Data Reaper Podcast

21.3 is live with some significant changes–we were curious about Team 5’s perspective on the meta so we had Alec on again to tell us what they think! Join us for an interview and a [Read More…]

The pace of Stormwind patches hasn’t slowed down and we’re due for 14 card changes next week. Alec himself challenged Zach to come up with a list of changes – and Hat has some (bad) [Read More…]

The post-Stealer meta has continued to develop and the first official report has a lot for us to expand on. Does Rod make Handlock OP? Is Garrote Rogue the highest skill cap deck ever? Can [Read More…]

What would Stormwind look like without Stealer of Souls? Well, we finally get the chance to find out thanks to another couple of balance changes that went live earlier this week. And Flesh Giant moved [Read More…]

The first report of patch 21.0.3 is here and it turns out it’ll be the final report as well – some Warlock changes have been announced for next week! What does that mean for the [Read More…]

8 nerfs! Team 5 went wide with changes as expected. We don’t have a full report yet, but we have early insights into the new meta and it may not be what you’re expecting. Don’t [Read More…]

We didn’t get nerfs yet though we know they’re coming – but we do have the first report of Stormwind and it’s a doozy! And of course, at the end we update our balance predictions [Read More…]

It’s time for the first look at the United in Stormwind standard environment! There are more decks to cover than we’ve ever done before in a single episode. Join us for an early peek at [Read More…]

We have an early look at the 20.8.2 field as Barrens winds down. With the significant changes to Priest and the removal of Gibberling highrolls, the field looks rosy for Rush Warrior… but are there [Read More…]

We don’t have new cards, but we do have new information from Alec via tweet – balance changes are coming next week! There are also some interesting developments to Watch out for in standard that [Read More…]

United in Stormwind is our next expansion! We have a ton of new cards to talk about as well as the new mechanics introduced in the reveal stream on Thursday. You can subscribe to the [Read More…]

There’s a lull at the end of the third month of the Barrens meta, but there’s been plenty of activity on social media around the class everyone loves to hate. The boys spend some time [Read More…]

The second report of Wailing Caverns has given us some new developments. Can Hybrid Shaman work? Should Rush Warrior play N’Zoth? Are we going full yoink? Tune in and find out! You can subscribe to [Read More…]

Thanks to the release of some powerful new Shaman cards, we finally have something to talk about with Thrall! The first full week of data from the Wailing Caverns meta has given us a lot [Read More…]

With only hours to spare between the patch notes and the mini-set’s release, Zach and Hat find time for an EMERGENCY EPISODE covering all the new cards and the surprise nerfs! You can subscribe to [Read More…]

We’re waiting for the Wailing Caverns to open – but for this episode, we’re trying something a little different and exploring the general concept of meta dynamics. You can subscribe to the podcast on these [Read More…]

Alec promised spice, but the initial impressions seemed to be that not much had changed. We don’t think those initial impressions were accurate. Take a listen to get some context into the meta’s developments after [Read More…]

We have an early look at what’s good after the sudden 20.2.2 changes, but the meta is barely formed at this point. We have some idea of what to play and a much better idea [Read More…]

Two hours before the show recorded, Alec tweeted that 5 nerfs and 10 buffs are coming! Join us as we try to sleuth out what the possible changes could be. You can subscribe to the [Read More…]

We have confirmation that balance changes are coming but not what they are yet – and this meta isn’t done developing. Zach has some spicy takes to share on where things are now and where [Read More…]

Not sure what 3 drops to play? Need some extra value in your standard deck? Sounds like a job for FLEX TAPE NEUTRALS! What would win in a fight – the lifebinder or one angry [Read More…]

Nothing can stop the Tickatus oppression – not even Hat’s computer problems! But even though it’s a day late, an episode is here to start your week and talk about the early impressions of the [Read More…]

Has Zach broken the code? No, but we’re finding ways to have fun and potentially deal with this warped meta until nerfs come out next week. Big thanks to Craptasm for our intro this week- [Read More…]

No, we mean it. Play Paladin. It’s time for a very early look at the Forged in the Barrens meta! The environment has changed and the meta continues to develop- but there are some early [Read More…]

