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The longest running Hearthstone podcast in the history of space and time and cards. Join GuyGrumpy and a rotating host of guests from The Happy Hearthstone community as they help you get better at the game and have a blast doing it.
Episodes
Friday Jul 08, 2016
Friday Jul 08, 2016
Hello!
- Tony is on the show this week
- Topic: Deck battle!
- Reasons to be happy this week
- News: None. There is no news. Nothing happened. At all.
What is a Deck Challenge?
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 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: Craig’s Dragon Priest deck puts an aggressive twist on the standard control class.
Challenger Deck: Tony’s Yogg-Saron Hunter goes for the unconventional win.
Tony’s Yogg-Saron Hunter Deck
Creatures
- 1x King’s Elekk: Effectively doubles your chance of drawing Yogg-Saron and gives some minor Beast synergy.
- 1x Yogg Saron, Hope’s End: Saves your bacon in unwinnable games. The king of RNG.
Spells
- 2x Hunter’s Mark: Efficient removal, combos nicely with On the Hunt, Explosive Trap, and Quick Shot.
- 2x On the Hunt: A bit of removal, a Beast, and Hunter’s Mark’s best friend.
- 2x Bear Trap: Gives you a minion, pumps up Eaglehorn Bow, and has Beast synergy.
- 2x Explosive Trap: The only AoE spell in the deck, necessary to hold Aggro decks at bay.
- 2x Freezing Trap: Great for eliminating beefy minions, especially 9 and 10 mana minions.
- 2x Lock and Load: Card draw AND gives you minions, usually Beasts.
- 2x Quick Shot: Removal. Basically Hunter’s version of Frostbolt.
- 2x Snipe: More removal, almost always a surprise, and it pumps Eaglehorn Bow. Hunter’s version of Flame Cannon.
- 2x Eaglehorn Bow: The key to the deck and your most efficient way to control the board and hit an opponent.
- 2x Animal Companion: Gives you a Beast, but doesn’t impact Elekk’s search effect and pumps up Yogg-Saron.
- 2x Deadly Shot: Usually kills any minion, especially with other removal in the deck.
- 2x Kill Command: Hunter’s Fireball and great removal with 1 Beast and 10 spells that generate Beasts.
- 2x Unleash the Hounds: Not exactly AoE, but close; good counter to Zoo.
- 2x Call of the Wild: The deck’s true finisher.
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.
- Tracking: Almost, sorta card draw in Hunter. Not in the deck because it could get rid of Yogg, Call of the Wild, or Eaglehorn Bow. Maybe include one.
- Multi-Shot: Very situational, but can be a game breaker. Not great with tons of removal.
- Gladiator’s Longbow: A great control card, a bit pricey and can conflict with lots of extra durability on Eaglehorn Bow.
- Emperor Thaurissan: Probably should be in the deck; makes Lock and Load better. Makes Elekk worse.
- Harrison Jones: In a weapon heavy meta, quite good but adds inconsistency.
- Arcane Shot: More removal, good with Lock and Load.
- Snake Trap: So many beasts packed into one spell!
The Duel
Community
- The awesome stats site that Tony mentioned on the show, Vicious Syndicate
- Questions: Emotes, Tavern Brawls
- iTunes Reviews
- Donations (More info)
Card of the Week
Farewell
Thursday Jun 23, 2016
Thursday Jun 23, 2016
Hello!
- Zerotio is on the show this week
- Topic: How to adjust to the meta
- Reasons to be happy this week
- News: None. There is no news. Nothing happened. At all.
What is the Meta?
- Definition of Meta
- What makes the meta change?
- Why is it important to adapt to the meta?
- Do you HAVE to adapt to the meta?
- Casual vs. Ranked play vs. Pro play
How do you Identify What the Meta Is Currently?
- Sites like TempoStorm Meta Snapshot and Hearthpwn
- What you’re facing most often in game
- Is the Meta what’s popular or what’s strong? (Is there a difference? Example: Cthun decks right after release)
- Does this mean that Ranked 20s have a different meta than Legendaries?
Adapt: Beat Em’ or Join Em?
- Knowing when to join the Meta and when to counter it
- Identifying how to Counter the meta
Adapt: Identifying Burn Out and Tilt
- Knowing when to take a break or modify your deck for the Meta
- Finding a way to handle Burn Out
- Deciding if a Play Schedule is right for you
- Identifying if you are making misplays or just getting bad match ups
- Tips for identifying Misplays or Bad Matchup
Adapt: Keep the game fun by creating your own Meta
- Design unexpected decks to play on the ladder.
- The element of surprise can be fun and profitable on the ladder
- Note: These decks usually don’t hold a win streak, once people realize the “Win Condition”. Keep it ever changing and unpredictable
- Priest is a good Class for this type of deck.
