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scm288

Joined 02/28/2020 Achieve Points 235 Posts 78

scm288's Comments

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    Would Murloc Tidecaller be good enough to run if it only triggered off of other... Murloc Tidecallers? And had only one health? Even with Rush.

    I mean other cards will apparently be able to generate these. How many? How common will they be? And will those cards be any good?

    I can envision being in a situation where you need at least four damage, but can only manage to summon two of these (a 1/1 and a 2/1). And it will feel bad. If you can keep the momentum up--they'd probably be a viable part of a zoo strategy that wants to keep stuff on the board. With a lot of other support. But topdecking this will be the weakest possible zoo inclusion. Not sure at this point.

    In reply to Piranha Swarmer
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    The more I think about Dredge, the more I'm starting to think of it as being like an ever-ready second 'hand' to use for storing cards and retrieving them...

    Is a River Crocolisk good enough to keep in your deck if it gives you the ability to Dredge? Not if the rest of your cards are only as good as River Crocolisk. (Maybe its Pirate status improves it a bit.) This feels more like an Arena card than a Constructed one, but it depends on whether or not the other Dredge options are worth their salt. Maybe you want to be able to Dredge as often as possible. I doubt it, but it could be the case. Sir Finley, Sea Guide shenanigans feel like a more efficient way of doing that, but not everyone will have him.

    In reply to Tuskarrrr Trawler
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    At this point, we've only seen a few cards that allow you to meaningfully put things at the bottom of your deck: Azsharan Sweeper, Ambassador Faelin, and Sir Finley, Sea Guide. I'm sure there'll be more.

    As it currently stands, getting (1) off of the cost of a card 'sunk' in this way is a pretty minimal benefit. Azsharan Sweeper creates a Sunken Sweeper that allows you to, yes, generate a lot more mechs--but the change from 3 to 2 doesn't make an enormous difference in your ability to then play more mechs. If this is played on turn 4, you still wouldn't be able to play the Sunken Sweeper until the following turn; and if played much later, the cost change is still just a very minimal bonus.

    Same goes for Colossal minions off of Ambassador Faelin. They are all currently priced at at least 7 mana. You could, feasibly, play this on turn 10 and Dredge up a 6-cost Colossal as a result, which could work. But then you'd have to wait until turn 10 and have played Faelin first. Good luck with that. It'll happen, but it will require a lot of support and I'm not sure the payoff is worth it. It will depend on the overall quality of the Colossals.

    What you figure out how to do with Sir Finley, Sea Guide is anyone's guess. Obviously mana reductions for combo decks are very important. We'll have to wait and see if this is the most efficient way to do that, or if it's better to just keep your combo pieces in your hand... without a mana reduction from this one.

    In reply to Excavation Specialist
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    Blackwing Corruptor weeps in his sleep out of fear of Baba Naga.

    This is a strong card. Gormok the Impaler (a favorite of mine from playing Dude Paladin) is an unexpected burst of damage with a way harder condition to fulfill. This deals one less damage but only needs to have had a spell cast. That could include the coin that allows you to drop this on Turn 3. (Or earlier if you're a filthy Druid.)

    In reply to Baba Naga
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    We haven't yet seen enough naga to know if they're a control-oriented tribe or an aggressive tribe. I could see this working either way--either to draw you more minions for your board (a powerful effect in zoo) or to draw your key combo pieces. Tutoring for specific kinds of draws is always a powerful effect.

    In reply to Crushclaw Enforcer
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    So far, we've seen cards featuring several different tribes: mechs, murlocs, pirates, elementals, beasts, and of course, naga--which Blizzard really wants to push as the new evergreen tribe.

    Is there going to be a heavy menagerie synergy to this expansion? The Sunken City is the land of N'Zoth, God of the Deep, which is clearly directly referenced in this card's name. If there is a menagerie deck in this expansion, this card will be in it. Of course, it could be a part of any given tribal deck, but this seems to push resource generation and flexibility.

    Which leads me to wonder--what happens if you play an Amalgam of the Deep on another Amalgam of the Deep? Do you discover from a random pool of three different types? Are all of your choices just more amalgams?

