There was a time where I doubted SI:7 Skulker could even feature in standard. Proven wrong then. And this card is an even bigger version and more consistent with its effect.
So if nothing else, if midrange comes back so will this card be playable. And honestly, sometimes having a 1 mana discount is all you need to gain an insurmountable advantage.
Its an arena card. Because if Lifedrinker actually does make it to standard, this card just lost all reason there is to even get a second glance at all.
Vanilla stats plus draw a naga. If you squint hard enough it actually reads, draw the second copy or your win con.
Good card I guess. It does have a condition that makes it unplayable on curve most of the time, but if you can tutor your win con that's perhaps enough that this card gets a second look.
Looks like this is where shaman is heading towards this expansion: murlocs and swarming piranhas.
Forget the piranhas for a second, and this card is unusual in that its a murloc and that it actually has a decent chance to survive for more than the turn its played. For that reason alone, should murloc shaman make an entrance, this would likely be one of the most important card in it.
It basically tutors your win con, or itself. Even at its worst, it will draw you a card while having decent stats to survive for more than a turn.
But Ive a feeling it'll likely be supplanted by Field Contact one way or another. This card is nice, but field contact can and will draw your entire deck given the chance, while this only allows one additional draw per turn.
At least this card can exist in a midrage deck while contact can't. Still, why would I be playing a midrange deck instead of a deck that allows me to draw 10 cards per turn?
Arcane Intellect for priest that occasionally creates good memes.
That's it really. It does what it needs to do - Draw two minions. Maybe that's good enough in the grand scheme of things. The secondary effect will only occasionally be a factor, but I doubt it ever going to do much.
Unless there's more stuff behind that we're not seeing, this is one of the worst colossal minions so far. Not because of its stats and potential healing, because those certainly tick the boxes, but because its in a class that has absolutely no reason to ever want this in the deck.
Had this had a simple rush or taunt below its name, then there's still something in it. But the attacks are random, and only happens at the end of the turn, so this can easily clear a good 8/8 minion or crash its massive head into an Annoy-o-Tron, doing nothing whatsoever. Not to mention that despite its huge bulk, it can never realistically attack more than twice and not die, and even if it could courtesy of priest's healing, no one will ever let it survive more than the turn its played.
The sheer mundane description on this card and its legendary status makes me wonder if team5 is deliberately revealing this card first and then its OP support later. Because Ive not seen a legendary card this boring in priest for a long time.
2/2 for two mana is bad enough. That it'll grant the next card a 2/2 buff is quite something, but your opponent will be able to sniff it a mile away, and you're still giving tempo off to do it, because this card won't really accomplish much on its own, where even simple 1 drops can kill it.
But give it some buffs, and then this one's actually doing something. Too bad it won't be on turn 2, and what are the chances of anyone holding this card in their hand just so this can fulfill its potential? Not much, is my answer.
I like it because it cheapens The Garden's Grace. On its own, at least it'll make 3 taunts, so that's not completely a hopeless card.
But if the next paladin archetype is quest, or buff, then this card has not a chance in hell. Its way too slow to be useful most of the time, and the taunts, while good, are still small enough that a simple AoE will wipe at least two out. In terms of blocking the enemy from attacking, even a simple Annoy-o-Tron would do, and that only costs 2 mana.
Potentially broken card, depending on the mechs available. If Replicating Menace is in core then this card is just completely nuts. Otherwise, it'll likely just be as good as Defias Cannoneer in that it'll fire once and then never again.
Still, a good start for a possible mech mage archetype. And crucial too, because if such stuff do not exist we're looking at yet another meta where mage plays nothing but spells, again.
A crucial card for any mage that's not playing that god forsaken archetype that's spell mage.
But you do have to play nagas though, and whether this card rises up to be cream would be if there's enough nagas to choose from, and if a minion heavy mage is actually worth playing at all.
It'll likely be in all aggressive hunter decks and quest hunter as well.
Why? I mean it doubles your spells. Aimed Shot alone deals a massive 12 damage for 5 mana the next turn after this one. Need there be more justification?
Wonder if you're allowed to hit face and two enemy minions. Or if the stipulation is that you must first swing at an enemy minion, or this thing wont let you swing at another. Because if we're looking at the code for Warglaives of Azzinoth, where the code for this card probably came from, then you cannot swing face and then swing again at a minion.
