Not all players understand the upcoming Hearthstone nerfs. The developers explain again exactly why the changes make sense from their perspective.
The nerf of Plague Maw was generally well received in the Hearthstone community. However, not all players understand exactly why Plague Maw is being nerfed in the way it is now.
The Druid spell for 5 mana summons as many 1/5 minions with taunt until you have as many minions as your opponent. After the nerf, the mana cost increases to 6, allowing the spell to be played later, but the effect remains unchanged.
Many players would have liked the spell to summon weaker minions – such as 1/4 minions, which would be vulnerable to a Fireball, for example.
Plague Maw: Too much power for round 5
Blizzard, however, decided against it for a simple reason: other cards. There are also other cards that summon the 1/5 minions, and these should remain consistent with each other. Therefore, raising the mana cost seemed to be the best option.
In an interview with IGN, Dean Ayala from Blizzard explained that they love when crazy things happen in Hearthstone. However, it would be too early for round 5 to play a card that gives you 30 or even 35 health points in taunt on the board. By increasing the mana cost, they retain the “fantastic” effect and fun of the card while also resolving the issue that it comes into play too early.
Furthermore, Plague Maw was the most popular Druid card in recent weeks. It was present twice in almost every deck. Whenever there is no alternative for a card, the developers feel compelled to intervene.
Especially in combination with the nerf to Innervate, Druids will now find it a bit harder against rush decks. Many of the other major combos may now be a thing of the past.
