Hearthstone Arena Drafting!

[Mando Knight]

Gilblin Stalker slips into the #11 pick as another 2-drop.

Pick #11
Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
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Overload: 2 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 1 (Harvest Golem)
Spells: 3 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)

So, do we still have enough room in the 3-mana slot to make Unbound Elemental work (there are two Overload cards already in the deck to activate it), or should we pick a big taunt or a mostly-unsupported Gurubashi?

[thirsting]

Gurubashi Berserker comboes nicely with Sunfury Protector, so I'd probably pick that now..

Edit: Aw.

[Fleeing Coward]

It's a very close pick between Unbound and Fen Creeper but I'd take Unbound Elemental here for it's potential to get out of hand.

[Zevox]

Definitely not Gurubashi, as it's easily the worst card of the bunch. Normally I think I'd take Unbound with little question, but we are starting to look heavy on 3-drops, particularly given how early in the draft it still is, so there is merit to Fen Creeper too. I think I'll still tentatively recommend Unbound Elemental, however, since Fen Creeper is just not quite good enough.

[Mando Knight]

In spite of being yet another 3-mana card, the Unbound Elemental takes the pick.

Pick #12
Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
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Overload: 2 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 1 (Harvest Golem)
Spells: 3 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)

No 2-mana Mechs (though there is a rather sticky 3-mana Mech in Harvest Golem) and no Dragons at all so far: a 3/3 for 3 that might turn into a 4/4 on occasion, or a 2/4 for 3 that may become a 3/5 for 3 if we get lucky with the rest of the draft? Or do we pick Dalaran Mage, banking on drafting another couple Crackles to get the most out of the Spell Power?

[Zevox]

No amount of Crackles could make Dalaran Mage correct. Spell damage just isn't good enough to justify a 1/4 for 3.

Tinkertown Tech here. Mechs are more common and often better cards than Dragons, and a 3/3 for 3 is preferable to a 2/4 for 3 much of the time if we don't get to activate their effects. Plus Tinkertown Tech gives us a spare part if we activate him too, not just the buff.

Kinda irritating to get a set of nothing but 3s right after we were considering not taking a good card because of our count of 3-drops, though.

[Mando Knight]

Alright, Tinker-Tech for (a small amount of) synergy plus the better base body.

Pick #14
Wolfrider/Reincarnate/Crackle

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
13: Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician
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Overload: 2 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 1 (Harvest Golem)
Spells: 3 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)

Looks like aggro/zappy-Shaman is the way the first half of the draft wants to play...

[CantigThimble]

Crackle, look out for unbounds.

[Mando Knight]

Crackle #2 is chosen for its general superiority over the others, and the synergy with the existing Unbound Elemental.

Pick #15
Elven Archer/Frostshock/Frostwolf Grunt

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
13: Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician
14: Wolfrider/Reincarnate/Crackle
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Overload: 3 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle x2)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 1 (Harvest Golem)
Spells: 4 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle x2)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)

A couple pings, and a 2/2 taunt.

[The Glyphstone]

Frost Shock sucks, but it's 1 damage and a Freeze,which I think is slightly better than having a 1/1 body left behind. Grunt is just awful.

[Divayth Fyr]

Additionally, if you happen to have a spellpower totem, it becomes a 2 damage ping, while the archer will always be the same.

[GAAD]

I know it's shocking, but the that spell is the best choice of these frost causes.

Does anyone know where the door is?

[Mando Knight]

Frost Shock is chosen as the least-terrible ping in the group.

Pick #15
Frostwolf Grunt/Earth Shock/Antique Healbot

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
13: Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician
14: Wolfrider/Reincarnate/Crackle
15: Elven Archer/Frost Shock/Frostwolf Grunt
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Overload: 3 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle x2)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 1 (Harvest Golem)
Spells: 5 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle x2, Frost Shock)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)

The other shock (which has a Silence attached), the return of the Grunt, or "Back from the junk heap"?

[Jormengand]

I'd say healbot? I have no actual idea what is good, only what I would guess is good, but given that people run Healing Toucan just to drop it on face, healbot doesn't sound like a bad idea.

[The Glyphstone]

In a close match, an 8-health swing can make a big difference, so my vote is for the Healbot.

[CantigThimble]

I'm voting earthshock for the elimination of scarlet Crusaders and synergy with air totem.

[Mando Knight]

Anti-Kill Bot takes Pick 15, in hopes of stalling out opponents who survive the array of early-game cards.

Pick #16
Undertaker/Earth Shock/Blackwing Technician

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
13: Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician
14: Wolfrider/Reincarnate/Crackle
15: Elven Archer/Frost Shock/Frostwolf Grunt
16: Frostwolf Grunt/Earth Shock/Antique Healbot
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Overload: 3 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle x2)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 2 (Harvest Golem, Antique Healbot)
Spells: 5 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle x2, Frost Shock)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)
Deathrattles: 1 (Harvest Golem)

[Fleeing Coward]

Blackwing Technician after you write a letter of complaint to blizzard about giving you no late game

[Mando Knight]

Blackwing Technician after you write a letter of complaint to blizzard about giving you no late game

Really? We've already drafted a lot of 3-drops, and no dragons in sight. I don't know if yet another 3-drop is that much more value over a ping that comes with a silence.

