It's time once again for Hearthstone to begin another Standard year. And with the beginning of the Year of the Phoenix comes an all-new expansion. Journey to the Ashes of Outland, as Blizzard debuts an all-new playable class and introduces 135 brand new cards.
Card reveals for Hearthstone: Ashes of Outland have come and gone and now it's just a matter of waiting for the expansion's arrival. So let's make that time go a little faster by taking a look at the cards that are about to debut and giving them a full analysis.
Before we begin the analyses, be sure to check out the cards revealed during Wednesday's livestream presentation:
All 63 cards revealed during today's Hearthstone: Ashes of Outland livestream
(6) Kael'thas Sunstrider (4/7)
Type: Minion
Class: Neutral
Rarity: Legendary
Every third spell you cast each turn costs (0).
Analysis: We've got a full Kael'thas Sunstrider guide already available for you to browse at your leisure.
(5) Skull of Gul'dan
Type: Spell
Class: Demon Hunter
Rarity: Rare
Draw 3 cards. Outcast: Reduce their Cost by (3).
Analysis: By itself, Skull of Gul'dan is a strong card draw tool. It falls right between Arcane Intellect and Sprint. But if you play it and follow the new Outcast rules, all of those cards will be discounted significantly. They should be able to help the Demon Hunter player get a little closer to their win condition, which may or may not include giant Demons.
(5) Warglaives of Azzinoth (3/4)
Type: Weapon
Class: Demon Hunter
Rarity: Epic
After attacking a minion, your hero may attack again.
Analysis: One thing that's important to note about the Warglaives of Azzinoth is that it doesn't say that you can attack again if a minion dies. You only need to attack a minion, period. You can potentially attack four times in a turn, assuming you have the health numbers to handle such an aggressive approach. This weapon only gets better if you have the Attack-boosting cards to up its impact. I'd expect this to become an early staple of this class.
(9) Pit Commander (7/9)
Type: Minion - Demon
Class: Demon Hunter
Rarity: Epic
Taunt: At the end of your turn, summon a Demon from your deck.
Analysis: Here's a big beefy boy, one who's worth even more than his 7/9 stats, which are pretty strong on their own. This will also bring out any Demon in your deck, so if you're playing a Big Demon deck, for example, it can bring out another big beefy boy to stand alongside it. The Pit Commander has a chance to be a much more valuable play later in the year when the Demon Hunter gets more cards to bolster its ranks. So keep an eye on this one and let's revisit it in the future.
(2) Furious Felfin (3/2)
Type: Minion - Murloc
Class: Demon Hunter
Rarity: Rare
Battlecry: If your hero attacked this turn, gain +1 Attack and Rush.
Analysis: Here's the Demon Hunter's first Murloc. And it's a pretty good one! This is dependent on the Demon Hunter hero attacking, which it will do a lot. So once that happens, this becomes a low-cost 4/2 Rush, making it a valuable control tool. I'd expect to see this played a lot, especially if Demon Hunter ever develops any kind of control deck.
(2) Spectral Sight
Type: Spell
Class: Demon Hunter
Rarity: Common
Draw a card. Outcast: Draw another.
Analysis: Here's a quick way for Demon Hunter players to rummage through their decks. That'll be a big help if you have a specific win condition. (Put a pin in this. We'll come back to the Demon Hunter win condition as this feature rolls along.) This is a fine play on its own, but consider this practice for putting the Outcast feature to work. Try and make this work in order to replenish your hand.
(2) Scavenger's Ingenuity
Type: Spell
Class: Hunter
Rarity: Common
Draw 3 Beast. Give it +3/+3.
Analysis: This is a nifty handbuff option for the Hunter player, one that should make the loss of Dire Frenzy a little more palatable. This will be a strong spell to play alongside Tundra Rhino or as a way to buff up King Krush. There are some strong combo plays if you can buff up a Beast and then discount it with Scarlet Webweaver.
(3) Imprisoned Observer (4/5)
Type: Minion - Demon
Class: Mage
Rarity: Rare
Dormant for 2 turns. When this awakens, deal 2 damage to all enemy minions.
Analysis: This is the Mage's Imprisoned Demon and it's a solid board control option for the early game. If you can withstand its Dormant state, a 4/5 minion is a great addition to the board. Given the tools that Blizzard has given to the new Spell Mage archetype, however, I can't see this getting too much play, though it might make a good addition to a Highlander deck.
(4) Kargath Bladefist (4/4)
Type: Minion
Class: Warrior
Rarity: Legendary
Rush. Deathrattle: Shuffle 'Kargath Prime' into your deck.
(8) Kargath Prime (10/10)
Type: Minion
Class: Warrior
Rarity: Token
Rush: Whenever this attacks and kills a minion, gain 10 Armor.
Analysis: This is a phenomenal pair of minions for the Control Warrior. The 4/4 Rush of Bladefist will work to remove most early minions and the benefit of trading in with Rush means you can get the Prime into your deck before it gets Silenced. The stats for that Prime are tremendous. It's hard to picture a better Rush minion than this 10/10 monstrosity, one that can also offer a 10 Armor boost. A big-time thumbs up for the Warrior player.
(3) Lady Vashj (4/3)
Type: Minion
Class: Shaman
Rarity: Legendary
Spell Damage +1. Deathrattle: Shuffle 'Vashj Prime' into your deck.