Community
- Questions: Deck trackers, Deck recipes
- iTunes Reviews
- Donations (More info)
Card of the Week
Farewell
- Follow Zerotio on Twitter and listen to his amazing podcast, Hero Power!
- What do you want to see in future episodes?
Thursday Jun 09, 2016
Thursday Jun 09, 2016
Hello!
- Craig is on the show this week
- Topic: Deck Battle!
- Reasons to be happy this week
- News: Dreamhack
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: Chris’ Warlock Dreadsteed deck just earned its spot on the throne in the previous episode and faces its first challenger today!
Challenger Deck: Craig’s Dragon Priest Deck puts an aggressive twist on the standard control class.
Creatures
- 2x Northshire Cleric
- 2x Twilight Whelp
- 1x Museum Curator
- 2x Wyrmrest Agent
- 1x Blackwing Technician
- 2x Auchenai Soulpriest
- 2x Twilight Guardian
- 2x Azure Drake
- 2x Blackwing Corruptor
- 1x Justicar Trueheart
- 1x Sylvanas Windrunner
- 1x Chromaggus
- 1x Ysera
Spells
- 2x Circle of Healing
- 2x Power Word: Shield
- 2x Shadow Word: Pain
- 1x Shadow Word: Death
- 1x Shadow Madness
- 1x Holy Nova
- 1x Entomb
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.
- Mass Dispell
- Holy smite
- Thoughtsteal
- Elise Starseeker
- Shifting shade
- Excavated Evil
- Harrison Jones
- Nefarian
- Cabal Shadow Priest
The Duel
Josh’s Perspective
Craig’s Perspective (No Audio)
Community
- Questions: Classic Legendaries, Wild Mode
- iTunes Reviews
- Donations (More info)
Card of the Week
Farewell
- Contact Craig and get inspired by his fitness journey on his blog!
- What do you want to see in future episodes?
DECK GUIDE:
Are you ready to have your face mauled by angry dragons? Doesn’t sound pleasant, does it? Maybe you should just play this deck so you’re the one doing the face-mauling!
Note from Josh: The rest of this article was written by Craig. Thanks!
Dragon Priest
A lot of Priest decks tend towards the control side of the spectrum, but I like decks that get started quickly. So this Dragon Priest deck has a hint of aggro in it that lets it race out against control and out-punch another aggro deck thanks to its Taunts and heals.
Minions
Northshire Cleric: Decent stats for a 1-drop, and the incredible potential of the card-draw effect that even your opponents can unwillingly trigger makes this card high value.
Twilight Whelp: Sometimes Zombie chow, sometimes Worgen Infiltrator, many times best held to enable dragon synergy in mid to late game.
Museum Curator: The discover mechanic is great for Hearthstone. Giving a random choice allows you to mold each game according to your needs. I swap between this card and Shadow Word: Pain based on the relative speed of the meta.
Wyrmrest Agent: The best proactive turn-2 play in any priest deck, this card enables the deck to show presence early and compete against zoo and aggro for board control.
Blackwing Technician: Playing a 3/5 on turn 3 is better than playing one on turn 4, this is an “it’ll do” card not so much a strong contributor in this slot.
Auchenai Soulpriest: Here to make up for the loss of Light Bomb, Auchenai offers AoE, unexpected burst potential and increased potency for board control.
Twilight Guardian: A 3/6 with taunt is a good friend to any priest.
Azure Drake: 3 damage Holy Novas are really strong. Keep in mind that when healing is converted to damage, spell damage is also included. Auchenei Soulpriest + Azure Drake + Circle of Healing does 5 damage.
Blackwing Corruptor: Cheaper, slightly weaker Fire Elemental? Yes please.
Justicar Trueheart: When the game goes into extra innings, the increased healing on your basic hero power is a great way to keep your minions and yourself in the mix.
Sylvanas Windrunner: Make their late game into YOUR late game! A pro-active option to confuse the board for your opponent and much stronger in a meta with less silence options.
Chromaggus: A refuelling tool for slower match ups.
Ysera: The strongest dragon in the deck. Many games she’ll just activate your other options, but sometimes she’s your only option for a chance to win and the ruler of the dreamworld delivers.
Spells
Circle of Healing: This is here to replace Velen’s Chosen by restoring lost stats instead of buffing. Great synergy with Northshire and Auchenei.
Power Word: Shield: Excellent card that allows cycle and draw in one step.
Shadow Word: Pain: The flexible nature and low cost of this removal card is great, there are very few decks that avoid providing worthy targets.
Shadow Word: Death: BGH without the minion, flexible removal. This is a strong card.
Shadow Madness: An interesting removal tool that uses the priest mechanic of turning your opponent’s strength against them.
