I don't know if I see them doing Adventures as these diamonds are tied to Collecting. Maybe they can put them as Heroic achievement in addition to the cardback?
Just hit 100. Did tavern pass this time. Honestly Diamond Sumaro was the best item on the paid track. Rest was okay. Not sure if I'd buy again but that depends on the Diamond card I guess. The free track felt really good though, lots of rewards, good progress. Though I do hate "uncraftable" cards, still nice to get free stuff. A lot of free Legendaries gifted out this time too. I feel like I have a lot more despite not opening many in packs.
Barrens Legendary = 10
Darkmoon Legendary = 8 (Ignoring the 4 miniset ones)
Closer than I thought after comparing. Still feels good.
The addition of the "Tavern Regular" achievement though was great. Love having the extra rewards for completing multiple tracks.
For comparison Darkmoon track when I hit the end (50 back then) as free I had about 3k gold pre mini set. Right now, hitting 100, I'm at 2300. I did buy The Thunder King for gold when he came back. So that's 1500 well spent. Still not bad since I'm hitting it slightly earlier as paid this time. Mini set around the Corner no doubt I'll buy it out for gold again. Can't wait to see where I end as the expansion closes around august.
Cool that they offer it. Love golden cards! Though I do not craft or buy goldens. Just not a cosmetic I think is worth money. Still something they could offer along side other bundles for those who wish to spend.
Two things: Blizzard has a problem they can't figure out right now. The Core set is amazing but it overly buffed cards that generate or discover other cards. The limited card pool of standard makes cards like Deck of Lunacy, Jandice Barov, First Day of School, Draconic Studies, ect. very powerful. As they said when they nerfed Jandice, they don't want to make poor 5-drops in the future just to deal with her. The First Day nerf slowed it down but the 1-drop pool is still really strong, so an extra minion feels like a buff. Paladin really shines when it has powerful 1 drops it can weave into it's turns to guarantee a body to buff. Core set causes some issues with a smaller discover pool. It's just growing pains we may have to deal with for a year until they discover a good solution.
Second Warlock has crazy control tools. Board wipes, big minions, enemy discard/burn, value hero and good reload. I think that'll make them king for a while until other classes catch up. I'm hoping the mini set and next set push another class up enough to contend. This is a think Blizzards plan over all. Just set up the buffs to swing classes to underused strategies in the miniset and next set. The buffs definitely did more than I thought, especially N'zoth which looked just weird but it set up Demon Hunter really well.
TLDR: I don't think the buffs/nerfs are bad just slow as they rely on future content and Core set causes discover/generation issues that are difficult to solve.
I've been running a similar deck idea. I opened Plaguemaw the Rottingearly and was trying to make it work. He felt weak before but coming back with N'zoth is a big upside.
My version adds in Y'sharaaj to double up on the Moontouched Amulet and Dreaming Drake. It's fun to have otk DH give up because of all the armor!
Turns out, after the new patch, it was indeed worth to craft the rest of the Classic set! Synnr7 called it right :D
Blizzard doesn't talk about the future often. So when they say in an ama they want to do this, easy to see it's coming soon. Plus rag is a top pick for diamond.
Gvg my money is on Doctor Boom. Though I don't expect these to come out super fast.
Also not too far off on Rag. 2-3 Leg and a few epics. Have the dust but may hold off for now. Love these Diamonds, it's a nice bonus idea, just like having the dust in case.
Missed those cards. Might have to mess around in wild this month.
I did a little last month with Deathrattle DH and Hero power Mage. But that Big DH list looks very amusing. Can't wait to try all these decks out. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome portraits all of em. Love having the options. Allows me to make a deck stand out more in my list with a different portrait plus the new emote lines are always fun.
Rexxar and Gul'dan are top pics for me. Since I picked Rex last time and they released another one this pass I'll probably do Gul'dan. I do agree with Judgement Paladin the helm is kind of a thing. Maybe a reskin later with the helm on?
Oh I'm sure they'll still fit their meme cards in. Blizzard is good at that. Plus with all the free rewards track stuff they are pushing I'm sure we'll have no trouble getting our meme on. Mini set will help give an extra push to mechanics that didn't take off.
