Replacement for Stonehill Defender?

Multiplayer Discussion
1

I think it is one of the most versatile cards and was in almost every deck i had. Especially if you get a legendary like Rin, the First Disciple that perfectly fits in your game.
I think they should move it to classic after rotation.

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2
  1. Blizzard never adds expansion cards to classic/basic sets. Never in the past 5 years and probably never in the upcoming 10 years. They rather add new free cards (which are low powered) than what you suggest.
  2. Cards like those are too powerful to be forever in classic neutral set.
2 Likes
3

It’d be nice if they added Whizbang though.

15 Likes
4

What about Ultimate Infestation?

Was there ever a more balanced card?
:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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5

im going to miss stonehill

getting 4 taunts but only taking 2 slots made it useful for all classes

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6

Highrolling:
Rin, the First Disciple,
Sunkeeper Tarim in Odd Paladin,
The Lich King,
4 more Stonehhills off 1 single Stonehill,
Etc. Is exactly why the card shouldn’t be in classic.

Too many games are decided when both players play Stonehill Defenders on turns 3-5 and 1 player gets common trash and the other gets offered literal win conditions.

Highroll reward for low risk is lame.

4 Likes
7

But random cards are actually what make the game fun, discovering a Lich King from Stonehill Defender and then getting Anti-Magic Shell the next turning a game that seems already lost.
And with Tar Creeper also rotating out, we need a strong defensive 3 cost Taunt minion again.

2 Likes
8

What’s wrong with Belligerent Gnome? Besides his attitude, I mean…

2 Likes
9

Mostly you cannot play him in early game because the enemy doesn’t have 2 minions on board. And then he stays useless in your hands until lategame.

10

It could be that with the clear reduction (from what we’ve seen so far) of Aggro’d ability to have ridiculously snowballing stats on the board by turn 4-5, they’re also pushing down the ability to pre-emptively suppress aggression without due reason in the 3-and-under turns.

Likely part of the overall power reduction, both offensively and defensively. Tar Creeper and Stonehill we amazing cards that did some very serious work, but they were also necessary due to the heightened early face-melting ability of that time. Such cards in the next meta actually be TOO defensively powerful and throw things out of balance.

2 Likes
11

As much as I like stonehill, I want it out of standard forever because it is not balanced. Due to ‘discover’ having an increase chance of discovering a taunt from your class, stonehill was abused by paladins and warlocks to the breaking point. Every paladin was guaranteed at least one tirion or sunkeeper everytime they played stonehill and warlock either rin or voidlord. Again I like the card and I played it as mage mainly but unless they would remove the class bonus it should never be left in standard.

1 Like
12

There might not be a replacement for Tarcreeper and Stonehill defender but don’t worry.

EVERYONE should be playing Ziliax. 80% of the player base probably has and does use Zilliax now but when the new release is out I am sure 100% of people will have Zilliax by opening packs or crafting.

Yet they nerf Corridor Creeper, Giggling Inventor, etc etc but let other cards used way more go?

13

This and Tarcreeper are going to make a big difference in the meta with their absence.
Chaingang as well
Unless we get another cheap neutral Taunt the early game is going to get a whole lot faster.

I’m personally not opposed to that considering how powerful Tarcreeper on 3 against aggro decks was. Nearly soloed so many game for me over the 2 years.

So a change in the early game meta would be nice.

14

Belligerent Gnome will be a good cheap anti-aggro tool while still necessitating some follow-up against wide boards rather than just towering over them like Stonehill (and his discovered minion) and Tar Creeper did.

Either way, I agree. April is gonna feel so fresh compared to a year ago.

1 Like
15

Yep. Actual aggro decks might make a return with reduced AoE and slower taunts. Thats why Sludge Belcher was such a great card, it came into effect just as aggro decks were approaching lethal, and just as control decks were looking to stabilise against them.

Stonehill and Creeper shored up slower decks early game just a bit too well, especially combined with weaker/nerfed aggro tools becoming common.

2 Likes
16

No Keleaeth either so 2 drops will actually be playable and Blizzard might actually make some good ones finally.

17

I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more Knife Juggler and Dire Wolf Alpha again.

18

Actually it is fair and balanced now.

It was the ramp cards that made it broken.

19

The ramp was fine w/o UI and SP though, both of which are rotating. To dust off an old cliche, ramp is a part of druids identity. Now it’s dead 'cos the historical weaknesses of ramping aggressively were removed.

2 Likes
20

For me 17 mana worth of stats on a body or 2 for 10 mana is somewhat reasonable with what we see these days
Like just look at Spiteful and the value that generates

That to me is at least interactable on board and can be dealt with

UI on the other hand is just too much value for a card like that
If they are never going to change the draw on it
The 5/5 tempo should be removed IMO
Taking the no risk away when playing this