Most of Gadgetzan's Grimy Goons seem to come with minion or weapon buffs. Grimy Gadgeteer gives a +2/+2 buff to a random minion in hand, with the potential to boost more if it survives.



RNG has always been a hot-potato subject to both developers and players, but the kind that Grimy Gadgeteer brings is certainly manageable and nuanced. The cards revealed so far for Hearthstone’s new expansion clearly suggest Blizzard wants to contain the “fun” within a reasonable boundary this time. No more Yogg-Saron disasters.



Grimy Gadgeteer’s body is a mere 4/3; it will be played with the intent of relinquishing some board control on Turn 4 to slam down something powerful on Turn 5. Viable recipients that are already in the meta include Blackwing Corruptor, Azure Drake, and Harrison Jones.





Grimy Gadgeteer may also bring currently neglected cards back into the fray. Potential candidates include Stranglethorn Tiger, Venture Co. Mercenary, Psych-o-Tron, and Gurubashi Berserker. While underpowered on their own, they would be huge threats if played on Turn 5 with a +2/+2 buff.





This is all full-blown optimism, of course. In order to reap the card’s full value, players need to be holding both Grimy Gadgeteer and a solid 5-drop on Turn 4; there is also the possibility of the buff targeting another minion in hand. These are not easy conditions to fulfill. Some may consider Grimy Gadgeteer as a 6/5 minion due to its guarantee of a +2/+2, but its sacrifice of Turn 4 board presence and unreliable nature may not be even worth its ideal impact.



The card’s outlook is not too great as of the moment, but Blizzard may reveal more cards that can synergize with Grimy Gadgeteer. We also should not ignore the possibilities of a drastic meta shift or the emergence of a new Warrior archetype. One Night in Karazhan brought in a good deal of Warlock cards into the meta in the form of Discard Warlock; perhaps Mean Streets of Gadgetzan will do the same. Here’s hoping.

Two more cards will be revealed exclusively on Inven Global.

Come back on the 15th and 20th! (16:00 PDT)