With a new type of evaluation comes a new rating system. The rating system is as follows and is meant to apply to all formats:
Boring - This rating is assigned to vanilla minions, frequently used effects that I consider unexciting, and blatant pack filler. These cards may have keywords such as Taunt that I generally consider uninteresting.It is worth noting that while I'm not evaluating competitive viability, I may need to take the power level of a card into account when considering how interesting its mechanics are. This is because the power level may directly benefit from the mechanic or vice versa, such as with the Rush keyword this expansion. In addition, synergies with other cards will be taken into account though I will prefer towards cards that enable synergies being the more mechanically interesting ones since they make cards that may be uninteresting more interesting.
Meh - These are basically just a cut above being Boring and more often than not attempt to try something creative but don't really intrigue me.
Okay - Cards with this rating have mechanics that are somewhat intriguing, but not enough for me to consider them Interesting.
Interesting - These cards have mechanics that are quite intriguing and often make me think of its influence on deckbuilding and matches.
Rapturous - These cards are utterly engrossing in terms of their mechanics because they are incredibly unique, have great influence on deckbuilding and matches, and/or are otherwise very thought-provoking.
Before moving on to the cards themselves, the ordering will be based on the order shown on this site, which should make navigation to the cards you want to see me be most wrong about easier.
Druid
Witchwood Apple is one of the cards that attempts to make a new archetype for Druid in the form of "Hand Druid." The treants themselves are 2 Mana meaning power level certainly isn't up there. I also don't find it that interesting as a whole since there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of synergy beyond holding the treants in your hand. Meanwhile, Paladin would've loved to have a card like this, especially in Standard last year before their handbuff cards rotated out. Speaking of, Paladin recently got a card that produces minions in a similar manner and to a degree, the concept is nothing new.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Much like other Choose One cards, I rather like the flexibility that they provide. This one utilizes an offensive and defensive choice and excels reasonably well in the former since its effectiveness is similar to that of Shadow Bolt. The difference is that details such as the fact the minion is a Beast may allow for some synergies if Blizzard decides to try to push Beast Druid again. With all that said, the card is hardly special in terms of its mechanics - just interesting enough due to its utilization of Choose One and the new Rush keyword along with statlines that accentuate each choice.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This card is meant to further push the Hand Druid archetype but I can't help but to feel the power level is underwhelming. It seems like a lousy, inflexible replacement for Feral Rage at best even with the possible armor synergies considered. The reward for holding many cards also feels a little boring as well, though it's certainly a cut above actually earning the rating of Boring.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This card can potentially put the player at a disadvantage unlike with cards like Grove Tender since draw effect happens at the end of the turn. This in turn means the opponent will be have the opportunity to utilize the card they drew first, which makes this a good example of an unfavorable symmetrical effect. This is further soured by the minion's stats that might make it hard to kill off if the Druid doesn't want their opponent drawing any more extra cards. With that said, the fact it's hard to kill off may make it fun to use for milling out the opponent alongside other cards with similar effects.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
While Beast Druid is losing some of its support cards due to rotation, it is at least getting one too. A Resurrect for Beasts that costs a little bit more is not too bad, but nothing amazing either even if a new class is getting it.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This card is similar to Twilight Drake but for one additional Mana, it gains Taunt and loses its Dragon designation (which might be a good thing for Druid). It's certainly likely to be bulky enough to help with the Hand Druid archetype and is likely one of the most rewarding cards to use in terms of having an effect that benefits from it. The fact it's so similar to a Classic card, however, goes to show how mechanically (un)interesting it is.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This is the first of quite a few cards that encourage deckbuilding based on the usage of certain costed cards. I was grossly wrong about the power level of the three Prince cards in Knights of the Frozen Throne, but I also believed they could encourage some interesting deckbuilding. Fortunately, I'm not judging based on competitive viability this time so I don't have to determine if cards like Gloom Stag will be in a tier 1 deck. However, the benefit for building the deck to only have even-costed cards for Gloom Stag doesn't particularly seem exciting since it's in the form of some bonus stats. Therefore...
