I'm really excited about the major shake up this set should bring to the arena meta. That comes with a reasonable fear that Paladin will be horrible to play against with Spikeridged Steed coming back and the new Pharaoh's Blessing to double down on that horror.
Upping my Pit Crocolisk score to 1 after discussing with Sinti. Same comp was made as Boozor did, with Firelands Portal which was always totally busted. This card is even more predictable. And a common.... get ready to see so many it gets its offering rate reduced. lol
Octosari - 1 - You could certainly burn a few cards but it's an 8/8 body and a full hand. Yes, please.
Vessina - 2 - Good stats with an ability that can help you trade more favorably. Being overloaded shouldn't be too difficult but there will be timing/consistency issues so it gets a 2. It'll play like a 1 if you have good luck in your draft.
Zephrys the Great - 3 - Really cool card but highlander strategy doesn't work in arena. Ok as a 3/2 for 2, though.
Blatant Decoy - 3 - An interesting card to build around in constructed but much trickier to use in arena. This is a sleeper pick to be a really broken card, though. It could fix a lot of bad situations if you can set up pulling a big minion from your hand.
Body Wrapper - 3 - Mostly a 4/4 for 4. Vanilla minion, vanilla score. With so many tokens being spawned you could be shuffling a garbage top-deck in. Pass.
Crystal Merchant - 2 - Druid has better draw options but this one is inexpensive and recurring if your opponent doesn't deal with it. I'm not itching to test it, but think it will be enough of a nuisance with upside to make it a decent card.
Dwarven Archaeologist - 3 - A very powerful card if your draft supports it. Too draft dependent to score better but it'll definitely play better for those that get a bit lucky drafting.
History Buff - 1 - Solid on curve minion that's tough to remove and can snowball quickly. If you get him late you can play him then another minion or two for immediate gains.
Mischief Maker - 3 - RNGesus doesn't like me enough to make this draftable. Do you feel lucky?
Vulpera Scoundrel - 3 - Discover is strong. Discovering a spell is even stronger. Now you get a 4th option if the 3 spells you're looking at aren't great. Should be a great card in arena.
Dune Sculptor - 1 - Recurring effect makes this a soft taunt. The lower spell count in drafts could hurt the value a bit and make it inconsistent but it's cheap at 3 mana and can hang out in your hand until you find the support you need.
Garden Gnome - 4 - Druid does have good spells at 5+ mana but the conditions are still pretty steep and the gain is in the form of small bodies.
Holy Ripple - 2 - Solid ping AoE that heals your side, making trading more favorable for you.
Hyena Alpha - 3 - Realistically, this is a 6 drop with a secret first. It's a very good turn 6 but the conditions are tough to meet so you'd have to see this late in the draft and know you've got the secrets to support it.
Mogu Fleshshaper - 3 - Cost reduction cards have generally been strong in arena so this may perform better than a 3 score card. There's lots of tokens, too. Ultimately, though, you need 4 minions on board to make him a really good 3/4 for 3. Chances are, by the time the board looks like that, a 3/4 for 3 isn't so great anymore.
Naga Sand Witch - 3 - It will suck when your opponent discounts that Pyroblast but most of the time it'll probably make a Frostbolt cost more. 5/5 for 5 that you have to be careful about dropping... pass.
Quicksand Elemental - 1 - Solid, aggressive stats and a very powerful impact on the board. Trade more favorably and it's got an elemental tag which may come in handy.
Ramkahen Wildtamer - 2 - You'll probably have no trouble meeting the 'beast in hand' condition as hunter so you get a top stat 3 drop and an extra card in hand. Love it. It probably deserves a 1 score but there's always the chance you can't copy something.
Swarm of Locusts - 1 - This is basically removal for hunter. Beast tags on all of them and you can trade favorably and end up with a few remaining on the board. Great card.
Ancestral Guardian - 2 - Seems a bit too fragile with that 2 health stat line. If you can hide him behind a taunt it becomes a very strong card that can trade well and come back with reborn, all while healing your face. If you can't hide him he could easily be killed, reborn, and killed again same turn by weak minions. Still, restore 8 while potentially removing 2 minions is nothing to sneeze at in arena.
Ancient Mysteries - 4 - Again, I'm predicting secret mage will have enough support to be a viable strategy in the upcoming meta. It's still tough to like this card taking up 1 of your precious 30 deck slots.
Armored Goon - 1 - Boulderfist Ogre with an upside. What's not to love? Even if you never get armor out of it you'll be happy with the stats.
Beaming Sidekick - 2 - It's not a 1 drop but it's solid as a way to improve your trading and makes a nice combo activator.
Candletaker - 2 - We're probably going to get sick of reborn really quickly next week. :D
Clever Disguise - 2 - Rogue has plenty of 'holding cards from another class' interactions and this nets 2 spells which is strong. Just hope Shaman doesn't rise up so there's no Totemic Might or Totemic Surge to worry about.
Desert Hare - 3 - 3/3 for 3 with 3 bodies. Not great but can certainly can prove useful. Seems more like a constructed card to go with the new quest.
Faceless Lurker - 3 - Not quite as good a Sen'jin Shieldmasta and an obvious inclusion for hand buff decks that likely doesn't work out in arena.
Golden Scarab - 2 - We know discover is awesome and this one gets a beast tag. On curve you give up some tempo but ensure you stay on curve. Later in the game it's even better.
Injured Tol'vir - 2 - 2/3 taunt for 2 is good. Clearly better in a priest deck but still really strong if you can heal him right away. The 2 mana cost makes it fairly easy to combo with a healer of some kind.
Kobold Sandtrooper - 3 - Neo-leper that still isn't a card you want to draft.
Living Monument - 3 - It's big and taunt. Decent if you've got little in the deck as finishers but it soaks up your whole turn.
