So I was able to build a version of the deck in Standard, and got the combo off… kind of!
I remembered why the quest was important when I got to the turn: You run out of board space quick! So the double battlecries make the corrupted Medics into free Alexstraza the Life Binders that Bolnar keeps giving you more of.
Had to use the free Medics to clear a few minions, only sent one 4 dmg shot face. But filled my hand with corrupted Medics (full cost after my turn), had a full board, and my opponent had nothing onboard with three cards left. So it worked out!
I imagine a way around the board space issue is to try and get some corrupted Dunk Tanks going. Just hope you have at least one free Medic and a space to play it after dropping all free Tanks on their face.
After DMF released I loved running a Standard list with Y'Shaarj, Circus Medics, and Dunk Tanks combined with the quest. Never really carried it over into Wild but will have to try this one. If it works the way it should you could still do this without the quest in Standard too. Play at least one corrupted Medic, then on turn 10 Y'Shaarj, Bolnar, Bloom, the free Medic, get another free Medic (or two) and just keep doing that until you either win or you run out of time.
That's all I was seeing too, however, now I don't see any bundles... Wondering if the algorithm was bugged and not offering different bundles based on your habits so they pulled it down?
Great breakdown! I'm excited for the mode, but not excited about spending any real money on it if it can be helped. So this breakdown really helps to determine that maybe I'll hold off on any pre-purchase and just go F2P in this mode due to it having what seems to be a fairly generous rewards system (unless I'm misinterpreting something). The part about being able to farm specific coins is something I hadn't heard yet so that especially makes the rewards seem more fair and generous, even if you have to invest the time to get enough.
Maybe I'll buy an occasional bundle down the road if they offer a sweet deal or have some really nice cosmetic item. But due to spending on the main game mode already being a bit higher than I'd prefer, keeping that cash in my pocket for now.
I always enjoyed Odd Mage, continued playing it in Wild after the early Genn/Baku rotation. After Barrens I was playing a “Fire Mage” deck based around HP shenanigans that included Mordresh and Jan’alai. Something about the fantasy of being a mage with a strong hero power was fun to me.
It was never super strong in Wild in either form, but with Wildfire at 1 it intrigues me enough to at least try Odd Mage again. If only Mordresh was changed to 9 mana 9/9, and Reckless Apprentice changed to a 3 mana 3/4…
Could run Frost Lich and just save the Wildfires until after playing her too. That is, if Wild slows down enough for an Odd Elemental Mage to be viable. (Fun Fact: When Barrens released, Wildfire’s effect used to carryover to the DK hp, but at some point they patches it so it wouldn’t.)
Tech cards to counter or slow quests: unlikely. Unless they do something like “While this in play, Battlecry effects won’t trigger.” to prevent your opponent from playing the questline reward a turn. But even then how effective will it be? What’s the cost? The stat line? Too little health and it just get’s removed immediately, effectively stopping nothing. Could be a battlecry that all other battlecries won’t trigger until your next turn. At which point Rogue becomes the QL killer with Shadowsteps.
More likely approach is a nerf to the questlines that are problematic, and maybe further nerfs to problematic cards enabling the problematic QL decks. As to what those nerfs would be, not sure.
As for actual mini set speculation: I feel like they’ve telegraphed Stockades, especially with Dawngrasp’s QL art and theme. I think someone theorized a new Hogger card having potential as I believe he’s in the Heroic Stockades dungeon (right? Haven’t played WoW in the longest time.)
But overall I’m just expecting 35 more cards, a total of four new legendaries, one epic, and the rest a mix of rares and commons.
Despite the overall win rate from HS Replay being sub 47%, I've been 8-3 through the Platinum ranks as I start to really climb this month. This deck can be strong, but requires a little time for set up and some thought into how to make best use of your draw.
When this article was first posted I tried DreadEye's list that you based the budget version off of, and I had a horrible time with it. After watching BoarControl playing the list (or one very similar) yesterday I tried it again last night and this morning with a better idea of how to pilot it. I'm still making my way through the ranks this season, but nearing the end of Platinum with an 8-3 record with the deck since yesterday. Which seems crazy since I'm pretty sure HS Replay puts it around 47%. But again, I initially wasn't playing it right so I'm sure there are a lot of other people also not playing it right and bringing down the overall win rate... ??? Or maybe it'll just get way harder to win with when I reach higher ranks.
Either way, I'm actually having fun with this archetype now that I understand it better! So much fun!
