The Vicious Syndicate Data Reaper Podcast

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!