Yes you are right Core21 didn't push much in the way off controlling DH but this set changes year to year. So maybe it's not a thing they want to focus this year.
We may just disagree here and that's fine. As for Rogue, relying on a weapon to heal is a weakness. One Ooze and you can loose multiple cards depending on what poisons you run. Demon Hunter has a bigger variety, which is what I was stating as a positive. As for working together, I think DH has one of the most solid plans laid out. Pressure early, Inquisitor finish. Real simple. Sure the Deathrattle stuff isn't quite on the same path but just another strong card or two and I can see it holding it's own. It's real fun in wild.
To me, less neutrals is actually better. Dying to Leeroy Jenkins no matter the class isn't healthy. We also have to remember to add in the Core set to the calculation of available cards. Getting that bunch of cards, free, is amazing for the game. I've honestly been having a lot of fun exploring those legendaries along side Barrens stuff. So while we loose some neutrals per set, we gain a more focused core.
And yes you could write a SIMILAR description for Rogue. They lack the healing and taunt for long games. As well as currently don't have OTK tools and do more of a death of a thousand cuts over continuous turns of damage. Also a strong battle cry and bounce core as you mentioned before. Overall I think it's similar yet different enough to have positives and negatives for using either class.
There are more than nuances, a lot of that stuff other classes can do and overlap with others. Which is a good thing.
Quote From Author
At the moment, DH just lacks a spark in this sense. It just fails to give me a compelling reason why I would choose over another class, except that the specific card I'm interested in happens to be in DH.
I can understand this point however I don't think saying things like it doesn't justify it's existence as a class. It has positives like strong draw, discounts (with skull), copying effects (Zai). As well as powerful disruption with Star Student Stelina and Glide. It can also be very fast out the gate with it's hero power and many attack buffs. None of this is completely unique sure but it's not inconsequential.
It's also okay that the class doesn't appeal to everybody. I know people who dislike Warlock or only play Mage. It doesn't mean Demon Hunter doesn't have it's place in the game.
As for sigils, I like the idea. It's a secret that the opponent knows and reacts too. Very neat idea.
I understand wanting each class to be truly unique I don't think that is healthy for the game. If Warriors were THE weapon class and mages where THE spell class that takes away from other classes not enhances them. If you look at all the classes they overlap with another in every aspect. That's actually a good thing. It helps the design of neutral (and dual) class cards. If a card is so specific it only works in one class then why do we have neutrals?
Hero Attacks:
A lot of classes use their hero to fight. Druid attacks with it's claws, using animal forms to attack. Rogue takes a weapon and enhances it with poisons to take down their foes. Demon Hunter is somewhere in the middle it has weapons but it's spells enhance the hero even without weapons. Demon Hunter even has an "ignore taunt" mechanic in Kayn Sunfury.
Big Demons:
If we focus on the Demon aspect that alligns with Warlock. Demon Hunter's haven't had this pushed but cards like Fel Summoner or Pit Commander pulling demons from your hand or deck are very similar to WarlocksVoidcaller or Possessed Lackey. So far what we've seen these are very alike. If we go beyond Demons we have Paladin and Warrior with things like Commencement. Cards like this encourage deck building challenges. Decks shouldn't always be auto complete. Even if the cards don't make an impact, as the DH ones have so far, the variety being there is useful for the game.
Tokens:
Druid has the board buffs while Demon Hunter and Hunter do not. Druids want their tokens to live and continue the attack. Demon Hunter's throw away their tokens. They throw them into a board, clearing it out and benefiting from the death's with Nethrandamus or Feast of Souls. Hunters are in the middle here. Doing both board building and rushing tokens to clear.
Deathrattle:
Yes these could of gone in any class certainly. However I like the swarm nature of these in DH. The kill me and another will take my place feels Demon Hunter. Where Hunters you know it will summon a beast when it dies DH it's a deck building thing. You have to have the cards in your hand/deck to get pulled. Being prepared for the fight before hand. Rogues deathrattles tend to have value, buffing weapons or adding things to the deck.
