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Tired of just one article every weekday here at Daily Metagame? We are too. We need to add some extra content every so often, after all! That is why we are kicking off Monday of this week with a set review of War of the Elements, the exciting new expansion to the WoW TCG and the latest addition to the Cataclysm block.
The entire set has been spoiled, and you can find our War of the Elements database here on this site. For seven days, members of Metagame LLC will be going through the entire set and breaking down the constructed and limited playability of the abilities, Alliance allies, Horde allies, neutral allies, equipment, and finally the quests and locations. Today we kick off the review with an in-depth look at the abilities in this set.
But first of all, a quick honorable mention for the heroes of this set. Did you see [Gilneas] or [The Lost Isles] and think about how much you wish you had a Worgen Hunter or a Goblin Warrior to go with those cards? Well, now you have those race/class combinations available to you, and you are able to play them as any talent specialization. That in itself makes this a very influential set on the constructed formats, as it gives new classes and specs access to all of the Goblin and Worgen goodies from the previous set. If you haven't gotten your [Rolan Phoenix]s and [Trade Prince Gallywix]s yet, then I would highly suggest doing so.
The card breakdown for this set review will go by set order. Cards will be evaluated for Constructed and Limited strengths on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is ranking the card as a format staple and a 1 is ranking it as binder fodder/permanent side-deck sidelines for limited.
Because there are so many abilities, I will be splitting the abilities article up into two segments. Today, I will look at the Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Mage, and Paladin cards. Tomorrow, I will look at the Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior, and dual-class cards.
But first, as there is no place for them otherwise in the set review...a look at the two Master Heroes in this set.
[Kalecgos]
Constructed: 2.5
Limited: 1
Kalecgos is an interesting Master Hero in that it is less of a late-game win condition and more of a combo enabler, similar to [Alexstrasza the Life-Binder]. Without support, you will never play this Master Hero, but with the proper support (I'm looking at you, [A Taste of Divinity]!), Kalecgos can be a real powerhouse once enabled. Could this be the resurgence to Hunter Combo?! Probably not. But Kalecgos has a power worth taking note of, so I wouldn't write him off immediately.
For limited, this is always going to be a resource. Draft it for a few bucks, and then never look at it again.
[Nozdormu the Timeless]
Constructed: 3.5
Limited: 1
The other combo enabler Master Hero. This one, however, I feel is the better of the two. Making players skip their turns is powerful, and there are a couple of brews I can think of using cards like [Resourcefulness] that let you cheat resources and get more cards into play at a faster rate. Nozdormu definitely has potential.
And now for the abilities!
Death Knight
[Blight Bringers]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
This card will never see constructed play. However, it is a cheap and efficient trick in limited that will not only let your allies take out opponent's allies without being destroyed, but will also let you trigger your Azure dragon effects at little cost.
[Command of Undeath]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
Side deck card in limited, and overshadowed by [Entomb] in Constructed. This handles annoying bomb equipment cards in limited and that's about it.
[Death Strike]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 4
Death Strike is a fairly efficient removal trick for Death Knight disease decks in need of a decent answer to [Vuz'din]. I like it a lot more than [Blood Strike], as the heal is sometimes relevant, but I am unsure if this deck is even constructed viable so it's hard to rate the card. In limited, it might not hit a lot of Worgen, but it has the potential to take out some fairly big allies for little cost and, unsurprisingly, that is valuable in a limited format.
[Frozen Blight]
Constructed: 2.5
Limited: 1.5
This is definitely a disease built with Constructed in mind. Unfortunately it can be stopped by [Fizzle], which is why I can't give the card a 3 out of 5, but getting this off against any deck with reactive abilities will give you a huge leg up. The fact that it makes [Chain of Ice] more appealing is a bonus.
[Gargoyle]
Constructed: 4
Limited: 5
For constructed, this is one of the chase cards and for good reason. Against allies, it is almost always going to be a two-for-one and acts as an efficient answer for allies like [Dethvir the Malignant]. It's also especially annoying against Mage since it gives Death Knights a quick clock that is hard for a Mage to keep locked into play. It is particularly good following them playing a [Blizzard].
In limited, obvious bomb is obvious. Take this card and start wrecking some allies.
[Horn of Winter]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 2
Not very good, but not useless either. Horn of Winter is a decent pump that lets your hero get a little aggressive as well. In limited, it's a cheap trigger for the Azure Dragonkin and serves as removal for little allies, or inefficient removal against larger ones.
