Octopus Overlords

Sudy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:58 pm Got Zerek, Master Cloner (Priest) as my free legendary. Then opened about 50 more packs and got Subject 9 (Neutral) and Electra Stormsurge (Shaman). Meh, could be good, should be a mainstay--in that order. Could have pulled worse.

I took a look at my Heartharena stats for the first time in a while and the results are interesting. 168 arena runs, 4.2 average wins. 1255 total games, 737-518 W-L. Without the coin I've won 63.52% of games. With, 52.75%. My best class is Priest, with 4.71 wins per run. My worst is Warlock (as always) at 3.46. I dominate against Warriors for some reason, winning 73.81% of games. Extremely small sample size though, with 42 games against while most classes I've played over 100 times--Mages, 269 games! (Probably goes back to last expansion when Warriors sucked in Arena and presumably no one played them.) Against Rogues I barely break even with 53.73%.

Where do you find the stats?

I got Meca'thun as my free legendary. But I also got Whizbang, and spent all of yesterday just using it for decks. It was pretty interesting, I did craft a couple of the deck recipes as they were fun, Shaman Witchwood Awoken and Druid Trees are friends.

Oh and Disguised Toast (a very popular streamer) broke Meca'thun yesterday.

Got the Dr Boom warrior rush guy as my free legendary, and also opened Zilliax. Haven't really tried to make anything out of them yet, though.

My free legendary was the Mage class minion who I likely won't use as I don't play aggro Mage. I then pulled the Shaman legendary spell (turns all minions into legendary minions), the priest legendary minion (resurrects if spell cast on him), and the Warrior legendary spell (recruits three minions from deck and gives them rush). Not bad for only opening like 30 packs, although I'm not sure how much I'll actually use these particular cards. I went ahead and crafted the legendary Mage spell as it fits quite nicely into my Big Spell Mage. That's about the only deck I've been winning with since the expansion dropped.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:25 am

Sudy wrote: ↑Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:58 pm I took a look at my Heartharena stats for the first time in a while and the results are interesting. 168 arena runs, 4.2 average wins. 1255 total games, 737-518 W-L. Without the coin I've won 63.52% of games. With, 52.75%. My best class is Priest, with 4.71 wins per run. My worst is Warlock (as always) at 3.46. I dominate against Warriors for some reason, winning 73.81% of games. Extremely small sample size though, with 42 games against while most classes I've played over 100 times--Mages, 269 games! (Probably goes back to last expansion when Warriors sucked in Arena and presumably no one played them.) Against Rogues I barely break even with 53.73%.

Where do you find the stats?

If you're using the Heartharena app via the Overwolf overlay it gathers them automatically. Link

So the new solo mode from the recent expansion (Rastakhan's Rumble) is up. It's pretty fun - basically every class has a new hero with a built-in deck, and each player starts with a "totem", which has 0 attack and varying health amounts, but which provides some boost. So like the Shaman one is -2 cost on your spells, Rogue is each spell gets doubled. Every win you get "loot" as with other runs that add to your deck, etc.

What I do find amusing is that as set up, it is essentially impossible for the Paladin hero to beat the Warlock. The Paladin's totem is - every time your hero takes damage, deal 5 damage to your opponent. Which is great, works well with Paladin weapons, etc. The problem is that the Warlock totem is "anytime you take damage on your turn, your opponent takes it instead". So, on the second turn, the Warlock can just activate his hero power and take 2 damage to draw a spell. Which (per the Warlock totem) causes the Paladin to take 2 damage instead of the Warlock. Which (per the Paladin totem), causes 5 damage to the Warlock. Only the Warlock totem bounces that back to the Paladin, which triggers the Paladin totem again...etc. etc., game over.

So, either you can't win a run as the Paladin (if you have to play every other hero type, not sure), or you just have to pray that you don't get matched up with the Warlock. Or somehow manage to kill or silence your own totem on the first turn, then re-kill it every time it comes back (they regenerate every three turns if killed).

edit: looks like there are multiple "shrines / totems" available for the classes. But still, Paladin just has to hope that they don't get matched up with the wrong kind of Warlock shrine.

Yeah I wasn't up for the frustration yesterday but I'll be playing it this weekend. Have been kind of off of Hearthstone, I still play because it's what I do during my stationary bike workout but I just don't have the enthusiasm I once did. I bought 70 packs of the new expansion and then got more through promotions and haven't opened any of them yet. Part of that is that I'm waiting for the meta to settle so I can find out what to make .

Had a game for the first time today that went so long, it hit the 90-turn limit and we both instantly lost (It was a quest priest mirror matchup)

Wow I didn’t even know that could happen!!

New Announcement for upcoming expansion!

