#322 - The Angry Chicken: “Fire Fest-E.V.I.L.!”
7-10-19
• Garrett • Jocelyn
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Intro: Welcome to The Angry Chicken!
News
Saviors of Uldum AMA – Tuesday, July 9, 2019
sorry, no card reveal spoilers!
Still no new game modes
- Any plans to introduce more game modes/make the brawl blocks a regular mode?
- Basically no/dodged the question, they just explore things in Tavern Brawl and in events.
Cadence!
- What are you planning to do to keep your playerbase engaged in the core PvP experience?
- At the beginning of the year the team committed to increasing the cadence of content and the variety of ways players get to interact with the game and the team who makes it.
- The "Rise of the Mech", the recently announced "Fire Fest-E.V.I.L.", and a more open outlook towards changing cards more frequently (as seen with the recent nerf, buffs and classic rotated cards) are just a few of the examples of this commitment to date. We fully intend to do more like this especially between expansions, and identify even more opportunities going forward.
- Later on they said they are really happy with the Rise of the Mech, the buffs, and Snip-Snap
- Do you like the current size of expansions at 135 cards?
- Adventures were too small, and 135 felt good, but players are tearing through content so fast now that they’re looking at this again
- They have lots of ideas along the lines of, but different than, Rise of the Mechs to shake things up between card releases, but are open to smaller releases between expansions and are curious if players think this is a good idea or not
- They think a faster cadence is a better idea than more cards per expansion
Revisiting Class Identity
- Class identities, some of them are WTF
- They know they’re out of whack right now, but they’ll lean into them in the future
- Rogue’s plague was changed in SoU because of the solidified class identities
- Still planning on promoting diverse playstyles within a class, even if they suffer from the same weaknesses, or will some classes likely be focused more towards one type of deck?
- It's important to us that classes feel different over time, so having diverse playstyles and new decks is one of the things we design for. Having weaknesses allows us to push their strengths harder too. So we're not trying to push classes towards one type of deck, but just make their weaknesses more pronounced. By having class identities, it allows us to explore more unique forms of their strengths.
- Creating identities for classes allows players to learn to play their class or play against classes because they know what to expect. For instance, if you have a board of 4/4s against Druid, you should feel pretty safe but that same scenario against Mage feels different.
Miscellaneous
- Does the team read fan theories about unreleased expansions, and has anyone ever guessed one ahead of time?
- Yes and yes (no details but come on, we know it was Joce and Kobolds)
- More Lackeys?
- Yes, they’re a year long mechanic like Joce fucking said
- Single biggest adaptation in your approach to designing Quest cards?
- Wanted to do them differently. Whether or not you were able to complete your quest often determined if you would win the game since rewards for those quests were so powerful the game ended shortly after.
- With the Quests in Saviors of Uldum, we wanted them to be easier to complete, but also have more of a game to play out once the quest was completed.
- Alternate cosmetics?
- Hero Powers: cool, but hard because need to remain consistent
- Board Corners: VERY work intensive, and have display issues (right now you just load a board, custom cosmetics would involve smooshing a custom top and bottom together)
- Music: Art and audio are two of the things that increase client size significantly, which is something they have to consider. Unlikely to see new full songs, but maybe stingers
- Alternate hero explosions sound awesome
- Reborn clarifications
- Reborn minions retain their keyword, as do Divine Shield minions after the shield pops, and will act as the first iteration if bounced back to the hand
- They don’t retain buffs
- Reborn minions are summoned
- Wild balance changes soon?
- The spirit of Wild to some degree is that it should be a place where you can go to play your favorite deck no matter when you come back to the game
- Rez priest has enough tools now that changing Barnes probably won’t fundamentally change the deck, could be okay to nerf
- We don't have any changes planned on or before the release of Saviors of Uldum, though we'll revisit this topic once the expansion releases and we have a better idea of what Wild looks like post-Uldum
- Nerfed Kingsbane because it countered ALL control decks, and was more popular than Rez Priest
- Priest got more board clear because they don’t have board clear and a control win condition in the core set, will this change
- No, they like priest feeling just the same only different. Mage, by comparison, with Blizzard, Flamestrike, and Frost Nova Doomsayer is very restrictive in that design space. They like Priest better because it’s more flexible
- Evergreen set doesn’t have a great direction. Healing isn’t great, card generation can’t always win you games, Divine Spirit can be frustrating
- High health minions fit well in priest, but then DS is the go to win condition. That’s fine, but they don’t want DS/IF to be the one and only way Priest wins
- Would you add cards to Classic/Basic that have Discover, Rush, etc?
