Hearthstone 20: What is your Quest?

[Seerow]

I tried secret paladin. I won, but it was very close, so I don't think the deck is especially good. Going to try quest hunter.

Quest Hunter too slow, Grim Patron too likely to fill your board. Token Paladin seems to be the way to go, with a bunch of the dethrattle eggs.

Patron's actually really strong. Just wait until lil' Rag gets strong enough to clear several minions per round to drop it. I got something like 35 in one game with me as a Patron war and my opponent playing Token Shaman.


That said there's an annoying number of face decks that are just trying to farm out wins. Luckily dropping an early armor smith + anything else usually puts you far enough ahead on health that the face deck just gets worn down by rag and you win by default.

[Destro_Yersul]

Patron's actually really strong. Just wait until lil' Rag gets strong enough to clear several minions per round to drop it. I got something like 35 in one game with me as a Patron war and my opponent playing Token Shaman.


That said there's an annoying number of face decks that are just trying to farm out wins. Luckily dropping an early armor smith + anything else usually puts you far enough ahead on health that the face deck just gets worn down by rag and you win by default.

The problem I found is that Rag hits the patrons enough to fill your board, and then doesn't switch to your side of the field.

[PsyBomb]

I'm finding that Warrior is ridiculously strong at this brawl. Enrage/Taunt setup with Patron and Armorsmith is just overwhelming.

[Techwarrior]

So, we've got another round of "how many wins did this arena run get?" I'm mostly curious as to thoughts about what the deck has going for it, and what can be done to replicate similar success.

Spoiler: Valeera Decklist

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Hallucination
Mistress of Mixtures

Acidic Swamp Ooze
Bilefin Tidehunter
Jade Shruiken (x2)
Jade Swarmer
Patient Assassin
Pompous Thespian
Stubborn Gastropod

Deadly Fork (x2)
Envenom Weapon
Jungle Panther
Mimic Pod
Toxic Sewer Ooze
Vicious Fledgeling

Cyclopian Horror
Gnomish Inventor
Infested Tauren
Southsea Squidface
Spellbreaker
Tol'vir Stoneshaper

Lotus Agents

Kidnapper
Nerubian Prophet
Scaled Nightmare

Sea Giant
Ultrasaur

[Lunix Vandal]

The problem I found is that Rag hits the patrons enough to fill your board, and then doesn't switch to your side of the field.

The trick, then, is not to drop Patron when your side is completely empty. Use a disposable, fragile minion (e.g. Patches, a wounded Acolyte of Pain, etc.) to "reserve" a spot for Lil' Rag -- Patrons can't move into a board spot occupied by a 0-health minion, but Ragnaros moves after 0-health minions get cleared out at the end of his fireball spam. Once your board is flooded and Rag makes it back over to your side, it should be smooth sailing.

[Destro_Yersul]

RE: The Arena

looks to me like a combination of a strong curve, some fast cards for removal, and no seriously weak links. Probably combined with some good luck, because it might be a little hard to catch up if you ever fell behind.

[Hamste]

Vanish can make rag go to the opponents hand and a new rag will spawn. Had three of the mini rags out at one time using it.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Encountered a strange glitch when facing a Shaman in the Brawl. When he had a healing totem up, his minions had effective immortality against the mini-Rag shots. As in, they could take damage, but hits that would reduce them to 0 just fizzled or something. I am very sure I saw the totem itself take more than two hits only to remain at 1 at the end of turn.

[Hamste]

You can silence Rag with mass dispel. Your opponent gets a 2/3 immortal minion but it no longer shoots or gains attack.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

You can silence Rag with mass dispel. Your opponent gets a 2/3 immortal minion but it no longer shoots or gains attack.

That's a fine way to troll someone looking to get the fireworks achievement...

I guess we're testing their systems for them again, huh.

[Seerow]

I wish there was some way for the game to systematically detect meta decks.

When I go to play casual, it's because I have a quest that my decks are not suited for, so I threw together something silly. Proceeding to run into 3 pirate warriors, 2 frost mages, and a Midrange Pally over the course of an hour just annoys me and makes me wonder why I didn't just play on ranked to start with.

[Hamste]

Corrupting mist kills the Mini-rag from the looks of it but it just respawns with the same attack (or 1 more attack unclear on why it gained 1 attack from when it dies)

[Rodin]

I wish there was some way for the game to systematically detect meta decks.

