Honestly, I don’t understand. I think it’s an awful design and I don’t get why this deck has been so popular even when it was bad (still isn’t very good tbh). The entirety of this deck is based on draw RNG, not only it is about crossing fingers and hoping your opponent keeps drawing plagues, you need to cross fingers to draw your good pieces yourself (Helya in particular). There is almost zero thinking or strategy involved. You just play a bunch of cards that generate plagues, play Helya if you managed to get it and then sit there. I like to imagine my opponent bent forward in front of the screen crossing fingers and smiling in expectation at the beginning of each of my turns, hoping for the plagues to hit.
Everyone likes different things, I have no problem with that. I just want to understand what’s the appeal here. I find it awful to play against (even tho it is usually a win for me) and really uninteresting to play with imo; so I am genuinely curious to hear why so many people spam this on ladder since they printed it and keep asking for buffs for it.
2 Likes
For a while it was something different to play in DK. The whole design of the class means their decks are always and forever incredibly linear. Most probably just wanted to try something different even if it wasn’t super competitive.
2 Likes
Better then the boom i win decks imo…
I didn’t really think I’d like it at first but started playing it to collect data on plague draws.
I found myself actually enjoying it for real.
Yes, and sometimes that’s a relief. Being able to almost play auto-pilote with a deck that can play long and generate values. I don’t really like playing too much aggro. It can be auto pilote but it’s often a short fuse and games end quickly. Plague DK has that possibility to include high cost cards and value cards. I often end in the scenario where I can’t play Magatha without burning cards even though I played the board.
I don’t see the plagues as the ultime goal of the deck, wishing for them to come in the early turns. They put my opponent under a clock and I like that, but I mainly focus on the feeling of the board management and generating value. When helya hits early that feels very good to know that the more plagues they draw, the faster death comes… faster.
That’s my feel good deck.
2 Likes
Honestly.
They don’t. People just wanted something different to play with as a DK.
And it was between plagues getting buffs or wait till next expansion.
I kinda know that sensation as a mage player because it used to be pretty common for the class to pass by that and while it still not in the best momments today it atleast isn’t THAT bad.
It’s different and evil. I like that kind of gamble over completely random rng like Discovery and stealing.
Meta game: Tons of card draw, nobody ever running out of gas.
Plague DK: Puts bombs in the deck that the enemy player does not want to draw.
Players: Suddenly doubting whether or not its a good idea to draw 3 cards a turn.
Also players: WhY iS tHiS DeCk So PoPuLaR?
2 Likes
This is overly optimistic. What’s far more likely is metagamer be like “DrAw WuZ gUd, dRaW sTiL GuD” which is a problem because Plagues are more bluff than anything else
2 Likes
I mean if it bothers you we have the tech card that makes it useless. Steam Cleaner I think it is called?
2 Likes
True. This explains plagues sub par/mid win rate, and why it keeps getting buffs.
Yep. The frustrating thing about playing against Plagues is feeling like you’ll be punished for doing what you designed your deck to do. The frustrating thing about playing as Plagues is that it’s just a feeling, they might not be punished, and you can watch them draw a half dozen cards in one turn and hit nothing.
Most decks with a polarizing play style, they at least have a dynamic where the thing that’s unfun for one side is fun for the other side. A lot of people hate on the fun half, accusing them of being trolls or griefers, but it’s still fun. Plagues are a pretty bad mechanic because it’s often just plain unfun for both sides. It doesn’t deliver on the fantasy you (chia) describe.
1 Like
Well, during my pack opening at Titans day one, it’s the only deck I got all the cards for. So, I started playing with it. It’s fun to me because it’s different I suppose. I don’t care if it’s bad to be honest. I’ve had fun shuffling in the plagues.
When the opponent draws the frost ones it’s especially rewarding if they can’t play anything. Especially if it’s a sweaty kid playing some tier 1 deck. Then I can emote them a bunch to tilt them, that’s where the fun comes in. So if I only win 1 game out of 10, I’m happy if I tilt one other player because my rank means nothing to me in Stand turd.
Truth be told, I think the plagues should shuffle in twice as much as they do, and do 4 damage each and then they’d maybe be on the same level as the other top junk .
Damage over time effects in games trigger a sadistic pleasure response in certain people, knowing in advance that victory is assured even though the victim might not know it (or even be capable of knowing anything, as an NPC).
Plagues, and bombs and corrupted blood before them, hit the same itch.
Hmm, it’s not usually assured, especially with plague. It’s not that good. It’s more like…you see your plan coming to fruition, but the opponent can still fight back. It’s not like stall and otks.
1 Like
Well, the random trigger aspect does put a wet blanket on the fun sometimes, but seeing six or seven go off then get shuffled back in is enough for the dopamine.
The deck isn’t good at what it does, but that doesn’t change the explanation as to why what it does is attractive.
1 Like
I did suspect tickling the inner sociopath may be one of the biggest appeals of this deck, thank you for your insight sir 
I guess it does fit the DK theme of being obnoxious. Granting you permission to speak repeatedly and whatnot.
1 Like
I disagree. The fact that it isn’t assured is part of the allure. You want them to fight back…but not be stopped by a single card…(Steamcleaner). Otks are more if the power fantasy. So, yeah, imo, you are wrong.
I personally don’t like being toxic. I play the female skin and try to match my emotes appropriately.
Then again, I main Blood, because Plague is overall so bad. I did want it to work at start, but now I’m too poor to make it work. And Blood is more fun and complex.
Why Plagues are popular is ez: the majority of players want to play Hearthstone while watching tv or thinking about other things.
Crazy coefficients, but 0 control over accessing the damage.
Win 100% of the time; 55% of the time.
(watch tv while playing and not be punished)
Crazy coefficients, high control over accessing the damage.
Win 80% of the time; 70% of the time.
(spend every second of both players turn thinking fast about the match)
^ Hakkar was more of an extra/backup plan. In some matchups you want to wait for Hakkar and it was reliable like Garrote. In 2-20% of matchups you want to play Hakkar like Plagues/Bombs and just /pray /gamble.
I loved Hakkar, the 2-20% of the time just gambling/praying was fun and spicy. Plagues/Bombs have 0 appeal to me. Garrote was super fun, but I can see the 2-20% of the time Maddest Bomber aspect of Hakkar being healthier than ultra-reliable garrote.
Disagree. It’s fun and feels strategic to set up a long win con that isn’t simply stall until you draw your 1 win con.