The Happy Hearthstone Podcast

Mean Streets of Gadgetzan Review - Episode 84

Happy Feast of Winterveil! Josh and Scot have prepared the ultimate stocking stuffer for you: an epic 4-hour-long episode of Happy Hearthstone!

We review every single card in the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan expansion, and tell you what we like about it, what we hate, and fight over the final scores — all for your entertainment and maybe even (dare I say it?)… EDUTAINMENT!

Don’t forget to check out our Review scores spreadsheet, which has individual comments and scores from each of our four Review Panel experts (Josh, Scott, Ryan, and Matt)!

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Hello!

• Scott is the guest this weeek!
• Topic: Review EVERY SINGLE Mean Streets of Gadgetzan card — it’s 4 hours long!
• Reasons to be happy this week

Review Scoring Guide

• 0 = Awful, unplayable (Runic Egg, Poison Seeds)
• 1 = Underpowered, but it could work out (Dust Devil, Corruption)
• 2 = Acceptable backup plan or niche filler (Crazed Alchemist, Shadow Bolt)
• 3 = Solid value (Senjin Shieldmasta, Assassinate)
• 4 = Great, with lots of upside (Animal Companion, Fireball)
• 5 = So good you always have to play it (Tirion Fordring, Call of the Wild)

The Spreadsheet

Below, you’ll find a very basic summary of our thoughts on each card. To get all the juicy details and drama that rose up between our panel of 4 reviewers during the review process, check out the official Happy Hearthstone Mean Streets of Gadgetzan Review spreadsheet.

In it, you’ll find all the good stuff you see here on this page, plus individual scores and comments on every single card by each member of our review team! I hope you enjoy it!

A huge thanks to Matt, Scott, and Ryan for putting in tons of time and effort to help us do this review.

The Review

This list contains our Scores (Constructed Score | Arena Score) and a very short comment.
Be sure to check out our spreadsheet for an in-depth analysis of every card by each person on our review panel!

Neutral Cards (Common)

• Mistress of Mixtures: (4|4) – This is a good sign. We all agree on the first card! Great in control decks.
• Blowgill Sniper: (2|2) – Worse than Elven Archer.
• Friendly Bartender: (4|3) – Good for proc’ing heal triggers in Priest.
• Gadgetzan Socialite: (3|3) – A smaller Earthen Ring Farseer.
• Backstreet Leper: (2|1) – Good for Aggro, worse than Wolfrider.
• Hired Gun: (3|3) – Better than Ironfur Grizzly.
• Street Trickster: (2|0) – If you really want a survivable spell power minion.
• Toxic Sewer Ooze: (2|3) – Not as good as Acidic Swamp Ooze, the heft is nice.
• Daring Reporter: (2|3) – Good with Coldlight Oracle?
• Hozen Healer: (4|4) – Best used with beefy minions.
• Kooky Chemist: (2|3) – Decent pirate!
• Naga Corsair: (4|3) – Decent pirate!
• Tanaris Hogchopper: (1|2) – Your hand won’t be empty.
• Worgen Greaser: (2|3) – Bad vanilla.
• Grook Fu Master: (2|3) – Needs buffs and to survive a turn to be good, otherwise bad.
• Red Mana Wyrm: (1|1) – This is very bad.
• Streetwise Investigator: (3|2) – Only neutral card with this effect.
• Ancient of Blossoms: (2|3) – Uses sub-par stats surprisingly well.
• Big-Time Racketeer: (4|3) – Good combo potential.

Neutral Cards (Rare)

• Small-Time Buccaneer: (4|3) – Rogues, anyone?
• Backroom Bouncer: (2|3) – How many of your minions do you plan on having die?
• Bomb Squad: (3|2) – Many classes have better options for damage. You need the combo for full value.
• Doppelgangster: (5|4) – Good base value, plus insane combo potential. Force of Nature +++
• Second-Rate Bruiser: (4|4) – At his best when you need him most.
• Spiked Hogrider: (4|3) – Best of this cycle.