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Aside from being another card with a naming pun, this one has the potential to fill the board with Wisps. While its power may be questionable, I like this card the most out of the Hand Druid cards since the effect allows for some synergies like with Power of the Wild and summoning a bunch of minions is a bit more exciting than gaining some stats to me. I'm also amused by the idea of swarming the board with 7/7 of stats on turn 4, even if it does abruptly die to a board clear afterwards.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
From what I can understand, the opponent benefits first from this minion's effect, after which they'll probably kill it so that the player can't benefit. However, much like with Temporus, I rather enjoy the effect because of the idea of putting an extremely powerful effect on a card then giving it to both players. Not only does it allow for some interesting Tavern Brawls in the future, but it also opens up some potential for experimentation and fun.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
This card has been the source of some memeing lately involving Stonetusk Boar but I think applications can go well beyond that. Sure, the card copied is expensive, but the potential stat increase may be beneficial to more than just Charge minions. At the very least, I like cards that allows a card to be "reused" like this since it allows the player to effectively use more than two copies of a card while also telegraphing to the opponent and potentially allowing for counterplay options.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Hunter
As simple as this minion is with its two keywords, cheap cost, and a 2/1 statline, there's a lot of interesting options available for it. Due to the fact it's a cheap Beast with Echo, it can synergize well with cards that like summoning a lot of Beasts like Stampede and Starving Buzzard. Since it's also likely to die in minion combat due to Rush, cards like Scavenging Hyena, Cult Master, and Necrotic Geist can also be considered. This minion ultimately reminds me of Unleash the Hounds due to the synergies but the combo potential is better against smaller boards and the design seems a lot healthier. Overall, I'm impressed at how simple yet interesting this card is and I like how well the two new keywords seem to work together here.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
While the initial effect is a bit costly, I like the Gang Up-like effect added to the card that allows for even more copies of strong Beasts like Savannah Highmane to be played more. The copies are also buffed to boot, making it decent even on cheaper Beasts, which improves the flexibility of the card a bit more. Normally, I'm not a fan of stat buffs like this, but the dynamic of copying the buff and creating more copies of a card makes for a fascinating change of pace.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
This card will almost certainly die to whatever it attacks, but it's a pretty clever form of hard removal due to the combination of Rush and Poisonous. The two keywords certainly make for some great synergy to say the least, even if it's for a fairly specific application.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This is the first of a few cards in this set that swap their stats every turn the card is in hand. The statline in this case is not too bad in either case, but it feels like a minion that could've been in the neutral set. It also almost feels like a vanilla minion if it weren't for the Stealth that admittedly allows for some strategic play, though not as much as certain other minions with the same stat swapping effect.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Cost reduction effects leave a bad taste in my mouth because they can potentially be too strong or underwhelming. However, I rather like this one because it becomes incredibly efficient with just one minion death, but not too insanely powerful. This would've been even more amusing if it refunded Mana Crystals, but I guess that could lead to some sort of insane interaction.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Carrion Drake is another example of a card that doesn't have too strong of a benefit from minion death. Poisonous is certainly pretty nice to have with the 3/7 statline, but since it's (usually) a slow card, the opponent has an opportunity to deal with it.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Aside from its potential synergy with the Hunter quest, the effect of this card is designed to work well with cheap minions. This is because Poisonous works best on cheaper, often weaker minions so that it can get the maximum value out of the effect. It can also force the opponent to use removal on these cheap, weak minions. While this card might not be competitively viable, I do like the idea of making these cheap minions threatening with this kind of effect.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
This is one of the few cards that has an effect when three cards are played by the opponent. I like the requirement because it prevents comboing but isn't completely oppressive with its requirement to the point of preventing the opponent from doing anything. The effect also seems just harsh enough to make players think twice about playing a bunch of cards in a single turn, especially early in the match.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Tundra Rhino gets a control-oriented upgrade in the form of this legendary. I like this one a bit more because it's cheaper and affects all other minions which allows for more combo potential. Also, I think giving minions Rush instead of Charge is healthier because it can't be used to push a ton of face damage, potentially ending games really quickly. Overall, I like the idea of this card and would enjoy using it if I happen to pull it out of a pack.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Emeriss is the ultimate handbuff card and I wish it came a few expansions sooner to fit with the theme of Mean Streets of Gadgetzan. As it is, it feels a little unsupported and uninspired even if there is some synergy potential with Houndmaster Shaw and higher stat minions. It also doesn't help that there's a 10 Mana cost for an effect that doesn't do much for the board state immediately, which is something I've grown to expect from cards of that cost, especially when Old Gods are considered. That last point alone brings my evaluation of how interesting this card's mechanics are down significantly since normally out of all the buffing effects, I like mass hand buffing most.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Mage
A Beast version of Soot Spewer isn't exactly amazing so to amp up the mechanical complexity, this minion also encourages building a deck with odd-costed cards. However, I feel like the benefit for doing so falls a little flat much like with Gloom Stag. I understand these cards shouldn't all have incredible effects and to be fair drawing a card or gaining some stats is quite powerful. However, the effects are also rather bland in my eyes.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Mages get to go to the casino and try to cash in on this minion that encourages a lot of spell casting. Thankfully, Mages can also generate a lot of random spells to help fuel it. RNG jokes aside, I do enjoy effects like this because while the outcome can go horribly wrong sometimes (like with Doomsayer in this case), comboing with this card is usually well-rewarded. With that said, the fact there's cards with similar effects (arguably a better one in this case) makes Vex Crow a little less exciting than usual.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Shatter gets a much-needed upgrade in the form of this spell. I like this spell because it can combo with itself and potentially enable other combos involving Freeze. This even includes some cards that'll still be available in standard such as Coldwraith. With that said, this is probably more useful for the same application as Shatter and thus it'll likely end up seeing little competitive use. The versatility is nice though!
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I rather enjoy Elemental synergy and think that what the Journey to Un'goro expansion brought in that regard wasn't too unhealthy for the game since while there were some fast effects, they usually weren't game-ending. Bonfire Elemental continues this theme but provides a rather generic benefit that makes the effects of Elemental Discovery and the like look incredible.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
A Daily Reporter that benefits from the player's card draws instead is a lot more interesting in my opinion. Not only does it help to make the aforementioned Bonfire Elemental and Black Cat more useful but it also synergizes with other card draw cards to provide players with some combo potential that makes this guy a statistical beast. While the effect is a little generic, there's no denying how well-rewarded strategic play and deckbuilding is here, especially since drawing too many cards at once can be punishing.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
This spell seems like a stronger, more costly Arcane Missiles (with inconsistent text to boot). It can trigger some on damage effects which could potentially punish the opponent, but it's otherwise not that exciting.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
The effect of this spell is absolutely insane considering it can draw 3 cards for 2 Mana. That is more than enough to encourage the building of a minion-oriented Mage deck. In addition, it might even be worth using in decks that want to be thinned out quickly, which could encourage yet another type of deck possibly involving cards like Hemet. Either way, I rather like what this simple spell does in terms of being thought-provoking.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
While this is a bit more costly than its Murloc cousin, the cost is compensated for by playing the Secret for free. This can lead to some interesting clutch moments especially considering there's a few Mage secrets that are excellent for providing that opportunity. At the same time, there's a bit more risk because all the Secrets discovered may not be all that useful. At least this card will make both players think when it's played.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I really like the idea of this card since it effectively makes every Legendary minion up until last year's expansions relevant in some way. Not only is this flavorful, but it has also led to some detailed statistical analysis about how good this card actually is. Furthermore, since the minion is added to the hand, Battlecries matter too which means the mechanic of this card may help players appreciate the mechanics of other (underplayed) cards. I'm actually wondering if the developers thought this card through, but I appreciate its existence if only for the meta value.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Arugal provides more draw synergy for Mage and it even provides a fairly interesting effect compared to Curio Collector. It also synergizes with Book of Specters which helps to provide what appears to be a good argument for running a "Minion Mage" deck. Arugal's cost helps the argument further since it can easily be comboed with draw effects especially the aforementioned Book of Specters. Overall, I like how well this minion weaves together the thematic being presented for Mage this expansion and I'm also wondering what minions such a deck would want to see copied.
