Hearthstone 20: What is your Quest?

[Epinephrine_Syn]

I was concerned that I was the only one to open guldan. Anyway, trying demonlock with it, rank 11 so far, fairly effective. Good v aggro unless you don't draw defile (which I have issues doing). Eats mid range alive. Seriously struggles v control when when it can't easily SMORC them with hero power.l over 6 ish turns. Aka trashes Jaina, but almost autoconcede v jade druid.

[Techwarrior]

My experience with Guldan was in an arena run, where I had basically been playing better on-curve, and was racing my opponent down so they couldn't use their health-costing abilities to stabilize. My opponent had been trading as best as they could, and wound up dropping the hero from a Kabal courier while at 1 life. Between the armor and the taunt he summoned I was unable to kill him that turn and the Hero Power stabilized him from there. It was super neat, and really frustrating.

[Hamste]

Huh, so roll the bones will only draw you up to a full hand and one discard (when you discard the card it doesn't count as drawn and so stops even if that card is deathrattle). Also there is a maximum number of times defile can be recast (and a proper set up with patron causes this to happen)

[Thialfi]

I got to play Sindragosa on turn 8 and Frost Lich Jaina on turn 9. That's pretty good when you can pull it off. I love turning my hero power into "summon a water elemental and draw a random legendary."

The first legendary I got from this was Baron Geddon. Needless to say, I won that game.

I'm sure things will settle down and aggro decks will assert themselves. I've always been a control deck player, so I'm not exactly crying about it's demise.

I would like to point out that I'm currently 7-2 with this deck and my two losses were to the only two pirate warriors that I played.

[Zevox]

My problem with the Standard rotation is that it only rotates once a year, which means that *some* expansions (Ungoro, for example) have a shelf life of 2 years, and some others (Gadgetzan, for example) only have 1.333 years.

That is a little annoying, that's true - Reno was a victim of that, as League of Explorers was the last expansion of his year. We'd still have him until the next expansion if they rotated on a 2-year basis per expansion rather than per year. Though on the flip side I could see it getting annoying the level of instability that losing cards with every expansion might create.

I'm still very curious to see which decks and cards end up shaping the meta.
Those of you who have played the ladder, how's the meta? Which decks are turning out to be good? Is Ultimate Infestation really OPOP?

I've only seen Ultimate Infestation once so far, but honestly wasn't impressed. It mostly felt like it pushed him way closer to fatigue, since we were in a control vs control matchup - and weirdly, that was despite him having the upper hand for much of the match. (This was a DK Druid vs Elemental Mage match.) Granted, that particular player made some definite mistakes - I recall a couple of inefficient trades - but I did as well, since it was my first time playing that Mage deck.

I'm curious: has anyone tried a Bloodreaver Gul'dan Controlock deck yet? Preferably of the non-discarding variety? I'm sitting on a little more than enough dust to craft what I'd need to try one (Bloodreaver Gul'dan, 2x Defile, 2x Despicable Dreadlord), and it's pretty tempting, but I don't want to blow that much dust if it turns out to suck.

[Hamste]

I have seen two so far. They both did nothing for the games. One the opponent was already winning so it ended up essentially just being a 10 mana 5/5 as they won the next turn and the other time my opponent played it, drew the cards and ultimately ended up quitting after milling themself (they played two nourish for card draw and an ultimate infestion so it wasn't much of a surprise).

[AmberVael]

I've been running Ultimate Infestation as a one-of in my jade druid to try it out. Like most high mana cards, it can be hard to figure out when to use it. Add to that the awkwardness of needing to be able to hold five new cards, and it can be tricky to play. I'm not sold on it.

Malfurion the Pestilent is amazing though.

[Anarion]

I'm curious: has anyone tried a Bloodreaver Gul'dan Controlock deck yet? Preferably of the non-discarding variety? I'm sitting on a little more than enough dust to craft what I'd need to try one (Bloodreaver Gul'dan, 2x Defile, 2x Despicable Dreadlord), and it's pretty tempting, but I don't want to blow that much dust if it turns out to suck.

I have. I went on a win streak and then a losing streak. The deck is deceptively hard to play. You wind up in board states in the early turns where you could hold cards for value or play them quickly, and where you have to choose between different cheap removal like defile vs. corrupting mist vs. minion trade and you only find out some turns later whether you made the right decision based on how you draw and what they were holding.