Outclassed by Fury (Rank 1) but because its a spell you can equip any weapon you want and attack twice. There's probably a very good weapon down the pipeline, otherwise this card is just 1 mana deal 2 damage.
Is this the first colossal minion to feature the appendage in front of the minion itself? I wonder if the positioning when summoned will actually reflect that.
Regardless, this minion is not really all that good. It heals you for 8 sure, but there's other cards that do the same at a cheaper mana cost like Lightshower Elemental, and though it does have monstrous stats, it has neither taunt nor grant you initiative after playing because it attacks at random, at the end of the turn, so its even worse than a regular rush minion.
The stats of this monster is really just the only thing it has going for it. But in a class that rarely plays for tempo, its all for naught. It almost feels like its foreshadowing some other card that synergizes with it, because its a little baffling that its printed for priest, one of the classes that dont do normal mundane legendaries. Maybe some easy way to copy it, or its lure, so this minion full clears the entire board and heals you back to 30.
Mecha-Shark - Its good, but I suspect that there's never going to be enough mechs for this one to do more than enough. At least its not spells. Still a good mech minion for a mech build
Switcheroo - Draw two for priests. What else can we ask for.
Twinbow Terrorcoil - If the effect persist until a next spell is casted, just be prepared to receive 12 damage for 5 mana the following turn.
As you say, there is actually not many dragons left, and we're left assuming that the aspects and cards like Brightwing actually stick in core. But since this card also requires said tribe minion to actually be on board, it could be a funny situation whereby you simply can't use this minion on a dragon because they're all so high costed.
I still doubt it'll be in anything other than quest pirate warrior, but smaller pools and more consistent payoffs may prove me wrong.
That's true. Im just saying its unfortunate that non-aggro decks usually dont use it, even though its healing, because there's usually more efficient healing cards available.
There was a time where I doubted SI:7 Skulker could even feature in standard. Proven wrong then. And this card is an even bigger version and more consistent with its effect.
So if nothing else, if midrange comes back so will this card be playable. And honestly, sometimes having a 1 mana discount is all you need to gain an insurmountable advantage.
Its an arena card. Because if Lifedrinker actually does make it to standard, this card just lost all reason there is to even get a second glance at all.
Vanilla stats plus draw a naga. If you squint hard enough it actually reads, draw the second copy or your win con.
Good card I guess. It does have a condition that makes it unplayable on curve most of the time, but if you can tutor your win con that's perhaps enough that this card gets a second look.
That's a lot of stats for a measly condition.
But Mor'shan Elite never did make the playoffs. Will this one share its fate? At least it has taunt by default, I guess.
Don't know if that's enough, because its looking a lot like we'll never actually see this card outside of arena right now.
Fits neatly into burn shaman. That alone makes it playable no matter what the meta would be next.
And this being a fire spell means that's one more card you can draw from Multicaster. The dredge effect is just icing on the cake.
A good solid card that'll never be missing in action.
Looks like this is where shaman is heading towards this expansion: murlocs and swarming piranhas.
Forget the piranhas for a second, and this card is unusual in that its a murloc and that it actually has a decent chance to survive for more than the turn its played. For that reason alone, should murloc shaman make an entrance, this would likely be one of the most important card in it.
It basically tutors your win con, or itself. Even at its worst, it will draw you a card while having decent stats to survive for more than a turn.
But Ive a feeling it'll likely be supplanted by Field Contact one way or another. This card is nice, but field contact can and will draw your entire deck given the chance, while this only allows one additional draw per turn.
At least this card can exist in a midrage deck while contact can't. Still, why would I be playing a midrange deck instead of a deck that allows me to draw 10 cards per turn?
Arcane Intellect for priest that occasionally creates good memes.
That's it really. It does what it needs to do - Draw two minions. Maybe that's good enough in the grand scheme of things. The secondary effect will only occasionally be a factor, but I doubt it ever going to do much.
Unless there's more stuff behind that we're not seeing, this is one of the worst colossal minions so far. Not because of its stats and potential healing, because those certainly tick the boxes, but because its in a class that has absolutely no reason to ever want this in the deck.
Had this had a simple rush or taunt below its name, then there's still something in it. But the attacks are random, and only happens at the end of the turn, so this can easily clear a good 8/8 minion or crash its massive head into an Annoy-o-Tron, doing nothing whatsoever. Not to mention that despite its huge bulk, it can never realistically attack more than twice and not die, and even if it could courtesy of priest's healing, no one will ever let it survive more than the turn its played.
