The best cards from Hearthstone’s the Witchwood expansion
@Matticus
I have returned from the future and learned which cards from the next Hearthstone expansion will be amazing and which cards will be awful. We crunched the math as well and the executive team at Blizzard Watch here confirmed my numbers: There is a zero percent chance that I will be wrong. In fact, Adam will personally buy you a pack if I’m wro- Oh hang on, he said I can’t actually put that in the post. Nevermind.
With Hearthstone’s The Witchwood coming out tomorrow, it’s time to see which of these new cards will be meta-defining or dust-worthy collectibles. I actually have an internal list of must-craft cards in gold for the extra value, but don’t feel obligated to do that. [Editor’s note: We don’t recommend crafting gold cards unless you are literally swimming in dust. Which you probably aren’t.]
Now let’s get to the cards you’ll definitely want (and definitely won’t want) in your collection.
The best of the expansion
Countess Ashmore is first on my list of craftables. She can instantly fetch you cards from within your deck. Unlike our old pal Curator, Ashmore can even snag you weapons in addition to minions. Being a 6/6 means she’ll able to withstand and deal punishment. Won’t be something easily taken out.
Baku the Mooneater and Genn Greymane
Both of these cards will instantly upgrade your hero power in different ways. We learned from the Grand Tournament era with Justicar Trueheart that the upgraded Warrior hero power was the strongest defensive hero power. I can see an odd Control Warrior variant with Brawl, Direhorn Hatchling, and Shield Block buying you time to get to late game. Genn’s a little harder to predict. I like it with the Priest for cheap healing but there’s merit to placing it in Paladin for consistent generation of Silver Hand Recruits. I’m leaning more towards Baku seeing play more often, though.
Don’t expect Lady in White to dance with you but she’ll ensure you have a great time anyway by pumping up attacks of the rest of the minions in your deck. Who doesn’t want a 12/12 Ysera? Even a 3/3 Northshire Cleric ain’t too shabby. How about a 5/5 Tar Creeper? I wouldn’t rely on her as a sole win condition as the consistency of drawing her game after game won’t be that high — but when you do draw her, you’ll be glad of it.
Who has two guns and doesn't like your board?
➡️ https://t.co/61QSDGgmBd pic.twitter.com/6GJCQON5EA— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) March 29, 2018
Yeah, definitive must-craft, though I wouldn’t do it in gold. Godfrey’s Defile effect will be essential in some late game matchups.
Wing Blast and Holy Water
I wanted to spotlight these two removal cards for Hunter and Priest respectively. These two look to be staple removal spells post-rotation.
The Prince feels like a sleeper pick to me for the entire year. It’s definitely a late game win condition that can convert all your low mana cost secrets into something potentially more useful — but he won’t be able to win you the game by himself.
Bewitch your opponents with Hagatha, the new Shaman hero card!
➡ https://t.co/61QSDGgmBd pic.twitter.com/etAFhb8pk1— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) March 27, 2018
Shaman has been at the bottom of the standings for a while now ever since the days of Aggro and Midrange Shaman. Might Hagatha be the shot of adrenaline the class needs to rocket back up? She’ll provide much-needed gas towards the end of a match. She does three AOE damage when you cast her, which can even out the board, and her passive hero power can help you reload your hand with some spells to eventually overwhelm your opponent. She will see play. If she needs to be crafted, do it in gold. [Editor’s note: Really don’t.]
Seems useless at first glance, right? Let’s take away the fact that it makes a 2/1 Poisonous for your opponent. If you’re playing a deck with some kind of early game, chances are you can trade something into it if the Drake is played on curve. I suspect the odds of that happening are high in an aggro deck.
Playing this disgruntled former Transformer of a card is high risk, high reward. Your opponent might be smart enough to carefully play around Rat Trap by limiting themselves to two cards a turn, in which case you get nothing. Then again, it might not be nothing: if they try to avoid triggering your Secrets, it limits their actions and is an effective counter to Echo cards. Same deal applies with Hidden Wisdom.
How spooky can a doll be? Especially if it looks just like you…https://t.co/kzkxqPqWD2 pic.twitter.com/XugWGtlYp3
— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) April 8, 2018
The Doll could well be an auto-include in most decks based on sheer removal power. Mages can blow it up with their hero power (and make a Water Elemental if you’re Frost Lich Jaina).
Fun cards, but too random to be reliable
Total Priest flex card. Just for the heck of it, I would include Chameleos in a Priest deck. Heck, I’d the little guy gold too. In most cases, Chameleos would be useless but in those rare games where you can transform it into a Death Knight card or a high impact card (like a board clear), it’d be so worth it. But how often would that happen? Knowing my games, next to never.
Shudderwock was always very good at doing impressions.https://t.co/kzkxqPqWD2 pic.twitter.com/FZs7JmB1O7
— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) April 11, 2018
This needs to be played with in a deck with Blazing Invocation (and plenty of other Battlecry cards). No question about it though, Shudderwock could either completely win you the game or somehow snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Keep your Saronite Chain Gangs in there and mind you, playing Shudderwock the turn after Hagatha means whatever survived the her Battlecry might not survive the second time around.
Honestly, I just like Toki for a chance at whipping out a Ragnaros. She looks to be a strictly fun card. She’s not that great, but who doesn’t want to surprise their opponents with a Dr. Boom?
Do you have any idea what she's capable of?https://t.co/kzkxqPqWD2 pic.twitter.com/fFJPBOQzBx
— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) April 10, 2018
She’s just as good as Yogg-Saron without the drawbacks. You’d need to play some specific Burgle decks to really take advantage. Actually, she’s not that great. Don’t do it. The cards you Burgle from your opponent will be god awful but when you play against Tess, your opponent will just all the good cards anyone could possibly get leaving you to shake your fist at the screen cursing your lack of luck. Believe me, I’ve been there.
Just don’t bother with these
Ugh, no. Aviana is a trap. Don’t give your opponent opportunities to play something big first on their turn.
Liz and I were talking about Emeriess the other day. What Hunters are lacking right now is a solid form of card reload. By the time you’re in position to play Emeriss, you may not have any minions remaining in your hand. When you do play Emeriess, her 8/8 self will be on board but you won’t be able to play out any buffed minions. Too slow and unwieldy. Call it a hunch, but I think a future expansion will introduce some new cards which turns her around into something playable.
What do you think?
Those are just some of my picks of the cards from the Witchwood. What’s your take? Are there any cards or deck archetypes that immediately jump out at you? I’m excited at the prospect of Hand Druid being a thing. I wonder if there’s enough supporting cards to make it worthwhile.
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