My thoughts on balance patch in bolded
Quote:
Today is the day for our Hearthstone Closed Beta patch! This patch also includes the account wipe, so when the servers are available for play once more, you’ll be starting again as if you were a new player. For more information on the wipe itself, please revisit our Account Wipe Incoming blog post, found here. Now, onto the patch notes!
DC= Don't Care/doesnt change much at all
Generic Minions
Gelbin Mekkatorque’s Repair Bot – Is now a 0/3 and has a new power: At the end of your turn, restore 6 Health to a damaged character. DC
Sunfury Protector now only gives adjacent minions Taunt. this """"nerf""""" is actually a buff. Really nice to pick which mob will taunt for which minion you want to protect.
Mana Wraith – Now a 2/2 (was a 1/3). DC
Pint-sized Summoner – The cost reduction has been reduced from 2 to 1. Good nerf, card is now average and terribad late game.
Questing Adventurer is now Rare. indirect super minor nerf to rogue arena/ DC
Flesheating Ghoul is now Common. DC
Injured Blademaster has 1 more Attack. Now a 3/4/3 with buff options mostly for guys like priest and warrior. Actually a very good card now imo.
Lorewalker Cho has 1 less Attack. I think he was veryt good and interesting, now average and interesting?
The Beast is now 9/7 (was 10/6). DC
Lightwarden now gains +2 Attack per heal. very interesting choice for priest and shaman, probably still very gimmicky but can be good for arena picks of priest n shaman
Twilight Drake is now a 4/1 with ‘Battlecry: Gain +1 Health for each card in your hand.’ extremely smart and good change, this does 2 major things: reduces the variance if the other guy has a silence or not, and also makes this less absolute crap late game when you're card starved
Captain Greenskin is now a 5/4 with ‘Battlecry: Give your weapon +1/+1.’ from one of the best card in the game to very average at best, was deserved tho
Dalaran Mage now has 1 less Attack. from slightly above average to below average
Captain’s Parrot now has 1 less Health. stupid. did not need nerf...... especially with how weak pirate decks are already. (AND nerfing the captain)
Frostwolf Warlord now has a Battlecry effect instead of an ongoing effect. will need to test it out, dont really like not sure why they changed it
Mage
Frostbolt costs 2 Mana (down from 3). from average to very good
Mirror Image now creates 0/2 minions. from below average to decent imo, BIG deal for cards that get bonuses from spells (like mana wyrm or auctioneer)
Sorcerer’s Apprentice has 1 more Attack. from meh to good. Very interesting pick now.
Thoughts: Buffs to three core mage cards, no nerfs, mage steps up from average class to one of the goodies.
Priest
Northshire Cleric - Now costs 1 (down from 2). Nice. Needed to happen. makes it easier to cast heal on same turn you play it too. if you manage to get it out first turn you can have very interesting options and stop the other guy from playing some minions and getting hit
Prophet Velen – Now also doubles the damage and healing of your Hero Power. very nice, now above average, especially for a class legendary
Fade has been replaced with a new card:
Shadow Word: Death – (3) Destroy a minion with an Attack of 5 or more. Was needed for around 3-4-5-6 mana with priest against enemies that you cant shadow word pain and dominate the board (pre mind-control) Minus points for not being very original tho :/
Cabal Shadow Priest – now a 4/5 (up from 3/4). HUGE buff. Goes from ****ty to decent
Power Word: Shield has a new power – Give a minion +2 Health. Draw a card. Amazing change. This is now the priest's version of shiv, but with shiv getting nerfed this is probably actually better.
Greater Heal has been replaced with a new card:
Holy Fire – (6) Deal 5 damage. Restore 5 Health to your hero. Not amazing for the mana cost but might be OP at 5 mana, interesting card will need to try it out.
Lightspawn has 1 more Health. good, they sucked and are now pretty good
Thoughts: Priest will still be borderline low tier due to the hero power not being more useful, but will now have a decent fighting chance against everyone (except probably warrior)
Warlock
Sacrificial Pact costs 0 (down from 2). DC still bad
Pit Lord - Now a 5/6 with ‘Battlecry: Deal 5 damage to your hero’. Good change, taking 7 dmg as warlock was way too much at 4 mana already quite often. Small buff to a bad card will see it a lot more now even if its very average still.