My verdict for this card is Rapturous.
Paladin
I like this card because unlike its predecessor Loatheb, it doesn't come with a decent body that helps to make it a strong addition to nearly any deck. That means the effect of increasing spell costs to hamper spell usage, especially combos, has to stand alone in its usefulness. As to whether it'll be useful to the point of being used in any upcoming meta, I'm unsure. However, a pure tech card like this, especially since it's not quite as swingy as crabs or the like, is appreciated.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
If I were to go back and rate Divine Strength, I'd say it's a Boring card not only because it's a rather cheap and weak buffing effect, but also because I've seen similar effects in other card games. Sound the Bells! helps to make this effect less boring by adding an Echo effect and balancing that keyword out with an increased Mana cost. This is understandable since without the Mana cost increase, completing the Paladin quest, which this spell is already going to be good for, would be a breeze. There's also other synergies to consider like with Lynessa, but overall adding the keyword and some Mana cost just does more to save me from rating this card as Boring.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This card reminds me of a cheaper Argent Commander with a slightly better general statline, though one that's not quite as well suited for making use of the two keywords it has. This minion is one of those examples of why I have to consider power level because if it was more aggressively statted, I'd consider the card more interesting due to its potential applications. Instead...
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Silver Sword seems a little unwieldy to use much like Vinecleaver. Unfortunately, while the effect is probably stronger, it's a lot less exciting because as I've mentioned, I'm not a fan of these sort of generic board buffs.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
I like the name of this card since the sound played when playing a secret is similar to that of a chime. Flavor aside, I do rather like the effect too since it's not quite as ridiculous as Mysterious Challenger and because it's a Paladin card, it's not necessarily as ridiculous as cards like Mad Scientist either. It's worth noting that the lack of uniqueness does reduce my evaluation a little though.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Paladin buffs get a bit more support in the form of this minion and it's certainly a potent one that enjoys a plethora of Paladin and neutral buffing effects. I'd go as far as to say it elevates every buffing effect to the point of being more interesting, but since this card itself enables that, I believe it deserves a solid rating.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Dragon activator cards are always at least somewhat interesting due to the deckbuilding requirement that often is required to make them work. This card, which is pretty potent when activated, might be more suitable for Wild where Paladins have a bit more support for this sort of deck though. I'd praise this card a bit more if there weren't a fair amount of other (cheap) Divine Shield and Taunt minions already.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
As I mentioned with Rat Trap, I like the mechanic of deterring opponents from playing 3 cards. Much like with Rat Trap, the punishment potential for Hidden Wisdom isn't so bad that it's utterly game losing for the opponent, but it's more than enough to make them think twice about activating the Secret. The opponent could potentially punish the play of such a secret in this case too, though clever deckbuilding will help to negate that outcome.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
While The Glass Knight is a little bit slow to get going, I can see a few cards that could work well with keeping Divine Shield active including some that provide periodic healing. Lifesteal effects should also work fairly well with The Glass Knight. With that said, there's so many ways this strategy can go wrong and it's unlikely to be competitively viable, even if there are some cards out there that support the "Healadin" archetype. Also, a constantly refreshing Divine Shield isn't exactly anything new either, even if it seems more consistent this time.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I rarely played Elise Starseeker even though I got her from the adventure without much difficulty since I often had trouble getting to the point of playing the Golden Monkey. However, I liked the idea of playing around with random Legendaries even if it can go horribly wrong. Not only is it great for the wallet, but Legendary minions tend to have pretty cool effects. Prince Liam is similar in this sense except this time the deckbuilding strategy is similar to that of the Princes from Knights of the Frozen Throne.