(7) Vashj Prime (5/4)
Type: Minion
Class: Shaman
Rarity: Token
Spell Damage +1. Battlecry: Draw 3 spells. Reduce their Cost by (3).
Analysis: The Shaman's Prime could bring back an old favorite deck type: the Burst Shaman. Use Vashj Prime to draw some valuable Shaman burst spells, like Lightning Bolt and Lava Burst and watch them become free spells. Then play Malygos and end the game in spectacular fashion.
(2) Fungal Fortunes
Type: Spell
Class: Druid
Rarity: Rare
Draw 3 cards. Discard any minions drawn.
Analysis: Blizzard might also be trying to make Spell Druid a thing. This is basically the inverse of the Mage's Book of Specters spell. It's possible to combine this with Crystalsong Portal and put together a solid Spell Druid deck, but there's nothing else that really makes this deck viable. Let's wait and see what happens a few expansions from now.
(2) Ambush
Type: Spell
Class: Rogue
Rarity: Rare
Secret: After your opponent plays a minion, summon a 2/3 Ambusher with Poisonous.
Analysis: Rogue Secrets are back! Sadly, the first one is kind of weak. Ambush puts down a 2/3 Poisonous minion in response to the opponent playing a minion. This is exceptionally easy to play around and unless it comes at the end of the game when resources are lite, it's unlikely that this makes any real impact. I wouldn't expect anyone to pack it into their deck, but I'd expect to see it more off a random effect.
(5) Metamorphosis
Type: Spell
Class: Demon Hunter
Rarity: Legendary
Swap your Hero Power to "Deal 5 damage." After 2 uses, swap it back.
Analysis: This is a temporary Shadowform and it's one on steroids. Better yet, it retains the Demon Hunter's discounted 1-Cost Hero Power, which is a low price for dealing 5 damage. This can remove a lot of minions in a pinch and works as a great control option. It can also put a lot of pressure on the opponent if used strictly for aggro decks.
(4) The Dark Portal
Type: Spell
Class: Warlock
Rarity: Rare
Draw a minion. If you have at least 8 cards in your hand, it costs (5) less.
Analysis: Here's a new tool for the Handlock deck, one that could make the late game much more of a breeze. The Warlock has a lot of expensive tools, like Galakrond, that could swing the game if it's made cheaper. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Turn 4 play, since that's usually reserved for Twilight Drake. It can be just as effective if it's played after dropping Valdris Felgorge.
(3) Imprisoned Satyr (3/3)
Type: Minion - Demon
Class: Druid
Rarity: Common
Dormant for 2 turns. When this awakens, reduce the Cost of a random minion in your hand by (5).
Analysis: The Imprisoned Satyr could be particularly nasty in a Malygos Druid deck. If it's able to discount Malygos (or even Kael'thas) by a significant margin, it'll set up an unbeatable finishing play for the Druid player. The more mana that's available, the more times the Malygos Druid can swing with something like Swipe.
(3) Archspore Msshi'fn (3/4)
Type: Minion
Class: Druid
Rarity: Legendary
Taunt. Deathrattle: Shuffle 'Msshi'fn Prime' into your deck.
(10) Msshi'fn Prime (9/9)
Type: Minion
Class: Druid
Rarity: Token
Taunt. Choose One: Summon a 9/9 Fungal Giant with Taunt; or Rush.
Analysis: The Quest Druid is going to love this Prime, as the 10-Cost Msshi'fn Prime is well worth its price and then some. If the Druid Quest is completed, the 9/9 Fungal Side that spawns alongside Msshi'fn Prime will get both Taunt and Rush, which is an incredible play. And for the early game tempo, the Archspore Msshi'fn can certainly stand up well against the field.
(3) Bulwark of Azzinoth (1/4)
Type: Weapon
Class: Warrior
Rarity: Legendary
Whenever your hero would take damage, this loses 1 Durability instead.
Analysis: The Control Warrior is all about warding off those pesky aggro decks. This isn't a cure-all against them, but it could be a valuable tool, able to take at least four hits before breaking. Use it against a Malygos deck and it's a winner. Use it against some other player planning a one-turn kill with Alexstrasza and it's a strong deterrent. Just don't rely on it to protect against everything. This won't protect against a full board of minions, for example, since it loses Durability with each hit. Nor will it protect against persistent Hunters with Hero Powers and tools like Unleash the Hounds. Use this for strategic protection and it should serve you well.
(3) Teron Gorefiend (3/4)
Type: Minion
Class: Neutral
Rarity: Legendary
Battlecry: Destroy all friendly minions. Deathrattle Resummon them with +1/+1.
Analysis: Teron Gorefiend has a multitude of uses. It would work well as insurance in a Zoo Warlock deck. It would function well in a Treant Druid deck. And better than any of that, it would be phenomenal in a deck filled with effective Deathrattles. You'd essentially activate your Deathrattles, only to bring them all back on the board once this dies. It's not a top-tier minion, but it's going to have its uses.
That's all for now. We'll be looking at the rest of the new expansion's cards as its release date approaches. Hearthstone: Ashes of Outland releases on April 7.
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replyOzzie Mejia posted a new article, Hearthstone: Ashes of Outland card analyses (Part 1)