[Spore]

you only find out some turns later whether you made the right decision based on how you draw and what they were holding.

Yeah. Fatigue war with Defile in hand is annoying. But it basically boils down to two factors in control matches: 1) Do I get enough Demons out of the Bloodreaver Battlecry? 2) Do I use my Defile correctly?

Alas, I have done what I would have never guessed possible. I beat Priest with Hunter in a Control game. Build-a-Beast is insane. 4/7 Taunts vs Priest. 6/10 Elusive Deathrattle. Angry Chicken is such a great card for this concept. It's cheap, has a great effect and often provides enough threat to be targetted immediately.

And I enjoy the mental image of a pissed off rooster stitched to the back of a Kodo. Yes, I am a sicko.

[Rodin]

Yeah. Fatigue war with Defile in hand is annoying. But it basically boils down to two factors in control matches: 1) Do I get enough Demons out of the Bloodreaver Battlecry? 2) Do I use my Defile correctly?

Alas, I have done what I would have never guessed possible. I beat Priest with Hunter in a Control game. Build-a-Beast is insane. 4/7 Taunts vs Priest. 6/10 Elusive Deathrattle. Angry Chicken is such a great card for this concept. It's cheap, has a great effect and often provides enough threat to be targetted immediately.

And I enjoy the mental image of a pissed off rooster stitched to the back of a Kodo. Yes, I am a sicko.

Does Enrage count as a simple keyword like Taunt, or is it counted as one of the Text cards?

Because a 6 mana 4/6 Enrage +5 that kills a 2-attack minion when it comes into play sounds disgustingly good.

I think if Deathstalker Rexxar was in any other class it would be set defining. As-is, everything I've seen thus far points to this being another "Lol, Hunter..." expansion.

Then again, the very first attempts at Quest Rogue were pretty lulzy, so maybe we just haven't found the right deck yet. The first week is always fascinating.

[Destro_Yersul]

I've been trying it, and it's a lot of fun, though somewhat oddly the biggest struggle is not lack of AOE, but lack of single-target removal. Hunter just doesn't have good ways to reliably kill big stuff.

[Seerow]

I've been trying it, and it's a lot of fun, though somewhat oddly the biggest struggle is not lack of AOE, but lack of single-target removal. Hunter just doesn't have good ways to reliably kill big stuff.

From what I've seen, if Hunter can control the early game, build a beast will win the board in the late game.

I feel like what it's missing isn't removal, build a beast can actually get you removal on demand. poison is a simple keyword that can come from several minions, and several of the text minions let you take full advantage. The best minion I've seen come out is the one beast that deals one to all at the end of every turn, combined with poisonous taunt small. Clears the board every turn.

The problem I was running into was healing. I would get ground down with no real way to keep up there's only one lifesteal beast, so it's hard to get (or at least it felt much more rare to me), and as a Hunter that's your only sustain option. To the point where I almost want to try including the lifesteal beast actually in the deck to try to have a bit more for stalling..

[Rodin]

From what I've seen, if Hunter can control the early game, build a beast will win the board in the late game.

I feel like what it's missing isn't removal, build a beast can actually get you removal on demand. poison is a simple keyword that can come from several minions, and several of the text minions let you take full advantage. The best minion I've seen come out is the one beast that deals one to all at the end of every turn, combined with poisonous taunt small. Clears the board every turn.

The problem I was running into was healing. I would get ground down with no real way to keep up there's only one lifesteal beast, so it's hard to get (or at least it felt much more rare to me), and as a Hunter that's your only sustain option. To the point where I almost want to try including the lifesteal beast actually in the deck to try to have a bit more for stalling..

I observed the same when I was watching Kibler try and use the deck - he had the Lifesteal beast in there as well as two Nesting Rocs just to try and protect his life total, and it just wasn't enough. Hunter just doesn't have the same number of survivability tools as the other control classes.

[Grytorm]

Yeah thats always been a problem. Also, I can confirm one thing that the Zombeasts do sort of stick around for the games purposes if that makes sense. So something based on Weasel Tunneler will stay a zombeast in the deck.