Unlike the other Princes though, Liam actually likes having cards of a certain cost in the deck and the player gets to choose just how much of the deck they want to be transformed while choosing other cards to support the parade of random Legendaries. This is especially nice for transforming Paladin Secrets that the player may not want to draw and play later in the game, which makes for some fantastic synergy. Overall, I really like this card and while it's not the cutting edge of mechanics, it does have that deckbuilding twist that makes it a pretty interesting card.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Priest
I'm a bit torn on this card since I want to like it but feel like the Mana cost ends up prohibiting how useful repeated heals can be. At the same time, I also know that if it was 1 Mana with Echo, I'm almost certain it would be insanely strong, especially since Priest has some fun things they can do with healing. This card therefore serves as an interesting commentary of how difficult Echo is to balance around. Unfortunately, the card is rather bland beyond that keyword though.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Quartz Elemental has some fairly decent stats for its Mana cost, but I'm not sure if it justifies making it unable to attack when damaged. Priest can certainly handle that problem fairly well and the possible Elemental synergy is worth considering too, but I feel like the drawback could've been more interesting or the power level adjusted a bit more to get the attention of both the player and their opponent.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Continuing the theme of Priests having even more healing and healing synergy with this set, they also get a mass healing spell to potentially support their board and their own health. This in turn might activate some healing synergy cards, but there's already a card that can do this a bit better if only because of the cost. Another class also has a similar card, which means Divine Hymn doesn't get any points for being an original mechanic. On the plus side, the card is another that the Priest can add to their increasingly varied healing repertoire.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
I don't really have much to say on this card aside from the fact it has potential for enabling Deathrattle synergy, making it good for completing the quest much like a number of other cards Priests have gotten.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
While this spell seems a little overcosted and Priests have a few ways to steal minions from their opponent, this one is reminiscent of Entomb without being quite as oppressive since the affected minion at least dies. It also helps that Holy Water isn't exactly hard removal either. Ultimately, I could see strategies where the Priest tries to steal a weak Battlecry minion or the like, which could be somewhat interesting.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Nightscale Matriarch is a healing synergy card much like Mana Geode where it summons minions when healed. Unlike Mana Geode, it's a bit more expensive and has stats that better support the effect since outside of hard removal, its 9 Health makes it fairly durable and great for soaking damage then taking some repeated healing to activate its effect multiple times. This also makes it a good recipient for various buffs related to health such as Inner Fire and certain cards in this set. While it is costly, it's also a Dragon so it's not even that bad to have around in the hand to potentially activate Dragon synergy cards. Ultimately, I really like this card since it can enable a variety of strategies or possibly all of them at once.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Glitter Moth is one of the cards I was referring to when I was mentioning buffs related to health. It's also a fairly interesting card since it encourages deck building and the buffing effect isn't quite as generic but rather the equivalent of casting Divine Spirit on every friendly minion. What makes this more interesting is that Divine Spirit might not work too well in a deck with Glitter Moth because it's evenly costed. This means the player will have to make a choice when building their deck as to whether they want the cheaper spell or the more expensive body that can efficiently provide the effect to more targets. I like that this choice exists.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
When I initially looked at this card, I thought it was largely going to be used for Deathrattle synergy but then I realized the minion starts damaged instead of being set to have 1 Health as their maximum. This means there's some potential for healing synergy and while Vivid Nightmare may be a little expensive in some cases, this opens up a lot more entertaining possibilities.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Lady in White encourages clever deckbuilding and may even make minions with high health but awful stats overall a bit better. I'm not sure if that justifies the usage of minions such as Mogu'shan Warden, but it's certainly very fun to think about. I also like the potential efficiency that this minion's effect provides.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Chameleos is an excellent recon tool that effectively provides information to the player as long as it's held. However, there may be times when Chameleos has to be played not only in times of desperation but also when Chameleos transforms into a very powerful card that's worth sacrificing further scouting information for. The opponent can also play around the effect to a degree by emptying their hand or keeping many cards to reduce the chance of having their plan discovered. All of these details are highly thought-provoking and I expect there will be those who appreciate this seemingly weak card.
My verdict for this card is Rapturous.
Rogue
This is probably the least exciting Echo card in the set. It's not bad for control and it can be useful for drawing a bunch of cards with the Gadgetzan Auctioneer. On the other hand, Rogues have a bunch of cheap spells to feed for draws as it is. Said cards are also better for enabling Combo effects.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
I'm actually kind of surprised this minion didn't get Echo. Having Echo on a Burgle-like effect would've been interesting especially considering some of the possible Rogue synergy with it. Instead it's just a more expensive, stronger Swashburglar. I guess it has a Beast tag that might matter sometimes too, though more for non-Rogues.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This minion generally seems pretty underwhelming. It's not that the effect is necessarily bad but I was kind of hoping for more weapon enhancement than 1 additional Attack especially from a Combo effect. I guess something had to provide a weapon buff for Rogues though.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Cursed Castaway is a fairly expensive Rush card but in exchange it has a fairly decent aggressive statline that will likely ensure its death shortly after it's played. This is where its Deathrattle comes in and I rather like it because it encourages the usage of good Combo cards to increase the potency of this card. Overall, it seems like a pretty neat Rush card.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This minion helps to push a possible "Echo Rogue" as an archetype and it certainly does it in an interesting way. While the benefit is somewhat generic, the requirement to activate it is fascinating due to the fact Echo cards are meant to be played repetitively which in turn activates the effect many times. In addition, consideration has to be given to whether it's worth playing Mistwraith and limiting how many Echo cards are played in the same turn. It also may be worth the gamble to try and keep Mistwraith around to set up a huge chain of Echo card usage in the follow turn. The potentially reduced value of Echo cards may also need to be considered. Overall, I really like the idea of this card due to the keyword it synergizes with.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Unlike Cheap Shot, Pick Pocket is a much more interesting Echo card. While it's less efficient than spells like Burgle, it has the potential to produce much more card advantage if the player is patient enough, making it an interesting strategic card to use. I'm also amused by the mental image of constantly pick pocketing someone in quick succession even if it doesn't make a lot of sense to do in real life or even in World of Warcraft.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I understand that Rogues like having Coins to combo with and the like, but after seeing Holy Water, I can't help but to be underwhelmed by the power level of the card. It does have some decent flavor though.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Thief Rogue has been a thematic that's been pushed for a while and this weapon is yet another addition to help synergize with it. In addition to packing Lifesteal, this weapon has the potential to last for a very long time. However, it feels like Kingsbane fills a similar niche as this weapon and it does it better since weapons can't have their buffs silenced off. It's certainly nice to have options though and this weapon benefits from different "support" cards too.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
As I've already established, I like the ability to produce random legendaries. While Face Collector didn't quite grab me at first since it doesn't give a deck filled with legendaries to play with, I did start thinking of ways to maximize the usage of this card. This led me to thinking of ways to constantly play it in a manner similar to Quest Rogue but in a less oppressive manner (hopefully). It didn't take me long to realize there's a lot of ways to bounce a copy of the card to keep making use of the Battlecry and Echo effects. Overall, I think I'd find myself having a lot of fun if I unpacked it and the fact it made me think of a deck list to support it at least makes it a mechanically interesting card.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Yogg-Saron and Lynessa have a child that takes the form of this Rogue card. Much like with Yogg, there's a high chance of a clown fiesta because the cards that the Rogue uses before playing Tess will likely be randomly generated. Targeting is random too, which is even more chaotic since effects such as minion Battlecries are included in this case.
