I should preface this post with a couple things. I used to play Magic on a semi-competitive level. I never got to the level that I wanted to, but I came close to punching my ticket to the Pro Tour on a couple of occasions. Adult life has taken away some of my ability to travel to tournaments and commit the time necessary to play at the top level. Hearthstone has been an amazing way for me to keep my competitive card game addictions under control. With any card game that I've played, expansion time is the most exciting time surrounding it. Blackrock Mountain ushers in that time for us in Hearthstone.
Blizzard has given us a preview of the first 2 wings so far. The first wing is Blackrock Depths. Once a sprawling maze of trash with unmemorable bosses sprinkled in, it is now a 3 boss wing consisting of the Grim Guzzler, The Arena, and the Dark Iron Emperor. I want to focus on the cards we have seen previewed so far.
Axe Flinger is interesting to me. Aggro Warrior is a deck type that has popped up from time to time. Unfortunately, the Warrior hero power leads to a more conservative deck style by default. Similar to how the Hunter ability promotes aggressive decks. However, there is a chance for Axe Flinger to help an aggressive strategy. Cruel Taskmaster and Death's Bite are already staples. Whirlwind sees some play depending on the metagame. All of these cards work well with Axe Flinger and get him closer to a point where he can deal 6-8 damage to warrant a 4 mana investment. One thing he has going against him, is the prevalence of Piloted Shredder in the 4 drop spot. Few cards are going to be able to compete with it.
Grim Patron was one of the cards previewed at PAX East. Unfortunately, I don't see this card being a very relevant one. The ability on it can lead to some interesting board states sure, but a 3/3 for 5 is just too far below budget. Some of the same Warrior cards that work with Axe Flinger also help Grim Patron gain value, but at a steeper price. In a world full of Shadowflames and Blade Flurries, I don't think even a Grim Patron that has triggered a couple times will provide enough of a threat.
Lava Shock is the card that has gotten the most hype so far. 2 damage for 2 mana is a bit below budget, but the ability to remove the drawback of Overload from your other Shaman spells can't be overlooked. One of the problems with the Shaman class as a whole, is they can fall behind in the middle turns of the game because they rely too heavily on cards like Lightning Storm to keep control of the board. Lava Shock lets you get around that draw back, and actually makes your other cards more efficient than other classes alternatives. Compare Druid's Starfall to Lightning Storm. Both cards are essentially 5 mana for 2 damage across your opponents board (with potential upside), only the Shaman spell makes you pay the 5 mana over the course of 2 turns. I expect Lava Shock to help create some variety to Shaman decks. Perhaps a return to the double Doomhammer, double Lava Burst build from a few months back.
Today we were also given a preview of the second wing, Blackrock Spire. Blizzard's preview doesn't tell us the boss encounters yet, but it does show us 3 of the cards contained rewarded for the wing.
Dragon Egg is an exciting card. Nerubian Egg from Curse of Naxxramas made quite a splash in the Zoo Warlock decks following it's release. Dragon Egg is poised to do the same. Abusive Seargent, Power Overwhelming, and Defender of Argus are all highly played ways to activate this card and get some value out of it. Using a 1 drop to trade with an opposing minion while also being rewarded with a 2/1 is nothing to scoff at. Never mind if you can get a second trigger out of it. I think Dragon Egg is the kind of card to see play in a select few decks, but to really pull it's weight in those decks.
My excitement is gone. Dragonkin Sorcerer is slightly under budget for a 4 drop, where 4/5 yeti sized is the standard. I don't see the triggered ability on this guy being useful enough to warrant any play. The only spells people are commonly using to target their own minions right now are Spare Parts, and the decks creating them already have Piloted Shredder, Mechanical Yeti, and Goblin Blastmage competing for deck space. Maybe there is a Paladin deck out there that wants to buff this guy with Blessing of Kings or Blessing of Might, or a Priest for Power Word: Shield and Light go the Naaru, but I don't see it.
Rend Blackhand is a card I like the idea of, but misses the mark for me. His Battlecry is definitely useful in most matches, since almost everything is running at least a Loatheb. Where Blackhand lose it for me is his stats. At 8/4 he is a prime target for Big Game Hunter, and dies to an attack from almost any 4 drop (like Piloted Shredder, noticing a trend here?). If the ladder becomes a mess of control Warriors running Ysera and Alextrasza then I could see Rend Blackhand as a counter to that sort of mirror match. However, we live in a world with BGH, Black Knight, Mind Control Tech, Kezan Mystic, and Harrison Jones. All these cards are vying for deck space based on need. I just don't see Blackhand making his way in over any other niche counter.
All in all, so far I don't see quite the impact that Curse of Naxxramas had, but we are still early in the spoiler season and there is plenty of time. I'm always excited for the changes that new cards bring. Here's hoping for another card as amazing as Sludge Belcher. Honestly, that card it just too good. Let me know what you think, if there's anything I overlooked (I'm sure there is).
Thanks for taking the time to check it out.
Chris
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