Hearthstone’s March of the Lich King expansion may come with the new and exciting Death Knight class, but the older classes got quite a few powerful cards as well.
Demon Hunter, the newest class before the Death Knight, was especially fortunate. Some of its new cards don’t appear to have a home just yet, but one package in particular looks like it will slot directly into one of its most powerful decks. To help you determine which is which, here are all ten cards released for Demon Hunter in March of the Lich King, ranked by their power level.
10/10 Fierce Outsider
Fierce Outsider is sometimes a 2/1 with Rush for zero mana. That’s a pretty good card. Unfortunately, sometimes it isn’t that. And a 2/1 with rush for one mana is pretty underwhelming.
Additionally, the Outcast deck Fierce Outsider should fit into doesn’t seem like it will be particularly powerful, in part because it got Fierce Outsider instead of a more impactful card. If an Outcast deck does become popular, there’s a good chance Fierce Outsider will be included, but it won’t be the driving force behind the archetype’s rise.
9/10 Vengeful Walloper
If you view the Vengeful Walloper as a zero mana 5/5 with Rush, then it is a great card. However, the amount of work you need to do to get that reduction is probably not feasible in most circumstances, at least not quickly enough for the Walloper to be relevant.
After all, while a zero mana 5/5 with Rush is great in the early turns, its impact is extremely small on turn 20. And sadly, getting the Walloper out early is difficult; even if you play an Outcast card each turn for your first three turns, your Walloper will cost four mana. That means you can play it on curve, but that probably isn't fast enough for the card to see play.
8/10 Brutal Annihilan
While Demon Hunter has generally been quite a strong class since its introduction, one archetype that has never quite been able to be relevant in the meta is Big Demon Hunter, which tries to cheat out giant demons.
The deck could certainly use a powerhouse like the Brutal Annihilan, which can be both a defensive and offensive tool. Unfortunately, while the card definitely makes those decks stronger, it doesn’t seem like it will be enough to make them work.
If the archetype gets more support, the Brutal Annihilan will see play, but the same thing has been said about Big Demon Hunter in the past.
7/10 Wretched Exile
The theoretical value of the Wretched Exile is only limited by the amount of mana you have available. Unfortunately, potential value isn’t the same as real value. If you get unlucky with your Outcast cards, you might find that you won’t have a target to play them on.
And just like Fierce Outsider and Vengeful Walloper, Wretched Exile relies on an Outcast deck existing, and it seems like Demon Hunter will have better options. Still, the card is probably a must-kill threat if it’s ever played against you.
6/10 Felerin, the Forgotten
It’s undeniable that Felerin, the Forgotten provides an incredible amount of value. Creating two cards and giving both a significant mana discount (although Outcast cards tend to be quite cheap) is a lot to be packed into a single card.
The biggest problem is figuring out what sort of Demon Hunter deck would actually include Felerin. He’s not nearly fast enough to fit into an aggro deck, and Relics provide more value than any conceivable Outcast deck. Strong as he may be, it doesn’t seem likely that Felerin will find a consistent place in the upcoming meta.
5/10 Unleash Fel
You probably don’t need to be told that against a board of one-health minions, Unleash Fel is a monster. But even against larger boards, it will weaken them enough for your other damage sources to kill them while healing you at the same time. And if you have spell damage, Unleash Fel becomes a game-winning force.
Additionally, as a Fel spell that provides both damage and healing, it is also a great spell option Jace Darkweaver to re-cast. It’s the sort of card that you will likely see a lot of, simply because it is so broadly useful.
4/10 Mark of Scorn
Mark of Scorn is the first of several cards on this list that gains a bonus effect if you don’t have any minions in your deck. You are probably never going to run these cards in a deck where their effects won’t trigger, so it only makes sense to evaluate them in that context, especially as it looks like such a deck will be powerful.
In the case of Mark of Scorn, you get to draw a card and deal three damage for the low cost of two mana. That’s a great deal. You don’t get to choose where the damage goes, but it also isn’t random, so you can set up situations in your favor.
3/10 Deal with a Devil
Assuming there are no minions in your deck, Deal with a Devil gets you 9/9 in stats for five mana. By itself, that would be a pretty good deal, but the fact that the Felfiends it summons have Lifesteal makes it even better.
Assuming you aren’t immediately going to die, the Felfiends can’t just be ignored, since they will heal you for a significant portion of the damage they dealt. The card is also another Fel spell that can be re-cast with Jace Darkweaver, providing a contingency plan in case your opponent doesn’t die the turn Jace hits the board.
2/10 Fel’dorei Warband
Four mana for four damage isn’t terrible, although it’s not strong enough to be included in most modern Hearthstone decks. But when that four mana also gets you four 1/1 minions with Rush, you end up with an exceptional card.
If you are running a no-minion deck, Fel’dorei Warband allows you to deal seven damage to minions, some of which can be allocated as you choose. You can also just send the card at your opponent’s face if necessary, and create a small board to irritate them.
1/10 Souleater's Scythe
The Souleater's Scythe is the card that makes all the other no-minion cards on this list viable. It allows you to be a no-minion deck while still running the best minions Demon Hunter has to offer. One of the best decks from the pre-March of the Lich King meta, Fel Demon Hunter, already ran a limited number of minions.
The Souleater's Scythe allows you to cut most of them, leaving only the two finishers—Artificer Xy’Mox, Jace Darkweaver—and another powerful minion of your choosing. When combined with the other no-minion cards on this list, Fel Demon Hunter should be a top-tier deck. Oh, and by the way, a 4/2 weapon isn’t even that bad for the cost.
Source: Read Full Article