Lynessa's contribution to the design of this card comes in the form of the player having some control over the cards that are played and the order they are played in. This means the Rogue can hold on to the eligible cards and strategically use them to get an optimal Tess Greymane play later on.
Overall, I really like what was done with the design of this card and it's a good example of building on other mechanics to come up with something that is in a sense unique and in this case, something that looks incredibly fun to try out.
My verdict for this card is Rapturous.
Shaman
The first thing that came to mind when I saw this card is that the flavor of it is hilarious because the Shaman's Hex spell produces a Frog with identical stats. This means that the witch, who is likely a Shaman, basically uses her apprentice as a target dummy. Unfortunately, it's about as mechanically exciting as Babbling Book, which is to say it's not too exciting in my eyes.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
It's good for finishing the Shaman quest and it has some decent synergy with a certain other card in the set in addition to having a potentially useful Murloc tribe tag. It's not too exciting otherwise especially when compared to some of the other Echo cards.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Zap! is a fairly cheap damage spell that's properly costed in a sense, though there is the slight drawback of being unable to hit the opponent's face with it. Seems more like a practical card than one that's intended to mechanically wow players and it certainly doesn't excite me at all despite literally being a shocking card.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
This minion on the other hand is a little more exciting and requires some strategic deckbuilding to make use of its fairly potent Battlecry considering it costs 2 Mana. I don't think it's enough to make the card worthy of a high rating, but it's certainly better than the previous card.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Discover effects are always nice to have to a degree but I have to admit at this point seeing yet another 1-cost spell that allows the player to Discover something isn't that exciting even if it's intended to help push a certain thematic.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Earthen Might is reminiscent of Mark of Y'shaarj but this time instead of drawing a card, a random Elemental is produced. While this is probably not as good as drawing a card, the Elemental will at least help to enable and potentially benefit from Elemental synergy. This in turn makes Earthen Might good in Elemental decks at least though it may not be too bad to use in general since there's a couple good general purpose Elemental cards.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
The effect of this one seems rather interesting in that it encourages the building of a deck with spells and minions at first glance. However, since there's cards in this set that help to produce spells when minions are played, this effect also has a synergy with that too. Either way, there's certainly some solid deckbuilding strategy needed to make this card work but when it does, the effect seems pretty rewarding in the form of a fairly specific draw effect.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
It would've been much more amusing if this minion was meant to be a tech against Totems since it would've come very long after Shaman was last dominant and even had a Totem minion worth eating. Instead, it seems to be intended to be a synergy effect with various effects that summon Totems and while making a big minion can be kind of fun, it doesn't seem too interesting to do it in this way. Heck, Void Terror is a bit more interesting than this if only due to the strategic applications of that card.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Shaman gets the first Hero card since Knights of the Frozen Throne and it's quite an interesting one. The Battlecry effect isn't anything particularly spectacular but it's certainly nice for control applications. While this may run counter to the minion-oriented deck that the Passive Hero Power benefits from, I like to think it helps to ensure the player lives for a few more turns to actually make use of that Hero Power.
Speaking of, I actually like the Hero Power even if it's basically the effect of Witch's Apprentice since it encourages a deckbuilding strategy to make the most of it. In this case, I could see strategies involving cheap minions that potentially have strong Battlecries, which in turn will benefit the other legendary Shaman is getting in this expansion. It also has the potential to make for a great card engine alongside Bogshaper. At the least, I enjoy the potential clown fiesta that'll result from this Hero even if it's not quite as interesting as a Hero like Deathstalker Rexxar.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
This card is somewhat like Tess Greymane but in the case of this legendary, deckbuilding has even more impact on how awesome the effect can be. Shaman even has some decent Battlecries to support the effect. There's also great combo potential with Grumble, Worldshaker that allows Shudderwock to be played multiple times. I'm looking forward to the hilarity that ensues from players trying to make decks that try to make the most use of Shudderwock in any case and I might join the fun myself.
My verdict for this card is Rapturous.
