Fractured in Alterac Valley will go live on December 7th, the new expansion's achievements are already available in our journals, so you can already complete them!
While most of these achievements require you to own Alterac cards, and are not easily completed unless you want to rely on some Duels mid-run buckets luck, some are already doable. Therefore, you can either complete or start grinding them ahead of time, so that you'll be able to go through the first levels of the next reward track faster for even more rewards and sense of progression.
For this reason, we rounded up all the doable Alterac achievements and added a little guide for each, so that you'll have something different to do during these last few days before the new cards will be available for everyone, and the real grind will begin. Have fun!
Remember: Any achievements you complete now will not reward XP until you claim them. Do not claim the achievements until the new rewards track goes live on December 7. If you claim them now, that XP goes towards your Stormwind track instead. When in doubt, stay out of your journal until the expansion launches.
How to Complete the "It's a Trap!" Hunter Achievement
This achievement is meant to give you more reasons to play the Secret package printed in Fractured in Alterac Valley. While it doesn't require you to own any specific card to complete it, a remarkable grind lies ahead of you. Unless you're a very dedicated player, you probably won't be able to get it done before December 7th, but even completing the first step isn't something you should sniff at.
Achievement-wise, what's interesting is that It's a Trap! doesn't ask you to play 75/150/250 Secrets, but to just trigger them: therefore, cards like Rinling's Rifle and Inconspicuous Rider in Standard and Phase Stalker, Mad Scientist and Masked Contender in Wild can help you speed up progress.
In order to accomplish our goal, we're going to humbly offer you one Standard and one Wild deck. The first one is a Standard Secret Hunter, which doesn't seem too hot but it's understandable, since we're going to receive a lot of support in just a few days.
The second one is Wild Even Hunter. Hearthstone's eternal game mode hosts some of the best Secret-related cards ever printed in Phase Stalker, Mad Scientist, and Genn Greymane's cost reduction to Steady Shot allows you to cheat out Secrets from your deck even faster.
How to Complete the "HONORABLY DIE, INSECT!" Mage Achievement
In order to complete this achievement, we have to go back to Rastakhan's Rumble, and namely to Daring Fire-Eater. While this minion's Battlecry doesn't transfer to following turns, you can still set up a 'combo' turn with the likes of Tour Guide. In particular, this is what we suggest you to do:
- Draw out your deck until you have double Daring Fire-Eater and Brann Bronzebeard in hand.
- Until that point, stall the game and use Ice Block to steal a couple turns.
- We included Wildfire in order to make your life a little bit easier and to improve Multicaster, but it's not necessary to our plan.
- Play Brann Bronzebeard into double Daring Fire-Eater for a 9 damage Hero Power.
- Clockwork Automaton is another way to pull off this achievement, but it requires a lot more setup, so we consider the Daring Fire-Eater one as the superior version.
How to Complete the "Winter Vacation" Shaman Achievement
Just like It's a Trap!, you can technically start grinding Winter Vacation, but Windchill is a hell of a card and you can include 4 copies of it in your deck thanks to Sleetbreaker. If you still want to feel frosty, Wild has some tools that might help you. And while you're at it, have some unnerfed Galakrond, the Tempest.
How to Complete the "Dreading This One" Warlock Demon Hunter Achievement
While there's no way to complete this achievement in Standard since Fel Rifts are a mechanic exclusive to Fractured in Alterac Valley, Constructed isn't the only game mode in Hearthstone.
In fact, Team 5 recently introduced a new tier 2 Passive Treasure inDuels, Imp-credible Trousers, so there's a chance to progress this achievement. What's amusing is that Trousers is currently bugged, and instead of shuffling Fel Rifts it puts them at the top of your deck. We are not encouraging you to exploit a bug: we're merely making you aware of the current situation - you do you.
Passive Treasures Suggested
First pool - Fireshaper, Wither the Weak
Second pool - Imp-credible Trousers
How to Complete the "Congealing Essence" Neutral Achievement
We struggle to see what Fractured in Alterac Valley card should help you complete this achievement, and we think there's only one way to earn the XP tied behind Congealing Essence: play the game - you'll eventually get there.
Alexstrasza sets a player's health to 15, so you could cast its effect on yourself before dealing the lethal blow to your opponent. You may include it in some hyper-aggressive deck like Pirate Raid the Docks Warrior, or whatever is your jam, really.
How to Complete the "From Zero to Hero" Neutral Achievement
Fortunately for our achievement grinders out there, Hero cards aren't just an Alterac thing: we have plenty of them in Wild, coming from Knights of the Frozen Throne, The Witchwood, The Boomsday Project, Rastakhan's Rumble and Descent of Dragons. Grab the one you own and prefer the most and have some fun on ladder!
Best of luck if you attempt any pre-Alterac achievement hunting. Let us know how many of these have you managed to complete: sharing other tips and tricks is also welcome!
Comments
Slightly different list but same idea using Shudderwock for the more freezes through all the repeated battlecries.
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Would Majordomo count? Or are you not considered Mage at that point.
It works, I complete it that way.
Not 100% sure since I haven't tested that interaction yet (and I never will, since I do not own Domo...) but my answer is no. If you generate a random spell from your class while being Rag, the game will give you a coin: therefore, it is safe to assume that Rag is considered as a Neutral hero!
Edit: based on another comment, looks like I was wrong.
I saw the Mage hero power achievement and thought, I’ve already done that so many times in my old Odd Mage days! Double Fire Eater and the elemental that gives +2 to your hero power. That or Fire Eater plus Clockwork. And this was before Tour Guide so (back in my day) I had to still pay the 2 mana to get the 8 damage ping off!
I actually meant to try making a Ping Mech Mage to get this one, but maybe your version is better just for a quick achievement grab!
The Mage list I created is meant to complete the achievement, not to have fun/win games. From that point of view, you Ping Mech Mage is definitely a better ladder choice!