One of the most important changes when Standard was released was that with Naxxramas and Goblins cycling out, Hearthstone would rely far less on randomness. We lost cards like Unstable Portal, Piloted Shredder, and Imp-Losion, and Knife Juggler was nerfed as well. I, like many others, believed that Hearthstone’s competitive play would no longer have the powerhouses that rely on massive amounts of RNG. While the game has gotten quite a bit better in terms of RNG reliance, there are certainly several perpetrators that remain prevalent in top constructed decks.
The biggest problem with heavily RNG reliant cards isn’t the RNG in and of itself, it’s how great a power it has to swing the game, and how easy they are to play around. For example, Ragnaros’s RNG isn’t bad RNG because it’s late in the game, he can be expected, he represents a large threat, and his RNG can easily be managed down to a few possible targets. Bad RNG comes into play when the cards have the power to sway the game too early to be played around, and they represent game winning plays before either player has had a chance to actually play a significant portion of the game. Reynad talks about the difference in good and bad RNG here. Without further ado, my list for the worst cards in Standard.
One: Knife Juggler
Unfortunately, the nerf to Knife Juggler wasn’t nearly enough to stop it from being one of the best two drops in the game. Even with the one damage reduction and many token generators leaving Standard, being able to throw countless knives is still incredibly strong. Because this card hits play on turn two, it represents some of the worst RNG in the game. When it hits your 2/1 instead of going face, that is easily a game changing play, and can very easily cost you the game. On turn two or three, with no semblance of skill. Being down a card against an aggressive deck is debilitating to the point of game losing, and because Knife Juggler is able to throw potentially infinite knives, he takes the top spot.
Two: Flamewaker
This is my personal least favorite card in Hearthstone. People have joked that Flamewaker’s text reads: “if this card is in play on your next turn, win the game,” and I believe that is far too close to the truth. Flamewaker backed by a Mage’s arsenal of spells represents the ability to clear your board infinitely while pushing incredible face damage. It also comes out on turn three, before most decks can easily deal four damage. Playing against someone who has Flamewaker + Coin + Arcane Missiles on turn three feels like an almost unwinnable situation to be against, and it’s one that happens far too often with the Mage’s arsenal of low cost spells.
Three: Tuskarr Totemic
I hate this card with a burning passion. Three mana, 3/2, text reads: “You have a 3/7 chance of winning the game”. There are only seven totems in Standard, and three of them are massively game changing. If this guy gets Mana Tide Totem, Flametongue Totem, or worst of all, Totem Golem, suddenly he has played five or six mana worth of stats, on turn three. And it was a simple roll of the die. The worst part is, if he does lose the dice roll and gets one of the four basic totems, it’s still not bad, it’s four mana worth of stats for three mana. Cards like this are the reason that Piloted Shredder was a massive problem, because even in most awful scenarios, it was still better than it should have been, and in good scenarios it simply wins the game on the spot. This card even got a buff with Standard since Vitality Totem rotated out. Also, it synergizes with Thing from Below, another incredibly powerful Shaman card. Tuskarr Totemic has literally no downsides, and its upsides are beyond broken, based entirely on a coin flip.
Four: Brawl
Unless you manage to Brawl with a Sylvanas in play, it doesn’t matter what card wins the brawl, one of the players is going to be unhappy. This is one of the most RNG based cards in the game, and it is basically required in most Control Warrior decks. If your minion wins, you win the game. If their minion wins, you lose it. Sure you can manipulate the outcome by holding on to other removal spells, but the massive difference that Brawl represents in whether it wipes your board or your opponents is easily game winning. Many tournament games over the course of Hearthstone have been decided with this card. While a last ditch Brawl to wipe your opponent’s board and win is cool to watch, it is neither fun nor fair to play against.
Five: Flame Juggler
While not nearly as bad as the other cards on this list, Flame Juggler does make the cut. The reason for this is that he is a turn two play, and whether he hits or not can easily change the course of the game. If he manages to kill your opponent’s 1/1 or ping off a Divine Shield, his value is incredible, representing a two mana body and a Mage’s hero power. However, if he misses he is basically just a below average two mana body. Nearly a two mana difference in value based entirely on a coin flip on turn two. He only throws one flame, and it doesn’t do a lot of damage, but in many situations it can mean the difference between winning and losing, giving him the final place on our list.