Neutral Cards (Epic)

• Weasel Tunneler: (0|0) – Bad bad bad.
• Dirty Rat: (3|2) – You feelin’ lucky, punk? (We’re not.)
• Blubber Baron: (1|0) – WIll rarely be profitable.
• Fel Orc Soulfiend: (3|2) – Josh sees combo potential but Scott is dubious.
• Burgly Bully: (3|3) – Should be fine in a rogue Coin deck.
• Defias Cleaner: (2|3) – Will sometimes connect. Often will not.
• Fight Promoter: (3|2) – Need something to survive previous turn, or a buff this turn.
• Leatherclad Hogleader: (3|3) – Will rarely happen.
• Wind-up Burglebot: (2|2) – Huge lightning rod. Likes Divine Shield.

Neutral Cards (Legendary)

• Patches the Pirate: (4|1) – Not always free, and low-impact even when he is.
• Auctionmaster Beardo: (2|3) – Effect is practically nothing.
• Sergeant Sally: (4|2) – Love isn’t always rational. I love her. Amazing effect.
• Genzo, the Shark: (4|3) – In ultra-cheap decks, this can be huge.
• Finja, the Flying Star: (4|1) – Balances out bad-luck streaks in Paladin murloc.
• Madam Goya: (3|1) – Ability costs a lot; might be worth it?
• Wrathion: (5|4) – Happy with one draw. Two is fairly common.
• Mayor Noggenfogger: (0|0) – More like “Mayor Noggonna-be-in-my-deck”, amiright?

Druid Cards

• Mark of the Lotus: (1|2) – Too low impact most of the time.
• Jade Blossom: (3|2) – Pretty good.
• Jade Behemoth: (4|3) – 2-mana premium for golem.
• Jade Idol: (4|1) – Almost always want to summon the golem.
• Celestial Dreamer: (3|3) – Don’t want to play this on curve.
• Virmen Sensei: (4|2) – In beast decks is a solid play.
• Pilfered Power: (3|2) – Only useful on very early turns.
• Lunar Visions: (2|2) – Like Far Sight, can get out the biggest minions early.
• Kun the Forgotten King: (3|3) – Will usually choose armor, I expect.

Hunter Cards

• Shaky Zipgunner: (3|3) – Won’t be too hard to get the effect from.
• Smuggler’s Crate: (2|0) – Not worth a card.
• Alleycat: (3|3) – Low impact, but good for being sticky.
• Dispatch Kodo: (3|3) – Only shines with hand-buff cards.
• Hidden Cache: (1|1) – Don’t do it.
• Trogg Beastrager: (3|3) – Effect is mostly free, so why not?
• Rat Pack: (5|4) – One of the best cards in the set. Massive combo potential.
• Piranha Launcher: (2|3) – Great value, but extremely slow.
• Knuckles: (3|3) – Interest balance of control and face.

Mage Cards

• Freezing Potion: (1|0) – Very low impact.
• Kabal Lackey: (3|1) – Be careful — mage secrets are bad early.
• Potion of Polymorph: (1|1) – Everyone already plays their worst minion into secrets, so don’t expect big snags.
• Volcanic Potion: (3|3) – Scott likes this less.
• Cryomancer: (3|3) – Wants a proc, but doesn’t NEED it.
• Manic Soulcaster: (3|3) – The effect is rarely useful.
• Kabal Crystal Runner: (4|2) – Faster Arcane Giant, for Secret decks.
• Greater Arcane Missiles: (2|2) – Don’t trust the “Greater” label — it’s worse!
• Inkmaster Solia: (3|1) – Drop “this Turn” and let’s talk.

Paladin Cards

• Smuggler’s Run: (2|2) – Stronger than it looks, especially in Arena. Can still whiff.
• Grimscale Chum: (2|1) – For the ultra-aggro deck that wants to run murlocs without Anyfin.
• Grimestreet Outfitter: (3|3) – Comes with a body.
• Getaway Kodo: (3|2) – (Almost) Perfect protection. Loves Battlecry minions.
• Grimestreet Enforcer: (3|4) – Lightning rod with one guaranteed proc. Snowball incoming!
• Grimestreet Protector: (3|3) – Needs friends.
• Meanstreet Marshal: (3|2) – Easier than expected.
• Small-Time Recruits: (4|1) – Keep up the pressure and thin out the deck for better draws.
• Wickerflame Burnbristle: (4|5) – Tiny little wall with lots of upside.

