Hearthaholics: A Hearthstone Podcast

Scheduling got rough this week, but in a heroic effort to put something up, Andres and Bryan banded together to deliver a mini-episode that's actually pretty good! It's mostly just a relaxing chat about their respective histories of strategy gaming, so if that sounds interesting to you, by all means give it a listen! In any case, Hearthaholics will be back in full form next week.ReferencesThe Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making this episode and hope you enjoy it! If not feel free to yell at us through any of the following mediums:Twitter: @HearthaholicsAndres: @IplaiGamesBryan: @LordMeldorrBilly: @BBrawlyEmail: hearthaholics@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFmxmGzLSJjn_wGo0H9uk8AFacebook: https://www.faceb

It's been awhile since our last guest, and much our surprise and delight, someone agreed to come onto the show! And that someone happens to be Noxious: prolific Hearthstone enthusiast, caster of ATLC, and champion of really weird decks. Things are kept loose today, as Andres, Billy, and Bryan pick Noxious' brain about card design theory, deckbuilding, and how game-breaking Charge in general really is.ReferencesTurtle Warrior Decklist: https://gyazo.com/158a25d27b9ac58161df93a12b72baf2The Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/Noxious' YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NoxiousGLHFWe had fun making this episode and hope you enjoy it! If not feel free to yell at us through any of the following mediums:Twitter: @HearthaholicsAndres: @IplaiGamesBryan: @L

Things get deep this week as we ruminate upon the philosophical mysteries of Hearthstone. What are the ramifications of Power Creep? Will the constant and frequent addition of new content eventually create a bloat that will collapse in upon itself? Is net decking a crucial component to strategy, or an anathema to creativity and the true skills of deckbuilding? And, most importantly... why no reach, bro?ReferencesHearthstone Netdecking Is A Pox: http://techraptor.net/content/hearthstone-netdecking-poxBen Brode: The Dark Side of Releasing New Content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGc6hAr8r6cKolento's Dragon Priest: http://www.hearthhead.com/deck=127419/kolentos-dragon-priestThe Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making this episode and hope you enjo

There's much to celebrate this week! Fellow Hearthstone podcast The Angry Chicken is celebrating its 100th episode, Andres is back, and Bryan no longer hates Hearthstone! The Hearthaholics take advantage of this reunion to regroup and settle what dust they can regarding The Grand Tournament and what they've taken away from it thus far. Is Secret Paladin here to stay? What's the verdict on Tavern Brawl? Is Lock and Load *actually* a good card? These questions and more are given non-committal yet long-form answers on this week's episode of Hearthaholics!ReferencesAndres' Lock and Load Deck: https://gyazo.com/e859ae63a18e7db685347a4075188f4fRhonin on Fumes: https://gyazo.com/b9c6656c8dbed6882406271cf1c7b587Bryan's Dragon Priest: https://gyazo.com/2d31b62aed73bf850ac5d9478a4f7386Secret Paladin:&

With Andres out on assignment (aka, battling against a demonic invasion for the good of the realm), Billy and Bryan take it slow, recovering after the craziness that has been The Grand Tournament's release. Some might call it meandering, others charmingly chill, but in any case it's certainly a break from the frantic and fast-paced card reviews of recent times. Pleasantly surprising cards are discussed, as are the best ways to deal with the cavalcade of new information bombarding the meta. (Hint: Ignoring it works well!) ReferencesBryan's Dragon Priest: https://gyazo.com/e1c9aec1b70a663e3d310d7fbcb56c54 TGT Decks:  https://www.reddit.com/r/hearthstone/comments/3i9nar/new_tgt_decks_from_popular_streamers/The Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making t

 This is it: the final episode before the long-awaited release of The Grand Tournament! With an amount of card reveals roughly equivalent to the population of New Zealand, Billy, Bryan, and Andres have instead each brought their top 5 new cards to discuss away. This broadens into a larger conversation about what new deck archetypes we can expect to see as the meta takes a turn for the crazy, and just about the only thing we can all agree upon is that people will probably be playing... decks. With cards in them. High level analysis here, folks!ReferencesThe Grand Tournament Cards: http://www.hearthpwn.com/cards?filter-unreleased=1&filter-set=103&filter-premium=1&display=3The Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making this episode and h

With The Grand Tournament nearly upon us, Andres, Billy and Bryan prepare by discussing the last batch of cards before the full and final reveal. Things are more relaxed this week as fewer cards allow for broader and slower discussion, including a Lowly Squire Report from Billy, and a convincing argument for a warlock card that many seem to dread. So join us in this final calm before the storm that is WAY MORE CARDS.ReferencesThe Grand Tournament Cards: http://www.hearthpwn.com/cards?filter-unreleased=1&filter-set=103&filter-premium=1&display=3The Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making this episode and hope you enjoy it! If not feel free to yell at us through any of the following mediums:Twitter: @HearthaholicsAndres: @IplaiGamesBryan:

With 34 new cards to cover, the Hearthaholics throw caution to the wind and dive in, taking as long as they need to argue over each and every one. Just how much arguing there will be is a point of contention, however, and you can join Andres, Billy, and Bryan as they place their bets on just how non-unanimous this bout of opinionating is liable to be. Mysterious new class legendaries, another slew of befuddling weapons, and more await you in this latest episode of Hearthaholics!ReferencesThe Grand Tournament Cards: http://www.hearthpwn.com/cards?filter-unreleased=1&filter-set=103&filter-premium=1&display=3The Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making this episode and hope you enjoy it! If not feel free to yell at us through any of the followin

So many exciting new cards this week! Unfortunately, it was so exciting that Billy forgot there was an episode, but Bryan and Andres do their best to find *something* do disagree about. They very nearly succeed, too! A bevy of new Grand Tournament cards are analyzed one by one as the pair of Hearthaholics speculate about inspire's role, the potential new pace of the game, and whether Turtle Warrior will become a thing. Follow this up with some great listener topics, and you've got yourself a quality good time, if lacking in Australian accents!ReferencesThe Grand Tournament Cards: http://www.hearthpwn.com/cards?filter-unreleased=1&filter-set=103&filter-premium=1&display=3The Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making this episode and hope you en

Turns out we were all right! Cards were indeed revealed! Billy, Andres, and Bryan are here to break down the latest Hearthstone news: the announcement of the Grand Tournament! Though running through 20 new cards without getting wildly sidetracked is a daunting task, the Hearthaholics crew manages to (mostly) do so unscathed, tossing out wild predictions like confetti. So join us in celebration, as we convene over the bright future of Hearthstone fun to come!ReferencesThe Grand Tournament Cards: http://www.hearthpwn.com/cards?filter-unreleased=1&filter-set=103&filter-premium=1&display=3The Angry Chicken Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TACPodcast/We had fun making this episode and hope you enjoy it! If not feel free to yell at us through any of the following mediums:Twitter:&nb

Oh my gosh! We have a guest this week! We're finally a real podcast! :D John Horstmann from Well Met joins the Hearthaholics crew to have a rousing round of Hearthstone talk. The gamut is thoroughly run this week; we kick things off by running through the 7 reasons why we (sometimes) suck at Hearthstone before moving into new card mechanics, preferred deck playstyles, and an insightful listener topic. John was an awesome guest, so be sure to check out fellow Hearthstone podcast Well Met when you're done! That way you can hear him without Billy and Bryan interrupting to argue about Miracle Warrior.References7 Reasons We (Sometimes) Suck at Hearthstone: http://imgur.com/a/5RWWe#0Reinhardt's Twitch Stream: http://www.twitch.tv/reinhardt_hsWell Met Patreon: https://www.patreon.com

We didn't mean to spend the whole episode discussing Blizzard's announcement of an announcement! I promise! But once you get the Hearthaholics crew rolling, they rank with the best in getting utterly sidetracked by their own excitement. Luckily this sidetracking lead to a lot of interesting discussion, centering around the future of Hearthstone, and everyone's hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future. (Spoiler: Billy still wants 2v2 mode.) Close things out with a new card from Billy and a wrap-up of the recent Liquid Hearth meta report, and you have yourself one fine episode of Hearthaholics!ReferencesBlizzard's Announcement of an Announcement: http://www.hearthpwn.com/news/935-well-met-hero-upcoming-hearthstone-contentLiquid Hearth Power Rankings : http://www.liquidhearth.com/foru

With the season ending, the Hearthaholics get reflective as they think back on what they learned from this last eventful month of Hearthstone play. Billy's learned how to better cope with and understand loss, Andres has learned to be more mindful of his opponent's play, and Bryan has learned he's still not legend. Some things never change, I suppose! Midrange paladin is also discussed, along with another intriguing card from Billy's imagination. Top all that off with a couple intense conversations about gold cards and Hearthstone's MMR system and you've got yourself a podcast jam-packed with conversational goodness!ReferencesHearthstone MMR Article: http://hearthstone.gamepedia.com/Matchmaking#Matchmaking_ratingsBilly's Card (Lunarite): http://gyazo.com/43c574b26a5d0fb6b1c669b51f25da2b Zxirez's M

So you know that thing where everyone gets frustrated facing hunter? Well, Bryan always took the high road and assured everyone that hunter was fine, it was a good aggressive balance to the meta, and there were always ways to tech and work around it. Turns out he was wrong. Hunter is the worst. And how he needs the help of Billy and Andres to figure out how the heck to stop losing horribly to it over and over again. Somehow the crew also has time to tackle the question of how to approach getting a foothold in the beginnings of ladder and Billy brings another custom card for discussion! Lots of in-depth, hopefully helpful strategic talk this week. So what are you waiting for? Why are you still reading this? Listen to the episode, dude!ReferencesBryan's Anti-Hunter Zoolock Deck: http://gyazo.com/da9590b

