Tomorrow's Hearthstone patch brings the largest Battlegrounds update yet. Here are the key updates:
- 37 new minions are replacing some old ones.
- Format-specific keyword: Avenge
- Does something after (x) friendly minions die.
- The length of turns 3-9 has been increased by 5 seconds.
- Damage taken is capped to 15 until first player gets eliminated.
- 2 new heroes: Master Nguyen and Cariel Roame.
- Darkmoon prizes are disabled.
- Rating reset.
- New cosmetics. Today is your last chance to buy the Beach Party and Shadowlands cosmetics bundles.
You can find all the details alongside the new and removed minions from the quote below.
Quote From Blizzard Are you ready for the biggest Battlegrounds update to date?! To start, we’re introducing an entirely new Battlegrounds specific keyword, Avenge, that does something after (x) friendly minions die. Then, we’re replacing 37 minions with new ones and adding two new Heroes! You can get an idea of how the Avenge keyword works by checking out those new minions below.
Before you do, we’ve made a few fundamental changes we want to make you aware of. We’ve added a damage cap of 15 damage until the first player dies, meaning that no player can take more than 15 damage from combat until the first player in a lobby dies or disconnects. We’ve also increased turn timers so that everyone has time to get familiar with the new content: the length of turns 3-9 have been increased by 5 seconds. Everyone will start fresh with this update as ratings will be reset with the 21.2 patch to make way for a new season.
General Updates
- Battlegrounds Specific Keyword added, Avenge: Does something after (x) friendly minions die.
- The length of turns 3-9 have been increased by 5 seconds. We may further adjust the length of turns sometime in the future.
- Darkmoon Prizes have been disabled.
- All players’ Battlegrounds ratings have been reset for a new season.
- Damage cap of 15 damage has been added after the first player dies. Please note that the damage cap does not check for player deaths until the start of each Recruit Phase, meaning if someone concedes, disconnects, or dies during the Recruit Phase (Is Wrath Weaver ever really on your team?), the damage cap will still be present for that combat.
- Players with Battlegrounds Perks are now more likely to be offered new Heroes during the two-week early access period that follows their initial announcement. In every lobby during the two-week early access period, the option to play with new Heroes will be distributed at random between players with Battlegrounds Perks. No player will be offered more than one new Hero.
New Heroes
Master Nguyen
- Power of the Storm [Passive]
- At the start of every turn, choose from 2 new Hero Powers.
Cariel Roame
- Conviction (Rank 1)
- Give a random friendly minion +1/+1. (Upgrades at Tavern Tier 3.)
- Conviction (Rank 2)
- Give three random friendly minions +1/+1. (Upgrades at Tavern Tier 5.)
- Conviction (Rank 3)
- Give five random friendly minions +1/+1.
Players with Battlegrounds Perks will have early access to the Heroes above before they’re formally released on September 14.
New Minions
BEASTS
LeapfroggerSewer Rat
- [Tier 2, Beast] Deathrattle: Give a friendly Beast +2/+2 and this Deathrattle.
Bird Buddy
- [Tier 2, Beast] Deathrattle: Summon a 2/3 Turtle with Taunt.
Reanimating Rattler
- [Tier 3] Avenge (1): Give your Beasts +1/+1.
Palescale Crocolisk
- [Tier 4, Beast] Battlecry: Give a friendly Beast Reborn.
- [Tier 5, Beast] Avenge (2) and Deathrattle: Give another friendly Beast +6/+6.
DEMONS
Impulsive TricksterIcky Imp
- [Tier 1, Demon] Deathrattle: Give this minion's maximum Health to a friendly minion.
Impatient Doomsayer
- [Tier 1, Demon] Deathrattle: Summon two 1/1 Imps.
Kathra'natir
- [Tier 3] Avenge (3): Add a random Demon to your hand.
Insatiable Ur'zul
- [Tier 4, Demon] Your other Demons have +3 Attack. Your Hero is Immune.
Famished Felbat
- [Tier 5, Demon] Taunt. After you play a Demon, consume a minion in Bob's Tavern to gain its stats.
- [Tier 6, Demon] At the end of your turn, each friendly Demon consumes a minion in Bob's Tavern to gain its stats.