It took my two tries, and I never even freed Anatheron when I beat him on the second try. Mostly just clearing the board with as few resources as possible. I actually got to the point where we were both in fatigue and his hero power wasn't pulling anything. I think my last turn I might have actually freed Anatheron right before lethal with another minion in play. Not sure how I made it work without Anatheron to help with clearing the board. I just got lucky I guess.
I love these types of articles! Great breakdown and analysis of a pro deck and how you went about making it more budget friendly for those who may not have the resources to make the existing list. Well done!
...now I can´t play control anymore in Standard nor in Wild, I am forced to play arena and duels...
I understand your frustration, but your comment is actually showcasing exactly what Flux is talking about. The game isn't necessarily ruined even if it is "ruined" for you because the deck or type of deck you like isn't particularly strong right now. Because for many other people, they might enjoy the current meta. And here in lies where Flux says your anger and toxic attitude (in game and in forums) is what is ruining the game. He's talking more about the community being "ruined" rather than the actual game and its development.
While I play everything from Aggro, to Control, to Midrange, to Combo, and straight up memes I can also get frustrated at times. Last night I was playing a Galakrond Shadow Priest that had a surprise Mind Blast combo in it if I was able to survive long enough and needed some burst, and that was frustrating as hell. But when I am having issues with one deck I just swap to another. And I think here is your biggest issue with the current state of the game: you personally don't want to play other types of decks, so if the type you enjoy is weak you feel the game as a whole is bad.
I forget how many different deck archetypes the casters mentioned people bringing to Master's Tour over the weekend, but in the Top 16, or Top 8 maybe, every class had at least one archetype represented, with some having two, and a few archetypes even having 2-3 varying builds within the same archetype. Hell, Kibler was playing Rat King Hunter yesterday, using Jewel of N'Zoth to bring back three Rat Kings, and eventually got a board that almost never didn't have at least one living Rat King and 1-2 about ready to respawn on the next death of one. Was it the most successful? No, probably not! But he was beating some of the "top tier" decks with it so it has merit.
TLDR: I'm sorry that you feel that way, but unless you absolutely hate other archetypes outside of Control there are a lot of options available in the meta right now. Handbuff Paladin is a little more Midrange, but might be an archetype you enjoy as you can play it more like a control deck in some situations.
What bothered me most about Mercenaries was the $130 preorder options
Hearthstone at least eased us into the $100 mega bundles + rewards track purchases - we knew what we were paying for when they were introduced
Mercenaries coming out the gate asked for such a irregular price considering the value of said purchase is largely unknown
Love HS and continue to do so, but this is the FIRST preorder offering since BETA which I haven’t immediately dropped $$$ on
I get this 100%! I personally am feeling like the Mercs mode will be fun and something I enjoy, but unless we get some sort of pre-release open beta play to see how much I like or dislike the mode, I won't be pre-ordering anything. This is partially because I would want the Diablo and/or Lich King bundles, which are pricey, and because I already spend too much on the main game mode every year.
Ultimately though, I feel like Mercs is going to be so vastly different from HS that it could have been a stand alone game with completely separate audiences. So really the high monetization is likely not to punish people playing traditional HS, but to capture value out of players returning to HS just to play Mercs. Is that greedy? Maybe. Is it a solid plan on monetizing the new mode? Of course! BGs only monetization right now is cosmetics (plus perks if you don't get them in the mega pre-purchase card bundle). And Duels has no monetization other than the players paying $$$ for a competitive run instead of using gold. But how many people do that? I bet almost none.
So the team put a lot of effort into Mercs and they want to try and make some cash off it. That's fine! But I'm with you on not immediately jumping to pre-order. If there is no open beta and I end up liking the mode after release, perhaps I'll pick up the occasional $20 hero + packs bundle for Mercs. Or maybe it'll actually be relatively f2p friendly! They mentioned daily rewards and match making taking into account your team's overall power level. So despite not buying a lot of packs to power up you could potentially still do well if you are successfully matched up with other f2p players around your level on a regular basis.
I mean, it's the best way to offer them without making them cost more $ or gold. And historically, getting the epics you wanted was sometimes harder than getting legendaries. Probably not the case anymore though with the duplicate protection rules on all rarities. But still... If that is all they are and they cost the same, an Epic pack is a better value than a normal pack. Wouldn't be surprised if these were only available in the occasional special bundle.
Funny, I made almost this exact same deck today!
The main difference is I didn't have 3x Pyromaniac! :)
So I was able to build a version of the deck in Standard, and got the combo off… kind of!
