GVG Class Breakdown

Author: Joseph Scalise

Introduction: Hello one and all, I greatly hope you are enjoying the Holiday season (snow or not), and finding time to relax. But who can relax in a time like this? Gnomes vs. Goblins is officially upon us, and there are decks to be made, card to be crafted and packs to be cracked. The early arena surprise has already shown us how incredibly fun these cards are, but what about constructed? Hunter and friends have run the ladder for so long it is almost hard to imagine what a completely new, revamped metagame will look like. However, there will be a new metagame, and I could not be more excited.

Instead of doing my weekly deck-tech, I decided to look at how each class stands from the new cards in GVG, and what decks might rise from each class. I am doing this instead of a deck-tech, because a deck-tech seems rather pointless in light that everything is going to chance in just a few days. I won’t be looking at necessarily individual cards in this article, but rather how I believe the future of the classes are going to shift. I think, with all the new cards, each class will become viable to some extent, and below I will explain my thinking behind why that is.

Mage: I will start the list off with a class who has not seen serious play in some time. Yes, there was a brief instant where people tried to make midrange secrets work, but that deck relied too heavily on getting an early Mad Scientist or Kirin Tor Mage to be consistent. As such, Mage is in a very strange spot going into GVG, with its only good iteration (Freeze Mage) getting oppressed by Rexxar and his beasts. Is Flare getting nerfed? Yes. Will it see less play? Yes. Does that mean Freeze Mage might make a comeback? Possibly, and that should be noted, but I don’t believe any of the new cards from the set will necessarily help out that deck. That being said, Mage does have some new options that look quite good.

The new cards really allow Mage to go into two different directions, and I am not sure which one is going to be better. The first is aggro. While there aren’t too many explicitly Mage cards that give way to aggro, Goblin Blastmage is incredibly powerful in a mech-centered aggressive lit. So much so, that it could make Mage one of the best choices for a mech aggro deck. A lot of vanilla mech cards already seem to be ahead of the curve (Spider Tank and Tinkertown Technician come to mind) and Blastmage, backed up with all of Mage’s burn spells, could build something rather strong.

However, while aggro is something that is worth testing, Mage really came out on top with some very choice control options. Mage has always been a class that seems slated for a heavy control build. It has plenty of AOE, and freeze as a mechanic is inherently control based. GVG just gave Mage a couple more options when it comes to making a solid list. Snowchugger is a great two drop that should not be overlooked, as it trades with early minions and can lock Warrior and Rogue out of the game for a few turns. Flame Cannon is also a very strong card. “Random minion” is not usually something you want to see on a removal card, but a class like Mage, which has so many ways to manipulate the board, should have no problem using this to hit the right targets. In the same way that Paladin Control tries to control the game until they can play Tirion Fordring, I could see a Mage list that uses a slew of spells and efficient minions to stay alive until Archmage Antonidas can take over the game.

Paladin: Unfortunately, (and it really does pain me to say this) Paladin got the shortest end of the stick in GVG. Their legend could not be weaker, and most of the cards are either severely underpowered or overcosted. In this way, while some people may try to make Muster for Battle work with Sword of Justice, there probably won’t be any new iteration of Paladin coming with the new set. I will note that Quartermaster is also a very interesting card, but it is probably just too slow for constructed. However, that being said, they did get Shielded Minibot and Coghammer, which could impact the class in one specific way.

A 2/2 for two with divine shield doesn’t seem like anything special, but it is a very strong, early game minion that Control Paladin was looking for. Not only that, but Coghammer is another very strong anti-aggro tool that Control Paladin really needed. Control Paly generally had very good matches against Control, where it could wait the game out and then win in fatigue with its hero power. However, due to the light early game, Paladin would routinely get run over by things like Zoo and Hunter. Both of these cards give Paladin something to do in the early game to battle back against aggro. The Minibot is almost always a two for one, and Coghammer works wonders with any minion you have on the board (Ancient Watcher comes to mind). Even if you don’t have a minion, Coghammer is still a 2/3 weapon which can easily help clear out problematic early game minions. Combining this with something like Minibot (after popping its shield) gives Paladin Control some great early game weapons.

Druid: While Priest probably made out the best with Goblins vs. Gnomes (which I will get to below) Druid is a close second. In terms of class cards, they got a very powerful card in the form of Grove Tender. Ramp Druid is a deck that lives off of having a way to ramp into huge, over the top minions and this card does that while also putting a 2/4 onto the board. Yes, it gives your opponent a crystal as well, but that is a small cost for ramping toward huge threats. In addition, they also have a huge range on new, terrifying legends that they can now play with. Sneed’s Old Shredder and Troggzor are two such legends that, if you can play out early will usually end the game in just a couple of turns if your opponent doesn’t have silence. While I’m not sure Malorne is all that strong, he also represents a card that can be good if ramped out. He will be very difficult for Control decks to deal with, and will usually win fatigue wars.

