The Vicious Syndicate Data Reaper Podcast

Three weeks into Whizbang's Workshop, ZachO has a firm grasp of the meta. Tune in to hear a class-by-class breakdown and the definitive winners and losers from the first balance patch.

Join ZachO and Squash as the Hearthstone meta goes on a shopping spree! Is there anything out there that can dethrone the meta tyrant of Demon Hunter? Tune in to find out.

Whizbang's Workshop and the Year of the Pegasus are here! ZachO and Squash cover their first impressions of the new meta in this MASSIVE new episode!

Whizbang's Workshop is right around the corner! Join Squash and ZachO as they give their first impressions of each of the class sets for the upcoming expansion.

We are in the final weeks of this standard meta, but things are happening! ZachO and Squash go over the state of the meta after the recent wacky balance patch and what to expect as Whizbang's Workshop approaches.

ZachO and Squash review the upcoming changes to the Core set for the 10th year of Hearthstone, the Year of the Pegasus!

A massive balance patch hit the standard meta this past week and some significant meta developments are underway. But did the patch increase diversity in the meta, or actually make things even more narrow?

The Deepholm miniset has launched and there are dramatic new developments in the meta. A new dew-o of decks are threatening the format, tune in to hear how things are looking so far!

A new miniset is on its way! ZachO and Squash take a deep dive and go class by class analyzing the new cards.

Rogues keep on excavating and Druids keep on ramping, but what else is going on in the meta? Tune in until the end to hear ZachO's explanation of why we need more sponges in Hearthstone.

It's a New Year, and that means exciting things will be happening in Hearthstone! Squash and ZachO discuss the present, but also the future in this new episode of the Data Reaper Podcast.

A new host has arrived at the Data Reaper podcast, and with them a brand new meta after the most recent major balance patch. How are things looking in the first podcast since the launch of Showdown in the Badlands?

Playing in a tournament has never been easier. Check out Mobius!

https://www.playmobius.co/vicious We're back and ready for a showdown. A new expansion is right around the corner!

A balance patch has dropped, but unfortunate timing meant one deck was missed! We give both sides of the battle all the information they need to try and beat Yogg or be Yogg.

The miniset has arrived and a balance patch is already on the way! A certain Old God is taking over, but there's an even bigger monster at top ranks...

In this episode we discuss two important topics: what to do in a power outage and how the classes are fighting things out after the nerfs to Hunter.

Hound Hunter's reign of terror has ended, giving Standard a fresh look. A new most popular class, hidden meta-breakers, and the return of an archetype many thought was dead.

A monstrous patch brought new content, new expansion, new buffs, and an old archetype. In this episode we breakdown the meta of a post-patch world - starting with the incredibly popular Control Warrior!

Hunter's dominance in the post-patch meta is no surprise, but a class written-off by many is ready to shake things up. We discuss everything going on after a very exciting launch to TITANS!

It's time for the first podcast of TITANS! We take a look at the numbers and tell you what's working, what isn't, and why ZachO was secretly right about Mech Rogue all along.

Today is the day! The TITANS expansion has arrived, and we give one final overview of the set...

The Festivals of Legends is ready for a final encore. A major discovery might shake up the entire meta. Is there really a new best deck? We also discuss some of the freshly revealed cards from the next expansion!

The nerf to Whomper has made a huge impact on the Standard meta and we discuss all the ramifications. It's also time to rate the new Titans! These cards are strong... but which is the best?

A NEW FORMAT. A NEW EXPANSION. A NEW THREAT TO THE META? Let's talk about everything that's happening after the latest Hearthstone content patch.

A new mode is coming soon!! But first we have to talk about the twists and turns of Standard Hearthstone...

The Audiopocalypse mini-set has shaken things up, and we discuss where things have landed. Beyond the purely obvious, there are a few big surprises...

A miniset has been released! Up is down, down is up, Hunter has healing, and Paladin has DAMAGE.

We have a miniset announcement! But first let's discuss current Standard and perhaps the most interesting class... Warrior?!

We're looking at an early snapshot of the post-nerfs meta! The format is looking balanced with lots to experiment with... until the next mini-set arrives.

In corbett's first episode of the show we find out that Blue is out and Green is in, for a new-look Death Knight. We also speculate on upcoming balance changes!

