Its actually decent, if not, very good enough to see play in ranked. Basically only aggro decks will play without legendaries, and only very rarely do we see the meta taken away by decks that play absolutely no minions, legendary or otherwise. Even quest mage will need to varden up at some point, so this card will only very rarely be completely worthless.
That said, its stats are bad, and as dumb as it is legendaries aren't always necessarily must kill targets. But being able to unconditionally take down a legendary no matter what it is, or how big it is, can sometimes be niche enough to actually be considered, maybe even tournament worthy.
But make no mistake, its a tech card. And like all tech cards, it'll see play when the meta is right.
Its disappointing that the stat gain is so low. A 3/8 taunt on 4 is very good for its cost, but its only slightly better than the usual vanilla 3/6 and this one comes with a condition that's very testing. Had this been a 4/8 or even a 3/10 taunt it might make more sense to actually want to make it work, because bear in mind that if you dont fulfill the conditions, its a mere Stegodon which is frankly shit.
At least we know it'll never fit a big dhunter deck. Its anti synergy with Vanndar and Proving Grounds, the latter of which is currently one of the most important card in this failing archetype.
But honestly, it might just be a fit in midrange tempo or deathrattle dhunter assuming there's enough support for it. Because if you can consistently curve out into a 3/8 taunt on 4, and then proceed to play big boys on 5 and above, this is just good, great even.
Unfortunately for this card, even a 5 mana 8/8 windfury that require you to have less than half your health gone may not reach far enough to swing the board for you. In most cases whenever you drop this low, you're either going to die the following turn, or you need to clear board to even stand a chance at survival, and this card having no taunt will not prevent your face from getting dead.
As a tempo option, its only fitting place is in a Vanndar deck, or zoolock, where half health is not impossible by turn 5.
If only this had lifesteal instead of windfury. Oh well, we can all dream cant we?
Its Frost Nova that also kills something, so is there any reason to say that this wouldn't see any play?
The only downside this posses is that it needs a wounded target to even work. So in a control game you need at least two cards, or somehow contrive a minion to get hurt so you can stall for a turn.
Im actually more pissed that its yet more freeze effects. But admitably, the conditions of the card balance it somewhat.
If it works, it'll make a massive minion that your opponent likely needs a response or they die.
But unfortunately, it'll likely work less than 50% of the time, and if it ever becomes meta it'll get even worse as everyone will play around this until the end of time.
The most significant part of this card is its cost. At 5, its kinda expensive considering that it can be played around.
Maybe with 3/4 body board swing is enough to overturn the massive cost that comes with this clear option. Still, we've seen how powerful Defile and Lord Godfrey was, there's no reason to doubt that this will fit into some decks somehow someway.
This is just insane as a board clear options. At least it cost 5, or otherwise this would literally be in every deck bar aggro.
Whether you call it Defile, or just smaller Lord Godfrey, the fact remains that players now to play around this tempo swinging option. The five mana cost is the only stumbling block here, but for good cards it might still be acceptable, as long as the meta is conducive to it.
If you survive past turn 6 in duels when you have 20 health that's already an achievement. Its sort of like the discard cards like Blood Shard Bristleback. Sure you get a free win easily, but the card gets gradually worse later on as you get more wins.
Probably more relevant in wild where evenlock can get to 15 fairly easily. In standard however, its not as straight forward. Even questlock struggles to do it by turn 5 courtesy of the many healing spells they have. It does work with Vandaar though, so you can potentially have this at a cost of 2, assuming you're at 15 health at that time.
Maybe in zoolock? You can get to low health really easily and having an 8/8 windfury on 5 is fairly devastating.
Then again, if you're at 15 health and below by turn 5, that's basically just prime pickings for any sort of burn or aggro decks isn't it? And this card really isn't going to do anything the first turn its played other than remove two minions.
The conditions are difficult to accomplish, and while you'll end up with a 30 attack minion at the end of the day it has neither rush nor taunt so at very best this card kills a bunch of tokens and gain somewhere around 7-14 attack against a deck with no counterplay to big minions, like aggro decks.
