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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

What's GOOD and what's BAD for each mana cost
If it is left blank, it means it is average
0
  1. Wisp - DO NOT EVER GET THIS
1
  1. Worgen Infiltrator - Amazing Card
  2. Abusive Sergeant - Situational
  3. Leper Gnome - Situational
  4. Argent Squire - Good Card
  5. Elven Archer - Good Card
  6. Voodoo Doctor
  7. Young Dragonhawk - Situational
  8. Southsea Deckhand
    • This card is way better, if you have a decent amount of weapons.
  9. Murloc Raider
  10. Shieldbearer
  11. Goldshire Footman
  12. Stonetusk Boar
  13. Grimscale Oracle
2
  1. Faerie Dragon
    • This card farms Priests and Mages. Possibly one of the best cards in the game.
  2. Acidic Swamp Ooze
    • Good stats and destroying weapons is awesome.
  3. Amani Berserker
    • Buffing this guy up and enraging him is very strong and scary.
  4. Mad Bomber
    • YOBO! You Only Bomb Once!
  5. Youthful Brewmaster - Great Card
  6. Bloodfen Raptor - Good Card
  7. Novice Engineer - Great Card
    • Cycling is good.
  8. Loot Hoarder - Good Card
    • Cycling is good.
  9. Ironbeak Owl - Amazing Card
  1.  Bloodsail Raider - Situational
    • This card is way better, if you have a decent amount of weapons.
  2. River Crocolisk - Good Card
  3. Dire Wolf Alpha
  4. Murloc Tidehunter
  5. Bluegill Warrior
  6. Kobold Geomancer
  7. Frostwolf Grunt
    • Please do not pick this card. Ever.
3
  1. Shattered Sun Cleric
    • So wow. Very awesome. Such 4/4 for 3. One of best cards in the game
  2. Scarlet Crusader
    • Divine Shield’… Good card
  3. Harvest Golem
    • 4/4 for 3. Nice!
  4. Raging Worgen - Good Card
  5. Earthen Ring Farseer - Good Card
    • The heal can be so useful.
  6. Flesheating Ghoul - Situational
  7. Acolyte of Pain
  8. Jungle Panther
  9. Ironfur Grizzly
  10. Razorfen Hunter - Good Card
  11. Wolfrider
  12. Ironforge Rifleman - Good Card
  13. Thrallmar Farseer - Good Card
  14. Tauren Warrior
  15. Raid Leader - Good Card
  16. Silverback Patriarch
  17. Dalaran Mage - Situational
  18. Magma Rager
4
  1. 1. Chillwind Yeti - Awesome Card
    • Value!
  2. Dark Iron Dwarf - VERY STRONG CARD
    • 6/4 for 4. That is strong.
  3. Senjin Shieldmasta - Good Card
    • Really strong ‘Taunt’-Card.
  4. Spellbreaker - One of best cards in game
    • Decent ‘Silence’.
  5. Acient Brewmaster - Great Card
  6. Cult Master - Good Card
    • Can be useful or useless.
  7. Gnomish Inventor Good Card
    • Cycling is good.
  8. Stormwind Knight
  9. Dragonling Mechanic
  10. Silvermoon Guardian
  11. Ogre Magi - Good Card
  12. Oasis Snapjaw
  13. Mogushan Warden
  14. Dread Corsair
    • This card is way better, if you have a decent amount of weapons.
5
  1. Silver hand Knight - Great Card 
    • 6/6 for 5. I take that any day
  2. Venture Co. Mercenary - Great Card
    • 7/6 for 5. A huge threat, but it can backfire.
  3. Stranglethorn Tiger
    • Very solid card overall.
  4. Fen Creeper
    • A really nice ‘Taunt’-Card.
  5. Spiteful Smith
    • This card is way better, if you have a decent amount of weapons, but it is still good without weapons.
  6. Frostwolf Warlord
  7. Gurubashi Berserker
  8. Darkscale Healer
  9. Stormpike Commando - Good Card
  10. Booty Bay Bodyguard
  11. Nightblade - Good Card
6
  1. Boulderfist Ogre - Great Card
    • Value!
  2. Frost Elemental - Good Card
    • Freezing stuff is so annoying.
  3. Lord of the Arena
  4. ArchMage
  5. Reckless Rocketeer
  6. Windfury Harpy
  7. Priestess of Elune
7
  1. Stormwind Champion
  2. War Golem
  3. Core Hound

Here is some more detail of each card if you want to look into it

1SpellbreakerThe #1 Common/Basic neutral card goes to Spellbreaker.  As a four attack minion, it is able to trade against most other four mana minions.  Additionally, silencing is “quasi-removal” with many applications from reducing that monstrous twilight drake down to a 4/1 to removing a buff spell to preventing card draw such as loot hoarder to preventing death rattle effects such as harvest golem to removing a minion’s taunt for that final blow.  Amazing flexibility and power while retaining good stats.
