Episodes
Friday Dec 25, 2015
League of Explorers Review (Class) - Episode 63
Friday Dec 25, 2015
Friday Dec 25, 2015
Hello!
- Scott is on the show this week
- Topic: League of Explorers Review!
- Reasons to be happy this week
- News: Happy Winter Veil
The Review Scale
What we’re reviewing:
- Arena Score = The value of this card while drafting in Arena.
- Constructed = The value of this card when crafting the type of constructed deck that most wants this card.
How the score works:
- 0 = Awful, unplayable (Example: Sacrificial Pact, Poison Seeds)
- 1 = Underpowered, but it could work out (Example: Naturalize, Divine Spirit, Corruption)
- 2 = Acceptable backup plan or niche filler (Example: Crazed Alchemist, Emperor Cobra)
- 3 = Solid value (Example: Chillwind Yeti)
- 4 = Great, with lots of upside (Example: Animal Companion, Knife Juggler)
- 5 = So good you always have to play it (Example: Dr. Boom)
Druid Cards
Raven Idol
- Josh says: Love the flexibility here. Should always be happy to draw this card.
- Scott says: Sort of like Tracking, but (true to Druid form) with an added layer of choice. Especially strong in Arena where deck synergy and card quality are much lower.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 3
Mounted Raptor
- Josh says: I’m not really sold on this yet. The very best case, you’re paying 1 mana to summon a random 1-cost minion. But even then you’re pairing that cost with playing a regular bloodfen raptor. Underwhelming compared to the likes of Knife Juggler.
- Scott says: It’s a beast, which is nice. It’s like a beast version of Harvest Golem, just slightly less predictable.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 3
Jungle Moonkin
- Josh says: Weird card that excels in super-specific situations. I just don’t see a ton of opportunity to get consistent value in it.
- Scott says: Another beast! Though I’m not sure how many Beast Druids care about spellpower, and I’m not sure how many people who care about spellpower want their opponents to have it. Works especially well with Swipe.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 2
Hunter Cards
Explorer’s Hat
- Scott says: I’m not sure if I should, but I really like this card. It’s a mana sink for sure, with more mana wasted the more you cast it. Yet I only cast it when I had mana to spare, or when it would make a difference. 2 mana is often well worth letting a minion survive a trade, or buffing a taunted minion. I view this like a reusable hero power baked into a card. Also can combo well with Lock ‘N Load, especially if you can cast multiple times in one turn.
- Josh says: Pure fun. I’ve had it get out of control with some copying effects, but doesn’t seem strong enough to really define a deck type.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 3
Dart Trap
- Scott says: Would be good in a Hunter deck if you can reliably hit face, but a Paladin or Shaman hero power would always have at least a 50% chance to hit a weenie. Generally not worth it.
- Josh says: Yeah, super hard sell for a one-time effect that could do nothing more than ping a token. Would love to see a similar (weaker effect) on a minion, though.
- Arena Score: 1
- Constructed Score: 1
Desert Camel
- Scott says: Not bad. Fine stats, and a good target for a Houndmaster. Not all opponents have 1-cost minions, and you’ll get to control what you draw. Timber Wolf or Webspinner are your two most obvious targets for now, though Injured Kvaldir(!), Leper Gnome, or Worgen Infiltrator are decent choices too. In arena, you’ll have to make sure you have at least a couple 1-cost minions in your deck.
- Josh says: Yeah, some fun opportunities for shenanigans. This can give a ton of value on board presence with the right 1-drops in your deck.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 2
Mage Cards
Forgotten Torch
- Josh says: Feels great in freeze and spell-damage decks. Great surprise plays if your opponent forgets about it and is only counting your Fireballs.
- Scott says: In exchange for paying for an overpriced spell up front, you get a underpriced spell later on. Maybe. Good in a deck that wants lots of spells and direct damage, and that expects a longer game.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 4
Animated Armor
- Josh says: I see a 4 cost 4/4 with taunt. That’s not awful, but pretty unimpressive compared to a 5-cost Sludge Belcher. If this came on a class that had cheap weapons, I’d love it. Mage has a very hard time getting value out of it the turn it’s played, so I’m less interested.
- Scott says: Seems to go well in a Freeze Mage deck, as it’s another way to mitigate damage. This guy will almost always be a lightning rod as soon as he appears. Can be especially good against Hunters if you can keep the board clear, as it halves their hero ability. In practice, I don’t expect him to prevent much damage, but will often disrupt your opponent’s plans.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 2
Ethereal Conjurer
- Josh says: At face value, I’m super wary of this card. Expensive, trades with a 2-cost minion and no guarantee on spell quality. But mage has a lot of great spells, and a freeze deck loves when things trade with their minions. So I could see it working okay there.