Neferset Thrasher - 3 - It could snowball a game for you in the right conditions so I won't discount it. Still, 3 points every time you attack makes it look like Venture Co. Mercenary - ignore it and let the downside work in your favor when your opponent plays it.
Oasis Surger - 1 - Versatile rush minion(s) that will be very strong in arena.
Penance - 2 - A solid spot removal option with lifesteal.
Phalanx Commander - 3 - Taunt minions die first by design so you probably need to be ahead on board to get this benefit. Later in the game playing this with a few small taunts could work out well but it seems like it's a constructed piece that's too situational in arena.
Pit Crocolisk - 2 - Solid card that, for the third time with the set, makes me mention North Sea Kraken. Not quite that level (9 mana for 16 stats + 4 dmg vs. 8 mana for 11 stats + 5 dmg) but still something we're likely to see tons of at set launch.
Sandhoof Waterbearer - 1 - Another very strong, recurring ability. 5/5 for 5 and you will likely be able to time it with favorable trading for maximum impact.
Sandstorm Elemental - 1 - The elemental tag puts this over the top. This is a really nice way to clean up the leftovers from a Lightning Storm.
Serpent Egg - 4 - Eggs are rarely a good strategy in arena because you can't reliably crack them.
Sinister Deal - 1 - We already know how good lackeys are and now you can discover the one you need. Excellent card.
Spitting Camel - 4 - 2/4 for 2 is ok but you're unlikely to gain any advantage from the spitting. Constructed enrage deck? lol
Subdue - 2 - Inexpensive way to cut down any big minion. Paladins are going to be horrible with cards like this, Pharaoh's Blessing and the return of Spikeridged Steed.
Temple Berserker - 4 - It's a 1/2 for 2. It'll be dead on the first swing so the enrage ability is totally irrelevant.
Totemic Surge - 4 - Building a deck based on totems has never even been good in constructed.
Wasteland Scorpid - 2 - This is one obnoxious poison minion. And it's a common.
Even with such a great win rate, posting some videos here can help. It's generally easier for others to notice plays/turns that could have been handled differently.
Dark Pharaoh Tekahn - 4 - A very powerful ability but it needs a few lackey generators to be useful. With most of the lackey cards being cheap, I'd be concerned they'll be played prior to this, as well.
King Phaoris - 4 - Very limited card that needs at least a few spells in hand to regain the lost value of a 10 mana 5/5. Spells are not abundant in arena so this is likely undraftable unless it's one of the last cards in your draft and you know you have lots of spells.
Siamat - 1 - Mega stud that adjusts to your needs when played. 'nuff said.
Mortuary Machine - 3 - We've seen variants of this in the past with Fel Reaver and Bittertide Hydra but this is the worst of that group. Reborn will do much more for your opponent than the threat of burned cards or 3 point pings. Still, these massive-stat-drawback minions can run away with a game.
Shadow of Death - 4 - Huge tempo loss but I can see this being a game changer in games that go long. If the arena meta slows and shifts towards control games this card could be incredible.
Conjured Mirage - 5 - 4 mana to stall one turn isn't likely to fix the problems you're facing.
Khartut Defender - 2 - There's a lot packed into this card. Taunt is important in arena and this takes 2 swings to kill it while you gain 6 along the way. Bucket placement matters here, and I have the feeling this may be scored a bit low and become an easy pick.
Pharaoh's Blessing - 1 - Paladin PTSD is kicking in already. Team 5 obviously didn't consider the arena set rotation when adding this. Spikeridged Steed is back in at set launch. I may just concede when I see a Paladin to save my electronics from rage injuries.
Sahket Sapper - 2 - Powerful ability and a decent 4/4 for 4. It'll be a decent tempo swing but will depend on the meta a bit. Wide boards nullify it, tall boards make it great.
Tomb Warden - 2 - Solid twin walls for the price. There's already plenty of taunt support for Warrior so this could be a nightmare in the next meta.
Wrapped Golem - 1 - Very cool card. It's strong but fair, with health stats that make it fairly easy to kill by T7 or T8. The taunt weenies give it that extra bit of protection it needs. Another candidate for the Kraken of the set.
Wretched Reclaimer - 1 - Basically a "heal to full health" for a minion on the board at worst. Trigger a deathrattle in the process and you're getting crazy value.
Bone Wraith - 1 - The stats should be able to handle the minions on board for T4. Another really strong reborn minion. Get ready for boards that never, ever go away.
Desert Spear - 2 - Weapons are strong in arena and the ability to generate a beast makes it pretty solid despite the 3 cost for 1 point per swing. Ping is important in arena.
Embalming Ritual - 2 - Cheap way to bring back something that's a pain in the arse.
Flame Ward - 2 - We knew Mage would get a secret and this one is very good. Secret Mage will be a thing in arena.
Pharaoh Cat - 1 - Zero downside and adorable. Here kitty kitty kitty.
Vilefiend - 3 - 2/2 for 2 with a decent ability. Nothing special, though.
High Priest Amet (2): Interesting card, can provide game winning advantage, or can be a huge drawback, if it has low health and you cant kill it off. But since priest can heal it and otherwise buff it, i will remain optimistic for now that this will do more good than harm on average. We shall see.
I didn't really consider the potential to match the reduced / damaged health stat. That is enough to drop it to a 2.
High Priest Amet - 1 - Priest is the only class you can accept the low attack value as a trade off for the game changing ability. Turning 1 or 2 low cost minions into high health traders that priest can continually heal will be soul crushing for opponents.
Anubisath Defender - 4 - A build around card similar to Arcane Tyrant that is a great tempo play but only if you can trigger it. In arena, there's no way to guarantee you can, so it's only a viable pick as late-draft option when you've already got the proper support. Otherwise, it's a very poor tempo play.
Livewire Lance - 1 - We have seen the strength of a lackey already. They're quite good. This is tied to a weapon that can attack immediately, giving you initiative and some extra options in you hand.
