Druids and Shamans. The two crazy nature-loving, storm-wielding hybrid-tastic heroes ready to duke it out in Hearthstone, and we’re ready to look at every card in their deck!
This week, Erik and I look at all the class-specific cards for Druid and Shaman and tell you what we think of them, listing our favorite and least favorite cards, and debating what the absolute best card in the whole class pile is.
Check out our similar card reviews for the Priest and Warrior decks.
Note: This episode was recorded before some changes were announced to Druid/Shaman cards, so some of the stats we mention may be outdated.
Subscribe to The Happy Hearthstone Podcast on iTunes or via RSS!
The Links
- Check out new crafting info
- Read recent card changes
- Watch the Rogue vs Druid game
- Find other Hearthstone communities
- Sign up for the beta!
Hello!
- Erik is on the show this week
- Topic: Picking favorites and least favorites from Druid and Priest cards
- Reasons to be happy this week
Who is Erik?
- History with card games
- History with Blizzard games
- History with being a cool roommate
Druid Cards Overview
- A full list of all Druid cards
- Choosing between two options
- Minor healing
- Mana acceleration
- Druid Hero Ability: Gain 1 armor and 1 attack until end of turn
Our favorite Druid cards
Cards we are excited to play, even if they’re not necessarily the best by objective standards
Josh:
- Savagery – Great damage, even if it’s not removing all. Druid has a lot of ways to boost it’s attack damage. “All minions” will always be worth sideboarding at the very least.
- Ancient of War – Great stats either way, and the flexibility is awesome.
- Savage Roar – I want to hate this card for using “characters” instead of “heroes and minions” (which I have to assume it means). Solid damage that can really surprise the enemy in a minion-heavy deck.
Erik:
- Ancient of Lore – Bring in a 5/5, need more cards? Take more cards. Need more health? Take more health.
- Force of Nature – A huge army at your command for 5 mana, with Charge. The druid’s surprise assault.
- Healing Touch – Boring maybe, but you can’t go wrong with gaining 8 heath. It’s just too useful.
The best Druid card
The most powerful card that we think should be in every deck
Josh:
- Cenarius – So flexible, and can help with whichever you need help with each time: defense or offense. Expensive, but always worth it.
Erik:
- Nourish – Mana acceleration is hugely important is decks with big bad minions, and Druid needs that. If Mana isn’t an issue at that point in the game, 3 cards!
Druid cards we hate
Cards we personally don’t want to play, or will hate to play against
Josh:
- Naturalize – Acceptable removal against bombs, but there’s going to be so many games where the creature on the board is less dangerous than your opponent having two more cards, especially late game.
- Bite – Expensive, and you still have to swing with your hero, potentially taking damage against minions.
- Moonfire – If you own more cards than is required to build a deck, do not play this card. We’ve all had those frustrating moments where “it’d just take 1 more damage!” — but don’t let that fool you. You remember those moments because they were frustrating. 90% of the time, 1 damage doesn’t make the difference.
Erik:
- Claw – I can see it’s use early game, given it’s one mana cost, but attacking with your hero is always too dangerous of a proposition for me.
- Wild Growth – 2 mana for an empty mana crystal is too big of a hit early game when you need to be getting cards out.
- Keeper of the Grove – 4 mana for a 2/4? Meh, even with silence.
Shaman Cards Overview
- A full list of Shaman cards
- Aggressive
- Attack multiple times on a turn
- Randomness!
- Shaman Hero Ability: Summon a random totem.
Our favorite Shaman cards
Cards we are excited to play, even if they’re not necessarily the best by objective standards
Josh:
- Ancestral Spirit – Great protection. Will deter against non-bombs, and for bombs, guarantees you get to use them at least once. How sleep works.
- Dust Devil – High risk/reward. Against most, should get at least 6 damage for him if you go first. Often 12.
- Earth Elemental – Overload is insane. Huge HP/Damage. Talked about this card before, but I love it.
Erik:
- Stoneclaw Totem – Totems that tank for you. What more could you ask for?
- Mana Tide Totem – How about an extra card? That’s always nice too. Especially when they cost one less to play
- Flametounge Totem – Easy fast damage
The best Shaman card
The most powerful card that we think should be in every deck.
Josh:
- Unbound Elemental – Decent minion by itself, and you will have a lot of Overload cards.
Erik:
- Totemic Might – Makes all your best cards even better. You’re a shaman! You need totems!
Shaman cards we hate
Cards we personally don’t want to play, or will hate to play against
Josh:
- Hex – Taunt? Come on. You’re spending a card and an attack to kill it. Lame
- Lava Burst – 5 mana for 5 damage. Way more efficient cards out there. Here, Overload doesn’t actually help you at all. Overload needs to affect momentum.
- Windfury – 2 Mana just to give Windfury isn’t terrible. Pay 2 more mana and get a big 3/3 minion tacked onto it that you can potentially bounce back in.
Erik:
- Doomhammer – 5 mana for windfury and 2 attack? Yes, it has 8 durability, but still a waste when for 5 mana you can spit out like 7 totems.
- Forked Lightning – Random is a bad word in TCGs. I don’t like having to rely on a virtual dice roll to accomplish my goals, even if this card is cheap.
- Al’Akir the Windlord – How could you not include this? He’s an Elemental lord for 8 cost with 4 fewer attack than an earth elemental! Taunt with only 5 HP is going to spell trouble, even with Divine Shield.
Card of the Week
More guns, more parrots, more treasure!
Sing along with the lyrics!
(To the tune of Carmen’s Toreador)
Happy Hearthstone presents the ca-ard of the week.
It could be strong or it could be meek.
Whether Minion, Weapon or Ability—
Mana cost of eight, or even free!
We really like this card!
So listen quick
To Josh and Er-rr-ik!
Farewell
- Follow Erik on Twitter
- What you want to see in future episodes
- What hosts you want to visit the show
Join The Podcast
- SUBSCRIBE to The Happy Hearthstone podcast on iTunes or this RSS feed.
- FOLLOW me on Twitter or Google+
- MEET new Hearthstone friends and discuss deck strategies and the latest game news in our Google+ Community.
- PLAY with us in Hearthstone, whenever we actually get into beta!