Hearthstone's brand new Core set is finally fully announced! Here are all the buffed and changed cards in Hearthstone's evergreen set which will be launching at the start of the Year of the Gryphon.
- Blizzard has not yet announced the exact release date.
- If you want to see all 29 new cards, check out this article.
- If you want to see all the cards in one place, you can visit our Core 2021 Expansion Guide.
- You can build decks with the new cards by visiting our deckbuilder, choosing your class, and selecting the format "Year of the Gryphon".
- The list of cards below does not include spell school changes to cut down on "spam".
Demon Hunter
- Warglaives of Azzinoth - Cost decreased from 6 to 5 mana (basically an unnerf); durability decreased from 4 to 3.
Druid
- Mark of the Wild - Buff increased from +2/+2 to +2/+3.
- Druid of the Claw - Attack increased from 4 to 5; transforms into a 5/4 with Rush (instead of a 4/4 with Charge) or a 5/6 with Taunt (instead of a 4/6 with Taunt).
- Menagerie Warden - Cost decreased from 6 to 5 mana; stats decreased from 5/5 to 4/4.
- Cenarius - Cost decreased from 9 to 8 mana.
Hunter
- Tracking - Effect changed into "Discover a card from your deck".
- Lock and Load - Cost decreased from 2 to 1 mana.
Mage
- Flamestrike - Damage dealt increased from 4 to 5.
- Cone of Cold - Cost decreased from 4 to 3 mana.
- Ethereal Conjurer - Health increased from 3 to 4.
- Snap Freeze - Cost decreased from 2 to 1 mana.
- Coldarra Drake - Health increased from 6 to 7.
Paladin
- Guardian of Kings - Health increased from 6 to 7; gains Taunt.
- Holy Light - Effect changed into "Restore 8 Health to your hero".
- Argent Protector - Attack increased from 2 to 3.
- Warhorse Trainer - Attack increased from 2 to 3.
- Equality - Cost decreased from 4 to 3 mana.
Priest
- Lightspawn - Cost decreased from 4 to 3 mana; Health decreased from 5 to 4.
- Shadowform - Cost reduced from 3 to 2 mana; effect changed into "Your Hero Power becomes 'Deal 2 damage.'"
Rogue
- Assassin's Blade - Cost decreased from 5 to 4 mana; stats changed from 3/4 to 2/5.
- Assassinate - Cost decreased from 5 to 4 mana.
- Sprint - Cost decreased from 7 to 6 mana.
- Swashburglar - The card generated comes from a random class and not from your opponent's class.
- Patient Assassin - Health increased from 1 to 2.
Shaman
- Fire Elemental - Damage dealt increased from 3 to 4.
- Tidal Surge - The new effect includes the Lifesteal keyword.
- Draenei Totemcarver - Health increased from 4 to 5.
- Feral Spirit - Overloaded Crystals decreased from (2) to (1).
- Lightning Storm - Deals 3 damage (up from 2-3) to all enemy minions.
- Earth Elemental - Overloaded Crystals decreased from (3) to (2).
- Al'Akir the Windlord - Health increased from 5 to 6.
Warlock
- Drain Soul - Damage dealt will be increased from 2 to 3.
- Lakkari Felhound - Effect changed into "Battlecry: Discard your two lowest-cost cards" instead of two random ones.
- Siphon Soul - Cost decreased from 6 to 5 mana.
- Void Terror - Health increased from 3 to 4 mana.
- Lord Jaraxxus - Changed into a Hero card with "Battlecry: equip a 3/8 weapon".
Warrior
- Warsong Commander - Effect changed into "After you summon another minion, give it Rush".
Neutrals
- Bluegill Warrior - Attack increased from 2 to 3; Charge leaves its place to Rush.
- Gurubashi Berserker - Health increased from 7 to 8.
- Raid Leader - Health increased from 2 to 3.
- Stonetusk Boar - Attack increased from 1 to 2; Charge leaves its place to Rush.
- Stormwind Champion - Stats increased from 6/6 to 7/7.