Warlock
Blood Imp gets a cousin in the form of this card that is a bit more interesting since the buff is bigger and the player gets a bit more control over where it goes, but the trigger effect is a Deathrattle. What makes me like this card a bit more than other Deathrattle buffers is the Stealth allows for an opportunity to control where the buff goes. The fact this minion was given Stealth makes it a bit more interesting as a stat buffer.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This spell honestly just feels like a more limited version of Forbidden Ritual. I'm sure it has decent synergy potential especially since the summoned minions are Demons, but it doesn't quite hold a candle that card.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
I rather like the thematic of Warlocks benefitting a bit from damaging themselves to the point I'd at least say cards like Floating Watcher are somewhat interesting. To that end, I think Duskbat does an okay job of helping to push that thematic.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I find it interesting that this card doesn't have superior stats for its cost since the effect is arguably a benefit in some cases. This minion is definitely meant to help push the thematic of Warlocks damaging themselves to earn benefits and since that damage is minimal, it helps to minimize the risk of such a strategy. It's also nice for situations where the Warlock may not want to use Life Tap or can't.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This is a pretty fun Echo card that can help to make minion combat a lot easier to the point of turning them into free kills or at least pacifying them temporarily. It's probably for the best that Priests don't get this spell even if they benefit the most from it.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
While this spell has a bit of a flavorful twist for Warlocks, it's yet another 1 Mana "Discover something" spell that I consider to be rather unexciting.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Helping to round out the thematic of Warlocks damaging themselves is a minion that gives itself Lifesteal if the player was damaged on the turn it's played. While Lifesteal isn't that exciting in itself, what I like about this is that the situation increases the effectiveness which in turn may allow for more room to activate beneficial effects related to taking damage. I can appreciate this kind of clever design...to a point.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I mentioned earlier that Void Terror is an interesting card because of its strategic application. While Ratcatcher doesn't care as much about positioning, it does have Rush to compensate. This means that the player can strategically use the card to kill a Deathrattle minion, but sometimes it may just need to kill a minion for just enough stats to control the board. The ideal situation is when these goals align and I expect a smart player will be able to set this up consistently. I rather like that such intelligent play is rewarded, even if it ends up making an already powerful deck more powerful.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
I kind of wish this was a neutral Legendary so that all the classes can get in on the fun, but at the same time, I could see how that might be a little broken. I can't particularly think of any specific way for Warlocks to utilize this effect, but I expect people will think of something especially since Echo seems to be budgeted at around 1 Mana and removing that could allow for some potent combos involving cheap minions.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
I really like Defile mechanically and that doesn't change by tacking it onto a minion. I especially like it in this case since it's not quite as broken to potentially clear the board at 7 Mana even if it comes with a body. The fact the effect does 2 damage instead might make it a little easier to get that successful board clear without as much thought though.
My verdict for this card is Rapturous.
Warrior
Warpath, much like with Squashling, is a good example of why adding Echo to a card justifies increasing its Mana cost. However, in this case I think there's more potential since even just being able to have a couple extra Whirlwind effects can help to activate a number of synergies related to minions suffering damage. The fact the card can be played repeatedly in a turn may allow for some more strategic play involving activating such effects repeatedly, which I think makes for a nice addition to the already strategic play involving this effect.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Woodcutter's Axe is a good example of how a generic stat boost can be made more interesting. In this case, it combines the strategic play of timing a Deathrattle activation with the usage of a Rush minion. Furthermore, the stat boost is offensive-oriented, helping to enhance what I think a Rush minion does best, which is killing an enemy minion shortly after it's played. While it doesn't make the card very interesting, it keeps the card from being boring either..
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This is a rather boring statline for a Rush minion that doesn't have an awful lot going for it. While it does synergize with the Woodcutter's Axe, I think that has more to do with how interesting Woodcutter's Axe is instead of this card.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
This was one of the first cards in the set I saw and I thought it was boring at first. After thinking on it further, I realized the card is pretty cleverly designed since its Battlecry works really well with the Rush mechanic. Also, since the Attack boost is restricted to only the turn when Rush is beneficial, it prevents the card from having too strong of a statline for its cost if it survives until later turns.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I feel like Rush and Enrage (I know that keyword is being removed but I prefer to use it) don't work too well together. It can be used strategically to a degree by attacking an enemy minion with low Attack to create a fairly strong early game threat or used with a damaging effect, but I'm not really sold on either idea.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
The most obvious application of this card for Warriors is to use this alongside Rush minions since they seem to be getting a few of those this expansion. It's also not too bad to use when minions are already on the board and able to attack. However, I feel like the potential for this card isn't quite being reached since there's some interesting synergy with Windfury and while there are ways for Warriors to get Windfury minions, I would've liked if a class like Shaman got this card instead. Maybe it was too powerful?
