Absolutely agree on Tradeable! It's Hearthstone's version of "cycling" in Magic: the Gathering, probably the most popular keyword ever created in that game.
It's a perfect fit for a number of situations:
- Tech cards
- Combo decks
- Classes that have limited card draw
- Decks that care about the location of cards in your hand (demon hunters currently, but we had a few warlock cards in the past where it was important)
I could definitely see it as a toned-down alternative to Discover and other card generation effects going forward.
I also expect that our entire collections (cards, dust and gold) will be merged eventually. However, to simplify things, I wouldn't be surprised if we were asked to designate a main account, with all the content of our other accounts converted in some way (dust, gold, or dust+gold) before being transferred to this main account.
There are a LOT of moving parts involved in implementing this change, though, so it might take a while before they're ready to deploy.
As for regional ladders, I think it makes the most sense to unify all the modes except Standard/Ranked... unless they also completely change the Grandmasters program. People are still getting used to the switch to YouTube, so I don't expect Blizzard will want to rock the boat anymore.
Tavern Special ($37 CA): 2 legendaries and 35 packs from Forged in the Barrens.
Bob's Bargain ($25 CA): 2 legendaries and 20 packs from Year of the Phoenix.
-------------------------------------------
Got the Tavern Special right away, because I missed the similar deal that was offered just after release. Very happy with the results: I now have only 5 cards missing from Forged, down from 11. Sadly, Xyrella still eludes me, but I finally nabbed new Kazakus!
I haven't decided on my version of Bob's Bargain yet. I have 9 cards missing from that year, all legendaries. If I assume I'm marginally lucky, I could open a third legendary in the packs. I'm really only looking for Ringmaster Whatley here; none of the other missing cards have seen play, which means a 1 in 3 chance *at best* of getting him.
I wish one of these bundles had been Wild; I've got hundreds of missing cards for these expansions, including some rares!
As I posted in YouTube chat at the time, people encouraged Gaby and cheered him on when he was showing off during the recent Masters Tour ("So refreshing to see a major competitor not act like a robot"). xBlyzes' reaction is the other side of that coin, and in my opinion, neither is healthy. Yes, they are young, but they still remain top-level athletes, and if they want to have a lasting career, they sorely need some mental/emotional coaching as soon as possible -- just like regular young athletes. Otherwise, they are liable to implode and self-destruct once they hit a streak of disappointing results.
NUMBER ONE mistake I see a lot of people doing: Coining a pirate on 1 mana. What advantage does that give you? You have a hand of 2/3 pirates. Your opponent has a hand of 2/3 pirates. I can tell you confidently the extra 2 damage to face won't make a difference in the end. Keep your coin for later on in the game where it will have impact. I played the brawl 8 times over the weekend (had the weekly quest for it), and every single opponent who coined a pirate lost.
With only a SINGLE point scored this season (he went 0-2 this week... again), Tyler has clearly been slacking off and it seems he is just there for the weekly cheque. I used to be a fan, but not anymore.
Lots of unusual stuff happening in Europe this weekend:
- As mentioned, xBlyzes missing his match.
- Also, Viper encountering some connection problems at a critical juncture during his match against AyRoK, prompting a redo of the final game.
- Jarla making uncharacteristically risky decisions in the final moments of his last 2 games versus Frenetic. In both cases, he ignored an obvious threat and went with very minor board development.
I don't think we've seen Tyler on screen at all this season. It could just be extremely bad luck, but at this point, I'm starting to think it could be something else.
I played the 2 main paladin decks (Secret and Aggressive) for about an hour this afternoon, and I quickly realized that First Day of School is now very awkward -- you'd rather have a playable minion in the early to mid game. I reduced it to one copy in the Secret deck, and cut it out entirely in the Aggressive version.
I've wanted that Khadgar portrait ever since it was first released -- so glad it's now available for gold!
I believe this only leaves Sir Annoy-o and Horseman Uther as the last portraits which you could only get by spending money, which means the portraits that came with expansion megabundles (Mecha-Jaraxxus, Madame Lazul, etc.) might not be too far off...
