That being said Was actually down to rank 5 last season but that was just because I had a friend who wanted to "compete" in who could go don the fastest in like the last few days of the season. So-- this season he is playing Freeze mage and got a shitty rank so far, so no incentive to play it. I do like 1-2 games a I day maybe.
Anyway its hard finding the top 5 best, while I don't think it has been way to many good new cards its still always hard to limit down one self, a lot easier question is what are the good new cards, then you can just include all the playable cards right. Or top 5 Neutral because it has not been so many new good neutrals.
But I do not think its interesting actually to discuss what top 5 neutral is except if they were very one sided that each of the means good for a specific class, which would mean that that class would be a lot better, instead I want to talk about the general best top 5 cards which has changed the game the most, either by improving a class a lot or by just being really solid and is something you know have to think about in arena. For example Volcanic Drake its super easy to play and you have to think about maybe not letting minions die on your opponent turn. A good example of impactful card but on the same time I don't think it is strong enough to have the highest impact on the game, like I talk about last week if that card had a lot better stats, i.e not having only 4 life as 4 life makes it so vulnerable that would be a lot more of a change.
So after playing, many many runs with all the different classes and always testing the new cards this is the card that I hands down can say is so dam good for its class that I have gone from never picking the class to know thinking its a top class.
1
IMP GANG BOSS
This is the number 1 card!!!
This card has immensely high value in arena. Its at worst a 2.4+1.1 stats for 3. Which is high but most of the time in arena it will be a 2.4+1.1+1.1, this is because arena is filled with minor small shitty minions and lack of good removal. People don't have to much 4+ attack minions of the bath or weird innervate + combo shit which you find in constructed. Neither do people have good solid removal that can kill this card right away nor do they have silence.
But the best thing with this card is that its always a good pick, no matter what deck you are building!!
This is something I think a lot of people miss out on this card, see its good for both zoolock and control lock.
Something very rare, it perfectly fits in for a zoolock (in arena, I can agree on that it might be to slow in constructed but in arena it has super value), it combos in itself with cards like abusive sergeant, Dark Iron Dwarf etc to kill something a little bigger and potentially survive, like killing a 3.3 resulting in it becoming a 2.1 and getting a 1.1 but also of course if it has died you got those nasty little imps to boost up to take something out. Its even better with +1.1 cards like defender of Argus or shattered sunfury where it can gain more life live longer and get more imps or worst case those imps can get +1.1 to trade with something. So its extremely solid in the typical zoolock arena deck.
However,r its also a perfect slow down card for a slower aiming warlock in arena, it high health body makes it hard to kill in 1 attack so that slows the opponent time to hit you in the face. It also of course creates more smaller guys most people with kill of. So it really slow down the game for the opponent. Its also on the 3 mana cost where cards for a control deck start getting interesting. If you play control you cant pick like a Leaper Gnome, its a 1 mana drop that likely will just get pinged of and being a complete dead card. Most 2 cards are pretty shitty was well but you gotta get a few to survive. So in those cases where a Leaper Gnome is great in Zoo its horrible for your other type of arena decks.
This card instead cost 3 mana and it has a lot of health + 1.1 health creation, making it really solid for control.
So really it has a very special place costing 3 mana and support the 2 most different type of warlock decks in arena, and its a very strong card in both. By far the best demon card of the uncommon/common picks. Really, its probably almost always the best pick you can have regardless of what deck you are currently building. I have never regretted picking this card for any other card that was offered. The only card I can ever see being better then it on the rarity scale is Hellfire which is most of the time in arena a horrible card but still picked as you need AoE. But if you are getting a zoodeck that card is usually really, really bad.
Point is, Imp Gang Boss always fits in the deck, whatever deck. + It combos amazingly well with the demon support cards, Demonfire and demonheart. So first and foremost what it improves is the Demonlock for arena.
A very clear number 1 for me. I want to emphasize how much better it is then all the rest.
2
Fireguard Destroyer is jut a massive stat card, it has a huge value as it's almost always a 2.1 for card when played turn 4 and incredible strong to coin at turn 3. While it adds another +1 for mana cost its not as bad as it comes actually in the middle of the game were that extra mana lack next turn can be fine. E.g early mana lock is much worse severe as then you cant play anything, such as from Lighting bolt or even worse Forked lighting a card I avoid at all cost in arena it just never fits the curve. Or playing a overload later blocking of a big play like Fire elemental or a legendary late game etc. Turn 3-4 is actually pretty good. You don't have anything particular for 5 mana except earth elemental which you never have in arena and turn 4 the only thing you would have is this card, of course you might have some Yeti etc but its a pretty god range there.
Of course it also do gains at lea st 1 more attack then Water Elemental and with +2 attack or more which his 75% of the time it can kill pretty much anything. It will take either premium removal like Poly/fireball or 2 cards to get rid if it, most cases 2 ore more minions has to be traded into it and it will have enough power to kill them both,.
Because of its massive potential for attack its also a strong late game card, playing it on top decking is almost always very strong and playing it like turn 7+ with something else can be really devastating if it gets enough attack to either be able to solo kill an Ogre for example or at least it with a small minion or flametounge etc can kill a big high costing bomb card. Its just a very solid card at a very strong timing in the game, the mid game where most games are decided in arena.
3
This is a card I really like and most people think are far worse, then Volcanic Drake(I put it on spot 7). This is such a solid card, I went over it a lot last week. Its basically just a an gore with 1 less health but it has a high chance to instead get +3.3 making a freaking 9,9 which if they don't have the perfect answer they will lose 3 cards or 1 bomb + still 1 more card to remove. Its massive nail in the coffin type of card and its just very, very strong in the late late game.
