It'll see play because there's just not enough mech synergy to go round.
Does curve well from Security Automaton on 2. Other than that, not being a mech itself, this card is just grasping for even a shred of relevance outside of a mech deck. In fact, as better mechs eventually come out of the woodwork, this card will probably get the boot first.
Just play Acolyte of Pain if you need card draw, or Death's Head Cultist if you need taunts. Trying to do both will only lead you to having none at all in the end.
1 attack means everything will value trade this, while the card draw is a deathrattle. Is there genuinely anyone willing to give this one a shot?
Its likely more useful in pirate rogue than quest warrior, for the reasons that quest warrior prefers cheaper pirates and this card still costs 3 at the end. Besides, Defias Cannoneer does the job pretty well on its own anyway.
But it getting ridiculous at this point. There's two mech classes this time and two pirate classes. And yet for some stupid reason we're treated to good pirates one after another while mechs get shat on with stuff like Naval Mine. Considering the circumstances in both standard and wild, team5, do you really enjoy receiving hate mail so much?
It'll only be playable if you want to play murlocs and control is everywhere, or if you can drastically reduce murlocs' costs.
If you're running for tempo, then the last thing you need is to drop a card like this on 5. Murloc Tastyfin saw some play but it was a different time in hearthstone and it costs 1 less. At best you're using this card to tutor out murlocs like Mutanus, Gigafin, or Twin-fin Fin Twin, but that's smacks of desperation.
You don't want to waste your limited silence cards on stuff like these, and certainly this is not a card you want to see on your topdeck. Basically its so bad that the decision to stick one of cookie's seafood artwork on this thing is completely justified.
The only niche it has is Whispers of the Deep, into swing board on turn 2. But if your opponent cant recover from that combo then they're clearly meming or are a bot. That's all there is to it.
Its a 1 mana naga, its a 1 mana 1/3, what more can you ask for.
If you're running aggro or nagas then this card is just a solid 1 drop with a slight upside. Only in priest can this really deal massive damage if left alive, but that's a small bonus to an already good card.
The key word here is that it summons another copy, which means you can buff this to ridiculous heights and have him swing the board for you.
Probably still see some play in paladin, outside of obvious murloc decks. Even a simple +1+1 turns this into Restless Mummy for 3 mana. Not too bad actually, especially given that both decks need some kind of comeback card.
Its Piloted Sky Golem, a card that I dont remember ever seeing much play. And why? Costs an eye watering 6 mana. At least this card has rush so you're not hanging by your little baby carrot on 6.
But realistically, this card will only see play because you need more mechs and team5 have made the bizarre decision of giving us few if any mechs in core to choose from. The only hope this card has is to value trade something on 6 and force your opponent into an awkward turn of clearing 3 minions away. But looking at the list of mechs available, it doesn't look promising, especially considering that theres a chance you get fked by Explosive Sheep.
Why'd warrior ever play this card is beyond me. The 3 health gain for a vanilla 2/3 taunt is kinda weak considering that Bash is back in standard. Unless warrior goes big recruit again, this card will simply never see any play.
Apparently if you put a captain's hat on something then they're a pirate. Like, why would pirates even need a blacksmith anyway?
Well, this card nearly guarantees another pirate next turn with a small buff, and that might just be enough. Besides, its a pirate, because why not.
Another thing this can do is to get your sunken trident out ready on turn 5 with a nice buff. But honestly, if that's your gameplan you might as well just concede.
Its a darn shame, because if team5 wanted to push curselock then this had to be a 3/4 for 3 at least. But with its stats lowered there's really not many reasons why you'd gimp your turn just to put a card into your opponent's hand that they will happily either ignore or remove without trouble because this minion only deals 2 damage anyway.
But if we're going to route of curses, then this card is admitably the better of the bunch. You can easily combo this with brann or zola it for another tick, something which the other curse cards have more difficulties doing.
If curselock doesn't come up, my prediction is that this card would be buffed, because its looking increasingly like its was designed as a 3/4 before release.
Im just not optimistic that the curses are worth the trouble.
But if nothing else, this card will remove tempo and put a 2 mana tax on your opponent's hand, and if you have a board prior they may not be able to easily remove the curse and continue their game plan.
Its playability is on contingent that curses are good. But as I mentioned, just not very optimistic of that outcome.
Put a couple of 1/1 murlocs and then dredge for a curve on 2. That's pretty neat. Besides, since we're 100% certain a murlock deck will play Azsharan Scavenger, the value of dredge is drastically increased.
Just a decent card overall for an aggressive murloc deck.
Its a deathrattle, which means you dont get the payoff immediately. So that's its powerlevel curbed somewhat, because in a world where certain decks will simply ignore, or freeze the minion, it might as well be a Puddlestomper most of the time.
The only reason why it'll see play is because its a murloc and if murlock is to be a thing they'll need as many of these as they can get.
0 mana dredge, that's essentially what it is. Had it draw the card it would have been insane, but a mere discount? Perhaps you can get Switcheroo and immediately win the game the turn after, that's probably the best thing this card offers.
Probably just ammunition for lyra most of the time. At least that ensures it'll see play.
A theorectical lyra deck, probably control, would never hold the trigger just to build up a big minion to go along with your Lyra the Sunshard turn. At its very best you can go turn 7 into an incredible lyra turn followed by Priestess Valishj and create a couple of monsters. But since your monsters have no taunt and cant rush, what is all this in aid of? Not to mention that its a turn 7 play, where most tempo decks will more or less destroy you way before then.
The best thing this card has got is in shadow priest where a coin into this becomes a good spidertank on 2, which can easily be good enough to win the game outright. Or its played solely because its a naga and priest may actually need those.
In any case, it has potential but priest never really need stuff like these.
Obvious synergy with silence priest. But realistically this is more powerful in control/quest priest builds.
In silence priest, not only do we have to assume our minion would stay alive, its also easily played around because there's simply very few targets to choose from. There's Selfish Shellfish, Helmet Hermit, and maybe Package Runner. Its main function is not swing, its to simply silence something so your deck can function, and for that it'll see play assuming silence priest is even worth running at all.
In control however, this is more interesting because you can easily play minions off curve and clear board that way. You're not saving it up for the silence, and dont have to bother curving out, making the secondary clear effect more attractive.
If nothing else, self silence is still a niche priest rarely ever get cards for, so for this reason it'll see competitive play.
Its a card for later, but will still see play because as we have discovered in the core set, there really aren't many mechs around. Right now its true power is as a 4/4 on 4 with the mech tag and a chance to save maybe one other mech.
But this card is just not very good, unless of course we're looking at either combo or control pally next round, because what this card is is Forbidden Healing, or just another discount option for The Garden's Grace.
For when you're desperate for elementals.
Because if you're not then this card is just garbage, not of the good kind.
But hey, at least it'll leave you with a 1/1 when it dies. That's how hearthstone games are won.
It'll see play because there's just not enough mech synergy to go round.
Does curve well from Security Automaton on 2. Other than that, not being a mech itself, this card is just grasping for even a shred of relevance outside of a mech deck. In fact, as better mechs eventually come out of the woodwork, this card will probably get the boot first.
Just play Acolyte of Pain if you need card draw, or Death's Head Cultist if you need taunts. Trying to do both will only lead you to having none at all in the end.
1 attack means everything will value trade this, while the card draw is a deathrattle. Is there genuinely anyone willing to give this one a shot?
Its likely more useful in pirate rogue than quest warrior, for the reasons that quest warrior prefers cheaper pirates and this card still costs 3 at the end. Besides, Defias Cannoneer does the job pretty well on its own anyway.
But it getting ridiculous at this point. There's two mech classes this time and two pirate classes. And yet for some stupid reason we're treated to good pirates one after another while mechs get shat on with stuff like Naval Mine. Considering the circumstances in both standard and wild, team5, do you really enjoy receiving hate mail so much?
It'll only be playable if you want to play murlocs and control is everywhere, or if you can drastically reduce murlocs' costs.
If you're running for tempo, then the last thing you need is to drop a card like this on 5. Murloc Tastyfin saw some play but it was a different time in hearthstone and it costs 1 less. At best you're using this card to tutor out murlocs like Mutanus, Gigafin, or Twin-fin Fin Twin, but that's smacks of desperation.
Its just bad, even in silence priest.
You don't want to waste your limited silence cards on stuff like these, and certainly this is not a card you want to see on your topdeck. Basically its so bad that the decision to stick one of cookie's seafood artwork on this thing is completely justified.
The only niche it has is Whispers of the Deep, into swing board on turn 2. But if your opponent cant recover from that combo then they're clearly meming or are a bot. That's all there is to it.
Its a 1 mana naga, its a 1 mana 1/3, what more can you ask for.
If you're running aggro or nagas then this card is just a solid 1 drop with a slight upside. Only in priest can this really deal massive damage if left alive, but that's a small bonus to an already good card.
The key word here is that it summons another copy, which means you can buff this to ridiculous heights and have him swing the board for you.
Probably still see some play in paladin, outside of obvious murloc decks. Even a simple +1+1 turns this into Restless Mummy for 3 mana. Not too bad actually, especially given that both decks need some kind of comeback card.
Its Piloted Sky Golem, a card that I dont remember ever seeing much play. And why? Costs an eye watering 6 mana. At least this card has rush so you're not hanging by your little baby carrot on 6.
But realistically, this card will only see play because you need more mechs and team5 have made the bizarre decision of giving us few if any mechs in core to choose from. The only hope this card has is to value trade something on 6 and force your opponent into an awkward turn of clearing 3 minions away. But looking at the list of mechs available, it doesn't look promising, especially considering that theres a chance you get fked by Explosive Sheep.
Why'd warrior ever play this card is beyond me. The 3 health gain for a vanilla 2/3 taunt is kinda weak considering that Bash is back in standard. Unless warrior goes big recruit again, this card will simply never see any play.
Apparently if you put a captain's hat on something then they're a pirate. Like, why would pirates even need a blacksmith anyway?
Well, this card nearly guarantees another pirate next turn with a small buff, and that might just be enough. Besides, its a pirate, because why not.
Another thing this can do is to get your sunken trident out ready on turn 5 with a nice buff. But honestly, if that's your gameplan you might as well just concede.
Its a darn shame, because if team5 wanted to push curselock then this had to be a 3/4 for 3 at least. But with its stats lowered there's really not many reasons why you'd gimp your turn just to put a card into your opponent's hand that they will happily either ignore or remove without trouble because this minion only deals 2 damage anyway.
But if we're going to route of curses, then this card is admitably the better of the bunch. You can easily combo this with brann or zola it for another tick, something which the other curse cards have more difficulties doing.
If curselock doesn't come up, my prediction is that this card would be buffed, because its looking increasingly like its was designed as a 3/4 before release.
Im just not optimistic that the curses are worth the trouble.
But if nothing else, this card will remove tempo and put a 2 mana tax on your opponent's hand, and if you have a board prior they may not be able to easily remove the curse and continue their game plan.
Its playability is on contingent that curses are good. But as I mentioned, just not very optimistic of that outcome.
Put a couple of 1/1 murlocs and then dredge for a curve on 2. That's pretty neat. Besides, since we're 100% certain a murlock deck will play Azsharan Scavenger, the value of dredge is drastically increased.
Just a decent card overall for an aggressive murloc deck.
Its a deathrattle, which means you dont get the payoff immediately. So that's its powerlevel curbed somewhat, because in a world where certain decks will simply ignore, or freeze the minion, it might as well be a Puddlestomper most of the time.
The only reason why it'll see play is because its a murloc and if murlock is to be a thing they'll need as many of these as they can get.
0 mana dredge, that's essentially what it is. Had it draw the card it would have been insane, but a mere discount? Perhaps you can get Switcheroo and immediately win the game the turn after, that's probably the best thing this card offers.
Probably just ammunition for lyra most of the time. At least that ensures it'll see play.
If Ive got to be honest, its not very good.
A theorectical lyra deck, probably control, would never hold the trigger just to build up a big minion to go along with your Lyra the Sunshard turn. At its very best you can go turn 7 into an incredible lyra turn followed by Priestess Valishj and create a couple of monsters. But since your monsters have no taunt and cant rush, what is all this in aid of? Not to mention that its a turn 7 play, where most tempo decks will more or less destroy you way before then.
The best thing this card has got is in shadow priest where a coin into this becomes a good spidertank on 2, which can easily be good enough to win the game outright. Or its played solely because its a naga and priest may actually need those.
In any case, it has potential but priest never really need stuff like these.
Obvious synergy with silence priest. But realistically this is more powerful in control/quest priest builds.
In silence priest, not only do we have to assume our minion would stay alive, its also easily played around because there's simply very few targets to choose from. There's Selfish Shellfish, Helmet Hermit, and maybe Package Runner. Its main function is not swing, its to simply silence something so your deck can function, and for that it'll see play assuming silence priest is even worth running at all.
In control however, this is more interesting because you can easily play minions off curve and clear board that way. You're not saving it up for the silence, and dont have to bother curving out, making the secondary clear effect more attractive.
If nothing else, self silence is still a niche priest rarely ever get cards for, so for this reason it'll see competitive play.
Its a card for later, but will still see play because as we have discovered in the core set, there really aren't many mechs around. Right now its true power is as a 4/4 on 4 with the mech tag and a chance to save maybe one other mech.
Nice pun on the now departed mackeral.
But this card is just not very good, unless of course we're looking at either combo or control pally next round, because what this card is is Forbidden Healing, or just another discount option for The Garden's Grace.
In most cases, Flash of Light is just better.