Micro Mummy - 2 - The stat math says it is a stud, giving you 2 bodies (1/2, 1/1) and 2x +1 atk buffs. Pretty solid, but still a poor tempo play as a 2 mana 1/2. In a meta with lots of mechs this could easily be a 1 score card since you can potentially magnetize to it and make it a more long-term minion buffing pain in the ass.
Generous Mummy - 5 - This is way too much benefit to give away. Reducing the cost of every card in your opponent's hand is a good way to die fast.
Grandmummy - 4 - The deathrattle and likely "free kill" stats make it too easy for your opponent to work around the board and kill this without the buff hitting a minion. Pass.
Overflow - 2 - A very interesting card. The art is weird, right? A dam breaks and somehow that heals everything for 5? Anywho... Draw 5 is excellent. The restore is likely to be tricky but you get to work out the best value trades and then heal up the minions you have remaining so this should be a really strong play in most scenarios.
Plague of Flames - 2 - This has board clear potential for 1 mana. That's bonkers. Warlock has the minion generation required to pull it off and create massive swing turns where they wipe the board and drop a few minions in the same turn. This card is downright scary.
Plague of Wrath - 3 - It's a solid board clear but only when you can combine it with a whirlwind effect. Too conditional to get much better than a 3.
Sunstruck Henchman - 2 - It'll be annoying as hell but a 6/5 for 4 is a seriously strong tempo play. This has the potential to be a bucket buster if it's scored too low.
Wasteland Assassin - 2 - Stealth is strong in arena and reborn is going to be strong in arena. This will be strong in arena. It will be especially good for classes like paladin/druid where removal is tough to come by and buffs are plentiful.
Anka, the Buried - 4 - The 5/5 for 5 is ok but the ability is more likely to be a burden than a gain. This is 100% constructed material that will have to be in terrible company to be the best choice of 3 legendary cards in a draft.
Diseased Vulture - 1 - The only way this card isn't a stud is if you are forced to play it on-curve and don't get to trigger its ability. Chances are slim that you can't hold until T6 to get the HP trigger, and there are other ways to do self-damage, anyway. Great card.
Mogu Cultist - 4 - We haven't seen the copy mechanic that has to be coming with the set so it's possible we'll have to revisit this card. As a 1/1 for 1, it's not something you ever want to draft.
Splitting Axe - 4 - It's overpriced as a stand alone weapon and you won't make up the value by copying basic totems. You'll need a ton of support in the draft for this to feel like a good card. Until we see more cards, I'd say there isn't really enough good totems and/or buffs to make the basic totems worth copying.
Tip the Scales - 4 - Tough to give it a score of 5 when it *could* be a high value play for 8 mana. It's just so unlikely you'll have the murloc support required to pull that off.
Tortollan Pilgrim - 2 - Discover, copy, and cast a spell is crazy strong. It's conditional and that usually pushes my scoring towards a 3 in this case but I think it'll be rare that you don't get the spells you need to make this a really strong play. Copy that secret for some synergy with the incoming SoU minions.
Whirlkick Master - 2 - Definitely a card that could play as a 1-score card. Really high potential value but again it's draft dependent. If you get a lot of combo cards this could easily be a quick hand-fill card with big value.
Arcane Flakmage - 1 - Secrets aren't always the best option in drafts but this guy is so powerful it has to bump secret value up, especially as a common. Getting Explosive Runes back in the draft pool makes it very likely you won't mind drafting for secret synergy.
Infested Goblin - 3 - Decent face protection that will be better in rogue/mage/hunter where taunts are not plentiful. Ultimately, 1/1 speedbumps are mediocre and you still have to pay to cast them.
Into the Fray - 4 - More of a constructed card but Warrior looks to be getting lots of taunt so this could be a high value play. That small glimmer of hope is what prevents me from scoring it a 5.
Neferset Ritualist - 1 - Top notch 2 drop stats with a battlecry that can have a huge impact on the game. This will have to be scored pretty high by Blizzard to not be an auto-draft in its bucket.
Anubisath Warbringer - 3 - Solid potential but late in the game you need to have a hand that makes the deathrattle matter. Otherwise, you'll have a single-drop turn paying 9 mana for this and the 6 health makes it fairly easy to handle. We've already seen a few cards that kick minion to your hand so this definitely could get the support needed to have a big impact.
Cloud Prince - 2 - Kind of predicting secret mage drafting will be a viable strategy when the rotation brings back Explosive Runes and (to a much lessor extent) Splitting Image. It's also very likely SoU brings a new secret to the draft pool.
Fishflinger - 3 - Decent stat line and effect but RNG could burn you, especially if you're playing vs. a class with strong murlocs in their pool.
Frightened Flunky - 1 - Shaggy's pretty awesome. 2/2 taunt that lets you discover another taunt. Zoinks!
Hooked Scimitar - 2 - Mulligan hard for it if you've got the coin. Really strong weapon if you can trigger the combo.
Pressure Plate - 2 - The RNG factor keeps this from being OP. The meta will have a big impact on the effectiveness of this trap. Lots of swarms will make it weak. More big minion tactics will make it much stronger. There's also the concern that spells are far less plentiful in arena decks. I'm pretty curious to see this in action.
It does a great job making all the unplayable rogue deathrattle minions better. Anub'arak, Myra Rotspring, and Gral, the Shark suck just a bit less now. I'll play them all together if I unpack this. :D
Bloodsworn Mercenary - 2 - Really strong card, especially mid-to-late game. The value could be tremendous as the game wears on and warrior is very good at pinging things to ensure this has a target. The only thing preventing the score from being a 1 is the fact that you could, concievably, have no target and a dire need to play this anyway so it's a vanilla 3/3 for 3.
Desert Obelisk - 5 - Constructed only card. This card screams OTK or bust. In arena, that's a bust.
