They say it here. While Blizzard doesn't specify resurrecting as a unique strenght, it doesn't change the fact that generating minions is a core part of their gameplay.
Which means they could easily shift away from an unfun, half-assed mechanic, which resurrect is, and actually add proper minion generation mechanics.
Class identity is kept and wild doesn't have to suffer anymore.
Hence the changes I proposed. At least, I think they make the match-up more fun. We were so focused debating whether or not resurrecting was part of Priests mechanics and ended up not talking about the actual topic of the thread.
While not the most aggressive, they are able to generate, copy, and use combinations of cards to create a powerful army.
They say it here. While Blizzard doesn't specify resurrecting as a unique strenght, it doesn't change the fact that generating minions is a core part of their gameplay.
That does pose a problem, though: the deck becomes absolute trash, because it loses too much reliability. So, with the archetype itself changed, here's what I would do to give the deck some consistency back:
How is this a problem again? Blizzard had no problems with butchering giants warlock and combo druid. Why should big priest be an exception? Because it requires even less thought to play compared to those other two, which results to shitty players flocking to it en masse?
It is a problem because, like I said, Blizzard considers resurrection one of Priests classe identites (which means one of their strenghts). If the weakest class in standard also has a shit-tier strenght, you might as well just delete the class altogether. And, again, like I said before, this whole class identity thing is just terrible design altogether, so a shitty decision forced us to eat a shitty deck to play against for virtually the rest of Hearthstone's life.
If that decision wasn't made in the first place, they could have just nerfed the deck to oblivion and call it a day. So, my idea was to change the mechanic in a way that allowed the deck to be good without being just so unfun to play against and allowing some actual counterplay: you're discovering a minion against res Priest, so you can purposefully interact with the res pool by choosing a bad minion to play aginst them (like Bomb Squad, for example).
Off the top of my head, Bernes' change should still be summoning itself as a 1/1 actor with the text of a minion as the actor's effect. The resurrect pool becomes objectively worse until Shadow Essence comes into play. If Resurrect Priest didn't continue getting more and more tools and stay as a small anti-control gimmick, that would have been more than enough.
The issue is that Priest keeps getting those tools as resurrection was considered a class identity (good job putting yourselves in a corner there, Blizzard). So, just changing one card makes it hard to actually impact the archetype, which is why I believe the resurect should count ALL minions that died in the game (incluing your opponent's). That does pose a problem, though: the deck becomes absolute trash, because it loses too much reliability. So, with the archetype itself changed, here's what I would do to give the deck some consistency back:
Resurrect - Effectively the card gets nerfed, being able to summon any minion. And it should stay that way as a baeline for the archetype (or make it one mana and getting it of full busted mode if that fancies you).
Eternal Servitude and Lesser Diamond Spellstone - Force to summoning 5-cost and more. These cards should be powerful and should be the play around for the deck. And this way you can actually consistently use their effects on powerful opposing minions, giving you other options for that specific game state. Oh, and it as the added benefit of dodging Archmage Vargoth.
Mass Resurrection - Summon 3 DIFFERENT friendly minions that died this game. No more 3 The Lich Kings next to each other (doesn't that go agianst the WoW lore or something, the idea of multiple Lich Kings at one time?). This also allows Archmage Vargoth to still be a thing in the deck, but it bacomes much less of a restrictive card as this is the only mass summoning tool that actually targets him.
Onyx Bishop - Make it either a 4 drop able to summon any minion or remains a 5 drop summoning only friendly ones, as it stands right now.
Catrina Muerte - This is THE toughest one: how to change the card to still be a play around in the deck without making it busted. I guess giving it the Eternal Servitude/ Lesser Diamond Spellstone treatment can work, but it becomes too repetitive.
The bottom line is that this way, the resurrection can still be a thing, and it also allows Blizzard to restrict its power in more original ways (like creating card that resurrect minions with a certain attack, health or mana costs, or maybe a ressurect card that targets only Deathrattle minions).
Hence the changes I proposed. At least, I think they make the match-up more fun. We were so focused debating whether or not resurrecting was part of Priests mechanics and ended up not talking about the actual topic of the thread.
They say it here. While Blizzard doesn't specify resurrecting as a unique strenght, it doesn't change the fact that generating minions is a core part of their gameplay.
It is a problem because, like I said, Blizzard considers resurrection one of Priests classe identites (which means one of their strenghts). If the weakest class in standard also has a shit-tier strenght, you might as well just delete the class altogether. And, again, like I said before, this whole class identity thing is just terrible design altogether, so a shitty decision forced us to eat a shitty deck to play against for virtually the rest of Hearthstone's life.
If that decision wasn't made in the first place, they could have just nerfed the deck to oblivion and call it a day. So, my idea was to change the mechanic in a way that allowed the deck to be good without being just so unfun to play against and allowing some actual counterplay: you're discovering a minion against res Priest, so you can purposefully interact with the res pool by choosing a bad minion to play aginst them (like Bomb Squad, for example).
Off the top of my head, Bernes' change should still be summoning itself as a 1/1 actor with the text of a minion as the actor's effect. The resurrect pool becomes objectively worse until Shadow Essence comes into play. If Resurrect Priest didn't continue getting more and more tools and stay as a small anti-control gimmick, that would have been more than enough.
The issue is that Priest keeps getting those tools as resurrection was considered a class identity (good job putting yourselves in a corner there, Blizzard). So, just changing one card makes it hard to actually impact the archetype, which is why I believe the resurect should count ALL minions that died in the game (incluing your opponent's). That does pose a problem, though: the deck becomes absolute trash, because it loses too much reliability. So, with the archetype itself changed, here's what I would do to give the deck some consistency back:
Resurrect - Effectively the card gets nerfed, being able to summon any minion. And it should stay that way as a baeline for the archetype (or make it one mana and getting it of full busted mode if that fancies you).
Eternal Servitude and Lesser Diamond Spellstone - Force to summoning 5-cost and more. These cards should be powerful and should be the play around for the deck. And this way you can actually consistently use their effects on powerful opposing minions, giving you other options for that specific game state. Oh, and it as the added benefit of dodging Archmage Vargoth.
Mass Resurrection - Summon 3 DIFFERENT friendly minions that died this game. No more 3 The Lich Kings next to each other (doesn't that go agianst the WoW lore or something, the idea of multiple Lich Kings at one time?). This also allows Archmage Vargoth to still be a thing in the deck, but it bacomes much less of a restrictive card as this is the only mass summoning tool that actually targets him.
Onyx Bishop - Make it either a 4 drop able to summon any minion or remains a 5 drop summoning only friendly ones, as it stands right now.
Catrina Muerte - This is THE toughest one: how to change the card to still be a play around in the deck without making it busted. I guess giving it the Eternal Servitude/ Lesser Diamond Spellstone treatment can work, but it becomes too repetitive.
The bottom line is that this way, the resurrection can still be a thing, and it also allows Blizzard to restrict its power in more original ways (like creating card that resurrect minions with a certain attack, health or mana costs, or maybe a ressurect card that targets only Deathrattle minions).