Back in 2014, with the release of Dr. Boom, I voiced an opinion against making OP neutrals that became an auto-include for most decks.
BTW, I advocated a nerf for Dr. Boom, and to date it’s the only card that I predicted a nerf for, but did not happen.
I have had similar early concerns for other OP neutrals, such as Sire Denathrius, Astalor, Yogg-Saron, Unleashed, and Zilliax. All of these have been or they are still too impactful.
Another consequence of OP neutrals is that IT FEELS LIKE MOST PLAYERS ARE PLAYING A VERSION OF THE SAME DECK, since regardless of the class being played, many decks include a lot of the same cards.
With each expansion, it feels like class identities are eroded even more. Combine this with most of us playing the same OP neutrals, the game often feels like I am playing mirror match. It’s a rather annoying feeling.
Many people are touting the early PIP meta as a success, since there are seven classes that can field a decent deck. I am not so sure, since I often feel like my opponent is playing a lot of the same powerful cards that I am—even if they are playing a different class.
Elemental decks are definitely an exception this problem, but do such decks really make the game better to play?
Does anyone feel similarly about so many neutrals being an auto-include?