Welcome to Medivh's Tower Format! Tower is a format in which there is no RNG other than when a player draws from their deck. This means no Discover, Copy, Random, or other words that can do something non-specific. Below is the ban list (which I'm not going to update regularly once this is posted) for players to build their decks around.
This Format is a sub-format of Standard AND Wild.
The goal of the Format is to cut down on "Paveling Book" scenarios and to rely purely on skill and deckbuilding, and in order to do that certain Key Words, Words, and cards must be banned.
Banned Words & Key words:
Discover
Adapt
Random or "At the end/beginning of turn do X to another enemy/friendly character".
Copy
Numbers that aren't exact, i.e. "1-4" "3-6" as opposed to just "2".
50% Chance
Below I've listed out each each expansion which contains a list of cards that are banned from each class including neutral cards. At the bottom of each expansion is a Debatable section where I explain why or why I didn't ban a particular card and the reasoning. Below that I give my thoughts on the impact the cards currently make in the Standard and Wild Formats.
Legacy
Demon Hunter
Druid
None
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
None
Now many of those from the Legacy sets don't see play anyway, but as we go on you'll see how much RNG affects today's Hearthstone.
Curse of Naxxramas
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
None
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
None
Warlock
Warrior
None
Neutral
Debatable
None
So with Curse of Naxxramas we see that RNG is pretty steady and not entirely crazy. Voidcaller is a staple in Demon-lock in Wild, I wonder how the meta will develop without Warlock being able to cheat out big Demons.
Goblins vs Gnomes
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
With Spare Parts being introduced with Goblins vs Gnomes, cards that produce the Spare parts had to be removed from the Format. As for the Dr. Boom ban, the format is trying to reduce the amount of RNG in a game of Hearthstone and the Boom Bot's are getting in the way of that. Wild Pirate Warrior also takes a hit by losing Ship's Cannon but this isn't the only card loss that'll cripple the deck. oooooh foreshadowing!
Blackrock Mountain
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
None
Hunter
None
Mage
Paladin
None
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
None
Warrior
None
Neutral
Deabatable
Grim Patron could be argued because the card doesn't explicitly say to summon a copy, if you think it shouldn't be banned explain why please.
Majordomo Executus does get banned because of the hero power he produces. Grim Patron is still in the air for me but I banned him just to be safe. The most notable loss is Big/Rez Priest losing Resurrect.
The Grand Tournament
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
None
Neutral
Debatable
None
Although The Grand Tournament was one of the worst Expansions in Hearthstone's history, it still gave us some powerful Inspire cards with RNG effects. One of those being Nexus-Champion Saraad, but still, none of these cards see play in Wild (at least I never see them).
The League of Explorers
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
None
Priest
Rogue
None
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
None
Neutral
Debatable
None
With League of Explorers, came with the keyword Discover and with that, Discover is a banned Keyword. Every card with that Keyword will be banned from this point on a lot of staple cards and even decks aren't possible with these restrictions.
Whispers of The Old Gods
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
None
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
None
The most iconic thing that is random from Whispers of The Old Gods is of course, Yogg-Saron, Hope's End and there really is no question as to why he's banned. It was and still is my favorite set. Other cards on this list weren't very impactful. Some of you might ask "If C'Thun is banned then why isn't *C'Thun support card banned?", and that's because they don't meet the ban criteria.
One night in Karazhan
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
None
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
None
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Medivh, the Guardian gets banned because of Atiesh if you were confused.
Many of the cards banned from One Night in Karazhan are the portals, some of them saw play in their time in standard, others didn't. It was a fun Adventure Set and makes me wish Team 5 would bring the weekly addition of cards back. Barnes plagued the meta for years before Team 5 acted on it, but now Big/Rez Priest has better tools to cheat out big minions…….for now.
Mean Streets of Gadgetzan
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
None
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Tri-class cards
Neutral
Debatable
None
Gadgetzan brought us Drakonid Operative which allowed Control Priest to dominate the meta for a time. Looking at the list above, the classes most affected all belong to the Grimy Goons since most of their hand buffing targets were random. Shudder-Shaman also takes a hit by losing doppelgangster but, it doesn't matter and you'll soon see why.