I remembered why the quest was important when I got to the turn: You run out of board space quick! So the double battlecries make the corrupted Medics into free Alexstraza the Life Binders that Bolnar keeps giving you more of.
Had to use the free Medics to clear a few minions, only sent one 4 dmg shot face. But filled my hand with corrupted Medics (full cost after my turn), had a full board, and my opponent had nothing onboard with three cards left. So it worked out!
I imagine a way around the board space issue is to try and get some corrupted Dunk Tanks going. Just hope you have at least one free Medic and a space to play it after dropping all free Tanks on their face.
After DMF released I loved running a Standard list with Y'Shaarj, Circus Medics, and Dunk Tanks combined with the quest. Never really carried it over into Wild but will have to try this one. If it works the way it should you could still do this without the quest in Standard too. Play at least one corrupted Medic, then on turn 10 Y'Shaarj, Bolnar, Bloom, the free Medic, get another free Medic (or two) and just keep doing that until you either win or you run out of time.
Quite brilliant, really!
That's all I was seeing too, however, now I don't see any bundles... Wondering if the algorithm was bugged and not offering different bundles based on your habits so they pulled it down?
Great breakdown! I'm excited for the mode, but not excited about spending any real money on it if it can be helped. So this breakdown really helps to determine that maybe I'll hold off on any pre-purchase and just go F2P in this mode due to it having what seems to be a fairly generous rewards system (unless I'm misinterpreting something). The part about being able to farm specific coins is something I hadn't heard yet so that especially makes the rewards seem more fair and generous, even if you have to invest the time to get enough.
Maybe I'll buy an occasional bundle down the road if they offer a sweet deal or have some really nice cosmetic item. But due to spending on the main game mode already being a bit higher than I'd prefer, keeping that cash in my pocket for now.
Wildfire to 1 = low key buff to Wandmaker in HP Mage!
I don't think Wandmaker can give you the questline, so Wildfire will now be 1/8 chance to generate from Wandmaker
Other options are Brain Freeze, Devolving Missiles, First Flame, Font of Power, Primordial Studies, Shooting Star, and Snap Freeze.
Random story time:
I always enjoyed Odd Mage, continued playing it in Wild after the early Genn/Baku rotation. After Barrens I was playing a “Fire Mage” deck based around HP shenanigans that included Mordresh and Jan’alai. Something about the fantasy of being a mage with a strong hero power was fun to me.
It was never super strong in Wild in either form, but with Wildfire at 1 it intrigues me enough to at least try Odd Mage again. If only Mordresh was changed to 9 mana 9/9, and Reckless Apprentice changed to a 3 mana 3/4…
Could run Frost Lich and just save the Wildfires until after playing her too. That is, if Wild slows down enough for an Odd Elemental Mage to be viable. (Fun Fact: When Barrens released, Wildfire’s effect used to carryover to the DK hp, but at some point they patches it so it wouldn’t.)
Wildfire at (1)?!?! Revival of my Odd Mage deck?!?! Not sure if it’s going to be viable or not but maybe!
Just noticed this page still shows the old art from when it was nerfed instead of the un-nerfed card.
Tech cards to counter or slow quests: unlikely. Unless they do something like “While this in play, Battlecry effects won’t trigger.” to prevent your opponent from playing the questline reward a turn. But even then how effective will it be? What’s the cost? The stat line? Too little health and it just get’s removed immediately, effectively stopping nothing. Could be a battlecry that all other battlecries won’t trigger until your next turn. At which point Rogue becomes the QL killer with Shadowsteps.
More likely approach is a nerf to the questlines that are problematic, and maybe further nerfs to problematic cards enabling the problematic QL decks. As to what those nerfs would be, not sure.
As for actual mini set speculation: I feel like they’ve telegraphed Stockades, especially with Dawngrasp’s QL art and theme. I think someone theorized a new Hogger card having potential as I believe he’s in the Heroic Stockades dungeon (right? Haven’t played WoW in the longest time.)
But overall I’m just expecting 35 more cards, a total of four new legendaries, one epic, and the rest a mix of rares and commons.
Despite the overall win rate from HS Replay being sub 47%, I've been 8-3 through the Platinum ranks as I start to really climb this month. This deck can be strong, but requires a little time for set up and some thought into how to make best use of your draw.
When this article was first posted I tried DreadEye's list that you based the budget version off of, and I had a horrible time with it. After watching BoarControl playing the list (or one very similar) yesterday I tried it again last night and this morning with a better idea of how to pilot it. I'm still making my way through the ranks this season, but nearing the end of Platinum with an 8-3 record with the deck since yesterday. Which seems crazy since I'm pretty sure HS Replay puts it around 47%. But again, I initially wasn't playing it right so I'm sure there are a lot of other people also not playing it right and bringing down the overall win rate... ??? Or maybe it'll just get way harder to win with when I reach higher ranks.
