Following Patch 20.2's addition of Diamond Ragnaros the Firelord for those who own all the Legendary cards from the Legacy (formerly Classic) set, the process of adding old Diamond cards into the game that Iksar mentioned a couple of months ago has begun. Since we're really excited about these and so is the community, its time to highlight the best potential targets for Diamond cards for pre-existing cards.

With today's article, we'll be looking at the Year of the Raven, the third one in Hearthstone's Zodiac and containing The Witchwood, The Boomsday Project and Rastakhan's Rumble.

Here are the criteria we followed when picking the cards:

  • At least one Neutral Legendary per set/adventure, but Class Legendaries are valid as well;
  • The stronger the better - upgrading a Legendary to Diamond without chances for it to see play would really suck!
  • Meme-potential - a card the community has fond memories of or that is famous because of memes about it.

In case you missed them, here are our previous suggestions for:


The Witchwood

Baku the Mooneater Card Image Genn Greymane Card Image

While we were discussing what cards we should've chosen for the Neutral nomination, we decided to not play favorites like we did for Ragnaros the Firelord and Ragnaros, Lightlord (we swear: it won't happen again) and went up for the two poster Legendaries of this expansion.

Even though it's been a few years, Baku the Mooneater and Genn Greymane still have a place in our minds as they created some of the worst Hearthstone metas in history because of the sheer strength of some of the upgraded Hero Powers. The Silver Hand, Poisoned Daggers and Tank Up! were so strong that they dominated both Standard and Wild ladder, and they still see occasional play to this day. These units were so powerful that they got rotated out of Standard only after one year, instead of the usual two full rotations, which is something with no precedents.


Shudderwock Card Image

This unit broke the game so many times it's not even funny: we have our fair reasons to believe that Team 5 regretted printing the Wock. While Shudderwock is probably one of the funniest cards in the game if you're the one playing it, its ability to chain specific Battlecries like Saronite Chain Gang/Doppelgangster and Grumble, Worldshaker into an infinite loop makes it also one of the worst units to play against. Long story short, you either love Shudderwock or you press the Concede button.

My jaws that bite, my claws that catch!

 


Tess Greymane Card Image

The ultimate Burgle Rogue win condition that any other card hasn't ever topped, as well as one of beard-less Kibler's favorite toys in combination with Spectral Cutlass and Academic Espionage. Just a unique Legendary minion that was never problematic and everyone has fond memories of!


Honourable Mentions

Darius Crowley - Crowley doesn't really have a chance considering that the set hosts widely more popular class Legendaries, but we still think that this guy deserves more credit.


The Boomsday Project

Mecha'thun Card Image

There are only two cards in the game that say "destroy the enemy hero", and one of them is Mecha'thun (the other one is Uther of the Ebon Blade's Four Horsemen). A unit you never see until it's too late for you (unless Dirty Rat did his job), Mecha'thun has always seen play here and there, mainly because Blizzard never failed to release broken cards for Mecha'thun to interact with (yep: looking at you, Stealer of Souls). Too unique of a card to not receive the Diamond treatment.


Stargazer Luna Card Image

The original Outcast effect before it was popular. Stargazer Luna was a card ahead of its time, with a great entry music and rather unique effect, especially back in 2018. Luna still sees play to this day in Reno Mage and some forms of OTK Mage featuring Sorcerer's Apprentice and Flamewaker/Mozaki, Master Duelist.


Honourable Mentions

Zilliax - Unity. Precision. Perfection.


Rastakhan's Rumble

Hakkar, the Soulflayer Card Image

Even though it's part of a rather forgettable expansion, with a quite low power level outside of a few cards, we still have to give some credit to Hakkar, the Soulflayer. He is quite a relevant character in the World of Warcraft lore and the only Hearthstone unit to have a card back entirely build upon it with an unprecedented way to be earned.


Gonk, the Raptor Card Image

A huge meme, but back in the day Druid needed a bad set after an amazing Year of the Mammoth/rest of the Year of the Raven, so the attack package came in and stopped Malfurion's rise to the top, only for the class to be completely butchered a few weeks later with the double ramp nerf to Wild Growth (from 2 to 3 mana) and Nourish (from 5 to 6 mana).

Gonk, the Raptor is a very bad Legendary, but players took a liking to it and spent lots of energies trying to make it viable. you know what's funny? Just a few weeks ago, Knoepklapper hit Legend in Wild with Gonk Druid. In 2021. Here's the deck in case you're thinking about doing the same thing.


Jan'alai, the Dragonhawk Card Image

We know we said we wouldn't have played any more favorites, but... you'd get two Diamond minions with just one card: it's just too good to ignore. I still remember when, during Rastakhan's reveal season, Jan'alai, the Dragonhawk was announced: I was so excited to play Odd Mage, a deck I paid little attention until that moment but that quickly became my main jam for the following months.

Jan'alai is definitely one minion that suffered the most from the early rotation of Baku the Mooneater, but we can all agree that it was for the good and that the bird took the bullet for us, so we have to thank it.


Honourable Mentions

Oondasta - Big Deathrattle Hunter with Charged Devilsaur, King Krush, Kathrena Winterwisp and this bad boy. Enough said.

Shirvallah, the Tiger - Big numbers are good, big numbers that makes your opponent to go zero health are even better. Who will win? An armored orc with no fatigue damage and assisted by the Elements themselves or one banker with scoliosis?


What do you think about our nominations for the next Diamond cards? Do you agree with them or do you think there are better candidates? Let us know in the comments below!