With the first wing of Blackrock Mountain released, players already have a new nemesis. Some are calling it overpowered, others are calling it bad for the game. Move over Dr Boom. Emperor Thaurissan is in town.
The card, a six-mana 5/5, reduces the mana cost of the cards held in your hand by one at the end of each turn it survives. That eight mana Ragnaros? Keep Thaurissan alive for three turns and it now costs the same as an Azure Drake.
Pros aren’t being shy to reveal their feelings about the card, either.
I hope Emperor Thaurissan gets banned from competitive play.
— Sebastian Bentert (@XIXO_HS) April 3, 2015
I fear that in the future a lot of games will be decided by who ever draws emperor thaurissan first 🙁
— Savjz (@LiquidSavjz) April 3, 2015
We wanted to get a better idea of why the card was so overpowered, so we reached out to other pros to learn exactly why they think it has such an impact on the game.
Jon “Orange” Westberg, Team Archon
“I think the card is too good. Cost reduction effects are historically (innervate, wild growth, prep) among the strongest cards in the game and this card allows for some sick synergies that aren’t healthy for the game. Only thing that speaks against it being nerfed is really that it’s a legendary so you can’t draw it as reliably. But I don’t think the card is very good for the game.”
Harald “Powder” Gimre, Trig Esports
“I think Thuarissan is completely bonkers. The amount of combos possible by reducing your cards’ mana cost by one is insane. There are combos with over 30 damage, which is just not okay.”
James “Greensheep” Luo, Dignitas
“At first I thought it was a battlecry so it would only reduce the cost by one. But it is every turn, which makes it more broken. I think that if it were a battlecry it might make the card more balanced, rather than through multiple turns. If it survives at least another turn, then your whole hand gets reduced again. Say you have a 5 card hand and emperor lasts two turns you have reduced 10 mana at least, meaning the card value is way above what it should be.”
Daniel “DTwo” Ikuta, Trig Esports
“Thaurissan is already a must-include in every control deck and nearly every midrange deck. Calculating your opponent’s lethal these days always begins with the thought, ‘has my opponent played ET yet?’ I mean he’s basically a super wild growth on turn six. Most of the time you have to kill him if your opponent’s options become too ridiculous if they get too cheap—but I’ve had someone coin, Innervate, Innervate, him on turn one, and had Ancient of Lore to back it up as well, and I won that game!”
Simon “Sottle” Welch
“Thaurissan just breaks too many fundamental rules of Hearthstone. There are card combinations that are engineered to cost more than the allowed 10, because they create chaos. Once Thaurissan is played against you, you’re either forced to use you premium removal, clearing the way for their other threats, or you just sit and lose while they break intended Mana limits.”
Published: Apr 8, 2015 12:33 am