A total of 15 cards had to be adjusted in Hearthstone in the latest patch. We reveal what the changes mean.
Shortly after Blizzard started selling complete decks in Hearthstone for real money, there was a larger balance patch. The update nerfed some of the strongest cards and helped many of the weaker classes to ensure more deck variety in the current meta. It affects not only cards from the latest expansion Forged in the Barrens, but also older cards. We have broken down the changes for you and reveal what they mean individually.
Here are the new nerfs in Hearthstone
First, we want to discuss the nerfs. These are cards that appeared in almost every game and could often decide the game because their mana costs were too low. The cards mentioned here can be exchanged for their full Arcane Dust costs for 2 weeks.
The Mage spell Refreshing Spring Water receives a mana cost increase of one point. It now costs 5 mana instead of the previous 4 mana. This should slow down Mages in their turns, who have been able to draw many cards and benefit from massive mana recovery. The effect can still be achieved if the costs of Refreshing Spring Water have been drastically reduced beforehand, but that requires more effort.
The Paladin spell First Day of School is being revised. Its mana cost increases from 0 to 1, but the number of minions received increases from 2 to 3. Thus, the card generally becomes a little slower but offers more options to bring small minions onto the battlefield.
Hysteria is a spell for Priests and Warlocks and has been one of the biggest annoyances so far. For just 3 mana, the spell was far too strong as it forced an enemy minion to attack other minions until it died.
With good planning – or sometimes just luck – Hysteria could wipe the entire board for 3 mana. The cost of the spell now increases to 4, which means the card can only be played later and simultaneously restricts Priests and Warlocks in their options to play other cards after Hysteria.
The Crab Rider is a neutral Murloc minion for 2 mana, with stats of 1/4, Rush, and Windfury, which had devastating effects. In many decks, this minion was already buffed early on to finish the match in the first turns. This will no longer be possible, as the Crab Rider now only has Windfury in the turn it is played, as the bonus is transformed into a Battlecry.
Olgra, Mankrik’s wife, is the spell card summoned by Mankrik. Once the card is drawn from the deck, it summons a 3/10 minion that immediately attacks the enemy hero. This minion will be weakened to 3/7 as it proved to be too strong given that it can appear very early in the game as a “free” bonus.
A total of 10 buffs for multiple classes
In addition to the nerfs, the update also brought 10 buffs that should help the weakest cards and classes a bit. In most cases, these are simple adjustments to mana costs or increases in minion stats.
- The Demon Hunter’s Blade Boar is upgraded from a 2/2 minion to a 3/2, making it a greater threat early on.
- The legendary Priest minion Inquisitor Xanesh no longer only reduces the costs of cards with Corruption but also those that are already corrupted.
- The unleashed Elemental of the Shaman is improved from 2/4 to 3/4.
- The mana cost of the Shaman’s Tidal Wave decreases from 4 to 3. This strengthens both the attack against minions and the self-healing of the Shaman.
- The Shaman’s Water Lily Stalker gets significantly buffed. Instead of 4/5, it will now enter the battlefield as 5/6.
- The mana cost of the Warlock spell Fel Circle is reduced, dropping from 4 to 3.
- The legendary Warlock spell Chaos Card Set is also made cheaper. Its cost decreases from 6 mana to 5 mana.
- The Warrior minion Whirling Fighter gains an additional attack point, increasing from 2/6 to 3/6.
- The mana cost of the Shieldmaiden decreases from 6 mana to 5 mana, making it usable earlier.
Finally, the legendary minion N’Zoth, God of the Depths is strengthened. Its mana cost decreases from 10 mana to 9 mana. This makes it playable earlier in the mid-game or allows using other cards after it has been played.
How the meta of Hearthstone will change with these adjustments will likely become clear in the coming weeks. It’s quite possible that Shamans or Demon Hunters will dominate the game.
What do you think of the changes?