Holy Nova: When your minions take a bruising early, this spell and Circle of Healing keeps them going, and can keep your hand filled with Northshire Cleric.
Entomb: Make their late game, YOUR late game (again)!
The Substitutes
Mass Dispell: A subjective inclusion. AoE silence can be very strong for maintaining or establishing board control against sticky creatures.
Holy Smite: Flexible as damage or removal of early minions. Shadow word pain is more flexible, so slot this in when having trouble with fast starts
Thoughtsteal: For a meta of slower opponents, “borrowing” resources from your opponent can give you insight into their strategies, and add more value to your deck.
Elise Starseeker: Useful against much slower decks to provide more threats in heavier control matches
Shifting shade: Like Thoughtsteal, this card gets you a peek in your opponents deck and value to add to your list.
Excavated Evil: Great against “flood” decks, a reasonable alternative to the Auchenai circle combo.
Harrison Jones: An excellent tool against Shamans and Warriors, less consistent against Hunters. Try to aim for buffed weapons with Rogues.
Nefarian: A Ysera alternate. Nefarian produces immediate value with the spells, while being a threatening minion.
Cabal Shadow Priest: With the nerf to Keeper of the Grove, and loss of Shrinkmeister, there are less minds to change these days, but Cabal is still a great value when you land the battle cry on a good minion.
Monday May 23, 2016
Monday May 23, 2016
Hello!
- Scott is on the show this week
- Topic: Whispers of the Old Gods Review (Neutral)
- Reasons to be happy this week
- News: Whispers of the Old Gods!
The Review Format
- We want to give real, valuable insight into the cards we talk about, but there are too many cards in an expansion to do that for every one.
- So we picked the ones that we think are most important to talk about.
- This week we’re covering all of the neutral cards
- Look at each rarity level separately: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary
- For each tier, each host chooses: The best card to CRAFT, DRAFT, and DUST
- Next episode: Class cards!
Druid
Best to Craft
- Scott says: Druid did really well in this set, but Fandral is a really fun card that can be quite good. It was fun using Raven Idols to discover a minion and draw another Raven Idol for one mana! Power of the Wild gives you a 4/3 panther and +1/+1 to all your other minions for 2 mana. Wisps of the Old Gods fills your boards with 3/3s and buffs existing minions for 7 mana. Ancient of War becomes a 10/10 taunt for 7. And so on.
- Josh says: Yeah, so many of the choose one cards are high-cost, which means you’re getting a lot for free. You only need one proc for this guy to be insane value.
Best to Draft
- Scott says: I usually chose the 2/2 token, giving me 5/5 across 2 bodies for 4 mana. But if I have an expensive hand, I can always ramp myself by giving me an extra crystal instead. Good options, good efficiency, and good versatility.
- Josh says: Yeah, one of the prized Choose-One cards where both options are actually above-value. You’ll always be happy to play one of them.
Best to Dust
- Scott says: I wouldn’t put a 4/1 weapon for 3 in my deck, nor an 8 armor spell for 3 in a class w/ no armor synergy. Giving myself the choice between them doesn’t help.
- Josh says: My ELO is pretty garbage, but I got super confused when I kept seeing this card played against me. Thank you for making me feel less crazy and confirming that this is just an awful card.
Hunter
Best to Craft
- Josh says: I opened it. I love it. Already a top-notch body (seems 6/5 is more popular than 5/6 right now), and the proc is incredibly unexpected and powerful.
- Scott says: Yeah, it’s a pretty cool effect, though its cost means most of the time you’ll need the card you’re activating to have lived a turn. With Feign Death gone, this is the next best thing.
Best to Draft
- Josh says: Gobble gobble gobble. All these minions taste so good! Combo with charge for an instant AOE. Guaranteed 2-for-1 if they don’t have hard removal.
- Scott says: Kill the small stuff first, adding up to 7 attack, then attack their biggest minion last for maximum control impact. Or maybe do some select removal, then punch face making your opponent kill it on their turn. Helps a bit that it’s a beast — this and Princess Huhuran are a big buff to Ram Wrangler.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: Hunter got great cards this time around. I’d happily take any of them. The worst thing about this guy is that he’s boring. He’ll do fine in a control deck, but I’d rather take something similar with Taunt in that case.
- Scott says: Agreed. Stats are fine, but it’s a class card so I’d expect more. By that measure, it’s fairly bad. I don’t know why anyone would put this in a deck, other than to target w/ Houndmaster.
Mage
Best to Craft
- Josh says: 8 mana value in two bodies for only 6 mana? I think the two-bodies part immediately off-sets the random downside, so this is pure mathematical value.