But more likely than not you'll spend some resources getting those minions to exactly 1 health so this card can shine, and that's a fairly miserable day when your deck is tacitly built around taking advantage of this minion's honor kill. Even if this becomes meta, your opponent will likely just play around this all day to prevent it, and its not exactly difficult.
Not another one of this cards. Why the hell are we giving warrior Frost Nova?
The only real play around is that this card actually requires a minion to be damaged to work, but essentially being able to take out something while forcing the opponent's board to skip a turn is just so oppressive why wouldn't any warrior just play this card, even as a one off? It freezes your board too, but if you're playing from behind that may not matter anyway, and you can always play your minion after this so you'll have initiative over your opponent in the following turn.
Since shaman is most likely also receiving freeze effects, is this a sign that we'll either see Living Dragonbreath be brought back to standard next core rotation, or there's some tech card related to freeze effects in the works? There's a reason why people dont like freeze effects, I just hope team5 is aware of it.
Its flexible and its a good stated minion most of the time. Use this to efficiently utilize your mana, or just drop it early for good tempo. If it gains at least divine shield and rush, its already by default a good minion, so why not just include this into every deck?
A few downsides as it happens. Its basically a stats minion, doing nothing else. In ranked, most minions are required to be more than just a stats stick, and this card can't always guaranteed results.
I can see this being in nearly all aggro tempo decks. But in midrange or anywhere else, questions should be asked what exactly is this card doing here?
Its just a maybe card. Basically if everyone is running big minions this bad boy will turn the tide really quickly.
But where it is not, this card is trash. In fact, the entire viability of this card hinges on it being able to do its job, which is usually to remove a key minion from your opponent's board. Unfortunately, this card can't even guarantee it, being forced into a coin toss by a mere Murloc Tinyfin on board.
In ranked, you can bet this will only ever come out as a discover option, and even then it signals desperation.
Its not bad, but its not good neither. The fact is that you'll have to have secret on 2, and then this card will only act on turn 4. What's the essential difference in just playing Imprisoned Felmaw, that at very least guarantees an attack, and doesn't come with conditions.
Still, if you're playing secrets, this card will be in it. Its just a decent card, but unamazing, and unlikely to ever be the real reason for running secrets in your deck.
Its a bizarre 9 mana card when its likely more viable or suitable as an 8 mana card. Kinda reminds me of the Archwitch Willow treatment and that card saw no play on 9 and still sees no play on 8 despite having technically better big demons in standard.
Its best looked at as a support card for big beast hunter, maybe a good card to follow from Guardian Animals of which this card clearly is trying to best. Without the big beast support though, Kathrena Winterwisp this aint. Hell, its not necessarily even better than guardian animals itself. Its sole promise is that Vanndar works on this instead of GA. Good luck on that, because half the time I'd rather just have King Krush and smorc face.
But its a sign for better things to come for a big beast hunter.
All token dhunter needs right now is a viable finisher, and this card just isn't it, because it basically curves from nothing and curves into Coordinated Strike, which wastes 1 mana. Still, a nice start. Let's hope towards more support to come.
Best part about this card is flexibility. You can just drop this on 3 and get a decent minion out, but likely best results are on 4, where you're nearly guaranteed a 3/3 with divine shield or rush at least.
Its just a good minion, but does nothing other than being a good minion. Which means its not an auto include, but certainly an option available if you're needing good minions on 3-4. Even at its very worst, you can play this on 1 like an Argent Squire so why not?
Its actually decent, if not, very good enough to see play in ranked. Basically only aggro decks will play without legendaries, and only very rarely do we see the meta taken away by decks that play absolutely no minions, legendary or otherwise. Even quest mage will need to varden up at some point, so this card will only very rarely be completely worthless.
That said, its stats are bad, and as dumb as it is legendaries aren't always necessarily must kill targets. But being able to unconditionally take down a legendary no matter what it is, or how big it is, can sometimes be niche enough to actually be considered, maybe even tournament worthy.