That 1 less life for the same mana as a classic Ogre which is viewed as one of the best uncommon/common type of card. It extremely worth it, that 1 life often did not matter so much and its quite easy to get this effect in. Its what I like to call, Low Risk, High Gain.
And its really not to say mare about this card which proves why it so strong, its just a massive end game card, very straightforward which is the best for arena.
4
Now I am gonna talk about 2 cards that fill the exam same type of issue, I put this card Dark Iron Skulker a little higher as if it happens, well while it has a chance to be less good if it can get its effect at the right timing its tempo swing is much better. The best swing of any of the new cards.
This is another understand card but it really fills a great spot for the Rogue. Valera has really no good AoE, she has betrayal that might work. Usually get something but its really bad vs a lot of small minions and if they play correctly they can block of its effect quite easily by a lot. Then tis Fan of Knives which in constructed can be very strong with spell power but in arena is pretty shit.
So Dark Iron Skulker actually fulfills something shes been lacking forever decent AoE. Even with this card she still don't have a strong AoE, but at least she now has more AoE options and while a just straight up Flamestrike type of card would be preferred this instead drops a decent minion so potentially it can be better then just clearing the board.
A very good coin card to remove 2 cards or a late, late game card to clear up when the opponent is trying to flood. And is often just a good 5 mana play, like a fire elemental. You drop it deal some damage and then your weaker minion can trade into their bigger minion leaving you with 1 decent minion on the field, yes smaller then fire elemental but its 1 mana cheaper. And many times you get 1 of their small minions + trade for 1 medium which is better then what the fire elemental would have accomplished, Of course they can have a huge damaged minion which this misses. So its not like its the best card ever but it definitely gives Rogue something they need and currently when playing people never think about it, thats another bonus people are very surprised when Rouge can do serous AoE damage in arena at all really.
If it was an uncommon card I would put it higher that its a rare card is the only downside from seeing it a lot more in arena, but its probably the best Blue Rare for Rogue in almost all situation except really good neutral like Bomb Lomber, but I would say its about the same power as Bomb Lobber, then it becomes more deck depended.
5
Another Warlock Card
Demonwrath is yet another Lock card and clearly a reason why Warlock in arena is a lot better now. They got a super duper uncomm0on card you see all the time and a really good rare card that also combos with the uncommon card.
For exactly the same reason that Dark Iron Skulker is good this card is good. Really not surprising to me at all. I don't think people nearly enough talk on how good this cad is for arena,. Its a freaking Area of Effect card people, AoE. That what you always need the most in arena. I don't know how many decks I have played where I know if I ever lose board just for 1 turn I have lost as my deck don't have nay AoE to ever swing it back. Why do you always pick cards like Lightingstorm even if its kinda of a shitty card, well its the only dam AoE you get as a Shaman.
Warlock do have 2 AoEs already they do have Shadowflame which can be hard to combo in arena and they have Hellfire which deals 3 damage to your guys. I can see people arguing and saying this card sucks because it deals 2 damage to your minions...well so does hellfire always. This card at least got a chance to not deal 2 damage which if you pick the good new demon like Imp Gang Boss it wont. So it has a lot of more potential. And really the 3 damage to your face, can be quite devastating in arena as you lack he heal you can have in constructed.
But for most games this card is a consecration for 1 less mana!!!
Thats a big thing, most of the time you play this out and then drop your minions. Its a turn around type of card just like most other AoEs are for the most part and it cost 1 mana less then the standard paladin AoE, placing it at 3 mana so late game you can do it and often have mana left to get out 2+ cards yourself.
As with Dark Iron Skulker it would be higher in the list if it was not Rare.
And just like Dark Iron Skulker its a most pick almost always, I can argue for Doomguard better in Arena. Thats pretty much it of all the lock rare cards+ neutrals. Because AoE. Its just so good to have, you always have to little removal in arena decks and especially to little AoE cards. Pretty much all AoE cards except the one that deal to low damage like Arcane explosion are almost always top 1 pick for all type of decks.
Ok so a short honorable mention of other good cards, 6-10.
6.Volcanic lumberer: Like Drake it can swing in hard after trade has been made and it can be played sometimes very cheap for big impact. However, its a lot better then Drake, its body is hard to remove it has taunt which means something in arena.
7.Volcanic Drake: is still a great card, but its 6.4 body as mentioned makes it easy to remove. If it would be 4.6 it would be amazing and in top 5.
8.Druid of the Flame: Strong 2.5 body which is hard to remove, or a 5.2 that can trade up. A solid Druid card with the classic variational play style which is better in arena then in constructed as options are general more limited.
9.Hungry dragon: Sometimes to remove the 1 drop otherwise a strong card, bigger issue is more that its hard to read the opponents deck. I.e You cant really know whats in arena deck, in constructed for example you rather not give a combo druid an extra minion but you can do it easily to a Freeze mage. In arena...you do not really know how much that minion will be worth.
10. Quickshot : Hunter needed a good single target remove for constructed. However, in arena kill command already fill this role for most games paying 1 more mana to get the same or 2+ damage effect is w.e so in the limited card format of 2 this card is a bigger deal, still more face damage and its always just a solid 3 damage for 2 mana removal. So a great card for hunter and will most likely be picked over almost all other cards of the same rarity.