- Scott says: Not bad, and good if you want multiple bodies. But you don’t really know where your 3 mana is going to go. Could be invested in Battlecry or synergy effects you don’t support.
Best to Draft
- Josh says: Fact: Every mage loves spells. This card gives you so many spells you’ll weep with joy. BlizzPro put together an awesome infographic about this card that explains what you’re likely to get out of it: http://hearthstone.blizzpro.com/2016/05/05/cabalists-tome-infographic/ . It’s particularly good in Arena, where it’ll give you a second chance to get the high-rarity spells you were never offered during the draft.
- Scott says: Agreed, Arena’s the place it’s most likely to shine. 10% chance you’ll get a specific named card, including Cabalist’s Tome. Just sayin’.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: Mage might’ve gotten the best class cards in the whole expansion. I mean this card isn’t even ALWAYS bad, but it’s the worst option here. It will often be a good value, but the uncertainty puts it below all of the other always-great cards Mages got.
- Scott says: You’re paying 1 extra mana for a random not-huge spell with a random target. Some spells (secrets, Arcane Intellect) will always benefit you. Others could hurt you. Lots of fun will ensue, but isn’t necessarily good.
Paladin
Best to Craft
- Scott says: He’s no Tirion, but then again, who is? An 8/8 for 8 that heals for 8 each turn isn’t bad. And unlike the original Ragnaros, you can attack the target of your choice with him.
- Josh says: This card blew my mind when it first dropped on the board against me. He’s a huge body that throws out huge heals AND he can attack? Out of control!
Best to Draft
- Scott says: The key word here is “summon.” This doesn’t just apply to minions you cast directly — it applies to tokens created from your hero power, spells, and other minions. Combine with Stand Against Darkness (a latest-set common) for good effect!
- Josh says: You and your crazy token decks! And don’t pretend you’re not salivating over the combo with Redemption — I know you love that card!
Best to Dust
- Scott says: Pure healing cards are always a hard sell. This isn’t really any different.
- Josh says: In the right meta (aka molasses-slow like our current one) I really like running one copy of this card. It fills the mana curve if you’re desperate early and is a 20-health heal late game if you’re desperate late.
Priest
Best to Craft
- Josh says: Healing on Priest cards is like Armor on Warrior cards — it’s actually stronger than you’d judge it on a neutral minion because of all the potential synergy the class has with it. No caveats, no conditions. This is just a great, always-decent value card for priest control decks.
- Scott says: Yup. Also goes well in an Auchenai deck since you can target friendly stuff or enemy stuff as appropriate. This is like casting 1.4 Earthen Ring Farseers at once (minus one stat point).
Best to Draft
- Josh says: The health is a liability and he’s likely to trade with a 2-cost or 3-cost minion if the board isn’t empty when you play him, but I’ve paid higher prices for a cantrip effect. I look at this as a more pro-active Thoughtsteal (will likely trade for 1 card to make up for the loss of 2nd card drawn).
- Scott says: This card seems fine, especially in Arena where people generally aren’t picking synergy-related cards. My biggest complaint is that I can’t figure out any way to get synergy out of these effects.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: There’s like 4 cards in the game that make this spell worthwhile, and most good decks aren’t running any of them. Velen’s Chosen spoiled us with 6 stats and a perk for 3 mana, so maybe I’m over-hating on this one.
- Scott says: Velen’s Chosen was definitely above curve. This is definitely below curve. But I’d still happily throw it on a Northshire Cleric or Holy Champion. Not sure I like combining it w/ a minion and another spell, as 3-card combos are asking a bit much.
Rogue
Best to Craft
- Josh says: Hope you like spending dust, because Miracle Rogue just got another must-have Legendary! Paying 1 mana and some change for the Toxin card, but the cards are all so good! And they proc Combo!
- Scott says: Overall, the poisons are definitely better than Spare Parts. But they’re more expensive, since you’re also paying a premium for them on Xaril’s cost as well. While there are Battlecry and Deathrattle shenanigans you can pull, you only get one poison each for doing them, so the stakes are low.
Best to Draft
- Josh says: This removal has a lot of drawbacks, but you’re getting it at an insanely cheap price. In Arena, you’ll have no problem finding targets for this. And since it’s common, you’ll definitely see it!
- Scott says: Agreed that you’ll generally not have a problem finding a target, but you will sometimes not be able to kill what you want. It’s worth noting that it can hit your opponent’s face too, but face-damage spells when the enemy is at full hp often isn’t great.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: Rogue has a lot of strong cards, so this is an easy pick to dust for me. If you want an early game combo trick, you already have Defias Bandit — which is a flat-out better version of this card.
- Scott says: Too low-impact. Its dream scenario is 2 in-hand w/ coin on turn 1. That’s not worth playing it for.
