So this week is probably the biggest major difference to arena, we got 1 class card only(that kinda sucks) and 5 neutral so tis by far the most neutrals and they are also all pretty good and beefy cards that can be played in almost any deck(excluding Nefarian)
Ebola paladin or nothing.
For the most part in a vacuum this is a arcane intellect , pretty much. Its easy to get it down to 3 mana just like most others Cost(1) less and that is not good, because arcane intellect is not good. So in arena its utter crap as getting the mana cost down as a Paladin in the right deck can be easy, muster for battle and other cheap cards + hero ability but in arena it will for the most time be an arcane intellect or just cost 5. Really bad.
In constructed then in the right type of deck, typical Ebola paladin with a lot of cheap costing cards, a lot of small minion to sacrifice it can easily go down to a lesser cost and I guess its a fine card in that deck. Otherwise, I really found it quite boring its only good after a complete massive board wipe with equality + something or in the Ebola deck making it very limited.
This is an ability I definitely recognize from Magic, white creature can have this (potential green as well). Its a decent effect but much better in Magic The gathering.
Why? Well you can play stuff as instant e.g on your opponent turn in Hearthstone. In magic when this type of creature would be attacked you can buff it as answer and then it would get the instant spell effect + the 1.1 stats which could safe it from death. Here the effect will always happen on the controllers turn(or not during answer to a card during attack phase) so its a lot less impact full in this game.
While I been playing this to pretty high success in my mid range paladin dragon I do find it slightly redundant ability as well. E.g buffing it with blessing of kings, sure it gets 5.5 instead of 4.4+ but that extra life or damage wont matter for most scenarios. I still found it pretty good in constructed but thats becomes an issue in arena.
In arena you wont pick those weaker buff cards like blessing of might or other similar low costing buffs are usually to crappy to play. But it with those card is the best, probably the best buff for it just in a plain vacuum is by far power word sheild, it gets 3 health and 1 more attack making it really hard to remove with minions or damage spells vs a good priest player.
Clearly better with classes that can play buff cards, priest in particular as Velen's chosen is also a great card to use on the Dragonkin Sorcerer
Overall I still find it a decent card for arena, its a 3.5 like a Senjin with no taunt worst case. Coining it usually makes it take out 2 cards like many other high health 4 drops. Pretty ok but definitely better with classes that can buff it easily, e.g Hunter cant use it at all except it being a 3.5 for 4.
Priest ++, Druid,Paladin +
Blackwing Corrupter is really one of the big awaited cards for constructed its a fire elemental for 1 mana less pretty much. And Fire elemental one of the best card in the game, which I think most players now. Thats a classic top card to be afraid of a free 3 damage to something and a big minion. Blackwing Corrupter is very, very strong in constructed I done some math on earlier reviews(on Blackwing Technician and on Rend math is the same here. More dragons the better it is, that is true for arena but for constructed the probability I concluded is huge chance for it not as high as with my Rend math as simply higher mana cost = more cards, more dragons on hand.
Basically its very safe to assume you for most games will have the 3 damage which makes this card almost a most include in any dragon theme deck. I even went so far to remove Aldor Peacekeeper to get this card instead in control paladin dragon. But that was because the meta was heavy with aggro, if its more control match ups Aldor is better.
Just that it cost 1 mana less then FE is such a huge thing, while FE has a slightly bigger body its real power was always of course in tis free kill 1 minion and get a decent bomb. The less stats for the ability 1 mana cheaper is huge. This card is actually very strong in arena as well. Far better then Blackwing Technician. Technician is just a big minion for 3 mana if you get the effect. This card is a huge swing in tempo in arena if you get the battlecry. Even more in arena then in constructed as in arena is always a minion to hit(unless you are already wining by a lot). Of course is not always a safe pick but so far I have seen it be huge swings with it. Every game it gets played at turn 5 with the effect is such a surprising massive tempo for that player.
Like Technician is a bad arena card as its a low gain high risk type of card, but this card is definitely high GAIN at least and the risk then is likely high but the risk is depending on number of dragons, draw effects class etc.