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This could be another very expensive Whirlwind or a decent board clear. While this ironically may restrict what weapons a Warrior uses (RIP Bladed Gauntlet), it also encourages smart deckbuilding to make the most of this card.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Town Crier has a simple draw effect that actually works quite well considering how cheap it is. Because it's so cheap, it enables combos related to Rush that allow for control of the board without spending much Mana. It's also not quite as ridiculous as summoning pre-nerf Patches since the card has to be played and can't hit the enemy's face.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
The Boogeymonster gets another iteration in the form of this Rush minion and because of that keyword, the stat boosting effect when killing minions is a lot more effective. It's also rather interesting in my opinion since the player can strategically use Darius Crowley to control the board and maximize his chances of survival until the next turn by making use of the stat boost and other tools to eliminate potential checks. Still wish this minion had Windfury or something though, but I guess that would be very overpowered.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
The art for this is hilarious as are the potential applications. I kind of wish this had Taunt if only to make it like a Wall like in Magic, but I guess the enemy is going to try to find some way to hard remove it in any case. Otherwise, the Warrior can use their many tools to activate its effect repeatedly and unleash a bombardment on their opponent. Overall, I rather like it especially since it can't also attack to potentially maximize the use of some activators like Inner Rage, meaning not all activators may be worth using.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Neutral
Legendaries
This legendary reminds me of Benedictus but I think it could see more practical use since it replaces one's hand. That means that the effect works best when the opponent has a larger hand than yours which could happen for a number of reasons and rewards strategic play. It's also less unhealthy compared to Divine Favor since it doesn't thin out one's own deck substantially and the cost to get this effect is far more expensive. I also wouldn't necessarily rely on the effect in place of other methods of maintaining card advantage such as draw, but the idea of using the opponent to refill in a way that is somewhat memey seems pretty neat.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
While the card itself doesn't have great stats, the start of game effect seems like it might be worth building a deck around for classes that enjoyed using Justicar Trueheart and are okay using only odd costed cards. As a bonus, one starts with the Hero Power instead of having to wait until turn 6 so one could find useful ways to make use of the upgraded Hero Power much sooner and potentially overpower their opponent.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Dungeon Run made me appreciate how strong a 1 Mana Hero Power can be and it might also encourage players to build a deck like with Baku the Mooneater just for the effect. Unfortunately, much like with Baku the Mooneater, one probably doesn't want to use any cards that changes their Hero Power, which is a much bigger deal in this case since it might not be quite as intuitive for a Hero Power change to also reset its cost. I expect someone will make exactly that sort of mistake when using this card.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
The flavor of this card is wonderful and while it isn't exactly like Archmage Arugal, the effect this minion has is cut from the same cloth. However, what benefits most from it might be a little different since while Arugal's copying effect works best on Battlecries, Dorian's works best on cards with persistent effects or Deathrattles. Also, since this legendary is neutral, there's more synergy potential though one has to be wary of the fact this card costs 5 Mana. Overall, I really like it for reasons similar to Arugal.
My verdict for this card is Rapturous.
Countess Ashmore is a Curator-like card in that it draws up to three cards based on how one's deck is built. In the case of Curator, one has to add different minion types to make the most of it and it can be difficult to do so if only because it's not that often that a deck wants a Beast, Dragon, and Murloc. Countess Ashmore is a lot more practical in that it allows one to draw cards with three keywords I expect to be fairly common. This to me is a little bit more boring since the practicality makes building a deck to make the most of the effect a little less thought-provoking due to the high chance that decks contain cards with at least two of these keywords, if not all three. I do appreciate Rush cards are one of the three card types though.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Epics
Normally, I'd instantly give a minion like this the "Boring" rating and call it a day since it just has vanilla states. However, a minion with every single possible tribe tag is interesting since it activates a number of synergies but is also subject to detrimental effects such as being eaten by a crab. I'm interested in seeing how people end up using it though maybe it'll be slept on in some regards. Also, ALL minions.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I rather enjoy how the flavor of this card ensures it'll always be able to make use of its Rush effect which helps to give it a consistent level of usefulness. It's also technically statted fairly aggressively considering it needs the extra health to survive the Mucklings it summons, so it can take out a bigger threat if needed.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
While it's likely this minion will die shortly after being played, it's certainly got a nice effect for when the player is about to trade in a lot of their minions. Probably not as practical as cards like Cult Master even with the lower cost considered, but at least the effect isn't completely boring.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
There's almost certainly some silly way to abuse this minion's effect but I really like the flavor of it. It's also rather weak so it's basically used solely for the targeted removal effect that'll almost certainly end up costing more than 3 Mana. The removal effect can even be delayed if the player needs to do so for some reason though the opponent will likely try to employ some counterplay. Overall, I really like the card even if it's a roundabout removal effect because much like with an actual voodoo doll, one will likely think of some creative way to torment their opponent with it.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
Synergizes pretty well with AoE effects though it's expensive to combo with. Might also be nice in other situations like after many minions are injured due to constant trading. Overall there's certainly some strategic potential to consider with this card.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This thing is basically a fairly bulky minion with Shadow Word: Horror tacked onto it, which has some potential synergy now with non-Priests. That's about all I really have to say.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
I initially thought this was a horrible minion because it ended up with 8/8 of stats for 8. Instead, the minion is more like that one boss that keeps splitting into smaller enemies, which ultimately makes it a total of 12/12 stats without having more than 4 Attack of minions on the board at any given time. Overall, I really like this minion compared to other Deathrattle minions that summon something.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
This effect has been printed before in the form of Manic Soulcaster, but I think it'll be much more interesting as a neutral card if only because there's more potential options for cards to copy.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Sandbinder has a fairly simple, functional effect that might work well in Elemental decks. Might not be too bad for drawing useful Elemental decks that don't rely on the synergy either, which might be something to think about especially if it's part of a combo of some sort.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Rares
I rather enjoy the idea of summoning a legion of Taunt minions but in this case, the Mana cost might be a little too high to do that. Beyond that, the minion seems pretty typical and the statline has even been printed before.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This'll basically always be played with Dragon synergy and it's another good example of how I think Rush minions should be statted. Not only is it aggressively statted, but it even has enough Health that it might live to tell the tale, which is a nice bonus.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I really like this card because it seems to be printed to deal with aggressive decks but it isn't so aggressively statted itself that it could potentially be used by aggressive decks or to beat an opponent's face in without some support cards. It can also be countered to a degree especially by more control-oriented decks since it gets pretty weak if the player has even a hand half full of cards.
My verdict for this card is Interesting.