Shaman
Best to Craft
- Scott says: There were a few good options, but I chose Master of Evolution. At worst, he’s a Chillwind Yeti. At best, he can heal and upgrade a giant minion while still being a Chillwind Yeti. He’s especially useful with cost-reduced minions like Thing from Below or Nerubian Prophet or Giants.
- Josh says: I see this guy get used on totems all the time to turn them into a real 2-mana minion. The heal effect is the most underrated aspect of this card, I think. Lots of cool synergy here — and like you said, it’s all gravy. You don’t HAVE to get a big combo for this card to pull its weight.
Best to Draft
- Scott says: This is an insanely strong card in any deck, but in arena it’s even better. No synergy necessary, though it does work well with cards that leverage and/or remove your overload. This card feels like a design mistake in that it’s just blatantly overpowered.
- Josh says: This guy makes me not-so-happy-hearthstone. Who thought this was okay? Those stats are absolutely bonkers. Every shaman deck simply has to run 2 copies — no excuses.
Best to Dust
- Scott says: It says something when the worst card in a class is still totally fine. Hallazeal only wants to be in spell-heavy decks. The turn he comes out he probably won’t heal you for much, but he’s a lightning rod that will probably heal for a ton the next turn if he survives.
- Josh says: Yeah, if you go into this card just trusting in the lightning-rod effect, I think he’s still solid, just like you said. I think he’s a bit of a trap if you’re dreaming of bigger combos. Shaman did insanely well if this is the worst they have!
Warlock
Best to Craft
- Scott says: Wow. Only needs one activation to be balanced, and in Warlock it’s easy to massively exceed that. Works on summons, not just minions played from hand. Insanely strong. Another “What were they thinking?” card.
- Josh says: Yeah, this card is the scariest thing Warlocks can drop onto the board right now. I suspect we’ll get a nerf to require “playing” the unit.
Best to Draft
- Scott says: Paladin has Stand Against Darkness, which is 5 for 5 1/1s. This is a clear upgrade to that card as it’s configurable. Also has lots of good synergy in Warlock decks, including Darkshire Councilman.
- Josh says: Without Darkshire Councilman, I’d be a lot less interested in this card. Warlock doesn’t have ways to do mass buffs like Paladins do — in fact, they’re more likely to do mass AoEs that kill these little guys — so I think it’s a lot less useful in Warlock. Still, the flexibility is great.
Best to Dust
- Scott says: Too expensive, and your opponent gets a head start filling the board. You’ll have a ton of cards, but will you still be alive?
- Josh says: But I opened 3 of them, so I need it to be good! I think this card works in the right deck (lots of removal) and the right meta (uuuuber slow). I think the meta is only going to speed up from here though. Tough sell at the 10 cost, but I love the effect. They’re only playing 1 card next turn, and you’ll have 3+ to deal with it and put your own body down — I actually like those chances.
Warrior
Best to Craft
- Josh says: Yes please. Shield Slam has a new best friend in C’thun decks. There’s a lot of competition for high-cost slots in the C’Thun deck, but the 7 slot is one of the most wide-open. Huge heal for 3 stats and it comes with bonus utility thanks to Warrior’s ability to combo off armor.
- Scott says: As pointed out last episode, survivability in C’Thun decks helps bide time until C’Thun arrives. You should have given C’Thun +4/+4 by turn 7 in a C’Thun deck, so this should pretty much always proc.
Best to Draft
- Josh says: Aww, look at Tauren Warrior all grown up. I think this archetype found its sweet spot at this cost. The opponent will need to use premium removal to deal with his huge health pool. This guy will be an easy 2-for-1 against most decks in arena.
- Scott says: Unless he’s hit by a 6/6 or bigger, he’s a blatant upgrade to Sen’jin Shieldmasta, which is already a fine card. Gets even better with Warrior-specific Taunt and Enrage synergies.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: Flavor win, value loss. This card is just plain awful. I woudn’t say no to dusting that Legendary either to get 800 dust! Or those Blood Brothers… or that 1-cost bug… Geeze, Warrior actually got a lot of weak cards!
- Scott says: If you’re playing an extreme long-game control warrior deck, this can help you deal damage each turn, like Head Crack. It’s less expensive, too.
Class Cards – Guilty Pleasures
- Scott says: I want to like him, but I just haven’t had very good luck w/ him. Best played on the same turn as other minions. You need to summon 2 other minions before he dies to make him profitable. At least it’s “summon” and not “play!”
- Josh says: The only time I’ve seen him work out is when I played against you, but I haven’t seen him much. It feels like he’ll be a key part of a token druid deck later this year.
- Josh says: She’s not my cup of tea, but we’ve got to talk about her. Instantly created a new deck type overnight.
