Its really hard to judge this one aside from the fact that its very likely to see play because once upon a time Subdue saw play.
The quickdraw effect is kinda unfortunate, because removal cards are reactive, and the quickdraw forces proactivity. Tradeable is nice, but is it good enough for a card that can at times be completely dead weight?
Probably only in big and highlander. Most pally decks wouldnt need this.
I feel this card can only be respected because it grants your minions lifesteal. Take that away, and this card is proper shit.
Because in aggro decks you'll never want to trade your minions if possible so this is just straight up 3 damage buff to face. And in control decks you'll never want this card at all.
The only thing that's making this card look better than it deserves is lifesteal and that it combos well with Showdown!. Otherwise, it'll never see much play.
Firstly, it combines really well with Prismatic Beam, which can grant you an instant board swing.
Secondly, you can play this after Deputization Aura is up and heal for 18 guaranteed, no matter what your opponent does.
It certainly has applications, but mostly for control or big is my take. You'll very nearly never play this in an aggro deck, because its just a dead card in hand 90% of the time.
Cards like these can never truly be ignored, even if I personally dont see much this card can offer at current moment.
Basically you get a copy of a minion from your deck every turn, the problem is youre playing a highlander deck and so results may very well vary too much to be anyway consistent.
The only way this card becomes useful is where a very important minion, say neptulon, remains in the deck so you can just spam neptulons until your opponent gives up in anger. But even then every turn youve a chance to get screwed by drawing said card.
Will it see play? Well, Im not holding my breath. Highlander pallys needs more help to be competitive.
You have to respect this card because if youre running this in your deck then very likely your entire deck is built around hand space. And with Living Horizon being as OP as it is, this card would see play irrespective of its power level.
On its own, its pretty crap. A bunch of 3/2s for 6 is really just asking for a simple AoE to completely invalidate your turn, not to mention that if this card happens to fill your hand you're now stuck with a bunch of 2 drops that are substandard at that point of the game.
Broken as fuck card that will very likely be nerfed.
Because of this card, every single card that now puts stuff into hand is now an instant threat. You've got to wonder what is the thought process behind this card when even Mountain Giant, something that was designed more than a decade ago, in a much weaker power level meta, was designed so it can never reach 0 mana.
I suppose it will at very least cost 1 mana, but seriously. This thing has taunt and divine shield, so you cant even ignore it.
The only mitigating factor is likely the fact that pure pally cant realistically ever have enough cards in hand during the early turns, but why put yourself in a design strap because of one card?
A trash card that will more likely infuriate than do anything useful.
Drawing cards and kill something? Very good. Doing it for 7 mana is about as silly as it can get. And then your hand has to be small for this not to overdraw you.
You can see that its designed entirely for flavor because this card is only ever playable in maybe 1% of circumstances.
I'll respect the card simply because its only ever one Sneaky Devil away from being unremovable from board outside of an AoE.
Along with something like Bunny Stomper you'll then have access to an unlikely board clear. But really, if you seriously build around this card just to do that Id like to remind you that very nearly 5 years ago everyone tried the same with Recurring Villain and it never pans out.
Coins may be good but when the cost reaches more than 2, there's just no reason to play it.
Greedy Partner does the exact same thing but with 1 less cost. Why would this see any play, especially since you'll need to either luck out the quickdraw or combo it, so its unlikely to see play on curve.
If you need more coin options sure, but otherwise there's no good reason to play this card over the aforementioned greedy partner.
Not much to comment on here. Theres just no reason not to play this if youre playing an excavate deck. You'll need to justify its non-inclusion rather than its inclusion.
I have to say though. Vilespine Slayer today even at 4 mana would never see any play. There's the extent of how impactful cards like these are today.
This card is contentious because high cost buffs never really work in hunter. Dire Frenzy worked once upon a time where the meta is much slower. Nowadays, its nearly impossible to get something to stick, especially when everyone and their dog expects it.
Im gonna rate it highly because of two factors. The first being that hunter cards this expansion synergize with buffs and the second being that windfury will almost certainly end the game in your favor. Unlikely, but it can happen.
Nice that the chameleon also gains the same bonus effect when it spawns.
Its really not that hard to contrive the board so it'll hit the same minion.
But the most important bit is that it grants a coin, and coin in rogue is good. Im rating it high only because I can see the inevitable draka rogue playing this.