MECHS
PupbotMechano-Tank
- [Tier 1, Mech] Divine Shield
Grease Bot
- [Tier 4, Mech] Avenge (2): Deal 6 damage to the highest Health enemy minion.
Holy Mecherel
- [Tier 4, Mech] After a friendly minion loses Divine Shield, give it +2/+1 permanently.
Omega Buster
- [Tier 5, Mech] After a friendly minion loses Divine Shield, gain Divine Shield.
- [Tier 6, Mech] Deathrattle: Summon six 1/1 Microbots. For each that doesn't fit, give your Mechs +1/+1.
MURLOCS
Saltscale HonchoSwolefin
- [Tier 2, Murloc] After you play a Murloc, give two other friendly Murlocs +1 Health.
SI:Sefin
- [Tier 3, Murloc] Battlecry: Gain +2/+1 for each other friendly Murloc.
Seafood Slinger
- [Tier 5, Murloc] Avenge (3): Give a friendly Murloc Poisonous permanently.
- [Tier 6] Battlecry: Make a Murloc Golden.
DRAGONS
Evolving ChromawingWhelp Smuggler
- [Tier 1, Dragon] After you upgrade your Tavern Tier, double this minion's Attack.
Tarecgosa
- [Tier 2] After a friendly Dragon gains Attack, give it +2 Health.
Prized Promo-Drake
- [Tier 3, Dragon] This permanently keeps enchantments from combat.
Prestor's Pyrospawn
- [Tier 4, Dragon] Start of Combat: Give adjacent minions +1/+1 for each friendly Dragon.
- [Tier 4, Dragon] Whenever another friendly Dragon attacks, deal 3 damage to its target.
PIRATES
Defiant ShipwrightBriny Bootlegger
- [Tier 2] After you upgrade your Tavern Tier, add a random Pirate to Bob's Tavern.
Peggy Brittlebone
- [Tier 3, Pirate] At the end of your turn, if you have another Pirate, add a Gold Coin to your hand.
Tony Two-Tusk
- [Tier 4, Pirate] After a card is added to your hand, give another Pirate +1/+1.
Nosy Looter
- [Tier 5, Pirate] Avenge (5): Make another friendly Pirate Golden permanently.
- [Tier 6, Pirate] Every two turns, add a random Golden minion to your hand.
ELEMENTALS
SmoggerDazzling Lightspawn
- [Tier 3, Elemental] Battlecry: Give a friendly Elemental stats equal to your Tavern Tier.
Recycling Wraith
- [Tier 4, Elemental] Avenge (2): Elementals in Bob's Tavern have +1/+1 for the rest of the game.
Master of Realities
- [Tier 4, Elemental] After you play an Elemental, your next Refresh costs (0).
- [Tier 6] Taunt. After a friendly Elemental gains stats, gain +1/+1.
QUILBOAR
Gemsplitter
- [Tier 3, Quilboar] After a friendly minion loses Divine Shield, gain a Blood Gem.
NEUTRAL
Budding GreenthumbWitchwing Nestmatron
- [Tier 3] Avenge (3): Give adjacent minions +2/+1 permanently.
- [Tier 4] Avenge (3): Add a random Battlecry minion to your hand.
Updated Minion
Arm of the Empire
- Old: 5 Health → New: 4 Health
Removed Minions
Tavern Tier 1Tavern Tier 2
- Fiendish Servant
- Vulgar Homunculus
- Micro Machine
- Murloc Tidecaller
- Dragonspawn Lieutenant
Tavern Tier 3
- Pack Leader
- Kindly Grandmother
- Steward of Time
- Waxrider Togwaggle
- Southsea Captain
- Tormented Ritualist
Tavern Tier 4
- Arcane Assistant
- Imp Gang Boss
- Infested Wolf
- Iron Sensei
- Hangry Dragon
- Bloodsail Cannoneer
- Warden of Old
- Crystalweaver
- Thorncaller
Tavern Tier 5
- Virmen Sensei
- Hexruin Maurader
- Junkbot
- Toxfin
- Herald of Flame
- Qiraji Harbinger
- Bolvar, Fireblood
- Security Rover
Tavern Tier 6
- Sneed's Old Shredder
- Nat Pagle, Extreme Angler
- Seabreaker Goliath
- Ironhide Direhorn
- Mythrax, the Unraveler
- Mal'Ganis
- Faceless Taverngoer
- The Tide Razor
- Lieutenant Garr
Comments
Beasts are fine, since Goldrinn, Macaw and Hydra are still there. Also, a key note is that Brittlebone accounts for any card you add to hand, so they can work with a lot of tribes. Even the new Bootlegger gives some mid-game scaling.
