In a blog post the first two spells of the new expansion were revealed, and they sure are interesting.
Varying spell cost for spells is not something new per se, with as example cards like [card]Solemn Vigil[/card]. However, the new Whispers of the Old Gods cards do have their own touch to it. A player can fully manipulate what he wants to do with these cards: Do you go for early tempo, or do you want to save them for some late-game dominance?
Forbidden Shaping, a Priest card, allows Priest players to deal with an often encountered problem: Having nothing to play for several turns. Hearthstone wouldn't be Hearthstone if a little RNG wasn't involved, so just like [card]Unstable Portal[/card] a random minion from any class can be summoned on to the board. The usefulness of this treat is up for discussion, but no doubt that Priests will be experimenting with it.
Forbidden Flame, the Mage card, appears to be more useful at first glance. At 10 mana, it will be as effective as a [card]Pyroblast[/card], and it seems like Forbidden Flame could be a better option in decks such as Freeze Mage. However, Pyroblast often is used to finish an opponent off, and not for board control. This is where the downside of Forbidden Flame kicks in: it can only be cast on minions. One of the better synergies with Forbidden Flame is with [card]Archmage Antonidas[/card]. After playing the bearded [card]Fireball[/card]slinger one can use Forbidden Flame immediately, and get a first Fireball for free. And maybe even deal some damage too.
Given the fact that both spells take into account left-over Mana, cards like [card]Emperor Thaurissan[/card] and [card]Millhouse Manastorm[/card] will not influence the outcome of them. Presumably the only card that might affect the outcome is [card]Loatheb[/card], but since he's rotated out of Standard, only Wild Mages will have to deal with him.
To see all newly revealed cards, bookmark our Whispers of the Old Gods full card list page.