[Anarion]

The problem with the hunter zombeasts is that they're expensive. You'll eventually win (except maybe against Jaina, who might out value you with lifesteal elementals). But eventually isn't that helpful if you're spending your whole turn creating and playing out one big minion. Because the person on the other side is going to spend between 3-6 mana to remove that minion and 2-6 mana to play out something that threatens you. For example: mountain giant plus siphon soul. Or polymorph plus fireblast plus elemental. That typically kills the hunter faster than they can create value minions.

[Zevox]

Just had a fun ladder game: my Elemental/Lich Mage against a super-greedy Dead Man's Hand/N'zoth Control Warrior.

During the course of the game this guy played two N'zoths, probably a half-dozen Direhorn Hatchling & Matriarchs, Grommash Hellscream, and the Warrior Death Knight, and I still managed to win the game by having one more threat than him when we reached fatigue - my Baron Geddon, coming down to finish off his last Direhorn Matriarch, leaving him with a 1-charge Waraxe and a single card that I assume must have been his second Brawl. A big help in out-valuing him there was one of my Servants of Kalimos giving me a second Pyros. That card's actually pretty impressive when combined with Frost Lich Jaina, as putting Lifesteal on it helps deal with the problem of surviving to collect its value quite a bit.

A big highlight was him popping my first Ice Block with me at 1 health, and then I actually never had to play the second one because I got so much healing from my Elementals that I was back to full health within a couple of turns. I didn't count how many free Water Elementals I was able to summon, but it was a fair few - though I did have some trouble finangling the math to work out such that I could kill something with my hero power consistently, especially once he learned not to let his Whirlwind effects leave one of his things at 1 health.

[Legoshrimp]

So I just saw the best yogg interaction. I was in a elemental/control lich mage vs secret/controlish DK hunter. It got to the point I had board advantage and he seemed to be out of removal. Then he played Yogg. Second or third cast he cast treachery. It took me a few seconds to realize I was now getting all of the cards/etc from yogg. The hunter conceded before yogg finished

Apparently replays are auto uploaded from the deck tracker I use if you want to see it in all its glory.
https://hsreplay.net/replay/povCjvMeKmG9JsHUnhydKc

Also for my deck, I think I am trying to do too much. I don't really have enough elementals for their synergy to go off regularly. I am thinking of either dropping the secret package, or possibly some controly cards, to run more elementals, or just drop the elementals other then pyros and geddon.

Spoiler: deck

Show

### ele mag w/ secret
# Class: Mage
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Mammoth
#
# 2x (1) Mana Wyrm
# 2x (2) Arcanologist
# 2x (2) Frostbolt
# 2x (2) Medivh's Valet
# 1x (2) Pyros
# 2x (3) Arcane Intellect
# 1x (3) Counterspell
# 1x (3) Frozen Clone
# 1x (3) Ice Block
# 1x (3) Mirror Entity
# 1x (3) Volcanic Potion
# 2x (4) Fireball
# 1x (4) Water Elemental
# 1x (5) Servant of Kalimos
# 1x (6) Blizzard
# 1x (6) Meteor
# 1x (6) Skulking Geist
# 1x (7) Baron Geddon
# 2x (7) Firelands Portal
# 1x (7) Flamestrike
# 1x (8) Medivh, the Guardian
# 1x (8) The Lich King
# 1x (9) Frost Lich Jaina
#
AAECAf0EEHHAAcMB0AKLA8kD7AehtwLpugLKwQLCwwKWxwKCzg KgzgLCzgKb0wIHuwKVA6sElgWjtgLXtgLBwQIA
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

[Seerow]

Man the first time in forever I play on my phone, and I really really wish I had been on my desktop for the replay. This game was beautiful.

I was playing meme priest (all of the steal a card from your opponent cards), my opponent is a paladin.

My first steal of the game gets me a youthful brewmaster. So immediately I know I'm up against Exodia Paladin. We go back and forth on board, I eventually steal his dk and play it two turns before he gets his. I end up with two pieces in my hand, and he has two in his. He rolls a duplicate, and leaves it on the board. It is one of the two I am missing. I press hero power and get the other one I am missing. Then potion of madness his, and summon my other two from hand, pulling Exodia against him.