But make no mistake, its a tech card. And like all tech cards, it'll see play when the meta is right.
Its disappointing that the stat gain is so low. A 3/8 taunt on 4 is very good for its cost, but its only slightly better than the usual vanilla 3/6 and this one comes with a condition that's very testing. Had this been a 4/8 or even a 3/10 taunt it might make more sense to actually want to make it work, because bear in mind that if you dont fulfill the conditions, its a mere Stegodon which is frankly shit.
At least we know it'll never fit a big dhunter deck. Its anti synergy with Vanndar and Proving Grounds, the latter of which is currently one of the most important card in this failing archetype.
But honestly, it might just be a fit in midrange tempo or deathrattle dhunter assuming there's enough support for it. Because if you can consistently curve out into a 3/8 taunt on 4, and then proceed to play big boys on 5 and above, this is just good, great even.
Unfortunately for this card, even a 5 mana 8/8 windfury that require you to have less than half your health gone may not reach far enough to swing the board for you. In most cases whenever you drop this low, you're either going to die the following turn, or you need to clear board to even stand a chance at survival, and this card having no taunt will not prevent your face from getting dead.
As a tempo option, its only fitting place is in a Vanndar deck, or zoolock, where half health is not impossible by turn 5.
If only this had lifesteal instead of windfury. Oh well, we can all dream cant we?
Its Frost Nova that also kills something, so is there any reason to say that this wouldn't see any play?
The only downside this posses is that it needs a wounded target to even work. So in a control game you need at least two cards, or somehow contrive a minion to get hurt so you can stall for a turn.
Im actually more pissed that its yet more freeze effects. But admitably, the conditions of the card balance it somewhat.
If it works, it'll make a massive minion that your opponent likely needs a response or they die.
But unfortunately, it'll likely work less than 50% of the time, and if it ever becomes meta it'll get even worse as everyone will play around this until the end of time.
The most significant part of this card is its cost. At 5, its kinda expensive considering that it can be played around.
Maybe with 3/4 body board swing is enough to overturn the massive cost that comes with this clear option. Still, we've seen how powerful Defile and Lord Godfrey was, there's no reason to doubt that this will fit into some decks somehow someway.
This is just insane as a board clear options. At least it cost 5, or otherwise this would literally be in every deck bar aggro.
Whether you call it Defile, or just smaller Lord Godfrey, the fact remains that players now to play around this tempo swinging option. The five mana cost is the only stumbling block here, but for good cards it might still be acceptable, as long as the meta is conducive to it.
If you survive past turn 6 in duels when you have 20 health that's already an achievement. Its sort of like the discard cards like Blood Shard Bristleback. Sure you get a free win easily, but the card gets gradually worse later on as you get more wins.
A very interesting condition indeed.
Probably more relevant in wild where evenlock can get to 15 fairly easily. In standard however, its not as straight forward. Even questlock struggles to do it by turn 5 courtesy of the many healing spells they have. It does work with Vandaar though, so you can potentially have this at a cost of 2, assuming you're at 15 health at that time.
Maybe in zoolock? You can get to low health really easily and having an 8/8 windfury on 5 is fairly devastating.
Then again, if you're at 15 health and below by turn 5, that's basically just prime pickings for any sort of burn or aggro decks isn't it? And this card really isn't going to do anything the first turn its played other than remove two minions.
The conditions are difficult to accomplish, and while you'll end up with a 30 attack minion at the end of the day it has neither rush nor taunt so at very best this card kills a bunch of tokens and gain somewhere around 7-14 attack against a deck with no counterplay to big minions, like aggro decks.
But more likely than not you'll spend some resources getting those minions to exactly 1 health so this card can shine, and that's a fairly miserable day when your deck is tacitly built around taking advantage of this minion's honor kill. Even if this becomes meta, your opponent will likely just play around this all day to prevent it, and its not exactly difficult.
