Day 5 and we’re getting a lot more Savage, FAST. Aggressive Shamans are on the menu for today.
Murkwolf Shaman
4 mana Follower
Freljord
3/3
Regeneration
Round End: If you’ve damaged the enemy nexus this round, transform me into Murkwolf Rager
Murkwolf Rager
4 mana Follower
Freljord
5/5
Regeneration
When I transform, draw a unit
An interesting addition, random Sejuani style support with transform tied in, likely a hint at what to expect from Gnar. Same rough deal as the transforming shaman we had before, mediocre front side, into a very well costed backside with additional bonuses. This one can trigger not just the turn it comes down and draws a card which is VERY appealing. I’m uncertain if it has much of a place right at the moment, but it could slot into most Freljord unit-based decks as it is. It’s more made for a beatdown type deck like a Sejuani than the controlling elements but there’s a lot of power here.
Mammoth Shaman
6 mana Follower
Freljord
4/4
Overwhelm
Round End: If you’ve damaged the enemy nexus this round, transform me into Mammoth Rager
Mammoth Rager
6 mana Follower
Freljord
6/6
Overwhelm
Round Start: Grant me +2|+2
This is the biggest upgrade we’ve seen on a unit transform unless you count Nautilus! 4/4 into effective an 8/8 since he gets buffed right after flipping is MASSIVE even as just a beefy beater. Sejuani got some very nice new friends so far, and it looks like Sej Gnar is going to be a midrange beats deck with a lot of punch to it. This dude’s ability to continuously scale in a board stall situation is very appealing, as he does threaten to win the game on his own. He does have a high cost but a huge payoff if you get him rolling.
Bone Scryer
2 mana Follower
Freljord
0/5
When I survive damage, deal 1 to the enemy nexus
Vlad is very interested in this fella, repeated burn to the face for surviving damage is how another 2-drop in that archetype got nerfed, having 5 health means there is a lot to work with if you let him get pinged here and there. With a Scargrounds effect, he’s getting damage one way or another, Not sure how I feel about the prospect of Vlad being back but I suppose it is what it is.
Tusk Speaker
2 mana Follower
Freljord
3/2
Overwhelm
Play: Deal 1 to ALL Nexuses
Boy wants to BEAT. Gets a damage proc immediately when he comes in, and even if the opponent blocks with a similar costed unit, you get in for more damage. This sort of unit is gross for a Sejuani deck in that attacking on Odds means you can use him for the trigger on 2, then attack for the trigger on 3 very easily. Could see a Freljord aggro strategy come out in addition to the midrange strategy they’ve fed us very easily on his back alone.
Conclusion
Today we saw 4 shamans all associating with a different animal, none of which are a Bear, Bird, Tiger, or Turtle, hmmmm… Looks like Voli may have been a red herring, and the man himself; Udyr is coming in our future! It also makes me think that Transforming or dealing damage to the enemy nexus may be related to Gnar’s level trigger, setting him up as another option for plunder style decks possibly. While Murkwolf and Mammoth can be powerful, I expect to see more play out of the Scryer and Tusk speaker in their respective decks. Overwhelm.deck is back on the menu folks! Looking forward to seeing how they implement whatever mystery champion is coming tomorrow!