Hearthstone Patch 36.6.3 Rolls Out - Windpeak Wyrm and Infest the Scullery Nerfed, Aberrations Nerfed in Battlegrounds

Hearthstone Patch 36.6.3 has rolled out today, which includes nerfs to two Constructed cards and a huge load of Battlegrounds changes. For Ranked play mode, the two cards changed are as follows:

• Windpeak Wyrm now costs 2 less mana if its Kindred effect is active (down from 3 less).

• Infest the Scullery now summons 2-Cost minions (down from 3-Cost minions).

Battlegrounds has also seen some considerable changes, nerfing the new Aberration tribe. In an effort to bring the power level of Aberrations down, Blizzard has implemented the following changes:

• Deities now require 4 deaths to be summoned (up from 3).

• All Deities are now Tier 3 cards (up from Tier 1).

• Aberrations are no longer guaranteed to appear in lobbies. Now they have the standard 50% that all other active tribes have.

Full patch notes below.

Quote From Blizzard Entertainment

Patch 36.6.3 releases today with balance updates for Hearthstone and Battlegrounds.

Hearthstone Updates

Dev Comment: Well met! Overall, we think the current Standard meta is in a healthy spot, with a few outliers, namely Dragon Warrior and Attack Druid. This patch aims to bring those decks more in line with the rest of the field as we head into Reign of the Black Empire. We expect the arrival of the Old Gods to shake up the meta in a big way, so we’re taking a measured approach with this patch. We'll be keeping a close eye on how things develop after launch.

Windpeak Wyrm

• Old: Kindred: Costs (3) less.

• New: Kindred: Costs (2) less.

Infest the Scullery

• Old: Summon two random 3-Cost minions.

• New: Summon two random 2-Cost minions.

Battlegrounds Updates

Dev Comment: Most of the changes in this patch, along with our update earlier this week, are focused on bringing Aberrations down a notch. Our goal is to reduce their early-game tempo while keeping them competitive later in the game. To support that, Deities now require 4 deaths instead of 3 to summon, making early summons less frequent. We're also moving all Deities from Tier 3 to Tier 1 to reduce hero damage taken from Aberrations.

When we introduce a new minion type, we normally guarantee it appears in every lobby for two weeks so players have plenty of opportunities to try it out. However, we've heard your feedback that this can make games feel a bit too repetitive. As a result, we're ending the Aberration guarantee early, and they will now have the standard 50% chance to appear in lobbies. Going forward, we expect new minion types to have a one-week guarantee, while new Heroes will continue to have a two-week guarantee. We've also returned new Trinket appearance rates to normal.

Outside of Aberrations, most of our minion and Trinket changes are focused on helping underperforming strategies catch up. We took a conservative approach here since Aberrations have been shaping the meta so heavily, but we'll continue making adjustments as needed.

Thanks for all your feedback on Aberrations and the Midseason Update! We don't plan on making any additional major balance changes before Reign of the Black Empire launches, so we'll see you again after the Old Gods arrive. See you in the Tavern!

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Minion Pool Changes

Returning minions

• Ship Master Eudora

• Eternal Tycoon

• Jailbird Juggernaut

Removed Minions

• Briarback Drummer

• Timewarped Thorncaller

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Minion Changes

Abyssal Envoy

• Old: 3/4.

• New: 2/2.

Nightmare Corroder

• Old: 7/4. Deathrattle: Get a Sludge Corrosion.

• New: 4/5. At the end of your turn, get a Sludge Corrosion.

Mysterious K'Thir

• Old: 8/8. At the end of your turn, discard your 3 left-most Tavern spells. Gain +8/+8 for each discarded.

• New: 10/13. Whenever you cast a Tavern spell, give your minions and your Deity +3/+3.

Unwilling Slacker

• Old: 1/1.

• New: 3/2.

Vicious Mindslasher

• Old: 3/1.

• New: 1/2.

Tentacle of C'Thun

• New Minion Type: Aberration

Dark Paradox (Tier 2)

• Old: 2/4. Whenever you play a card, gain +2 Attack.

• New: 2/6. Whenever you play a card, gain +3 Attack.

Dark Paradox (Tier 3)

• Old: 2/2. Has +2/+2 for each Battlecry you've triggered this game (wherever this is).

• New: 3/3. Has +3/+3 for each Battlecry you've triggered this game (wherever this is).

Hopebringer

• Old: 3/3. Start of Combat: Give your minions +3/+3. (Permanently improves after a friendly minion loses Divine Shield!)

• New: 4/3. Start of Combat: Give your minions +4/+3. (Permanently improves after a friendly minion loses Divine Shield!)

Living Azerite

• Old: 6/5. Whenever you cast a Tavern spell, give Elementals in the Tavern +3/+2 this game.

• New: 8/6. Whenever you cast a Tavern spell, give Elementals in the Tavern +4/+3 this game.