OTK:
Quote From Author
what I'm saying here is that we didn't need DH for another OTK archetype to exist
No we didn't need it to be DH. But is that bad that they have an OTK? As I said before different deck types in a class is a good thing. Not every Mage you face should be No Minion, even if that is the best type. Having other avenues lets players expirement to find new and dare I say fun ways to win.
Soulfragment:
Yes you do need to mention something. Why is it such a shock that in a dual class set another class has the mechanic? Warlocks use the healing better but DH turn those shards into a much stronger way to attack. Similar but different.
Outcast:
Yes it's stronger in a low cost aggro style. That doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. I think making people look at their hand different because of a mechanic is a plus. Combo also is better with low cost cards, should it be limited to aggro as well?
Conclusion:
I understand the idea of wanting a class to be a unique shining star. To have something no one else has. But that's not the direction Blizzard went with any of the classes. Why should Demon Hunter be different? Mechanics being similar allow for neutral and dual class cards to be better targeted. Different archetypes in a class allow for diversity in builds. Sure maybe most DH are OTK right now but the next set dropping a good deathrattle or two could push the Barrens cards into the spot light. Even if it doesn't overtake the meta build letting these exist is still healthy. Heck I've been enjoying deathrattle DH in wild a lot. It's silly sure but it still wins and it's fun to play and refine that deck.
To me the game would be boring if every class was predetermined by some magical unique thing they needed to do. Fighting that one Recruit paladin in the sea of Secrets is refreshing and fun in my daily climb. Don't you agree?
I've played a little post expac and it's been alright. Did a demon hunter deathrattle deck with mostly small minions. Really funny to have the board keep refilling itself. Just gotta figure out what to cut to get Norzdormu in there.
Also I get your point but Norzdormu isn't a card you play to win. It just wasn't designed that way. So yes putting him in my deck is actively loosing, especially in ranked. It's just not the point. Seeing it active, having to play faster, especially in a ranked setting is just hilarious to me. I'm certain I am not the only one.
I appreciate the pointers on the meta break down though. I will however continue to loose and be quite entertained with it.
Yesterday was the day I took him out of my deck. Since launch found one person running him. Though I play him in ranked. I never have taken my climb seriously. So it was fun to surprise people when I played him.
Maybe ill try in wild. Haven't experimented enough there.
I like the Jandice Barov nerf. Playing against this card in Wild, where the pool is bigger, putting more "bad" 5 drops wouldn't counter it enough. There would have to be a lot added on top of that. So hitting the mana is the right way to go. Not sure if 6 is enough but good start.
Deck of Lunacy is also the right direction. Slow down the problem card with out just breaking the spell mage deck entirely. Will be slower and less random. Still a strong deck and may even keep Lunacy for some matchups.
I've been running Horde Operative to fight secret Pally. Glad to see Sword of the Fallen not drawing as much. It was rated one of the best cards of the set by some of the reviewers I watch. I see why now.
Pen Flinger was just to good. Pushing it in one direction, board control, is a good thing. Doesn't kill the card out right but keeping it from being THE finisher will reduce people's frustrations.
Same with the watch posts. Very widespread use. Glad they hit these early. While I don't mind them, facing them nearly every game is annoying. Neutral cards are a tough balance. They need to have a much more narrow focus or risk being overpopulated/frustrating.
Refreshing Spring Water is a card to watch for sure. However I think it's fair to first nerf the problematic card then see where things land before further hurting spell mage. The deck still should exist and still be strong just not turn 3 playing 6+ mana spells strong. If they do hit the Spring Water I'd love to see it just go to refreshing 1 mana per spell. This would make it a 2 mana Arcane Intellect in spell mage rather than a 0 mana one. Hopefully though they won't need too and the deck will slow down enough to have more counter play.
I've enjoyed warrior this expansion. I use a handbuff deck as well with Overlord Saurfang as a finisher. Also thinking of pushing N'Zoth, God of the Deep maybe. It's been real fun and can conquer some of the harder matchups with Paladin and Mage. It's not perfect but been a blast. Nice to see it get a spot light here.
