Most of the current Basic and Classic cards will leave Standard during the next rotation, set on March 30th, and will leave their place to the brand new Core set - this set will feature some cards that are already in Hearthstone's Evergreen set, but they'll be a smaller part as we'll see cards coming back from Wild and even some brand new toys. In case you missed it, you can find all the core cards here. Don't forget, everything in the Core set is free for everyone!
Many rotating cards are totally useless and haven't seen play in literal years, others have been a staple for many years in their respective classes and a few (such as Sorcerer's Apprentice and Stonetusk Boar) and were really tricky to balance around.
However, there are a few hidden gems that are definitely worth a highlight. Below you'll find some interesting facts about some of those cards which, for various reasons, didn't make the cut into Core 2021. Enjoy!
1) Photobomb
Ancient Watcher is one of the many niche cards of the Classic set - despite the initial play in 2014's Handlock (nutty in combination with Sunfury Protector and Shadowflame back in the day) and some experimentation in the very fringe Silence Priest, we're talking about a minion with not much potential. On the other hand, its showcases some pretty big hitters - in fact, Ancient Watcher's art comes from the WoW TCG card The Fall of Neferset City, and depicts not one, but two (and a foot) lore characters.
First of all, the one the card calls "Ancient Watcher" is Colossus of the Sun - one of two giant statues (the other being Colossus of the Moon) created to guard the artifacts that serve as the key to obtain the powerful Scepter of Orsis. Our second friend that is depicted is Tombs of Terror chapter II boss in Hearthstone - and Dark Pharaoh Tekahn - the king of the Neferset tribe and controller of the two colossi above mentioned.
2) For Lor'themar!
Based on World of Warcraft lore, Lady Liadrin was part of the Blood Knights, an elf order of warriors at the service of Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. However, after it was found out that Kael'thas sold his loyalties to the Burning Legion, a series of events made it so Liadrin renounced her loyalty to the Sunstrider to join the Shattered Sun Offensive, an organization created to stop Kael'thas himself from using the Sunwell as a portal to summon Kil'jaeden, a powerful eredar demon lord of the Burning Legion.
"Shattered Sun" is a name you should be familiar with even if you've never been to Azeroth. In fact, Hearthstone's Basic set includes Shattered Sun Cleric, which also received its undead alter ego back in Knights of the Frozen Throne with Fallen Sun Cleric. 'What's the connection between Lady Liadrin and a very forgettable card?', you might ask. Well, Cleric's art depicts Lady Liadrin herself, shown in the act of tearing up the tabard of House Sunstrider once she joined the Shattered Sun Offensive, whose tabard she is shown wearing.
It's quite surprising to see such a relevant character in the World of Warcraft universe being disguised as a forgettable 3 mana 3/2 which hasn't seen much play in recent times.
3) Here it Comes!
Back in the day, a lot of cards went through many balance iterations before becoming the versions we're used to. In particular, Millhouse Manastorm's original effect was quite interesting! During Hearthstone's Alpha, Millhouse was a 2/2 with a Battlecry that generated a MEGA-BLAST!!! card for the player - a 10 mana Legendary spell which dealt 5 damage to all enemies.
In particular, this precedent card design is referenced by Millhouse Manastorm himself in the tutorial, when he states "Just you wait until I have 10 mana!" (2:05)
4) By The Earthmother!
Wrath was one of the most popular cards of Druid's Classic set: not only it was flexible and powerful, granting both cycle and early game removal in the same card, but it also did a very good job at delivering Malfurion's class identity and flavor to the players. It is certainly one of the spells we'll miss the most.
What makes this card even more interesting is that the character depicted in its art is not an ordinary Tauren, but it's Muln Earthfury, a member of the Earthen Ring - a neutral faction of shamans dedicated to preserving the balance between the elements, composed by members from both the Alliance and the Horde.
Muln Earthfury, respectively in Wrath's art and in World of Warcraft.
5) For Naz'jatar!
Darkscale Healer is another card that won't be in Standard soon. Disgustingly powercrept by Potion Vendor in Rise of Shadows, Darkscale saw play only in Arena, where its mass healing effect was relevant in a value-trading environment.
However, pretty much like all characters on this list, Darkscale Healer has relevant lore - in fact, she really is Lady Sira'kess, one of the key leaders of the naga in the underwater zone of Vashj'ir.
6) Unleash Your Fury!