Priest Cards

• Potion of Madness: (4|4) – The aggro killer.
• Kabal Songstealer: (3|3) – There are better ways to Silence.
• Pint-Size Potion: (4|2) – Steal! Steal! Steal!
• Kabal Talonpriest: (4|4) – Insane value when the effect lands.
• Drakonid Operative: (5|3) – Too good. Muscling out Blackrock Corruptor before its time.
• Mana Geode: (3|3) – Harder to proc than you’d think.
• Greater Healing Potion: (3|2) – Great Plan C.
• Dragonfire Potion: (2|3) – What’s 5 damage picking up on Turn 6? This isn’t Lightbomb.
• Raza the Chained: (3|2) – Lackluster effect doesn’t pay for the hassle like Reno does.

Rogue Cards

• Jade Shuriken: (3|3) – Scary tempo swing in Jade Golem decks.
• Jade Swarmer: (4|2) – Interesting N’zoth combo potential. Eternally slow.
• Shadow Rager: (3|3) – Sigh.
• Counterfeit Coin: (2|1) – Not as fun when you pay a card slot for it.
• Gadgetzan Ferryman: (3|3) – We’re split if having the option to not Combo is good or bad.
• Shadow Sensei: (3|2) – In a stealth deck is pretty good!
• Lotus Assassin: (4|4) – Glorious sneaky, stabby fun!
• Luckydo Buccaneer: (3|2) – Huge payoff is worth the hassle in Wild.
• Shaku, the Collector: (4|4) – More upside than most.

Shaman Cards

• Call in the Finishers: (4|2) – Prays day and night for a combo. Broken when it finds it.
• Jade Lightning: (4|2) – In a Jade Golem deck, does major work.
• Jade Chieftain: (4|2) – Bigger mana premium than most Jade Golem cards.
• Devolve: (3|2) – Scott thinks this is hot garbage.
• Jade Claws: (4|3) – Rogues everywhere are jealous. WTB!
• Jinyu Waterspeaker: (4|4) – Underrated effect can have a big impact.
• Finders Keepers: (4|3) – Double Overload synergy!
• Lotus Illusionist: (3|4) – Please not Big-Time Racketeer! Only 6 downgrades out of 78 options
• White Eyes: (4|4) – Good vanilla taunt unit, not sure how to combo well

Warlock Cards

• Blastcrystal Potion: (3|2) – Pay what you have to for premium removal in Reno Lock.
• Crystalweaver: (3|3) – Effect is almost free.
• Abyssal Enforcer: (4|4) – At least it doesn’t hurt itself.
• Bloodfury Potion: (2|1) – Grab the other demon buffs that can be damage when needed.
• Seadevil Stinger: (2|1) – Paying a lot for that effect, and hard to imagine the payoff.
• Felfire Potion: (2|2) – Rip them all down! – Sarumon.
• Unlicensed Apothecary: (3|1) – Reminds me of Venture Co Mercenary.
• Kabal Trafficker: (4|5) – Good everywhere, amazing in Arena.
• Krul the Unshackled: (3|1) – Best way to cheat out a Doomguard in Standard.

Warrior Cards

• I Know a Guy: (3|4) – You’ll always find something good.
• Public Defender: (3|2) – Wears buffs exceptionally well, which is good because he NEEDS them.
• Grimy Gadgeteer: (4|4) – Goes well w/ taunt decks.
• Stolen Goods: (1|0) – Laughably bad. Who risked jail time to steal this?
• Grimestreet Pawnbroker: (3|2) – Sure, why not?
• Alley Armorsmith: (3|2) – Armor flows like water.
• Sleep with the Fishes: (1|1) – Awful art. Awful effect.
• Brass Knuckles: (3|4) – Slow and steady. Tough for anything to compete with Fiery War Axe.
• Hobart Grapplehammer: (4|3) – Fun effect, and doesn’t charge TOO much for it.