Overlord Runthak is by far my favorite card this expansion and he isn't even part of the Expansion. Just such a fun card. This is what Don Han'Cho wanted to be.
I'm not at very high ranks but I have been having success with Warrior. I use a handbuff Overlord Saurfang build. It's really quite fun. Scrap Golem helps a lot to slow down the opponent and keep your health up for C'Thun, the Shattered. Horde Operative is also hilarious. Of course it's not 100% but Warrior feels good in those matchups. Still refining what I'm using and debating crafting a few things. Overall though I find Mage and Paladin a positive matchup.
The core set did a lot to clear out the useless cards so now card generation and discovers effects are almost entirely positive. Deck of Lunacy and Jandice Barov are the two stand outs but I think all those effects are very pushed right now. If Blizz does nerf anything hopefully they can revert it next set when the card pool is a bit more cluttered. It's a shame Lunacy, a fun card, feels oppressive in a small than normal bubble.
Tldr: No, as I enjoy overcoming the odds. However feel free to enjoy the game how you want. If you don't like a match up, don't play it.
I think people who concede that early miss out on the potential for a win. Too often if I play the hated class people concede without realizing I'm playing something way off meta. What could of been an easy win for them just gives me the W instead and still doesn't feel good because I wanted to try something crazy.
Being on the other end, matching up against a tough class is thrilling for me. Sure there can be frustrations. However even if I don't win just putting up a fight can be satisfying (especially with a meme deck).
The other day I had an amazing long fatigue game Vs a C'thun priest as Warrior. Such a tough grindy match. He played about 7 Shadow word Deaths from generation. I couldn't keep a board for more than a turn. Frustrating but I pushed through, kept enough health floating around that I won out. I wouldn't have that story, that victory, if I had just conceded based on my previous losses to Priest.
In the end it's a personal choice based on your enjoyment. Do what is fun with your game time.
I don't know if I see them doing Adventures as these diamonds are tied to Collecting. Maybe they can put them as Heroic achievement in addition to the cardback?
For Main sets:
GvG: Dr. Boom. Definitely a must.
TGT: I agree with Justicar Trueheart. However to be different I want Icehowl! Would look awesome.
If they do adventures then I want Arch-Thief Rafaam and Kel'Thuzad and Emperor Thaurissan
Just hit 100. Did tavern pass this time. Honestly Diamond Sumaro was the best item on the paid track. Rest was okay. Not sure if I'd buy again but that depends on the Diamond card I guess. The free track felt really good though, lots of rewards, good progress. Though I do hate "uncraftable" cards, still nice to get free stuff. A lot of free Legendaries gifted out this time too. I feel like I have a lot more despite not opening many in packs.
Barrens Legendary = 10
Darkmoon Legendary = 8 (Ignoring the 4 miniset ones)
Closer than I thought after comparing. Still feels good.
The addition of the "Tavern Regular" achievement though was great. Love having the extra rewards for completing multiple tracks.
For comparison Darkmoon track when I hit the end (50 back then) as free I had about 3k gold pre mini set. Right now, hitting 100, I'm at 2300. I did buy The Thunder King for gold when he came back. So that's 1500 well spent. Still not bad since I'm hitting it slightly earlier as paid this time. Mini set around the Corner no doubt I'll buy it out for gold again. Can't wait to see where I end as the expansion closes around august.
Cool that they offer it. Love golden cards! Though I do not craft or buy goldens. Just not a cosmetic I think is worth money. Still something they could offer along side other bundles for those who wish to spend.
Two things: Blizzard has a problem they can't figure out right now. The Core set is amazing but it overly buffed cards that generate or discover other cards. The limited card pool of standard makes cards like Deck of Lunacy, Jandice Barov, First Day of School, Draconic Studies, ect. very powerful. As they said when they nerfed Jandice, they don't want to make poor 5-drops in the future just to deal with her. The First Day nerf slowed it down but the 1-drop pool is still really strong, so an extra minion feels like a buff. Paladin really shines when it has powerful 1 drops it can weave into it's turns to guarantee a body to buff. Core set causes some issues with a smaller discover pool. It's just growing pains we may have to deal with for a year until they discover a good solution.
