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Five Hearthstone cards we’ll miss (and five we won’t)

The calendar has rolled over and later this month we will be getting the first expansion for the Year of the Raven in Hearthstone.

While card reveal season is well underway (you can see all the revealed cards over on Reddit) we can’t help but feel a little saddened at the prospect of cards rotating out of Standard play.

As you might be aware Hearthstone’s Standard mode only allows players to use cards from the most recent two years of expansions and the Classic set.

That means that come next week cards from the Whispers of the Old Gods, One Night in Karazhan and The Mean Streets of Gadgetzan sets will no longer be playable outside of the Wild mode. As a matter of interest Karazhan is also the last adventure to rotate out of Standard play.

For two years we’ve been using these cards and we think its only fitting to send some of them off with a thank you.

For others, we can’t wait to see them go.

The favourites

5. Dirty Rat

This little rodent has won and lost us games thanks to its mechanic. While many (including us) thought the Rat would just end up giving your opponent more power on the board it actually served as a rather good combo disruption. One turn kill (OTK) archetypes like Miracle Malygos Druid, Highlander Priest and Quest Mage all fell to rat and we are going to miss this cheap, effective Taunt minion.

4. Babbling Book

Some cards become known for their strength, some for their power level but few become known for their sheer game swinging potential. To Hearthstone esports fans Babbling Book is known as Pavelling Book thanks to the life saving spells it gave to Pavel during the HCT Championship 2016 which he eventually went on to win.

We will miss the exuberance of this little minion.

3. N’zoth, the Corruptor

This neutral legendary card just keeps on giving in that it will re-summon all Deathrattle minions that died during a game, well at least six minions.

While the card has somewhat fallen out of favour with many decks N’zoth is on of our favourite cards because it can bring back a ton of board presence. The card does require you have some decent minions that have died but in some cases bringing back a board of Weasel Tunnellers isn’t all that bad either.

2. Mistress of Mixtures

Some cards become auto-includes in decks and Mistress of Mixtures was that card for us. The healing potential made it useful for Warlock and Priest alike but any class looking for a cheap heal in the form of a one-mana minion could benefit from the Mistress.

It wasn’t overly powerful or too weak and we’ll miss the Mistress and her potions without side effects.

1. Yogg Saron, Hope’s End

Praise Yogg.

When first released Yogg Saron would cast spells endlessly even if he killed himself with one of the spells.

It was a great time, Yogg Saron was included in any deck which used spells which was very much all of them. The Battlecry proved problematic in the professional scene. Explaining why is tricky so take a look at the video below which showcases just how crazy the old god was.

Nowadays Yogg Saron stops casting spells when he dies but he’s still winning games for people and we will miss praising Yogg at turn 10.

Good riddacne

5. Fandral Staghelm

The “Choose one” mechanic from Druid is rather good. It allows for flexibility during a game, but Fandral Staghelm made it ridiculous.

While card isn’t overpowered its effect was terrible especially if you weren’t able to kill it off. We’ve had to watch in horror as your opponent drew three cards and gained two mana crystals off of Nourish and then kill off the threat we just played with Wrath.

A minion that demands removal be used or trades be made is never fun to play against and we won’t miss Fandral.

Oh and the fact that Malfurion the Pestilent’s hero power also benefits from Fandral is just even more reason to hate him.

4. Steward of Darkshire

Steward of Darkshire has been very popular of late thanks to the Dude Paladin archetype. Paired with Stand Against Darkness (another Whispers of the Old Gods card) this card becomes troublesome as your opponent’s board fills up with Silver Hand Recruits buffed with a Divine Shield.

While it hasn’t really been an egregious card the addition of Level Up! in the Kobolds & Catacombs expansion gave this card the potential it had been yearning for. We’re happy to see this card go if only for the win-more potential it has at the moment.

3. Firelands Portal

Value is the most important thing in Hearthstone and Mage is losing perhaps its most value orientated card at the moment – Firelands Portal.

At seven mana Firelands Portal is very expensive but it allows you to target anything on the board AND summon a 5-mana cost minion. This can go wrong but it rarely does and we’re happy to see the back of powerful single target spells.

2. Barnes

Turn four Y’Shaarj. That is all.

1. Jades, all of the Jade Golem cards

Never in my history with Hearthstone has a mechanic been as vile and as ridiculous as that of the Jade Golems.

The premise was simple. Play one card that summons a Jade Golem and you get a 1/1 body. The second summon will bring a 2/2 Golem onto the board and so it goes.

The problem is that Jades ruined everything. For Druid, Jade Idol was not just a way to summon bigger and bigger minions but also a way to avoid fatigue because you can just shuffle cards back into your deck.

Skulking Geist appeared to deal with the threat somewhat but at turn six a 4/6 minion just isn’t good value especially when your opponent could have a 6/6 Jade on the board.

Cards with the Jade mechanic took over Hearthstone’s ranked ladder and we’ll be happy if we never hear the grating sound of Jades filling the board ever again.

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