Never have I been so satisfied with the ending of a game.

[Anarion]

Ran myself from rank 15 to 10 today with Control Warlock. It seems pretty solid, although you get out controlled by Highlander's priest and dead man's hand control warrior. Fortunately, both are relatively rare at the moment. You're the aggro against Jade Druid. You win by getting out a mountain giant or dragons and then nightmaring them and crushing the Druid around turn 8-9.

Also, pro trip. If for any reason you wind up with an unlicensed apothecary after several demons have died, don't play the Warlock DK. No matter what order they come up, they all count as simultaneous and the apothecary will kill you.

[Seerow]

Built a new Shaman deck. Jade/Spirit Echos, with Thrall and some more spirit echos synergy.

Spoiler: Deck List

Show

### Custom Shaman
# Class: Shaman
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Mammoth
#
# 2x (2) Flametongue Totem
# 2x (2) Jade Claws
# 2x (2) Maelstrom Portal
# 2x (2) Primalfin Totem
# 2x (3) Feral Spirit
# 1x (3) Mana Tide Totem
# 2x (3) Spirit Echo
# 2x (3) Stonehill Defender
# 2x (4) Jade Lightning
# 2x (4) Jade Spirit
# 2x (4) Jinyu Waterspeaker
# 2x (4) Rattling Rascal
# 1x (5) Thrall, Deathseer
# 1x (6) Aya Blackpaw
# 2x (6) Big-Time Racketeer
# 2x (7) Bonemare
# 1x (7) Jade Chieftain
#
AAECAfe5AgSBBOa7ApS9AuvPAg3uAfAHoLYC3boCh7wCrrwCz7 wC0bwCkcECm8ICl8cCtssCps4CAA==
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

By far I have had more success with this deck than any other I've tried so far. I out-jaded a Jade Druid. I fatigued out a Jaina Mage, even with Thrall as literally the last card in my deck and her getting a full heal from elemental lifesteals. I even ran into an aggro druid and won.

Basically early game I fake out being a typical evolve shaman. Mulligan hard for Thrall, Jade Claws, and Murloc Totem. Murloc Totem early draws aggro from the opponent and gets them to treat your totems like actual threats. The actual threat though isn't from the initial evolve from Thrall, but the sustained pressure you put out afterwards. Every turn once Thrall comes online you want to be hitting a minion with battlecry with hero power. Turn that 2/3 jade spirit into a random 5 mana minion. Turn that 2/2 Rattling Rascal into a random 5 mana minion. Stonehill Defender looks a lot more threatening as a random 4 mana minion. Bonemare drops his 4 stats on someone else then turns into an 8 mana minion. Jade Chieftain does the same. If none of those are available, do a favorable trade then evolve. That's standard practice, but taking a 6/6 jade down to a 6/1 then turning into a random 7 drop is solid.

Spirit Echos primary goal is to hit at least two priority minions, where priority minions are Jinyu Waterspeaker and a Jade generator. I literally won one game against a Deathrattle Priest on the back of getting 4 Ayas off (1 base, 2 from Spirit Echos, and the 4th hilariously came from Maelstrom Portal into the 1/1 deathrattle get a card from your opponent. This got me Mirage Caller, which hit an Aya that had spirit echos on her already.... when the priest realized that 1/1 was coming back to my hand as well he conceded).

I thought I would miss Devolve/Hex more since meta is so control heavy at the moment, but in practice I just outvalue most other threats so much I don't mind. The deck has the ability to reflood the board with threats that demand answers constantly. I am fairly sure I lost one game, but I can't even remember what it was. (I should really get a tracker for that sort of thing).

[Ionbound]

So, uh, DK Valeera feels pretty good in quest rogue. It just gives you so much inevitability if the game ends up going long.

[Destro_Yersul]

More science with Hunter has been conducted. Build a beast is pretty good if you get the right feel for it, and don't just pick the biggest stuff all the time. This is the version I'm currently running, and I've won the last... not sure exactly, but 6-8? with it. I'm considering swapping out Play Dead for Flare, with all the mages and paladins running around. Deck is fun to play, Corpse Widow is incredible, MVP for sure, and Arfus is in there mostly for the Widow synergy and just because he's fun. I win a lot of my games without ever playing Deathstalker Rexxar, but if you ever hit a deck that runs you out of steam early, it's a really good tool to keep you going in a game that would otherwise be a concede.

