Hearthstone - Heroes of Warcraft

[DatSOOKin]

I'll also put in a request for an extra beta key.
Watching some streams/videos, this game looks quite fun!

[SebC]

Screw you Priest with 4x Mind Control. Just screw you.

[dsavillian]

After drafting a terrible paladin deck and going 3-3, I was able to draft a wicked Druid control deck that is currently 7-1. I'll go into more detail later, but I wanted to share some thoughts on arena and hearthstone in general.

- card advantage is king. More options, more opportunity to draw your best cards. This is a staple concept for all CCGs, but it is amplified in aren't where you often have a limited amount of premium cards.
- multi purpose cards are insane. I'd also classify cards that get you 2-for-1s in this category. Creatures with death rattle, creatures/spells that draw you a card in addition to their effect, Druid "dual mode" cards, creatures with charge.
- "dies to removal." This is a concept from MTG, but applies here. Dies to removal is an easy way to say "the creature doesn't do anything when it comes into play" and is wasted if it gets removed by your opponent. Got a big, beefy 8/8 with taunt? If your opponent has a hex/polymorph you might as well have played a 4/5 instead. Cards that do something when they come into play are better but you often pay for it in mana or power/toughness.
- bait out the removal. Beefy creatures are great if they don't get hexed! Bait out removal first and then play your premium cards.
- charge = removal. Save your charge cards to remove threats. Goes back to the dual purpose cards point. If you can play a 4/4 with charge that removes a powerful 1/3 immediately, you have gained board control and will likely 2-for-1 your opponent.
- don't dump your hand. Board wipes exist and suckkkkkkkkk if you dump your hand. Granted, this works better with card draw. Otherwise you'll just sit on a weak board most of the time
- HP is a resource. This mostly applies to heroes that can equip or gain attack power. Your hp only matters when you are dead. It doesn't matter if you win with or 1 hp. Use your HP to remove creatures where you can and save your creatures and better removal for the late game.
- Taunt is "meh" - Taunt isn't great a lot of the time. Useful in small amounts, and on the right creatures. The low attack taunters are usually terrible since they don't threaten your opponent's creatures at all. Ideally you want your taunter to have at least 3 attack so that it can trade with most of the creatures your opponent will play. The 3/3 and 3/5 taunters are probably the best value. Stay away from the 5/4 taunter and any taunter with 1 attack or less.

[photon]

Taunt is good in early game to help protect cards you want to get effect from before they get enough mana to get direct removal (i.e. Northshire Cleric). Sen'jin Shieldmasta!

I agree though I find that if I burn through my hand, even if I end up with board control and have been getting better draws than the other guy, I still have difficulty. Anything that gives card draw is awesome.

[dsavillian]

Originally Posted by photon

Taunt is good in early game to help protect cards you want to get effect from before they get enough mana to get direct removal (i.e. Northshire Cleric). Sen'jin Shieldmasta!

I agree though I find that if I burn through my hand, even if I end up with board control and have been getting better draws than the other guy, I still have difficulty. Anything that gives card draw is awesome.

A good point.

A 1/2 taunter is useless in the mid-late game though!


A lot of cards can be good in certain situations. You just have to balance the early and mid/late game

[dsavillian]

Here's my arena deck. Only card you can't see in the picture is 2x wild growth

Spoiler!

Champions of the deck are Windfury Harpy (I save those until end game when my opponent has nothing left), Swipe (If I have an Azure Drake in play I can wipe the board pretty easily in the late game), Big Game Hunter and Druids of the Claw.

I'm a little disappointed with my curve overall and the fact that I had 2 Wild Growths in hand. Given my curve, I'd have rather taken one innervate instead. Also, I don't really have a real finisher... my 7 drop is a 5/5 that draws 2 cards most of the time. I usually have to end the game with one windfury harpy in play and some random 4 drop.

[RedMileDJ]

Does anyone know if we get to keep the decks we've purchased with gold or real money? I bought a couple last night.

[RedMileDJ]

I guess I mean card packs.

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by Red-Mile-DJ

Does anyone know if we get to keep the decks we've purchased with gold or real money? I bought a couple last night.

Everything you buy since the wipe stays now.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Red-Mile-DJ

Does anyone know if we get to keep the decks we've purchased with gold or real money? I bought a couple last night.