When I go to play casual, it's because I have a quest that my decks are not suited for, so I threw together something silly. Proceeding to run into 3 pirate warriors, 2 frost mages, and a Midrange Pally over the course of an hour just annoys me and makes me wonder why I didn't just play on ranked to start with.

I don't know why anyone bothers with casual, personally. I've never had a good experience there.

If I have bad decks I want to grind, I go Wild. Rank 25 Wild is a higher level than Rank 25 Standard, but not by all that much. You're much more likely to get people with budget decks at the really low ranks of either Standard or Wild.

[Hamste]

Can confirm, if you kill mini rag with either doomsayer or corrupting mist. It dies, respawns and gains 1 attack.

[Kish]

The trick, then, is not to drop Patron when your side is completely empty. Use a disposable, fragile minion (e.g. Patches, a wounded Acolyte of Pain, etc.) to "reserve" a spot for Lil' Rag -- Patrons can't move into a board spot occupied by a 0-health minion, but Ragnaros moves after 0-health minions get cleared out at the end of his fireball spam. Once your board is flooded and Rag makes it back over to your side, it should be smooth sailing.

If there are seven Patrons on your side but Ragnaros brings one to 0 health, it will move over to your side of the board to replace that Patron.

[Rodin]

Typical. I finally get a Legendary from an Arena pack, after they've announced that you will no longer be able to get duplicate legendaries...

...and before that patch goes in, I get the singular Un'goro legendary I already have.

I really do feel like this game hates me sometimes.

[Seerow]

Typical. I finally get a Legendary from an Arena pack, after they've announced that you will no longer be able to get duplicate legendaries...

...and before that patch goes in, I get the singular Un'goro legendary I already have.

I really do feel like this game hates me sometimes.

This is why I am not opening any packs this month. I even bought the low priced promotional ungoro packs, and am holding on to them until August.

[PsyBomb]

This is why I am not opening any packs this month. I even bought the low priced promotional ungoro packs, and am holding on to them until August.

Yeah, I'm opening my free Classic pack weekly, but that's it. Saving gold otherwise, and I'm on 2100 for now.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Yeah, I'm opening my free Classic pack weekly, but that's it. Saving gold otherwise, and I'm on 2100 for now.

Same plan, but only on 900+ gold. Un'goro is a pretty decent set all around, but grinding gold in increments of 100 to buy packs loses it's appeal eventually. It's hoarding time.

[AmberVael]

So I'm currently running a paladin arena involving five spikeridged steeds, burnbristle, tarim, and generally far more nonsense than one deck should hold.

After a lot of bad arenas, godmode feels pretty good.

[Destro_Yersul]

I just ran into some guy in Arena who had Spider Tank, and other Wild Cards. Probably sucks to be him, waiting that long to play an Arena and running into God Paladin with double Spikeridged and triple Consecration.

[Joran]

Newest Expansion announced: Knights of the Frozen Throne. Each hero gets an undead version, Death Knight version of their hero (replaces your hero portrait, hero power, has a battlecry, and a bit of armor). For example:

New Hunter hero (Deathstalker Rexxar): 6 mana, Battlecry: do 2 damage to all enemy minions, +5 armor and your hero power becomes build a beast (discover two beasts and mash the mana cost, card text, and stats together into one card)

They also have a new keyword: Lifesteal, which is whatever damage you do with this minion, it heals your hero as well. This can also apply to spells.

They also revealed Prince Keleseth (edited):

http://i.imgur.com/D4JgniP.png

2 mana, 2/2, if your deck has no 2 mana cards, give all minions in your deck +1/+1.

Edit: Splash image for the heroes: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEGS_sCUMAAR--W.jpg:large

[Destro_Yersul]

Announcement video for anyone who wants to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhOSqRYg2AA

Looks like deathrattle is making a comeback, which might help the Priest quest out.

[Lord Raziere]

Announcement video for anyone who wants to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhOSqRYg2AA

Looks like deathrattle is making a comeback, which might help the Priest quest out.

The last time I faced Priest Quest decks, I assure you: they did NOT need helping out. Just....what. Did they somehow get nerfed when I wasn't looking?

also new expansion, yay.

though maybe I'll be able to play Zoolock again.....

[Destro_Yersul]

The priest quest is actually considered unviable, if I remember rightly. It's nowhere near a top tier deck. It could be with this.