Tri-Class Cards

• Jade Spirit: (3|1) – You have to play all the Jade Golem cards if you play any.
• Lotus Agents: (2|3) – Huge card pool means less control and more bad options that could pop up.
• Aya Blackpaw: (5|3) – The lynchpin of all Jade Golem decks. Don’t play without it.
• Grimestreet Smuggler: (3|3) – BOOORING!
• Grimestreet Informant: (2|3) – SNOOZE!
• Don Han’Cho: (5|5) – This woke us back up. Hello there, beautiful. Fun first, combo later.
• Kabal Courier: (3|3) – Everyone wants Mage cards. Hello, Frost Bolt.
• Kabal Chemist: (2|3) – Potions are just okay.
• Kazakus: (5|4) – Life of the party. Incredibly fun, and his spells are overtuned.

Looking for more analysis? Check out our Review Spreadsheet for lots more insight and opinions!

Farewell

• Follow Scott on Twitter!
• Follow Matt on Twitter!
• Follow Ryan on Twitter!
• Say hi to Josh on Twitter too!

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Future-Proof Tempo Mage Deck - Episode 83

Hello!

• Jarret is the guest this weeek!
• Topic: Deck Battle!
• Reasons to be happy this week

What is a Deck Battle?

Once a month, a guest host brings their favorite deck onto the show to battle the current reigning champion deck for control of the Happy Hearthstone Deck Battle Throne!

If the challenger wins the best-of-3 series, their deck becomes the new Reigning Champion Deck and will fight off future challengers until it loses, or until it’s earned its place in the Happy Hearthstone Hall of Fame!

View the Deck Battle Archive + The Happy Hearthstone Hall of Fame

Defending Deck: Jarret’s Futurist Tempo Mage Deck keeps the punches rolling swiftly, and avoids cards that’ll cycle out of Standard next year.
Challenger Deck: Dan Patriss’ Beastmaster Hunter, Andrew Brown’s Warlock Demon Zoo, Craig’s Dragon Priest

Futurist Tempo Mage

Creatures

• 2x Babbling Book: Don’t underestimate this 1/1. His Battlecry fuels your deck and adds unpredictability.
• 2x Mana Wyrm: Probably the best class 1-drop in the Classic or Basic set. With its 3 health, this minion can get out of control and even become a win condition.
• 1x Bloodmage Thalnos: Deceptively powerful, Thalnos gives you cycle, spell damage, and a token: incredible value for 2 mana.
• 2x Cult Sorcerer: Because Mage has burst, C’Thun was never relevant in the class, but a 3/2 body with spell damage is perfect.
• 2x Sorcerer’s Apprentice: Anything that makes cards cheaper is good. She allows Tempo Mage to maintain the board, race aggro, or finish off control decks.
• 1x Barnes: Barnes is all about tempo. The dream is pulling Ragnaros, but most of the other minions in this deck have some utility and demand attention from your opponent.
• 2x Water Elemental: Water Elemental may seem like a control card, but its massive 6 health and text allows Tempo Mage to own the board or slow down weapon classes.
• 2x Azure Drake: Azure Drake is the first card I craft on free-to-play accounts. Tempo decks need card draw, and Azure Drake provides the bonus of spell damage and a decent body for 5 mana.
• 1x Archmage Antonidas: I usually think Antonidas is too slow for a tempo deck, but he can win games against control decks and transform useless spells that may come from Babbling Books and Cabalist’s Tome. If Mean Streets slows down the meta, this Legendary will become Tempo Mage’s win condition.
• 1x Ragnaros the Firelord: I don’t need to explain why this card is good, so I’ll complain about the lack of a comma.

