The Magic: The Gathering expert Brian Kibler suggested in an interview that Hearthstone tournaments at the highest level should resemble the game played by gamers at home more closely.
Brian Kibler is truly no stranger in the trading card scene. He made a name for himself in Magic: The Gathering, later designing their trading card game for Blizzard, and he has also dealt intensively with Hearthstone. In an interview with gosugamers, he provides a fresh outside perspective on the game.
He particularly reflected on the current tournament format of Hearthstone. Here, players can often agree in advance to ban a certain class. This leads to unusual circumstances that have little to do with the normal game that the viewers know. For instance, in tournaments, decks like Handlock can be incredibly strong because their natural enemy, the Hunter, is banned. Players see these tournaments, decide to try out Handlock, and experience a rude awakening in ladder play when they encounter the first Hunters.
Additionally, the current tournament rules often require a player to bring three decks. This can also be problematic for Hearthstone players starting out in tournaments. He himself had to sit down before his first tournament and level a third class to level 10 just to receive the necessary card for his last deck.
Kibler can transfer many of his experiences from Magic: The Gathering days to Hearthstone. Thus, it is easy for him to make some calculations in his head when he sees the board to decide on the right move. However, matches that are not decided on the board but rather in the opponent’s hand are more difficult for him. He lacks the specific Hearthstone experience against decks like Miracle Rogue or Handlock to predict the opponent’s moves.
In contrast to Magic, Hearthstone is significantly simpler. This brings both advantages and disadvantages. It is much more difficult for beginners to get into Magic than into Hearthstone, which greatly benefits from being developed for the digital medium from the start. However, Hearthstone cannot keep up with Magic in complexity, and the arena mode can become somewhat boring over time.
Kibler particularly likes the new Naxxramas cards, especially the Deathrattle for his Priest. He appreciates cards that allow certain classes to be played “against the grain” and discover new synergies.
