Griftah
Griftah is a 4 Mana Cost Legendary Neutral Minion card from the Rastakhan's Rumble set!
Card Text
Battlecry: Discover two cards. Give one to your opponent at random.
Flavor Text
With Griftah in your deck, sometimes you start the game with The Coin!Griftah Card Review
This is surely an interesting, but also pretty frustrating effect. This card is basically a Chillwind Yeti with a mirrored effect. Mirrored effects work when you can take a bigger advantage of it than your opponent, but is it like this with Griftah?
The text might be a bit complicated when you first read it, but the card is not very complicated. You play it, you get one Discover UI – you pick a card. Then you get another Discover UI – you pick a second card. You get one of those cards and your opponent gets another (at random – you might get the first or the second one). While most of you should be familiar with Discover mechanic, I’ll remind that you can only pick from Neutral + Class cards, but Class cards are weighed at 400% (so a specific class card has 4x the chance of appearing as a specific Neutral cards). However, since there are more Neutral cards in general, they should appear at a roughly similar rate (you should see as many Class cards as Neutrals).
So, you’re basically playing a Yeti that gives you and your opponent a random card? Well, not exactly. The Discover part is very, very important. Since you pick both of those options, it’s actually a massive test of skill. You need to identify what kind of strategy your opponent is playing, what is his win condition, how he wants to get there etc. You also need to understand the same thing for your own deck. Then you try to pick two cards that are going to help you more than your opponent. For example, let’s say that you play this in a slower deck and you play vs Aggro. One of the option you pick is some sort of life gain, and another one is a big late game minion. Neither of those options is good for Aggro – life gain is meaningless, and by the time he gets to play that minion you will most likely stabilize already and it won’t be that big of a threat. On the other side, you would be happy to get that life gain, and while the big minion will probably not be very good, you might still have enough time to play it and it might do something. So, no matter which card your opponent gets, he won’t be happy with it – if you get one of them you will be happy and you don’t mind the other one too.
This card also lets you go for a 50/50 in a situation in which you’re losing the game already. For example, you’re behind on the board and you need some big AoE to win it. You can pick it, and then pick the worst card of the three. You have a 50/50 to get the AoE and possibly come back next turn. Technically, you COULD also use it in an Aggro or a faster Midrange deck to get more steam – in general, you don’t care that much about giving your opponent new cards. Also, another advantage of this card is that you know what both of you have, but your opponent does not know what you have. So you can use that knowledge to play around what you’ve given to him, while he can’t play around the card you got.
So, as you can see, the card makes some sense, and I know it sounds weird when talking about RNG card, but it’s one of the most skill-testing card in the game. But all in all, it’s still pretty bad. If you pick two weak cards, it’s not meaningful enough – Yeti stats aren’t cutting it anymore if you don’t slap a powerful effect on them. In other scenarios, it has a very high chance of backfiring – picking one strong and one weak card means that you might get the wrong one; it’s too slow in Aggro (and there’s no telling that he will give you something you want anyway). I just don’t see a deck that would really want to play it. I think that the card would be much better if you first picked a card for yourself and then for your opponent – this way you would keep it as a kind of mirrored effect, but would lower the RNG and increase the skill cap significantly.
Card rating: 3/10
Griftah Full Card Art
I think this could fit in most decks. Its has pretty good stats, and it has a pretty good upside. One of my favorite cards in this set.
I think card will be better than we think, I won’t dust mind yet, learned my lesson from dusting Togwaggle, just wait a few weeks if you get it.
This cards not even bad tbh. It probably won’t see much play but it’s a yeti with an upside if you’re not retarded
mandatory trash legendary #4
Terrible insta-dust garbage.
Card 2/5
Animation 5/5
a 2-dimensional coin with 4 sides, well done HS you defied sanity
-1/5
Well, we can kinda compare it with Tinkmaster, both could give you a big advantage or a big backfire, Tinkmaster was useful when he could still choose a target, but literally see no play after the effect become ‘random target’. Same case as Tinkmaster, Griftah could be a great card if you could choose which to keep, but with random effect? Nah I don’t think it would be a good idea. Moreover, the best 4 mana 4/5 will always be Whizbang.
