Surprise! Blizzard has released a Friday balance patch with no warning today. We've got a nerf to Edwin VanCleef, one of Hearthstone's original legendary cards, and to Boggspine Knuckles, a problematic Shaman weapon. We've also got a change to Elistra the Immortal in Battlegrounds. Read on for more details!

Update: Cora has stated that the change does not mean Edwin won't be Hall of Famed and potentially unnerfed if they determine he should be moved there in the future. This is good to hear as Edwin has been on the desired Hall of Fame list for quite some time.

Update 2: Alec says that Edwin is rotating this year and he will be unnerfed.

Update 3: Please read our dedicated post concerning Edwin and the new year.

Quote From Cora

You can only run from us for so long, Edwin.

In all seriousness, I'm seeing questions about why we would nerf Edwin instead of moving him to HoF. This nerf doesn't mean he won't be moved, and potentially even unnerfed at that time if it's the right call. This is a fix for now.

Quote From Alec Dawson

Also sorry this didn't get into the notes but: Yes Edwin will still rotate later this year and yes we will be reverting the nerf (along with others) at that time.

Quote From Blizzard

We’ve got a small balance patch with a few big changes planned for release this Friday, January 8!

Standard Balance Updates

Edwin VanCleef

  • Old: [Costs 3] → New: [Costs 4]
    • Dev Comment: The last few weeks have been the best Edwin has ever performed as an individual card (the highest win rate card in multiple Rogue archetypes). Alongside cards like Foxy Fraud and Shadowstep, the frequency of early 8/8 or 10/10 Edwin VanCleefs reached a point we are no longer comfortable with. We want to evaluate how the rest of Rogue's kit performs without this very powerful iteration of Edwin. Cards like Foxy Fraud, Swindle, and Prize Plunderer are important pieces for future expansions and card interactions, so we'll be keeping close tabs on how they perform with the influx of new cards and Edwin's nerf.
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Boggspine Knuckles

  • Old: 4 Attack → New: 3 Attack
    • Dev Comment: We're lowering the attack on Boggspine Knuckles in order to cut into the fluidity of Evolve Shaman, increasing the required investment of playing a 5-mana weapon without a free Dread Corsair, and reduce the overall damage output the deck is capable of over multiple weapon charges. This change lowers the amount of explosive plays available to Evolve Shaman and should create an overall healthier meta.
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Edwin VanCleef and Boggspine Knuckles will be eligible for a full dust refund for 2 weeks after the 19.2.1 patch goes live.

Battlegrounds Balance Update

Elistra the Immortal

  • Old: 7 Attack, 7 Health → New: 4 Attack, 4 Health
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Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug where Infinite Toki’s Temporal Tavern would not function correctly with the New Recruit Darkmoon Prize.
  • Fixed a bug where Ysera’s Dream Portal, when used with the New Recruit Darkmoon Prize, would not offer a Dragon when Bob’s Tavern is full.