Since last night, the first wing of the Explorer League “Temple of Orsis” is accessible and features three boss encounters for you. As a reward, there are a total of 10 new cards for Hearthstone that you can use immediately in ranked mode after unlocking them to enhance your own decks.
Zinaar – The Djinni of Wish Abundance
The first boss encounter is probably one of the easiest ever implemented in an adventure. Zinaar’s hero power ensures that the boss draws two cards instead of one each turn and bombards you with pretty powerful wish cards. The wishes each cost 0 mana, count as spells, and typically give you access to strong creatures.
In total, 2 strategies lead to victory almost effortlessly. Either you create a Mage deck with Mana Wyrm and Flamewaker cards, which particularly benefit from the numerous wish (spells) and should defeat Zinaar after just a few turns. Alternatively, you can also create a healing deck, such as Paladin, Priest, or Druid, and simply outlast the fight with some tanks. The hero power ensures that Zinaar will run out of cards quickly and then succumbs to fatigue damage.
This is how you defeat Zinaar on Heroic
The aforementioned decks can also be used in heroic mode. The only change is that Zinaar builds up a mana burst because his hero power now also gives him an extra mana crystal. However, the fundamental strategy does not change, one or two removal spells might be helpful to last until your Mana Wyrms have the necessary strength.
As a reward, these two cards await you:
Phaerix – The Shaft of the Sun
Phaerix is the second boss and comes with a special mechanic. His hero power is a passive effect that ensures that players with the Shaft of the Sun card are immune. The Shaft counts as a minion, and once it is defeated, the deathrattle effect activates, passing the Shaft to the opponent.
Now you could either ensure that the Shaft remains in your control on the board, but it’s much easier to do so with a Priest deck that relies on Silence, Shadow Word: Pain, and Deathlords. Defeat the Shaft, put it into play under your control, and then silence it (Mages can also turn it into a sheep, or Shamans into a frog). Without the Shaft, the fight loses much of its difficulty, as the opponent will quickly eliminate themselves with their “Tol’vir Hoplites,” each dealing 5 damage to both heroes. Just heal yourself or overwhelm the enemy.
This is how Pharix goes on Heroic
The heroic mode is a bit tougher, as the summoned Hoplites have 5/5 instead of the usual 5/2, making them a real threat. Additionally, the Shaft has +3/+3, but only as long as it is under Phaerix’s control. Here, the Priest is the class of choice again, as Shadow Word: Pain and Shadow Word: Death can eliminate many threats. Even Mass Dispel can be useful to negate the deathrattle effect of the Hoplites. Get the Shaft under your control and then silence it so that it is completely removed from the fight, and Phaerix loses a significant part of his terror.
For victory, these cards await you:
Escape from the Temple – A Decision RPG
The final boss of the wing is not really a single opponent to defeat, but a series of small events. The only task for the player is to survive a full 10 rounds. The game throws ever stronger waves of opponents at you – you do not have to defeat them, just survive. Each turn, the player is faced with a choice, reminiscent of classic adventures or Pen & Paper rounds. One can choose between different effects: Do you want to heal for 10 points or draw 2 cards instead?
In this fight, especially 2 strategies lead to victory. Use a classic Freeze Mage deck with Frost Nova, Blizzard, Ice Lance, Cone of Cold, and Frostbolts to keep undesirable enemies at bay. Also, 2 Ice Blocks will get you significantly closer to the goal of surviving 10 rounds.
If you prefer to play risky, use a Warrior deck that annihilates the opponents with Skirmishers, Big Game Hunters, and Doomsayers while keeping yourself alive with healing bots, Nerv-O-Bots, and Shield Blocks. Both strategies work equally well, but it may take two or three attempts since they are very dependent on card luck.
Escape from the Temple – on Heroic
The decks mentioned above are excellent for heroic mode, but the Mage definitely has the edge. Use your frost spells wisely and remember that at the end of turn 5, the board on both sides is completely wiped out! Save at least one Frost Nova or Ice Block for turn 9 or 10, as 3 insects with 10 attack each will appear, which can quickly snuff out your lights.
A successful escape brings the following cards:
