I second those who asserted it's completely different in Wild.
A Wild Highlander deck is just predictable in some of its legendary cards, but that's it, and that would be true also in their non-Highlander versions anyway (eg. any kind of Controllock would use Mal'Ganis).
I can understand it could be more predictable in Standard, with a limited set, yet you have to understand it is actually a Highlander deck, which may not come so fast during the game, often too late. Also, at least half of the cards are still unplayed in the average turn, so you are still unaware about those even in a Standard Highlander deck: you still have to play around certain cards most of the time.
Unless we are talking of very long games, but at that point i't expect a veteran Control player such as CW to conceive as predictable any kind of matchup, where they are already experienced at reacting at any move and using always the optimal amount of resources in perspective.
I don't have a large sample as an argument, but i also feel Renolock or Controllock is pretty much hit or miss, mainly based on whether you draw Reno Jackson in time, and even then it's not so safe.
If i were you, i would drop that, and tinker about a Hunter deck with Flare, Dirty Rat, and possibly Wild Bloodstinger too. Be it Highlander or something else. Basically making Hunter your tech deck against Mage, Reno and possibly Shudderwock Shamans too (which i am sure will flock the tournament as much as Secret Mages).
Alternatively, a CW with some Bomb package and disruption tools. Maybe Mecha'thun as well (but i have no direct experience with CW).
And imo Odd Rogue is kinda redundant with Even Shaman.
As Marcus suggested, very few cards would deserve to stay in Classic, for the reason he already mentioned: you want as much room as possible in Standard, without eternal cards barring the way from something new to pop in a new meta. That's the point of Rotations, and adding powerful cards to Classic would go against that very principle of Standard.
IMO, Priest should have received no strong AoE in the (6) and (7) range. Instead, Holy Ripple is what Holy Nova should have always been. If we consider Wild Pyromancer, that's probably all that Priest deserves for Standard AoE, with no need to print more stupidly powerful AoE like Lightbomb or Psychic Scream (imo, one of the two should actually be removed from the game). Plague of Death is ok, because it comes very late.
Another card that would have deserved to stay in Classic, considered the periodical revamp of Secret Mage, was Arcanologist, because it could have prevented Ancient Mysteries from being printed - alas, it's too late for that.
Do you miss Defile? Just join Wild. The card is still there, chiefly in Renolock and Evenlock.
As for Classic cards, they must comply the requirement of NOT being exceedingly powerful. That certainly marks Defile out of any hope of becoming an Evergreen.
Sorry for sounding cruel.
PS: since you hate to face Lackey shenanigans as a Warlock, have you considered going the Egg/Lackey route yourself, with the inclusion of Plague of Flames?
People complain about rng.. And then people design those custom cards, the rng on those are just awful it's a coin flip of win/lose the game with no control over it.
Actually this Cho'gall isn't bad at all, if played in a Zoodeck as 5-Mana Deathwing, but with a bit of RNG u fill your hand as well. The rest, esp the mage one is garbage.
Plague of Flames would be played instead. Infinitely more reliable and cheaper, if EVER a Zoolock should want to fight for the board with anything that is not minion power.
As a side note, I love these entries in the main feed, made with card arts in the preview, the higher resolution really makes those artworks shine. Many of them would deserve to be in posters or other items.
HS truly includes a little treasure in all those arts, that are largely wasted in the little resolution of cards, even moreso in mobile gaming.
I used to be a huge fan of WoW, and if I could afford it, I would probably still play it, mainly for the storyline (maybe instead of HS too, which I initially took as a replacement to WoW).
But even if I could, I wouldn't try Classic now. I never really enjoyed it back then as much as I enjoyed it later, even just slightly later like in TBC or WOTLK.
Well, good nerfs should not kill decks, just make more room for others to occur (slightly) more often.
So the fact you don't feel too much of a change, is actually a good sign. The meta is meant to evolve slowly, according to the new balance of power, which has not been overturned, just slightly tipped in a new direction...
Once you have all normal legendaries in a set, the next one is going to be a golden one. Once you have all normal and all golden for a given set, you start getting duplicates.
Maybe you've been very lucky, but I'm pretty sure this isn't true. You will just get a random legendary which has the same chance to be golden as usual.
Nah, i haven't reached that point yet.
But logic suggests that the rule applies until it is not possible: once you complete normal legendaries, there are still legendaries left in the pool (golden), so the rule can still apply.
As for your drops, Brightwing is a decent deck filler, which can sometimes give you an edge, while Ysera is powerful but generally too slow for what is the usual pace of the game: you can basically never profit from her power, because the match is typically already over or sealed by then, and/or she's too easily removed (at least in r20+ meta, not sure at lower ranks).
Keep anyway to profit from the non-duplicate rule.
Well i don't mind a light atmosphere, although i admit seeing the city of Dalaran stolen by a gang of weirdos in RoS made me cringe.
I'd have preferred if they simply got away with some artifact, not the whole city defeating the Kirin Tor and the very Council of Six: that's just silly.
In general i don't mind tho, because the serious side of it is still there in the theme of single cards, eg. each Old God, Tirion Fordring, etc. It's not all reduced to silliness.
Supreme madness.
Yogg-Saron, Hope's End is proud of you.
I second those who asserted it's completely different in Wild.
A Wild Highlander deck is just predictable in some of its legendary cards, but that's it, and that would be true also in their non-Highlander versions anyway (eg. any kind of Controllock would use Mal'Ganis).
A Wild Reno Priest could deliver with Dragonfire Potion, Lightbomb, Psychic Scream in the same deck, and your knowledge of it being Highlander, and having already faced say a Dragonfire Potion would be of little to no avail.