2Cult MasterI rank Gnomish Inventor highly – and Cult Master is even better.  Cult Master is a 4/2 instead of the 2/4 of the Gnomish Inventor which makes it less durable, but he has a lot more upside.  You should generally play him when you are about to trade a minion for an opponent’s so you can guarantee yourself at least one draw.  He gets better when you can trade two on the same turn.  He gets disgusting if you can protect him and keep trading minions.  Drawing four or more cards with the cult isn’t out of the question.
3Dark Iron DwarfDark Iron Dwarf is a stout 4/4 for 4.  But that’s not all!  In addition, the battlecry is extremely powerful, often allowing for plays where your weaker minion is able to trade up and you still get a 4/4 for a great momentum change.  Or, if they have nothing, the pressure is immense.  Just think, it’s a “6/4″ for 4!  As a warning, this battlecry is manditory so if you have no minions and your opponent has one, you’ll have to buff their minion, making this card quite bad only if you are already in a terrible position.
4Chillwind YetiSurprised to see this boring guy up as the #4 pick?  Yeti wins games.  It beats nearly any other four mana minion in one on one combat (in fact, it beats every common/basic four mana minion) and survives to tell the tale, often forcing a 2-for-1 trade when played earlier.  It is the most exciting plain card!
5Acidic Swamp OozeWeapons are huge game changers which often result in a 2 for 1 for your opponent.  Ooze most often allows you to save one minion by destroying the (remaining) one durability on the weapon.  On even higher durability weapons such as Assassin’s Blade or Doomhammer, the ooze is even better.  Save oozes against rogues and warriors when possible.  If you have the luxury, save against shaman and hunter.  Still, it is generally correct to play the ooze on turn 2 if you have no other play.
6Amani BerserkerA beastly minion which will kill most 1 mana drops and then become a 5 attack minion.  At its worst, it trades off against most 2 mana drops.  At its best, it gets buffed in some way (such as with Shattered Sun Cleric), kills a 2 mana minion, then trades against a much higher mana cost minion.  If you’re a mage, you can consider the sometimes useful play of using your hero ability to fireblast it and change it into a 5/2.
7Harvest GolemFantastic insurance against any board clear.  Also, a great deal for its cost since adding up the attack and health of the deathrattled golem in addition to the base one’s stats gives you a 4/4 for 3 mana.  A very strong play against pretty much any 2 drop because it often trades and then gives you a 2/1.
8Shattered Sun ClericThe battlecry allows you to often win the important 2 drop against 2 drop trade and give you momentum.  Your 2/3 you played on turn 2 now kills their 3/2 and you survive to potentially kill another.  Your 4/5 yeti now kills their 5/5 and lives to tell the tale.  You also get a 3/3.  Very nice, basic, and strong.
9Gnomish InventorFour health is the magic number to be able to survive the general 3 attack of the 2 drops and 3 drops.  Two attack is strong enough to take out many 2 drops.  If you can play this card and kill something like a 3/2, this gnome still survives and has the potential to 3-for-1.
10Raging WorgenThis is a fearsome three drop that sometimes wins the game by itself when facing anything which does not have 3 attack.  Your opponent on turn 2 plays a 2/3.  You on turn 3 play the Raging Worgen.  Your opponent on turn 3 plays a 3/3.  You kill his 2/3, windfury enrage and kill the 3/3.  An easy 2 for 1.  Maybe your opponent goes first and plays the novice engineer (1/2) on turn 2.  You coin and play this.  Your opponent plays a guy on turn 3.  You kill his novice engineer, enrage, then attack him for 4, and remove his guy with a spell.  Suddenly you can attack for 8 a turn.  Terrifying.  Even better with buffs.
11Silver Hand KnightMy pick for best five drop in the neutral basic and common category.  Excellent value, getting 6/6 worth of attack and health for 5 mana.
12Venture Co. MercenaryExcellent value, getting 7/6 for 5 mana!  Yes, it has a drawback, but don’t be afraid of playing it on turn 5.  Your opponent will generally try hard to kill it.  If he doesn’t, start punishing him by killing his minions off.
13Senjin ShieldmastaAffectionately known as “Taz’dingo”, I rate him the strongest common/basic taunt because it is difficult to do 5 damage with any one card under 5 mana.  Very similar to the Chillwind Yeti, just trades 1 attack for taunt.  My pick for the strongest neutral common taunt.
