Hearthstone will bring some new cards on January 21. We will tell you which ones you should pay special attention to – and which ones promise fun.
Hearthstone has conjured up a small “mini-set” and released 35 new cards to bring a bit more excitement to the “Darkmoon Madness” expansion and at the same time shake up the meta a bit. We have already shown you all 35 new cards here in a summary.
Here we want to introduce our 5 favorites of the new cards and explain why they will be so much fun – or could seriously ruin your game when they come into play.
5 Crazy Cards from the Darkmoon Race
The neutral minion Moonfang is likely to find a permanent place in many decks soon. For 5 mana, it has values of 6/3, but it has a powerful passive effect. Any damage that Moonfang would receive is reduced to 1.
Things get even worse when you equip Moonfang with various buffs for additional health points. Then only “hard removals” that destroy a minion instantly will help – or you might have to sacrifice your own board just to get rid of this wolf. Especially for arena matches, this seems to be a new “instant pick”. Area spells like Flame Strike, Hellfire, or even a Pounce will make Moonfang merely yawn.
Also neutral but no less devastating is the Deathwatcher for 3 mana with values of 2/5. It is not a big threat itself, but its effect is certainly dangerous. As long as the Deathwatcher is in play, deathrattle effects of both players will not trigger.
This makes the Deathwatcher a perfect “combo breaker” card. Many current Hearthstone cards aim to trigger their deathrattle. Especially the powerful prime cards only come into play after a weaker minion’s deathrattle has been triggered. If this effect is nipped in the bud, the Deathwatcher can decisively swing matches on its own and throw many decks that specialize in deathrattle effects into despair.
The spell Conjure Mana Cookies may seem unremarkable at first glance. It is of common rarity and a 2 mana spell that gives the mage a cookie that restores 2 mana when used. Essentially, you gain nothing from the card, as 2 mana and one card are used to create a card and 2 mana.
However, it gives the mage significant combo potential, especially in the late game. When a mage suddenly can spend not just 10 mana but even 12 in one turn, it can become a real “game changer.”
This is particularly useful, as many current mage decks aim to win the game in the late game. In the early rounds, mages use their mana increasingly rarely and if they do, it’s to use their hero power to deal 1 damage to the opposing hero. Mana that can now be saved more effectively to unleash devastating combos later on.
Illidari Studies is a new spell for demon hunters that will surely instill fear in all enemies. For 1 mana, the demon hunter can discover an outsider card. In addition, the next played outsider card costs 1 mana less – so the card’s costs amortize immediately.
The trick is that the discovered outsider card automatically fulfills the conditions to benefit from the outsider bonus. After all, a newly discovered card goes directly to the far right position in the demon hunter’s hand, activating the outsider bonus. This allows the demon hunter to unleash powerful combos and drain life points from their opponent faster through massive rush mechanics.
Judgment’s Binding is a new card for paladins. For 7 mana, you get a weapon with 5/3, which also has a corruption effect that gives it lifesteal.
What at first glance sounds like a comparatively expensive weapon is not the case upon closer inspection. The costs of binding cards can be drastically reduced for the paladin, making the weapon only cost 3 or 4 mana later on. This also makes it much easier to trigger the corruption effect. This, in turn, transforms Judgment’s Binding into a devastating weapon that not only deals 15 damage but also restores 15 health points. As if paladins weren’t already sturdy enough.
When will the new cards be available? You can get these 5 and the remaining 30 cards starting January 21 in Hearthstone, presumably in the evening (around 8:00 PM).
For the first time, you can not only get the cards from card packs but also buy the entire mini-set for €15 or 2,000 gold coins. This is an affordable price even for free-to-play players.
A good new feature and perhaps a small consolation after many players felt cheated with the battle pass.
Do you also have some new favorites among the cards? Which new cards are you particularly looking forward to?