Riftcleaver - 1 - All hail our new Demon Overlord! Removal tied to a huge body is incredible. The damage will hurt and you could be forced into hari-kari, but this card will flip lots of boards.
Bazaar Mugger - 1 - The fact that you are guaranteed a minion is huge. Class minions are better value than their neutral counterparts and you avoid the useless spells that don't carry their value from one class to another. Looking at you, Totemic Might.
EVIL Recruiter - 3 - Too draft dependent to get a higher score but clearly a game changer if you've got the lackey support for it.
Hunter's Pack - 1 - Card draw (or generation, in this case) is a weakness for Hunter and this is really solid value even if RNGesus hates you. The weapon pool is solid, the secrets are generally good, and the fact that you get a class-card beast means you're likely getting something decent there, too. Highrolling beasts will make this card bonkers and it's common so expect your hunter opponent's to have several and never run out of steam. Go FACE! Replenish. Go MOAR FACE!!
Erodos is correct. You can't draw two copies of the same minion with master's call. Subject 9 would be nice but if you're drawing 3 beast one turn you'll probably have to sit on him for a turn or two to reduce hand size before drawing a bunch of secrets.
Dinotamer Brann - 4 - Drafting for a highlander card is very unlikely to work out for you. The cost/effect/value here is tremendous if you can trigger it, though. If you can pull it off it'll be a soul crushing victory. The more likely scenario is you drop a 7 mana 2/4. Equally soul crushing.
Elise the Enlightened - 3 - She's solid as a vanilla 5/5 for 5. Highlander strategy is not likely to work out when drafting.
Reno the Relicologist - 4 - Mediocre stats for a 6 drop and that's what he'll be more often than not.
Sir Finley of the Sands - 3 - The stats make him a good vanilla 2/3 for 2. Highlander strategy is not likely to work out when drafting.
Wild Bloodstinger - 1 - The downside is so minimal because of the high health stat. The chances are good that this trades at least 2 for 1 with the potential for more than that. Late game you could drop this without pulling something from your opponent's hand, completely negating the downside. There will certainly be times when RNGesus frowns upon you and pulls a poison minion but this monster will be well worth drafting.
Scarlet Webweaver - 2 - It's conditional with sub-par stats so I really want to give it a 3 but the condition is that you have a beast. In a hunter draft that's not a tough condition to meet.
Expired Merchant - 1 - High value with a small downside of 1 health on a 2 drop. As long as the next arena meta doesn't include a ton of priests there's little to worry about with this card.
Hidden Oasis - 3 - I like the versatility here and am tempted to give this a 2. 6/6 taunt for 6 is good and the likely choice nearly every time you play this.
Murmy - 2 - A great option as a 1 drop but drafting 1 drops in arena isn't a top priority.
Armagedillo - 3 - I still use the "2x casting cost" rule when considering stats. This gives you 11 instead of the premium 12 stat points so it has to buff a minion to be top flight stats. Still, that 7 health is a very beefy health total. Bucket placement will make a huge difference in how often you see this. If it's scored low and lands alongside scrubs it's an auto-pick. Put it next to Darius Crowley or Grommash Hellscream and it's not making the cut. If there's enough support in your draft this will play like a 2 or even a 1.
Seems like classic bilzz-code. Overkill should trigger when a minion attacks something else. It's lazy AF to code it as a "your turn" mechanic rather than a "when attacking" mechanic. Fix the way it's coded and move on.
Brazen Zealot - 2 - It's a good threat as far as 1 drops go. Paladin thrives on tempo and flood and will have no trouble triggering this early. It's not a disaster as a late draw since you'll likely have at least some buff spells as a paladin.
Salhet's Pride - 4 - Sure looks like a constructed card to me. Think of all the ragers you could draw! :D Overall, it's always good to draw and thin your deck of the terrible top-deck draws so this card isn't terrible. Still, you don't want an abundance of 1 health minions in your deck so the tempo loss is not worth it. However, if the 1 health theme carries through this expac (possibly tied to new Pal quest?) then this could be more dangerous.
Sandwasp Queen - 2 - This will fit nicely with the tempo/swarm style of play for Paladin. They are all ping-able minions but keeping pressure up is a big key to success for Paladin in arena and this minion will be great for that purpose.
Plague of Murlocs - 1 - Wow. This will wreck a board quick. It will do wonders as a big-board removal piece. The downside of hitting your own minions is more than fair with a low cost to cast. You could conceivable play a board burn like Lightning Storm AND another small minion in the same turn. Talk about a board flip!
Plague of Madness - 2 - A very interesting card for Rogue. It is a combo trigger and spot removal rolled into a super cheap spell. It does have the drawback of giving your opponent the same removal option, but you're almost always playing tempo if you're an arena rogue. I think this will quickly be a 1 score card once we get to test it.
Psychopomp - 2 - It looks like a pretty solid deal for 4 mana. You get the 3/1 plus the rez'd minion and reborn will make one more copy by the time all is said and done. Even if it's a vanilla 2/3 you rez you're getting 3/1 + 2/3 + 2/1 for 4 mana. If you get a little lucky with a value minion (deathrattle, taunt, etc.) with the first rez this card's value is bonkers. The vulnerability to pings is the only thing preventing me from giving it a 1 but that's likely a silly concern.
I'm really excited about the major shake up this set should bring to the arena meta. That comes with a reasonable fear that Paladin will be horrible to play against with Spikeridged Steed coming back and the new Pharaoh's Blessing to double down on that horror.
Upping my Pit Crocolisk score to 1 after discussing with Sinti. Same comp was made as Boozor did, with Firelands Portal which was always totally busted. This card is even more predictable. And a common.... get ready to see so many it gets its offering rate reduced. lol
Octosari - 1 - You could certainly burn a few cards but it's an 8/8 body and a full hand. Yes, please.