For one last time, Hat will tell us. And he's doing fine even though this is his last episode - though don't worry, the show will be back with a new host soon.

We just put a little smorc over here and a little board over there...

He'll be nice. Promise. Hat has some big personal news and the meta has some recent developments, so what are you waiting for? Start listening!

We only have an early snapshot of the meta right now, and while some classes are flourishing, others are fizzling out. But maybe some ideas just need more exposure...

Our final podcast episode of Year of the Hydra is here to cover core set changes and the revealed cards so far.

Festival of Legends has been revealed and we have a lot of cards to talk through, especially some neutrals that may (or may not) be bait!

It's like the launch meta, but it's in March now! Get it? Get it??? The 1 mana nerfs brought back a number of archetypes that could not function under the pressure of Gnoll and Quarter. Things are pretty good!

The nerfs dramatically opened up available space for strategies new and old. Hat's pretty happy with the new best deck...

We have some things to talk about, but this isn't a format that yields a lot of deep conversation. Frost DK is broken. Play it until it's gone. 

Chaddius is not the way to win games unless you get him off evolves on turn 2. But there are ways to win games beyond evolve scams in Return to Naxx! And we talk about them!

Who would've thought that Wildpaw Gnoll was oppressing minion strategies that are now flourishing?

Do you really wanna see what the space between tempo and midrange looks like? Memes aside, we got a new balance patch and have some insights into the early data from 25.2.2.

Seriously, if that thing lives, what do you even do? Zach has some other meta developments too. 

Is this meta broken on a fundamental level? Is this a balance issue or a larger design problem? Are these questions clickbait? (Yes.)

Play more one drops in your Frost DK, add one mana cyclers to your Miracle Rogue, kill people with one mana spells in your Quest DH, and buff one drops to make undead decks playable. Hat is happy. 

They nerfed Renathal! Plus a whole bunch of other cards. We have a whole new format to talk to you about. 

March of the Lich King is out and we have our early impressions before the first report! 

Since last week, we've had quite a few class cards revealed. The hosts talk through what we've seen at the halfway point of the reveal season. 

We have all the Death Knight cards, so let's talk about them! 

Team 5 announced a lot of new stuff coming to the game with the next expansion, but in the meantime they dropped 125 cards into standard with the re-release of Knights of the Frozen Throne. What changed? Is Big Priest OP?

Seriously, there are so many rogue decks right now - they're not busted but they're all being played a lot and we have some insights. 

If you don't play Naga Priest you'll be proving Zach right. Is that what you want?

Oh you know it's a clickbait title. And we mean it - but not for the reasons you might think! Check out our early impressions of the 24.4.3 balance patch and see if Theotar going to 5 actually changed anything.

There's more content in the podcast than just what's in the title! Come listen to our analysis of the early miniset meta. 

It's time for a special mini-set review edition of the podcast where we go over all the cards coming out in tomorrow's patch! 

We have our first report after the balance changes. There are a lot of interesting changes to the format and it seems like the dream of board-based strategies has come true!

The newest balance patch changed things once again and it's time to lower those curves and bring out some minions! Hat's happy at least. 

A hundred episodes in! Thank you for being there with us along the way. We take a little walk down memory lane before discussing our hopes for the upcoming balance patch. 

Zach has thoughts on general balance philosophy and translates them to what happened with the first patch in Nathria. 

Who would've expected a meta where a 9 drop removal minion is highly played? Not us. There are plenty of other things to learn from the first data reaper report of the expansion before the nerfs. 

Welcome to Murder at Castle Nathria! We don't have a full report yet, but we have early impressions and you're going to want to hear them in our longest episode ever.

All the cards are out and we have over a week until we get to play with them... so what do we do? We theorychat! Zach has been deep in the lab making decklist drafts and Hat got to play on the theorycrafting stream--tune in to hear where our perspectives overlap.

We have new information that shows that Renathal is actually making some decks better instead of worse! On top of that, we have a bunch of new cards to review together.

You knew it was coming. Do you want to hear about how Renathal decks are doing after a few days? Of course you do. 

It's yet another meta where the best deck is both underplayed and in the Paladin class. Just play it. But hey, we have stuff to talk about in every class! Well, almost every class...

You might need one if the meta keeps going the way it's been headed. After the last round of changes we have another completely new meta - tune in to get our first impressions!