Among the cards leaving, Earth Shock is surely one of the most unique - even though it has rarely been main-decked in the last years, it was a very valuable choice out of Zephrys the Grape, which allowed you to get rid of buffed minions, sticky Deathrattles and its eternal nemesis: Twilight Drake. Moreover, the fact of sequencing the Silence effect before the damage helped me at getting the concept of "order" in my had back when I was a newbie to the game.
But that's not all! This card's art depicts Rehgar Earthfury, a World of Warcraft character that appeared in both Valeera and Garrosh's chapters of Book of Heroes. For those who are not familiar with him, Rehgar was a gladiator slave master and later on he became one of Thrall's advisers.
7) None May Stand Against the Ice Lord!
World of Warcraft is famous for its four Elemental Lords: we have Neptulon, the Tidehunter, Smolderon, the Firelord, Therazane, the Earthmother and Thunderaan, the Windlord, but in the past Al'Akir the Windlord and Ragnaros the Firelord were also part of the team.
However, as you might've read in our Lore guides, there are also other minor yet important characters in the elemental world. One of them is Lokholar the Ice Lord, a massive ice elemental located in the Alterac Valley. This character is in Hearthstone too, but it's been adapted into a forgettable 5/5 Frost Elemental, powercrept to the moon and back by Glacial Shard.
8) Black Heart of Flame
Remember when almost a year ago, in April 2020, the Classic Legendary minion Illidan Stormrage received a new art and name in Xavius? Well, the generated 2/1 Flames of Azzinoth were also changed into Satyrs.
The point is that Xavian Satyr is not a random satyr, but it's Tyrus Blackhorn, a WoW satyr quest giver who has been imprisoned at Blackhorn's Penance in Mount Hyjal since Archimonde's defeat.
Rumors are that Blackhorn was once a night elf, but was tempted by the offers of power made by Archimonde and the Burning Legion - he, therefore, joined their side and was transformed into a satyr.
Oddly enough, Tyrus Blackhorn is also depicted in The Grand Tournament's Demonfuse.
What do you think of these facts? Did you know any of them? Do you know other facts similar to these ones that we didn't include? Let us know in the comments!
Comments
Good read.i dont know much about wc lore, so these articles always are fun to read.
This does take me back to World of Wacraft times and all those places visited.
I like how @Avalon implies what I am questioning as I am reading - 'What's the connection between Lady Liadrin and a very forgettable card?' - which is indeed exactly what was happening. You killed me with Zeph the Grape
More trivia based on Classic/Basic card art:
Technically, the most recent reused art is Emerald Skytalon and Redgill Razorjaw.
Wisps origin is that they are builder/collector units in Warcraft III. It was only a legend/rumor that they are deceased Night Elves when Warcraft lore originally happens. WoW changed that tho. Even the original card art doesn't mention it is a player or not. It doesn't have to be a player. Might be an npc too aswell.
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Wisp_(Warcraft_III)#Classic
They can't even attack and shouldn't have 1 attack value. Instead, They should have been 0/1 Taunt for 0-mana in my opinion.
THEY CAN'T ATTACK.
I am aware of all of that but if you look at the art, in this context (the spirit healer, the other ghosts), the Wisp is certainly a night elf player.
I just learned so much! Thank you, mate. I’m going to have to reread this later and let it sink in. Can’t believe they had the balls to print a screenshot as a card, though! And it worked, haha. How many players would have guessed?
I do disagree with your point about bad framing, though. Grommash Hellscream is a beautiful card. The framing scheme is just perfect for his effect - straightforward and brutal, raw passion. We need more original framing schemes like that!
Was that all you could think of on the spot or were you waiting for a post like this for quite some time ?
Anyway around, nicely done - super interesting - thanks for sharing!
btw, If you dig more, There are more than the article and this post. Just need to have selective eyes and a bit of a experience with lore and arts.
For example; Huffer ? http://www.wowcards.info/card/ancients/en/166/Child-of-Agamaggan
I love those articles, very interesting to learn more about the lore and stuff !
Very enjoyable read - thanks for this!
The only one that I know is that Warglaives of Azzinoth had an earlier, less broken version that if Im not mistaken is still used by Illidan in the game tutorial;
Yes, this is actually just Warglaive of Azzinoth, as in just one of them. He also used another 6 mana weapon;
And then we were introduced Warglaives of Azzinoth, one of the most infuriating weapon to ever be printed...that is until it got nerfed. But hey, its getting a slight buff in the core set, so we'll see if it still holds up to its legacy.
If just one of these glaives only deal 2 damage...so why does two blades then deal 3? But that's a story for another time.
I love that kind of articles, really nice job!
Great article, as usual. Thanks!
I really love this kind of articles
Zephrys the grape. Haha