[Outbreak]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 4
In Constructed, I probably just want to be playing [Army of the Dead] instead of a conditional board sweeper. In limited, you already want a few of the diseases in Worldbreaker which makes this a potential bomb. It kills guys with Aberration too, and anything not obliterated by this card will be made so small that an ally should be able to finish it off.
[Sanguine Presence]
Constructed: 2.5
Limited: 3
I don't want to dismiss this card in Constructed, as it is a good way to combat exhaust effects and the readying power is also very sweet with [Hysteria], [Kor'kron Vanguard], and [Broderick Langforth].
In limited, Sanguine Presence seems good enough to have an immediate effect on the field, keeping your allies alive and making it very difficult for the opponent to get good trades in.
Druid
[Brutal Bear Form]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 4
In Constructed, this card seems pretty trashy, but in limited it shines. Not only does it give your hero control over which of your allies die, but it also helps your little allies trade up into the opponent's bigger plays.
[Celestial Moonfire]
Constructed: 2.5
Limited: 4
This thing plays really nicely with the Azure Dragonkin, but I sincerely doubt that is good enough for Constructed formats due to its fairly prohibitive cost. I could be wrong though. In limited, it is fairly powerful at putting a huge clock on the hero. It also gives your Arcane allies something to do, and it helps your little allies take out much larger ones.
[Maim]
Constructed: 3
Limited: 4
I'm a huge fan of this card. It's a lot of damage for little cost, and is something that is playable with the old feral Form cards as well. I'm sure this is one of the abilities that made Bryan Lyons happy, it also lets the deck have some way to deal with [Vuz'din] when [Broderick Langforth] is in the graveyard. In limited, all of the feral Forms are insane, but of course this card's strength is dependent on picking up forms. It's not worthless without one, but it's a hell of a lot better when you have some Bear Form on the table.
[Moonshard]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 4
In Constructed, this is a bad Nature' Focus. Moving on. In Limited, this takes out allies which cost more than two, although it is weak against Aberration. Still, removal is removal, and this is a fine card to have in booster draft.
[Rend and Tear]
Constructed: 3.5
Limited: 5
There has been talk of this card giving Cat Form decks in Constructed the strength it needs to compete against the other decks in the Classic and Constructed formats. I don't buy the hype for Classic, but this thing is certainly sweet for Core. It may be one of those explosive abilities that helps the deck out, as it doesn't need any extra support from cards like [Predatory Strikes]. In limited, this is a reason to be in Druid and is one of those cards where you are grinning ear to ear when you know that you can play this ability. Ding three of your allies, attack for six? Um...YES PLEASE.
[Savage Cat Form]
Constructed: 3
Limited: 3
The second best Constructed Cat Form, sitting behind the Scourgewar Cat Form which remains the best when supported. Built-in Stealth is sweet. In limited, this card makes me immediately lean towards using [Vanira Ravernthorne] as my hero. I love using my hero to kill stuff, especially when strike costs aren't associated with killing allies.
[Starburst]
Constructed: 4
Limited: 4
I haven't heard a lot of buzz about this card yet, which is surprising since I feel it is one of the sleeper hits of the set. Three damage is never exciting, but this card is never dead and it always jumps you ahead on resources. This should have a place in the Ramp Druid deck for Core Constructed, and it would have made me jump for joy back in my Boomkin days.
Hunter
[Cobra Shot]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
ZOMG! If I have [Envoy of Mortality] and [Dundee] in play, this is like EIGHT damage! I'm betting most of the time it's going to be 0 damage, or it will appear to be 3-5 damage until they kill your pet in response. Pass.
[Donatello]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 3
Unexciting in Constructed, although I don't mind that it exists since it holds down the fort nicely. In limited, this card gets far better at protecting your other allies while being able to take out many of the early Worgen you expect to see in the format.
[Loque]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 5
Move over, [Bayner Cogbertson]. This guy is worlds better than you, and something you will be happy to see if you are Hunter in limited. I could move into Hunter for this card the moment I see him in sealed pack. In Constructed, this doesn't get through a [Blizzard]. I'd still rather have [Dundee] if I am trying to make Hunters work.
