Sandworm or Raven

[Zeuhl]

Can some priests give some input on this. I've also tried using each before and i always get a feeling that I can't get the best of both worlds.

Sandworms are the more solid option; impervious to weapons especially anklebreaker and dou, resistant to spells and ping damage effects and has good synergy with book of curses. But they have only 2 damage which means they really can't put a grip on the board the plus side is though that priest have certain cards to increase their damage output in aeon, kp and possibly inner strength.

Ravens have an additional 1 damage but the what makes them powerful is their ability which basically leaves an enemy ally useless on the board. They have ok survivability with 6 health but still a combination of hero ability and nukes, ally wacks can take them down easily.

So this is the choice: an ally with a very solid defense and a weak attack but can still be buffed as the game goes on. Or a more offensive ally that gives you a very tight grip on the board at the cost of being slightly soft.

[Heimdall]

I could write a lot about this, but I make it short: Raven is the better one. As priest you need and want board control and Raven can basically get rid off any opposing ally with one attack, which makes her so awesome. Yes, she is vulnerable to the things mentioned above, but as preist you can destroy these threats...and if one Raven dies, then cast a new one, as priest you need at least 3x Raven, but better to have her 4x
Anyways, I'm talking about the current meta, and Raven is better. With the next expansion this could change of course

[Zeuhl]

Thanks for your input. Am I right to speculate that using sandworms makes the fight easier against rouges, mages and millstalker, while raven has the edge against fatty reliant heroes like majiya, banebow and standard moonstalker.

[Heimdall]

I would not say that Sandworms in a priest deck make the fight easier against rogues, keep in mind that for rogues it is obligatory to have many allies, so a Raven on your side will always be a big threat for them, which they have to deal with as fast as possible.
Yes, Raven is vulnerable to Anklebreaker and Dagger of Unmaking, but in a match against a rogue you will only averagely see 2-3 weapons in a match (on Serena decks more). As a priest you have 4x Focused Prayer in your deck, so you can always get rid of them All in all Raven is more useful because she has more advantages on more decktypes than Sandworm.

[Warr Byrd]

From a Priest standpoint, Raven is almost always better. Raven is better at dealing damage and removing allies than Sandworm, hands down. The advantages of Sandworm is the armor, which protects makes it better against weapons and burn. However, Priests have other ways around both of those; Focused Prayer will destroy weapons, while Healing Touch, Holy Shield, and Zhanna's ability help to make up for the lack of armor. And, unlike Supernova, Tidal Wave makes no distinction between your allies if you have to sacrifice them.

In non-Priest decks, Sandworm can be more useful because it can wear down weapons (usually without taking damage) and can survive two Supernovas as opposed to Raven's one, but I still generally run Raven if I only have space for one or the other.

[railye]

In non-Priest decks, Sandworm can be more useful because it can wear down weapons (usually without taking damage) and can survive two Supernovas as opposed to Raven's one, but I still generally run Raven if I only have space for one or the other.

A Sandworm can only survive two Supernovas if it get some heal between the novas, or another buff that boosts his armor or hp.

[Speed Freak]

I'm more of a sandworm guy for their durability+ridiculuos synergy with GM zhanna. Don't remember the last time i played Raven in any deck lol.

[iClipse]

I'm more of a sandworm guy for their durability+ridiculuos synergy with GM zhanna. Don't remember the last time i played Raven in any deck lol.

Well see, but that's because your Zhanna works completely different than the one talked above.

In general, there are two kind of Zhannas. One with Ghostmaker, KP, Curse and lots of healing and stuff. In general a very slow deck that relies on the durability of Sandworm. Then there is a somewhat faster variant, that uses Raven instead of Sandworm and is a bit more aggressive.

In general I'm a fan of Raven myself. When I have a Sandworm on the board, I just feel like I'm not in control. And my opponent might be able to throw down allies I will NOT be able to deal with, and so I'll have to Tidal my own board even though there are active allies on it from myself. Since if I don't Tidal, I'll take too much damage and might lose because my hero reaches 0, and NOT because I've lost complete board control. With Raven I never have that feeling. In general, if I have a Raven on the field, I'm in control. They HAVE to deal with that Raven, or they'll never win the board. Yes, it's easier to deal with than Sandworm, but it also punishes the opponent way more when you leave it on the field.

[jacqui]

Sandworm is a combo card, can't do jack on it's own. Up to you to decide whether or not you want to combo it with things.

[Zeuhl]

To the priests using sandworms do you still include retreats in your deck?

I think that retreat has a weaker synergy with sandworm and it's much better to include smites, icestorms or even inner strength.