How one deck of cards became the stuff of Hearthstone legend.
Its called Adrenaline Rush and, for one mana, it allowed Rogue players to draw a card.
Two cards if they managed to play another card before it.
To those that do not knowHearthstonethat well, this card must not seem like a big deal.
After all, drawing cards is just a natural part of this game, isnt it?
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They know this because theyve witnessed a miracle.
I say theoretically because, as it turns out, the Turbo-Xerox deck wasnt quite viable.
More on that later.
The biggest departure in this early Miracle Rogue deck from theMagicversion was in its finishers.
Whereas the early Miracle build inMagicfeatured a primary finisher,Hearthstones Miracle Rogue had three.
Combined, these cards helped to create one of the most devastating decks in earlyHearthstone.
Few cards inHearthstonemanage to satisfy the lore of their characters as soundly as Leeroy Jenkins does.
As such, he was primarily treated as a finisher in highly aggressive decks duringHearthstones early days.
Need an extra six damage to finish off your opponent?
There I was beating down this Rogue who was doing nothing but drawing cards.
Next thing I know theres a flash of light, someone yelled Leeeerroy!
I know it sounds crazy, but I swear thats how it happened!
Whether they remove enemy minions or heal your hero, your only mission in life is to stay alive.
Once that Auctioneer is on the board, its time to start casting spells and drawing cards.
You start by playing Leeroy Jenkins for four mana and attack the opponent directly.
Then, you use Shadowstep to recall him to your hand at a reduced cost of two mana.
You play him again, but this time use Coldblood to give him an extra four attack.
Hell, Blizzard once nerfed an eight mana card that could do 10 damage for being too powerful.
Theoretically, it could pour out even more damage through other available combos.
Nobody had ever seen a deck quite like this version of Miracle Rogue.
This vulnerability is what made Miracle Rogue so difficult to play.
Put simply, there were many who felt that the deck was simply no fun to play against.
While it did so for a time, ultimately it proved to be insufficient.
Ironically, Miracle Rogues began to use the so called Miracle Killer in their own decks with great success.
It soon became clear that Loathebwasnt enoughto derail the dominant Miracle Rogue.
So on September 22, 2014, Blizzard decided tonerf Leeroy Jenkinsby increasing his mana cost by one.
Its complex design and terrifying potential had led to some of the most intense games ofHearthstoneever witnessed.
The technical answer involves changes that came to the games format brought on by the newest expansion.
Thats the technical answer.
Any competitively built CCG deck has the cards needed to beat any other deck.
The catch has always been being able to find and play those cards at the right time.
This element of chance is what makes these games so compelling.
Most importantly, it is what ensured that the playing field between all participants was as level as possible.
Everyone was governed by the luck of the draw.
Miracles are not magical occurrences doled out in equal measure to appropriate circumstances.
That, combined with a little bit of luck, can produce these moments in time that seem impossible.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer.