I should have clarified in my original comment. Darkshire councilman works whenever a minion is played whereas this one needs them to first die.
So in my opinion, its just weaker. 1 extra health doesn't immediately make it better
Because Coerce can destroy undamaged minions? Plus this freezes your own board too.
But this card is clearly something else. Depends on the build, but its not strictly a better coerce.
Not another one of this cards. Why the hell are we giving warrior Frost Nova?
The only real play around is that this card actually requires a minion to be damaged to work, but essentially being able to take out something while forcing the opponent's board to skip a turn is just so oppressive why wouldn't any warrior just play this card, even as a one off? It freezes your board too, but if you're playing from behind that may not matter anyway, and you can always play your minion after this so you'll have initiative over your opponent in the following turn.
Since shaman is most likely also receiving freeze effects, is this a sign that we'll either see Living Dragonbreath be brought back to standard next core rotation, or there's some tech card related to freeze effects in the works? There's a reason why people dont like freeze effects, I just hope team5 is aware of it.
Its flexible and its a good stated minion most of the time. Use this to efficiently utilize your mana, or just drop it early for good tempo. If it gains at least divine shield and rush, its already by default a good minion, so why not just include this into every deck?
A few downsides as it happens. Its basically a stats minion, doing nothing else. In ranked, most minions are required to be more than just a stats stick, and this card can't always guaranteed results.
I can see this being in nearly all aggro tempo decks. But in midrange or anywhere else, questions should be asked what exactly is this card doing here?
Its just a maybe card. Basically if everyone is running big minions this bad boy will turn the tide really quickly.
But where it is not, this card is trash. In fact, the entire viability of this card hinges on it being able to do its job, which is usually to remove a key minion from your opponent's board. Unfortunately, this card can't even guarantee it, being forced into a coin toss by a mere Murloc Tinyfin on board.
In ranked, you can bet this will only ever come out as a discover option, and even then it signals desperation.
Its not bad, but its not good neither. The fact is that you'll have to have secret on 2, and then this card will only act on turn 4. What's the essential difference in just playing Imprisoned Felmaw, that at very least guarantees an attack, and doesn't come with conditions.
Still, if you're playing secrets, this card will be in it. Its just a decent card, but unamazing, and unlikely to ever be the real reason for running secrets in your deck.
Its just good in the right deck. Double King Krush on 10, or maybe on 6 after a Vanndar discount. That's basically a win condition all on its own.
Even something as simply as Trampling Rhino will make this a good card. Happily, face hunter will never be playing this.
Its a bizarre 9 mana card when its likely more viable or suitable as an 8 mana card. Kinda reminds me of the Archwitch Willow treatment and that card saw no play on 9 and still sees no play on 8 despite having technically better big demons in standard.
Its best looked at as a support card for big beast hunter, maybe a good card to follow from Guardian Animals of which this card clearly is trying to best. Without the big beast support though, Kathrena Winterwisp this aint. Hell, its not necessarily even better than guardian animals itself. Its sole promise is that Vanndar works on this instead of GA. Good luck on that, because half the time I'd rather just have King Krush and smorc face.
But its a sign for better things to come for a big beast hunter.
Its basically Darkshire Councilman, and having 1 additional health really makes it sticky enough to survive past turn 3.
But its supporting an archetype that hasn't been the same ever since the last core rotation where they removed Umberwing, Wrathscale Naga, Nethrandamus, and Command the Illidari
All token dhunter needs right now is a viable finisher, and this card just isn't it, because it basically curves from nothing and curves into Coordinated Strike, which wastes 1 mana. Still, a nice start. Let's hope towards more support to come.
Best part about this card is flexibility. You can just drop this on 3 and get a decent minion out, but likely best results are on 4, where you're nearly guaranteed a 3/3 with divine shield or rush at least.
Its just a good minion, but does nothing other than being a good minion. Which means its not an auto include, but certainly an option available if you're needing good minions on 3-4. Even at its very worst, you can play this on 1 like an Argent Squire so why not?