Of note:

Hall of Fame: Naturalize, Doomguard, Divine Favor, Baku, Genn, and the four even/odd synergy cards

I will not miss any of these cards. Just sad they let Malygos stay around.

Wow - Hall of Faming those cards + the cards rotating out of standard (e.g. Death knights) are really going to shake up the meta.

Lorini wrote: ↑Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:21 am New Announcement for upcoming expansion!

Of note:

Hall of Fame: Naturalize, Doomguard, Divine Favor, Baku, Genn, and the four even/odd synergy cards

I will not miss any of these cards. Just sad they let Malygos stay around.

Thank god they're taking Baku out. Baku Paladin decks in particular have been driving me nuts.

Also glad to see that they're going to include Arena wins now towards earning golden heroes.

This is actually a massive nerf to standard mode. Of course, we don't know yet what new cards will be introduced.

Quests - gone. I'll miss my Amara priest. Quest warrior is annoying but I haven't seen much of it on the ladder. I look forward to Exodia mage going away, though - now *that's* an obnoxious deck, hitting you with infinite 0-mana fireballs while you can do absolutely nothing, yeah, what fun...

Aggro mage - neutered. Without 2hp pings from hero power, will be harder to get to Jan'alai the Dragonhawk for the Ragnaros summon (and no Frost Lich Jaina to heal up and stall late game).

Mecha'thun Druid - gone (without Naturalize, no way to destroy your own Mecha'thun, unless a new card is introduced that can do that).

Hadronox taunt druid - neutered, since you will now be forced to leave your Hadronox out for at least a turn, giving your opponent time potentially to polymorph, hex, mind control or sap it never mind, it's gone, since Hadronox is from the Knights set.

Cube warlock - gone (again, just remembered that Carnivorous Cube is from the Knights set).

Mecha'Thun warlock - neutered without Genn (good luck trying to draw your entire deck without half-price hero power). Or any other Mecha'thun deck that still used Hemet, Jungle Hunter to mulch through the deck.

Control hunter will become non-existent without Rexxar, and deathrattle hunter mostly neutered without the Cube. But it will just make hyena/aggro/secret hunters that much more prolific. No wins there.

Control warrior will lose their 4 armor per turn, but will be left with the only useful hero replacement (Dr. Boom). Hunter's Zul'jin doesn't even come close in terms of versatility.

ah, I'll miss my quest Paladin deck. It's not the best deck in the world really, but it's been a lot of fun.

Though with the addition of Lynessa Sunsorrow, she became a much better 'hammer' for a paladin buff deck than the quest dinosaur anyway.

I'm going to miss my Frost Lich Jaina. Not sure big spell mage will be viable without the late game healing.

gilraen wrote: ↑Thu Feb 28, 2019 11:25 am This is actually a massive nerf to standard mode. Of course, we don't know yet what new cards will be introduced.

Quests - gone. I'll miss my Amara priest. Quest warrior is annoying but I haven't seen much of it on the ladder. I look forward to Exodia mage going away, though - now *that's* an obnoxious deck, hitting you with infinite 0-mana fireballs while you can do absolutely nothing, yeah, what fun...

Aggro mage - neutered. Without 2hp pings from hero power, will be harder to get to Jan'alai the Dragonhawk for the Ragnaros summon (and no Frost Lich Jaina to heal up and stall late game).

Mecha'thun Druid - gone (without Naturalize, no way to destroy your own Mecha'thun, unless a new card is introduced that can do that).

Hadronox taunt druid - neutered, since you will now be forced to leave your Hadronox out for at least a turn, giving your opponent time potentially to polymorph, hex, mind control or sap it never mind, it's gone, since Hadronox is from the Knights set.

Cube warlock - gone (again, just remembered that Carnivorous Cube is from the Knights set).

Mecha'Thun warlock - neutered without Genn (good luck trying to draw your entire deck without half-price hero power). Or any other Mecha'thun deck that still used Hemet, Jungle Hunter to mulch through the deck.

Control hunter will become non-existent without Rexxar, and deathrattle hunter mostly neutered without the Cube. But it will just make hyena/aggro/secret hunters that much more prolific. No wins there.

Control warrior will lose their 4 armor per turn, but will be left with the only useful hero replacement (Dr. Boom). Hunter's Zul'jin doesn't even come close in terms of versatility.

I don't understand why you are calling the known, normal, and expected rotations nerfs.

Lorini wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 10:09 am I don't understand why you are calling the known, normal, and expected rotations nerfs.

These are not the normal rotations. They are getting rid of Baku and Genn (and related cards) a full year earlier than they normally would. They are basically admitting that those cards were a mistake and cannot be left in the standard set because they would define any new card that gets released in April.

gilraen wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 10:51 am

Lorini wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 10:09 am I don't understand why you are calling the known, normal, and expected rotations nerfs.