[CantigThimble]

I vote earth shock. Again.

[Fleeing Coward]

Really? We've already drafted a lot of 3-drops, and no dragons in sight. I don't know if yet another 3-drop is that much more value over a ping that comes with a silence.

This isn't constructed, I'd rather have a decent body over a 1 damage silence.

Plus you have plenty of cheap removal spells already plus an axe. If you're taking Earth Shock, you're really just taking it for the silence.

(Of course, if you had taken the Frostwolf Grunt or Elven Archer over the horrible Frost Shock, I'd have been recommending taking Earth Shock here.)

[Zevox]

Feh. As much as another 3 is undesirable and Blackwing Technician is on the weaker side of mediocre without a good number of Dragons, it's just too hard to justify taking Earth Shock instead here, given how much harder it is to find good targets for it in arena. Blackwing Tech, then, and hope this draft doesn't keep forcing us to choose between 3-drops and weak cards.

[Mando Knight]

Alright, then. Blackwing Tech because we don't want no more pings.

Pick #17
Explosive Sheep/War Golem/Ogre Brute

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
13: Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician
14: Wolfrider/Reincarnate/Crackle
15: Elven Archer/Frost Shock/Frostwolf Grunt
16: Frostwolf Grunt/Earth Shock/Antique Healbot
17: Undertaker/Earth Shock/Blackwing Technician
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Overload: 3 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle x2)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 2 (Harvest Golem, Antique Healbot)
Spells: 5 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle x2, Frost Shock)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)
Deathrattles: 1 (Harvest Golem)

[Infernally Clay]

War Golem. It's not fancy but you're sorely lacking late game and a 7/7 for 7 is better than nothing. Just keep an eye out for BGH, I guess. Ogre Brute is a pretty great card but you have seven three drops already and given how the draft has been so far, you might not get another heavy hitter.

[Zevox]

Yeah, War Golem. Normally this is an easy Ogre Brute, but with the draft so far, I don't think we can do that.

[Mando Knight]

Pick 17 goes to War Golem because goddammit, Blizzard, this deck needs lategame, not more 3-drops.

Pick #18
Scarlet Crusader/Windspeaker/Piloted Shredder

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
13: Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician
14: Wolfrider/Reincarnate/Crackle
15: Elven Archer/Frost Shock/Frostwolf Grunt
16: Frostwolf Grunt/Earth Shock/Antique Healbot
17: Undertaker/Earth Shock/Blackwing Technician
18: Explosive Sheep/War Golem/Ogre Brute
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Overload: 3 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle x2)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 2 (Harvest Golem, Antique Healbot)
Spells: 5 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle x2, Frost Shock)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)
Deathrattles: 1 (Harvest Golem)

[Zevox]

Shredder, next pick.

[Mando Knight]

Shredder, being the strongest on its own as well as being the pick that synergizes best with the existing deck, takes pick 18.

Pick #19
Sunfury Protector #2/Nerubian Egg/Illuminator

Spoiler: Mana Curve

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Spoiler: Previous Picks

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1: Wailing Soul/Sunfury Protector/Alarm-o-Bot
2: Gnomeregan Infantry/Hex/Razorfen Hunter
3: Frost Elemental/Dalaran Mage/Darkscale Healer
4: Angry Chicken/Mana Wraith/Coldlight Seer
5: Stonetusk Boar/Rockbiter Weapon/Silverback Patriarch
6: Stormforged Axe/Ogre Brute/Young Dragonhawk
7: Shattered Sun Cleric/Mad Bomber/Explosive Sheep
8: Elven Archer/Wolfrider/Crackle
9: Spectral Knight/Puddlestomper/Harvest Golem
10: Doomsayer/Echoing Ooze/Southsea Captain
11: Gilblin Stalker/Nerub'ar Warlord/War Golem
12: Gurubashi Berserker/Unbound Elemental/Fen Creeper
13: Blackwing Technician/Dalaran Mage/Tinkertown Technician
14: Wolfrider/Reincarnate/Crackle
15: Elven Archer/Frost Shock/Frostwolf Grunt
16: Frostwolf Grunt/Earth Shock/Antique Healbot
17: Undertaker/Earth Shock/Blackwing Technician
18: Explosive Sheep/War Golem/Ogre Brute
19: Scarlet Crusader/Windspeaker/Piloted Shredder
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Overload: 3 (Stormforged Axe, Crackle x2)
Murlocs: 1 (Coldlight Seer)
Mechs: 3 (Harvest Golem, Antique Healbot, Piloted Shredder)
Spells: 5 (Hex, Rockbiter Weapon, Crackle x2, Frost Shock)
Weapons: 1 (Stormforged Axe)
Deathrattles: 1 (Harvest Golem)

Sunfury looks like the strongest choice, though we do have two activators for the Egg (Rockbiter Weapon and the first Sunfury). Alternately, we could go with Illuminator and forget good deckbuilding and just go for "3-drop, the deck: Round 2"

[The Glyphstone]

You forgot the Shattered Sun cleric as a third activator for the Egg. So my vote is Nerubian, AoE protection and multiple activators.

[Zevox]

Three activators isn't enough for consistency. Sunfury Protector.