Card reveals have begun for Hearthstone's next big expansion. The Boomsday Project will dive deep into science and technology, as part of the next set for the Year of the Raven.
This expansion features the new keyword Magnetic, new Omega Projects, and Legendary Spells. And as is the case with each new Hearthstone expansion, Shacknews is stepping into the lab to analyze each of the Boomsday Project's new cards. Before we get started, here's everything you might have missed:
Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project - The Dr. Boom, Mad Genius Design Interview
Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project - Analyzing Dr. Boom, Mad Genius
Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project Analysis Lab (Part 1)
Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project Analysis Lab (Part 2)
Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project Analysis Lab (Part 3)
And now, let's continue with the next batch of cards.
(1) Eternium Rover (1/3)
Type: Minion - Mech
Class: Warrior
Rarity: Common
Whenever this minion takes damage, gain 2 Armor.
Source: WalkTone on YouTube
Analysis: Whoa! The Warrior has racked up some fine Turn 1 plays. The Witchwood provided the Town Crier and now the Boomsday Project is offering up this guy. The Eternium Rover comes with fine 1/3 stats, which is pretty ideal for a 1-Mana drop. But the fact that it can offer up a minimum of 2 Armor is pretty great for Warrior players competing against aggro decks.
Eternium Rover will fit in great with Dr. Boom mech decks, but it'll also work just find as a standalone in either constructred or Arena decks. A major thumbs up for what's sure to become a Warrior mainstay.
(6) Mechanical Whelp (2/2)
Type: Minion - Mech
Class: Neutral
Rarity: Rare
Deathrattle: Summon a 7/7 Mechanical Dragon.
Source: Heige
Analysis: There's a lot of risk to playing Mechanical Whelp, with weak 2/2 stats coming on a 6-Mana play. The meaty 7/7 is sitting behind a Deathrattle, which is a big gamble given how many decks are running tech Silence plays. The risk is even greater in Wild, where Priests are itching to get their hands on this guy with Potion of Madness.
But there's one deck that'll minimize, if not outright remove, all of those risks. That, of course, is the Dr. Boom deck. Playing Dr. Boom, Mad Genius gives all Mech minions Rush, which not only gives the 2/2 Mechanical Whelp Rush, but also gives the ensuing 7/7 Mechanical Dragon Rush. That can come in very handy, especially in the late game. Dr. Boom Warrior decks should at least consider giving this guy a trial run.
(2) Fireworks Tech (2/1)
Type: Minion
Class: Hunter
Rarity: Rare
Battlecry: Give a friendly Mech +1/+1. If it has Deathrattle, trigger it.
Source: Leeroy Jenkins on Twitch
Analysis: Here's another attempt to make the Mech Hunter a thing. It's certainly not the worst idea in the world. With Spider Bomb potentially lurking on Turn 3, it's an extra minion removal, which will go nicely in most Midrange Hunter decks.
Wild Hunters will fall in love with the Fireworks Tech immediately, given its instant ability to activate minions like Piloted Shredder. It's still hard to picture any Wild Hunter crafting a deck purely on Mechs, but the Fireworks Tech is a decent tool that should help those decks along.
(6) Eureka!
Type: Spell
Class: Shaman
Rarity: Rare
Summon a copy of a random minion from your hand.
Source: flurry1989 on YouTube
Analysis: This is an expensive proposition for the Shaman. And without a Battlecry attached to this summon, it's hard to see a reason why Eureka! would work for the Shaman player. It wouldn't fit into any current Standard archetype, especially the Shudderwock deck.
Wild players might get a little more use out of this, but not by too much. The deck I can see getting the most use out of this spell is the Burst Shaman, which can call upon a Malygos copy and go nuts with burst spells. Even then, it'll need at least one Emperor Thaurissan turn to truly maximize its effectiveness. Outside of that, I can't imagine Eureka! sees too much play.
(9) The Boomship
Type: Spell
Class: Warrior
Rarity: Legendary
Summon 3 random minions from your hand. Give them Rush.
Source: BestMarmotte on YouTube
Analysis: The Boomship takes some setting up to make work to its maximum potential. The most helpful thing about this spell is that it takes minions from your hand, which means it's a controllable sort of RNG.