- Scott says: You’re paying a 1-mana premium (plus some badly-balanced stats) for an above-average mage spell, which seems like a good deal. And if you’re able to keep the board tidy, he might even get a chance to punch face once or twice, turning that stat balance to your advantage.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 3
Paladin Cards
Sacred Trial
- Scott says: Kills Dr. Boom (if they had at least one other minion on the board.) Not sure it’ll be worth it in most situations, but Secrets Paladin will probably want it.
- Josh says: I would NEVER have guessed that it kills Dr. Boom in that situation. That seems like a bug. I don’t see anything else redeeming here.
- Arena Score: 1
- Constructed Score: 1
Keeper of Uldaman
- Scott says: A neat spell that can be used on either player’s minions to good effect. Luckily it’s in Paladin where you can always give +2/+2 to a recruit, which is a great deal. The versatility of bringing down a big baddie is just a bonus. Gets better later in the game, so never keep it on a mulligan. A true MVP, and likely the best card in the set for raw value and versatility.
- Josh says: Scott said it all. Great value, great versatility. This is a staple in midrange paladin.
- Arena Score: 5
- Constructed Score: 5
Anyfin Can Happen
- Scott says: What is this i don’t even. No. Unless…. No.
- Josh says: Blizzard trolling murloc players, just like they troll the rest of the playerbase.
- Arena Score: 0
- Constructed Score: 3
Priest Cards
Museum Curator
- Josh says: Love this card, and it doesn’t need to be in a Deathrattle deck for the card you draw to be worth it. Cheap play with high impact battlecry is begging for a Brann Bronzebeard combo.
- Scott says: If you play this guy, I hope you like Dark Cultist, because it’s the only Priest card with Deathrattle. (Class cards have a 4x probability of being chosen.) The good news is that there are lots of good Legendary choices: Cairne Bloodhoof, Sylvanas, Sludge Belcher, and all 3 shredder types. Overall card quality for this Discover type is high. Unfortunately the card itself is low-impact, and in Constructed why would you put a sub-par card in your deck that will still probably give you an inferior card to what you could have just put in your deck in the first place?
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 3
Excavated Evil
- Josh says: Yes, there are combos that can get big value out of this. But even I’m not a big enough sucker to fall for them. You need a hyper late-game heal priest deck (equivalent of freeze mage style) to make this work, and Priest just can’t support that right now.
- Scott says: Not sure why I’d want this. Maybe follow this up with Circle of Healing or Holy Nova for tons of healing triggers? I’ll file this with Hellfire in my “unused” folder.
- Arena Score: 1
- Constructed Score: 1
Entomb
- Josh says: Awesome anti-deathrattle card, but Silence can remove those too, so you’re paying for the premium of combining it with a kill effect. I don’t put any value into the draw, and priest already has a lot of great removal tools.
- Scott says: It’s a more expensive Assassinate that prevents a deathrattle trigger. Having a chance to draw the card yourself later is novel, but it shouldn’t really be better than anything already in your own deck, so will it help or hurt that draw? Most useful in a slow control deck where you’re holding it to target their biggest minion.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 3
Rogue Cards
Pit Snake
- Scott says: Not bad, except for its weakness against Druids, Mages, Rogues, and even Paladins. And small minions. And AoE. Hmm, I guess it is bad.
- Josh says: Yeah, hero powers make all 1-health minions a huge liability. It’ll force them to hero power, but that’s not a big enough advantage to warrant throwing away a card.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 1
Unearthed Raptor
- Scott says: Lots of fun targets for this guy. Nerubian Egg, Shredders, Anubisath Sentinels, and Sylvanas make especially good targets. Keep in mind the ability is basically free and tacked on a Spider Tank, so there’s not really any downside.
- Josh says: Yeah, the normal mana cost on this guy is what really sold me. The floor is high and the ceiling in best-case scenarios (3 mana for 7/8 stats!) is outrageous. There are so many good cards that you want to run anyways that happen to have deathrattle effects worth stealing.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 5
Tomb Pillager
- Scott says: Slightly sub-optimal stat balance, but a decent deathrattle ability. Coins are worth more than half of a Innervate when you factor in their combo-triggering ability.