Vessina - 2 - Good stats with an ability that can help you trade more favorably. Being overloaded shouldn't be too difficult but there will be timing/consistency issues so it gets a 2. It'll play like a 1 if you have good luck in your draft.
Zephrys the Great - 3 - Really cool card but highlander strategy doesn't work in arena. Ok as a 3/2 for 2, though.
Blatant Decoy - 3 - An interesting card to build around in constructed but much trickier to use in arena. This is a sleeper pick to be a really broken card, though. It could fix a lot of bad situations if you can set up pulling a big minion from your hand.
Body Wrapper - 3 - Mostly a 4/4 for 4. Vanilla minion, vanilla score. With so many tokens being spawned you could be shuffling a garbage top-deck in. Pass.
Crystal Merchant - 2 - Druid has better draw options but this one is inexpensive and recurring if your opponent doesn't deal with it. I'm not itching to test it, but think it will be enough of a nuisance with upside to make it a decent card.
Dwarven Archaeologist - 3 - A very powerful card if your draft supports it. Too draft dependent to score better but it'll definitely play better for those that get a bit lucky drafting.
History Buff - 1 - Solid on curve minion that's tough to remove and can snowball quickly. If you get him late you can play him then another minion or two for immediate gains.
Mischief Maker - 3 - RNGesus doesn't like me enough to make this draftable. Do you feel lucky?
Vulpera Scoundrel - 3 - Discover is strong. Discovering a spell is even stronger. Now you get a 4th option if the 3 spells you're looking at aren't great. Should be a great card in arena.
Dune Sculptor - 1 - Recurring effect makes this a soft taunt. The lower spell count in drafts could hurt the value a bit and make it inconsistent but it's cheap at 3 mana and can hang out in your hand until you find the support you need.
Garden Gnome - 4 - Druid does have good spells at 5+ mana but the conditions are still pretty steep and the gain is in the form of small bodies.
Holy Ripple - 2 - Solid ping AoE that heals your side, making trading more favorable for you.
Hyena Alpha - 3 - Realistically, this is a 6 drop with a secret first. It's a very good turn 6 but the conditions are tough to meet so you'd have to see this late in the draft and know you've got the secrets to support it.
Mogu Fleshshaper - 3 - Cost reduction cards have generally been strong in arena so this may perform better than a 3 score card. There's lots of tokens, too. Ultimately, though, you need 4 minions on board to make him a really good 3/4 for 3. Chances are, by the time the board looks like that, a 3/4 for 3 isn't so great anymore.
Naga Sand Witch - 3 - It will suck when your opponent discounts that Pyroblast but most of the time it'll probably make a Frostbolt cost more. 5/5 for 5 that you have to be careful about dropping... pass.
Quicksand Elemental - 1 - Solid, aggressive stats and a very powerful impact on the board. Trade more favorably and it's got an elemental tag which may come in handy.
Ramkahen Wildtamer - 2 - You'll probably have no trouble meeting the 'beast in hand' condition as hunter so you get a top stat 3 drop and an extra card in hand. Love it. It probably deserves a 1 score but there's always the chance you can't copy something.
Swarm of Locusts - 1 - This is basically removal for hunter. Beast tags on all of them and you can trade favorably and end up with a few remaining on the board. Great card.
Ancestral Guardian - 2 - Seems a bit too fragile with that 2 health stat line. If you can hide him behind a taunt it becomes a very strong card that can trade well and come back with reborn, all while healing your face. If you can't hide him he could easily be killed, reborn, and killed again same turn by weak minions. Still, restore 8 while potentially removing 2 minions is nothing to sneeze at in arena.
Ancient Mysteries - 4 - Again, I'm predicting secret mage will have enough support to be a viable strategy in the upcoming meta. It's still tough to like this card taking up 1 of your precious 30 deck slots.
Armored Goon - 1 - Boulderfist Ogre with an upside. What's not to love? Even if you never get armor out of it you'll be happy with the stats.
Beaming Sidekick - 2 - It's not a 1 drop but it's solid as a way to improve your trading and makes a nice combo activator.
Bug Collector - 2 - A slight twist on the Hench-Clan Hogsteed that should be equally effective.
Candletaker - 2 - We're probably going to get sick of reborn really quickly next week. :D
Clever Disguise - 2 - Rogue has plenty of 'holding cards from another class' interactions and this nets 2 spells which is strong. Just hope Shaman doesn't rise up so there's no Totemic Might or Totemic Surge to worry about.
Desert Hare - 3 - 3/3 for 3 with 3 bodies. Not great but can certainly can prove useful. Seems more like a constructed card to go with the new quest.
Faceless Lurker - 3 - Not quite as good a Sen'jin Shieldmasta and an obvious inclusion for hand buff decks that likely doesn't work out in arena.
Golden Scarab - 2 - We know discover is awesome and this one gets a beast tag. On curve you give up some tempo but ensure you stay on curve. Later in the game it's even better.
Injured Tol'vir - 2 - 2/3 taunt for 2 is good. Clearly better in a priest deck but still really strong if you can heal him right away. The 2 mana cost makes it fairly easy to combo with a healer of some kind.
Kobold Sandtrooper - 3 - Neo-leper that still isn't a card you want to draft.
Living Monument - 3 - It's big and taunt. Decent if you've got little in the deck as finishers but it soaks up your whole turn.
Neferset Thrasher - 3 - It could snowball a game for you in the right conditions so I won't discount it. Still, 3 points every time you attack makes it look like Venture Co. Mercenary - ignore it and let the downside work in your favor when your opponent plays it.
Oasis Surger - 1 - Versatile rush minion(s) that will be very strong in arena.
Penance - 2 - A solid spot removal option with lifesteal.