The Cost for this seems a little high but I really like the idea of this card. Both statlines may actually be useful because the 8/3 statline can easily kill even fairly durable minions, but the 3/8 statline is more likely to stick around and kill multiple smaller minions.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
The effect this minion encourages the player to build a deck with it in mind if it's used. There's not even necessarily a wrong way to use it since sometimes, a cheap 1 Mana minion with a good effect is all the player needs. Easily could be used to draw combo pieces for certain decks at the very least.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Eater of Secrets gets a bigger brother with a vanilla statline, making it a tech card that could be used passably in situations where it'll never get its effect off. I can't particularly say it's that exciting though.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
I wish this minion had Lifesteal instead. I think it would be much more elegant than the Battlecry they gave it and it probably wouldn't be too broken either.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
This card looks amusing and while it probably won't be played in many situations, it at least makes the player think about when it's optimal to play it. Unfortunately, that's all I've got to make this card sound cool.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
On one hand, I like the idea behind this minion's effect a little bit especially since it only needs to be played on an empty board. On the other hand, there have been similar effects the base stats are so weak that it's basically only useful in the situation where the effect goes off. That feels rather restrictive, unfun, and uninteresting to me.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Common
I feel like this is Duskhaven Hunter's cousin or something and unfortunately, it's about as uninteresting since the two statlines it gets aren't particularly spectacular and in this case, the Lifesteal doesn't even seem to be doing it many favors.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
This minion's not actually too bad from an anti-aggro viewpoint. It has Taunt and is statted fairly well but what really makes this minion not so boring is the Deathrattle that provides healing that might help to recover some of the damage the player sustained. Certainly a functional card at least.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
The effect of this card is pretty cool since while it doesn't work on every Hero Power, it certainly makes a few more effective. It also works on upgraded Hero Powers and the Hero Powers of Hero cards, which means there's a lot to take into consideration when using this card. The most amusing result of this effect is that I'm pretty sure it doubles the damage of Life Tap.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
Meanwhile, refreshing one's Hero Power through a Battlecry isn't quite as exciting. It's certainly functional, but it doesn't hold a candle to the effect of a card like Auctioneer Beardo.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Really good with the Hunter quest and being able to generate two cheap minions in general isn't that bad. It might be useful for other situations too even if they're terrible minions. They can feed Hagatha's Hero Power for example.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
This minion is pretty similar to Gilnean Royal Guard but it might be even more effective since one of its forms is basically the equivalent of casting a Fireball on a minion. That's pretty potent for a Neutral card and the other statline isn't too bad either even if it's just Stormwind Knight with more health and the inability to hit the opponent's face. Either way, Swift Messenger is a great example of what I want out of a Rush minion.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I feel really bad for Dalaran Mage. Also, the stat swapping effect doesn't really suit this minion either and almost feels like it doesn't need to be there.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
This minion basically has Witchwood Grizzly's stats for two more Mana as long as one has a Dragon. I can't help but to feel like this minion drops a little too late though, especially when Dragon decks had cards like Twilight Guardian before. I wish it was at least a Dragon itself because then it could have the mechanical intrigue of activating other Dragon synergy cards.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
What is that statline and how does it synergize well with either of those keywords? I guess it wouldn't be too bad with buffing effects.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
I like the flavor of this minion even if it might be a little difficult to activate its Deathrattle sometimes. I generally like these sorts of "egg" cards since they risk tempo in the form of playing a potentially useless minion in return for a decent reward. They also work well with strategic support. For example one can buff the egg cards to great effect because the opponent may not want to activate the Deathrattle which in turn may protect the buff effects.
My verdict for this card is Okay.
I'm not sure if it's the best plan to willingly give your opponent a Poisonous minion but if it can be dealt with quickly, the payoff could be pretty huge. There's certainly a bit of strategic play to consider when trying to make this work.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
It's a durable, expensive Spell Damage minion that somehow doesn't have a Beast tag.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
This card reminds me of Spellslinger but each player is more likely to get cards similar in power to each other. Not too bad for a symmetrical effect, but nothing incredibly exciting though. With that, I expect some sort of silly Doomsayer-related play or the like to result from this card.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This card would actually be interesting if it had Rush. Since it doesn't, it's probably less interesting than Gruul is, especially since it'll often just be a vanilla 3/3.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
Summoning vanilla 3/3s for 3 multiple times in a single turn isn't exactly what I call exciting.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
I'm tempted to raise the rating for this card because it's a reference to Bastion from Overwatch and also because of potential synergy with cards like Lady in White, but it's not like there aren't exactly other options.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
What in the heck is even that statline? The effect isn't exactly exciting either especially since it can be negated rather easily and it's not even that great compared to similar Deathrattles.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
It's a pretty big Taunt minion with respectable stats that might make it useful in Arena. That doesn't change the fact it's mechanically uninteresting.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
While this is very costly, it is nice to have an aura effect for Elementals even if Stormwind Champion is arguably better. If it ever was used in a deck, said deck would likely utilize Elemental synergy though so at least this card can serve as an activator.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
This comes out pretty late due to its Mana cost and there's probably better, more interesting healing options.
My verdict for this card is Boring.
This minion is actually somewhat interesting since while it has a poor Attack stat, it does combine Lifesteal and Taunt. Might not be too bad with a buffing effect, though it'll at least help sustain the player a little bit against aggression even without it.
My verdict for this card is Meh.
Final Statements
This set has 135 cards and out of them I rated 15 cards as Boring, 38 as Meh, 44 as Okay, 32 as Interesting, and 6 as Rapturous. I'm not sure if those ratings are because I was hedging with many of my ratings or because there's a bunch of cards that fell more in the middle of my rating system. What is clear is there are at least a handful of cards in the set that I found mechanically interesting. There's even some I want to craft after thinking about how mechanically interesting they are. If only I felt more motivated to disenchant cards to make the decks I'm thinking of.
In the meantime, unless there's strong opposition to me reviewing how mechanically interesting cards are or something happens that prevents me from publishing a review, I'll be back for the next Hearthstone expansion with a similar review format.
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