It's Warrior's format now and we're all just living in it. Well, Warrior and Rogue. Well, Warrior, Rogue, and DH...

Unless you're playing Boar Priest or Alignment Druid, at least. We have a lot to talk about with mini-set standard and there's also 10+ minutes of Elden Ring discussion after the outro!

No, really, they were. We might not have a single dead class... there's one that we have questions about but it's not the one you think. 

There has been some concern that Hat always ask Zach how he's doing and never gets an answer. Fear not, because this week we get the answer. Tune in to find out! We also talk about standard and some of the new high skill cap decks that have made the rounds on social media. 

There are some pretty interesting post-nerf insights, though of course the diamond elephant in the room gets some special coverage again this week from Zach. All his homies hate Drek'Thar. But there's more to talk about too- especially with some classes that gained some breathing room after the Kazakusan rework. 

Seriously, play two Oracles of Elune! Well, at least until the deck gets nerfed on Tuesday. We recorded this episode 12 hours before the nerf announcements, but you might not believe that after hearing how close some of our predictions were. (Mostly Zach's.) 

Set sail! The Voyage to the Sunken City is underway and we're here with early impressions after two and a half days of the new standard year. 

After locking himself in the lab, Zach has emerged with a pile of decklists and thoughts about the new meta - and Hat supplements that with his own experience from the theorycrafting streams. It's time for the last episode of the Year of the Gryphon. Hail Hydra!

Zach has big dreams about some of the cards from the new set and Hat's here to stoke the flames. This set is a class-by-class review of all the new cards we've seen so far and there are a lot of them!

The new set has been announced and the new cards have big Un'Goro two vibes! Listen to Zach and Hat talk over the new mechanics along with some very preliminary card evaluations.

Zach puts on his professor Hat once again to walk us through the history of hearthstone from a design perspective. 

Our first full report on the Onyxia's Lair meta has dropped. What do the hosts think of the polarizing standard environment? Tune in to find out.

Onyxia's Lair had a bigger impact than anticipated thanks to the dramatic improvement Kazakusan has brought to Druid. We have some early impressions of the meta as well as some predictions as to what will change. 

What a two-parter. We're thrilled to have Gallon on for a 30 minute dev interview and then after that there are a whole lot of new cards to cover from the Onyxia's Lair mini-set!

The first report of the 22.2 meta has made it clear... that things aren't very clear at all. The meta is open with lots of options and tremendous class diversity. Thank goodness they nerfed Mozaki.

Is standard saved? We're back after 22.2 brings 8 balance changes and frees the format from the Gnoll strangehold. There are lots of surprises here!

The standard meta is badly warped around Gnolls and Scabbs. The hosts have a sobering discussion around the state of standard and talk about how they're handling it. 

Well, after the last report, Thief Rogue has exploded on ladder... how much of a problem is it? Are there other decks that are a problem? Is Guff a good boy? (Yes, he is.)

After multiple days of deck refinement and 15 hours of writing, Zach has emerged from the lab with over 40 decklists for the latest report. Is this the most diverse meta ever? And is Thief Rogue broken?

13 cards were changed the day after worlds and we have some early impressions of the new meta. Are the solitare five dead? 

The first and last report of pre-nerf Alterac is here. The devs have heavily implied nerfs are coming this week after worlds, so it's time for some patented ZachO predictions - not to mention a full review of the new meta. 

Everyone's wrong on occasion, of course, but it's funnier when it's Hat predicting that Hero Tamsin would not make it into Handlock. Find out what other predictions came true (or didn't) in the first episode in Alterac!

All the cards for Alterac Valley have been revealed and we're quite thankful for the extra time. Tune in for a class by class review!

We've got early impressions and we've got new cards! We've got time for both somehow - let's discuss the meta we have now along with what could be the meta we have in two weeks when Alterac comes out.

The first full report for Deadmines is done just in time to anticipate nerfs next week. What's good now and what will be good after the changes?

The Deadmines has shaken up standard and there are a ton of new decks to talk about along with some updates on older ones. Mr. Smite seems to be everywhere and has even found his way into strange Druid combo decks. Is it good? Tune in.

Thank goodness we have new cards to talk about! There were sixteen Deadmines cards revealed on Thursday and the crew talks about every single one of them. 