But ignore the Rush keyword for a second and keep in mind that Rush does not override Charge. That means it's possible to bring out some big bad Charge minions and go straight for the face. Get your Charged Devilsaurs and your Grommash Hellscream (with Inner Rage) ready, because this could potentially be a OTK combo in the works. Stay tuned, because The Boomship may not look great on paper, but it could end up being far more powerful than anyone expects.
(6) Missile Launcher (4/4)
Type: Minion - Mech
Class: Neutral
Rarity: Rare
Magnetic: At the end of your turn, deal 1 damage to all other characters.
Source: 3D Juegos
Analysis: Behold! It's Diet Baron Geddon!
So what can anyone do with Diet Baron Geddon, which deals half the damage with half the calories? Well, it's possible to play this with Zilliax, so that the end-of-turn effect does some big-time healing. The Rogue player may want to pay some special attention, because they can use the Plague Scientist Combo effect to give the Missile Launcher a Poisonous effect that would clear the board. That's not a scenario I'd expect to see often, but it's one that's possible.
With weak 4/4 stats, the Missile Launcher shouldn't see much action in a constructed deck, but there's a good chance you'll see it in a Dr. Boom effect, most likely as a Discover effect off the Big Red Button.
(4) Academic Espionage
Type: Spell
Class: Rogue
Rarity: Epic
Shuffle 10 cards from your opponent's class into your deck. They cost (1).
Source: Ben Brode Trump on YouTube
Analysis: YIKES! Did the Miracle Rogue seriously need more tools?
Yes, there's very little downside to giving Academic Espionage a run in your Miracle Rogue deck. It'll shuffle 10 cards from the opposition's class into the player's deck, which means that minions and weapons can help feed Combo effects or help buff up Edwin VanCleef. But the 1-Mana spells can not only trigger Gadgetzan Auctioneer, but they might be handy cards in themselves. Imagine picking up a 1-Mana Pyroblast or Mind Control.
This is going to be a very dangerous card in the hands of a Miracle Rogue and is sure to make Tess Greymane a lot more entertaining. You will see a lot of this card in the new meta, both in constructed and in Arena.
(2) Crystalsmith Kangor (1/2)
Type: Minion
Class: Paladin
Rarity: Legendary
Divine Shield, Lifesteal: Your healing is doubled.
Source: Sol on Panda.tv
Analysis: This is a 2-Cost Paladin minion, but it's not one that should really be played on Turn 2, given the potential of its effect.
It didn't take much time for long-time Paladin players to start imagining pairing Crystalsmith Kangor with Lay on Hands, which would then heal for 16 Health while drawing three cards. Wild players can also get the same healing amount for less, thanks to Antique Healbot.
Don't look to play Kangor in the early turns, because he's clearly meant to be a lifesaver when on the brink of defeat. Save him for a desperation situation and then let your favorite healing spell/minion rip.
(4) Cosmic Anomaly (4/3)
Type: Minion - Elemental
Class: Mage
Rarity: Common
Spell Damage +2
Source: Mineski
Analysis: Cosmic Anomaly is a bigger, badder version of the old Evolved Kobold. The exact same 4-Mana cost will get an upgraded 4/3 stat line for the same Spell Damage +2 effect, which is pretty awesome. But then again, nobody's looking to use a Spell Damage +2 minion as a body. They just want to attack the face.
But certain things have changed in Standard since the Evolved Kobold's heyday. For one thing, Freeze Mage has gone by the wayside with Ice Lance in the Hall of Fame and other burst spells also going to Wild. But Elemental Mages can certainly make use of the Cosmic Anomaly as a Discover effect from Servant of Kalimos, especially if they have Leyline Manipulator at the ready. Get some Archmage Antonidas Fireballs ready and let the fireworks commence.
Wild players, go nuts. Feel free to use this guy with the standard Freeze Mage and get your best OTK combos ready.
(1) Shooting Star
Type: Spell
Class: Mage
Rarity: Common
Deal 1 damage to a minion and the minions next to it.
Source: Mineski
Anaylsis: There's not much to get excited about here. It's Arcane Explosion for half the cost, but with roughly half the range. Don't expect to see this in many Mage decks, either in constructed or Arena. It'll also be on the lower-end of Discover effects from cards like Ruby Spellstone or Primordial Glyph.