I also got the Standard bundle, so for those keeping stats, I got a single epic (golden) in my packs, and The Nameless One as my legendary (I don't have Xyrella, so I'll probably try him instead in my priest decks).
I would like to point out that Blizzard developed the current tournament structure in cooperation with the Grandmaster players, and they all said that they were OK with Specialist as long as it wasn't the only format for the season. So calling it "the worst" and "the most boring" format is very subjective.
Personally, I like the addition of a sideboard, and the various ways the players are using it: as intended (to adjust to their opponent), but also as a red herring or even a psychological deterrent. This gives us some insight into their thought process and personality, which I find fascinating.
It's also interesting to see how the different regions reacted -- I don't think the differences would be quite so apparent with another format.
Objectively, it's also led to some of the shortest matches ever at this level; blitzchung and shaxy played a full 3-game match in about 15 minutes, which is probably a record.
1) I wouldn't call any established Hearthstone competitor a robot by any stretch; at the very least, they react when they do a mistake or get pushed back by an unlikely outcome. Just think of Viper, Hunterace, Muzzy, etc.
2) There's a reason top competitors (whether in video games, poker, or Olympic sports) don't tend to be effusive: it's a trait that can be exploited by your opponents to cloud your judgment and cause you to make mistakes. If Gaby's parents or team sponsor are smart, they'll get him some coaching to control his outbursts and develop healthy mental habits. Otherwise, he might flame out -- even become depressed or worse -- once his winning streak is over.
If you look back at the past 12 months, every class has had a tier 1 or tier 2 deck for at least a few weeks at a time. Shamans and demon hunters might be hurting right now, but their time in the sun will come back eventually. You just have to be a little patient.
Add another to the "monk" column! We already have a version of death knights; time for something new. That said, there's no hurry to add a class. If it only shows up in 3 or 4 years, I'd be fine with that.
And as Regis as suggested a few times, it would be awesome if Hearthstone got a unique class that doesn't exist in WoW; some ideas include bard, alchemist, musketeer and tinkerer.
You now get 2 packs every weekend for Grandmasters on YouTube. Considering we used to only get 1-2 special events like this one per expansion where we had drops, I can't say that Blizzard is stingy anymore.
There are rigourous rules for competitive Hearthstone tournaments (those that lead to the Masters Tour, Grandmasters, and eventually Worlds): win record/tournament points, money won, etc. This is what is considered "esports".
This event is an invitational, meaning Blizzard is free to invite anyone it thinks might be relevant. It is an advertising and marketing event to promote the game, so reputation and popularity of the participants is what's important.
This is indirectly related to the main topic, but one issue I have with these "non-competitive"* events is the number of current and former Grandmasters that are invited to participate. These people are already supported financially by Blizzard (or were in the recent past), as well as being given a regular platform to showcase their competitive talents through the Masters Tour and Grandmasters streams.
Blizzard could kill two birds with one stone by opening up their slots to other streamers: they could improve representation, all while shining a spotlight on up-and-coming community members. People like dreads, educated Collins, sunglitters, shadybunny, etc. could have their day in the sun and have a chance to grow their audience, which ultimately leads to a larger community of fans of Hearthstone as a whole.
* I mean by that tournaments that don't feed into the Masters/Grandmasters/Worlds system.
I know Magic has a "Venus and Mercury League" (VML) open only to marginalized genders (women, trans, gays) sponsored by Wizards. Right now, there's a 4-month gap in competitive Hearthstone between the World Championship and Grandmasters. I'd love it if Blizzard would use that time to promote a similar league to the VML.
I'm consistently impressed with Jia's analytical abilities, and her masterful dissection of this representation issue is further proof that she has the talent to become one of the best casters in the business. I hope Blizzard recognizes that talent and will continue to give her the opportunity to develop her career.
Absolutely agree on Tradeable! It's Hearthstone's version of "cycling" in Magic: the Gathering, probably the most popular keyword ever created in that game.