Bad comparrison. Tinkmaster is a 3/3 on an empty board. And is always good against minions with better stats then 5/5.
This card can always end up bad.
I only see it working in type based decks. Such as a beast deck. Where the type is more important than the minion stats and effects.
well tinkmaster can be used to transform a BIG minion in a smaller one, just imagine u want to tech it against big priest
but this… its a packfilling legendary for trolling(no pun intended)
The card seems pretty mediocre.
However there are 3 upsides to it:
– You can mill enemy cards if they have 9 cards in hand
– You will have information about what card enemy will get while you’re enemy won’t.
– You will obviously pick cards that are good against your enemy but they might be useless against you.
I think 4 mana slot with great stats might make this playable at ladder. Most likely not at tournaments though.
Id say it is 3/5, very playable and fun but there are better cards, not many in 4 mana slot tho.
if it was epic i get it but legendary come on man this is a petty timer filler in my opinion opening this after 40 packs is depressing
It’s kind of a better Tanglefur Mystic — a well-costed body that gives both players a random card, but the cards here are less random. I don’t think that’s enough of an improvement to make this constructed-playable, but 1.4 stars seems really harsh.
Memey as it is, it’s a card that puts two cards in the opponent’s hand. 99% chance that this doesn’t see play, 1% chance that this is the next Togwaggle.
And I misread it, your opponent gets one card. Make that a 0.5% chance that it’s the next Togwaggle.
FINALLY! I finally have enough cards for my group hug druid deck. Nat the dark fisher, mutual card draw, millhouse manastorm, duskfallen aviana, etc. It’ll be glorious.
Please share that deck! I want.. no, I need it!
Okay so I don’t think this card is good and won’t see play, but the reasonings and excuses here are just horrible.
It generating ”technically equal value” or a 50/50 chance for good outcome every time you play it is just not true. Because cards have different values for different archetypes. Say you play against aggro deck: Do they care about a board clear / heal card in their hand? You might very well do but for them it is useless (assuming you play control / combo deck). Or other way around and see how much enemy cares about getting a face damage card.
It does face the issue of being inconsistent and not being awesome enough to warrant a card slot. At least it has solid meme value for friendly matches.
If you are trying to burn the other player’s cards you could choose two big minions so that they have trouble emptying their hand
If there weren’t the words “at random” at the end, this would be a very interesting strategic card.
But like this, it’s just bad.
Let’s go through the options:
Pick two good cards?
You’re giving your opponent value, and get no value advantage.
Pick two bad cards?
You’re spending mana to get shit into your hand, and no value advantage.
Pick one good card and one bad?
You’re getting value 50% of the time, or you’re literally spending mama to give your opponent a value advantage.
And of course, if one of the picks is exactly what you need, guess what.
*Ben Brode laughing in the background*
I love 400 dust
Playable or no, you gotta admit it’s a brilliantly designed card.
Yup, Flavour is 10/10
5/5 premium stats with an ability that actually makes you think. This guy will see cunstructed play.
Well, at least you know what your opponent is getting while they don’t know what you getting
how come in the last two expansions the worse than meme level, dust and legendary drop dumpsters come as 4 drops? (yes i mean Celestia)
Congrats so can u..
well it can actually counter mechthun decks，discover high mana minions/spells.
If you got to choose which card goes to your opponent, say the second pick goes to them, then Griftah could be somewhat useful. I wouldn’t call him a terrible card as he is a Yeti that nets you a card, but the card you give your opponent is what will keep the card from seeing play. The discover pool is also massive, including every neutral and player’s class cards, and he doesn’t have an obvious synergy with anything else.
Like many of the other Legendary cards revealed so far, Griftah has a very unique and interesting ability, but unlike High Priest Thekal, this is very unlikely to see play out side of the memes.
I can see this played in discard warlock for exemple
Why exactly?
Because you’d be trying to discover discard cards. If you choose one and give to your opponent, now he has a powerful card that costs him resources. If you get the discard card, you further your own deck
Given just how large the discover pool is with this card, expecting anything so specific out of this would be foolish. Plus, giving an aggressive player a Doomgaurd, Reckless Diretroll, Soul Fire, or even Succubus would not be a good idea. They’re usually playing with a fairly empty hand by the time this would be dropped.