Worse yet, the card text doesn't specify that it's for enemy minions. So if it shows up off something like Deck of Wonders, there's a chance it'll backfire. Yuck!
(6) Zerek, Master Cloner (5/5)
Type: Minion
Class: Priest
Rarity: Legendary
Deathrattle: If you've cast any spells on this minion, resummon it.
Source: Jacob0 on YouTube
Analysis: This new Priest Legendary has the potential for some shenanigans, because it's basically a zombie for as long as the Priest players casts spells on it. The most obvious one is Power Word: Shield, but think a little farther outside the box.
How about using something like Unidentified Elixir on this, which could even give it the bonus effect that pops it right back to your hand if it dies? Or how about using Vivid Nightmare, which would summon another copy of it? The Wild player has even more options, like Velen's Chosen and Power Word: Glory.
Having a 5/5 sticking around on the board can be immensely useful and can help exhaust the opposing player's removal resources before bringing out the really big guns at the end of the game. Zerek can be a pest and a good diversion for the Priest player.
(5) Shrink Ray
Type: Spell
Class: Paladin
Rarity: Rare
Set the Attack and Health of all minions to 1.
Source: Gamespot
Analysis: It's Humility crossed with Equality and spread out across all friendly and enemy minions. This is Shrink Ray and it could be... pretty okay.
Shrink Ray is most likely to see play in Odd Paladin decks, where 1/1 Silver Hand Recruits are running wild. On a board full of Silver Hand Recruits, it's possible to bring everyone down a 1/1 with Shrink Ray and then follow it up by buffing those Silver Hand Recruits to 3/3 Taunts with Level Up! to ensure friendly minions are sitting pretty. Shrink Ray is also the closest the Odd Pally will get to having Equality available to them, so just for that reason, it's a helpful tool.
Aside from that, it's an unorthodox spell that would only see play if the opposing side of the board has gotten out of hand. Shrink Ray has its uses, but I wouldn't expect it to be any Paladin player's first choice.
(1) Voltaic Burst
Type: Spell
Class: Shaman
Rarity: Rare
Summon two 1/1 Sparks with Rush. Overload (1)
Source: Yen-Yu Chuang on Facebook
Analysis: Unless a Shaman is facing down an opposing board filled with small minions, like Odd Paladin, it's tough to picture Voltaic Burst being of much use. Getting hit by two 1/1 minions with Rush is like getting kicked in the shin by a really weak guy. However, this does have a few limited uses. Think about using the Sparks to trade into other minions to trigger a different minion's effect, like Cult Master or Witch's Cauldron. Clever Shudderwock decks might even use that Cult Master combo to help draw some quick cards.
The other main instance where players will see this card is if it's generated by Hagatha the Witch. It won't do much damage, but Voltaic Burst has a modicum of potential as a utility play.
(5) Myra Rotspring (4/2)
Type: Minion
Class: Rogue
Rarity: Legendary
Battlecry: Discover a Deathrattle minion. Also gain its Deathrattle.
Source: Alliestrasza on YouTube
Analysis: Myra Rotspring has the potential to be a very good card. There are plenty of useful Deathrattle minions out there, with Alliestrasza pointing out that Myra can be combined with Deranged Doctor for a big-time heal. Other strong Deathrattle effects include Plated Beetle and Bone Drake, with the bonus being that the selected minion also gets added to your deck. On the one hand, that's a good value play.
The downside is that with so many Deathrattle minions out there, there's just as big a chance that this play becomes a dud. Imagine ending up with Carnivorous Cube (which would then summon nothing!) or Rattling Rascal. At that point, it's just a 4/2 minion, which isn't too great for its 5-Mana cost.
There is a wild card question here, though, and that's... what happens if this gets the Sherazin, Corpse Flower effect? Does Myra go dormant upon death and can then be revived as a 4/2 by playing four cards? Something to think about.
That's all for now! Keep an eye on Shacknews over the next few weeks for more card breakdowns for The Boomsday Project, leading all the way up to the expansion's release on August 7.
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replyOzzie Mejia posted a new article, Hearthstone: The Boomsday Project Card Analysis Lab (Part 4)