Alec returns for another interview covering Team 5’s current design philosophy! After that, Zach and Hat take a look at some of the new cards and give their initial thoughts. You can subscribe to the [Read More…]

We’re all waiting for the Barrens card reveals, but the meta isn’t done developing! And not only that, but this episode features a special live discussion of the decklist posts from MT Ironforge as they [Read More…]

The meta is stable, but the core set sure isn’t. Zach and Hat take the time to give both larger thoughts on the new core set and class by class specifics. You can subscribe to [Read More…]

Instead of reviewing the meta, it’s time to review all of the things that we learned at BlizzCon. Zach and Hat dig deep into the core set and Forged in the Barrens with what we [Read More…]

Big news! The core set and Hearthstone Classic have both been announced. Zach and Hat give their initial thoughts before diving into the meta and taking a look at some of the latest developments, including [Read More…]

The first report of the Darkmoon Races meta had FIFTEEN tier 1 decks! Are they all actually good? Is this a high skill meta? Will Zach lose his damn mind? All the answers are here! [Read More…]

With the mini-set being announced on Tuesday and released on Thursday, the team has to race to release an episode talking about all the new cards. Come hear some hot takes about the mid-set expansion! [Read More…]

It finally happened. Not only did they nerf Boggspine Knuckles, but they nerfed Edwin Van Cleef. Zach and Hat have a lot to discuss about the nerfs, the newly forming meta, and the possibility of [Read More…]

Happy new year! The best decks may be the same, but there’s some movement in other classes that’s worth looking into. You can subscribe to the podcast on these platforms: Anchor | Breaker | Google [Read More…]

On our last episode of 2020, Zach and Hat discuss the latest evolution of the meta. Zach has his finger on the pulse of the latest developments in our decklists… and a lot of them [Read More…]

19.2 has brought changes to the standard environment, and for better or worse, some predicted meta adjustments seem to be coming true. Join us for an early look at the new meta. You can subscribe [Read More…]

It’s almost certain that there will be balance changes on Tuesday, but there are still new developments to explore in standard before then. Tune in to hear about the rise of Whirlkick Master, the true [Read More…]

Aggro Demon Hunter is back with a… vengeance. Zach and Hat review report #180 and talk about the dominant decks, the shape of the six playable classes, and hopes for potential future changes and developments [Read More…]

Two podcasts in one week! The first report on the Darkmoon Faire meta is out and we’re here to break it down for you class by class. Can Illidan be stopped? Does Shaman exist? What [Read More…]

We’re back, and we have a special early look at the meta mere days after release. ZachO doesn’t have to be held back by the data here and wastes no time in serving up hot [Read More…]

Below you will find a transcript of our interview with Alec Dawson from episode 21 of the Data Reaper Podcast. RidiculousHat: Hello everyone, thank you so much for tuning in to this very special episode [Read More…]

For the first time, the VS team gets to sit down with Team 5 – we’re joined this week by Alec Dawson, senior game designer for Hearthstone. This interview is packed with information, including Alec’s [Read More…]

A new set announced already? That’s Madness… at the Darkmoon Faire! There’s already plenty to discuss in the early post-patch meta with the recent significant tweaks to mage, but on top of that, we have [Read More…]

Between the report and the podcast recording, more nerfs were announced and a new trailer was teased! We have lots of speculation about what’s coming next Thursday and plenty of discussion about the mage nerfs [Read More…]

Now that we have a full report on the 18.4 patch, we have more information to help guide you through this new meta. But this episode is not just about data, and when it comes [Read More…]

The latest patch has nerfed both Tortollan Pilgrim and Guardian Animals and the format has seen a significant shakeup as a result. There isn’t a full report yet, but there’s enough data to get early [Read More…]

While the meta continues to develop, archetypes are starting to stabilize and this week has Druid on top, though it’s far from unbeatable. But there are still new decks and new builds to be found [Read More…]

The first report is out! The post-18.2 meta looks to be smaller but it still has some interesting developments. Why is cyclone mage so popular? Did the Totem Goliath buff do anything? Can we still [Read More…]