    In reply to Amalgam of the Deep
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    I would assume that the number of cards that you draw with this card will depend on the number of cards in your hand when you play it. In that case, this will favor either a hand-heavy deck--like a handbuff deck, or a handlock, or something like that--or you will play this as a means of digging for a combo piece or win condition. In either case, you'll want more cards, not less, when you play him.

    I mean I guess you could drop him on Turn 1 as an aggro move. 1/3 for 1 is nothing to scoff at--Dire Mole proved that well enough--but I think that's probably a worst-case scenario for most decks running him.

    Either that or Murloc-generating decks (definitely in Wild; possibly in Standard) will generate multiple copies of him and cycle through their deck options that much faster. There's probably a way you can break that with a combo of some sort.

    In reply to Sir Finley, Sea Guide
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years ago

    Colossal minions will serve to replace the Prime minions that are rotating out. And much like how Envoy Rustwix's power level depended on the effectiveness of Primes, Ambassador Faelin's power level will depend on the power of Colossal minions.

    Also, Dredge. I think Dredge as a mechanic is probably a safe bet--'scry'-style powers are almost always effective in other games--but the downside is that unless you draw into your Dredge tools, Faelin is essentially a Chillwind Yeti--not terrible, but not generally Constructed-worthy.

    Of course, playing Faelin into a subsequent Sir Finley, Sea Guide will be fantastic, and it will happen, and you will be sad when it happens for your opponent and not for you. Calling it now.

    In reply to Ambassador Faelin
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years, 9 months ago

    Quote From Brandon
    It seems pretty good in some kind of Guardian Animals hunter deck just to give a Lake Thresher poisonous.

    This is exactly what I'm planning on doing tomorrow. Some sort of Control Hunter deck with Guardian Animals as a surprise finisher.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years, 10 months ago

    Remember that it doesn't have to be a Legendary card to be impactful.

    Arguably the most impactful card from Darkmoon Races was Crabrider, a common. We'll have to see just what powerful tools we get in this one.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years, 10 months ago

    It's not.

    Tavern Brawl gives out free content (a free pack) and requires no entry fee other than leveling your characters. So basically, stuff for free.

    It was the passion project of one member of the team--someone who, I remember reading, has since left. It's basically a holdover from someone else's priorities.

    Activision Blizzard does not actively support game modes that provide free value. Tavern Brawl is probably the lowest priority thing on their radar.

    I would expect them to retire the format sooner than give it new resources or support.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 2 years, 10 months ago

    One thing I find interesting about the nerfs is that they affect cards that aren't worth dusting.

    One rare, three commons, and an uncraftable card. Nobody is going to quibble about dust amounts or anything because I doubt anyone is going to dust any of these. They're all still playable, and will likely see play. They are worth more than their dust value, for sure.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years ago

    Interestingly enough, spell schools are not heavily supported in the expansion that introduces them. Some spell schools have no supporting cards at all.

    Arcane - Nothing

    Fire - Nothing

    Frost - Rimetongue

    Nature - Toad of the Wilds, Guff Runetotem, Bru'kan

    Holy - Knight of Anointment, Cariel Roame, Veteran Warmedic, Spirit Healer

    Shadow - Tamsin Roame

    Fel - Nothing

    I think that the concept of spell schools opens up cool design space, but as of right now I'm not seeing enough of it to warrant it as much of a deck strategy. A feature, not a core concept. Hopefully future expansions will lend more support to this idea.

    In reply to Forged in the Barrens
  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years ago

    It's unfortunate (or, perhaps, fortunate) that Tundra Rhino isn't in the 2021 Core Set, because that could set up some truly incredible/degenerate combos with this.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years, 2 months ago

    This video was from Day9's Journey to Un'Goro expansion review. People in chat were asking him about viability of cards in the context of Jade Druid, which was by and large the most dominant Druid archetype at the time because, let's be honest, the Jade Golem mechanic was so stupid overpowered. Overpowered to the point where combo-oriented persons, like Day9 and many others (myself included) were sick of the mechanic within the duration of the expansion.

    Have a fun combo? Sorry, your face is going to get plowed in by Larger and Larger Men. Control/Board clears? Haha, good luck clearing literally infinite 10/10, 11/11, 12/12 and so on stats.

    It's true that the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan meta was dominated by Pirate Warrior (I'm in charge now), but Jade was quite oppressive to any deck not trying to kill the opponent by turn 4. 