School is back in session as ZachO puts on his high skill cap and expands on the paradigm between resource and initiative with real-world examples to help illustrate opportunities to grow as a player. If you haven't listened to episode 45, we strongly recommend doing so first! 

The meta has a few developments going on, so it's time for one more review of standard before the mini-set. The format is unusually balanced and diverse with a few surprises worth covering even three months in.

Is Garrote Contact Rogue really the most skill-testing deck of all time? Can a deck's skill ceiling really be measured in data? Yes and yes. Tune in to find out the details.

The first full report of 21.3 is out and we're here to break it down along with a lengthy discussion on the state of standard's balance and play patterns. This meta isn't for everyone, but does that mean there are fundamental flaws in the designs?

21.3 is live with some significant changes--we were curious about Team 5's perspective on the meta so we had Alec on again to tell us what they think! Join us for an interview and a very early look at the new meta.

The pace of Stormwind patches hasn't slowed down and we're due for 14 card changes next week. Alec himself challenged Zach to come up with a list of changes - and Hat has some (bad) guesses too.

The post-Stealer meta has continued to develop and the first official report has a lot for us to expand on. Does Rod make Handlock OP? Is Garrote Rogue the highest skill cap deck ever? Can Zach do an accurate Feno impression? Tune in to find out.

What would Stormwind look like without Stealer of Souls? Well, we finally get the chance to find out thanks to another couple of balance changes that went live earlier this week. And Flesh Giant moved one mana again... does it even matter? Yes. Yes it does.

The first report of patch 21.0.3 is here and it turns out it'll be the final report as well - some Warlock changes have been announced for next week! What does that mean for the rest of the classes?

8 nerfs! Team 5 went wide with changes as expected. We don't have a full report yet, but we have early insights into the new meta and it may not be what you're expecting. Don't worry, we talk about Stealer... but there's a lot more to discuss.

We didn't get nerfs yet though we know they're coming - but we do have the first report of Stormwind and it's a doozy! And of course, at the end we update our balance predictions to see if we can figure out what the team will do on Tuesday.

It's time for the first look at the United in Stormwind standard environment! There are more decks to cover than we've ever done before in a single episode. Join us for an early peek at what the numbers are saying. 

We have an early look at the 20.8.2 field as Barrens winds down. With the significant changes to Priest and the removal of Gibberling highrolls, the field looks rosy for Rush Warrior... but are there other developments to discover? Is Priest actually dead? 

We don't have new cards, but we do have new information from Alec via tweet - balance changes are coming next week! There are also some interesting developments to Watch out for in standard that deserve discussion.

United in Stormwind is our next expansion! We have a ton of new cards to talk about as well as the new mechanics introduced in the reveal stream on Thursday. 

There's a lull at the end of the third month of the Barrens meta, but there's been plenty of activity on social media around the class everyone loves to hate. The boys spend some time talking about the data and player sentiment around Priest with some interesting data points that might surprise you.

The second report of Wailing Caverns has given us some new developments. Can Hybrid Shaman work? Should Rush Warrior play N'Zoth? Are we going full yoink? Tune in and find out!

Thanks to the release of some powerful new Shaman cards, we finally have something to talk about with Thrall! The first full week of data from the Wailing Caverns meta has given us a lot of insights to go over for every class... well, almost every class.

With only hours to spare between the patch notes and the mini-set's release, Zach and Hat find time for an EMERGENCY EPISODE covering all the new cards and the surprise nerfs!

We're waiting for the Wailing Caverns to open - but for this episode, we're trying something a little different and exploring the general concept of meta dynamics.

Alec promised spice, but the initial impressions seemed to be that not much had changed. We don't think those initial impressions were accurate. Take a listen to get some context into the meta's developments after the first report of 20.2.2.

We have an early look at what's good after the sudden 20.2.2 changes, but the meta is barely formed at this point. We have some idea of what to play and a much better idea of what not to play. 

Two hours before the show recorded, Alec tweeted that 5 nerfs and 10 buffs are coming! Join us as we try to sleuth out what the possible changes could be.

We have confirmation that balance changes are coming but not what they are yet - and this meta isn't done developing. Zach has some spicy takes to share on where things are now and where they could go!