Spoiler

Show

### Midrange
# Class: Hunter
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Mammoth
#
# 2x (1) Alleycat
# 2x (1) Hunter's Mark
# 2x (1) Jeweled Macaw
# 1x (1) Play Dead
# 2x (2) Crackling Razormaw
# 2x (2) Kindly Grandmother
# 2x (2) Sunfury Protector
# 2x (3) Deadly Shot
# 2x (3) Kill Command
# 2x (3) Rat Pack
# 1x (4) Arfus
# 2x (4) Houndmaster
# 2x (4) Infested Wolf
# 2x (5) Corpse Widow
# 1x (6) Deathstalker Rexxar
# 2x (6) Savannah Highmane
# 1x (9) Call of the Wild
#
AAECAR8Ex64CnM0ChtMCtuICDY0BqAL7BusHxQjtCc6uArm0Au q7Auy7AonDAo7DAsbOAgA=
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

I don't think this is a top-tier meta deck, but it is a deck that I really enjoy playing and right now it seems to be working.

[Ionbound]

Can I have a hand with my deck? It plays well, but I feel like it has a major consistency issue that I'm not really sure how to fix.

Spoiler: List

Show

### Deathcave Rogue
# Class: Rogue
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Mammoth
#
# 2x (0) Backstab
# 1x (0) Preparation
# 2x (0) Shadowstep
# 2x (1) Deadscale Knight
# 2x (1) Fire Fly
# 2x (1) Glacial Shard
# 2x (1) Southsea Deckhand
# 2x (1) Stonetusk Boar
# 1x (1) The Caverns Below
# 1x (2) Eviscerate
# 2x (2) Gadgetzan Ferryman
# 2x (2) Novice Engineer
# 2x (2) Youthful Brewmaster
# 2x (3) Igneous Elemental
# 2x (3) Mimic Pod
# 2x (6) Vanish
# 1x (9) Valeera the Hollow
#
AAECAaIHBIgHhgmGwgKA0wINtAHEAZwC7QKfA4gF1AX4vQKXwQ L8wQLrwgLGxwKnzQIA
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

It feels like sometimes you just don't draw more than one or two bounce spells and then you're just screwed because of that.

[Chen]

Can I have a hand with my deck? It plays well, but I feel like it has a major consistency issue that I'm not really sure how to fix.

Spoiler: List

Show

### Deathcave Rogue
# Class: Rogue
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Mammoth
#
# 2x (0) Backstab
# 1x (0) Preparation
# 2x (0) Shadowstep
# 2x (1) Deadscale Knight
# 2x (1) Fire Fly
# 2x (1) Glacial Shard
# 2x (1) Southsea Deckhand
# 2x (1) Stonetusk Boar
# 1x (1) The Caverns Below
# 1x (2) Eviscerate
# 2x (2) Gadgetzan Ferryman
# 2x (2) Novice Engineer
# 2x (2) Youthful Brewmaster
# 2x (3) Igneous Elemental
# 2x (3) Mimic Pod
# 2x (6) Vanish
# 1x (9) Valeera the Hollow
#
AAECAaIHBIgHhgmGwgKA0wINtAHEAZwC7QKfA4gF1AX4vQKXwQ L8wQLrwgLGxwKnzQIA
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

It feels like sometimes you just don't draw more than one or two bounce spells and then you're just screwed because of that.

Quest Rogue was like that even before the nerf. Sometimes you don't draw well and lose. Now it's slower so the amount of times you don't draw well and lose just increase. I'm not sure Valeera is actually doing anything for this deck. The deck worked when you overran people early and crushed them. If you're getting late game its pretty much over.

[Destro_Yersul]

Can I have a hand with my deck? It plays well, but I feel like it has a major consistency issue that I'm not really sure how to fix.