Phalanx Commander - 3 - Taunt minions die first by design so you probably need to be ahead on board to get this benefit. Later in the game playing this with a few small taunts could work out well but it seems like it's a constructed piece that's too situational in arena.
Pit Crocolisk - 2 - Solid card that, for the third time with the set, makes me mention North Sea Kraken. Not quite that level (9 mana for 16 stats + 4 dmg vs. 8 mana for 11 stats + 5 dmg) but still something we're likely to see tons of at set launch.
Sandhoof Waterbearer - 1 - Another very strong, recurring ability. 5/5 for 5 and you will likely be able to time it with favorable trading for maximum impact.
Sandstorm Elemental - 1 - The elemental tag puts this over the top. This is a really nice way to clean up the leftovers from a Lightning Storm.
Serpent Egg - 4 - Eggs are rarely a good strategy in arena because you can't reliably crack them.
Sinister Deal - 1 - We already know how good lackeys are and now you can discover the one you need. Excellent card.
Spitting Camel - 4 - 2/4 for 2 is ok but you're unlikely to gain any advantage from the spitting. Constructed enrage deck? lol
Subdue - 2 - Inexpensive way to cut down any big minion. Paladins are going to be horrible with cards like this, Pharaoh's Blessing and the return of Spikeridged Steed.
Temple Berserker - 4 - It's a 1/2 for 2. It'll be dead on the first swing so the enrage ability is totally irrelevant.
Totemic Surge - 4 - Building a deck based on totems has never even been good in constructed.
Wasteland Scorpid - 2 - This is one obnoxious poison minion. And it's a common.
Worthy Expedition - 1 - Here's the upcoming cardpool for druid's choose mechanic: Cenarius, Ancient of War, Ancient of Lore, Nourish, Hidden Oasis, Druid of the Claw, Starfall, Oasis Surger, Keeper of the Grove, Branching Paths, Mark of the Loa, Shellshifter, Mark of Nature, Wardruid Loti, Wrath, Power of the Wild, Raven Idol. So be ready for the infinite Expedition/Idol loop. :D
Even with such a great win rate, posting some videos here can help. It's generally easier for others to notice plays/turns that could have been handled differently.
Dark Pharaoh Tekahn - 4 - A very powerful ability but it needs a few lackey generators to be useful. With most of the lackey cards being cheap, I'd be concerned they'll be played prior to this, as well.
King Phaoris - 4 - Very limited card that needs at least a few spells in hand to regain the lost value of a 10 mana 5/5. Spells are not abundant in arena so this is likely undraftable unless it's one of the last cards in your draft and you know you have lots of spells.
Siamat - 1 - Mega stud that adjusts to your needs when played. 'nuff said.
Mortuary Machine - 3 - We've seen variants of this in the past with Fel Reaver and Bittertide Hydra but this is the worst of that group. Reborn will do much more for your opponent than the threat of burned cards or 3 point pings. Still, these massive-stat-drawback minions can run away with a game.
Shadow of Death - 4 - Huge tempo loss but I can see this being a game changer in games that go long. If the arena meta slows and shifts towards control games this card could be incredible.
Conjured Mirage - 5 - 4 mana to stall one turn isn't likely to fix the problems you're facing.
Khartut Defender - 2 - There's a lot packed into this card. Taunt is important in arena and this takes 2 swings to kill it while you gain 6 along the way. Bucket placement matters here, and I have the feeling this may be scored a bit low and become an easy pick.
Pharaoh's Blessing - 1 - Paladin PTSD is kicking in already. Team 5 obviously didn't consider the arena set rotation when adding this. Spikeridged Steed is back in at set launch. I may just concede when I see a Paladin to save my electronics from rage injuries.
Sahket Sapper - 2 - Powerful ability and a decent 4/4 for 4. It'll be a decent tempo swing but will depend on the meta a bit. Wide boards nullify it, tall boards make it great.
Tomb Warden - 2 - Solid twin walls for the price. There's already plenty of taunt support for Warrior so this could be a nightmare in the next meta.
Wrapped Golem - 1 - Very cool card. It's strong but fair, with health stats that make it fairly easy to kill by T7 or T8. The taunt weenies give it that extra bit of protection it needs. Another candidate for the Kraken of the set.
Wretched Reclaimer - 1 - Basically a "heal to full health" for a minion on the board at worst. Trigger a deathrattle in the process and you're getting crazy value.
Bone Wraith - 1 - The stats should be able to handle the minions on board for T4. Another really strong reborn minion. Get ready for boards that never, ever go away.
Desert Spear - 2 - Weapons are strong in arena and the ability to generate a beast makes it pretty solid despite the 3 cost for 1 point per swing. Ping is important in arena.
Embalming Ritual - 2 - Cheap way to bring back something that's a pain in the arse.
Flame Ward - 2 - We knew Mage would get a secret and this one is very good. Secret Mage will be a thing in arena.
Pharaoh Cat - 1 - Zero downside and adorable. Here kitty kitty kitty.
Vilefiend - 3 - 2/2 for 2 with a decent ability. Nothing special, though.
First thought was Fluffy Shaggy... who isn't a Scooby-Doo fan? 50th anniversary year, too. 100/100 will shout Zoinks! when played.
But I'm going to go with Sunstruck Henchman because I suffer from nar... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I didn't really consider the potential to match the reduced / damaged health stat. That is enough to drop it to a 2.
Colossus of the Moon - 2 - A massive finisher that is sticky and takes a minimum of 4 hits/removal pieces. Reasonable guess we're looking at this set's North Sea Kraken / Bog Creeper.
High Priest Amet - 1 - Priest is the only class you can accept the low attack value as a trade off for the game changing ability. Turning 1 or 2 low cost minions into high health traders that priest can continually heal will be soul crushing for opponents.
