I’d like to start by explaining exactly what I’m planning to do with this series.
This is a series of articles (and accompanying videos, given time) focusing on the concept of determining the “mana value” of certain stats and effects on Hearthstone cards, using the mana value as a metric.
When I say metric, I mean using mana in the same way you would measure the height of something in meters; the meter is an established standard, and by measuring something in terms of that standard you can have a uniform method of measuring anything.
This is definitely not about measuring the meta value or potential value of a card; both of those determined mostly by the standards of popular play, which is difficult to be objective about. The questions that kind of study would answer are things like the worth of running an extra BGH to counter handlock, or a Kezan Mystic to counter Echo Mage. Interesting things, yes, but not what I’m after; this series is about trying to be as objective as possible, entirely through statistics or data comparison. Through these things we can arrive at an approximate value of the stats of minions, or certain effects on cards; with the knowledge gained from this article, one would be able to measure whether changing Argent Commander from a 4/3 to a 4/2 was a statistically significant change to the card’s value (and therefore too hard or too light), or be able to create an entirely new card with an appropriately balanced effect for its mana value.
This is a study that has a rather hefty amount of variables, and there are certainly going to be outliers that test my ability to objectively measure things. I wholly expect to be stumped when attempting to break down
- why Magma Rager may have “good stats”, number wise, but is objectively one of the worst cards in the game
- why Injured Blademaster is nearly a Priest must-have, but no one else runs him
- how to judge random effects in any consistent manner
- and the value of card draw.