Auto Reveille

• Old: 6/6. After you buy 3 cards, get a random Magnetic Volumizer. (3 left!)

• New: 4/8. After you buy 3 cards, Magnetize a random Volumizer to this and get a copy of it. (3 left!)

Gunpowder Courier

• Old: 2/6. Whenever you spend 5 Gold, give your Pirates +2 Attack. (5 Gold left!)

• New: 2/5. Whenever you spend 6 Gold, give your Pirates +3/+1. (6 Gold left!)

Lovesick Balladist

• Old: 3/2. Battlecry: Give a Pirate +1 Health. (Improved by each Gold you've spend this turn!)

• New: 3/4. Battlecry: Give a Pirate +2 Health. (Improved by each Gold you've spend this turn!)

Thorned Trailblazer

• Old: [Tier 4]

• New: [Tier 3]

Razorfen Flapper

• Old: 6/2. Deathrattle: Get a Blood Gem Barrage.

• New: 5/3. Battlecry and Deathrattle: Get a Blood Gem Barrage.

Turbo Hogrider

• Old: 5/7. After you play a Choose One card, this plays a Blood Gem on all your other Quilboar.

• New: 6/8. After you play a Choose One card, this plays 2 Blood Gems on all your Quilboar.

Razorfen Vineweaver

• Old: 5/5. Rally: This plays 3 permanent Blood Gems on itself.

• New: 4/4. Rally: This plays 4 permanent Blood Gems on itself.

Lichling Hoarder

• Old: 5/10. Avenge (4): Get a plain copy of a minion that started in your warband this combat.

• New: 6/9. Avenge (3): Get a plain copy of a minion that started in your warband this combat.

Barrier Banshee

• Old: 7/7. After a friendly minion is Reborn, gain Divine Shield and +7/+7.

• New: 8/8. After a friendly minion is Reborn, gain Divine Shield and +8/+8.

Eternal Summoner

• Old: [Tier 6]

• New: [Tier 5]

Holy Vanguard

• Old: 5/5. Divine Shield. Has +15/+15 if you have 15 or less Health.

• New: 10/10. Divine Shield. Has +30/+30 if you have 15 or less Health.

Expert Aviator

• Old: 3/4. Rally: Summon the highest-Attack minion from your hand for this combat only.

• New: 3/5. Rally: Summon the highest-Attack Murloc from your hand for this combat only.

Young Murk-Eye

• Old: 9/6. At the end of your turn, trigger the Battlecry of an adjacent minion.

• New: 8/5. At the end of your turn, trigger the Battlecries of adjacent minions.

Sewer Escapee

• Old: [Tier 4] 4/5.

• New: [Tier 5] 7/7.

Ultraviolet Ascendant

• Old: 6/3. Start of Combat: Give your other Elementals +3/+2. (Improves after you play an Elemental!)

• New: 6/6. Start of Combat: Give your other Elementals +3/+3. (Improves after you play an Elemental!)

Spark Snapper

• Old: 5/5. Whenever you play a Mech, Magnetize a 2/2 Satellite to it and improve this.

• New: 6/8. Whenever you play a Mech, Magnetize a 2/3 Satellite to it and improve this.

Ship Master Eudora

• Old: [Tier 6] 10/5. Deathrattle: Give your minions +8/+8. Golden minions keep it permanently.

• New: [Tier 5] 8/3. Deathrattle: Give your minions +6/+6. Golden minions keep it permanently.

Duos Minion Changes

Void Priest Cloner

• Old: 4/5. Whenever you discard a card, Pass a copy of it. (2 times per turn.)

• New: 5/6. After you discard a card, Pass a plain copy of it. (Once per turn.)

Deity Changes

Deities now require 4 friendly Aberration deaths per combat to summon, up from 3.

C'Thun

• Old: [Tier 3]

• New: [Tier 1]

Y'Shaarj

• Old: [Tier 3]

• New: [Tier 1]

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Tavern Spell Changes

Easterly Winds

• Old: After the Tavern is Refreshed this game, give a random minion in it +8/+8.

• New: After the Tavern is Refreshed this game, give a random minion in it +9/+9.

Blood Gem Barrage

• Old: [Tier 3] After the Tavern is Refreshed this game, give its minions +1/+1 worth of Blood Gems.

• New: [Tier 4] After the Tavern is Refreshed this game, give its minions +2/+2 worth of Blood Gems.

Gem Confiscation

• Old: This plays 2 Blood Gems on a minion. It steals all Blood Gems from its neighbors.

• New: This plays 3 Blood Gems on a minion. It steals all Blood Gems from its neighbors.

Butchering

• Old: [2 Cost] Destroy a friendly Undead. Your Undead have +5 Attack this game (wherever they are).

• New: [3 Cost] Destroy a friendly Undead. Your Undead have +8 Attack this game (wherever they are).