Second Warlock has crazy control tools. Board wipes, big minions, enemy discard/burn, value hero and good reload. I think that'll make them king for a while until other classes catch up. I'm hoping the mini set and next set push another class up enough to contend. This is a think Blizzards plan over all. Just set up the buffs to swing classes to underused strategies in the miniset and next set. The buffs definitely did more than I thought, especially N'zoth which looked just weird but it set up Demon Hunter really well.
TLDR: I don't think the buffs/nerfs are bad just slow as they rely on future content and Core set causes discover/generation issues that are difficult to solve.
I've been running a similar deck idea. I opened Plaguemaw the Rottingearly and was trying to make it work. He felt weak before but coming back with N'zoth is a big upside.
My version adds in Y'sharaaj to double up on the Moontouched Amulet and Dreaming Drake. It's fun to have otk DH give up because of all the armor!
Blizzard doesn't talk about the future often. So when they say in an ama they want to do this, easy to see it's coming soon. Plus rag is a top pick for diamond.
Gvg my money is on Doctor Boom. Though I don't expect these to come out super fast.
Also not too far off on Rag. 2-3 Leg and a few epics. Have the dust but may hold off for now. Love these Diamonds, it's a nice bonus idea, just like having the dust in case.
Tess, Undatakah, Phaoris.
Missed those cards. Might have to mess around in wild this month.
I did a little last month with Deathrattle DH and Hero power Mage. But that Big DH list looks very amusing. Can't wait to try all these decks out. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome portraits all of em. Love having the options. Allows me to make a deck stand out more in my list with a different portrait plus the new emote lines are always fun.
Rexxar and Gul'dan are top pics for me. Since I picked Rex last time and they released another one this pass I'll probably do Gul'dan. I do agree with Judgement Paladin the helm is kind of a thing. Maybe a reskin later with the helm on?
Oh I'm sure they'll still fit their meme cards in. Blizzard is good at that. Plus with all the free rewards track stuff they are pushing I'm sure we'll have no trouble getting our meme on. Mini set will help give an extra push to mechanics that didn't take off.
Yes you are right Core21 didn't push much in the way off controlling DH but this set changes year to year. So maybe it's not a thing they want to focus this year.
We may just disagree here and that's fine. As for Rogue, relying on a weapon to heal is a weakness. One Ooze and you can loose multiple cards depending on what poisons you run. Demon Hunter has a bigger variety, which is what I was stating as a positive. As for working together, I think DH has one of the most solid plans laid out. Pressure early, Inquisitor finish. Real simple. Sure the Deathrattle stuff isn't quite on the same path but just another strong card or two and I can see it holding it's own. It's real fun in wild.
To me, less neutrals is actually better. Dying to Leeroy Jenkins no matter the class isn't healthy. We also have to remember to add in the Core set to the calculation of available cards. Getting that bunch of cards, free, is amazing for the game. I've honestly been having a lot of fun exploring those legendaries along side Barrens stuff. So while we loose some neutrals per set, we gain a more focused core.
And yes you could write a SIMILAR description for Rogue. They lack the healing and taunt for long games. As well as currently don't have OTK tools and do more of a death of a thousand cuts over continuous turns of damage. Also a strong battle cry and bounce core as you mentioned before. Overall I think it's similar yet different enough to have positives and negatives for using either class.
There are more than nuances, a lot of that stuff other classes can do and overlap with others. Which is a good thing.
I can understand this point however I don't think saying things like it doesn't justify it's existence as a class. It has positives like strong draw, discounts (with skull), copying effects (Zai). As well as powerful disruption with Star Student Stelina and Glide. It can also be very fast out the gate with it's hero power and many attack buffs. None of this is completely unique sure but it's not inconsequential.
It's also okay that the class doesn't appeal to everybody. I know people who dislike Warlock or only play Mage. It doesn't mean Demon Hunter doesn't have it's place in the game.
As for sigils, I like the idea. It's a secret that the opponent knows and reacts too. Very neat idea.
