First of all I not talking about overpowered decks but decks that create situations were the entire metagame have to care about.
Like…
Yes. They can be the reason why the deck you like is unviable but it can’t also be the reason what someone else likes to play is?
It really isn’t leading the game to a different direction and therefore making it fresh?
So why many go here talk that something shaping the metagame is bad?
I think it depends on what degree it shapes the meta and what other classes can do against it.
Is it bad having one more deck using weapons, creating a weapon meta? By itself, no. The comunnity can kick back with Ooze and Stickyfingers and the meta will settle in a new equilibrium.
Was Evolve Shaman bad? Yes.
Is it bad having a deck that works by explosive turns, essentially defining the meta in “your deck needs to be this fast to win or be capable of clearing this board to win”? No. I think that, while a bit oppresive, pre-nerf Guardian Druid was a good deck in scholomance era. And the nerf wasn’t warranted, as much as the other tools needed to have the tiniest bit of a push.
Was evolve shaman good tho? No. Most decks couldn’t deal with it.
Is it bad having an aggro deck that is real fast in the meta? No. I played a lot during pirate warrior second coming a few years back. It was a good deck to play against. They had a clearly defined rangte of damage and options, and if you used taunts and freezes, even as a Mage, you could fight them back and win. You had to mindful of the Skybarge turn tho.
Did i like Demon Hunter? No. Too much reach, damage and temp o. No clear weakness, you were always behind. The whole meta devolved into Turn 4 or bust because of it.
Having a meta defined deck with a clear weakness that can be exploited? Good!
No weakness? Bad. Burn it and throw it in the trash.
It’s perfectly fine when the meta is creates consists of multiple classes that have the tools to deal with that deck.
It’s bad when the deck is so overpowered that the “meta” it’s shaped leaves pretty much 1 or 2 playable decks aside from it. Evo Shaman is the most recent example.
Most “meta” deck are powerhouses, cause they become the dominate force, this is why they’re call Meta Deck - meta stands for " most effective tactics available" - and that means the most ideal decks will become Meta Decks - Cause they’re at a good play level almost anyone can pick up the deck and the deck is very cut and dry on what you need to do.
If the Deck is creating situations that oppose the current meta deck none stop, then they pick up steam and become a Meta Deck themselves - Basically if the Deck and ruin whatever ‘Meta Deck’ and put it in problem it can’t handle it become a Meta Deck to answer.
That why When a Deck break the current mold of deck it get call “Meta Breaker” or “Off Meta” decks.
It’s already a Cut and Dry Game, you will see “Meta defining deck” in Casual play, Tavern Brawls Tend to get “meta deck” or old deck that were good get use again of repeat brawls, and etc - There always going be a ‘meta’ even if the game doesn’t want it. If something is the most effective - It’ll get use over other means unless other case studies show different.
Lore Time
In any old Card Game, Board Game, or Strategist and etc… A game will come to a point in local area where “1 way was seen the best way to do it” - This is know as Local area Meta , It would be how everyone agree around there that the most powerful way of playing, but if you move somewhere else they might had a differ way of winning, Thus causes counter balance meta - and causes refinements.
Lets look at Chess as a good example, but this cna follow any like Chess/Checker and etc - due to limit space and pieces eventually a final outcome will always be give with 1 move to win them all. - Now open up to where people play those games non stop and find pattern and you’ll see they start doing 1 type of move over and over (now it’s the pawns near the King/Queen go up 1st, or the knight/Bishop - and very rarely the Castle from most vets. - This are your “Opening moves” Each peace can move 1/2 slots at 1st glance, but that really just the Opening Setup for the player - Much like how Druid who Ramps pass a few turn to ramp - Then once they are setup Then they make their player moves, in Chess Theory that is the Opening move - setup. Some Opening moves start out quicker then other and other are more complex, this leave room for error and disruption.
As you can see This is what happens to Deck also. So while it might seem fresh for some, it not to people who want repeats cause they know what to expect and already plan according for such thing.
Most people Oppose fresh stuff cause they like having all the piece and answer already out for them, While some decks are really annoying to face over and over, they only look at their own games generally as it “affects” them - Like Ticketus, I dislike it and hate it mainly cause it burn so many card - but also not impossible to beat once I get my 1 piece it normally burns, or I setup enough on the board where they can’t remove - abit RNG and perfect drawing require on my end.
Cause they look at their sample of games only and see it’s very 1 sided, thus the outcry for change happen, rather then finding out what to change on their current deck or rebuild, they are the people who have the means/resources for such. It’s why most people watch on Youtube current Best Deck, see if they got the card, or off-meta/fun deck that can fight current meta deck so they can go “I got these card” - it’s why most goes in the streamer stream and ask for deck code without just using their eyes to see whats in the deck. They want everything handed to them. It’s also why the most common question streamer will get “Is this deck worth crafting” cause they only want the “best” and tend to forget if they’re hard stuck in a rank, just make a fun deck or different deck. It’s why I get bored playing the same deck over and over, and make me tired cause I’ve seen the deck so many time it’s not worth the investment of that game once X happen perfectly for them before me, and i’ll just move to a next game.
All decks shape the metagame, that’s how a metagame exists.
What we don’t want is one deck to get so dominant that it becomes that deck and attempted counters to that deck. The cycle of rock-paper-scissors shouldn’t end at two.