- Josh says: Yeah, fits in really well with control rogues, where weapons + poison give you easy answers for things like Piloted Shredders that might show up to trade with it.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 4
Shaman Cards
Tunnel Trogg
- Josh says: This looks like the card Overload decks needed to stabilize and see some real play. You have to play this early, but when you do, it’s a big threat looming over your opponent that’ll make them scramble.
- Scott says: Shaman’s version of Mana Wyrm, and even better in the right deck. It can grow multiple times from a single card, and can trigger from many minions as well as spells. Won’t be as good in Arena where you can’t control your draws. Live the Neptulon dream!
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 4
Rumbling Elemental
- Josh says: This dude loves the number 2! Interesting building block for a battlecry deck, but I think it’s probably best in a control deck that already has lots of battlecry effects. I wouldn’t add new cards to try to combo it.
- Scott says: Stats are balanced for survivability, which will help it fire more often. Will be especially good with Brann Bronzebeard. Some of Shaman’s best units have Battlecry.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 4
Everyfin is Awesome
- Josh says: Cool finisher for a shaman swarm deck. It’s important to note that the effect is permanent and hits all minions, so you can play it murloc-less if you’re desperate.
- Scott says: Like Bloodlust, but more expensive and adds toughness. Gets good with murlocs, but who plays murlocs? Might be worth playing with a Neptulon.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 4
Warlock Cards
Reliquary Seeker
- Scott says: It’s a huge payoff if you can swing it, but 6 other minions is a tall order. Implosion will certainly help, as will cards like Wobbling Runts. Not likely to ever fire in Arena.
- Josh says: If Master of Ceremonies couldn’t get traction with this sort of effect last set, there’s no way this works.
- Arena Score: 1
- Constructed Score: 3
Dark Peddler
- Scott says: A card built for Floodlock decks, and does help out Reliquary Seeker a little. Discovering the 1-cost card is nice, as there are a few with good Battlecry effects you don’t want to miss out on.
- Josh says: Consistent 2-drops have been hard to find for Warlocks. I love this card, and there are enough great 1-drop cards that you should almost always get something you’re happy with.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 4
Curse of Rafaam
- Scott says: This one’s hard to evaluate. You spend 2 mana and a card to make them take 2 damage and need to spend 2 mana. It’s possible to get more damage over time, but usually they will just cast it next turn. Either way — the opponent will make the choice that’s best for them. Since you equal out on mana, it doesn’t seem worth a card to do 2 damage.
- Josh says: The key, like you’ve said before, is that your opponent gets to make the choice of whether to cast or keep it. It could be an interesting stall tactic when you already have board control, but that’s tough to rely on.
- Arena Score: 1
- Constructed Score: 1
Warrior Cards
Cursed Blade
- Josh says: 2 is just such a bad damage number on a weapon. I would always prefer to play my 3/2 for 2 weapon, and Warrior already has enough weapons in the deck.
- Scott says: If for some reason you want to die quickly, this is the card for you! Might be worth casting if you just brought out a minion you really want to keep, as your opponent has to choose one or the other. Also seems better if you’re investing heavily in Taunt while expecting to punch face with your weapon.
- Arena Score: 0
- Constructed Score: 0
Fierce Monkey
- Josh says: Another not-so-subtle hint about a deck type that Blizzard really wants you to be playing. Great card with great art.
- Scott says: It’s a beast, but that doesn’t really matter here. Mainly, it’s just a spider tank with free Taunt. Clearly a boon for Taunt Warrior.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 4
Obsidian Destroyer
- Josh says: Absolutely brutal in Arena where removal is scarce and the tiny taunt will keep this thing alive forever. Some potential in constructed as well, and at the very least it’s an annoyance thanks to its free auto-defense.
- Scott says: Like Hogger, but generally better. For 1 more mana, you get +3/+3 more on the main body. The downside is that you get smaller Taunt minions, but they’re still bodies with taunt. It’ll take 3 turns to break even with total body size with Hogger, but let’s be honest — Hogger never lasted that long. A very solid addition to the Warrior lineup. Almost as good as Dr. Boom.
- Arena Score: 5
- Constructed Score: 4
Community
- Question: None this week!
- iTunes Reviews
Donations
- None
Card of the Week
Farewell
- Contact Scott Lantz on Twitter
- What you want to see in future episodes
- What hosts you want to visit the show
Monday Dec 21, 2015
League of Explorers Review (Neutral) - Episode 62
Monday Dec 21, 2015
Monday Dec 21, 2015
Hello!
- Scott is on the show this week
- Topic: League of Explorers Review!