- Scott says: Keep in mind it has 2 conditions: You need both a pirate and a weapon for her to do her thing. Not sure if it’s worth the effort for a free 1-cost spell or not.
- Josh says: I love these flexible-mana cards and even though you may sometimes be forced to overkill with this card, it’s ability to usually be exactly as powerful as you need it to makes me love it.
- Scott says: Hard to say how powerful this is. There will certainly be situations where it’s exactly what you want, but how many situations will you just be staring at it in your hand as an unwanted card?
- Josh says: Especially after Knife Juggler got nerfed, it seems like you’d be hard-pressed to find a better 2-cost minion in Shaman tempo. Even has solid value drawn later.
- Scott says: Not bad, but not good either. Can sometimes have a negative cost, which is nice. You can also just play it on curve if you start the game under pressure.
- Josh says: I just love this card. Couldn’t beat out Xaril for the rogue craft spot, but it’s pure value and lots of fun. No deck needs him, every deck wants him — that’s my kind of card.
- Scott says: A good value, assuming the card you get isn’t horrible.
Community
- Question: Should Brawls be fun and could some be permanent?
- iTunes Reviews
Donations
- Bert: $50
- Dan: $25
The Dust Bowl
- Bert: 50 Packs (Hogger Doom of Elwynn, Yogg-Saron Hope’s End, Twin Emperors)
- Dan: 25 Packs (Ragnaros Lightlord)
Card of the Week
Farewell
- Contact Scott on Twitter and check out his upcoming game, Plants vs. Zombies: Heroes!
- What you want to see in future episodes
- What hosts you want to visit the show
Wednesday May 11, 2016
Wednesday May 11, 2016
Hello!
- Scott is on the show this week
- Topic: Whispers of the Old Gods Review (Neutral)
- Reasons to be happy this week
- News: Whispers of the Old Gods!
The Review Format
- We want to give real, valuable insight into the cards we talk about, but there are too many cards in an expansion to do that for every one.
- So we picked the ones that we think are most important to talk about.
- This week we’re covering all of the neutral cards
- Look at each rarity level separately: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary
- For each tier, each host chooses: The best card to CRAFT, DRAFT, and DUST
- Next episode: Class cards!
Neutral Cards – Common
Best to Craft
- Josh says: Spider Tank with perks. This guy isn’t great because he’ll buff C’thun massively. He’s great because he’ll either trade well and add a few points to C’thun as gravy or (even better) draw out premium removal. The key to the late-game C’thun deck, in my experience, is to make the opponent dump their removal by the time turn 9 rolls around, leaving them with no more answers for your real threats. This guy is key to getting that started early.
- Scott says: A fine card, and certainly a good choice in a C’Thun deck. But this is a great example of what bores me about C’Thun decks. I wish there was more diversity in the C’Thun enablers.
- Scott says: Many people have said Infested Tauren is the new Sludge Belcher, but I disagree — this card is. The whole reason Sludge Belcher was good is that he could intercept 2 attacks, regardless of how big they were. Same here. He acts like a 3/1 Taunt when his Divine shield is up, and I’m thinking having a 3/1 Taunt and a 3/4 Taunt may even be slightly better than a 3/5 Taunt and a 1/2 Taunt. Sludge Belcher isn’t gone!
- Josh says:I haven’t seen this card played much, but your math checks out. Do you think this is a sleeper that’ll get more popular over time? He’s definitely living up to his family’s legacy of annoying the heck out of me!
Best to Draft
- Josh says: Solid heals in Arena at a very low premium. You’re paying 3 combat stats for a 4+ heal that only gets better as you fall behind.
- Scott says: Antique Healbot charged a premium of 5 stats (or 2.5 mana) for 8 heal, so you’re right — this stacks up fairly well. It will tend to be better when you’re behind and less good when you’re ahead, but that’s certainly better than the alternative.
- Scott says: I think this is a deceptively good card. It thrives most in decks that are using all their mana every turn. Shaman is a prime example, as it’s full of big guys and overload. Bonus points for Evolution synergy, since his cost reverts to the full 6 mana once he’s on the board. And it’s fine even if you top-deck it in the late game, because at that point you should have the mana to spare.
- Josh says: I’m so glad you picked this card. I had him down in my guilty pleasures picks because I love playing him, but haven’t seen him used much. The flexibility is amazing and when you start with him in hand, it’s glorious.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: I’m officially over minions with 1 attack. And who wants to give C’thun Taunt anyways? The enemy board should be empty after he lands and this barely functions as a “heal 4 health” spell. Bleh.
- Scott says: I think it’s much better than you’re giving it credit for. It’s strictly better than Silverback Patriarch and gives C’Thun a unique ability that makes a huge difference. It’s a low-impact card, but you can’t expect that much for 2 mana.