Thoughts: Warlock is still easily one of the bottom 3 classes in both arena and constructed.
Rogue
Backstab – New text: Deal 2 damage to an undamaged minion. smart change, will also make guys like amani destroy rogues having to ping it AFTER doing backstab, will hurt rogue vs warrior even more in a way!
Preparation – Now reduces next spell cost by 3 (up from 2). needed, prep sucks ass.
Shiv costs 2 Mana (up from 1). youch, big nerf to one of the best skills. Was needed because they didnt change the coin.
Defias Ringleader has 1 less Health. This +shiv+weapon change = well done blizz
Conceal costs 1 Mana (up from 0). DC
Headcrack costs 3 Mana (up from 2). Headcrack is now atrocious in arena, average at best in constructed... trash card now :\
Hero Power – No longer has the ability to buff a currently equipped weapon. !!!!!!! Hello rogue, why dont you join priest and warlock at the bottom 3 .
Edwin VanCleef is now a 2/2, but no longer has Stealth. First change that I really dislike, the stealth was what made vancleef, i.e. use a ton of cards at 10 mana and then vancleef with stealth to deal a huge blow and finish off the enemy hero. Loses a lot of its flavor but not necessarily worse, a bit buffier but gets crowd controlled to death on first turn in many situations. Im guessing silence puts him back to 2/2 too....
Thoughts: Rogue will go from clear #1 to about warlock and priest level in the bottom 3. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
Druid
Wrath can no longer be cast on heroes. Druid had huge nuking power especially in constructed when you include Bite and the hero power that give a lot of direct dmg.
Cenarius costs 9 (up from 8). DC
Starfall can now only hit minions. See wrath point
Ancient of Lore’s Healing option now only restores 5 Health. (down from 8) Noooo, my pretty orange trees :'(. Probably a good change, kinda suck to use it to heal now but still a good card.
Savagery costs 1 (down from 3), and must target a single minion. I am very puzzled at this change... you really want people to double bite and do 8 to every minion and then 8 to hero? alright.... I think 2 mana wouldve been lower enough anyways.
Thoughts: not many big changes but nteresting nerfs (and a weird buff to savagery) that arent a big deal for board control, will still be top tier and pass rogue easily. Will probably battle with shaman warrior and mage for top spots
Hunter
Hunter’s Mark – No longer a 1-turn only effect. Good change, not game breaking
Scavenging Hyena – Now only eats your own Beasts. good
Thoughts: Hunter still holds its firm grasp on the title of gatekeeper of average classes. If youre better than hunter you're one of the good classes, if you're lower, I'm sorry.
Warrior
Cruel Taskmaster has 1 more Health. goes from average to super good
Inner Rage’s +2 Attack effect no longer goes away at the end of the turn. goes from meh to decent
Battle Rage costs 3 (up from 2), and also counts damaged heroes. wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww whaaat :O, goes from below average to unbelievable.
Frothing Berserker has 1 more Attack. Sick, I thoguht they were decent already, now insane card for only 3 mana (3-2-4)
Commanding Shout now costs 2 (up from 1) and also draws you a card. Good change, used to suck, now really good and still synergizes well with the new battle rage.
Thoughts and prediction: Warrior will be #1. Brace yourselves.
Shaman
Hex’s Frog is now a Beast.
Healing Totem no longer heals heroes.
Thoughts: Healing totem was a bit too good, now not super good. Still one of the top classes and should now be VERY strong against rogues taht cant deal 2 dmg to their totems. Will remain one of the top tier classes.
Paladin:
Divine favor now 3 mana instead of 2. was too good sometimes and sucked other times. Kinda only need one per deck so wont change much. Now goes with the other spells taht cost 3 and draw.
Thoughts: Still eternally battling with hunter for the average class gatekeeping spot.
Ranking predictions for arena:
1- Warrior
2- Druid
3- Mage
4- Shaman
5- Paladin
6- Hunter
7- Warlock
8- Rogue
9- Priest ????
Not sure at all about the bottom 3, they could swap in any ways.
Last edited by Kirbynator; 10-02-2013 at 08:30 PM.