- Not to Basic, because those aren’t basic enough but if the right opportunity came up, Classic might fit
Links
This episode of TAC is sponsored by Away Luggage! For some amazing luggage check out Away's offering and use the code TAC20 for $20 off your order.
Fire Fest-E.V.I.L.
- What: In-game Brawl event
- When: 10 am PT today, July 10th
- How long: 3 weeks total (ends 9 am PT July 31st)
New Tavern Brawls
Blackrock Crash - Week 1: July 10 – 17
Described as a party-sized solo adventure.
Play as different members of the League of E.V.I.L. and battle against Blackrock bosses to get Dalaran back on track to Uldum. The league is prepared to reward you handsomely for your efforts, of course: you can earn Saviors of Uldum card packs to be opened once our new expansion is live!
Rewards:
- Earn 1 Saviors of Uldum Card Pack the first time you defeat 4 bosses
- Beat all 8 bosses to earn the Ragnaros Card Back
- All completed runs will be timed with rewards based on how quickly you make it to the top of the mountain. How fast can you best the bosses of Blackrock Mountain?
- Beat all 8 bosses in under 1 hour to earn a Golden Bronze Herald card
- Beat all 8 bosses in under 40 minutes to earn a Golden Recurring Villain card
Blackrock Crash Week 2: July 17 - 24
The Blackrock Crash is still going, but now it’s time to call in the heavy-hitters. This week you’ll fight the Blackrock bosses with a new Arch-Villainous playable Hero!
Rewards:
- Earn 1 Saviors of Uldum Card Pack the first time you defeat 4 bosses
- Beat all 8 bosses using Arch-Villain Rafaam to earn a Golden Rafaam’s Scheme card
The Burndown: July 24-31
A brand-new player vs. player Tavern Brawl where only the best decks remain at the top of the mountain. Queue up to receive a random deck. Then, if you lose, you’ll use the deck that defeated you in your next match. Which decks will survive The Burndown?
Rewards:
- Earn 1 Saviors of Uldum card pack the first time you win a match
Community Challenge
For the first two weeks of the Fire Fest-E.V.I.L. the power to reveal upcoming Saviors of Uldum cards is in your capable hands. Work together to progress towards defeating 25 MILLION bosses in the Blackrock Tavern Brawls and unearth new cards along the way.
- 25%: Card Reveal 1
- 50%: Card Reveal 2
- 75%: Card Reveal 3
- 100%: Legendary Card Reveal
TAC gets to do something pretty cool IF the community gets to 25M bosses defeated in the Tavern Brawls!
We’ll get to do an exclusive interview with some of the Hearthstone devs and be a part of the Legendary card reveal from the Fire Fest-E.V.I.L. event! So go Brawl!
Fireside Gatherings Tavern Brawls
Big Bad Rag Raid: July 10 – 31
- Fireside players unite! Team up at a Fireside Gathering near you, play as your favorite member of the League of E.V.I.L., and battle against Ragnaros himself! It’s going to take the entire league to bring Ragnaros from 15,000 health down to zero, so bring your friends!
- Every time Ragnaros is defeated at a Fireside Gathering, it’ll count as 500 defeats towards the community challenge!
- Find a Fireside Gathering near you by visiting www.firesidegatherings.com
Links
BlizzCon to Host the Hearthstone Global Finals
8 players will duke it out at the Anaheim Convention Center in sunny California for their share of the $500,000 prize pool, the trophy, and the title of Hearthstone World Champion!
