So as we all know, GvG came out a few days ago. I wasn't actually too keen on the new expansion when some of its cards were first revealed, because some of them seemed a bit too random for my liking. Overall, however, GvG is a very good set. People have already started making new mech decks, although I haven't seen any murloc shamans just yet. Besides Unstable Portal, the RNG around most of the other cards is the sort of RNG that spices up the game, but are largely controllable. For example, Handlock players have already figured out that Recombobulator is basically a 2 mana 3/2 Ancestral Healing for Mountain Giants. Unstable Portal is the only RNG card that, I think, is really unbalanced. At its worst, it replaces itself with a 1-drop, and there is a pretty decent chance that the random legendary you pull will win you the game outright. The problem is that all minion-based Mage decks will have to run this card because it's just that good, even though what makes it good is pure RNG.

The changes to Soulfire, Flare and Auctioneer are okay. The Auctioneer nerf is completely on point because of the new spare parts. But putting Flare at 2 mana is not a good nerf. Flare is only overpowered in the Hunter versus Freeze Mage matchup. Tempo Mage is not particularly reliant on secrets (and they also have Counterspell), Pallys never run Secrets and Hunter vs Hunter is more about board control than anything else. I've had my Freezing + Snake Trap blown up by a Flare and still win because my Undertaker got out of control. In my view, Flare should stay at 1 mana, but not draw any cards if it destroys a Secret. Flare has pretty much become unplayable in Hunter, much like Starving Buzzard. And making cards totally redundant is not a good thing - cards like Buzzard and Flare should stay as 'niche' cards, instead of being unplayable.

The 1 mana change on Soulfire might seem small, but it's going to affect Warlock deck building a lot. I think it's more of a Zoo nerf than a Handlock nerf because Zoo needs Soulfire more than the Handlock. Darkbomb has become an excellent replacement for Soulfire in Handlock, which I think is a pretty bad card (in my opinion) in Zoo because of its cost. Clearly, some changes will have to be made, and as a keen Zoo player I've decided to update my list for the new meta. I haven't laddered too much with this deck, so things will change a lot in the near future.

The GvG cards include 2x Clockwork Gnome, 1 Annoy-o-Tron, and 1 Enhance-o-Mechano. What's perhaps most surprising is the complete absence of Soulfire and Dark Iron Dwarf. Let's start with Soulfire.

Soulfire serves two purposes in Zoo. It provides extra reach when you are going for lethal, and it gives you valuable tempo in the early game. In the Zoo mirror, for example, Soulfire is almost always a must keep in the mulligan because you can coin out your 1 drops then Soulfire their 1 drop for free. Part of what makes the 'old' Zoo so powerful is that it plays exactly to your mana curve, while having constant access to 4 damage whenever you need it. 1 mana is very costly for Zoo in the early game. 1 Soulfire is justifiable to provide extra reach, but I don't like 2.

Now, the mechs. Clockwork Gnome has largely replaced Leper Gnome in Zoo lists because it provides actual value while buffing your Undertaker. The spare parts it generates are almost always useful, and at worst they provide discard fodder for Doomguard. Enhance-o-Mechano is an one-off that, I think, will replace Dark Iron Dwarf in Zoo lists. Its Battlecry is pretty insane. The buffs it gives to your small minions gives them a lot of value. Yes, sometimes you do get Divine Shield on your Nerubian Egg, but you also might get Windfury on your Doomguard. It's definitely a win-more card, and in general fits well into the Zoo game plan.

Annoy-o-Tron is purely a tech choice. It serves the same function as Voidwalker, and it's amazing with Abusive Sergeant. The problem is that its stats are very mediocre otherwise, and is a very weak drop on an empty board. It's the sort of card you'd play when you are already ahead, and you want to protect your Flame Imps from getting traded. So I think a 1-off is just right.

Everything else about the list is pretty standard, a tried-and-true Zoo list not too different from what everyone else plays. Some cards that might be considered for an updated Zoo list include Spider Tank (a solid 3 drop), Piloted Shredder (good 4 drop with Deathrattle effect), Jeeves (refills your hand, Zoo runs out steam surprisingly quickly), Anima Golem and Fel Reaver. The last two deserves special mention, because there are times when I play Zoo and I feel I have trouble closing the game out, especially when I don't topdeck into Doomguard. A 8/8 left unanswered will win the game very, very quickly, and its effect is hardly detrimental to Zoo because you will rarely feel bad over burning Flame Imps.

Honestly, I don't think the meta will change too much from what it was like before. People are still adjusting, after all. Despite getting Vol'jin and Shrinkmeister, I think Priest is sort of overrated post-GvG. Control Warrior and Handlock are still very good at what they do, while Hunter arguably benefited the least from the new GvG cards (the only legendary I got from 15 packs was the Hunter one, which I think is almost useless). Zoo is still okay, I suppose. What I'm really looking forward to are the new mech decks, especially midrange Mage decks that run Secrets, mechs and especially Snowchugger. They look pretty legit.