Anubisath Defender - 4 - A build around card similar to Arcane Tyrant that is a great tempo play but only if you can trigger it. In arena, there's no way to guarantee you can, so it's only a viable pick as late-draft option when you've already got the proper support. Otherwise, it's a very poor tempo play.
Livewire Lance - 1 - We have seen the strength of a lackey already. They're quite good. This is tied to a weapon that can attack immediately, giving you initiative and some extra options in you hand.
Micro Mummy - 2 - The stat math says it is a stud, giving you 2 bodies (1/2, 1/1) and 2x +1 atk buffs. Pretty solid, but still a poor tempo play as a 2 mana 1/2. In a meta with lots of mechs this could easily be a 1 score card since you can potentially magnetize to it and make it a more long-term minion buffing pain in the ass.
Generous Mummy - 5 - This is way too much benefit to give away. Reducing the cost of every card in your opponent's hand is a good way to die fast.
Grandmummy - 4 - The deathrattle and likely "free kill" stats make it too easy for your opponent to work around the board and kill this without the buff hitting a minion. Pass.
Overflow - 2 - A very interesting card. The art is weird, right? A dam breaks and somehow that heals everything for 5? Anywho... Draw 5 is excellent. The restore is likely to be tricky but you get to work out the best value trades and then heal up the minions you have remaining so this should be a really strong play in most scenarios.
Plague of Flames - 2 - This has board clear potential for 1 mana. That's bonkers. Warlock has the minion generation required to pull it off and create massive swing turns where they wipe the board and drop a few minions in the same turn. This card is downright scary.
Plague of Wrath - 3 - It's a solid board clear but only when you can combine it with a whirlwind effect. Too conditional to get much better than a 3.
Sunstruck Henchman - 2 - It'll be annoying as hell but a 6/5 for 4 is a seriously strong tempo play. This has the potential to be a bucket buster if it's scored too low.
Wasteland Assassin - 2 - Stealth is strong in arena and reborn is going to be strong in arena. This will be strong in arena. It will be especially good for classes like paladin/druid where removal is tough to come by and buffs are plentiful.
Cool, unique mechanic but I understand the concern with Divine Spirit.
Anka, the Buried - 4 - The 5/5 for 5 is ok but the ability is more likely to be a burden than a gain. This is 100% constructed material that will have to be in terrible company to be the best choice of 3 legendary cards in a draft.
Diseased Vulture - 1 - The only way this card isn't a stud is if you are forced to play it on-curve and don't get to trigger its ability. Chances are slim that you can't hold until T6 to get the HP trigger, and there are other ways to do self-damage, anyway. Great card.
Mogu Cultist - 4 - We haven't seen the copy mechanic that has to be coming with the set so it's possible we'll have to revisit this card. As a 1/1 for 1, it's not something you ever want to draft.
Splitting Axe - 4 - It's overpriced as a stand alone weapon and you won't make up the value by copying basic totems. You'll need a ton of support in the draft for this to feel like a good card. Until we see more cards, I'd say there isn't really enough good totems and/or buffs to make the basic totems worth copying.
Tip the Scales - 4 - Tough to give it a score of 5 when it *could* be a high value play for 8 mana. It's just so unlikely you'll have the murloc support required to pull that off.
Tortollan Pilgrim - 2 - Discover, copy, and cast a spell is crazy strong. It's conditional and that usually pushes my scoring towards a 3 in this case but I think it'll be rare that you don't get the spells you need to make this a really strong play. Copy that secret for some synergy with the incoming SoU minions.
Whirlkick Master - 2 - Definitely a card that could play as a 1-score card. Really high potential value but again it's draft dependent. If you get a lot of combo cards this could easily be a quick hand-fill card with big value.
Arcane Flakmage - 1 - Secrets aren't always the best option in drafts but this guy is so powerful it has to bump secret value up, especially as a common. Getting Explosive Runes back in the draft pool makes it very likely you won't mind drafting for secret synergy.
Infested Goblin - 3 - Decent face protection that will be better in rogue/mage/hunter where taunts are not plentiful. Ultimately, 1/1 speedbumps are mediocre and you still have to pay to cast them.
Into the Fray - 4 - More of a constructed card but Warrior looks to be getting lots of taunt so this could be a high value play. That small glimmer of hope is what prevents me from scoring it a 5.
Neferset Ritualist - 1 - Top notch 2 drop stats with a battlecry that can have a huge impact on the game. This will have to be scored pretty high by Blizzard to not be an auto-draft in its bucket.
Anubisath Warbringer - 3 - Solid potential but late in the game you need to have a hand that makes the deathrattle matter. Otherwise, you'll have a single-drop turn paying 9 mana for this and the 6 health makes it fairly easy to handle. We've already seen a few cards that kick minion to your hand so this definitely could get the support needed to have a big impact.
Cloud Prince - 2 - Kind of predicting secret mage drafting will be a viable strategy when the rotation brings back Explosive Runes and (to a much lessor extent) Splitting Image. It's also very likely SoU brings a new secret to the draft pool.
Fishflinger - 3 - Decent stat line and effect but RNG could burn you, especially if you're playing vs. a class with strong murlocs in their pool.
Frightened Flunky - 1 - Shaggy's pretty awesome. 2/2 taunt that lets you discover another taunt. Zoinks!
Hooked Scimitar - 2 - Mulligan hard for it if you've got the coin. Really strong weapon if you can trigger the combo.
Pressure Plate - 2 - The RNG factor keeps this from being OP. The meta will have a big impact on the effectiveness of this trap. Lots of swarms will make it weak. More big minion tactics will make it much stronger. There's also the concern that spells are far less plentiful in arena decks. I'm pretty curious to see this in action.