[Noxious Trap]
Constructed: 3
Limited: 5
This card is ridiculous in limited. I shouldn't have to explain why. It kills stuff at no cost, and you even get to ready resources for your copies of [Entrenched]! In Constructed, this seems like a cool way to keep your resources ready for cards like [Snipe] and [Bombard]. The latter actually seems really sweet with this card, and may be one of the reasons this card sees play.
[Warning Shot]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
Heh. Bad Constructed, a potential trick in limited. Moving on.
[Widow Venom]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
This is probably too expensive to see any play in Constructed, although I suppose that it has side deck potential in Classic. In limited, I underestimated this card and had it deal about one-third of the damage needed to take out my hero when playing in the judge draft after DMF Chicago. Two damage per turn is not to be underestimated. It adds up fast.
[Wild Fervor]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3.5
Bad in Constructed, but pretty sweet in Limited. It makes under-dropping in a turn much less painful, it encourages rush strategies in a format which emphasizes giant allies in the late game, and it makes anything you play into an immediate threat.
Mage
[Arcane Barrage]
Constructed: 4.5
Limited: 5
Other people can choose whatever they want, but Arcane Barrage is my pick for the best card in the set. I think this thing's ridiculous. It answers [Vuz'din], it answers their second copy of the annoying ally, it cannot be interrupted, it's eight damage from one card, it makes those potential Mage rush decks that much better, it is sweet with cards like [Darkness Calling], it's available to the best heroes in Classic...
...so to summarize, I think this card is the stone nuts. If it drops below five dollars, I'm going to laugh. If it drops below three, I'm going to be buying up a lot of copies of this card.
Oh, and in limited, it's a two-for-one removal ability. In short: IT IS GOOD!
[Arcane Foresight]
Constructed: 3
Limited: 4
Another card that helps the poor old Mage rush strategy. It doesn't play well with [Blizzard]. I wonder if that was intentional?
In limited, it's a one-cost removal card and an easy enabler for Azure Dragonkin effects.
[Arcane Inferno]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
Ugh...
[Draconic Flames]
Constructed: 2.5
Limited: 4
Probably too expensive to do much of anything in Constructed but hey, it kills [Dethvir the Malignant]. In limited, this card is one of the scariest things to expect from an opponent who has a Dragonkin ally in play.
[Flash Freeze]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 4
In Constructed, pass. In limited, don't pass. It's efficient removal for annoying Aberration allies.
[Mystical Refreshment]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 2
This feels like a win-more card on most levels, although it is sweet with [Mirror Image] in Constructed. In limited, I don't see how you draw more than two cards without winning the game for having that many allies in play anyway.
[Tidal Elemental]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 3.5
This is an ally that can be played at any point and still be fairly awesome in limited. I like answers to Aberration fatties, or dudes like [Bayner Cogbertson]. In Constructed, I'd rather be playing with [Water Elemental].
Paladin
[Blessing of Faith]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 2
It's okay. This card is nothing exciting. I do like, however, that it involves options for a class known for only having options against attackers or things that dealt damage to it.
[Holy Vengeance]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 1
One of my friends is very excited about this card. I can't say that I share his enthusiasm. Worthless in limited, slightly better but still pretty bad in Constructed.
[Holy Wrath]
Constructed: 3
Limited: 4
It is by no means an auto-win card like [Army of the Dead] in limited, but it is pretty damn close. Unsurprisingly. It is a board-sweeper after all. In Constructed this isn't particularly bad either, as it hits enough relevant cards where it could potentially see play in an aggressive deck.
[Inquisition]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 4
In Constructed, this card is probably not good enough. But in Limited, it is one of those abilities that makes me very happy to be a Paladin. This answers anything from annoying Aberration allies to [Bayner Cogbertson]. It is easily their best trick in the format.
[Light of Reckoning]
Constructed: 1
Limited: 3
See above. I've nothing really to add.
[Shield of the Righteous]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 1
Other than its synergy with [Aegis of the Blood God], which is cute but by no means going to beat Mage decks in Classic, this card is a pass.
[Vengeful Crusader Strike]
Constructed: 2
Limited: 3
I don't really like the conditional Paladin removal, but this at least has the benefit of being able to hit heroes if they are somehow using their hero to attack. This is more relevant in Constructed most likely thanks to cards like [Broderick Langforth].
That's all for today. Tomorrow, I will take a look at the other half of the abilities in this set...including the two dual-class abilities of this set.
-Mike Rosenberg
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