Qualification
- Both end-of-season playoffs will qualify one Grandmaster from each region to the Global Finals,
- Three Grandmasters will qualify through the Season 1 Playoffs
- Three more qualifying through the Season 2 Playoffs
- The final two players will qualify in through China’s Gold Open Series Playoffs (July 20 and October 6)
Links
Big thanks to our sponsor Harry’s
Make sure you go to Harrys.com/tac to redeem your offer and let them know I sent you to help support the show!
Card Reveals: Saviors of Uldum
Via the Hearthstone Instagram in a recent instastory.
Corrupt the Waters 1 Mana Legendary Shaman Quest Play 6 Battlecry cards. Reward: Heart of Vir’naal. | Heart of Vir’naal 2 Mana Hero Power Your Battlecries trigger twice this turn. |
Lore Note: The Vir'naal is a river that runs through central Uldum. It starts from the Vir'naal Dam and ends at the sea.
- Seems strong, especially with Lackey generation right now. Sludge Slurper alone makes this quest an achievable goal.
- Shudderwock!
- Would help Control Shaman, which is already popular (but struggles against Mage).
- Probably looking at a token-ish Shaman deck so Hagatha would negatively impact your own board too much anyway.
- Really like redditor jambre’s thoughts on this card in the competitivehs thread.
- Lackey’s are good before and after completion.
- Speaking of Lackey’s Shamans will be able to generate even more of them with EVIL Totem.
- If a late-game archetype comes out of this quest: Jeppetto Joybuzz.
- Double-Battlecry Giggling Inventor just slams on the brakes.
- Barista Lynchen anyone?
- Questing Explorer (revealed in the announcement) has a quest synergy Battlecry. Though won’t draw you any cards once the Quest is completed.
- Probably fun for Wild Jade Shaman (but Wild is very fast right now and lord help you if you miss a Turn 1 drop against Odd Pally).
Crazy Game Stories
You can send your Crazy Game Stories to TACpodcast@gmail.com.
SpaceSpiff
Greetings, Ferocious Fowls...
If crazy PvE stories count, I've got one for ya. I'm about halfway through a Dalaran Heist - Violet Hold run on heroic with the "All battlecries trigger twice" anomaly. I'm playing Paladin with a deck that's mostly murlocs plus some buffs and other zoo-like things that seems to be working out ok so far. My next opponent is P.O.G.O., and my heart sinks as I realize the insane bouncy-bunny synergy that I'm up against.
My fears are well-founded (Pogo-Hopper + Shadowstep on turn one, natch), and I find myself pretty quickly down to 4 health with no real plan for survival. I breathed a momentary sigh of relief when a top-decked Giggling Inventor gives me a super-wide (and super-annoying) wall to protect my hero and some buffed minions, and I start making progress on my opponent's face. However, he manages to magnetize Zilliax to one of his ever-growing mech-rabbits and heals to full while continuing to chip away at my defenses. I manage to clear his side thanks to Shrink Ray, but soon I'm out of options, still at 4 health, staring at 25/25 and 29/29 twin death-rodents with no more taunts to hide behind.
In desperation, I play a Hydrologist, hoping against hope that the pair of secrets will provide something, anything, to keep me alive, if only for another turn. And then I see it, the meme-secret to rule them all: Eye for an Eye. Oh well, I shrug, I was going to lose anyway; might as well try to take the AI out with me. And besides, WWJD? (What Would Joce Do?) I play the secret, clear a small minion to guarantee at least 25 is coming to my own face, use my remaining mana on attack buffs to get him down to 24, cross my fingers, and end my turn.
After the inevitable double-explosion, I get the "Defeat!" banner, and proceed to... a new opponent. No new cards or treasure to choose, but no end-of-run either. Just another chance. I manage a pretty easy victory against Whirt the All-Knowing, and my run continues!
Eye for an Eye. For. The. Win.
Patreon Thanks Before Emails
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Outro
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Personal Stuff
Joce where can you be found?
Follow Jocelyn @JocePlays
The Gamers’ Inn
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NOMOONart.com for Garrett’s stream designs.
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