I think that we haven't seen any yet so we can't make that determination.
As it stands, it is not a very good card. They'd have to add something godly to make it playable in the current meta. But most likely it's going to be a card that becomes playable next set, or possibly the final set of the year.
It doesn't matter? You're burning 2 of your opponent's mana every time you play it, AND they are still guaranteed to take the damage once. If you play four curse cards that's the equivalent of a Fireball to face, assuming it does actually start at 0. And there are absolutely going to be more than 2x cards that add curse.
And since some will almost certainly be cheap you can force them to choose between extra damage or waste a turn
I'm gonna be honest, it feels like you have never played this game before from your analysis.
If topdecking a naga is bad, so is topdecking a 1 drop. So by your logic all 1 drops are bad.
Saying "naga are useless until 2 or 3 spells later" shows you literally haven't looked at Naga at all. There are only 5 naga that require 3 spells to activate. Three of those are different class cards, and 2/3 class cards and 1/2 neutrals are legendary. So if you have "a bunch of naga in your hand" but draw multiple that require 3 spells, then you're hitting what would be a 1% chance if you have 10 cards left in deck, or a .3% chance if you have 15. It won't happen. The most Naga you can have in your deck TOTAL is 14 at current. Naga Giant can be played vanilla anytime turn 6 or 7-ish if you've been casting spells. Enforcer and Baba both only require a single spell. And most classes either have a naga that can be played without a spellcast, or that gives you something else.
Dredge cards are great, they're literally just a Sphere of Sapience effect. It also allows you to know two cards that you won't have access to, so that you can play around that. Why would it be bad to select which card you're going to draw next and be able to plan your plays ahead?
You're also ignoring the fact that search and Shuffle effects exist. That allows you to simply add good cards to your deck and draw them later.
Being a 5 mana 5/5 hurts it a lot. Chances are by turn 5 you are already going to have used at least one weapon. Giving +1/+1 to maybe three weapons is not very good at all. The only weaps in Standard after rotation will be:
Blacksmithing Hammer (barely saw use when it came out, not used now)
War Axe (useless)
Gorehowl (again useless)
Outrider's (decent)
Whetstone Hatchet (people use it but still pretty useless)
So basically you'd be running it to get charges on Outrider's and one Whetstone. Sword Eater won't even be in Standard anymore so you can't use the weap off him. And Krastinov's out of Standard too so you'll lose even more weap support.
I'd say they'd have to introduce two good weapons this set for it to be kind of worth it, and even then it's a worse-than-vanilla statted minion for a maximum of 24 extra damage across the deck, spread across 16 turns.
You still didn't read it right. Your first TWO hero powers activate immediately and you get to choose them. So it's a summon two 2/3 taunt and aoe, or burn face for 6 summon two 2/3, etc.
You're missing a couple of things on Smite. First, you can roll him from the Juggernaut. That's already huge, getting a 6/4 body for free that gives everything you drop from your hand charge.
Secondly, he affects cards that get rolled from Juggernaut, so worst case scenario you get 8 charge damage on board, best case you get 11
I think that we haven't seen any yet so we can't make that determination.
As it stands, it is not a very good card. They'd have to add something godly to make it playable in the current meta. But most likely it's going to be a card that becomes playable next set, or possibly the final set of the year.
It doesn't matter? You're burning 2 of your opponent's mana every time you play it, AND they are still guaranteed to take the damage once. If you play four curse cards that's the equivalent of a Fireball to face, assuming it does actually start at 0. And there are absolutely going to be more than 2x cards that add curse.
And since some will almost certainly be cheap you can force them to choose between extra damage or waste a turn
Ah yes, questlock, a deck that sees literally no play in Legend because it's so bad right now.
No lock variant is performing better than mediocre right now and the best is handlock in regular legend, Owl lock in top 1k.
I'm gonna be honest, it feels like you have never played this game before from your analysis.
If topdecking a naga is bad, so is topdecking a 1 drop. So by your logic all 1 drops are bad.
Saying "naga are useless until 2 or 3 spells later" shows you literally haven't looked at Naga at all. There are only 5 naga that require 3 spells to activate. Three of those are different class cards, and 2/3 class cards and 1/2 neutrals are legendary. So if you have "a bunch of naga in your hand" but draw multiple that require 3 spells, then you're hitting what would be a 1% chance if you have 10 cards left in deck, or a .3% chance if you have 15. It won't happen. The most Naga you can have in your deck TOTAL is 14 at current. Naga Giant can be played vanilla anytime turn 6 or 7-ish if you've been casting spells. Enforcer and Baba both only require a single spell. And most classes either have a naga that can be played without a spellcast, or that gives you something else.
Dredge cards are great, they're literally just a Sphere of Sapience effect. It also allows you to know two cards that you won't have access to, so that you can play around that. Why would it be bad to select which card you're going to draw next and be able to plan your plays ahead?
You're also ignoring the fact that search and Shuffle effects exist. That allows you to simply add good cards to your deck and draw them later.
Except they're removing the weapons that are good with it, Bulwark and Scythe. Hell even Baton would have been pretty good with it.
But with those, Sword Eater, and Krastinov rotating out, Weapon doesnt have a lot of support left.
Being a 5 mana 5/5 hurts it a lot. Chances are by turn 5 you are already going to have used at least one weapon. Giving +1/+1 to maybe three weapons is not very good at all. The only weaps in Standard after rotation will be:
Blacksmithing Hammer (barely saw use when it came out, not used now)
War Axe (useless)
Gorehowl (again useless)
Outrider's (decent)
Whetstone Hatchet (people use it but still pretty useless)
So basically you'd be running it to get charges on Outrider's and one Whetstone. Sword Eater won't even be in Standard anymore so you can't use the weap off him. And Krastinov's out of Standard too so you'll lose even more weap support.
I'd say they'd have to introduce two good weapons this set for it to be kind of worth it, and even then it's a worse-than-vanilla statted minion for a maximum of 24 extra damage across the deck, spread across 16 turns.
Uh. What? Call of the Grave on him literally does nothing
You still didn't read it right. Your first TWO hero powers activate immediately and you get to choose them. So it's a summon two 2/3 taunt and aoe, or burn face for 6 summon two 2/3, etc.
I mean it was already good, no reason not to.
You're missing a couple of things on Smite. First, you can roll him from the Juggernaut. That's already huge, getting a 6/4 body for free that gives everything you drop from your hand charge.
Secondly, he affects cards that get rolled from Juggernaut, so worst case scenario you get 8 charge damage on board, best case you get 11