The Comprehensive Reign of the Black Empire Preview

 

Bloatray

A defensive 1-drop that is suitable for classes that do not have single-target hard removal and want to add some early-game stalling. Bloatray forces removal or a trade from the opponent, so it is likely to trade 1 for 1 in terms of resources. It becomes less useful later in the game, so its role is niche. We think Druid is most likely to use it, if at all.

Score: 2

Classes: Druid

Primordial Wyrm

A 1-drop that gets buffed by playing other minions, which encourages us to flood the board with many cheap minions. Wyrm’s natural habitat would be a board-flooding aggressive deck. It is not a great 1-drop to play on turn 1 because that leaves it vulnerable, but we can easily turn it into a 1-mana 2/3 a couple of turns later. Reasonable filler for this specific playstyle.

Score: 2

Classes: Druid, Paladin, Warlock

F3TCH3R

The main advantage of this card is that it helps us curve out with some consistency on turns 3 and 4. A 3-mana 3/3 is not great, but the assembled 4-drop represents a high-quality minion. The main issue with this card is that it does not further a specific strategy. There are no special synergies that constructed decks seek, but if they are missing a solid turn 3 play, they could turn to Fetcher. The tribal tags suggest some affinity with Hunter.

Score: 2

Classes: Hunter

Mantid Precursor

A 3-mana 4/4 rush is not bad, but the condition is limiting. For Precursor to make the biggest impact, we want to play it on turn 3. This requires us to equip a weapon very early in the game, which limits its potential utilizers.

Even if we do have a weapon though, we think constructed decks can do better. Card is too weak at its baseline, and its ceiling is hardly game changing.

Score: 1

Crystalline Golem

This is going to be the all-purpose defensive card in the Neutral set. Golem offers a sizeable taunt, a small taunt and 6 health with its deathrattle value. That is 12 effective health for 4 mana. It is a dramatic upgrade on Khartut Defender in its stats and cost. Khartut Defender saw constructed play thanks to resurrection mechanics. Golem is far easier to fit into decks.

It offers a double discount on N’Zoth and a great resurrect target. It is a new target for Ravenous Felhunter in Demon Hunter. It provides two corpses for Death Knight. It is a good follow-up to Acceleration Aura in Druid. We can see decks running it as a generalist defensive body with no other required synergies either.

We do not think every single control deck is going to run Golem, but it should become one of the most popular neutral cards in the format. An excellent, standalone stabilizer. A modern Sludge Belcher.

Score: 4

Classes: Ubiquitous

OC91 Chariot

A 5-mana 5/5 is extremely expensive. For Chariot to draw a substantial amount of cards, we need to have a lot of mana available, or we need a drastic cost-reduction mechanic. There are plenty of better card-draw sources, so Chariot may only belong in a unique deck with bulk mana reduction. Its best bet is in a Zoo Warlock deck with many 1-drops and Zakajz. After playing Zakajz, Chariot can turn into a miracle draw engine alongside free 1-drops. It is dependent on drawing Zakajz, so we are unsure about the consistency of the idea.

Score: 2

Classes: Warlock

Vaultkeeper

A powerhouse buff card. Vaultkeeper blows the old Fungalmancer out of the water. Its battlecry and initial stats represent a 7/7 for 5 mana, which is extremely powerful considering more than half of it has an immediate impact that can push damage. The deathrattle is the cherry on top, making it an incredible total package of stats.

The opponent can technically deny the deathrattle from gaining value, but that requires them to remove the two minions we just buffed with Vaultkeeper first. If Vaultkeeper is left alone, we can also develop minions to its side and then trade it into an opposing minion. The scenario in which Vaultkeeper connects is a painful one for the opponent, so their best counterplay is denying it from connecting.

This is not an easy undertaking if they are playing against board-centric aggressive decks. This leads us to conclude that Vaultkeeper is a legitimate win condition for an entire playstyle and a strong candidate for inclusion in any initiative-focused deck. Vaultkeeper is both a N’Zoth enabler and a strong deathrattle target for its ability. We would not be surprised to see it as a bridge for aggressive decks to run the Old God.

A meta-defining pressure tool for board-centric decks.

Score: 4

Classes: Ubiquitous

Gargantuan Slitherer

We are happy to see Team 5 giving a more generous package of stats to the more expensive C’Thun enabler rather than penalizing C’Thun synergy with an undersized body. It is easier to stomach an undersized enabler when it is cheap, but for 6 mana, Slitherer cannot be a liability.

