn't buff anything that will break the game but revitalizes low playmate champions.
Overall I can't wait, I literally won't que again till pirates gets murdered, and it's been several years in the making.
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's Mage, Paladin, Priest & Rogue Cards Coming to Hearthstone
"Life Sentence should act as a Flik Skyshiv, getting rid all copies of a minion in any hand, deck and on the board, while also removing it from the resurrection pool"
It doesn't appear to read that way. It looks like it's just a "Silence + Destroy + Can't be resurrected" card for Mage.
Hearthstone Mercenaries Head to Darkmoon Faire in Patch 24.4 - 14 New Characters and 19 Bounties, Plus Charge Keyword
That's the first thing I noticed about that treasure. It's very good in certain boss encounters, but considering that your team acts first in most situations -- especially with the change to initiative ties from earlier this year --, I expect Medivh and his Unstable Runes will be reserved as a counter to specific bosses that will remain on your bench during your climb.
Custom Class - Time Traveler (Updated February 17th - Return to Naxxramas added!)
Maw and Disorder is now out for Time Traveler, but there's also another surprise for the class that comes with it.
When Sylvanas is framed for the murder of Denathrius, she enlists Nathanos to clear herself. Of course, who actually murdered Denathrius remains a mystery. Any Time Traveler could do it and get away with it as they have a very easy means of expunging their name from the record. On the way to the court, they also discover that an old colleague from the chronomancer organization, Nirshen, has been held up and is now on the run.
As of this patch, Murozond from Whispers of the Old Gods has also received the Diamond treatment. If you have Murozond in your collection when the patch hits, you will automatically get a Diamond one. For a limited time, crafting Murozond will also give you a Diamond Murozond.
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's Mage, Paladin, Priest & Rogue Cards Coming to Hearthstone
I've never really liked Thief priest and I pulled The Harvester of Envy recently as well but these 2 new cards actually seem like fun! Might try making a Dragon Thief priest
Patch Preview (September 28)
Here are the specifics from their balance presentation/livestream https://imgur.io/a/pOHTBUf
What I got wrong:
1. They overhauled Leona and put in the extra effort. She now challenges and has barrier so she acts like a midrange Diana which suits targon better.
2. The overhaul extended to the entire kit sun guardian now grows based on number of daybreak and only costs 3. Other changes are impactful cost reductions to spells.
3. Nocturn levels off fearsome, so he can be built with kalista and twisted tree lines instead of Diana.
Things I got kinda right:
1. Kenein, and hate spike revert
2. ILLOI revert
3. Sermon dmg reduction
4. They hit Concurrent timeliness but also targons Peak thank God, because you could ramp to 5 and hit asol on 6
5. Viego got hit, now costs the same as bontu dogo bogo
6. They just hit stats on 9 tails instead of cards still a 3 of in my oppinion.
7. Harrowing and rite of calling cost increase
8. And of course my biggest call decimate at 6 thank God.
9. Swain got overwhelm and lethiatan costs 7 that's big.
10. Yi didn't get easier to level but now permanently reduces spell cost. So you slowly accrue 0 cost spells in hand over time that is a powerful effect but still a bitch to level
11. Ohrn levels at 8 dmg so he can land flipped on 7
So I change my rating to a 8.7 for the extra work put into Leona and Nocturn.
Final Four New Characters Revealed by the Hearthstone Mercenaries Discord
The Gilneans only got the worgen curse quite recently (so Tess didn't inherit it), and she was never bitten like her dad was. So she's just a normal human. There was a quest where she wanted to become a worgen to better understand her people when she becomes queen, but didn't go through with it in the end (see https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Tess_Greymane#Battle_for_Azeroth).
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's New Demon Hunter, Druid & Hunter Cards Coming to Hearthstone
Nathanos is my favorite card od the set. I love big and deathrattle hunter. Definitely be trying to make this guy work day 1.
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's Mage, Paladin, Priest & Rogue Cards Coming to Hearthstone
Perjury looks so fun. I've been playing a secret thief Rogue and it's been real fun. Not the best win rate but recasting secrets with the Stash is satisfying.
Final Four New Characters Revealed by the Hearthstone Mercenaries Discord
Love that they added a Charge keyword.
Lore question: Why is Genn a werewolf and Tess isn't?
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's New Demon Hunter, Druid & Hunter Cards Coming to Hearthstone
Perfect for a Discord/Twitch/whatever emote!
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's New Demon Hunter, Druid & Hunter Cards Coming to Hearthstone
Hello there.
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's New Demon Hunter, Druid & Hunter Cards Coming to Hearthstone
Yeah, and his ability synergizes pretty well with Sylvanas' too ... well, I mean the original :)
Hearthstone Mercenaries Head to Darkmoon Faire in Patch 24.4 - 14 New Characters and 19 Bounties, Plus Charge Keyword
Reveals often have cards before they were changed, so patch notes might be the correct text
Our Thoughts on Maw and Disorder's New Demon Hunter, Druid & Hunter Cards Coming to Hearthstone
I cannot express by words how much I love Defense Attorney Nathanos's face in the card art: he's literally like "c'mon guys, you know my client Sylvanas did nothing wrong" lol
New Druid Spell - Dew Process
This is an autoinclude in my wild mill druid!
Final Four New Characters Revealed by the Hearthstone Mercenaries Discord
Aww, Tess is playing with everyone's favourite Witchwood good boy, Blink Fox. That's adorable, and I'm taking it as confirmation that Blink Fox is basically her pet.
Hearthstone Mercenaries Head to Darkmoon Faire in Patch 24.4 - 14 New Characters and 19 Bounties, Plus Charge Keyword
Good catch! I will report it to the person writing these patch notes (DeckTech), as it does seem like an error and not a last minute change.
(I don't normally fix Blizzard's... heh... patch notes typos unless they issue corrections to their own blog posts, otherwise there are also two small ones with "Evasive Wurm" (=Wyrm) and "Gigantfin" (=Giantfin); but our images are correct, so)
New Demon Hunter Spell - All Fel Breaks Loose
You'll fully infuse it with xhilag's tentacles and have a 60% chance of getting it back from this one card. Not too bad a deal. I simply dont think this card is any good in a real big demon deck, because its just way too slow. If this card gets you another xhilag often enough, why not? At very worse, that's still 6 damage.
But of course, if somehow this card gets on big decks, then xhilag would be counter productive, on that I'll agree.
Hearthstone Mercenaries Head to Darkmoon Faire in Patch 24.4 - 14 New Characters and 19 Bounties, Plus Charge Keyword
Typo: Khadgar is missing the "to all enemies" clause on Blizzard. (That text was on the ability in the reveal video.)
Note that the Archmage Nova ability MIGHT be targetable since it includes only one targetable ability in its "package."
I commented on this elsewhere, but it looks like Medivh's Unstable Rune can cancel your own team's effects -- which would be the only way it isn't completely and utterly busted.