- Reasons to be happy this week
- News: Happy Winter Veil
The Review Scale
What we’re reviewing:
- Arena Score = The value of this card while drafting in Arena.
- Constructed = The value of this card when crafting the type of constructed deck that most wants this card.
How the score works:
- 0 = Awful, unplayable (Example: Sacrificial Pact, Poison Seeds)
- 1 = Underpowered, but it could work out (Example: Naturalize, Divine Spirit, Corruption)
- 2 = Acceptable backup plan or niche filler (Example: Crazed Alchemist, Emperor Cobra)
- 3 = Solid value (Example: Chillwind Yeti)
- 4 = Great, with lots of upside (Example: Animal Companion, Knife Juggler)
- 5 = So good you always have to play it (Example: Dr. Boom)
Neutral Cards – Common
Anubisath Sentinel
- Scott says: As long as you have another minion on the board when he dies, he’s bananas. One of the juicier targets for Baron Rivendare and Unearthed Raptor. Make sure not to let him whiff!
- Josh says: Strong effect with some cool combo potentials, like Effigy secret to guarantee the deathrattle lands.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 4
Fossilized Devilsaur
- Josh says: This card tries to be relevant, but just can’t quite pull it off. Stats are below vanilla, the requirements are tough for most classes, and the benefit (taunt) isn’t worth the hassle.
- Scott says: This thing is a poor man’s Ironbark Protector. Only two classes have beast decks that are even a thing, and Druid already has a strictly better version of this card. That means this is a hunter card, or a card for Arena, and I don’t think it’s very good in either case.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 1
Gorillabot A-3
- Scott says: Seems legit in a mech deck. Not crazy, but nice extra value in a mech deck. Effect is a little cheaper and is faster as a battlecry, but requires a mech to be in place already to trigger.
- Josh says: I’ll be crazy and say I think this card is absolutely crazy. Having a mech in place is no problem in constructed, and Discover favors class cards heavily, giving this even more value in something like Shaman or Rogue who only have awesome class mechs. A 100% mech deck staple.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 5
Huge Toad
- Josh says: See ya, Bloodfen Raptor. A simple card with a small upside just to keep it relevant in the modern power levels.
- Scott says: Its ability is better than a kick in the pants, but hard to see where it fits into a constructed deck. Think of it as a Knife Juggler with a single (but guaranteed) activation. At least it’s a beast!
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 2
Jeweled Scarab
- Scott says: It’s a beast, so that’s a thing. A bad 2-drop, but will give you a 3-drop that shouldn’t be horrible.
- Josh says: Works better in classes with strong 3 drops like Druid, which conveniently cares about beasts! But, actually, 3 drops is a pretty safe card pool for all the classes. Hunter is the probably the sketchiest, which is a shame since they want beasts most.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 3
Murloc Tinyfin
- Josh says: STOP USING CHILD SOLDIERS!
- Scott says: It’s a wisp. But it’s a murloc. Not enough impact to make a difference.
- Arena Score: 0
- Constructed Score: 1
Tomb Spider
- Scott says: Most people beeline for Hunter with this guy, but I’m really digging Beast Druid. This goes well in that deck too! Is a slow card, but provides good long-term value, especially in beast synergy decks.
- Josh says: I’m in for both classes with this guy. Slightly weaker stats than the Gorilla-Bot (so it’s a bit weaker in Constructed), but it makes the trade-off for a guaranteed proc to help it in Arena.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 4
Neutral Cards – Rare
Ancient Shade
- Josh says: Best comment: “He is the best against face hunter. You will likely die before drawing the curse.” I don’t see a place for this guy.
- Scott says: If you’re going to use this thing, your plan needs to be to kill your opponent before you draw the curse. Therefore, you need to be a very fast deck. But how are you going to protect him with only 4 health?
- Arena Score: 1
- Constructed Score: 1
Eerie Statue
- Scott says: Is a creatureless control deck a thing? Will mostly be used as a bigger Ancient Watcher that might be able to hit face on its own in rare circumstances. A great candidate for friendly silence or taunt.
- Josh says: Yeah, I could see Handlock or removal-heavy control decks using this card to good effect, but I’m not sure it’s better than what those decks already have.
- Arena Score: 0
- Constructed Score: 3
Summoning Stone
- Scott says: Can certainly be strong, but you generally need to cast more than 5 mana worth of spells with him on the board to really be profitable. Could be interesting in a rogue deck with Master of Disguise!