"Will the cards I earn or purchase in the beta test carry over into the live game? What happens if I purchased beta card packs for real money?
At this point in the closed beta, all purchases will exist in your game going forward. Also, as a thank you for testing out the in-game store during Hearthstone’s beta phase, everyone who purchased a card pack or entry into The Arena in the beta test will receive a Golden Legendary card, Gelbin Mekkatorque."

http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/faq/#q7a

[RedMileDJ]

Sweet!

[photon]

Originally Posted by dsavillian

A good point.

A 1/2 taunter is useless in the mid-late game though!

A lot of cards can be good in certain situations. You just have to balance the early and mid/late game

I've had minimal taunt help me late game, though usually it's when I'm in tough and I'm waiting for some removal or to protect a heavy from their heavy for one more round so I can buff it more or whatever.

But usually that means I've lost board control or I'm topdecking.

Plus I've been playing pretty basic decks, I don't have a lot of cards beyond the basic ones, the better decks have those multi-function cards and move faster with greater flexibility, waiting one more turn often can't even happen against those.

[Raekwon]

The game is essentially live now, they said no more wipes would happen unless some crazy unforeseen circumstance. I would imagine the game will launch on or near blizzcon.

[SebC]

Taunts are more important if you're playing a synergy-type deck (e.g. next to a Flametongue Totem, Pint-sized Summoner, or a Raid Leader). Though those are still vulnerable to direct removal. Taunts can also swing tempo when your opponent lacks removal.

[SebC]

I just accidently milled myself. There is such a thing as too much draw.

[JeanLucPicard]

This game is fantastic.

I made this deck for Jaina called "Freeze-Retaliate" haha.
Basically my goal is to keep clearing or restricting the opponent's cards with freeze, silence and just all out spell damage cards until they're dry. And at the same time, I start accumulating Charge cards to witch they have no pre-built defense.

It works well on everyone but the Priests and/or if I am overwhelmed with high life cards.

There are I bet thousands of different deck ideas people can come up with.

I've not even unlocked any legendary or epic cards yet - I like it that way because I don't want to overdose on cards and burn out. Would like to play this game for years. I think blizzard have done something awesome here.

[JeanLucPicard]

Originally Posted by Raekwon

The game is essentially live now, they said no more wipes would happen unless some crazy unforeseen circumstance. I would imagine the game will launch on or near blizzcon.

I highly doubt it because there are so many features that could still be added to this game. The game itself seems balanced but things like detailed statistics, replays, spectating, chat lobby, etc etc could really add extra life to this game and let you do a lot of other things when you're not in a match.

I think the Open Beta will start by blizzcon and will last at least 6-12 months. I'd say next blizzcon is the official release.

[BananaPancakes]

Isn't an open beta for a free to play game pretty much a public release? Just seems like semantics. I don't know if an open beta for blizzcon would be a good idea because there's still some annoying glitches that they haven't fixed yet.

But yeah, I'm really enjoying the game right now despite being creamed in the arena. I watch live streams of people playing and don't know how they're consistently getting 7+ win runs.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by SebC

Taunts are more important if you're playing a synergy-type deck (e.g. next to a Flametongue Totem, Pint-sized Summoner, or a Raid Leader). Though those are still vulnerable to direct removal. Taunts can also swing tempo when your opponent lacks removal.

This. I know run too many taunts - I think I usually have 8-9 in a deck, but when you pull off some good combos, you will really love those taunts.

They can work well for establishing early game dominance. If you have two 1/2 taunters you can lay down, they don't have any removal, you can play those aggressive 3/1 or 4/1 type cards, boost them, and really chunk someone down early - I know with my rogue deck, I play my +2/+4 combo attack card (forget the name) to boost a minion early game if I get the right cards. Having a 7 damage card is tough to deal with early if you don't have any removal, and they are protected by taunts.

I find they work well with enrage cards, since those need to take damage or windfury, since those cards usually become priority #1 to kill.

Also keep in mind that taunts are basically a free attack if you use them in the right situation, because you do not have to attack the opposing minion, they must attack you if they want to clear your card.

But overall Lots of cards = wins. Establishing card dominance is so powerful.

[SebC]

Had to choose between Ysera and Harrison Jones. I know how you feel, Sophie.

Edit: and of course, my Round 2 opponent has both.
Edit: and of course, I picked Harrison and Round 2 and Round 3 opponents are classes that don't use weapons.
Edit: and after losing Round 2 and Round 3... I get seven wins in a row for my first 9-win run.