Hive Map
The Fel spell pool is very narrow, only containing nine cards, with seven of them costing two mana or less (this includes Eye Beam). This means that we are guaranteed to get a second card from Hive Map if we leave up two mana when we discover and play the first card. Most Fel spells are defensive in nature and can offer us early game removal to respond to an opponent’s threat.
When compared to Illidari Studies, we can argue that Hive Map is better in slower decks, as it is more likely to provide us with a couple of tools that help us fend off aggression. Comparatively, Illidari Studies’s Outcast pool is of lower quality and has varied effects. It further does not provide us with card advantage while also ‘forcing’ us to play the card immediately or risk losing its Outcast benefit.
Illidari Studies is a card with a high perception of power but has been underperforming in metrics for a while. We can see Hive Map being better.
Score: 3
Gorishi Tunneler
Tunneler is a minion clearly meant to be played in Quest Demon Hunter, as whenever it attacks, it procs the quest twice. Its stealth means it should be able to attack at least once and if it goes face, it deals a sizeable amount of damage for the cost. Post-quest completion, it can hit the opponent for 8 damage.
However, this minion does seem a bit weak. A 3 mana 2/4 with stealth is generally not good enough for constructed decks and it does not progress the quest to an extent we are desperate to accommodate it. Demon Hunter has enough tools to progress Unleash the Colossus.
We think Tunneler’s inclusion depends on how Quest Demon Hunter evolves as an archetype. If it ends up being late-game-oriented, it likely passes on this card. If an aggressive shell opts to run the quest, Tunneler could fit in, but an aggressive shell running the quest does not make a lot of sense to us.
Score: 1
Silithid Queen
A 5/2 rush minion for 5 mana is unplayable. The extra 5 damage is nice, so the question is whether Demon Hunter can run a worthwhile Beast package that can trigger the Kindred ability consistently. There are only two Demon Hunter beasts that cost less than 5 mana. One of them is Tunneler, the other is Felrattler. Silithid Grubs are summoned, not played, so they do not activate Silithid Queen. Neutral options are not great either.
There is one angle that makes Silithid Queen not look useless, which is Primalfin Challenger. Doubling the Kindred means we are Pyroblasting the opponent. Torga is a beast that tutors Silithid Queen, so a Challenger/Torga/Queen curve looks somewhat coherent.
But considering how difficult it is to make this work with any consistency, Silithid Queen looks a bit homeless.
Score: 1
Infestation
Infestation generates two high quality removal spells. A Gorishi Stinger is an Arcane Shot baked into Emerald Skytalon. It is comfortably better than a normal, constructed-worthy 1-mana spell, but it is not worth 2 mana either. This is not something we are happy to do in any deck.
The important part is that Infestation generates us spells that each progress the Demon Hunter quest twice. In total, we are investing 4 mana for 4 ticks of quest progression, a significantly better deal than Gorishi Tunneler, while helping us fight for board in the early game via efficient trades. It also scales hard post-quest.
For Quest Demon Hunter, this is a good inclusion.
Score: 2
Insect Claw
If you squint a little, you can see a 3 mana 4/2 weapon here. It may not be as good at hitting face, but it is better than a 4/2 weapon when it comes to controlling the board, as you can split the damage to deal with two minions in one swing when you need to. By every measure of board control capabilities, this is a potent weapon.
In Quest Demon Hunter, this is worth 4 quest ticks by itself. Spending 3 mana for 4 quest ticks while fending off aggression may establish Insect Claw as Quest DH’s strongest card and highest mulligan priority, especially in faster matchups.
But unlike Infestation, we can see other Demon Hunter decks running this weapon because it is so effective at contesting board. This could become a decent weapon for a bunch of Demon Hunter decks going forward.
Score: 3
Bugsquasher
A 5/3 that deals 6 damage to a minion represents a good deal for 4 mana. If we budget a 5/3 body as a minion worth slightly less than 3 mana, then we are spending barely over 1 mana for killing all but the largest minions in constructed play.
Of course, this requires the target minion to have a tribal tag, but a tribal tag is quite common in minions these days. It is rarer to run into a minion without a tribal tag, so Bugsquasher should rarely find itself without a job.
The main question is where Bugsquasher sees play. It does not further our own game plan, which is a big penalty to cards, which players tend to overrate in a vacuum. It is more of a broad tech card rather than a minion we intentionally put in our deck to help us win more games.
We would be cautious when it comes to these cards. They do not make the cut without the field pressuring their inclusion.
Score: 2
Fumigate
A baseline standard 3 damage to a minion for 2 mana, with a bonus effect that can be particularly powerful against tribal decks, as it turns into an AOE effect that hits all minions of the target minion’s tribe.