Spoiler: List

Show

### Deathcave Rogue
# Class: Rogue
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Mammoth
#
# 2x (0) Backstab
# 1x (0) Preparation
# 2x (0) Shadowstep
# 2x (1) Deadscale Knight
# 2x (1) Fire Fly
# 2x (1) Glacial Shard
# 2x (1) Southsea Deckhand
# 2x (1) Stonetusk Boar
# 1x (1) The Caverns Below
# 1x (2) Eviscerate
# 2x (2) Gadgetzan Ferryman
# 2x (2) Novice Engineer
# 2x (2) Youthful Brewmaster
# 2x (3) Igneous Elemental
# 2x (3) Mimic Pod
# 2x (6) Vanish
# 1x (9) Valeera the Hollow
#
AAECAaIHBIgHhgmGwgKA0wINtAHEAZwC7QKfA4gF1AX4vQKXwQ L8wQLrwgLGxwKnzQIA
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

It feels like sometimes you just don't draw more than one or two bounce spells and then you're just screwed because of that.

If you have patches, run him. Also run Swashburglar. I'd probably drop Valeera and the Deadscales to fit those, myself.

[Hircine]

More science with Hunter has been conducted. Build a beast is pretty good if you get the right feel for it, and don't just pick the biggest stuff all the time. This is the version I'm currently running, and I've won the last... not sure exactly, but 6-8? with it. I'm considering swapping out Play Dead for Flare, with all the mages and paladins running around. Deck is fun to play, Corpse Widow is incredible, MVP for sure, and Arfus is in there mostly for the Widow synergy and just because he's fun. I win a lot of my games without ever playing Deathstalker Rexxar, but if you ever hit a deck that runs you out of steam early, it's a really good tool to keep you going in a game that would otherwise be a concede.

Spoiler

Show

### Midrange
# Class: Hunter
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Mammoth
#
# 2x (1) Alleycat
# 2x (1) Hunter's Mark
# 2x (1) Jeweled Macaw
# 1x (1) Play Dead
# 2x (2) Crackling Razormaw
# 2x (2) Kindly Grandmother
# 2x (2) Sunfury Protector
# 2x (3) Deadly Shot
# 2x (3) Kill Command
# 2x (3) Rat Pack
# 1x (4) Arfus
# 2x (4) Houndmaster
# 2x (4) Infested Wolf
# 2x (5) Corpse Widow
# 1x (6) Deathstalker Rexxar
# 2x (6) Savannah Highmane
# 1x (9) Call of the Wild
#
AAECAR8Ex64CnM0ChtMCtuICDY0BqAL7BusHxQjtCc6uArm0Au q7Auy7AonDAo7DAsbOAgA=
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

I don't think this is a top-tier meta deck, but it is a deck that I really enjoy playing and right now it seems to be working.

I'm scared to run Arfus because of Potion of Madness.

[Legoshrimp]

I'm scared to run Arfus because of Potion of Madness.

Priest ruins everything

Although, seriously, the amount of frustrating games because of stupid priest combos has made me play less and consider stopping entirely.

[Joran]

Priest ruins everything

Although, seriously, the amount of frustrating games because of stupid priest combos has made me play less and consider stopping entirely.

There was always the theory that Priest, if it ever got to be a good class, would be immensely frustrating to play against. 8 mana Mind Control was supposedly balanced, but Blizzard nerfed it anyway because it felt so bad to play against.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I'm scared to run Arfus because of Potion of Madness.

Just run Skulking Geist!

[Zevox]

There was always the theory that Priest, if it ever got to be a good class, would be immensely frustrating to play against.

There was? I have never heard this theory, and don't know why it would be so. Besides, Priest has been a good class, occasionally. Mostly during the two periods when Dragon Priest was actually a real deck, but still, it's been there.

Oddly, I do find myself playing a fair number of Priests the past few days, but I can't really explain why. It hasn't been any one deck - I've seen general Control Priests, Highlander/Shadowreaper Priest, and Inner Fire Priest, possibly more I'm forgetting - and none has struck me as particularly good. My Elemental Mage has beaten them most of the time, and the main loss I recall was a combination of poor draws on my part and strange cards I didn't expect to see on his (it was one of the Highlanders). And I don't even expect my Elemental Mage to end up being a good deck when the meta settles, honestly (though maybe that's just pessimism on my part? It is performing well, though granted small sample size).

Just an odd trend in the low ranks? Or perhaps my weird luck, since I'm not actually playing enough to be sure there's even a trend?