It's a perfect fit for a number of situations:
- Tech cards
- Combo decks
- Classes that have limited card draw
- Decks that care about the location of cards in your hand (demon hunters currently, but we had a few warlock cards in the past where it was important)
I could definitely see it as a toned-down alternative to Discover and other card generation effects going forward.
I also expect that our entire collections (cards, dust and gold) will be merged eventually. However, to simplify things, I wouldn't be surprised if we were asked to designate a main account, with all the content of our other accounts converted in some way (dust, gold, or dust+gold) before being transferred to this main account.
There are a LOT of moving parts involved in implementing this change, though, so it might take a while before they're ready to deploy.
As for regional ladders, I think it makes the most sense to unify all the modes except Standard/Ranked... unless they also completely change the Grandmasters program. People are still getting used to the switch to YouTube, so I don't expect Blizzard will want to rock the boat anymore.
What was offered to me:
Tavern Special ($37 CA): 2 legendaries and 35 packs from Forged in the Barrens.
Bob's Bargain ($25 CA): 2 legendaries and 20 packs from Year of the Phoenix.
-------------------------------------------
Got the Tavern Special right away, because I missed the similar deal that was offered just after release. Very happy with the results: I now have only 5 cards missing from Forged, down from 11. Sadly, Xyrella still eludes me, but I finally nabbed new Kazakus!
I haven't decided on my version of Bob's Bargain yet. I have 9 cards missing from that year, all legendaries. If I assume I'm marginally lucky, I could open a third legendary in the packs. I'm really only looking for Ringmaster Whatley here; none of the other missing cards have seen play, which means a 1 in 3 chance *at best* of getting him.
I wish one of these bundles had been Wild; I've got hundreds of missing cards for these expansions, including some rares!
As I posted in YouTube chat at the time, people encouraged Gaby and cheered him on when he was showing off during the recent Masters Tour ("So refreshing to see a major competitor not act like a robot"). xBlyzes' reaction is the other side of that coin, and in my opinion, neither is healthy. Yes, they are young, but they still remain top-level athletes, and if they want to have a lasting career, they sorely need some mental/emotional coaching as soon as possible -- just like regular young athletes. Otherwise, they are liable to implode and self-destruct once they hit a streak of disappointing results.
NUMBER ONE mistake I see a lot of people doing: Coining a pirate on 1 mana. What advantage does that give you? You have a hand of 2/3 pirates. Your opponent has a hand of 2/3 pirates. I can tell you confidently the extra 2 damage to face won't make a difference in the end. Keep your coin for later on in the game where it will have impact.
I played the brawl 8 times over the weekend (had the weekly quest for it), and every single opponent who coined a pirate lost.
With only a SINGLE point scored this season (he went 0-2 this week... again), Tyler has clearly been slacking off and it seems he is just there for the weekly cheque. I used to be a fan, but not anymore.
Lots of unusual stuff happening in Europe this weekend:
- As mentioned, xBlyzes missing his match.
- Also, Viper encountering some connection problems at a critical juncture during his match against AyRoK, prompting a redo of the final game.
- Jarla making uncharacteristically risky decisions in the final moments of his last 2 games versus Frenetic. In both cases, he ignored an obvious threat and went with very minor board development.
I don't think we've seen Tyler on screen at all this season. It could just be extremely bad luck, but at this point, I'm starting to think it could be something else.
I played the 2 main paladin decks (Secret and Aggressive) for about an hour this afternoon, and I quickly realized that First Day of School is now very awkward -- you'd rather have a playable minion in the early to mid game. I reduced it to one copy in the Secret deck, and cut it out entirely in the Aggressive version.
I've wanted that Khadgar portrait ever since it was first released -- so glad it's now available for gold!
I believe this only leaves Sir Annoy-o and Horseman Uther as the last portraits which you could only get by spending money, which means the portraits that came with expansion megabundles (Mecha-Jaraxxus, Madame Lazul, etc.) might not be too far off...
I also got the Standard bundle, so for those keeping stats, I got a single epic (golden) in my packs, and The Nameless One as my legendary (I don't have Xyrella, so I'll probably try him instead in my priest decks).