Journey to Un'Goro
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Fire Plume's Heart - Because of the hero power created by Sulfuras.
Molten Blade is inherently random without saying it.
The Last Kaleidosaur - Banned because Galvadon Adapts, which is banned.
Unite the Murlocs - Because of Megafin's Battlecry.
With the new Keyword Adapt, Journey to Un'Goro already gives us several cards to be removed from the format, but still left us with with one of the most memorable expansions of all time.
Knights of the Frozen Throne
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
None
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Uther of the Ebon Blade, I'm really on the fence because it's random which Horseman he summons from his Hero Power. For now though he'll stay legal.
Valeera the Hollow is banned because the card generated from her Hero Power.
Big/Rez Priest takes a big hit here losing Obsidian Statue and Eternal Servitude. With Deathstalker Rexxar out of the legal pool I wonder, at this point, what decks Hunter can come up with.
Kobolds and Catacombs
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
None
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
The Unidentified cards are banned because the effect they gain is inherently random.
Lynessa Sunsorrow because without saying it she's casting copies on herself.
Rummaging Kobold is banned beacuse random can be implied.
I considered banning Recruit but it's not entirely random. If a case is made to me that pulling cards from your deck is random, then recruit along with other cards like Mad Scientist, Arcanologist, and Mysterious Challenger might also have to be banned.
The Witchwood
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Prince Liam makes the list because random is Implied.
Chameleos because it's transforming into a copy of a card in your opponents hand.
Hagatha the Witch gets banned because of her Hero Power.
Hadronox Druid takes a hit here losing Witching Hour and to the surprise of absolutely no one Shudderwock is banned.
The Boomsday Project
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
None
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Flark's Boom-Zooka doesn't really specify which enemy minions which to me leads to randomness, if someone can give me some solid reasoning as to why this shouldn't be banned I'm all ears.
Kangor's Endless Army almostr made the list but it stays (barely) legal. If someone can provide reasoning as to why it should be banned I'll consider it, but I'll have to take another look at cards like Bloodreaver Gul'dan.
Test Subject gets banned because the cards generated are arguable copies.
Academic Espionage becauase it's shuffling copies of cards into your deck.
Supercollider is banned because the minion is randomly chosen if there's more than one adjacent.
Mech-Warrior takes a huge blow by losing Dr. Boom, Mad Genius and Deathrattle Rogue losing Necrium Blade.
Rastakhan's Rumble
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
[Hearthstone Card (A New Challenger…) Not Found]
(If the card doesn't show up, I give up.)
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Krag'wa, the Frog is banned because the spells added to your hand are effectively copies.
Da Undatakah doesn't specify which ones so it feels random.
Nothing too big of note here…… god this expansion was not good.
Rise of Shadows
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Catrina Muerte & Mass Resurrection because random is implied.
Heistbaron Togwaggle because one of his options has 'random" in the text.
Mage losing Khadgar, Conjurer's Calling, and Power of Creation ruins any dreams of summoning big minions out of nowhere. The combo itself is the reason why I came up with this Format………… three years ago. Control Priest losing Convincing Infiltrator is another big hit to the deck.
Saviors of Uldum
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Making Mummies is banned because the Hero Power has the word "copy" in it.
Desert Hare is banned because its Battlecry summons two copies of itself.
The biggest notable loss here is Zephrys the Great, not that he was absolutely needed for every Highlander deck but being able to find the right answer for two mana definitely swung a lot of matches.
Descent of Dragons
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Hoard Pillager is on the list because the weapon you re-equip is random, if you want to make an argument against my thinking go ahead and I might take it off the ban list.
Some of you might point out that not all the Galakronds are banned, but that's because their invokes aren't a random effect.
Pirate warrior takes another hit losing Sky Raider. Highlander takes another hit by losing Dragonqueen Alexstrasza
Ashes of Outland & Demon Hunter Initiate Set
Demon Hunter
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
None
Neutral
Debatable
Zixor, Apex Predator makes the list because of Zixor Prime's copy effect.