New Card Reveals:

Spoiler

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Deathstalker Rexxar: Hunter Hero 6 mana gain 5 armour, 2 damage to all enemy minions, hero power changes to build a beast. This is a really complex card, and I think it's really good. One of the problems Hunter has consistently had is the inability to draw enough cards to keep going. It runs out of gas really fast, and this card changes that - but it's not a card you need to build around. Throw this in any midrange hunter and it'll be good. Seems really strong.
Shallow Gravedigger: Neutral 3 mana 3/1, deathrattle add a random Deathrattle card to your hand. This is sort of like loot hoarder, and fits the set's Deathrattle sub-theme. Probably not good enough since it's a random effect and not a discover effect, but maybe it finds a use.
Prince Keleseth: Neutral 2 mana 2/2, battlecry: If your deck has no 2 cost cards, give all minions in your deck +1/+1. This is... probably bad. Buffing stuff in your deck has proven to be consistently bad, and this is a card with sub-par stats for cost AND a conditional on the buff effect. I predict it sees no play.
Chillblade Champion: Paladin 4 mana 3/2 charge lifesteal. This is comparable to a spell that says 4 mana: deal 3 damage, gain 3 life. There's a few edge cases where it won't be that, but it's that often enough to be terrible. Sees no play.
Spirit Lash: Priest 2 mana spell. Lifesteal. Deal 1 damage to all minions. It's a whirlwind that heals you, in a class that doesn't want whirlwind effects. Also bad.

@v - I don't know what you're talking about. There's no two L's here.

[Kish]

One L in Keleseth.

[Zevox]

Newest Expansion announced: Knights of the Frozen Throne. Each hero gets an undead version, Death Knight version of their hero (replaces your hero portrait, hero power, has a battlecry, and a bit of armor). For example:

New Hunter hero (Deathstalker Rexxar): 6 mana, Battlecry: do 2 damage to all enemy minions, +5 armor and your hero power becomes build a beast (discover two beasts and mash the mana cost, card text, and stats together into one card)

Huh. So, everybody gets a Jaraxxus, basically. That could be fun. I wonder if that means they have no intention of ever adding the other classes from WoW as actual new classes to the game, though? I believe people have said Death Knight was one of those, right? (I haven't played WoW except for the brief trial period necessary to unlock Liadrin for Hearthstone.)

They also have a new keyword: Lifesteal, which is whatever damage you do with this minion, it heals your hero as well. This can also apply to spells.

So, Wickerflame Burnbristle's ability. Okay I guess - though looking at the few revealed cards, they may be overvaluing it. Chillblade Champion looks terrible, and Spirit Lash is probably not so good either (too specifically anti-aggro).

They also revealed Prince Kelleseth:

http://i.imgur.com/D4JgniP.png

2 mana, 2/2, if your deck has no 2 mana cards, give all minions in your deck +1/+1.

Wow, that is blatantly terrible. 2 mana cards are too essential to go without, and by the time you've drawn all of them, there won't be enough of your deck left to get much out of this. Maybe you could get something out of it in a Hemet Jungle Hunter deck, but even that sounds more like a minor gimmick that won't be good enough for constructed.

Re: New deathrattles & Priest Quest - I definitely hope we get enough good new ones to make Priest Quest playable, that would be fun. Shallow Gravedigger strikes me as iffy though - 1 health on 3 mana is just so bad. And yeah, getting a random deathrattle is, well, not as good as it once would have been, to say the least, even if this expansion adds a good number of strong ones.

[Joran]

Huh. So, everybody gets a Jaraxxus, basically. That could be fun. I wonder if that means they have no intention of ever adding the other classes from WoW as actual new classes to the game, though? I believe people have said Death Knight was one of those, right? (I haven't played WoW except for the brief trial period necessary to unlock Liadrin for Hearthstone.)

Yup. Death Knight and Monk are the classes that were added later. This is probably the closest we'll ever get to Death Knights in Hearthstone.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

I guess the "Hero" cards can't get yanked by Dirty Rat, since they're a new type of card.

Not really much to go on right now. Deathrattles have been done before. Lifesteal is an old concept given a keyword. Even hero cards are Jaraxxus.

But we haven't seen much.

[Mando Knight]

and Spirit Lash is probably not so good either (too specifically anti-aggro).

It's also an AoE ping on a class where the next cheapest AoE damage spell is at 5 mana. Amazing? No, but it's a tech card to help Priests hold Pirate Warriors and basically any Paladins at bay.