- Scott says: Oh, I get it. It’s a Magma Rager backwards. Cute. But I’m still not playing it. Twilight Geomancer looks like a gold-plated MVP compared to this guy. Blizzard just threw away a card slot on this guy as a joke. Even the flavor text is in on the joke.
- Josh says: The only good thing I can say is that it’s probably the safest way to guarantee you have a body on your side of the board next turn, which Priest and Paladin sometimes care about. But there are soooooooo many better options for that.
Neutral Cards – Rare
Best to Craft
- Josh says: This is the perfect always-ready 6-drop in a C’thun deck. The other 6 drops like Sylvanas are a bit more situational, but this guy will always pave the way for your big boss by buffing him and demanding premium removal immediately. They can only have 2 Shadow Word: Deaths.
- Scott says: Hey look, a vanilla card with a C’Thun ability! Haven’t seen one of those in a while! Snark aside, certainly a fine card. I just find it bor…. zzzzzz….
- Scott says: A decent addition for pirate decks. Not great to cast on her own, but flips from being 1 mana overcosted to a 1 mana savings if you bring out a weapon right after you summon her. Pirate synergy is a bonus.
- Josh says: I haven’t played much Pirate Warrior because I’m missing a few cards for it, but it seems like the deck revolves around keeping one weapon on and then just continually buffing it. Her perk is too situational for me. I think a lot of times you won’t even want to equip a new weapon right away. And 2/5 is such a lackluster stat allocation for a deck that wants to go face.
Best to Draft
- Josh says: Much less risky than his cousin, and a nice body that can trade up for any slow Arena deck. Top decking will suck, like always.
- Scott says: You’d better have at least 4 cards in your hand after you cast this guy, and/or be in a Dragon synergy deck. Will tend to be better in a warlock deck because of the card draw.
- Scott says: Slim pickins left, since 3 of the 9 cards are C’Thun cards and those can’t show up in Arena. So…. Eater of Secrets? Congrats buddy, you got there. Let’s hope our opponent is playing a secret class! Too bad Hearthstone doesn’t have sideboards.
- Josh says: Another of my guilty pleasure cards you’ve turned into a real pick! At least you won’t lose to Secret Paladin if someone magically makes it happen.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: I may be missing something here, but gaining *1* bonus combat stat isn’t worth healing 8 to the enemy. (You’d have to hit them in the face 8 times to break even on that tradeoff!)
- Scott says: I think the trick is combining it with something like Embrace the Shadow or Auchenai Soulpriest so the heal becomes damaging. When that happens, it’s a 6/6 mech that does 8 face damage for 5 mana. So in that deck, it’s a rock star, but I can’t tell you yet whether that deck is any good.
- Scott says: No. Just… no. Has me reconsidering my “don’t dust any cards in my playable set” rule.
- Josh says: I don’t think anyone falls for these cards that give you one bonus stat for a HUGE drawback… right? Right? Please, if you’re reading this, don’t fall for this trap. He doesn’t even look cool!
Neutral Cards – Epic
Best to Craft
- Josh says: An absolute pinnacle in C’thun decks, which need time to grow. You simply can’t have enough early Taunt and he’s often worth it regardless of C’thun.
- Scott says: On paper he looks like he isn’t as efficient as most of the other C’Thun cards, but in practice he’s shown himself to be just fine, thankyouverymuch. This guy has more personality than most of the other neutral C’Thun minions, so he gets a thumbs up for that too.
- Scott says: He’s actually a great value, though don’t expect your opponent to attack him on their turn. That means your 5/5 will take an extra turn to come out and become useful. Still, he’s a strong contributor, and is one of the better ‘sticky’ minions. Just don’t let him get silenced.
- Josh says: “Don’t let him get silenced” is much easier said than done, even after the nerfs. There are so many good stat-pile minions in this set that you’d have to do some serious convincing to get me to toss this guy in my deck.
Best to Draft
- Josh says: Only needs 2 enemies to break even. Will often get more than that. Not great while ahead, but gets stronger as you fall behind.
- Scott says: Yeah, seems pretty decent. Basically a variable Sen’jin Shieldmasta that you can get a little extra mileage out of in the right circumstances. Worth noting that at 3 enemies on board, he has the same stats as the Crazed Worshipper we just discussed, minus the C’Thun buff.
- Scott says: Takes a little while to get going, but after 2 turns, watch out! In arena where things are awkward and slow, he has a better chance of living longer.
- Josh says: Yeah, I’m worried about this guy’s weaknesses in constructed, but I’m totally on board for Arena. If they were able to snatch any premium removal, they better pray they draw it by Turn 8, or this guy is going to be out of control. He’ll almost certainly be a 2-for-1 at least.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: You need some serious combo synergy to make this underpowered pile of stats break even.