A 6-mana 6/7 represents good stats for the cost. The taunt gives it some level of immediate impact. The ability is worth 3-4 mana, so it is well above the curve. This is appropriate for its cost, as expensive minions need to do a lot more than their vanilla counterparts.

Decks do not have access to a lot of C’Thun triggers, so Slitherer will see play in C’Thun decks.

Score: 3

Classes: Demon Hunter, Priest, Shaman, Warlock

Power Tiger

This card resembles Gnome Muncher, but it is far more aggressive. It attacks on every player’s turn, which means it cannot be left alone as it essentially has scuffed Windfury. Much like Gnome Muncher, its ability scales well with hand buffs and its tribal tag suggests possible synergies with Druid and Hunter.

However, we are not convinced. Gnome Muncher is not a good card. Even in Handbuff Death Knight, it was proven to be one of the deck’s worst performers. And unlike Power Tiger, it is useful against aggressive decks. Power Tiger is mostly an offensive threat. We will be surprised if a successful deck in constructed utilizes Power Tiger as a primary win condition.

Score: 1

Titanic Thrasher

In faster matchups, Thrasher gets discounted reasonably well. 5 mana is probably too slow to make an impact against an aggressive deck, but if the opponent floods the board with 4-5 minions, then Thrasher becomes a powerful swing card.

We think the 4-5 minion requirement for it to be good is probably too much to be a consistently useful tool in most matchups. For Thrasher to see competitive play, it needs additional synergies. Its best chance is in Demon Hunter. Sha’kar can turn it into a finisher in late-game matchups, since it can deal a whopping 12 charge damage.

Score: 2

Classes: Demon Hunter

Unstable Prototype

A handbuff card that requires its own extensive buff support to become active. Prototype requires two buffs to fully resolve its deathrattles, as the summoned reborn minion has 0 attack as well. If there is no activation on our part, the opponent can simply ignore it.

This is an intriguing build-around card for board-centric decks, whether they flood the board or whether they lean into handbuffs. The value packed inside a 1-cost minion is strong, so if we can support it with consistent activators, it can help us apply a lot of pressure on the opponent. Furthermore, Prototype can serve as AOE insurance. If the opponent wipes our initial board and takes out Prototype alongside it, our next reload will have bigger minions.

We think this card is very strong. Not many 1-drops can pack the value punch of this level. On one hand, the opponent wants to ignore it, as they do not want to buff our hand. But this makes Prototype a reliable landing pad for buffs. It is not just a sticky body because of its reborn keyword; it is also sticky because it is actively costly to remove from play.

Any aggressive deck, with single-target or board buffs, should consider Prototype as one of the best neutral 1-drops in the format. It is also another minion that turns N’Zoth into a realistic option for them. For 1 mana, we get to discount N’Zoth by 2.

Score: 4

Classes: Druid, Hunter, Paladin, Shaman, Warlock

Shadewing

We think this card is a bit overrated. For Shadewing to offer a consistent discount on turn 2, we need a sizeable package of Shadow spells so there is always something in our hand to discount when we drop it to the board. We cannot run this minion alongside 4 Shadow spells. A turn 2 Shadewing that does nothing is a game-losing play.

When we evaluated the feasibility of such a package, we realized that not many decks can afford to run a big package of Shadow spells. That could change in the future, but as it stands, we believe there are better cards to run in prospective Death Knight, Priest, Rogue and Warlock decks.

In the short term, it is most tempting in Death Knight due to its relatively high-value Shadow spells. Arrival of the Old Gods, Fleshshape, Memoriam Manifest, Experimental Animation, Shadows of Yesterday and Grave Strength are notable targets.

Score: 2

Classes: Death Knight

Assimilating Ooze

A handbuff payoff that seems quite greedy. We are not sure why we would want a significantly worse Saronite Chain Gang. While Ooze possesses the ‘ALL’ tribe tag and can be buffed in play before it splits at the end of the turn, we do not think it is worth the sacrifice of its initial impact on the board.

Ooze is meant to soak handbuffs and does little else. We do not think constructed decks can afford to build around it. Seems too greedy and slow.

Score: 1

Spawn of C’Thun

The second C’Thun enabler, which works a bit differently as it is conditional on C’Thun starting in our deck to work. In a C’Thun deck, it practically works the same as Slitherer, but it is restricted to avoid it being used in decks without C’Thun due to two of its powerful abilities.

