# The Hearthstone Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 28, 2014, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172 "2014-04-28T07:42:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 77
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1521 "2016-03-12T00:49:58Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > It’s going to be stupid, full stop. I’ve seen cards like Corrupted Healbot before, as custom card ideas, and it is no better now than it was then. Zombie Chow has an interesting role to play in any deck that wants to control the board before beating face. Corrupted Healbot, on the other hand, only has Auchanai Soulpriest going for it, because healing your opponent for 8 some time after turn 6 isn’t worth an upgrade from a 5/6 to a 6/6. You’re forgetting the ‘Mech’ tag. That’s going to be hugely valuable in Standard! /s In all seriousness, if it gives priests a viable archetype other than ‘steal all your opponents stuff’ it’ll at least be a change of pace. For a game where the devs _say_ they want more minion v minion combat on the board, the first few cards they’ve revealed are surprisingly comboish/gimmicky. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1522 "2016-03-15T08:51:03Z")
Blizzard has finally released their deck slot patch, and it’s even worse than I’d ever imagined. I _thought_ someone was just conning their boss with ridiculous delays to justify their own employment, but they really did choose to implement the “extra” deck slots in a way that both required more work and was strictly worse than the easy option. There is no way in which the ability to turn basic deck slots into customisable deck slots is better than just giving us more deck slots, but they did it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1523 "2016-03-15T12:35:29Z")
This might have been the only way they could have given us new deck slots. Nobody likes this workaround, least of all the programmers. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1524 "2016-03-15T14:32:04Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Blizzard has finally released their deck slot patch, and it’s even worse than I’d ever imagined. I _thought_ someone was just conning their boss with ridiculous delays to justify their own employment, but they really did choose to implement the “extra” deck slots in a way that both required more work and was strictly worse than the easy option. There is no way in which the ability to turn basic deck slots into customisable deck slots is better than just giving us more deck slots, but they did it anyway. > [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > This might have been the only way they could have given us new deck slots. Nobody likes this workaround, least of all the programmers. Huh? I don’t understand what either of you is criticizing or calling a “workaround”. They added filler decks to the new slots, but you can just edit or delete those and put whatever you want in them. I don’t think it took more than a few minutes to pick out the cards to put in the basic filler decks. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1525 "2016-03-15T15:15:52Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Huh? I don’t understand what either of you is criticizing or calling a “workaround”. They added filler decks to the new slots… We already had those slots, and those filler decks. What changed is that now you can delete the filler decks to put a different deck in. What we were promised (9 basic decks + 18 custom decks) was easier to implement and more useful than what we got (9 basic/customisable decks + 9 customisable decks). ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1526 "2016-03-15T21:35:52Z")
They added a yellow border to Reno when he’ll activate his ability, which was unexpected. Not sure how I feel about it. I guess people who use deck trackers already have that. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1527 "2016-03-15T22:12:49Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > We already had those slots, and those filler decks. What changed is that now you can delete the filler decks to put a different deck in. What we were promised (9 basic decks + 18 custom decks) was easier to implement and more useful than what we got (9 basic/customisable decks + 9 customisable decks). You must be playing a different game than I am. I’ve only ever had 9 total slots. Now I have 18 slots, which is what was promised, not 27 slots. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1528 "2016-03-16T00:36:36Z")
New Druid card reveal: [Klaxxi Amber-Weaver](http://hearthstone.judgehype.com/screenshots/news2016/70.jpg). Also here’s another [cool new mural ad](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cdnhl0tVIAAg2Hc.jpg) for Old Gods (which is also apparently the card art for a card called Corrupted Fen Creeper). ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1529 "2016-03-16T06:23:44Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > You must be playing a different game than I am. I’ve only ever had 9 total slots. Now I have 18 slots, which is what was promised, not 27 slots. Look at [this screenshot](http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/hearthstone.gamepedia.com/thumb/1/1c/Play_screen.jpg/780px-Play_screen.jpg) from before the patch. See how it has nine decks on it? See how it has an arrow next to “Custom Decks” leading to another page with another nine decks on it? 9 + 9 = 18. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1530 "2016-03-16T07:17:01Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Look at [this screenshot](http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/hearthstone.gamepedia.com/thumb/1/1c/Play_screen.jpg/780px-Play_screen.jpg) from before the patch. See how it has nine decks on it? See how it has an arrow next to “Custom Decks” leading to another page with another nine decks on it? 9 + 9 = 18. I see. Never realized you could play the basic decks in addition to the custom ones before. Not sure why you’d ever actually want those though. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1531 "2016-03-16T07:47:32Z")