- Josh says: There’s a lot of red tape with this one, but it’s powerful when it works and offers some fun gameplay options. Looks like a fun experimenting card to me, but I suspect it’ll end up in the Tavern Brawl-only zone.
- Arena Score: 0
- Constructed Score: 3
Wobbling Runts
- Josh says: I think the numbers are misleading on this one: it’s not as good as an 8/12 for 6 mana. A 2/6 is nearly irrelevant on Turn 6 and usually dies without trading. That means you’re getting a slow, permanent Force of Nature. Should work in a swarm deck that needs bodies on the board all the time, and not much else.
- Scott says: Hard to evaluate, but I think it’s pretty decent. Kind of like a giant Haunted Creeper, and that guy sees consistent play. If your goal is to make sure you have units in play, this is a good choice. A good value, but very slow.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 3
Neutral Cards – Epic
Djinni of Zephyrs
- Scott says: Fun! Seems like it would go well in a Priest or Paladin deck, similar to Dragonkin Sorcerer. Works especially well with cheap card draw like Blessing of Wisdom or Power Word: Shield. Doesn’t sacrifice much in terms of stats, and has good stat allocations.
- Josh says: Yeah, there are some nice cheap spells in Warrior and Shaman as well that open up some nice burst combos with it as well. And you’re only losing 1 stat point for the effect! At worst, he’s a fatty lightning rod that makes your opponent worried.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 4
Naga Sea Witch
- Josh says: This card looks like a trap. Effect can easily backfire and won’t be relevant (outside of extra hero power) until Turn 10. Pass.
- Scott says: Only useful for lowering the cost of more expensive spells… but how many 6+ cards are you running?
- Arena Score: 1
- Constructed Score: 1
Neutral Cards – Legendary
Arch-Thief Rafaam
- Josh says: There are a lot of fun, powerful top deck cards. This one looks like the most versatile one since Ysera, so I give it some value there. Any late-game deck could pull off tide-swinging shenanigans with it.
- Scott says: Another guy that I think is overhyped. Sure, he gives you giant artifacts. But they cost 10 mana! Too unpredictable, slow, and expensive to be reliable. Probably best in arena, where he’d be a great topdeck draw in a long game.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 2
Brann Bronzebeard
- Scott says: Neat! Unfortunately he’s a legendary, so it’s a stretch to build a deck around him. A very strong ability, but in many cases the battlecry doesn’t make sense to double. Ooze only destroys one card, for example, and a silenced minion getting immediately silenced again isn’t very exciting. Still, an awesome fun card!
- Josh says: There are definitely effects that don’t double well, but so many of them do. We saw how powerful this was in the Rogue Mill deck with Antique Healbot and Coldlight Oracle. You’re only paying 1 stat for that effect, so even the smallest of procs makes this card worth it, and the value ceiling is incredible. I’m a big, big fan.
- Arena Score: 3
- Constructed Score: 5
Elise Starseeker
- Josh says: Total trap card. The final effect you’re spending all game chasing is FUN and COOL, but not even guaranteed to help you. I’m usually the player that falls for this sort of fun-first card, and even I can see this is no good!
- Scott says: She has a half-mana premium on her body, followed by a 2 mana premium on the map. The final form makes up for that mana cost, but not when combined with the time investment and high probability you won’t see a payoff. Combine with Brann Bronzebeard for 2 maps. In constructed, this only wants to be played in the slowest of control decks, and even then, you’ll be at a disadvantage when casting it.
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 1
Reno Jackson
- Scott says: People are going crazy for this card, but I think it’s too much work. Note that it just requires that you only have 1 of each card left in your deck at time of casting, NOT your starting deck. Might be better in Arena where most cards are 1-ofs.
- Josh says: Definitely better in an aggro-heavy meta. I agree on the Arena value, but have seen this work too many times to discount it in Constructed. The interesting thing is that this card should get better over time, as more and more general Legendaries are worth running in your deck.
- Arena Score: 4
- Constructed Score: 3
Sir Finley Mrrgglton
- Scott says: This guy’s cool! Not horrible stats, and his ability is a boon to some classes.
- Josh says: Whoa whoa whoa. Hold on. Let me go ahead and directly quote you from our TGT review: “You must really hate your own ability if at deckbuilding time you think that stealing another random class’s ability will be an upgrade.” What’s different here?
- Arena Score: 2
- Constructed Score: 3
Community
- Question: None this week!
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Farewell
- Contact Scott Lantz on Twitter
- What you want to see in future episodes
- What hosts you want to visit the show
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