Michael Bane - HSReplay.net Articles

Standard Rotation: Druid, Hunter, Mage

With the annual rotation looming, many have hypothesized on the impact it will have on the standard meta. The Year of the Raven has been characterized by the strength of

Ranked Standard

One True Meta?

With any expansion release, Hearthstone's meta undergoes stages of refinement, counter-strategy and optimization. We can evaluate the differences in the meta across regions to see where they may differ.

Card Analysis

Winning with Whizbang

Whizbang the Wonderful was a card hyped since its unveiling, being heralded as the champion of free-to-play and the ultimate challenge for streamers throughout the community. Many have pledged to reach legend using the card, but just how hard a challenge will that be?

Ranked Standard

Patch 11.1.1 in Numbers

In late May, Blizzard swung the nerf hammer on some older archetypes that had seen significant play before and after the most current standard rotation.

Ranked Standard

The Witchwood's Impact

Set rotations have always been a time when the game is most exciting to play. The addition of new cards coupled with stale ones leaving for Wild make for an

Whats The Worst That Could Happen? Top Millhouse Fails From Kobolds & Catacombs

Millhouse Manastorm has always been one of those cards that exist to teach players that a card's rarity does not always dictate its playability. It's always been the card that

Ranked Standard

Nine Fun Decks To Play Before Rotation: A Ranked Floor Analysis

Rotations can be a bittersweet affair. They spice up the meta, and while the sentiment towards them is usually overwhelmingly positive, players will often lament the loss of their old

Ranked Standard

So Long Neutral-stone: Patch 10.2 in Numbers

Strong neutral cards can be very beneficial for the game as they represent high value crafts and excellent build-around opportunities. However if too powerful, they can lead to a lack

Mechanics

Quests, Death Knights and Legendary Weapons: Showdown

Its been a year of Mammoth proportions, with no less than 54 class legendaries being released! Half of these have been built up as the marquee content of each update,

Card Analysis

The Keleseth Effect

Prince Keleseth is one of those cards that has been at the forefront of community discussion from reveal to the settled meta we are currently in. The day they were

Archetype Analysis

Big Priest By The Numbers

Priest is a class that has reinvented itself over the last couple of expansions. Since the community backlash which came with the release of Purify in Karazhan, Blizzard has gotten

Card Analysis

Deep Dive into Spreading Plague

A little over a week ago the community reached out and asked us to look at the power level of a controversial card, Spreading Plague. To quote from the title:

Tracking Diversity in the Hearthstone Meta

There's something special about those first few days of a new expansion. With new sets come new possibilities, everyone is trying new stuff and your opponents deck could contain anything!

Ranked Standard

Just for Fun: Top Includes at Rank Floors

In Patch 7.1 (February 2017) Blizzard introduced the ranked floors feature, which prevent players from de-leveling once they reach ranks 15, 10 and 5. In theory, this was intended

Card Analysis

Deep Dive into Curious Glimerroot

Curious Glimmerroot is one of the most unique cards in the Journey to Un'Goro expansion. With it comes a completely new mechanic; a mini-game of sorts, that has the player

Ranked Standard

Pace of the Meta: Un'Goro vs. Gadgetzan

The year of the Kraken will undoubtedly be remembered as a year dominated by aggressive strategies. Cards like Tunnel Trogg, Flamewreathed Faceless, Flame Imp and Small-Time Buccaneer were all meta defining at one point or another, and consistently a common sight on ladder. In

Ranked Standard

Shaking Up the Meta: Patch 7.1 in Numbers

In early February, Blizzard announced changes to two cards that were considered by the community to be among the most powerful in the Standard set. Arguably the most critical member

Arena

Mulligan Luck in the Arena

"Good" and "Bad" types of randomness are a hot topic in the Hearthstone community, with cards like Flame Juggler and Yogg-Saron typically being the focus of

Ranked Standard

Popular Legendaries in Gadgetzan

It doesn't feel great when you spend 1600 dust on a card that seems good in theory, only to realize a week later you're not really playing with it (Finja