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Dark Gift Changes

Spell Siphon

• Old: First Appearance Minimum Turn 4

• New: First Appearance Minimum Turn 5

Transcendence

• Old: First Appearance Minimum Turn 7

• New: First Appearance Minimum Turn 8

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Trinket Changes

Lesser Trinket Cost-Only Changes

Cost Increases

• Hammer of Twilight: 1 → 2

• Corrupted Baton: 1 → 2

• Willbreaker Sticker: 1 → 2

• Corrupted Coin Portrait: 0 → 3

• Pilgrimp Sticker: 2 → 3

• Rewinder Portrait: 3 → 4

• Bloodbound Earrings: 0 → 1

• Consuming Claw: 1 → 2

• Ominous Stone: 2 → 3

Cost Decreases

• Baleful Incense: 4 → 3

• Innkeeper's Stein: 1 → 0

• Tickatus Sticker: 3 → 2

• Splinter of Aurum: 3 → 2

• Jailer Sticker: 3 → 2

• War Drum: 3 → 2

• Glowing Crystal: 1 → 0

• Wand of Divination: 1 → 0

• Portable Factory: 6 → 5

• Enigmatic Headstone: 1 → 0

• Ancient Wishbone: 1 → 0

• Booty Bay Brew: 3 → 2

• Scraper Sticker: 2 → 1

• Comfy Coffin: 1 → 0

• Nerglish Phrasebook: 1 → 0

• Staff of the Scourge: 5 → 3

• Water Wheel: 1 → 0

• Lockbox Portrait: 2 → 1

• Inductive Gyroblade: 1 → 0

• Baller Portrait: 3 → 2

• Reusable Batteries: 1 → 0

• Sellemental Portrait: 5 → 4

• Mindslasher Portrait: 5 → 4

Greater Trinket Cost-Only Changes

Cost Increases

• Converter Portrait: 4 → 6

• Hackerfin Portrait: 5 → 6

• Evil Experiment: 0 → 4

• Hammer of Twilight: 1 → 3

• Corrupted Baton: 1 → 3

• Mask of Ancient Ones: 3 → 4

• Flaming Portrait: 6 → 7

• Makeshift Master: 0 → 3

• Tome of the Ancients: 0 → 2

• Herald Sticker: 2 → 3

• Aggem Sticker: 0 → 2

Cost Decreases

• Cookie's Stirring Rod: 2 → 0

• Bassgill Portrait: 2 → 1

• Butcher's Sickle: 3 → 1

• Privateer Portrait: 3 → 1

• Czarina Portrait: 3 → 1

• Heart of the Forest: 4 → 3

• Writhing Tentacles: 1 → 0

• Nomi Sticker: 4 → 1

• Accord-o-Tron Portrait: 5 → 3

• Booty Bay Brew: 2 → 1

• Recycling Sticker: 5 → 3

• Protective Ring: 3 → 2

• Electrode Attractor: 3 → 1

• Inductive Gyroblade: 2 → 0

Greater Trinket Changes

Maldraxxus Dagger

• Old: [7 Cost] Discover a plain copy of a minion in your warband with a Dark Gift. At the start of each turn, repeat this.

• New: [6 Cost] Discover a plain copy of a friendly minion with a Dark Gift. Repeat at the start of every 2 turns.

Sludge Portrait

• Old: [3 Cost] Get a Sludge Corrosion. After you discard a card, get a Sludge Corrosion.

• New: [5 Cost] Get a Sludge Corrosion. After you discard a spell, get a Sludge Corrosion.

Lava Lamp

• Old: After you sell 7 minions, get a random Elemental. (7 left!)

• New: After you sell 6 minions, get a random Elemental. (6 left!)

Artisanal Urn

• Old: Your Undead have +15 Attack.

• New: Your Undead have +20 Attack.

Shark Cannon

• Old: After you spend 10 Gold, give your Pirates +1/+1 and improve this. (10 Gold left!)

• New: After you spend 7 Gold, give your Pirates +1/+1 and improve this. (7 Gold left!)

Jarred Frostling

• Old: [3 Cost] Start of Combat: Give 2 friendly Elementals "Deathrattle: Summon a Flourishing Frostling".

• New: [2 Cost] Start of Combat: Give 3 friendly Elementals "Deathrattle: Summon a Flourishing Frostling".

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General Changes

• Aberrations are no longer guaranteed in every lobby.

• Sinister Invitation now offers higher-Tier minions more frequently.

• Maw Caster can no longer be offered Echoing Voice.

• Arch-Villain Rafaam and Victim Specter can no longer be offered in Aberration lobbies.

• The increased appearance rate for new Trinkets has been removed. New Trinkets now appear at the same rate as all other Trinkets.

• Updated the VFX for Living Azerite and Seafood Stew to resolve more quickly.

What do you think of the patch notes? Let us know in the comments below.