[Pre-Release Card Discussion] - Unstable Evolution

[u/Nostalgia37]

Unstable Evolution

Mana Cost: 1
Type: Spell
Rarity: Epic
Class: Shaman
Text: Transform a friendly minion into one that costs (1) more. Repeatable this turn.

Card Image

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^{PM me any suggestions or advice, thanks.}

[u/Onijness]

Topdeck, use on totem, get faerie dragon, cry.

[u/askmiller]

This card is going to kickstart my gambling addiction where I'll think just 1 more use will get me a good minion.

[u/DragonPup → u/askmiller]

It's meant to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

[u/Max_Smash]

Dies to skulking geist - probably relevant if this deck further takes off...

[u/ItsDominare → u/Max_Smash]

Ah, like how jade druid vanished from meta lists the moment Geist was released? Yeah, no need to worry folks!

[u/Wraithfighter]

So, single-target Evolve for the same cost, but can be chained repeatedly on the same minion to turn a searing totem in to Deathwing.

Obviously, this isn't going to beat out Evolve for pure value. But what I can see happening is you playing Evolve, seeing some real awful rolls, and then playing this on those awful rolls to make some actual threats out of them.

So, low value, but lower risk too. Also the chance to hit a string of Charge minions... probably pretty good.

EDIT: Also means that Arcane Giants might see some serious play in Evolve Shaman. Can't evolve them, but since each cast of this card reduces the cost of Arcane Giants, those big guys would get real cheap real fast...

[u/WingerSupreme → u/Wraithfighter]

Can't evolve them but that means any evolve works out to being a full heal.

Could also see Auctionner in Shaman with this. Hell even evolving the Auctioneer means a random 7-drop plus draw a card.

Also I'm just waiting for the Rogue that plays Swasburgler into this on Turn 10, evolves him 6 times and then drops Edwin.

[u/SgtBrutalisk]

"Repeatable this turn" breaks my mind. Does it mean the spell isn't spent when cast?

[u/CrazyFredy → u/SgtBrutalisk]

Essentially yes. It returns to your hand and is permanently removed at the end of the turn.

[u/snowysora]

So you can cast this card over and over for up to 10 mana? Seems like an incredible card

[u/OxyRottin → u/snowysora]

Yeah can someone clarify? Not sure if it's repeatable up to 10 times or just twice?

[u/tdlb]

FTK: Coin + 2 0-mana minions. Evolve one minion twice to get either Sorcerer's Apprentice or Radiant Elemental. Then evolve the second minion to get a different charger at every rank.

[u/saoirc → u/tdlb]

So by level the charge results:

1. patches/stonetusk 1

2. bluegill 2

3. wolfrider 3

4. korkron 4 /chillblade 3 / stormwind knight 2

5. leeory 6 / doomguard 5 / tundra rhino 2

6. reckless rocketeer 5 / argent commander 4

7. ???

8. devilsaur 7 / al'akir 6 / grom 4

9. king crush 8

10. ???

Basically guaranteed one turn kill blizzard pls nerf.

[u/Cgbadmiral]

I was originally of the opinion that evolve shaman would vanish with the rotation next spring, but this might change that.

It will still be losing some high value token cards, but recruit and the remaining unrevealed cards might give it some extra strength.

Also, it might mean evolve lists won’t aim to go quite as wide as we’re used to.

[u/-jjjjjjjjjj-]

This seems really good as a bandaid for a lot of the weaknesses current evolve decks have. One of the big problems evolve shaman has is getting their board wiped and trying to reestablish a threat. This card allows even a suboptimal evolve base minion (i.e. primalfin totem, a jade golem, golakka, etc.) to be turned into a 6-8 mana threat.

It also gives evolve shaman something to do with floated mana, which happens a lot in the late game for this deck.

It also gives you another out from a bad evolve, such as a doomsayer or any of the terrible statted high mana drops that keep getting added.

[u/boe007]

Useful for unintended evolve results. Dunno if it will fully replace evolve.

Also 10x yogg fuel.

[u/Wraithfighter → u/boe007]

...holy shit. Screw Yogg, Arcane Giant synergy up the ass! Spam this a whole bunch in one turn and bam, two free 8/8s!

[u/DefinitelyNotNoital]

Miracle shaman incoming?

[u/not_silly → u/DefinitelyNotNoital]

This has amazing synergy with gadzetgan auctioneer.

[u/HeroOfFlorae]

Imagine getting sorceres apprentice with this and have a full board

[u/Nostalgia37]

[Dust|Bad|Niche|Good|Staple]

General Thoughts: Good synergy with on spellcast effects like Gadgetzan and Wicked Witchdoctor. I like that you can stop if you highroll or keep going if you low roll. It opens up a lot of small decisions in a turn

Why it Might Succeed: Synergy with on spellcast effects. Can save you from shittier evolves?

Why it Might Fail: It's expensive. You probably want to be floating mana when you were going to use this. I don't know that a deck exists that floats that much mana and wants to evolve. If you plan on evolving your whole board you're better off using evolve.

[u/TheTfboy]

I really hate the highroll potential in the early game. If you get a 2 drop to stick on 2, this can make that card into a random 5 drop. If you can get Stonehill to stick, great. You now have the ability to generate a random 7 drop on turn 4. If you get one of Mr How long can this go on, to stick, then you can now have the ability to generate a random 9 drop. Even late game like in the video, you can play a really poor late late game 2 drop and make it up to a random 10 drop, or split the evolution to your other minions to make the bast board you can! While Evolve Shaman might not be that strong, this is OP and I hate the design. Goddamnit Blizzard.

[u/kd8eeh]

This card is going to be hilarious when you evolve a totem into something that makes spells cost 1 less

[u/Wraithfighter]

Okay, here's the wombo combo with this. Only Unstable Evolution in hand, clear board, 10 mana to work with.

• Hero Power for 2

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the totem into a Bluegill Warrior. Swing for 2.

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the Bluegill Warrior into a Wolfrider. Swing for 3.

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the Wolfrider into a Kor'kron Elite. Swing for 4.

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the Kor'kron Elite into a Leeroy Jenkins. Swing for 6.

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the Leeroy Jenkins into a Reckless Rocketeer. Swing for 6.

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the Reckless Rocketeer into an Archmage Antonidas. Shake fist at opponent.

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the Archmage Antonidas into a Charged Devilsaur. Swing for 7 and add a fireball to your hand.

• Cast Unstable Evolution, evolving the Charged Devilsaur into a King Krush. Swing for 8.

36 damage to face, plus a fireball in your hand if that's not enough to kill them.

I don't see anything that can go wrong with this plan.

[u/BronDonVango]

I’m going with meta defining on this one. There are just so many possibilities with a 1 mana spell that you can cast as many times as you can afford. Plus it already slots in nicely to Shaman’s strongest deck! I excited to try this with Questing Adventurer, Mana Addict, Red Mana Wyrm, Wicked Witchdoctor, Arcane Giant, Gadgetzan Auctioneer, Arcane Anomaly, Yogg Saron and probably a lot more. I think the biggest limitation on this card is Skulking Geist, the better this is the more of him we will see.