Hearthstone Players!

Won a couple more games krooshing people with Hypercontrol Shaman (it's always entertaining watching someone hesitate about how to handle a Barnesed Earth Elemental with Ancestral on it; "It's only a 1/1." "Yeah, but it's about to become a 7/8.") Once I finished both the Destroy 40 Minions and Play 30 Shaman Cards quests, I had enough gold to try a round of the new Standard Arena. Given the opportunity between two of my disliked classes (Rogue and Hunter) and one of my favorites (Priest), I naturally went with the Priest. This is the result .

They said "more spells" and they weren't kidding. I got offered a ton of them. The Mind Control was up against a Spellbreaker and some trash. Since the deck was already so heavy, I hesitated on that one, but I'm kinda hoping the beef will get me late enough in a game to make use of it. The Icehowl was the third-to-last pick and was up against Genzo and Deathwing, Dragonlord. Since I had no dragons (something that had kept me from picking Drakonid OP earlier), Deathwing is just a vanilla 12/12, whereas Icehowl is instant removal. There were a lot more tough picks than I expected, along with a few instant ones (Sunwalker, Talonpriest, Mana Geode, Courier.) It's very much a Lesser Heal deck, since there are cards that could be spectacular as long as they keep getting healed (Patron, Demolisher, Champion) but if I lack the mana to keep exercising it in that way, it'll die fast, since I didn't get offered any board clears. We'll see. It's certainly more interesting than the usual pile of dreck.

Oh, and just to point this out because it's become hilarious: When the announcement for Un'Goro came out, some of the HS subReddit objected because there wasn't cool music to go with it, and someone started a thread suggesting that Ben Brode should contribute a song to make up for it. Brode, being the engaging sort, dove right in:



Given the opportunity, the community has given right back with the remixes, from the obvious:



To the stylish:



To the genre-bending:



Just awesome. As a longtime ska fan, I think my favorite is the last one so far.

Haha. Pretty amusing videos. I said here s few months back. But when you posted a Firebat video in here year and a half or so ago it was the closest thing I had seen to streaming HS or see a pro play. I owe you a debt of gratitude for that. It monumentally changed my game for the better as I have learned so much from watching people stream online.
One thing I am pretty sure of.... any of us reading this thread could make legend. I am over the hump now on cards that I can whip up most of the top tier decks and play them. That was a hurdle for a long time, but past year I have gotten many necessary cards. Then you need to play focused. This is something I rarely do. I play games walking the dog on my phone. I play while cooking dinnner on iPad. I play while watching crappy tv. The last thing is time. Those guys are playing probably 30 hrs a week minimum. I get my games in but nowhere near the volume it takes to grind to legend. So, to sum up, we are all legends.
MIracle Maly-
Story ties back into Firebat videos. I crafted Maly 4 or so months ago because I didn't have the ice lance or antonides for otk Mage, but had the stuff to try OTK Druid and Rogue. . And so I did, and it was fun. Then Mean Streets dropped. After a week or so of messing with new cards I figured I would dust off Maly Rogue deck I still had tying up a slot. It was too slow to do much and after 5-6 plays with it I figured since the new meta and new cards I better get with it and play new decks. The a couple of days ago I saw a Firebat video he was playing Maly with Jade Shuriken mixed in. I hadn't tried it and it seemed like a good idea to have more spell options to combo into someone's face. And so I tried it and man, oh, man. It is super bad ass. So many games I am between 6-12 life and the other player emotes because he is at 28 and has lethal onboard. Then Maly drops and it's so OP and uninteractive, but oh so delicious to drop Maly bombs on some poor unsuspecting bastard. That's what extra cool about the Jade cards. I think it throws people off at first and they think you are Jade Rogue they don't suspect Maly. So I checked a Firebat today and he posted a new video. MIracle Maly Saxier Then Ever. In it he says he is at 74% win rate with the deck. I might not be quite 74 but close. He runs Xaril and Edwin, no saps. I don't have Xaril and I am not sure he would help too much. Edwin I might try but not sure what to cut. A sap or a coin? Saps are so good at affecting tempo especially big Jade. I dunno, I am pretty happy with the deck as it is. It's a Maly deck not an Edwin deck. Edwin makes you burn resources to build and like Firebat video shows... you get easily punished whe he is removed. The saps help you live until turn 9-10 which is the point of the deck

So with Thaurissan due to rotate, these may be the last days of Maly Combo decks except the broken Kun Druid. Anyhow it's super fun and powerful deck. Also, not many people playing it... I don't think. Having a nice streak with it so I am all fired up.

I've played while cooking too. There are usually many cuss words involved!

I'd like to make a new deck but I'm out of space and too lazy to use a pencil. On the plus side they finally patched android so now I can play on my tablet again (like I was a year ago). The slideshow was baaad and god forbid if I hit rope it would just make it fucking freeze. It's quite playable now.

Got to rank 16 with Shaman Jade/Evolve but got tired of ladder so quit. My goal was to get to 15 lol. I dunno why but ladder gets me stressed out for no good reason and I just want to have fun and relax.

Anybody try the updated Arena? I'm wondering if they improved the rewards.

New lewt!
Gorehowl
Doomhammer
Doomguard
Siphon Soul
Crafted golden Sylvanas for the future dust.