TAVERN BRAWL! TAVERN BRAWL! WHAT'S THE FIRST TAVERN BRAWL GONNA BE GU-- oh, wait, they already announced it? Shoot. This is becoming a pattern. Luckily, the Hearthaholics hedged their bets this week and kept their predictive tangents to a minimum!  Andres, Billy and Bryan cover their qualified excitement over the new heroes, Bryan's uncharacteristic climb to Rank 5 (and how to keep that climb going), the future of card games as a medium, and, of course, Tavern Brawls! ReferencesTavern Brawl Announcement: http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/19508176Bryan's Current Zoolock Deck: http://gyazo.com/c1bae38deda249cfe35c43204d8325e9Vicious Syndicate Tuesday Night Hype: http://vicioushs.cards/tnh/The Angry Chicken Subreddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/TACPod

BUTTON! THE BUTTON! GUYS, WHAT IS THE NEW BUTTON GOING TO B-- wait, what? They announced that already. Oh. Well, let's pretend they didn't so you can hear us theorize without also knowing we're all totally wrong! :D The Hearthaholics are here to celebrate 10 episodes of being the world's (roughly) #1 Hearthstone podcast. Surprises are in store for Billy and Andres as Bryan unveils a new segment, after which the usual format is put on hold to discuss the crazy amounts of news coming out from Hearthstone HQ.  Top this all off with a couple great listener topics and you have yourself one lovely (if outdated) episode of Hearthaholics!ReferencesMagni Announcement: http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/19508175/heroes-emerge-new-hearthstone-heroes-are-coming-6-4-2015THE BUTTON Announcement

Whoa! It's June! How did that happen? It's almost like the constant, inexorable force of time has pushed us through another 30 days since last time we had a changing of the months. Crazy. But you know what that means. That's right! Time to talk about how the ladder system needs improving! But really, we also have plenty of positive thoughts as well, including what our plans are this coming season and how we're definitely totally going to get to legend (though probably not). We follow that up by discussing our respective favorite classes, take a look at another new card design from Billy, and top things off with our very first listener topic! Fun, enthusiasm, and interesting insight abound in this episode of Hearthaholics; so stop reading this and start listening already!ReferencesBroll Bearmantle

Andres has returned enlightened from his coaching session with Justsaiyan and ready to impart his new-found wisdom upon the unwashed masses! (aka, Billy and Bryan) As we emerge from the strategic dark ages we manage to discuss the value of coaching, share our respective trading card game origin stories, and take a look at Billy's most recent custom card in a segment we really cannot think of a name for. (Seriously, if you have any ideas let us know. Email address is right down there!)ReferencesJustsaiyan Reddit Post: http://www.reddit.com/r/CompetitiveHS/comments/36loe5/justsaiyan_1_na_with_patron_5_in_blizzcon_points/Necronic Wand (Billy's card): http://prntscr.com/79eg3wFunny Picture of a Kobold: https://www.jinx.com/content/prod/4303p_99c_1b.jpgWe had fu

HANDLOCK! In case you can't tell from the episode name, or the episode artwork, or the fact that I just yelled "Handlock", this episode largely discusses Bryan's crucial question: "How the heck do I play Handlock?" Meanwhile, Andres dives deep discussing the idea of teching cards and adapting your deck while Billy ponders about what a 2v2 mode could mean for Hearthstone. We celebrate our first iTunes review, discuss the exciting potential of a moddable Hearthstone, and much more on this giant-filled episode of Hearthaholics!ReferencesBryan's Handlock decklist: http://gyazo.com/b0efcb31273066a5a00206b4fedf1677LiquidHearth Power Ranks: http://www.liquidhearth.com/forum/constructed-strategy/485547-pr-may-2015-week-2-malygod-and-the-essence-of-magicFunny Picture of a Gnome: http://www.blogc

With Blackrock Mountain behind them, the Hearthaholics regrouped to decide what their future might hold. Though Billy lobbied hard for an all Runescape all the time format, Runeaholics just didn't have the same ring to it. Instead the trio decided on focusing their discussions around everyday Hearthstone strategies, and how through discussion with one another they could improve as players, and get even more out of their mutually beloved game. Join Andres, Billy and Bryan as they test this new format, each bringing one strategic topic to work on and discuss, and hopefully you can learn something along with them! What are their greatest Hearthstone weaknesses? How can you get a lot out of a little time to play each day?  Can Bryan get through an episode without making any puns? Liste