Mostly just to finish quests as a certain class without deleting/building a deck for a class you don’t have a deck for. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1532 "2016-03-16T08:03:11Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Mostly just to finish quests as a certain class without deleting/building a deck for a class you don’t have a deck for. So you still basically have that benefit now, unless you end up building a lot of decks for repeat classes. Don’t see how anyone would find cause to gripe about this implementation. Other than the fact that it took them 2 years to figure out the only UI change they needed was adding a scroll bar and an arrow to the deck page (I recall them saying something a while back about the reason for not having more deck slots so the UI doesn’t “confuse” players, lol). ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1533 "2016-03-16T10:04:57Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > They added a yellow border to Reno when he’ll activate his ability, which was unexpected. Not sure how I feel about it. I guess people who use deck trackers already have that. That would explain why it’s a good idea. No reason to give the people with extra software an unnecessary advantage. The new Druid card is kind of amazing - a 4/5 for 4 on curve is great, and the idea of t1 coin+Follower, t2 follower, T4 4/10 that silences into a 4/5 is pretty nuts. Pretty much pure value no matter how you play it; a yeti is never bad. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1534 "2016-03-16T21:47:43Z")
So with the current brawl, if you place a summoning stone, and then cast your free spells, it gives you a minion that matches the original cost of the spell, not zero. So you summon minions, get a free spell, and then summon a free minion with that spell. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1535 "2016-03-16T23:01:47Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > So with the current brawl, if you place a summoning stone, and then cast your free spells, it gives you a minion that matches the original cost of the spell, not zero. So you summon minions, get a free spell, and then summon a free minion with that spell. That’s pretty sweet. Probably good enough to add a couple more 5+ mana minions to my mech mage build (all minions, mechs plus mana wyrm plus antonidas plus flamewaker plus violet teacher. Maybe just take out the teachers.) ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1536 "2016-03-17T08:30:48Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > So with the current brawl, if you place a summoning stone, and then cast your free spells, it gives you a minion that matches the original cost of the spell, not zero. So you summon minions, get a free spell, and then summon a free minion with that spell. And it’s especially fun if they play Loatheb, because then for 5 mana you will get a minion worth the original cost of the spell + 5. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1537 "2016-03-17T19:40:09Z")
New mechanic/pseudo-keyword for the OG expansion revealed by Blizzard: [Forbidden](http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/20056288/whispers-of-the-old-gods-forbidden-but-not-forgotten-3-17-2016). ‘Forbidden’ cards are 0-mana spells that spend all of your remaining mana and give an effect proportional to the mana used. Only two examples have been shown (Mage: Forbidden Flame, X mana for X damage to a minion; Priest: Forbidden Shaping: X mana for a random X mana minion) and they don’t seem overly powerful. I expect a lot of the value of the cards is going to come from the flexibility of playing either early/mid/late game or the mage’s spell synergy cards (ie. it can be played as a 0 mana, 0 damage spell with either spellpower for damage or to activate Mana Wyrm/Flamewaker/Antonidas). ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1538 "2016-03-17T21:00:25Z")
I would have preferred that they went with the X/X minion for X rather than the variance of an X mana minion - 2 mana can buy you anything from a 1/1 to a 4/4. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1539 "2016-03-17T23:07:47Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I would have preferred that they went with the X/X minion for X rather than the variance of an X mana minion - 2 mana can buy you anything from a 1/1 to a 4/4. Hey, Trolden has to get fodder for his [videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4La3B338kg) _somewhere_. I’m pretty sure Blizzard deliberately targets a certain amount of randomness in its cards for a couple of reasons. It lets the newer/less skilled player pull off the occasional unearned win, and unusually good/bad RNG makes for better/more memorable ‘stories’. Heck, I only really started to play the game after watching a couple of Totalbiscuit’s videos; and he’s pretty much all about the ‘story’ or gimmick. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172/1540 "2016-03-17T23:55:00Z")
> [@The\_Lurker\_Above](#): > > New mechanic/pseudo-keyword for the OG expansion revealed by Blizzard: [Forbidden](http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/20056288/whispers-of-the-old-gods-forbidden-but-not-forgotten-3-17-2016). > > ‘Forbidden’ cards are 0-mana spells that spend all of your remaining mana and give an effect proportional to the mana used. Only two examples have been shown (Mage: Forbidden Flame, X mana for X damage to a minion; Priest: Forbidden Shaping: X mana for a random X mana minion) and they don’t seem overly powerful. > > I expect a lot of the value of the cards is going to come from the flexibility of playing either early/mid/late game or the mage’s spell synergy cards (ie. it can be played as a 0 mana, 0 damage spell with either spellpower for damage or to activate Mana Wyrm/Flamewaker/Antonidas). The priest one will be flat amazing in Arena - fill whatever turn you have a dead draw, give you an 8/10 drop off the top in the late game, give you a turn 1/2 play in the early game, just sick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172.md?page=76) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hearthstone-thread/687172.md?page=78)