- Flesheating Ghoul - Attack increased from 2 to 3.
- Arcane Devourer - Stats change from 5/5 to 4/8.
- Defender of Argus - Attack increased from 2 to 3.
- Barrens Stablehand - Stats increased from 4/4 to 5/5.
- Big Game Hunter - Cost decreased from 5 to 4 mana.
- Mini-Mage - Cost decreased from 4 to 3 mana; Attack decreased from 4 to 3.
- Baron Geddon - Health increased from 5 to 7.
- Cairne Bloodhoof - Attack increased from 4 to 5; summons a 5/5 Baine Bloodhoof.
- High Inquisitor Whitemane - Cost decreased from 7 to 6 mana; stats decreased from 6/8 to 5/7.
Which changes are you most happy about?
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Comments
Does anyone know if the devs have ever said whether these changes apply to non-Core versions of the cards? It will matter when cards leave the Core set, and matters straight away for a few cards who have been changed 'sideways' more than getting a buff. E.g. Bluegill now having rush instead of charge.
Also, good so see Mini-Mage again. It has surely been one of the rarest sights in all of HS's history, but I still always liked him.
From Celestalon: "These are permanent changes to cards to the same name."
Ah, thanks.
RIP Anyfin pally I guess. I guess I'm also glad the Classic format will exist to let me have an upgraded 3 damage Shadowform.
I remember reading that all these core cards are considered separate (which is why dusting cards is not a good idea) while the 'real' cards gets booted to wild.
So its entirely possible to have three versions of the same card.
You might be thinking of their comment about Dragon aspects. Both versions of the Dragons are in Wild because they are considered different cards. If a card's name hasn't changed, I would not expect to see the old version anywhere but Classic mode (and even then, it would be in its original launch form).
Right, but the question is whether the Legacy versions I actually own will change or not. I.e. are both versions available in Wild functionally the same, or is there a meaningful* choice between them?
* Of course you'd choose the buffed Core version in most cases, but not in all of them
Looking at the remaining Beast minions, Barrens Stablehand might see some play. There are still some small Beasts, but most of the vanilla Basic minions are gone.
Baron Rivendare is back! Cairne Bloodhoof is also buffed which now seems decent and might be included in deathrattle decks.
I don't think a card that at best gives you King Krush and at worst gives you a 2/1 with rush is going to be played unironically.
In a world where they've dramatically scaled back on value generation, it's possible for it to see some amount of competitive play. But I kind of doubt it.
It'll be a dark day indeed if I have to put Barrens Stablehand in my deck and then actually unironically play it.
I counted it like a hour ago but forgot right now, I think it was 16ish bad outcomes to 21 good outcomes as the current roster of beasts we know. There could be other beasts in barrens that balance it more. (some cards are situationally good or bad though, like 3/4 beast that saves spells in its deathrattle. It would be bad in a tempo deck but could be good in a control deck as psudo-board clear deterrant.)
I like rolling the dice. Twilight Runner, Teacher's Pet are decent rolls, but my eyes are on the big price, King Krush.
Nah barrens is still gonna see 0 play. Core might have many big ones. But expansions bring many small beasts into game
Recent expansions were actually generous with beasts. Check the link for the beasts of darkmoon, also change it to Scholomance and Ashes. Other expansions will rotate anyway.
https://playhearthstone.com/en-us/cards?minionType=beast&set=madness-at-the-darkmoon-faire
I know we haven't seen the next expansion and there are still some small beasts, but I would say the odds are good.
I like the Fire Elemental buff. I've always liked that card and I like Elemental archetypes more generally.
Warsong Commander lives!
Fire elemental and earth elemental now are actully worth being the 2 main/core elementals for shaman.
i'd almost always still rather have broom, but u can simulate the old patron chains in wild (except not really bc u can't frothing to their face).
Seems Blizz is really on a Crusade to kill off "Charge". Other than that, looking quite solid.
except for the charge card they added..
Gotta admit, some of these changes are really strong. Like, Warsong Commander and Guardian of Kings might actually see play.