Not sure what 3 drops to play? Need some extra value in your standard deck? Sounds like a job for FLEX TAPE NEUTRALS! What would win in a fight - the lifebinder or one angry orc?

Episode 39 is live! Despite some technical delays, we've still got a lot of early insights to share about the post-nerf meta. @ZachODR @RidiculousHat @PlayHearthstone

Has Zach broken the code? No, but we're finding ways to have fun and potentially deal with this warped meta until nerfs come out next week. Big thanks to Craptasm for our intro this week- it's solid gold.

No, we mean it. Play Paladin. It's time for a very early look at the Forged in the Barrens meta! The environment has changed and the meta continues to develop- but there are some early outliers that are worth discussing.

Alec returns for another interview covering Team 5's current design philosophy! After that, Zach and Hat take a look at some of the new cards and give their initial thoughts.

We're all waiting for the Barrens card reveals, but the meta isn't done developing! And not only that, but this episode features a special live discussion of the decklist posts from MT Ironforge as they happen and a discussion of the nerf reversions.

The meta is stable, but the core set sure isn't. Zach and Hat take the time to give both larger thoughts on the new core set and class by class specifics. 

Instead of reviewing the meta, it's time to review all of the things that we learned at BlizzCon. Zach and Hat dig deep into the core set and Forged in the Barrens with what we know right now.

Big news! The core set and Hearthstone Classic have both been announced. Zach and Hat give their initial thoughts before diving into the meta and taking a look at some of the latest developments, including the rise of spell damage mage.

The first report of the Darkmoon Races meta had FIFTEEN tier 1 decks! Are they all actually good? Is this a high skill meta? Will Zach lose his damn mind? All the answers are here!

With the mini-set being announced on Tuesday and released on Thursday, the team has to race to release an episode talking about all the new cards. Come hear some hot takes about the mid-set expansion!

It finally happened. Not only did they nerf Boggspine Knuckles, but they nerfed Edwin Van Cleef. Zach and Hat have a lot to discuss about the nerfs, the newly forming meta, and the possibility of what's to come for classic and basic.

Happy new year! The best decks may be the same, but there's some movement in other classes that's worth looking into. 

On our last episode of 2020, Zach and Hat discuss the latest evolution of the meta. Zach has his finger on the pulse of the latest developments in our decklists... and a lot of them run a certain 5 mana 4/4. Happy holidays!

19.2 has brought changes to the standard environment, and for better or worse, some predicted meta adjustments seem to be coming true. Join us for an early look at the new meta.

It's almost certain that there will be balance changes on Tuesday, but there are still new developments to explore in standard before then. Tune in to hear about the rise of Whirlkick Master, the true nature of Highlander Druid, and some guesses from the hosts on what will be adjusted.

Aggro Demon Hunter is back with a... vengeance. Zach and Hat review report #180 and talk about the dominant decks, the shape of the six playable classes, and hopes for potential future changes and developments to come.

Two podcasts in one week! The first report on the Darkmoon Faire meta is out and we're here to break it down for you class by class. Can Illidan be stopped? Does Shaman exist? What crazy experiments will ZachO come up with next? The answers to all of these questions are inside.

We're back, and we have a special early look at the meta mere days after release. ZachO doesn't have to be held back by the data here and wastes no time in serving up hot takes. 

For the first time, the VS team gets to sit down with Team 5 - we're joined this week by Alec Dawson, senior game designer for Hearthstone. This interview is packed with information, including Alec's perspective on randomness and value generation, the team's balance philosophy, thoughts on Yogg-Saron, and an idea of where the classic set is headed. Make sure you tune in for this one!

A new set announced already? That's Madness... at the Darkmoon Faire! There's already plenty to discuss in the early post-patch meta with the recent significant tweaks to mage, but on top of that, we have new cards to go over! 

Between the report and the podcast recording, more nerfs were announced and a new trailer was teased! We have lots of speculation about what's coming next Thursday and plenty of discussion about the mage nerfs as well as a full review of the meta as usual.

Now that we have a full report on the 18.4 patch, we have more information to help guide you through this new meta. But this episode is not just about data, and when it comes time to talk about Mage, the hosts work on their virtual twitlonger skills to give you some opinions about their perception of the alleged "created by" meta. 