Fucking unbelievable. They nerf STB and Spirit Claws and the meta gets faster! The top two decks on TempoStorm's snapshot are Pirate Warrior and Aggro Rogue, with the latter running the so-called "Water package" (STB, Patches, Bluegill Warrior, Murloc Warleader, Finja.) It's nothing but charge minions and direct damage. The other top tier deck is Renolock, which uses Life Tap to draw into AoE removal at a faster rate, ignoring damage taken until dropping Reno. So it's two unmitigated aggro decks and one exploiting the most powerful hero power in the game and relying on the whitewash card that tries to convince people that there's an actual answer to aggro in Hearthstone. Success, Ben Brode! Success...

Nah, I think things have moved in the right direction. You're not going to have no Aggro. That would also suck. And hey, we talked about Pirate Warrior—it was good and got better and they didn't even give them any new Pirates! Rogue playing Finja? Please man, good. I have no problems with this. Maybe it's finally a Hungry Crab meta. Control Shaman is still fun and solid. Honestly, my biggest fears with this deck are Polymorph effects. Anything else and I should be able to heal and reset away from everything.

Plus, at the top of the season, everyone plays Aggro to level fast. Things will taper off I think. Freeze Mage is getting played again, if you want to relive some obnoxious old days.

I just lost to that water rogue deck five minutes ago. But my experience so far this month is way less aggro decks. Maybe 50% less. Lots of Druid and Priest for me. Let's all agree aggro Shaman has become a rare duck.
But that Finja package gets run in everything now. I have seen Hunter use it, Shaman with everyfin is awesome. Maybe priest and mage are the only classes I have not seem with it. The answer is tech in Stsmpeding Kodo. But ya,, Finja is the next op thing everyone gets sick of and complains about

I'm good then. If the complaint is

Oh man I hate Legendary 2/4's for 5 that wait a turn and then have a chance to deal an extra 4.

I think we can safely say we're in a good spot.

I've been playing my warlock deck again this season -- basically similar to the one Jackwraith describes, but I have been playing it for a couple of months on and off. It does ok, but I just lost to a Shaman-Pirate deck on turn 3 -- no way I can keep up with that much aggro.

Playing a mixed up Jade/Nzoth Rogue deck right now.

www.hearthpwn.com/decks/744259-nzoth-jade-tangle

Lots of small cards to get things going, but has some flex built in with Journey to move to a heavier build if the matchup warrants it. You can generate a lot of heat with Xaril Toxin into Evisc or Shuriken. I blew a Jade Druid out from 17 with 2x Evisc, the +3 toxin and some weenies on turn 7, attacking through a Jade Behemoth.

Brann's probably unnecessary, but he does make Jade go so much faster when played into Aya or Spirit.

clips.twitch.tv/GenerousEndearingLyrebirdStrawBeary

Card text. It's important.

Just made it to 15, largely on the back of the hybrid handbuff Dragon Paladin. Anything out of the ordinary can win you games these days, I swear. This deck just makes decent dudes and chugs along. Seems like I always have some threat, and can play to my opponent. Holding minions to get above AoE from buffs or going hard with dudes to race Jade.

www.hearthpwn.com/decks/741655-rith-the-awakener

I've also been playing this pile of Rogue cards.
www.hearthpwn.com/decks/744259-nzoth-jade-tangle

/edit, deciding to go deep dive on the Paladin deck.

Thematically, the idea here was "dragons" but not in the creature-type Dragon sense, necessarily. More Dragons in the MtG sense, where big creatures are generically labeled "dragons." (At least they were, I haven't played in ~12 years). If it's an efficient 6/6, it's a dragon. So, obviously, Dragons are dragons, and you see Dragon Consort, Azure Drake, Ysera. But you also see Mysterious Challenger and Tiron. Not Dragons, but definitely dragons. Sprinkle in some theme stuff for each (Nightbane Templar, Twilight Guardian, coupla Secrets), top off with Good Paladin Cards™ and you have a deck. I also wondered about how annoying a buffed Faerie Dragon would be, so that made me lean towards handbuff good stuff.

Playing it though, the more dominant theme has been "not paying for stuff." I am not paying NEARLY enough for the effects I am generating. Aside from the obvious stuff like Dragon Consort making the next Dragon cheaper and Mysterious Challenger playing spells for free, there is an element in here of making everything cheap. I don't think I've paid more than 2 for Solemn Vigil yet. I am not tied to the handbuff theme, so I can wait on Grimestreet Enforcer and Outfitter until they deliver 6+ in stats. And once delivered, all those buffed minions are officially undercosted. The only cards I'm not straight up abusing are Consecration, Lay on Hands, and Truesilvers. Even Consecration gets buffed by Azure Drake sometimes for the sneaky 3.

I am exploring the space of Secrets right now. I had Repentance and Competitive Spirit. Have since switched to Getaway Kodo and Sacred Trial. (Noble Sac x1 is a constant). I'll keep poking around with these. I don't think I want the whole Blackwing Corrupter thing in there, because I will have Dragonless hands sometimes and that's a bummer. Eh, we'll see. I'll keep at it.

Cool, Jeb.

I'm finally putting in the time with my Warlock deck. Getting better at playing it and am now at 14. Just beat a Druid who started doing the string of hellos when he plopped down an 8/8 Jade Golem. Game ended with his last creature being a 13/13. He ran out of cards and I still had 8 in hand and 7 in the deck.

Been going back and forth between rank 11 and 13 over and over this week. I swear I've been one star from Rank 10 like 5 times and then I hit a losing streak and start all over. Consistency is so hard to come by. I guess that's Hearthstone in a nutshell these days.

Yeah, there's a rock-paper-scissors element to matchups right now. If I draw a Turn-6-Aggro opponent with my current builds, I'll probably lose. Almost anything else, and I can hang. But hey, at least it's over quickly.