14Stormwind ChampionEspecially good in a paladin and/or shaman deck, but great in any deck.  Play it with a lot of minions on your side and you’re in a dominating position.  For that reason, if you know you’ll be playing the champion soon, aim to play several small minions as opposed to a big minion – the buff gives more benefits.
15Boulderfist OgreA very good big guy.  Like the Chillwind Yeti, very efficient for its cost.  Only a handful of cards in the basic/common slots can kill an ogre, it takes a good effort to bring him down.  Draft this higher if you have few 6 cost minions.
16Flesheating GhoulPlay it on a turn in which you kill something and have it live and it’s a 3/3.  Play it on a turn where you trade something and it’s a 4/3.  These are common occurrences, and sometimes the ghoul grows to be quite large in attack even past these numbers.
17Jungle PantherAlmost always trades up because four mana drops tend to have four or less health, and since it has stealth you get to control what it trades against.  Will usually kill a 4 mana drop.
18Ironbeak OwlSpellbreaker’s little brother.  Still good for the silence effect.  The 2/1 body isn’t too inspiring, but it’s something.  Taking too many of these weakens your deck.  I recommend taking the first one somewhat highly and then future ones to be at this level or lower (and, if you’ve taken spellbreaker(s) already, to not focus too much on taking the owl).
19Loot HoarderThe dream of the hoarder is to trade against anything with two or less health since you gain a card on the exchange.  This situation happens often.  This card is weaker against a druid, mage, and rogue because they are able to remove it with their hero ability – still, even in that worst case, it’s your 2 mana for their 2 mana.
20Faerie DragonObviously stronger than the bloodfen raptor.  Bonus things to consider is to put the faerie dragon in the middle of your minions to prevent: Explosive Shot, Betrayal, Cone of Cold, etc.  Also, surprisingly annoying since it can’t be removed via spells and/or hero abilities.
21Dire Wolf AlphaGenerally a poor play on turn 2 as your first minion because it is possible that you play it on turn 2, your opponent responds with a 2/3 and your alpha wolf is dead.  Best when you’ve played minions (…ideally two), then on the turn when you’re about to attack, you play the wolf and trade up (or do more damage) with both minions.
22Ancient BrewmasterFive mana for a 5/4 is strong.  It’s a good play to play it when you have nothing on the board (so you don’t have to bounce anyone).  Even better is when you have a relevant battlecry (or – attack a minion with your minion and bounce it after it’s been damaged).  Or both!
23Mad BomberThough Mad Bomber may seem incredibly random, playing it in favorable spots can make the bomber very valuable.  If your opponent plays a 1 health minion on turn 1 and you play the Mad Bomber on turn 2, you have a 70% chance of killing it.  Play the Mad Bomber when you have enrage mechanics, when your opponent has divine shield, and/or when your opponent has 1 health minions remaining (or, you need to do 1 damage to something to kill it in addition to a minion attack – then bomber first, see if it hits, then potentially attack and finish it off in a situation you normally wouldn’t have been able to.
24Novice EngineerYou get a “free” 1/2 in terms of cards.  Generally a card to be played if you can’t spend the mana elsewhere.  The effects of the Novice Engineer are subtle but it’s still a good card.  Ideal value is to use it to trade for a 2/1 or to kill a 1/1.
25Stormpike CommandoThe battlecry is very strong.  Play it to finish something off or to kill a two health minion.  The stats on this guy aren’t great, but often stormpike commando manages a 2-for-1.
26Stranglethorn TigerGood stats.  The stealth is very helpful in allowing you to selectively pick off the biggest threat.  Also, a good finisher when your opponent is low enough or you have a buff – they’re unlikely to be able to deal with a 5/5 stealth.
27Worgen InfiltratorSurprisingly strong.  The only one cost neutral minion I have as a good minion.  Against rogues, warriors, and druids, do not come out of stealth until you’re killing a two health minion.  Will usually trade up against a 2 cost 3/2.
28Dragonling MechanicSolid stats – able to trade with a 3/2 and live.  Brings a 2/1 with it.  Nice.  4 attack and 5 health worth of stats for 4 (though, the 1 health is not too strong against many heroes, hence why the mechanic isn’t higher on the list).
29Acolyte of PainA minion very similar to the novice engineer but with more possibilities.  The general rule of thumb is if you can find a way to draw more than just one card off of it then you’re doing really well.  Attack this into a minion with 1 or 2 attack.  Fireblast it if you’re a mage and have the spare mana.  This card is significantly better in mages, paladins, and druids (great with buffs).