Nothing on the list particularly jumps out at me besides some of the Primes that are generated.
Scholomance Academy
Dual Class Cards
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
[Hearthstone Card (Shifty Sophmore) Not Found]
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
None
Big/Rez Priest takes ANOTHER hit losing Gift of Luminance. Priest also loses some the ability to perform shenanigans by losing Gift of Luminance.
Madness at the Darkmoon Faire
Dual Class Cards
Demon Hunter
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
[Hearthstone Card (
) Not Found]
Debatable
None
Yogg-Saron, Master of Fate does not get a break in this Format and followers shouldn't either! Nazmani Bloodweaver enabes Priest to do some ridiculous things and thankfully because of the text on the card it's banned. With Idol of Y'Shaarj and [Hearthstone Card (Blood of G'hunn) Not Found] banned I think we've put the final nails in Big/Rez Priest's coffin.
Forged in the Barrens
Demon Hunter
None
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Gruntled Patron is bed because it's essentially summoning a copy of itself.
Warlock takes a hit by losing the Powerful Tamsin Roame. The most notable loss is Mutanus the Devourer, a powerful control tool that eats a random minion in your opponent's hand.
United in Stormwind
Demon Hunter
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
None
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Raid the Docks is banned because the quest itself has a random effect and the overall reward is inherently random, the ban itself ruins any dreams of Pirate Warrior being relevant again.
Fractured in Alteric Valley
Demon Hunter
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
None.
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
None.
Neutral
Debatable
Magister Dawngrasp is banned because the battlecry could possibly target a random character.
A case could be made for Mi'da, Pure Light because it's technically summoning a copy of itself If we agree on that then Waxadred will be banned as well.
Bru'kan of the Elements comes close to being banned but none of his Choices or Hero Powers state the word "Random". It could be argued that the rotation of the Hero Power is random on it's own, but so is base Shaman Hero Power.
Irondeep Trogg is banned for the same reason as most of the Patron's
Hunter losing [Hearthstone Card (Beatstalker Tavish) Not Found] is absolutely devastating, the same goes for mage losing Magister Dawngrasp and Rune of the Archmage.
Voyage to the Sunken City
Demon Hunter
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
None
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Azsharan Defector is banned because of the token it generates Sunken Defector.
A case could be made for Bottomfeeder since it's essentially putting a copy of itself back into the deck, I'll let you all be the judge.
Commander Sivara is banned becuase it's adding copies of spells to your hand.
Azsharan Mooncatcher is banned because of Sunken Mooncatcher.
The biggest losses here are Ambassador Faelin because of his late game capabilities and School Teacher who is an all around good card. Mech Mage loses Mothership but since Nathria launched it hasn't been viable anyway.
Murder at Castle Nathria
Demon Hunter
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Debatable
Baroness Vashj is banned because it summons a random minion that it would have transformed into.
Lady Darkvein makes it onto the list because of the tokens, if the spell gained is for example Darkbomb, then it will hit a random enemy.
Murloc Holmes is banned because you're gaining copies of cards.
Sire Denathrius is banned because he effectively works like C'Thun
RIP Spooky Mage, the Volatile Skeleton's themselves ruin any chance of the deck existing and destroys the entire mage package this expansion. The same can almost also be said for Wildseed Hunter with it losing most of its package as well. The most notable loss of this expanion is the loss of Sire Denathrius, now players will have to think a bit harder when it comes to ending a game.
If I missed any cards that should be banned or if you think certain cards please let me know below, I did numerous passovers on the list and I'm sure I've missed at least one card. There're a lot of close call cards that didn't make it onto the list and I'm not sure if I made the right call on not banning them. If you believe that some should/should not be on the list please let me know. With your comments I'll be putting them into the Debatable sections of each expansion so others can reasonings as to why or why not a card is banned.
This is one of 6 formats that will be presented in a Hearthstone Format Overhaul I'm working on.
Thank you for reading.
-Grif
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