While Ramp Druid continues to get better and better, nothing else really stands out for the nature class. Most of the class cards are really underwhelming, with each epic (Tree of Life, Deadly Wispers) being really weak. Recycle is hard removal, and that is something that Druid has always lacked, but the class uses large minions to get creatures off the board, not six mana. People have also discussed the possibility of using Robo Cub, but the card, while flexible, is way too weak for constructed play.

Shaman: Shaman, unlike Paladin and Druid, got some cards that really could lead to new decks. Right now the only real iteration Shaman is midrange, be it Sea Giant or straight value. These decks wear their opponent down using small, early game minions, and then win off of larger burst cards like Doomhammer or Al’akir. However, GVG gave Shaman some really powerful tools. Even better, these cards don’t necessarily fit into the current midrange deck, which means there will be some real innovation happening with Thrall in the coming weeks.

The most obvious thing to say about Shaman is due to Puddlestomper and Siltfin Spiritwalker, there is some potential for a murloc deck. However, I am really doubtful that deck will be any good. I could be surprised on this, and it definitely does warrant some testing, but overall murlocs just don’t have enough punch in the current meta to be viable. Though, if aggro is what you’re looking for then you shouldn’t be disappointed. Shaman got a ton of new cards that scream fast damage. Whirling Zap-o-matic, Crackle and even Dunemaul Shaman could lead to a burst oriented aggressive deck that could kill people very, very quickly. Burst has always been a staple of Shaman lists, but these cards could take from being a finisher to being the core of the deck.

On the other hand, Shaman also has some new pieces that could take it from a strictly midrange class to a full on control class. They already have access to some of the most efficient removal in the game, and having access to Crackle gives them even more answers. Vitality also finally gives the class a source of healing, which will make the aggro matchups just a little bit better. I’m not sure if a 0/3 is the best form of healing Shaman could of asked for, but it is better than nothing. Finally, there is also Neptulon. While Shaman control decks will most likely run all sorts of finishers, this is a card that should not be overlooked. Yes, it is murloc oriented, and that has caused many people to glaze over the card. However, if you look at the card for what it really is (a 7/7 that draws you four cards) it suddenly looks a lot better. Not only that, but murlocs have some great synergy, which means the cards will most likely buff each other. This could be a very solid finisher, and one of the pieces of a new control build.

Warrior: Warrior is a class that really got hit where it hurt. I can’t really see any of the neutral cards fitting into any of the current lists, and almost all of the class cards are incredibly underwhelming. Shieldmaiden and Siege Engine both get outclassed by the better midgame legends, Ogre Warmaul is really too unreliable, and Bouncing Blade is very inefficient removal. Still, not all is lost. Iron Juggernaut could be an interesting choice for Control Warrior, using the investment of the mine to set up Grommash kills later in the game. And, while Control Warrior isn’t really looking at anything new beyond that, there is some potential for a new style of Warrior deck thanks to one card.

Crush is fantastic removal. Three mana destroy a minion is extremely far beyond the curve, especially for a deck that has access to so many forms of efficient removal. While I don’t think the card will make it into Control Warrior, I do think it could give rise to an enrage deck. Enrage Warrior is a deck that has been used to some limited success in the past, and a strong removal spell that caters exactly to that deck could be very powerful. I’m not sure if that deck will be more aggressive or midrange, but Crush could make it a contender. Even Bouncing Blade, as bad as it is, might be able to be put into that list alongside things like Raging Worgen, Acolyte of Pain and Armorsmith.

Rogue: Yes, Gadgetzan Auctioneer has been nerfed. And yes, that means Miracle Rogue is most likely dead forever. However, that does not mean that Valeera is done, not by a long shot. I would say that Rogue probably came out third in the race for “best cards in GVG”. The class got, in my opinion, the second best class legendary (besides Mal’Ganis), in addition to many constructed playable cards for both tempo and aggro. Rogue has always had versatility because its best cards (Backstab, Deadly Poison, Eviscerate, SI:7 Agent) can be used for both tempo and aggro. As such, I think there will probably be a version of each for the class in the coming weeks.

If you want to go aggressive there are two options. The first of these is Pirates. I know it might seems strange, but One-Eyed Cheat and Ship’s Cannon are both strong enough to make Rogue Pirate work. Pirates were always just a card or two off of being viable, and each of those cards are really good at attacking your opponent to zero. Even if Pirates aren’t your thing, you can go hyper aggro with cards like Goblin Auto Barber, Tinker’s Sharpsword Oil and then use the huge Ogre Ninja as a finisher. When backed up with all of the direct damage Rogues have access to each of these decks could easily find there way to the ladder.

In addition to aggro, Tempo Rogue also is set to make a comeback. Using the old shell, Trade Prince Gallywix and Sabotage could be enough to push the deck forward. Gallywix works as like a second, larger Loatheb that steals spells instead of shutting them off. That might sound worse, but it’s actually better in a deck like Tempo. Running the goblin with Loatheb makes it even stronger. Sabotage is another card that many are too quick to call weak. Yes, it does cost one more the same effect as Deadly Shot, but Rogue has so much removal that it should be much easier to get one minion on your opponents board than with Hunter. The fact that sometimes there is a Acidic Ooze stapled on just makes it even sweeter.