30Frostwolf WarlordA 5/5 for 5 is the norm.  Sometimes, you have an empty board – Frostwolf Warlord is of course poor in that situation; however, Frostwolf Warlord is a 5/5 “standard” as long as you have just one other minion.  Sometimes it gets a bit bigger – a 6/6 or a 7/7 is excellent value for this card.  Particularly good in shaman and paladin decks due to their ability to use their hero ability to summon guys.
31Youthful BrewmasterGood play on turn 2, don’t be afraid of “wasting” the battlecry.  It’s both a benefit and a drawback.  Many times you won’t have something you want to return to your hand.  Many times though, it’s great.  Return interesting battlecries, return minions that are about to die and replay them later.  You can even return a charge who has already attacked and play it and have it attack again!
32Bloodsail RaiderA basic 2 mana 2/3.  Don’t be afraid of playing it on turn 2.  Pick this card highly as a rogue or if you have weapons.  If this plays as a 3/3 for 2 mana, it is quite strong.
33Stormwind KnightThis card is very similar to the Stormpike Commando.  When it comes into play you can deal 2 damage with it and often have it still survive due to its high health.
34Earthen Ring FarseerThe battlecry is very useful.  Try to use it on a minion over yourself after you have sent it at someone.  Even if you have to make the choice of healing one damage on a minion (say, a 3/2 which is a 3/1) that is often better against certain classes (rogue, druid, mage which can deal one damage).
35Scarlet CrusaderDon’t let the one health scare you.  As long as it’s played early, it will nearly guaranteed kill something with 3 health.  Against classes that can’t deal one damage with their hero ability, it’s even a possible early 2 for 1 in your favor.
36Fen CreeperBig health.  Unlikely to die to any single attack from any minion with mana cost four or less.  Stronger in a deck that wants to play for the late game (and weak in an aggressive deck).
37River CrocoliskBoring but essential.  I rate it slightly better than the Bloodfen Raptor (3/2) because the croc can potentially kill a 2/1 1 drop or a 2/2 2 drop and still suirvive.  Like the raptor, if you’re a hunter, the card’s even better since it’s a beast.  It has a slight disadvantage if you face a hunter since it’s a beast.
38Lord of the ArenaAn “aggressive taunter”.  High attack, but a low five health.  I always pick ogre over this, but sometimes when you’re lacking ogres, perhaps the lord will do.
39Razorfen HunterYou get 3/4 “worth” of value for 3.  That would seem pretty good, but the boar often randomly dies and then you have a 2/3 for 3, which is poor.  Meh.
40Bloodfen RaptorThe basic average 2 mana 3/2.  It’s alright.  If you’re a hunter, the card’s even better since it’s a beast.  It has a slight disadvantage if you face a hunter since it’s a beast.
41Gurubashi BerserkerA stylish minion.  Use finesse.  Start by killing the low attack minions and then move your way up from there.  Benefits greatly from being buffed, and also this pick is much stronger for mages since using your hero attack exchanges one health for three attack.
42Silvermoon GuardianIn one on one combat, this will trade with a 3/6.  That’s good!  However, the downside, is it can die to a random damage and to say a 4/5 Yeti.
43Ironfur GrizzlyA 3/3 for 3.  Decidedly mediocre and boring.  The addition of taunt doesn’t do too much, since it generally dies to one attack from 2 and 3 mana minions.
44Darkscale HealerThe lack of 5 attack hurts a lot.  Still, if you play this after committing to a lot of minion combat, you may find some value in this healer.
45Oasis SnapjawThe champion at fighting two health minions.  Takes on three 3/2s!  Great against aggressive decks with a lot of small guys.  These high health minions are even better in a priest deck.
46Booty Bay BodyguardAn “aggressive taunt”.  The four health is fairly weak for its cost.  It is great, though, if it forces a trade with higher cost minions [such as 6/5s!]  It is poor when it is up against lower cost minions [such as 4/3s].
47Spiteful SmithA 4/6 for 5 is perfectly fine, even if you have no weapons.  This card goes up tremendously in value with weapons (it has been placed this low on the list assuming no weapons)
48Bluegill WarriorI like to think of him as 2 mana: deal 2 damage.  That is okay.  A fine answer to many 2 mana troublesome drops such as Pint Sized Summoner.
49War GolemA big guy.  Big guys are good, though this one isn’t too inspirational.  Better if you have no big guys.  Worse if you already have a lot of big guys.
50ArchmageA lot of health and big enough to kill most medium sized minions in one hit.  A good board control card, and, needless to say, better if you have spells that deal damage.