I understand wanting each class to be truly unique I don't think that is healthy for the game. If Warriors were THE weapon class and mages where THE spell class that takes away from other classes not enhances them. If you look at all the classes they overlap with another in every aspect. That's actually a good thing. It helps the design of neutral (and dual) class cards. If a card is so specific it only works in one class then why do we have neutrals?
Hero Attacks:
A lot of classes use their hero to fight. Druid attacks with it's claws, using animal forms to attack. Rogue takes a weapon and enhances it with poisons to take down their foes. Demon Hunter is somewhere in the middle it has weapons but it's spells enhance the hero even without weapons. Demon Hunter even has an "ignore taunt" mechanic in Kayn Sunfury.
Big Demons:
If we focus on the Demon aspect that alligns with Warlock. Demon Hunter's haven't had this pushed but cards like Fel Summoner or Pit Commander pulling demons from your hand or deck are very similar to WarlocksVoidcaller or Possessed Lackey. So far what we've seen these are very alike. If we go beyond Demons we have Paladin and Warrior with things like Commencement. Cards like this encourage deck building challenges. Decks shouldn't always be auto complete. Even if the cards don't make an impact, as the DH ones have so far, the variety being there is useful for the game.
Tokens:
Druid has the board buffs while Demon Hunter and Hunter do not. Druids want their tokens to live and continue the attack. Demon Hunter's throw away their tokens. They throw them into a board, clearing it out and benefiting from the death's with Nethrandamus or Feast of Souls. Hunters are in the middle here. Doing both board building and rushing tokens to clear.
Deathrattle:
Yes these could of gone in any class certainly. However I like the swarm nature of these in DH. The kill me and another will take my place feels Demon Hunter. Where Hunters you know it will summon a beast when it dies DH it's a deck building thing. You have to have the cards in your hand/deck to get pulled. Being prepared for the fight before hand. Rogues deathrattles tend to have value, buffing weapons or adding things to the deck.
OTK:
No we didn't need it to be DH. But is that bad that they have an OTK? As I said before different deck types in a class is a good thing. Not every Mage you face should be No Minion, even if that is the best type. Having other avenues lets players expirement to find new and dare I say fun ways to win.
Soulfragment:
Yes you do need to mention something. Why is it such a shock that in a dual class set another class has the mechanic? Warlocks use the healing better but DH turn those shards into a much stronger way to attack. Similar but different.
Outcast:
Yes it's stronger in a low cost aggro style. That doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. I think making people look at their hand different because of a mechanic is a plus. Combo also is better with low cost cards, should it be limited to aggro as well?
Conclusion:
I understand the idea of wanting a class to be a unique shining star. To have something no one else has. But that's not the direction Blizzard went with any of the classes. Why should Demon Hunter be different? Mechanics being similar allow for neutral and dual class cards to be better targeted. Different archetypes in a class allow for diversity in builds. Sure maybe most DH are OTK right now but the next set dropping a good deathrattle or two could push the Barrens cards into the spot light. Even if it doesn't overtake the meta build letting these exist is still healthy. Heck I've been enjoying deathrattle DH in wild a lot. It's silly sure but it still wins and it's fun to play and refine that deck.
To me the game would be boring if every class was predetermined by some magical unique thing they needed to do. Fighting that one Recruit paladin in the sea of Secrets is refreshing and fun in my daily climb. Don't you agree?
Love the decks. I've been debating crafting E.T.C., God of Metal. Crafted Overlord Saurfang day one as I love the design. Been running a more midrange deck with Taurajo Brave and Barrens Blacksmith. Really fun cards.
I don't own Rokara either but every time I've discovered her she has felt really good.
Also been enjoying Death Speaker Blackthorn and the rest of the package in wild. It's been a blast at low ranks.
I've played a little post expac and it's been alright. Did a demon hunter deathrattle deck with mostly small minions. Really funny to have the board keep refilling itself. Just gotta figure out what to cut to get Norzdormu in there.
Also I get your point but Norzdormu isn't a card you play to win. It just wasn't designed that way. So yes putting him in my deck is actively loosing, especially in ranked. It's just not the point. Seeing it active, having to play faster, especially in a ranked setting is just hilarious to me. I'm certain I am not the only one.