Even in a Discard Warlock deck, you would be better off playing another discard related card than this. Dark Possession too will net you a Doomgaurd fairly often or at least more often than Griftah would.
Only reason you would want to play this in a discard deck, is to discard it. Omegalul
Can we fire this guy already who’s making and allowing these legendaries?
I’d say the designers are doing a good job. I would rather have interestingly mediocre or bad legendary cards than derivative ones that are pushed so hard they need to be played.
Not every card has to be game changing, because then there would be nothing special about them. Im thankful that we don’t have you on their team!
From a marketing standpoint, this is right in line with what Blizzard should be doing. But it has nothing to do with cards standing out from others.
At the end of the day, it’s about Blizzard keeping its pockets full as well as making sure existing players are happy while trying to gracefully add more players to the game. Cards that are involved in conversation and make you think are going to contribute more to Blizzard’s pocket than basic value legendaries like Cairne or Onyxia will. Why do you think Whizbang is terrible in ladder? Do you honestly believe that was done by accident?
Players will spend hours trying to make Griftah work. And they have to do that by physically playing the game. Thousands of people will watch their favorite streamers fail miserably and miraculously succeed on Twitch. Conversations will be had on forums that will catch new and existing players’ eyes.
There are a few new elaborate online card games that recently came out that could really jeopardize Hearthstone’s future. Blizzard has to be innovative to keep up and this is the way to do it.
This card has nothing to do with making other cards such as several incredibly strong cards this expansion stand out. Good cards are great for Blizzard. Bad cards are also great for Blizzard. If what you said was true, then why do standard class cards change the game drastically when they are played but hardly anyone uses them? Not to mention a card’s value in the current meta certainly does not define how ‘special’ it is.
P.S: I have never made a comment until now but I have read these threads for a really long time. It pissed me off to read your completely unnecessary and derogatory comment.
this is a bad card no matter how i look at it, the stats are ok but nothing much exciting. i think we found this expension’s meme card lol
Too much weed in Blizzard
Or not enough?
On first glance it sounds really random, because one automatically think of picking one good card and one bad and hoping to give your opponent the bad. But I think it can be quite good in a few situations.
Lets talk about a Control Deck. Play it against Aggro, pick 2 Control Cards, your opponent won’t do much with that. In Control Matchups you can maybe mill your opponent. Or you could just pick cards which only synergyze with your deck. Steal Priest always had the problem when ending up with Shield Slam or more problematic a Deadly Poison, which was a dead card and you could never use. Also interrupting this pesky Mechathun combo for one turn is nice. Or picking 2 demons when having dark pact.
When using it in an Aggro Deck against a Control Deck, you could just pick 2 Aggro Cards. He won’t benefit from it, and the 4 mana 4/5 vanilla stats are actually not that bad for Aggro. Playing it in Control will be a bit harder, because it can be too slow against Aggro.
Nevertheless Discover was always a good mechanic, which needed a bit thoughtprocess in picking the best card. And this card just takes it to another level in finding a card, which you would benefit more than your opponent.
I really like that card designwise
Mand
100% agree!
Seriously, thank you for the comment. The comments about it having equal value to both players is just killing me inside.
I love the fact that blizz gives us one useless legendary with every expansion…Griftah is the one for RR. Sure I will get this as one of the legendaries while unboxing my ton of packs….. 😀
Same I also got harbinger celestia from my few legendaries last expansion
Praise RNGsus. Pick Lich King and Weasel Tunneler, your opponent gets the Lich King 100% of the time. I love it.
OMG! I got a legendary!
*click*
What the f**k is this! D:
The Cat in the Artwork is cute though
It would be slightly better if you could choose wich one to give up.
That would be op
Not really. It’s not like giving your opponent a card could really be detrimental to them.
You discover two cards and then you get to keep one and give one to your opponent ?
Congrats you can read
Congrats you can unnecessarily be an asshat
Congrats, so can you
Congrats, so can you
Stop fighting, children xD
No, it’s random