51WolfriderSimilar to Bluegill Warrior.  It’s 3 mana: deal 3 damage.
52Ogre MagiCompared to the chillwind yeti, it trades 1 health for 1 spell attack.  That’s generally a trade I wouldn’t make; still, with spells, this card rises in value.
53Frost ElementalA big guy, but weak stats compared to the “gold standard” of the ogre for six cost.  Its redeeming quality lies in, of course, its battlecry, which unfortunately is sometimes mediocre.
54Mogushan WardenI am loathe to take this card as it often simply deals 1 damage to 2 minions which are forced to attack into it.
55Kobold GeomancerI hate two mana 2/2s unless they have a significant effect.  This one lacks that.  It tends to be a weak play on turn two since it can face up against a 2/3 and die.  Has some value if you play it just before (or ideally, on the same turn) as you play a spell that deals damage.
56Dalaran MageUnfortunately, a 1/4 is not good enough for 3.  The spell power is not generally useful enough to make up for this shortcoming in stats.
57Priestess of EluneThis six mana card trades evenly with the four mana 4/5 chillwind yeti, which speaks about how strong the yeti is compared to this card.  Thebattlecry is not very significant.
58Murloc Tidehunter“3/2″ of value for 2, with the distinct downside, though, that classes that can deal one damage will have no problem (eventually) killing these murlocs.
59Windfury HarpySix mana for a minion with only five health (and four attack!) is a bad deal – yes, it is technically an “8/5″ when you attack with it but before then your opponent will try to get rid of it and it will only be a 4/5.
60Reckless RocketeerThe lowest amount of health on a six mana minion!  This is often 6: Deal 5 damage.  If you manage to get it behind a taunt or play it on an open board, it being able to attack twice can be quite a significant amount of damage.
61Ironforge RiflemanA three mana 2/2 is awful.  It does one damage which is a nice battlecry, but is not nice enough to justify the cost.  If you want to deal one damage, roll the dice with Mad Bomber which costs 1 less, has 1 more attack, and gives you 3 chances at one damage!
62Abusive SergeantAgainst non druid-mage-rogue, 2/1s are a valid play on turn 1 (and the dream is to kill their 3/2 on turn 2).  Otherwise, an okay trick which gives you a bonus which can often cause a minion to trade up.
63Raid LeaderRemember when I said I don’t like 2/2s for 2?  I hate 2/2s for 3.  The effect is good, but the raid leader is too fragile.
64Thrallmar FarseerAn inferior 3 drop since it dies to the mediocre 3 mana 3/3s.  As is the same for all windfury minions, is better if you can buff it.
65Leper GnomeMay seem good, and this card’s value does go up in an aggressive deck, but 1 Health minions are simply too fragile.
66Dread CorsairA strictly worse Ironfur Grizzly unless you have weapons.  With 3+ weapons or as a rogue, this card is actually good.
67Core HoundFive health is not acceptable for seven mana.
68Tauren WarriorThis 3 drop trades with minions 1 mana less – 3/2 2 drops.  It also simply dies to mediocre 3 mana 3/3s.  A clear example of how just because a card has taunt and it has some attack, it isn’t good.
69Frostwolf GruntA 2/2 for 2 with only taunt just doesn’t cut it.  Dies to 2/3.
70Silverback PatriarchA 1/4 for 3 with only taunt also doesn’t cut it.  Dies to a 2/3.
71Elven ArcherDoesn’t do enough to warrant it being a card.
72Voodoo DoctorDoesn’t do enough to warrant it being a card.
73Southsea DeckhandThis one actually doesn’t suck if you have a lot of weapons and can consistently play it as a 2/1 charge for 1.
74Argent SquireNot big enough to be a threat to anything.  Generally ignored.  If you had to pick this, buffing it is nice.
75NightbladeThe battlecry effect isn’t enough for this overpriced card.
76Goldshire FootmanLike the Frostwolf Grunt, it’s too weak to carry out it’s role as a taunter.
77Magma RagerHaving only one health makes this card quite bad.
78ShieldbearerCan’t protect things too well without any attack value.
79Stonetusk BoarLike the Elven Archer, but nearly strictly worse.
80Murloc RaiderI mentioned other 2/1s for 1 with minor abilities not being good.  This one has no ability.
81Young DragonhawkThe first risk is that it dies to the random one damage that many classes have access to.  Still, if you had nothing better to pick, this card works well with buffs.
82WispA 1/1, despite it being free to cast, does not justify spending a card to play.
83Grimscale OracleYou can’t count on drafting a murloc deck in arena.

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