I appreciate the pointers on the meta break down though. I will however continue to loose and be quite entertained with it.
Yesterday was the day I took him out of my deck. Since launch found one person running him. Though I play him in ranked. I never have taken my climb seriously. So it was fun to surprise people when I played him.
Maybe ill try in wild. Haven't experimented enough there.
Otherwise I look forward to the 15th.
I like the Jandice Barov nerf. Playing against this card in Wild, where the pool is bigger, putting more "bad" 5 drops wouldn't counter it enough. There would have to be a lot added on top of that. So hitting the mana is the right way to go. Not sure if 6 is enough but good start.
Deck of Lunacy is also the right direction. Slow down the problem card with out just breaking the spell mage deck entirely. Will be slower and less random. Still a strong deck and may even keep Lunacy for some matchups.
I've been running Horde Operative to fight secret Pally. Glad to see Sword of the Fallen not drawing as much. It was rated one of the best cards of the set by some of the reviewers I watch. I see why now.
Pen Flinger was just to good. Pushing it in one direction, board control, is a good thing. Doesn't kill the card out right but keeping it from being THE finisher will reduce people's frustrations.
Same with the watch posts. Very widespread use. Glad they hit these early. While I don't mind them, facing them nearly every game is annoying. Neutral cards are a tough balance. They need to have a much more narrow focus or risk being overpopulated/frustrating.
Refreshing Spring Water is a card to watch for sure. However I think it's fair to first nerf the problematic card then see where things land before further hurting spell mage. The deck still should exist and still be strong just not turn 3 playing 6+ mana spells strong. If they do hit the Spring Water I'd love to see it just go to refreshing 1 mana per spell. This would make it a 2 mana Arcane Intellect in spell mage rather than a 0 mana one. Hopefully though they won't need too and the deck will slow down enough to have more counter play.
I've enjoyed warrior this expansion. I use a handbuff deck as well with Overlord Saurfang as a finisher. Also thinking of pushing N'Zoth, God of the Deep maybe. It's been real fun and can conquer some of the harder matchups with Paladin and Mage. It's not perfect but been a blast. Nice to see it get a spot light here.
Overlord Runthak is by far my favorite card this expansion and he isn't even part of the Expansion. Just such a fun card. This is what Don Han'Cho wanted to be.
I'm not at very high ranks but I have been having success with Warrior. I use a handbuff Overlord Saurfang build. It's really quite fun. Scrap Golem helps a lot to slow down the opponent and keep your health up for C'Thun, the Shattered. Horde Operative is also hilarious. Of course it's not 100% but Warrior feels good in those matchups. Still refining what I'm using and debating crafting a few things. Overall though I find Mage and Paladin a positive matchup.
The core set did a lot to clear out the useless cards so now card generation and discovers effects are almost entirely positive. Deck of Lunacy and Jandice Barov are the two stand outs but I think all those effects are very pushed right now. If Blizz does nerf anything hopefully they can revert it next set when the card pool is a bit more cluttered. It's a shame Lunacy, a fun card, feels oppressive in a small than normal bubble.
Tldr: No, as I enjoy overcoming the odds. However feel free to enjoy the game how you want. If you don't like a match up, don't play it.
I think people who concede that early miss out on the potential for a win. Too often if I play the hated class people concede without realizing I'm playing something way off meta. What could of been an easy win for them just gives me the W instead and still doesn't feel good because I wanted to try something crazy.
Being on the other end, matching up against a tough class is thrilling for me. Sure there can be frustrations. However even if I don't win just putting up a fight can be satisfying (especially with a meme deck).
The other day I had an amazing long fatigue game Vs a C'thun priest as Warrior. Such a tough grindy match. He played about 7 Shadow word Deaths from generation. I couldn't keep a board for more than a turn. Frustrating but I pushed through, kept enough health floating around that I won out. I wouldn't have that story, that victory, if I had just conceded based on my previous losses to Priest.
In the end it's a personal choice based on your enjoyment. Do what is fun with your game time.