Smoldering Strength
Much like Smoldering Grove, Smoldering Strength becomes strong after a single upgrade. A 2/2 buff for 1 mana should be strong in aggressive Paladin decks, or even a Sea Shanty deck (though it is not a holy spell). We particularly like it in aggressive Paladin decks with multiple 1-drops, as we can keep it in the opening hand and then blow out the opponent with a 3/3 buff for 1 mana on turn 3. The likelihood of finding a buff target is high when we play a cheap curve.
Smoldering Strength’s cheap cost means it should never be discarded, so the drawback is completely irrelevant when judging the card. May not see play in Drunk Paladin but should become core for Aggro Paladin builds going forward.
Score: 3
Searing Reflection
This spell is extremely slow and not a real source of card draw, so we must treat it as a threat at first. A 7 mana 8/8 with divine shield is largely unplayable, even if it draws a minion and manages to copy an effect. Large threats at this cost come down at a stage of the game where we either win the game regardless (because we had time to play this against a faster deck), or they are dealt with through removal by a slower deck. We never play this spell as a standalone card without the ability to cheat it out.
The main synergy for Searing Reflection is Ursol, but we doubt this spell is comparable to Shaladrassil in its impact on the game, so it seems completely redundant in a deck with Ursol. There is no point adding Searing Reflection alongside Shaladrassil when one outcome is significantly better in slower matchups than the other.
Score: 1
Ashleaf Pixie
Pixie seems strong when activated. A 3/2 with divine shield and lifesteal is worth roughly 3 mana, so we get a decent discount on an early game minion that helps us contest the board and stabilize.
However, Pixie’s condition makes it very difficult for us to get behind the card. Pixie is a terrible minion when it is not active. The big-spell requirement at this stage of the game is one that demands a significant package of expensive spells, one that we do not believe Paladin can currently support. Sea Shanty and Shaladrassil are not nearly enough.
The issue with Pixie comes with its mulligan contradiction. We want to keep Pixie to play it on turn 2 for the best results, but we do not want to keep an expensive spell in the mulligan. We need an uncomfortable number of them in the deck to confidently keep Pixie in hand. We do not believe this deck limitation to be worthwhile, all for the sake of playing a 3 mana minion at a 1 mana discount occasionally.
Score: 1
Final Thoughts: Drunk Paladin should remain the class’ primary strategy. The mini-set’s impact on the class is expected to be minimal.
Be the first to comment