Its not a card I can say you should always pick but if any Dragon card you wanna bet on this is probably the best by far.
Paladin then has a small + with any quality dragon thanks to Dragon Consort, this is a really good car to combo in arena if you have a consort + a few other dragons. What I have tested a lot with my most successful Dragon Paladin in constructed is playing mid range and not control. So its based around, volcanic Drake(next card), Sorcerer, Azure drake etc. And then you can swing tempo hard by playing out Consort + a 4-5 dragon or the next turn 2 dragon + smaller minion at turn 6 and so on.
Otherwise I really don't find a specific class that is better with this card in arena, there is no real Dragon Class except Paladin, I do think that overall this card is very strong with other 2 for 1 cards like Fire Elemental, playing this turn 5, FE turn 6. That can be ridiculous card value in a row. But that still a very constructed take on it. In arena this card is essentially just really good if you got dragons.
Paladin +, Paladin can pick it more aggressively.
So dam strong
This card is ridonkulous, it so easy to play it in constructed. My favorite constructed deck and what I quickly ranked up with last season was ImpLock and this season even more so, the first day last week I 12.2 with implock by adding in 2 Volcanic Drakes. Obviously with cards lime imp-plosion its super easy to get this card out. But I easily get this really crazy swings, have a lot of small guys out from cards like Imp Gang Boss and/or Imp-plosion, now I can drop a Sea Giant trade with all the small guys to clean their side and then play the Volcanic Drake for free, getting 1 huge guy out and another medium+ sized minion, for most part I am also left with a few imps as well. Its very easy to play with Muster for battle and general Paladin tokens, making it combo with Consort for easier 0 cost and so on. Very, very strong card.
But what I think makes it so strong is how easily it can just be put into a cheap based deck like Ebola Paladin. While it cost a lot, it really don't does it. You easily can get into times when you can trade with your small guyers like with the otehr decks but here its a lot more suppressing and then you can also drop more smaller guys with it forcing them to both deal with a large threat and a lot of small minion on the same time. And its very easy to create with this card. It would be extremely overpowered if it was 4.6 instead, its only weakness is the low health. Means it almost dies from most aoes, or die from a flamestrike so it can still be cleaned up with the smaller minions. However, most games the enemy board will be empty as you traded down their guys to get this guy out cheap so I found that for the most part its a no issue.
In arena then its also very strong, as most (1) less cost its easy to put it at -2. So 4 mana cost for a 6.4 with the potential for less cost. Which I will say is worse then a Yeti as 4.5 is just so much harder to remove then 5 life. But it can also of course be cheaper. As all arena decks are so heavy on minions its very easy to play it for at least 4 mana if not less. This card is by far one of the best neutral uncommon cards.
While all classes hordes minion in arena its for obvious reason a great Paladin card, you always got the small 1.1 token to die with and cards like Muster boost it a lot. Other card as I have mentioned are Imp gang boss, so good with this card. Overall the Zoolock arena as mentioned really uses this card great as then you can drop it suddenly. Likewise other cheap stacking type of deck is good with it, Rogue is very good with a lot of smaller minion as well, lead by Defias and other combos with that. Not ever seen in Constructed anymore but still very strong in Arena, which also then works good with this card. Warrior is the worst as they got no good aoe in arena(excluding that brawl that sucks in arena unless if you are already losing and its epic) but mainly because warrior got no good low cost minion for arena, obviously you will get a bunch of neutral guys but that does not mean then that this card is better for warrior more then any other class. For example this was true for priest earlier in the game they only had Northshire cleric for a playable early class card. But now they got Dark Cultist and shrinkmiester that increases cheap minion cards and those card are both very strong in arena as well (priest can also gain massive tempo with this + shadow madnesses but that is one of those detail super combos)
Paladin, Warlock +++, Rogue ++ Shaman, Druid, Mage, Priest, Hunter +
I love this card in arena and I think most others hate it but man its good.