I don't think Pirates are SOLELY reliant on Hoggar, since Goldrubber exists and has recevied some support. But Hoggar will definitely be the best catalyst for Pirate builds, but that remains to be seen.
Not to go "off-topic", but Master of Realities might be great with a Majordomo feeding your left-most Ele +X/+X stats one at a time. That's the only way I see it popping off, but the possibility exists *shrugs*
Nowhere near as good as Garr, though, even if its Attack could end up higher.
You're right, I missed that interaction. Thing is though, Majordomo tends to be one of those scaling engines you drop the fastest since he's so restrictive on your attack order. Doesn't mean you can't get a ton of stats on Master of Realities in the few turns you keep him though. Those stats might be all you need to get a good head start. Still, the fact that he's not an Elemental himself means he's gonna be a tough buy. If you have Nomi or Newnomi even a tier 1 elemental will have better stats than Master and will help you scale your future stuff, and if you have Rag you don't want to be spending 3 gold on a non-Elemental either.
Menagerie doesn't even need Mythrax. He's pretty much just the preamble until you find Aggem or Lightfang and he only makes sense if you start scaling him early.
Hoggar + Peggy Brittlebone could be great, moreso if you have a hero that can generate their own cards to boot (Mukla, namely). I'm warming up to them the more I think about it, but I still agree with your original assessment.
And not only do Elementals have a Tier-4 Nomi, Nomi still exists lol
Nothing on the Standard nerfs?
The actual patchnotes are most likely released after tomorrows Mercenaries stream.
More excited about the selected minions to be removed than the new cards themselves. So many useless and sub-par minions on that list, happy to see them go
Edit: looks like Mackerel is back on the menu boys!
I'm going to miss tripling on 3 and getting to choose between virmen Sensei, Harbinger, and Bolvar.
Several interesting new cards, a temporary damage cap and an exclusive keyword. The patch looks pretty good! Unfortunately, several constructed cards who gained new life and some recognition in the mode became jobless again. They are joining Cobalt Guardian back in the dumpster. Also, Twitch won't be happy that they got rid of their precious boat! I understand that they wanted to eliminate some of the absurd amounts of damage that came out of cards like these but what about the biggest offender? Ghastcoiler? Why they allowed that to continue existing?
I guess they kept Ghastcoiler because it fits the "let friendly minions die" (purposly didn't said Deathrattle because of cards like Bird Buddy) identity of the beasts rework.
Ghastcoiler's effectiveness has plummeted now that The Tide Razor and Sneed's Old Shredder are gone. There is little in the way of creating a spawn-chain anymore, and what few high-Tier Deathrattles remain have more niche usage (or you're going full-Beasts, which could be powerful).
Not sold on Avenge: does the countdown carryover between rounds? If so that's broken, if not Tony Two-Tusk is probably terrible. Avenge (5) means most of your board is dead, or you leaned hard into Scallywags; either way, you're not getting much return on your investment at that point, and that's assuming Tony survived that long.
I am saddened at the loss of Mythrax: he was one of the few rewards for going Menagerie, and now he's dead.
R.I.P. BOAT
Some of these seem a bit questionable but at least they're finally cutting all the useless junk. Not sure if I like the Avenge stuff seeing how it's already frustrating enough when your backline effects get randomly sniped. I guess Acolyte will be a true MVP in those builds.
Rip to the Old Gods update, they lost like..half their stuff. I guess it's just that bad.
Arm and Champion were already the mainstays of the Taunt builds, and cards like Qiraji were not as mandatory. Too bad Security Rover is removed.