- Scott says: Agreed — not sure what you’d be playing this on. Mana Tide Totem? Northshire Cleric? Oooh, I’ve got it: Angry Chicken!
- Scott says: It’s not going to happen. Okay, maybe it’ll happen once, if you try really hard and lose a bunch of games on the way. But that’s not a journey I plan on taking.
- Josh says: The “end of your turn” is just adding insult to injury. This dream-big combo isn’t even fun like the other ones (Thaddius or Voltron).
Neutral Cards – Legendary
Best to Craft
- Josh says: It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the value here. Do you include the cost of the bananas into the value comparison? If so, he’s a loser at 8 mana for a 7/7. But he lets you give 4 of those stats anywhere you want at any time. Bananas have tons of great synergy with mage cards and minions that like being targeted. Ultimately this is a fun card with a unique effect that’ll have synergy with a lot of decks. And he’s not 10 mana.
- Scott says: Yeah, you summed it up well. Not an amazing value on his own, but does come with flexibility and can add bonus synergy in some decks.
- Scott says: C’Thun decks bore me, but if I’m going to build one, you bet your bottom dollar this guy’s in there. 11/11 across 2 bodies with taunt for 7 mana? That’s so bananas that Mukla’s jealous. This guy might be a bigger payoff for a C’Thun deck than C’Thun himself. I don’t see how you won’t have a 10 attack C’Thun by turn 7 in a deck that’s trying.
- Josh says: I love C’thun decks, so let me stop you right there and say that C’thun is the best tentacle monster I’ve ever pledged allegiance to. But I haven’t seen this guy played in-game yet, so I didn’t actually realize his twin came with Taunt! Yeah, that’s just insane value for 7 mana. Like, my brain hurts this makes no sense value. Want.
Best to Draft
- Josh says: Love this guy. Think he’s severely underrated. Guaranteed to happen once. Even better in Arena where you’ve got decks stuffed with minions.
- Scott says: 10 mana’s a lot to ask, but agreed that this is a pretty good ability. And doesn’t ask you to dedicate half your deck to making it useful. (I’m looking at you, C’Thun.)
- Scott says: Hogger’s back! He’s basically 1.5 mana overcosted, but generates 2.5 in value every time he takes damage. In arena where creature sizes are so variable, you’ll often have smaller guys to choose for him to tussle with. Not a fast card, but a strong value play and doesn’t require the babysitting that the original Hogger required.
- Josh says: Some cool synergy in mage and warrior too that can easily ping him for the effect when needed. This is a great example of ways that Blizzard can put fun twists on old cards with this new Standard format.
Best to Dust
- Josh says: Get a life, Zerus. And stop leeching off of everyone else’s successes. You disgust me.
- Scott says: I actually think he’s a decent card. Okay, well, maybe that’s too strong a statement. But he’s cool. I’d definitely invite him to a party.
- Scott says: Oh Nat. Even when you’re given the Davey Jones treatment, you’re still not good. A least you’ll have a home in mill decks, but that’s not exactly catapulting you into the big leagues.
- Josh says: Yeah, I mean you’re gaining one stat for giving your opponent a card every two turns? If the stats were at least reversed, it could have its uses as an up-trader (is that a word?)
Neutral Cards – Guilty Pleasures
- Scott says: I <3 stealth cards with high attack. The only thing missing here is for him to be a beast, but that’s okay. With Knife Juggler nerfed he’s less likely to be killed before you can get a swing out of him. Trades up really well, and can usually punch face before still trading for a minion. Belongs in nearly every aggro deck. Not bad for 2 mana.
- Josh says: GUILTY pleasure, indeed. I don’t get this card. Did you run Worgen Infiltrator before? You’re paying a full mana for one more stat on this guy. I guess you could look at it like losing 1 cost for 1 stat off the panther, which some people ran? Even with Knife Juggler gone, there are enough random ping effects to make me nervous. Maybe I’m just still too traumatized.
- Josh says: It didn’t feel right that we close out this episode without mentioning this dude. Dealing 2 damage on Battlecry is usually costed at a huge premium. Here, you traded stats 1:1 for it (-2 health on stats). Even without C’thun, it’s the only minion that can deal 2 damage at this cost or lower.
- Scott says: Agreed. He can stand on his own, and is great value in a C’Thun deck. Is there a possibility he’ll add to the playability of the “bounce pandas”?
- Scott says: A potentially strong card if your deck has a lot of bigger minions. Risky, but feels like it’d be a good value most of the time. Downside is that he’s horrible when you’re behind, or when topdecked with an empty board.
- Josh says:And super susceptible to silence, although I’ve seen silence drop off recently (at least at my ELO)..
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