Tribal decks are promoted in every expansion, so Fumigate should always be strong against a percentage of the field on paper. However, its baseline effect is unimpressive. This classic early game removal usually does not see play when it is restricted to hitting minions unless the bonus effect is worth it.
We suspect this card will be a favorite amongst low MMR players, which is where tribal decks are more common. But we do not think it can be considered a core card for any deck that faces an average, normal field. This is more of a tech card.
Score: 2
Gorishi Wasp
A Gorishi Stinger generator. We have talked about Stinger being of high quality, one that can help us further the Demon Hunter quest in an efficient manner. However, spending mana on this minion represents an absurdly prohibitive cost, one that immediately discourages us.
A 6 mana 2/8 is a horrendous stat line. There is no way to sugarcoat it. No rush. No taunt. Nothing. We are spending 6 mana on a minion that neither protects us nor directly progresses our Quest. For it to represent quest progression at a similar level of Infestation or Insect Claw, it needs to generate an unrealistic number of Stingers. It is further doomed by imagining this minion gets destroyed without being damaged? Our game is over. There are significantly better ways to spend our mana, surely.
Score: 1
Entomologist Toru
Toru replaces the minions in our hand with jars. When those jars trigger their deathrattles, they release the minion that was put in them. Therefore, ideal minion targets in a Toru deck are ones with deathrattles or static effects. Battlecry minions are wasted in a Toru deck.
The idea is to run massive threats, or ones that can deal immediate damage upon being summoned. Cards like Illidari Inquisitor or Briarspawn Drake, which were utilized in Cliff Dive Demon Hunter, are good Toru targets. We can set up a play in which we play all the Jars in one turn and then pop them with an AOE, such as Immolation Aura.
The problem with that, of course, is that Toru costs a whopping 9 mana, so we cannot execute this fantasy play before turn 10. Toru also has anti-synergy with Cliff Dive.
We have seen a recent Colifero variant of Cliff Dive DH attempt a similar play. However, Colifero might be easier to execute, as we do not need to draw all our threats, and we do not require a heavy top end to maximize results.
We have little faith that this card is anything but a meme.
Score: 1
Unleash the Colossus
This quest requires substantial support to complete in a timely manner. Demon Hunter does possess tools that can accomplish the job without a massive deck building sacrifice. A Priest Tourist package with Nightshade Tea and Hot Coals should provide excellent support, for example. Quest Demon Hunter can run good cards to complete the quest, but it does require a fully dedicated shell to do so in a reasonable amount of time.
When it comes to timing, most cards can trigger quest progression at a 1 mana to 1 tick ratio. This means we need to spend 15 mana to complete the quest. If we are conservative, we believe the quest can get done by turn 7. Not particularly relevant for faster matchups. Its biggest window of opportunity arrives in the late game.
As for lethality, this quest can produce a substantial amount of damage. If our entire deck is already running cards that deal 2 damage for the sake of quest progression, then doubling that damage sounds great in theory. A single Incindius, for example, represents an inevitable 20 damage to all enemies.
The main question mark we have is whether Demon Hunter has enough juice to both complete the quest and then finish off the opponent. This deck might be extremely vulnerable to armor stacking decks such as Starship DK or Control Warrior. Armor is abundant in Standard even now and shows no signs of slowing down, so we are a bit hesitant to get fully on board with a late game strategy that is reliant on burn to win.
Score: 2
Final Thoughts
The Lost City of Un’Goro Set Rank: 10th
Overall Power Ranking: 8th
Demon Hunter is in a great spot currently. Aggro Demon Hunter is running rampant on the format, while Starship Demon Hunter has persevered with a dedicated population of players, even if its results are not the most impressive. The class is not desperate for new things to keep it relevant, but it can still hurt not having those fresh things available.
We suspect this will be the case for Demon Hunter. We like Unleash the Colossus conceptually, as it can become a seriously lethal win condition in the late game. However, it is ultimately damage-based, which leaves it vulnerable against the defensive turtle decks in the format that stack armor and life gain. We are not sure how well it can survive against aggressive decks either. Though quest progression seems clear cut, this Quest can still have different approaches to it. It is hard to determine the shape it will eventually take.
Other avenues do not promise much. An Aggro/Menagerie DH variant could utilize Silithid Queen, but its consistency issues due to lack of support are glaring. Starship DH should not change much. Toru seems to promote a deck that resembles Cliff Dive DH. Does it offer a more powerful win condition than what is currently established? Doubtful.
The success of Quest DH may determine the extent of the class’s popularity in Un’Goro. Should this archetype find the right formula to compete, the class will be popular. But if Quest DH falters, the current Demon Hunter decks may struggle to keep players engaged. What is fashionable today could become old news tomorrow, as we know what happens to many decks when they hit a new expansion and run little to no new cards.
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