Either way, I'm actually having fun with this archetype now that I understand it better! So much fun!
It took my two tries, and I never even freed Anatheron when I beat him on the second try. Mostly just clearing the board with as few resources as possible. I actually got to the point where we were both in fatigue and his hero power wasn't pulling anything. I think my last turn I might have actually freed Anatheron right before lethal with another minion in play. Not sure how I made it work without Anatheron to help with clearing the board. I just got lucky I guess.
Garrote Rogue was kind of fun for this! Only tried it twice so far, won against Ignite Mage and Mana Burn DH.
I love these types of articles! Great breakdown and analysis of a pro deck and how you went about making it more budget friendly for those who may not have the resources to make the existing list. Well done!
I understand your frustration, but your comment is actually showcasing exactly what Flux is talking about. The game isn't necessarily ruined even if it is "ruined" for you because the deck or type of deck you like isn't particularly strong right now. Because for many other people, they might enjoy the current meta. And here in lies where Flux says your anger and toxic attitude (in game and in forums) is what is ruining the game. He's talking more about the community being "ruined" rather than the actual game and its development.
While I play everything from Aggro, to Control, to Midrange, to Combo, and straight up memes I can also get frustrated at times. Last night I was playing a Galakrond Shadow Priest that had a surprise Mind Blast combo in it if I was able to survive long enough and needed some burst, and that was frustrating as hell. But when I am having issues with one deck I just swap to another. And I think here is your biggest issue with the current state of the game: you personally don't want to play other types of decks, so if the type you enjoy is weak you feel the game as a whole is bad.
I forget how many different deck archetypes the casters mentioned people bringing to Master's Tour over the weekend, but in the Top 16, or Top 8 maybe, every class had at least one archetype represented, with some having two, and a few archetypes even having 2-3 varying builds within the same archetype. Hell, Kibler was playing Rat King Hunter yesterday, using Jewel of N'Zoth to bring back three Rat Kings, and eventually got a board that almost never didn't have at least one living Rat King and 1-2 about ready to respawn on the next death of one. Was it the most successful? No, probably not! But he was beating some of the "top tier" decks with it so it has merit.
TLDR: I'm sorry that you feel that way, but unless you absolutely hate other archetypes outside of Control there are a lot of options available in the meta right now. Handbuff Paladin is a little more Midrange, but might be an archetype you enjoy as you can play it more like a control deck in some situations.
I get this 100%! I personally am feeling like the Mercs mode will be fun and something I enjoy, but unless we get some sort of pre-release open beta play to see how much I like or dislike the mode, I won't be pre-ordering anything. This is partially because I would want the Diablo and/or Lich King bundles, which are pricey, and because I already spend too much on the main game mode every year.
Ultimately though, I feel like Mercs is going to be so vastly different from HS that it could have been a stand alone game with completely separate audiences. So really the high monetization is likely not to punish people playing traditional HS, but to capture value out of players returning to HS just to play Mercs. Is that greedy? Maybe. Is it a solid plan on monetizing the new mode? Of course! BGs only monetization right now is cosmetics (plus perks if you don't get them in the mega pre-purchase card bundle). And Duels has no monetization other than the players paying $$$ for a competitive run instead of using gold. But how many people do that? I bet almost none.
So the team put a lot of effort into Mercs and they want to try and make some cash off it. That's fine! But I'm with you on not immediately jumping to pre-order. If there is no open beta and I end up liking the mode after release, perhaps I'll pick up the occasional $20 hero + packs bundle for Mercs. Or maybe it'll actually be relatively f2p friendly! They mentioned daily rewards and match making taking into account your team's overall power level. So despite not buying a lot of packs to power up you could potentially still do well if you are successfully matched up with other f2p players around your level on a regular basis.
I personally won't buy a Mercenaries bundle unless they have four or more options. And when they do, I'll buy them all
I mean, it's the best way to offer them without making them cost more $ or gold. And historically, getting the epics you wanted was sometimes harder than getting legendaries. Probably not the case anymore though with the duplicate protection rules on all rarities. But still... If that is all they are and they cost the same, an Epic pack is a better value than a normal pack. Wouldn't be surprised if these were only available in the occasional special bundle.
My guess is that an Epic pack will be like a normal pack but guarantee at least one card being an Epic rarity.