So this is the last new card that will see play form this expansion, Nefarian will be played once in a 100 games or so I guess.
Drakon Crusher, is freaking awesome in arena. ITS HUGE litterly huge a 9.9 for 6 if the oponent is at 15 life and less. Clearly its factually on of the biggest minions in the game by its own self buff ability. And in arena its so easy to get in. Mostp eople I talked to shrug away this card perhaps for construncted its not amazing but in arena. Wow is so eaily played as a 9.9. First of all arena got you get low life a lot. Hovering at 10+ life is very standard. You never really pick heals so you dont go up in life and it can take a long time in the past 10+ turn games. Sure a card that would only be good in a top deck battle is not really good but man is this card in that scenario. Its like the biggest dam card you can play then, drop this 9.9 they top deck an ogre for xample thats just an 6.7 and you can kill it of over maybe kill them, but yeah you can always kill of anything else as its 9.9 is just bigger then everything else except Deathwing.
And that makes is so strong as it with Blackwing Corrupter it got a very high reward for its risk. It might not be playable for its ability but if it can its extremely strong in arena as handy removal for really high health guys is not common. People pick for example fireball over polymorph fireball can kill an ogre+fireball same vs war golem but it cant kill this card at whooping 9 life.
Big reward, but more so I think the biggest proof on how good it is is how just a little worse it is then the classic so popular 6.7 ogre. The 6.7 ogre has always been the Yeti of 6 drops. This card is just 6.6. that is just 1 less life for the same cost. So at its worst its just a little, little weaker then the ogre often that 1 extra life at such high life don't matter. I will take this card every time over an ogre easily. Its pretty much an ogre that can become super big. Its a little of a win more card, you get the advantage early and can go for face while they have to do the trades so you get them down to 15 about turn 6 but if it happens wow if they cant answer, the game is over they are a behind and this comes out as a huge finisher.
Its not good in constructed, its worthless but its not good. Because people already have Big Game Hunter, people have hex,poly etc. And there its just a big guy with no direct impact. I do actually play it in a hunter deck where I think it works really good. Like tis good in very aggressive damage decks that can drop smaller minions + this one at like turn 8 for big finish pressure. SO it also works fine in like Zoolock etc. Not fantastic but it does at least put out huge pressure. If they dont have an answer you win for the most part.
But then in arena, not only is the life more around 15 for longer times but just that people remove more by damage, with minions trading etc. That's why high life can be really strong. Its a very good card in both regards in that aspect it can survive a lot and it can kill a card like Ironbark protector and life afterwards.
For classes that can focus on face in arena its better of course and hunter absolute should pick this card almost always, over anything else. I think hunter has gone to become the current best class in arena right now and this card does not hurt to have. Play aggressive go for face and it should be easy to get this card out as 9.9 not necessary at turn 6. but like turn 8 + 2 damage then they got like 5 life left and they have to remove it and almost kinda heal themself to not die from your class ablity etc. But yeah, Hunter will have the highest chance of getting it as a 9.9 turn 6 clearly. For hunters this card is by far so, so much better then an Ogre or something similar.
Dragonkin Crusher is arguably the best neutral card for hunter in arena!
Lastly we shoulden't forget its a dragon so it can combo those other cards always a small extra bonus for it.
In my opinion its Volcanic Drake and then this card for neutral cards by far (this card being better for Hunters always then Drake). It has not been that many new neutral but I mean by large margin. Like these 2 cards are lot better, have huge tempo swings and can be very surprising and demoralizing for the opponent.
Its good in priest as you can survive for a long time and then get it out
when on those 10 + turns, if any class will get there its priest and
you can heal it so likely wont ever die. That's an interesting way how its good, for Rogue just like Hunter is good as you go for face in most decks. For non control warlock likewise its good, mage good as you either go for quick face damage or long control like priest and gets it out when they are at low life and mage has the highest chance for being able to throw a spell in their face just to get this out as a 9.9 not something you do every game but the potential is there.
Hunter +++, Rogue ++ Warlock, Mage, Priest +
Buff pls.