The latest patch has nerfed both Tortollan Pilgrim and Guardian Animals and the format has seen a significant shakeup as a result. There isn't a full report yet, but there's enough data to get early impressions. Is Soul DH unstoppable? Will people ever play Paladin at high legend? Did Hat get something right?? Tune in and find out!

While the meta continues to develop, archetypes are starting to stabilize and this week has Druid on top, though it's far from unbeatable. But there are still new decks and new builds to be found - not just for Paladin either!

The first report is out! The post-18.2 meta looks to be smaller but it still has some interesting developments. Why is cyclone mage so popular? Did the Totem Goliath buff do anything? Can we still go full yoink? Find out the answers to these questions and more!

The nerfs are live, and while it's too early for the first report, we can get some initial impressions. Join Zach and Hat for a review of what's going on with each class and where things look to be headed.

A month in to Scholomance and the meta is shaping up to historic levels of class balance - but the designers aren't done yet and 5 new card changes have been announced as part of the 18.2 patch on Tuesday. In addition to their regular overview of how each class is doing, Zach and Hat take the time to talk about the impact of each nerf and where this meta could shift in time for this weekend's Masters Tour and beyond.

The meta keeps developing and podcast episodes keep getting longer! There's so much more to explore in the Scholomance meta - join us for a class by class review where no stone is left unturned. 

The Scholomance meta continues to defy stability, and the mid-week release of the 18.0.2 balance patch changed yet another variable. There's no report this week, but ZachO and Hat have some fresh data to share and discuss from the most recent class shifts. Going face is back on the menu!

Scholomance Academy has hit standard and the impact cannot be overstated - this is a new world! It's a wide open meta with something for (almost) every class to do. Zach and Hat go class by class after the first Data Reaper report to try and make sense of it all. 

Zach and Hat can't wait for the new set and there's only one day to go! There's only one thing to talk about - the upcoming meta and our hopes for what's good, what's fun, and what's both. 

It's time for a last look at what feels like a new meta, as the final balance patch for Outlands has created significant change. But the new expansion is two weeks away and it's time to turn our perspective to what's coming after a review of the most recent Data Reaper report. We go card by card for all of the reveals so far - and there's lots to discuss.

There's a lot to talk about this week! Not only has the new 17.6 patch dramatically changed the meta at the end of the Ashes expansion cycle, but the next expansion has been announced and cards have been revealed. ZachO and Hat take a very early look at what each class looks like after the most recent balance update before diving directly into a card by card discussion of what we've seen so far from Scholomance Academy.

Another wave of balance changes has been announced just before the next Masters Tour! While the nerfs are meant to set up the next expansion to have a larger impact per Blizzard, we expect them to have a major impact on the meta that we're in now. Join us for a review of every nerf on a card by card basis as well as a per-class analysis of what we predict the standard environment will look like.

Yes, Amani Berserker. The new "enrage" aggro Demon Hunter is taking the ladder by storm after the discovery and evolution of a promising early build from the China Gold Championship. In addition to some analysis of the more unusual card inclusions and play patterns of the latest DH list, ZachO and Hat also reflect on the "forgotten classes" of Paladin and Shaman to figure out what help they need before speculating on what the next expansion could do for archetypes that can't quite cut it right now.

This episode takes on a different form as ZachO and Hat discuss the dynamics of the post-Twin Slice rework meta. Demon Hunter is still on top and Warrior is not far behind - and there has been a growing conversation on social media about the state of the game, including a long post from Zach himself. We have a constructive discussion about how we got here, what we think the problems are, and what the future of the game could look like with players and devs working together.

Bomb Control Warrior has taken the top spot in the standard meta as expected, and with that comes additional meta developments. There are still refinements to be found in many archetypes, Demon Hunter and Druid included - and Rogue looks like it could end up being the third best class in the meta if decklists adapt. 

https://www.vicioussyndicate.com/vs-data-reaper-report-165/

1:45 - Meta developments with Warrior and DH
25:10 - Continuing Druid refinement
34:48 - Rogue builds investigated
44:27 - Quick hits on other classes

Welcome to the Data Reaper Podcast! In the pilot episode, ZachO and RidiculousHat cover the initial findings from the first data reaper report after the 12 card balance change. In addition to an initial review of the developing meta, there's lots to talk about with class developments- Warrior is showing a surprising amount of class diversity while Druid and Rogue are in the middle of significant adjustments.