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years, 4 months ago

    *cough*damage control*cough*

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years, 4 months ago

    Forgive me for having to point this out, but as media coverage has well and adequately shown, Blizzard is in no way in danger of not keeping the lights on.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years, 4 months ago

    It seems fairly straightforward to me: it is likely that the largest, most profitable metric for Hearthstone is user engagement.

    Think of it: the more you play, the more likely you are to encounter new needs, new indicators that you don't have everything you want. Seeing a cool card in play that you want to play with and have in your collection. Encountering a strategy that you want to beat. Seeing an achievement that you want to earn. Getting a theorycrafting idea that you want to try out.

    Consider each of these things a ping. Blizzard is pinging your desire to spend money, over and over, during your gameplay.

    The more pings a player experiences, the more likely they are to hand over cash. As such, spending cash fulfills a player's need.

    In order to get more pings, you need to spend more time in the game. So Blizzard is moving away from a earning basis for content, and more into a playtime basis for content. The more you play, the more you get--instead of the more you achieve, the more you get.

    It doesn't matter if you win games or if you lose, if you play ranked or if you play Battlegrounds. It's not about earning gold, finishing quests, or beating players at this point. They just want you in the game, spending time on their game, consistently. That's how they make you want to spend money on them.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years, 4 months ago

    You are in a drastically better situation.

    Assuming you complete your dailies and weeklies--consistently--you will earn as much as the people who would grind out with aggro decks the full 100 gold a day.

    From what I can gather, there is no grinding incentive in the new system. You earn XP from playing in any mode, but you ONLY earn XP. You do not earn gold every 3 wins, or an XP boost every 3 wins. You do not have to worry about pushing your participation to the absolute max in order to benefit. You could skirt by, doing the absolute minimum of completing daily quests every three days and your weekly quests every seven days, and get the same benefits as the most hardcore players.

    Basically playing casual Hearthstone will net you the same rewards as hardcore grinding used to get you. Playing Hearthstone when you feel like it becomes an option, not a handicap.

    Of course, all of this is from what I can gather from what has been revealed. Maybe the leveling cap is way different from what they've shown. Obviously numbers will be very different if each level takes, say, 1500 or 2000 XP, or if daily/weekly quests offer much lower amounts of XP.

    But based on the preview images in Blizzard's official post, it's looking pretty generous. Check back in a day or two? We'll have more solid figures at that point.

  • scm288's Avatar
    235 78 Posts Joined 02/28/2020
    Posted 3 years, 4 months ago

    In the previous system, you would earn an average of 50 gold per day from your quest (40/50/60 gold per quest), plus up to 100 gold from wins (10 per 3 wins, or 100 for 30 wins). That amounts to about 1.5 packs per day, give or take, depending on how much you play.

    For the record: I do not play that much.

    The old gold system would allow you to save up quite a bit of gold within an expansion, if you were really determined. 150 gold per day for four months (~120 days) would result in... a lot of gold. 18000? Wow. A lot.

    In the new system, based on the preview screenshots (which are subject to change, definitely, but just using them as a base), you will earn 1000 XP from a daily quest, and between 1750 and 2500 XP from a weekly quest. Let's say about 2000 per weekly quest? Progression levels, assuming they remain flat, are 1200 XP apiece.

    So 1000 XP per day = about 120,000 XP, and 6000 XP per week (~16 weeks) = about 96,000 XP. For a total of approximately 215,000 XP per expansion cycle. At 1200 XP a level, that's about... 179-180 levels per expansion. So lots of levels. And we've been told that levels past 50 result in 150 gold apiece.

    But thing is, not all of those 50 levels reward gold. Some reward packs, others reward specific rarities of cards (rares, Legends, probably some epics mixed in there... maybe a Tavern Ticket?). Still, even if none of the first 50 levels reward actual gold, 129-130 levels would mean... well, about that same 18k gold figure...

    At first glance, it would seem that Blizzard is being generous with us and giving us a lot more for free. So, cool. The flipside of this is that they are getting the most out of their investment in you: if you are playing this game up into the vicinity of 150-180 levels, you are solidly in their pocket. You are much more likely to spend actual money on them.

    But if you're playing that much, that's probably not much of a deterrent for you. Huh. Maybe this is a good move after all.

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