Over the course of Hearthstone's history, the popular online trading card game has seen its share of overpowered cards that are promptly nerfed to the point of being unplayable in competitive matches. With Blizzard recently announcing more upcoming changes to the game, and the recent departure of Ben Brode from the company, fans are wondering what the future of card design in Hearthstone has in store for them.
While Blizzard has always been good about tweaking cards that are considered overpowered, sometimes that’s not enough. This is a list of the top ten most overpowered cards in Hearthstone that players want to be banned.
10 Reckless Experimenter
This is among the cards that Blizzard has announced a nerf for but players are still skeptical if it can be balanced at all. With the card text, “Deathrattle minions you play cost (3) less, but die at the end of the turn. (Cost can’t be reduced below 1.)”, it’s clear this card will be a staple in Priest decks for the foreseeable future.
While making the minions affected by the card die at the end of the turn seems like a way to balance the card, sometimes that can be advantageous for the person playing Reckless Experimenter. Minions with powerful Deathrattles can be triggered without the opposing player being able to do anything to counter them, making this card worthy of the ban hammer.
9 Mind Control Tech
Mind Control Tech has been a staple in all types of decks for years, which means it’s time to take a second look at the validity of the card. While cards that swing the tempo of the game are both important and fun, MC Tech can make a sure-fire win turn into a hair-pulling loss.
While the stats are normal for a three-mana card, its Battlecry, “If your opponent has 4 or more minions, take control of one at random,” is overpowered, especially because it poses no risk to the person playing it.
8 Sn1p-Sn4p
Sn1p-Sn4p is set to debut in the upcoming patch on June 3rd and players are already skeptical. Being both magnetic and having echo is a dangerous combination set to enhance an already powerful Mech Hunter deck that is already seeing regular play.
Even without the Deathrattle of summoning two 1/1 Microbots, this card seems likely to see play in most Mech focused decks. While its status as a legendary serves as a balance to its insane ability, this card is set to devastate Wild with some of the possible combos and for that this card should be banned before it sees the light of day.
7 Shield Slam
Shield Slam has been a staple of Control Warrior since the archetype has been around. With cards that generate armor seemingly endlessly for Warrior decks, and the abundance of removal the class already has, it’s time for Shield Slam to make its exit.
As Warrior has no problem generating armor consistently, a low-cost card that is able to remove such powerful enemies is unfair to opponents. At one mana and the fact you keep all of the armor used to deal the damage, Shield Slam is ready to be retired for good.
6 Knife Juggler
Knife Juggler is the anointed king of RNG. It seems no matter what else is on the board, that stray knife is going right at whatever minion is sitting at one health. The damage dealt by this card is not the problem, it’s the lack of planning and skill it takes for such a low-cost card to produce massive implications on the game.
Knife Juggler has already been nerfed once before and most likely will be retired in the future. There are too many other cards that can generate multiple low-cost minions that can be combined with Knife Juggler and it’s time for this pesky gnome to make his exit.
5 Wrenchcalibur
Wrenchcalibur is a relatively new card introduced in the Rise of Shadows expansion. Early game weapons are a dangerous thing to experiment with (shown by Blizzard previously moving Fiery War Axe from 2 mana up to 3) and this card is no exception.
As a 3/2 weapon, this card immediately can do 6 damage and follows that up by shuffling two bombs into your deck which, if it’s in a control deck are certain to explode on you, for 5 damage each. A 4 cost weapon that can do sixteen damage over the course of the game is worthy of permanent retirement.
4 Zilliax
Zilliax is a fun card. It seemingly has every type of card text Blizzard could think of with a “Mech” label to boot. However, with the introduction of new, powerful, mechs that have perfect synergy with Zilliax, it has become too overpowered.
As a 5 mana 3/2 and legendary card, it seems balanced; however, the new mechs mean Zilliax will soon be a thorn in even the most patient Hearthstone player’s side. It may be time to say goodbye to one of Hearthstone's most comma-filled cards.
3 Brawl
Warrior has too much removal. Winning, or losing, due to pure chance leads to nothing but an empty feeling. Both of these things can be reduced by removing Brawl from the game permanently. With the card text: “Destroy all minions except one. (chosen randomly)” Brawl, most likely, sits on the throne of making players furious because of chance.
The worst part is you cannot justify not putting Brawl into your warrior decks, despite the possibility of it harming you, because it’s such a powerful card. For all the reasons listed it’s time to say bye-bye to Brawl.
2 Archivist Elysiana
Even with Blizzard recently bumping the mana cost from 8 to 9, Archivist Elysiana still continues to see widespread use in control decks. Mana cost was never the issue with Elysiana anyway.
It is simply too powerful a card to exist. Over the course of a turn, a deck can go from having standard cards to being full of legendary cards and powerful weapons. This is simply not fair. It’s time for Archivist Elysiana to hit the road for good.
1 Dr. Boom, Mad Genius
Does it even need to be said? Dr. Boom terrorized players for years before being rotated out of standard and now he has come back with a vengeance. Not only does playing this card give you 7 armor and allow your mechs to have "Rush" for the rest of the game, but it also gives you a plethora of powers that are overpowering in their own way.
As long as Dr. Boom, Mad Genius is still around, control warrior will continue its reign as one of the best decks around. They retired him once as a minion and it’s time to do the same to him as a playable hero. Infinite value in the late game is neither fun nor fair.