Spells

• 1x Mirror Image: This spell is useful for protecting Antonidas or other minions, especially against weapon classes and midrange decks.
• 2x Arcane Explosion: If Shaman and Zoo continue to rule, expect Arcane Explosion to be in most Tempo Mage decks.
• 2x Frostbolt: Mage’s most useful spell. Frostbolt can win the board for you or essentially “Sap” a big minion. Its 2 mana cost allows it to easily be combined with spell damage minions or Fireballs to finish off an enemy.
• 2x Arcane Intellect: As Flamewaker moves into wild and after the Yogg nerf, this card’s utility is somewhat decreased. However, you still need the ability to refill your hand when you run out of gas against slower decks.
• 2x Fireball: In some matchups, Fireballs are your win condition. Combine them with spell damage, Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Arcane Missiles, and Frostbolt for up to 24 damage. In a pinch, they can also protect you from many of the game’s most powerful minions.
• 2x Polymorph: Malygos, Savannah Highmane, Ragnaros, Tirion, Sylvanas, Edwin, and Grommash all want to ruin your day. To them, we say “Baaa.”
• 1x Cabalist’s Tome: Like Arcane Intellect, Cabalist’s Tome is not as good if you’re not playing Yogg, Flamewaker, or Arcane Giants. On the other hand, refueling with cards that are good on average, especially later in the game, can help you pull out a win.
• 2x Flamestrike: Midrange Shaman and Hunter, and Zoolock are likely to continue to be popular in 2017. Flamestrike will win games against these decks.

Substitutes

In case you don’t have some of the ideal cards, here are some quality back-ups and alterations you can use, which all keep with the same theme and strengths of the deck.

• Kabal Courier: You lose a little tempo with a 2/2 minion for 3 mana, but the ability to pick the right card for the situation may make up for it. If this card was Mage-only, it would be an auto include.
• Counterspell: If played perfectly, this Secret can win games against Hunter, Freeze Mage, Priest, etc. However, 3 mana for an unpredictable effect doesn’t make the cut.
• Firelands Portal: A card that can flip the board is always useful. 5 damage for 7 mana isn’t ideal, but Firelands Portal is a good alternative to the 1-mana spells when the meta is slower.
• Medivh, the Guardian: Medivh is a valid alternative to Antonidas. If the meta is faster, and you’re not running Barnes, he’s probably better.
• Arcane Giant: I didn’t include Arcane Giants in this deck for multiple reasons: I expect the card to be nerfed during rotation, a vanilla 8/8 isn’t as good in Mage as most other classes, and Giants (like the other minions in my sideboard) have bad synergy with Barnes. However, if the meta leans towards midrange or control, 2 of these could become a win condition.
• Arcane Missiles: 3 random damage isn’t as good without Flamewaker, but if flood decks and tokens continue to be common, this card is useful, especially combined with spell damage.
• Harrison Jones: Expect Spirit Claws, Fiery War Axe, and Eaglehorn Bow to remain popular in 2017. And with weapon buffing being more common in Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, weapon destruction will be even more valuable.
• Yogg-Saron, Hope’s End: Post-nerf Yogg isn’t nearly as powerful, but it can still be a potential comeback card, or at least make losing less agonizing.
• Kabal Chemist: Kabal Chemist could be good for Tempo Mage, but too many of the potions may not be useful enough for this type of deck.

The Duel

Community

• Questions: Most-Anticipated card of Mean Streets?
• iTunes Reviews
• Donations (More info)

Card of the Week

This is a FAKE card designed by Josh. It is NOT real. You can find more of my made-up cards on Twitter.
Josh’s card:  Jarret’s card: 

Extra Rogue Secrets:
    

Farewell

• What do you want to see in future episodes?

BlizzCon 2016 World of Podcasts Panel - Episode 82

Hello!

• Josh is the guest this week! MADNESS!
• Topic: Hearthstone in 2016
• A big thanks to Con Before the Storm and World of Podcasts for organizing this, and for inviting me to be a part of it!

BlizzCon 2016 Day 1 Recap - Episode 81

Hello!

• A mysterious man dressed in all green is on the show this week!
• Topic: Everything that happened on the first day of BlizzCon!
• Listen to the episode for more info! I’m tired and would like to post this now.

BlizzCon 2016 Prediction Special - Episode 80.5

Hello!

• So many people are on the show this week!
• Topic: Predicting what Blizzard will announce at BlizzCon this week!
• Why are you reading this? The episode is like 15 minutes long, just go listen to it!