A 4-mana 2/2 is a much weaker stat line, but Spawn of C’Thun’s advantage is that it is cheaper. A C’Thun ability is worth 3-4 mana, so the cost is appropriate. Both Servants of C’Thun and Domain of C’Thun offer board effects that an aggressive deck would not be ashamed of.

In fact, this card opens a path for the C’Thun package to be used in more aggressive decks. Zee Shaman, for example, would not mind doubling this battlecry at all.

Score: 3

Classes: Demon Hunter, Priest, Shaman, Warlock

Seeker of Prey

If we want to remove minions in play, we probably want cheaper, more reliable effects. Seeker is an expensive minion that puts little pressure on the opponent relative to its cost. Its ability only triggers if it takes damage without dying (“After this takes damage”). We should have better cards to play.

Score: 1

Proto-Pandaren

A lot of effort for a symmetrical effect. We are meant to draw, discover or generate cards with this in play, then fill our hand with more random spells. Our opponent also gets a random spell, so besides the prospect of milling them, we do not see how this card provides us with a clear advantage. Gimmicky.

Score: 1

Mogu Warmaster

Most decks have a larger number of class cards than neutral cards. Neutral cards are worse on average than class cards. We need a sizeable package of neutrals; we need to spend mana on Warmaster and then spend mana on neutrals. The payoff is a small discount. The discount does stack, but the effort for the effect seems needlessly high.

Score: 1

Tome Translator

A minion that takes 2 turns to reveal what it does after it is drawn. We could drop it to the board blind, but its different variants are optimal for different situations. We do not believe this card can be good if we always wait the 2 turns to reveal what it does. Such a delay effectively makes it a terrible draw off the top, especially later in the game. None of the abilities are game changing either. We are talking about slightly more powerful effects than the random constructed 4-drop. No special synergy with prospective decks either.

Score: 1

Frontline Ironborn

An undersized 5-mana minion that grows when we kill enemy minions. This seems extremely slow. We need to pair Ironborn with removal, which is difficult considering its cost. Dropping it to the board on-curve makes it a sitting duck for removal or trades, as it is only a 3/5.

Its ideal situation is dropping it to the board and then immediately trading our board into the opponent’s board. Sigil of Hatching is the most notable enabler for the card, but the only one that truly works well independently of our board state. We must remember that the opponent is also supposed to have minions in play to kill, which is not going to happen in every matchup. Ironically, this card is slow, yet faster decks are most likely to offer it potential fuel. Contradictory.

Score: 1

Stone Trogg

Good arena card. Kills a sizable minion or turns into a massive taunt. Probably not good enough for a constructed deck. Druid is the most likely candidate to use it, but it should have better late-game payoffs to leverage ramp with. Needs to be good enough as a standalone card.

Score: 1

M.O.T.H.E.R.

The pre-release legendary has already proven its potential impact and may become more prominent once the full expansion is released. Mother offers an unconditional, bulk-reduction effect that can set up all sorts of powerful, game-ending combos. The absence of immediate impact to the board or any defensive utility is the sacrifice made for its powerful ability, as it leaves us vulnerable to punishment on the turn we play it. The best counterplay to Mother is to not give the player a comfortable turn to play it.

However, if we are not punished for playing Mother, we get to enjoy a massively discounted hand. A full hand with one of the middle cards targeted for a discount leads to a total discount of 25 mana. While the placement of certain pieces could change the way we want to use Mother, it should discount enough of what we want to execute our game plan.

There are too many things made possible with this card, which leads us to believe it should be a prominent enabler for at least one competitive deck. The slower the format, the more powerful Mother likely becomes.

Score: 4

Classes: Can potentially fit into any class.

Mastermind Yogg-Saron

The way Yogg-Saron works is that it takes a full turn for us and is as intelligent as the AI innkeeper. It will cast two of its abilities at random and spend mana on cards we have in hand. What is important to note is that the Innkeeper is smart enough to spot lethal, so if we can develop overwhelming stats in play and then play Yogg, we are essentially giving our summoned board charge.

There are still some cases where Yogg can mess up the lethal (by casting things that accidentally kill our own board, for example), but the main idea that we believe would best utilize Yogg’s effect is to take advantage of the Old God as a Time Warp.