There are reasons to believe that this card can outdo Starstrung Bow in terms of damage, because obviously spell damage is a thing. But its low base damage and high cost is a bit of a problem.
Part of what makes starstrung bow so insane is that you can easily play it for 3 mana and then go face for 10 in two turns. This card would only do the same if you have spell damage in hand, and will cost substantially more than 3 mana, even if split into two turns. Plus if ever this deck get hot everyone would just play Speaker Stomper, to further delay your face damage.
Id say it'll see play, but very meta dependent. If the meta is fast you're better off just going for the bow, this would only be good vs control.
On paper this card is broken as fuck. Its not like rogue has ever suffered from coin generation. Greedy Partner by itself is already an easy avenue for coins, not even counting the other coin generators from this set.
But when you think about it further, if you have a bunch of coins in hand, would you actually build around this card if it were possible to generate a bunch of coins easily? No. You'll instead look to both Sinstone Graveyard and draka, which basically just kills opponents
At best this card would be in ETC, against things like priest. But really, I cant see where this card fits. You need to both generate tons of coins, and then you'll need to draw this for it to work, and then you'll get random legendaries which may or may not ever hit face.
Just play draka and graveyard. No reason to complicate matters.
Plain and simple, excavate cards tend to be above the average power level of vanilla cards so even at the very worse you'll get a card that may not suit your particular playstyle, but options nevertheless. This card grants you 3 of those by itself, never mind from bouncing.
Its very similar to EVIL Miscreant, in that it generates so much value there's just no reason to ever omit it in decks, even in non-galakrond ones.
I dont think it'll ever get nerfed but very likely at some point team5 might decide that excavate is way too overtuned and you'll get your dust back anyway.
Its really hard to judge this one aside from the fact that its very likely to see play because once upon a time Subdue saw play.
The quickdraw effect is kinda unfortunate, because removal cards are reactive, and the quickdraw forces proactivity. Tradeable is nice, but is it good enough for a card that can at times be completely dead weight?
Probably only in big and highlander. Most pally decks wouldnt need this.
Solid and dependable. Theres just no real downside to playing this in every paladin deck.
Not much else to comment on. Pally doesnt lack good 2 drops, but this is as good as they come without being OP.
I feel this card can only be respected because it grants your minions lifesteal. Take that away, and this card is proper shit.
Because in aggro decks you'll never want to trade your minions if possible so this is just straight up 3 damage buff to face. And in control decks you'll never want this card at all.
The only thing that's making this card look better than it deserves is lifesteal and that it combos well with Showdown!. Otherwise, it'll never see much play.
There are certain things this card can do.
Firstly, it combines really well with Prismatic Beam, which can grant you an instant board swing.
Secondly, you can play this after Deputization Aura is up and heal for 18 guaranteed, no matter what your opponent does.
It certainly has applications, but mostly for control or big is my take. You'll very nearly never play this in an aggro deck, because its just a dead card in hand 90% of the time.
Cards like these can never truly be ignored, even if I personally dont see much this card can offer at current moment.
Basically you get a copy of a minion from your deck every turn, the problem is youre playing a highlander deck and so results may very well vary too much to be anyway consistent.
The only way this card becomes useful is where a very important minion, say neptulon, remains in the deck so you can just spam neptulons until your opponent gives up in anger. But even then every turn youve a chance to get screwed by drawing said card.
Will it see play? Well, Im not holding my breath. Highlander pallys needs more help to be competitive.
You have to respect this card because if youre running this in your deck then very likely your entire deck is built around hand space. And with Living Horizon being as OP as it is, this card would see play irrespective of its power level.
On its own, its pretty crap. A bunch of 3/2s for 6 is really just asking for a simple AoE to completely invalidate your turn, not to mention that if this card happens to fill your hand you're now stuck with a bunch of 2 drops that are substandard at that point of the game.
Broken as fuck card that will very likely be nerfed.
Because of this card, every single card that now puts stuff into hand is now an instant threat. You've got to wonder what is the thought process behind this card when even Mountain Giant, something that was designed more than a decade ago, in a much weaker power level meta, was designed so it can never reach 0 mana.
I suppose it will at very least cost 1 mana, but seriously. This thing has taunt and divine shield, so you cant even ignore it.
The only mitigating factor is likely the fact that pure pally cant realistically ever have enough cards in hand during the early turns, but why put yourself in a design strap because of one card?
Excavate is good and this excavates.