I can understand it could be more predictable in Standard, with a limited set, yet you have to understand it is actually a Highlander deck, which may not come so fast during the game, often too late. Also, at least half of the cards are still unplayed in the average turn, so you are still unaware about those even in a Standard Highlander deck: you still have to play around certain cards most of the time.
Unless we are talking of very long games, but at that point i't expect a veteran Control player such as CW to conceive as predictable any kind of matchup, where they are already experienced at reacting at any move and using always the optimal amount of resources in perspective.
I don't have a large sample as an argument, but i also feel Renolock or Controllock is pretty much hit or miss, mainly based on whether you draw Reno Jackson in time, and even then it's not so safe.
If i were you, i would drop that, and tinker about a Hunter deck with Flare, Dirty Rat, and possibly Wild Bloodstinger too. Be it Highlander or something else. Basically making Hunter your tech deck against Mage, Reno and possibly Shudderwock Shamans too (which i am sure will flock the tournament as much as Secret Mages).
Alternatively, a CW with some Bomb package and disruption tools. Maybe Mecha'thun as well (but i have no direct experience with CW).
And imo Odd Rogue is kinda redundant with Even Shaman.
Guess so.
I just imagined there was a special WoW zone i didn't know, but ok.
Oh well, they can't appeal everyone.
Yeah that was my point. The color shading of the card looks unnatural to me.
I misused "red sand", while i meant "crimson- shaded sand".
Yeah? Is that the same colour as the card above?
In my book it's not. Not even close, despite the name you give it.
Otherwise i wouldn't have bothered to post. Don't you think?
Definitely not in that nearly-crimson hue.
Not even on Mars.
At best in Hellfire Peninsula in Outland.
Yet i don't get the crimson sand.
I mean, it doesn't even look like sand, or desert.
What am i missing?
As Marcus suggested, very few cards would deserve to stay in Classic, for the reason he already mentioned: you want as much room as possible in Standard, without eternal cards barring the way from something new to pop in a new meta. That's the point of Rotations, and adding powerful cards to Classic would go against that very principle of Standard.
IMO, Priest should have received no strong AoE in the (6) and (7) range. Instead, Holy Ripple is what Holy Nova should have always been. If we consider Wild Pyromancer, that's probably all that Priest deserves for Standard AoE, with no need to print more stupidly powerful AoE like Lightbomb or Psychic Scream (imo, one of the two should actually be removed from the game). Plague of Death is ok, because it comes very late.
Another card that would have deserved to stay in Classic, considered the periodical revamp of Secret Mage, was Arcanologist, because it could have prevented Ancient Mysteries from being printed - alas, it's too late for that.
Do you miss Defile? Just join Wild. The card is still there, chiefly in Renolock and Evenlock.
As for Classic cards, they must comply the requirement of NOT being exceedingly powerful. That certainly marks Defile out of any hope of becoming an Evergreen.
Sorry for sounding cruel.
PS: since you hate to face Lackey shenanigans as a Warlock, have you considered going the Egg/Lackey route yourself, with the inclusion of Plague of Flames?
Plague of Flames would be played instead. Infinitely more reliable and cheaper, if EVER a Zoolock should want to fight for the board with anything that is not minion power.
PS: these minions could still fit a themed Brawl.
Wild, r4, 4 stars.
Me: Even Hunter (homebrew)
Opponent: Reno Mage.
The satisfaction of beating a toptierdeck by properly tuning my homebrew.
As a side note, I love these entries in the main feed, made with card arts in the preview, the higher resolution really makes those artworks shine. Many of them would deserve to be in posters or other items.
HS truly includes a little treasure in all those arts, that are largely wasted in the little resolution of cards, even moreso in mobile gaming.
With so much egg hatching, i think Leeroy Jenkins is mandatory for flavor. :p
Lol.
The sad truth is i didn't find a consistent solution that could fit my Tempo/Midrange style.
Another deck that abuses non-board game threatens to warp the Wild meta...
I used to be a huge fan of WoW, and if I could afford it, I would probably still play it, mainly for the storyline (maybe instead of HS too, which I initially took as a replacement to WoW).
But even if I could, I wouldn't try Classic now. I never really enjoyed it back then as much as I enjoyed it later, even just slightly later like in TBC or WOTLK.
But well, if it works, good for everyone I guess.
Well, good nerfs should not kill decks, just make more room for others to occur (slightly) more often.
So the fact you don't feel too much of a change, is actually a good sign. The meta is meant to evolve slowly, according to the new balance of power, which has not been overturned, just slightly tipped in a new direction...
Nah, i haven't reached that point yet.
But logic suggests that the rule applies until it is not possible: once you complete normal legendaries, there are still legendaries left in the pool (golden), so the rule can still apply.
My bad if that's actually wrong.
EDIT
As for your drops, Brightwing is a decent deck filler, which can sometimes give you an edge, while Ysera is powerful but generally too slow for what is the usual pace of the game: you can basically never profit from her power, because the match is typically already over or sealed by then, and/or she's too easily removed (at least in r20+ meta, not sure at lower ranks).
Keep anyway to profit from the non-duplicate rule.
Well i don't mind a light atmosphere, although i admit seeing the city of Dalaran stolen by a gang of weirdos in RoS made me cringe.
I'd have preferred if they simply got away with some artifact, not the whole city defeating the Kirin Tor and the very Council of Six: that's just silly.
In general i don't mind tho, because the serious side of it is still there in the theme of single cards, eg. each Old God, Tirion Fordring, etc. It's not all reduced to silliness.