I would like to point out that Blizzard developed the current tournament structure in cooperation with the Grandmaster players, and they all said that they were OK with Specialist as long as it wasn't the only format for the season. So calling it "the worst" and "the most boring" format is very subjective.
Personally, I like the addition of a sideboard, and the various ways the players are using it: as intended (to adjust to their opponent), but also as a red herring or even a psychological deterrent. This gives us some insight into their thought process and personality, which I find fascinating.
It's also interesting to see how the different regions reacted -- I don't think the differences would be quite so apparent with another format.
Objectively, it's also led to some of the shortest matches ever at this level; blitzchung and shaxy played a full 3-game match in about 15 minutes, which is probably a record.
More importantly: it CANNOT BE vs a human player. You have to play against the Innkeeper to trigger the secret task.
1) I wouldn't call any established Hearthstone competitor a robot by any stretch; at the very least, they react when they do a mistake or get pushed back by an unlikely outcome. Just think of Viper, Hunterace, Muzzy, etc.
2) There's a reason top competitors (whether in video games, poker, or Olympic sports) don't tend to be effusive: it's a trait that can be exploited by your opponents to cloud your judgment and cause you to make mistakes. If Gaby's parents or team sponsor are smart, they'll get him some coaching to control his outbursts and develop healthy mental habits. Otherwise, he might flame out -- even become depressed or worse -- once his winning streak is over.
If you look back at the past 12 months, every class has had a tier 1 or tier 2 deck for at least a few weeks at a time. Shamans and demon hunters might be hurting right now, but their time in the sun will come back eventually. You just have to be a little patient.
Add another to the "monk" column! We already have a version of death knights; time for something new. That said, there's no hurry to add a class. If it only shows up in 3 or 4 years, I'd be fine with that.
And as Regis as suggested a few times, it would be awesome if Hearthstone got a unique class that doesn't exist in WoW; some ideas include bard, alchemist, musketeer and tinkerer.
---------------------------------------------------
BTW, there's a typo in the second paragraph of the "Death Knight" section:
There is still plenty to explore in Northrend including the titan-forged complex of Ulduar, a fav favourite in World of Warcraft
That should probably read: fan favourite
You now get 2 packs every weekend for Grandmasters on YouTube. Considering we used to only get 1-2 special events like this one per expansion where we had drops, I can't say that Blizzard is stingy anymore.
There are rigourous rules for competitive Hearthstone tournaments (those that lead to the Masters Tour, Grandmasters, and eventually Worlds): win record/tournament points, money won, etc. This is what is considered "esports".
This event is an invitational, meaning Blizzard is free to invite anyone it thinks might be relevant. It is an advertising and marketing event to promote the game, so reputation and popularity of the participants is what's important.
This is indirectly related to the main topic, but one issue I have with these "non-competitive"* events is the number of current and former Grandmasters that are invited to participate. These people are already supported financially by Blizzard (or were in the recent past), as well as being given a regular platform to showcase their competitive talents through the Masters Tour and Grandmasters streams.
Blizzard could kill two birds with one stone by opening up their slots to other streamers: they could improve representation, all while shining a spotlight on up-and-coming community members. People like dreads, educated Collins, sunglitters, shadybunny, etc. could have their day in the sun and have a chance to grow their audience, which ultimately leads to a larger community of fans of Hearthstone as a whole.
* I mean by that tournaments that don't feed into the Masters/Grandmasters/Worlds system.
I know Magic has a "Venus and Mercury League" (VML) open only to marginalized genders (women, trans, gays) sponsored by Wizards. Right now, there's a 4-month gap in competitive Hearthstone between the World Championship and Grandmasters. I'd love it if Blizzard would use that time to promote a similar league to the VML.
I'm consistently impressed with Jia's analytical abilities, and her masterful dissection of this representation issue is further proof that she has the talent to become one of the best casters in the business. I hope Blizzard recognizes that talent and will continue to give her the opportunity to develop her career.