It does a great job making all the unplayable rogue deathrattle minions better. Anub'arak, Myra Rotspring, and Gral, the Shark suck just a bit less now. I'll play them all together if I unpack this. :D
Bloodsworn Mercenary - 2 - Really strong card, especially mid-to-late game. The value could be tremendous as the game wears on and warrior is very good at pinging things to ensure this has a target. The only thing preventing the score from being a 1 is the fact that you could, concievably, have no target and a dire need to play this anyway so it's a vanilla 3/3 for 3.
Desert Obelisk - 5 - Constructed only card. This card screams OTK or bust. In arena, that's a bust.
Riftcleaver - 1 - All hail our new Demon Overlord! Removal tied to a huge body is incredible. The damage will hurt and you could be forced into hari-kari, but this card will flip lots of boards.
Bazaar Mugger - 1 - The fact that you are guaranteed a minion is huge. Class minions are better value than their neutral counterparts and you avoid the useless spells that don't carry their value from one class to another. Looking at you, Totemic Might.
EVIL Recruiter - 3 - Too draft dependent to get a higher score but clearly a game changer if you've got the lackey support for it.
Hunter's Pack - 1 - Card draw (or generation, in this case) is a weakness for Hunter and this is really solid value even if RNGesus hates you. The weapon pool is solid, the secrets are generally good, and the fact that you get a class-card beast means you're likely getting something decent there, too. Highrolling beasts will make this card bonkers and it's common so expect your hunter opponent's to have several and never run out of steam. Go FACE! Replenish. Go MOAR FACE!!
Love this idea & will certainly try it.
Erodos is correct. You can't draw two copies of the same minion with master's call. Subject 9 would be nice but if you're drawing 3 beast one turn you'll probably have to sit on him for a turn or two to reduce hand size before drawing a bunch of secrets.
Dinotamer Brann - 4 - Drafting for a highlander card is very unlikely to work out for you. The cost/effect/value here is tremendous if you can trigger it, though. If you can pull it off it'll be a soul crushing victory. The more likely scenario is you drop a 7 mana 2/4. Equally soul crushing.
Elise the Enlightened - 3 - She's solid as a vanilla 5/5 for 5. Highlander strategy is not likely to work out when drafting.
Reno the Relicologist - 4 - Mediocre stats for a 6 drop and that's what he'll be more often than not.
Sir Finley of the Sands - 3 - The stats make him a good vanilla 2/3 for 2. Highlander strategy is not likely to work out when drafting.
Wild Bloodstinger - 1 - The downside is so minimal because of the high health stat. The chances are good that this trades at least 2 for 1 with the potential for more than that. Late game you could drop this without pulling something from your opponent's hand, completely negating the downside. There will certainly be times when RNGesus frowns upon you and pulls a poison minion but this monster will be well worth drafting.
Scarlet Webweaver - 2 - It's conditional with sub-par stats so I really want to give it a 3 but the condition is that you have a beast. In a hunter draft that's not a tough condition to meet.
Expired Merchant - 1 - High value with a small downside of 1 health on a 2 drop. As long as the next arena meta doesn't include a ton of priests there's little to worry about with this card.
Hidden Oasis - 3 - I like the versatility here and am tempted to give this a 2. 6/6 taunt for 6 is good and the likely choice nearly every time you play this.
Murmy - 2 - A great option as a 1 drop but drafting 1 drops in arena isn't a top priority.
Please, please, please blizzzzzz.... do NOT print any mechs with reborn.
I still go to a wild disco deck when I need to clear a warlock daily. Really love the concept of this.
Armagedillo - 3 - I still use the "2x casting cost" rule when considering stats. This gives you 11 instead of the premium 12 stat points so it has to buff a minion to be top flight stats. Still, that 7 health is a very beefy health total. Bucket placement will make a huge difference in how often you see this. If it's scored low and lands alongside scrubs it's an auto-pick. Put it next to Darius Crowley or Grommash Hellscream and it's not making the cut. If there's enough support in your draft this will play like a 2 or even a 1.
Seems like classic bilzz-code. Overkill should trigger when a minion attacks something else. It's lazy AF to code it as a "your turn" mechanic rather than a "when attacking" mechanic. Fix the way it's coded and move on.
Brazen Zealot - 2 - It's a good threat as far as 1 drops go. Paladin thrives on tempo and flood and will have no trouble triggering this early. It's not a disaster as a late draw since you'll likely have at least some buff spells as a paladin.
Salhet's Pride - 4 - Sure looks like a constructed card to me. Think of all the ragers you could draw! :D Overall, it's always good to draw and thin your deck of the terrible top-deck draws so this card isn't terrible. Still, you don't want an abundance of 1 health minions in your deck so the tempo loss is not worth it. However, if the 1 health theme carries through this expac (possibly tied to new Pal quest?) then this could be more dangerous.
Sandwasp Queen - 2 - This will fit nicely with the tempo/swarm style of play for Paladin. They are all ping-able minions but keeping pressure up is a big key to success for Paladin in arena and this minion will be great for that purpose.
Plague of Murlocs - 1 - Wow. This will wreck a board quick. It will do wonders as a big-board removal piece. The downside of hitting your own minions is more than fair with a low cost to cast. You could conceivable play a board burn like Lightning Storm AND another small minion in the same turn. Talk about a board flip!
Plague of Madness - 2 - A very interesting card for Rogue. It is a combo trigger and spot removal rolled into a super cheap spell. It does have the drawback of giving your opponent the same removal option, but you're almost always playing tempo if you're an arena rogue. I think this will quickly be a 1 score card once we get to test it.
Psychopomp - 2 - It looks like a pretty solid deal for 4 mana. You get the 3/1 plus the rez'd minion and reborn will make one more copy by the time all is said and done. Even if it's a vanilla 2/3 you rez you're getting 3/1 + 2/3 + 2/1 for 4 mana. If you get a little lucky with a value minion (deathrattle, taunt, etc.) with the first rez this card's value is bonkers. The vulnerability to pings is the only thing preventing me from giving it a 1 but that's likely a silly concern.