These are not the normal rotations. They are getting rid of Baku and Genn (and related cards) a full year earlier than they normally would. They are basically admitting that those cards were a mistake and cannot be left in the standard set because they would define any new card that gets released in April.

It's both the early removal of select cards (Baku, Genn, etc.), *and* the normal rotation of the sets. So, for example, the removal of the quest cards is part of the normal rotation, as I understand it.

Not that it really matters whether that's labeled a 'nerf' or not.

Eh, I'd rather use non inflammatory language when appropriate. Yes the two early HOF's are certainly nerfs, no question there, but most of the rest of it was simply normal rotations. The only way they'd be nerfs is if there was no upcoming expansion and therefore Standard would exist with a reduced set of cards.

gilraen wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 10:51 am

Lorini wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 10:09 am I don't understand why you are calling the known, normal, and expected rotations nerfs.

These are not the normal rotations. They are getting rid of Baku and Genn (and related cards) a full year earlier than they normally would. They are basically admitting that those cards were a mistake and cannot be left in the standard set because they would define any new card that gets released in April.

Quest-normal rotation
Loss of cubelock-normal rotation
Loss of Rexxar-normal rotation

Again, if nothing was coming to replace these with then I could see some angst about losing these capabilities, but since none of the new cards have been announced, I see no reason to panic at this time.

When the new expansion hits, do all three expansions from 2017 rotate out immediately, or does one expansion rotate out when each new expansion drops? That is, in April will Frozen Throne, Un'Goro, and K&C all rotate out at the same time? If so, then there will indeed be a reduced set of cards available in Standard.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 1:08 pm When the new expansion hits, do all three expansions from 2017 rotate out immediately, or does one expansion rotate out when each new expansion drops? That is, in April will Frozen Throne, Un'Goro, and K&C all rotate out at the same time? If so, then there will indeed be a reduced set of cards available in Standard.

All 3 2017 expansions rotate out immediately.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 1:08 pm When the new expansion hits, do all three expansions from 2017 rotate out immediately, or does one expansion rotate out when each new expansion drops? That is, in April will Frozen Throne, Un'Goro, and K&C all rotate out at the same time? If so, then there will indeed be a reduced set of cards available in Standard.

Yeah but that happens every time, so it's expected. It also means that the expansion that hits in April is 'good value' in the sense it will last the longest in Standard.

The new expansion Rise of Shadows with 135 new cards comes out this afternoon. Three older expansion card sets rotate out of standard play and the hall of fame cards being removed are Genn, Baku, and Doomguard, Divine Favor, and Naturalize. So, the standard game will play much differently. Excited to play it tonight after work. Opening new packs is addicting.

Year of the Dragon Sets
End of Year Expansion
Mid-Year Expansion
Rise of Shadows
Rastakhan's Rumble
The Boomsday Project
The Witchwood
Classic
Basic

Year of the Raven Sets
Rastakhan's Rumble
The Boomsday Project
The Witchwood
Kobolds and Catacombs
Knights of the Frozen Throne
Journey to Un'Goro
Classic
Basic

I'm so glad to see Baku go away early. Just seemed to show up way too frequently. Carnivorous Cube is going away too, isn't it? Huzzah

Yes, I think you are right. Also Lich King, shadow vision, prince kelseth, psychic scream, stone hill, the hunter hero rexxar, and defile leaves today. Many others, but I see those cards a lot in decks.

I don't think any decks I currently have will work in the new standard. I suppose my burgle-Rogue and mech Warrior decks will probably need the least changing, but most everything else will need to be scrapped.

Opened up 12 packs from the expansion so far. Got the Priest resurrect and Warlock rush legendaries. I suppose the Priest one might be good in certain decks.

I have 15K gold, so no buying packs for this expansion . Haven't opened any packs yet, just playing WhizBang.

Well, I was enjoying this new age quite a bit until I started seeing every other opponent running a bomb warrior. Gonna have to rebuild my decks just to focus on countering the bombs, I guess.

Here's a Hunter deck that is supposed to beat Boom Warrior, but I haven't tried it yet.

### defensive mek
# Class: Hunter
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Dragon
#
# 2x (1) Mecharoo
# 1x (2) Acidic Swamp Ooze
# 2x (2) Fireworks Tech
# 1x (2) Rat Trap
# 2x (2) Venomizer
# 2x (3) Animal Companion
# 2x (3) Nine Lives
# 2x (3) Spider Bomb
# 2x (3) Ursatron
# 1x (4) Houndmaster Shaw
# 2x (4) Marked Shot
# 2x (5) Baited Arrow
# 1x (5) Zilliax
# 2x (6) Mechanical Whelp
# 1x (6) Mossy Horror
# 1x (6) Oblivitron
# 2x (6) Unleash the Beast
# 1x (7) Boommaster Flark
# 1x (10) Zul'jin
#
AAECAR8IigfL7AKY8AKA8wLh9QKggAObhQPxlgMLtQPi9QLv9QK09gK5+AL2/QKiigPmlgPylgP5lgO2nAMA
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

There are a good number of decks that can beat Bomb Warrior pretty easily. I made a cheapish version of BW and have gotten destroyed a few times by Murloc Shaman, for instance.