One example that is available to all classes is the Mother/Murozond combo. We discount Murozond and Yogg with mother and then play them together. Murozond will gain infinite attack on Yogg’s turn and Yogg will spot lethal. Another idea is to play Yogg in Ayaya Rogue, pairing it with massive Jade Golems summoned by upgraded coins.

Another way to utilize Yogg is to bypass its battlecry, summoning it through different means than playing it directly from our hand. If we bypass its battlecry, we can freely use its abilities. Brain and Madness of Yogg-Saron can help us deal massive burst damage to the opponent with the right setup.

Time Warp is an extremely powerful effect, and Yogg offers us unconditional access to it in all classes. We trust Hearthstone players to find a powerful way to utilize it and establish it as a competitive finisher.

Score: 3

Classes: Can potentially fit into any class.

C’Thun, Eye of the Empire

C’Thun possesses the same ability as its activators, but if we have already used all of them through other means, C’Thun casts triple-powered abilities. The ability to cast two of them on the same turn makes for an enticing proposition.

We can cast Servants and then Domain of C’Thun to build a giant board, which ends the game if the opponent does not possess mass removal. Glare of C’Thun turns into a massive heal. Wrath of C’Thun is either a board clear or a game-ending nuke for 21 damage.

While C’Thun does not guarantee victory, it is a powerful win condition that only requires a small package of support, leaving room for us to build our deck in different ways to accommodate other synergy packages, or focus on survivability.

And while its 10-mana cost seems prohibitive, theoretically only fitting in with slower decks, we think Servants/Domain of C’Thun are strong enough abilities to interest proactive decks that look to pressure the opponent too. We would not write off C’Thun in faster playstyles. Its main limiter is the classes that have access to their own activator.

Score: 4

Classes: Demon Hunter, Priest, Shaman, Warlock

Y’Shaarj, Titan Bane

Y’Shaarj doubles up as both a board clear and a game-ending threat, depending on the game state. However, its condition prevents it from being too effective, too early. We need to spend 30 mana on minions, which can take a bit of time and makes ramping to the card as quickly as possible not a viable plan. Most late-game oriented decks have a decent number of spells, which means Y’Shaarj needs to be complemented by a strong enough minion shell.

But when Y’Shaarj’s condition is met, it can enable a two-turn kill. If we place Y’Shaarj to the right of a minion and summon a random 8-drop, we can buff Y’Shaarj to a high enough attack value to threaten lethal. In this situation, only non-targeted removal can save the opponent from the upcoming attack. This can be made easier if we already have a board, discount Y’Shaarj with Mother, or use the 5-mana discount to copy Y’Shaarj.

The alternative way to use Y’Shaarj is as a board clear. An immune 10/10 that invites attacks from enemy minions is a 10-damage board clear that remains a threat to punch the opponent in the head the next turn.

Rather than an all-out win condition, Y’Shaarj is a versatile card that can fit into any late-game-oriented deck if it can support its minion condition. Its main competition will be other Old Gods possibly synergizing better with a specific strategy, so we do consider it to be the weakest Old God of the four.

Score: 2

Classes: Can potentially fit into any class.

N’Zoth, Dream’s End

N’Zoth is the only Old God whose cost can naturally drop to 0 mana. This requires us to run a deathrattle deck but note that summoned deathrattle minions work as well.

Its abilities are powerful and relevant in both fast and slow matchups. Pairing Domain and Mastery of N’Zoth, for example, triggers an asymmetrical board clear that is only dependent on having another friendly minion in play. Army of N’Zoth allows us to resurrect a full board of sticky minions. Call of N’Zoth is a more standalone play that can be amplified by Mastery of N’Zoth.

Whatever abilities we use, discounting N’Zoth is our primary concern, but once N’Zoth becomes cheap, we can blow the opponent out of the water with a huge swing. Its cheap cost makes it an easy target for copy or repeating effects too. For example, Rogue can bounce N’Zoth and replay it thanks to Web of Deception.

N’Zoth is not strictly limited to slower decks. An aggressive deck with a robust shell of deathrattle minions can absolutely take advantage of the reload potential that N’Zoth offers. In fact, faster decks should be able to discount N’Zoth faster.

To conclude, there is no limit on the kind of playstyle that N’Zoth fits into. It can be a powerful late-game value bomb, or a top-end threat for a board-flooding deck. We believe this versatility should establish N’Zoth as the most popular Old God this expansion.

Score: 4

Classes: Can potentially fit into any class.