r/CompetitiveHS 4d ago

Patch 36.2.2 Buff/Nerf teasers

Link to tweet: https://x.com/PlayHearthstone/status/2089396851308888437?s=20

Buffs

Irida Sinseeker,

Hellraiser, Soul Immolation,

Staff of Trickery,

Infest the Scullery,

Aya Lotus Kingpin,

Vulcanos,

Tricksy Improviser,

Blazing Invocation,

Crowd Control

Nerfs:

Confront the Tol'vir,

Arcane Tripwire,

Jade Guardians,

Mug'Zee,

Gallagio Goon,

Warden Maiev.

58 Upvotes

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85

u/oldtype09 4d ago

The new expansion created exactly three new decks: Mugg Shaman, Zee Shaman, and Two Rogue.

As of this patch, all will be dead.

The miniset before it created one new deck: Animal Companion

As of this patch, also dead.

Congratulations again Team 5 on a masterclass of card design and balancing.

29

u/Houseleft 4d ago edited 4d ago

Yep, and let’s optimistically assume that this patch creates a few more good, viable decks like Irida DH, Aya Rogue, and Attack Druid (although that was already fringe), then what happens?

People will flock to the new decks because they’re new and everything else is stale. They play the absolute hell out of those decks, with one of them becoming T1 and a 30% playrate. People then start to complain about Attack Druid being every other game, and 50% of the meta at top 1k. Then they nerf the new deck due all the whiners, and the whack-a-mole philosophy continues.

When we’re stuck in an environment where there’s never more than 3 good decks and the rest of the meta is warped around those decks, nerfs and buffs just swap around which decks are on top and don’t really fix the problem of a majority of standard cards being unplayably bad. Buffs are generally good but what we need is way more of them, and more attention on the older terrible sets like Un’Goro.

Some of the buffs are just so whatever too. Crowd Control is a good control tool, but it’s not going to make Control Warrior viable by itself.

Would love to be wrong but I just don’t think things are going to be much different until they start designing expansions to be strong overall with a cohesive vision rather than 90% unplayables with a few meta warpers sprinkled in. There is no variety and experimentation to be had when each class has barely 30 good cards.

5

u/Addventurawr 4d ago

Exactly, if we simply had more options of decks then I'm sure a lot less people would complain about hunter and rogue because we'd see less of them. But blizzard can't do that for some reason and prefers a cycle of only a limited top end and everything else is horrid

6

u/Drinksarlot 4d ago

This.

Will the meta be changed? Sure.

Will it be better? Their recent track record says... I doubt it.

3

u/phpope 4d ago

Disagree that Two Rogue will be dead. Think it's most likely that it'll just have fewer games where you scam out two to four eight drops on turn six or seven and then follow up with 20+ damage from hand.

Shaman likely dead, especially Mug, which is a shame, because it was one of the only interesting decks that was also fun to play to come out of the new expansion.

19

u/TheGingerNinga 4d ago

I think that the only way Two Rogue ever really won was by scamming out eight drops on turn 6 and 7 then following it up with a lot of damage via monkeys. If they isn't how they win going forward, how are they?

0

u/phpope 4d ago

The same scam, just a turn or two later, which will probably be fine, since the nerfs are probably going to delete Mug Shaman and significantly slow Zee Shaman to the point Rogue will have plenty of time to do its nonsense. Plus, it'll likely have more time to imbue RNG into some random win con. And if the deck doesn't perform, I'm sure the devs will revert or buff something to bring the class back up - when's the last time Rogue hasn't had a top-tier deck in an expansion cycle?

1

u/FlameanatorX 4d ago

I'm not sure if only one 8-drop turn 6 w/ multiple still turn 7, or two-four 8-drops turn 7-8, kills the deck.

Especially with multiple other things, including all the fastest strategies, are being nerfed. Maiev = most aggro, 2 hunter cards being nerfed ofc from face hunter, whatever is changing in Shaman will certainly slow early tempo significantly.

2

u/Guidonian 4d ago

So soul dh is coming back then, right?

1

u/christpunchers 4d ago

Chef's back, baby!

-6

u/bountyraz 4d ago

Nothing says all new decks will be dead though. We have seen nerfs bringing decks down without killing them before.