Lorini wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 10:47 pm Here's a Hunter deck that is supposed to beat Boom Warrior, but I haven't tried it yet.

### defensive mek
# Class: Hunter
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Dragon
#
# 2x (1) Mecharoo
# 1x (2) Acidic Swamp Ooze
# 2x (2) Fireworks Tech
# 1x (2) Rat Trap
# 2x (2) Venomizer
# 2x (3) Animal Companion
# 2x (3) Nine Lives
# 2x (3) Spider Bomb
# 2x (3) Ursatron
# 1x (4) Houndmaster Shaw
# 2x (4) Marked Shot
# 2x (5) Baited Arrow
# 1x (5) Zilliax
# 2x (6) Mechanical Whelp
# 1x (6) Mossy Horror
# 1x (6) Oblivitron
# 2x (6) Unleash the Beast
# 1x (7) Boommaster Flark
# 1x (10) Zul'jin
#
AAECAR8IigfL7AKY8AKA8wLh9QKggAObhQPxlgMLtQPi9QLv9QK09gK5+AL2/QKiigPmlgPylgP5lgO2nAMA
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

This deck is like 70% of the decks that I have played against the past few days.

I've also had some decent luck against Bomb Warrior using my Espionage Rogue deck. As long as you can play academic espionage early, you can dilute the bombs in your deck pretty effectively.

I finally got around to playing this with the new release. Kelric#11102 if anyone wants to friend me. I'm playing for fun more than trying to climb the ladders.

Blizzard banned a Honk Kong resident who expressed support for Hong Kong protestors after winning a tournament:

https://www.businessinsider.com/blizzar ... ew-2019-10

They also took all of his winnings.

Western companies need to stop groveling to the Chinese government. And if the Chinese government punishes them, then the US should punish Chinese companies in the US.

I don't agree with what happened, I hope the guy gets a gofundme to get people to donate to it, I'll certainly do so so he can get his money.

The problem is that there are a LOT more US companies in China than there are Chinese companies here, mostly because of restrictions on what Chinese nationalists can do in this country, especially in tech.

When you/me buy cheap Chinese goods, we are supporting a authoritarian, totalitarian regime. And Blizzard is just the tip of the problem. They were probably told either throw the guy out or be thrown out themselves. They chose the business decision which honestly is not much of a surprise. I'm not sure that if Apple/Google/Amazon/etc were given that ultimatum they'd do the same.

My biggest issue with all of this is that I don't want to see (and this is personal to me and my opinion) MAGA hats in a Blizzard/esports tourney. So if banning all political expression is what it takes to accomplish that, then I'm all for it. On the other hand the punishment seems pretty ridiculous on its face but I suspect that they were forced into it.

I'm planning on dropping Hearthstone unless and until Blizzard makes good with the guy. It's outrageous.

Plus honestly, I've been wasting too much time on the game anyhow.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2019 2:07 pm I'm planning on dropping Hearthstone unless and until Blizzard makes good with the guy. It's outrageous.

Plus honestly, I've been wasting too much time on the game anyhow.

Someone (forgot which company) offered to pay the guy his winnings, so I don't know what's going to happen with that. I really liked Brian Kibler's response to the whole thing.

http://bmkgaming.com/statement-on-blitzchung/ Note that Brian is still uploading Hearthstone videos (streaming/YT Hearthstone is his income) however.

Lorini wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:24 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2019 2:07 pm I'm planning on dropping Hearthstone unless and until Blizzard makes good with the guy. It's outrageous.

Plus honestly, I've been wasting too much time on the game anyhow.

Someone (forgot which company) offered to pay the guy his winnings, so I don't know what's going to happen with that. I really liked Brian Kibler's response to the whole thing.

http://bmkgaming.com/statement-on-blitzchung/ Note that Brian is still uploading Hearthstone videos (streaming/YT Hearthstone is his income) however.

Incidentally, banning the guys interviewing the winner is just the icing on the douchery cake here.

You can tell just by that that China forced them to do what they did. They have never done anything close to that in the past.

I use Hearthstone to exercise. I hate exercising so I have a deal that I can’t play Hearthstone unless I’m on my stationary bike. The other iOS card games do nothing for me and there’s no MtG arena iOS client so that’s not a choice. I don’t play WoW or Overwatch and not much D3.