Really. Theres no other point to reason out. Only negative here is that it takes 3 turns to excavate, or you spend 2 mana to do it immediately.
The fact that this card can easily get you Dehydrate and Rehydrate and at a fairly high chance means it'll always be playable.
The only real question would be ask whether you'll want to play it in your deck. It'll always be an above average card regardless.
A trash card that will more likely infuriate than do anything useful.
Drawing cards and kill something? Very good. Doing it for 7 mana is about as silly as it can get. And then your hand has to be small for this not to overdraw you.
You can see that its designed entirely for flavor because this card is only ever playable in maybe 1% of circumstances.
Its only marginally better than Loot Hoarder and that's the only niche it has
There's just no reason to play this in 2023 where card draw options are available in most if not all classes.
It'll never see play outside of discovers and even then Id rate it as trash
No consistency, and the fact that shit cards overwhelmingly outnumber the good ones meaning you'll more likely get a rager than something specific.
Wont see play even in meme decks but Im 100% sure theres gonna be an achievement centered around this card just to piss me off.
I'll respect the card simply because its only ever one Sneaky Devil away from being unremovable from board outside of an AoE.
Along with something like Bunny Stomper you'll then have access to an unlikely board clear. But really, if you seriously build around this card just to do that Id like to remind you that very nearly 5 years ago everyone tried the same with Recurring Villain and it never pans out.
Coins may be good but when the cost reaches more than 2, there's just no reason to play it.
Greedy Partner does the exact same thing but with 1 less cost. Why would this see any play, especially since you'll need to either luck out the quickdraw or combo it, so its unlikely to see play on curve.
If you need more coin options sure, but otherwise there's no good reason to play this card over the aforementioned greedy partner.
Its playable only because excavate is playable.
Not much to comment on here. Theres just no reason not to play this if youre playing an excavate deck. You'll need to justify its non-inclusion rather than its inclusion.
I have to say though. Vilespine Slayer today even at 4 mana would never see any play. There's the extent of how impactful cards like these are today.
This card is contentious because high cost buffs never really work in hunter. Dire Frenzy worked once upon a time where the meta is much slower. Nowadays, its nearly impossible to get something to stick, especially when everyone and their dog expects it.
Im gonna rate it highly because of two factors. The first being that hunter cards this expansion synergize with buffs and the second being that windfury will almost certainly end the game in your favor. Unlikely, but it can happen.
Nice that the chameleon also gains the same bonus effect when it spawns.
Its really not that hard to contrive the board so it'll hit the same minion.
But the most important bit is that it grants a coin, and coin in rogue is good. Im rating it high only because I can see the inevitable draka rogue playing this.
There are reasons to believe that this card can outdo Starstrung Bow in terms of damage, because obviously spell damage is a thing. But its low base damage and high cost is a bit of a problem.
Part of what makes starstrung bow so insane is that you can easily play it for 3 mana and then go face for 10 in two turns. This card would only do the same if you have spell damage in hand, and will cost substantially more than 3 mana, even if split into two turns. Plus if ever this deck get hot everyone would just play Speaker Stomper, to further delay your face damage.
Id say it'll see play, but very meta dependent. If the meta is fast you're better off just going for the bow, this would only be good vs control.
On paper this card is broken as fuck. Its not like rogue has ever suffered from coin generation. Greedy Partner by itself is already an easy avenue for coins, not even counting the other coin generators from this set.
But when you think about it further, if you have a bunch of coins in hand, would you actually build around this card if it were possible to generate a bunch of coins easily? No. You'll instead look to both Sinstone Graveyard and draka, which basically just kills opponents
At best this card would be in ETC, against things like priest. But really, I cant see where this card fits. You need to both generate tons of coins, and then you'll need to draw this for it to work, and then you'll get random legendaries which may or may not ever hit face.
Just play draka and graveyard. No reason to complicate matters.
You'll never not play this card.
Plain and simple, excavate cards tend to be above the average power level of vanilla cards so even at the very worse you'll get a card that may not suit your particular playstyle, but options nevertheless. This card grants you 3 of those by itself, never mind from bouncing.
Its very similar to EVIL Miscreant, in that it generates so much value there's just no reason to ever omit it in decks, even in non-galakrond ones.
I dont think it'll ever get nerfed but very likely at some point team5 might decide that excavate is way too overtuned and you'll get your dust back anyway.