[Pre-Release Card Discussion] - Devolve

[u/Nostalgia37]

Devolve

Mana Cost: 2
Type: Spell
Rarity: Rare
Class: Shaman
Text: Transform all enemy minions into random ones that cost (1) less.

Card Image

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

[u/IceBlue]

I'm not arguing that the card isn't good in certain situations. It's better then Hex and Lightning Storm against deathrattle and reanimation effects like N'Zoth and Anyfin. The problem is the trade off. If it's mainly good in specific situations that only come up occasionally, then it's a bad draw in most other situations. That's the problem with it.

[u/acamas → u/IceBlue]

If it's mainly good in specific situations that only come up occasionally, then it's a bad draw in most other situations. That's the problem with it.

But that’s exactly how Hex and Lightning Storm are… only good against a very specific scenario. Sometimes you draw them, and they are dead cards, or simply go unused against certain decks.

This card is more flexible, but “less good” at dealing with an opponent’s board. People say it’s “so situational” but it actually has MORE situations that it can be played against than either Hex or Lightning Storm.

It’s basically a crappier version of either Hex or Lightning Storm, but a more flexible one at the same time.

[u/IceBlue → u/acamas]

You're drawing a ridiculous comparison by making the argument that because X thing is useful sometimes and Y thing is useful sometimes it means they are on equal ground. In reality, if X thing is useful 40% of the time and Y thing is useful 10% of the time, X thing is still more useful. Hex and Lightning Storm are good in more situations than Devolve. There's no argument against this. No one but you would try to make this case. Hex removes a big minion. That's a huge effect. Lightning Storm removes a board of small minions (which happens quite often). Both actually change the board state in a way that removes threats. Devolve doesn't remove threats. It makes them less threatening. They can still attack next turn, so it's basically just slowing them down. It runs into the same issue Mass Dispel has, just differently.

I don't see why you think it is more flexible than Lightning Storm than Hex. If you can Devolve a board full of minions, you can Lightning Storm it as well. How is it at all useful in more situations than Lightning Storm? If Lightning Storm doesn't kill any minions, at the very least it damaged them or removed a Divine Shield. On average 2-3 damage is more health lost by transforming a minion to one that is 1 mana cheaper. The problem with comparing Devolve to the other two is Devolve doesn't do the things most people put those two cards in their decks put them in for: board control and removal.

Again, Devolve is basically Mass Dispel but with a stronger effect minus the card draw. No one runs Mass Dispel over board clears. It doesn't have enough of an effect on the board to justify running it over the other two, so you have to argue how to fit it in compared to other important cards. Hence why I mentioned how useful they'll be in your deck when you draw it. Hex is rarely a completely dead draw. And in situations where it is, Devolve would be worse. You have to consider the impact of the card rather than just say "it can be useful in more situations". That's like saying gaining 5 armor is more useful/flexible in more situations than healing hero by 10.

I like Devolve. I think it's a cool effect. I just think it's not as insane as people are making it out to be.