The sheer mundane description on this card and its legendary status makes me wonder if team5 is deliberately revealing this card first and then its OP support later. Because Ive not seen a legendary card this boring in priest for a long time.
2/2 for two mana is bad enough. That it'll grant the next card a 2/2 buff is quite something, but your opponent will be able to sniff it a mile away, and you're still giving tempo off to do it, because this card won't really accomplish much on its own, where even simple 1 drops can kill it.
But give it some buffs, and then this one's actually doing something. Too bad it won't be on turn 2, and what are the chances of anyone holding this card in their hand just so this can fulfill its potential? Not much, is my answer.
I like it because it cheapens The Garden's Grace. On its own, at least it'll make 3 taunts, so that's not completely a hopeless card.
But if the next paladin archetype is quest, or buff, then this card has not a chance in hell. Its way too slow to be useful most of the time, and the taunts, while good, are still small enough that a simple AoE will wipe at least two out. In terms of blocking the enemy from attacking, even a simple Annoy-o-Tron would do, and that only costs 2 mana.
Potentially broken card, depending on the mechs available. If Replicating Menace is in core then this card is just completely nuts. Otherwise, it'll likely just be as good as Defias Cannoneer in that it'll fire once and then never again.
Still, a good start for a possible mech mage archetype. And crucial too, because if such stuff do not exist we're looking at yet another meta where mage plays nothing but spells, again.
A crucial card for any mage that's not playing that god forsaken archetype that's spell mage.
But you do have to play nagas though, and whether this card rises up to be cream would be if there's enough nagas to choose from, and if a minion heavy mage is actually worth playing at all.
It'll likely be in all aggressive hunter decks and quest hunter as well.
Why? I mean it doubles your spells. Aimed Shot alone deals a massive 12 damage for 5 mana the next turn after this one. Need there be more justification?
Its a smaller Scale of Onyxia that also happens to curve from a turn 3 wild growth.
Probably played in most if not all druid decks simply because its druid and there's little to no early game removal post rotation.
Wonder if you're allowed to hit face and two enemy minions. Or if the stipulation is that you must first swing at an enemy minion, or this thing wont let you swing at another. Because if we're looking at the code for Warglaives of Azzinoth, where the code for this card probably came from, then you cannot swing face and then swing again at a minion.
Outclassed by Fury (Rank 1) but because its a spell you can equip any weapon you want and attack twice. There's probably a very good weapon down the pipeline, otherwise this card is just 1 mana deal 2 damage.
If nothing else, it also powers up Jace Darkweaver
Is this the first colossal minion to feature the appendage in front of the minion itself? I wonder if the positioning when summoned will actually reflect that.
Regardless, this minion is not really all that good. It heals you for 8 sure, but there's other cards that do the same at a cheaper mana cost like Lightshower Elemental, and though it does have monstrous stats, it has neither taunt nor grant you initiative after playing because it attacks at random, at the end of the turn, so its even worse than a regular rush minion.
The stats of this monster is really just the only thing it has going for it. But in a class that rarely plays for tempo, its all for naught. It almost feels like its foreshadowing some other card that synergizes with it, because its a little baffling that its printed for priest, one of the classes that dont do normal mundane legendaries. Maybe some easy way to copy it, or its lure, so this minion full clears the entire board and heals you back to 30.
Interesting cards:
Crushclaw Enforcer - For when you have a specific naga in mind
Cutlass Courier - Tutors pirates. Which in most cases would mean your win con, aside from itself of course.
Immortalized in Stone - Its basically a good card to reduce the cost of the The Garden's Grace
Mecha-Shark - Its good, but I suspect that there's never going to be enough mechs for this one to do more than enough. At least its not spells. Still a good mech minion for a mech build
Switcheroo - Draw two for priests. What else can we ask for.
Twinbow Terrorcoil - If the effect persist until a next spell is casted, just be prepared to receive 12 damage for 5 mana the following turn.
As you say, there is actually not many dragons left, and we're left assuming that the aspects and cards like Brightwing actually stick in core. But since this card also requires said tribe minion to actually be on board, it could be a funny situation whereby you simply can't use this minion on a dragon because they're all so high costed.
I still doubt it'll be in anything other than quest pirate warrior, but smaller pools and more consistent payoffs may prove me wrong.
That's true. Im just saying its unfortunate that non-aggro decks usually dont use it, even though its healing, because there's usually more efficient healing cards available.