Priest: Deathrattle took this once forgotten class and brought it to the forefront of constructed. GVG looks to continue that trend in a very big way. Unlike any other class, the new cards give Priest options to play a control, midrange and aggro deck. This is because Priest by and far has the best additions in the set, and they trickle from heavy control tools all the way down to a very aggressive one drop. No matter what version of Priest you want to play, it seems that Blizzard has ensured that you will have a good chance to win your game. And, as bad as Priests used to be, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

While Priest has always been slanted towards heavy control with its hero power and cards like Mind Control, there are so many good cards that midrange could become very powerful. Fire Elemental Vol’jin is a beast of a legend that almost always acts as a removal spell, Shrinkmeister allows Cabal Shadow Priest, Shadow Word: Pain and Shadow Madness to have infinitely more targets, and Recombobulator can lead to some very interesting plays. These card, when paired with Sylvanas, Cairne and Loatheb, have the makings of a very powerful midrange list that will probably make Priest even better. That being said, there is also a very strong Control Priest list brewing that sits back behind Dark Cultists and Sludge Belchers and uses Shrinkmeister to steal the things they need while using efficient removal to kill the things they can’t. That control deck also has a new mass removal spell in Lightbomb, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

On the flip side, Shadowbomber is a card that I think will give rise to a Priest aggro deck. Those two cards may seem very contradictory side by side, but the seemingly small impact one drop actually backs quite a punch. Priest, for all its healing, does have some very aggressive cards in Mindblast and Dark Cultists. These cards work great alongside other strong minions like Leper Gnome and Undertaker. An aggressive build has never really worked because the list has always been missing a key piece, but Shadowbomber, which gives the deck another one drop as well as some reach for later in the game, could be the perfect fit.

Hunter: While the metashift will most assuredly take away from Hunter’s reign as king, the class isn’t going anywhere soon. Yes, they did get many of the weakest cards in the set (in fact they did quite poorly when compared to other classes), but the cards they did get are quite powerful. I don’t need to go into detail about the terrifying Gahz’rilla, not do I need to discuss the different combos associated with it. I will say that, because of how much it costs, there are other cards that bode a lot better for Rexxar and crew.

If Hunter is going to exist post-GVG, it is going to exist as either a highly aggressive beatdown deck like it is now, or as a beast-centric midrange list. Feign Death is in the running as the strongest epic in the set, giving Hunter aggro just more options. Metaltooth Leaper is also very powerful, and could give rise to a mech-aggro Hunter list all on its own. A Savage Roar, even for a specific type of minion, is very scary when in the hands of Hunter. Even Glaivezooka, which seems to be a little underpowered, could be good enough in the right “all face” Hunter deck.

Though Blizzard is working very, very hard to make Control Hunter exists with cards like Steamwheedle Sniper and big, game ending beasts, the deck still doesn’t have enough to make that happen. Rather, Call Pet (which at this point is pretty much better than Flare in the right list) and Lost Tallstrider both give Hunter access to more beast synergy. Hunter is a class that has always operated well when it can get one large hit of damage in, and then finish the game with its hero power. There are so many strong beasts in the game that I think a deck that uses synergy to get that one large hit in being very strong. Hunter always works best when being able to cycle through its deck, and a card that does that while also allowing turn three Savannah Highmanes cannot be bad.

Warlock: If I were to make one call about GVG, I would guarantee that Zoo-mech is going to be one of the best decks to come out of the set. That’s not something I am happy about, but it is the truth. Life tap is just so powerful that this class will always want to spam the board with cheap minions. Add the fact that those minions have some very powerful synergy as well as a natural resistance to AOE, and I can’t imagine that deck not existing. Mechs do everything that Warlock thrives off of (spam the board, synergize, replace the board with minions after death) and should easily take the place of many of the minions in the current Zoo list.

Handlock isn’t really getting any new minions, but they are getting efficient removal in the form of Darkbomb. A good two man removal spell could do wonders for the deck, and with Soulfire getting nerfed it could even take its place. Cards like Darkbomb are boring, they don’t do much and aren’t flashy, but they usually have a great impact on the game. Besides Handlock, the truly epic Mal’Ganis, Floating Watcher and Imp-losion could give rise to a very solid demon deck. People have been wanting that deck to exist for a long time (just like Pirates). Getting some more options that can be cheated into play with Voidcaller really make the deck that much better. Jarraxus is already a very strong finisher, and now that they have added a second, Demonlock might truly be viable.

Conclusion

Those are my initial thoughts on how the new cards are going to slot into as well as effect the metagame. I for one could not be more excited about this new set, and am going to be dropping all of my gold as soon as Monday hits. It is hard to properly evaluate how things are exactly going to shake out due to the high volume of cards, but as I said, I think every class has a genuine shot at being top teir. Thanks for reading and, as always, may you always start the game with a strong curve. For Gnomeregan!