I am very disappointed in the design of Nefarian. Clearly he sucks, he has no impact when he comes on the field for freaking 9 mana. As other late game cards he has to really do something spectacular or be useless by default. He don't do that and then his ability is really weak. Making him be horrible.
For example compare him to Malygos, Malygos does not do anything either, also cost 9 mana is a dragon and so on. But he gives you a win pretty much the next turn if hes not dead and you have a hand for him, that might sound like a lot of IFs, but I play Malygos in my control Paladin Dragon deck and hes actually really good in that deck. Sure you don't start with Malygos at turn 9, probably a Ysera if you got board. So when you can play him late game you will have stacked up some spells, like 1 consecration thats 7 damage in their face and on all their minions.
Malygos does not have a impact the turn he is played but has a huge impact the next turn.
Nefarian...just sucks the next turn. Because its not just 8.8 Dragon with a built in Thoughtsteal no he gets any spell card, thats a lot worse. Hes a bad Thoughtsteal . You get the chance as with Thoughtsteal to get cards you cant use like Shield Slam but you also get bad spell cards no one uses. Fun getting an eye for an eye from a Paladin or an arcane explosion etc. Its a lot of cards people hardly use that you can get and with a Thoughtsteal you would at least get much higher chance to get good cards they have in their deck otherwise they wouldent have them in their deck.
Very rarely does he have a good impact the next turn. Sure sometimes you get that perfect flamestrike but he chance is very low. And even so it was still the next turn. Also that its a freaking turn 10 play, with Thoughtsteal you get the cards often at an early turn like turn 3. This gives you the information on what they are and how you might be able to create some out of class combos. You can build up something potentially to be really overpowered. But with this as its so late its also then a lot more sheer luck to get something useful that will fit in to your current hand and the current situation on the board.
Hes just horrible in every regard. And I really dislike this, I really do I think its very wasted potential, I think that Neferian could be playable if he was not just so bad.
Obviously what I mean is that he could have a similar effect but make it actually be playable. The way I see it is that Nefarian's cards should simply be a lot cheaper in mana cost. Make them like 3 mana cheaper something like that, then you get potential for very strong plays the next turn and there is a chance for an actual effect the turn he is played. Making them free seems a little to strong perhaps because if you get a massive aoe combo or something you can do it and get a 8.8 out. However, that is still luck so wouldent make him an auto pick for a deck anyway.
That I can consider that the cards should be free of mana cost, I can consider that for the game. And right now they cost same price...it just makes no sense for me, hes utter crap right now. There is just no way to play him outside fun joke decks.
And I really dislike that as we already got Majordomo. Majordomo is also useless but "fun" I see no need for 2 "fun" cards as Legendaries as the expasnion adds so few new legendaries. I also think its bad for the Dragon theme decks, they want big late game dragons but only one of the new cards are a really big late game dragon, as Nefarian is useless. The only new Dragon you can play is Chromagus.
That seems weird to me I would really like to see more new Big Dragons so its just not, well if I do big control late dragon deck I have to put in Ysera and Alextressa etc. We have seen those cards already in varied decks since the alpha. Would be really nice if we could get new bad ass dragons for the dragon theme decks.
I really hope he gets a buff, I would imagine something around 2-4 mana cost reduction would be fair. The current card just feels wrong in all aspects, we need more big late dragons and hes the end boss. Kel'thuzad is really good legendary card. That's something you want to get. Nefarian does not at all feel like a good reward for finishing all wings, paying all that gold and then you get the second unplayable joke legendary of the expansion.
Obviously he is also bad in Arena. But better, sure he will probably not do much but hes decent big and some card advantage for late game. But of course he is much worse then a typical good mid range cost legendary in arena like Sylvanas. And just like in Constructed hes not better then Ysera, probably actually not better then Onixya either for most decks. But I can see him being better then Malygos as you probably like spell damage cards. So hes not complete worthless in arena, better then the random gnome legendaries but that don't say a lot, hes still a bottom pick.
