Blizzard has announced that we're getting a patch today - quite an exciting Monday! This will be the first balance patch of Fractured in Alterac Valley and it includes both buffs and nerfs. We've summarized the changes down below. If you'd like to read the reasoning behind all the changes, you can find that in the official patch notes further down the page.

Card Nerfs in Hearthstone Patch 22.0.2

All the above cards will be disenchantable for their full value for the next two weeks - until January 3, 2022. Remember, you can type "refund" in your collection manager's search box to find these cards easily!

Card Buffs in Hearthstone Patch 22.0.2

Official Patch Notes

Quote From Blizzard

Patch 22.0.2, launching today, includes balance changes for Standard and Battlegrounds, a system update for Mercenaries, and more!

Standard Balance Updates

Dev Comment: We’re coming up on two weeks since the launch of Fractured in Alterac Valley and, while players are still finding success with quite a variety of strategies, we want to open up the format further. This patch is mainly focused on weakening some of the stronger, combo-centric strategies that have had long-term success throughout the Year of the Gryphon.

The following cards have been adjusted down in power:

Celestial Alignment

  • Old: [Costs 7] → New: [Costs 8]
    • Dev Comment: Although Celestial Alignment is not usually a card used for from-hand, burst damage, it does frequently allow for absurd turns that happen a little earlier than we feel is healthy. Moving it up a mana should allow for more setup and counterplay before Celestial Alignment is cast.

DRUID_BAR_539_enUS_CelestialAlignment-63040_NORMAL.png

Alliance Bannerman

  • Old: 2 Attack, 2 Health → New: 2 Attack, 1 Health
    • Dev Comment: Paladins have a very consistent, powerful package of cards that they can include in quite a few distinct strategies. Alliance Bannerman is one of these cards that can fit into a wide range of decks. Lowering its Health by one should tone down Paladin decks by a small amount across the board.

PALADIN_SW_315_enUS_AllianceBannerman-64368_NORMAL.png

Efficient Octo-bot

  • Old: [Costs 2] → New: [Costs 3]
    • Dev Comment: Efficient Octo-bot has been a little too efficient at the upper echelons of play. We’re slowing it down as part of the general goal of toning down the power level of combo strategies.

ROGUE_BAR_320_enUS_EfficientOcto-bot-62891_NORMAL.png

Snowfall Guardian

  • Old: [Costs 5] → New: [Costs 6]
    • Dev Comment: Snowfall Guardian was designed with the intent of giving Freeze Shaman decks a powerful tool, but it is a little too efficient at locking up the board, especially when combined with cards like Brilliant Macaw. Moving it up one mana should soften the power of this interaction.

SHAMAN_AV_255_enUS_SnowfallGuardian-67769_NORMAL.png

Touch of the Nathrezim

  • Old: Deal 2 damage to a minion. If it dies, restore 4 Health to your hero. → New: Deal 2 damage to a minion. If it dies, restore 3 Health to your hero.
    • Dev Comment: Touch of the Nathrezim is meant to be a solid removal option for slower Warlock decks, but the overall Health restoration in Warlock is slightly too high. This is meant to be a softer change that leaves Warlock with a powerful removal option, but reduces overall Warlock healing capabilities enough to bring that aspect of the class back in line.

WARLOCK_SW_090_enUS_TouchoftheNathrezim-64899_NORMAL.png

Runed Mithril Rod

  • Old: [Costs 4] → New: [Costs 5]
    • Dev Comment: Runed Mithril Rod was an incredibly strong tool in the first few days after the launch of Fractured in Alterac Valley. While players were able to find a counter to it in cards like Rustrot Viper, we believe going up a Mana here will lead to healthier play patterns for the game overall.

WARLOCK_SW_003_enUS_RunedMithrilRod-63677_NORMAL.png

Bloodsail Deckhand

  • Old: 2 Attack, 2 Health → New: 2 Attack, 1 Health
    • Dev Comment: We’re reverting our previous change to Bloodsail Deckhand. Questline Warrior ended up slightly stronger than intended, and we believe it will continue to find success after this change. 

WARRIOR_CS3_008_enUS_BloodsailDeckhand-62462_NORMAL.png

Irondeep Trogg

  • Old: After your opponent casts a spell, summon a copy of this. → New: After your opponent casts a spell, summon another Irondeep Trogg.
    • Dev Comment: Irondeep Trogg has the capability of running away with games very early when combined with minion buffs like Noble Mount or Doggie Biscuit. Taking into account the rest of the changes we’re making with this patch, we want to adjust Trogg to remain a viable counter to early spells, but to better match the targeted power level of the format as a whole.

NEUTRAL_AV_137_enUS_IrondeepTrogg-70241_NORMAL.png

Mo’arg Artificer

  • Old: [Costs 2] 2 Attack, 4 Health → New: [Costs 3] 2 Attack, 5 Health
    • Dev Comment: Mo’arg Artificer does too much, too efficiently for decks with large amounts of removal. Increasing its cost by one will make the card a little less efficient as a tool for cheap clears, large amounts of life gain, and combo finishers.

NEUTRAL_BT_733_enUS_MoargArtificer-57193_NORMAL.png

The collectible cards listed above will be eligible for a full dust refund for 2 weeks after the 22.0.2 patch goes live. Bloodsail Deckhand is not eligible for the dust refund, because it's a Core Set card, not a collectible one.

Dev Comment: Alongside the changes above, we’re also making a couple adjustments aimed at powering up slower Mage decks and the less powerful Hero Cards.

The following cards have been adjusted up in power:

Beaststalker Tavish

  • Old: [Hero Power Costs 3] → New: [Hero Power Costs 2]

HUNTER_AV_113p_enUS_SummonPet-67807_NORMAL.png

Grey Sage Parrot

  • Old: [Costs 8] 6 Attack, 6 Health → New: [Costs 6] 4 Attack, 5 Health

MAGE_DED_515_enUS_GreySageParrot-65682_NORMAL.png

Magister Dawngrasp

  • Old: [Costs 8] → New: [Costs 7]
  • Old: Hero Power: Deal 1 Damage. Honorable Kill: Gain +2 Damage. → New: Hero Power: Deal 2 Damage. Honorable Kill: Gain +2 Damage.

MAGE_AV_200_enUS_MagisterDawngrasp-66848_NORMAL.png

Wildfire

  • Old: Increase the damage of your Hero Power by 1. → New: Increase the damage of your Hero Power by 1 this game.
    • Dev Comment: This is a minor rework to make it so that Wildfire will now persist after swapping Hero Powers. Although we don’t envision this being dramatically impactful, we do think it will allow for a smoother gameplay experience with Hero Power changing cards like Magister Dawngrasp.

MAGE_BAR_546_enUS_Wildfire-63062_NORMAL.png

Battlegrounds Balance Updates

HERO UPDATES

Sneed

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 1 (0 Armor) to Tier 2 (2-5 Armor)
  • Sneed’s Replicator
    • Old: [Costs 1] → New: [Costs 2]

NEUTRAL_BG21_HERO_030p_enUS_SneedsReplicator-76520_NORMAL.png

Tamsin

  • Fragrant Phylactery
    • Old: [Costs 0] Start of Combat: Destroy your lowest Health minion. Give its Health to all your others. → New: [Costs 1] Start of Combat: Destroy your lowest Health minion. Give its stats to all your others.

WARLOCK_BG20_HERO_282p_enUS_FragrantPhylactery-77911_NORMAL.png

Scabbs Cutterbutter

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 2 (2-5 Armor) to Tier 1 (0 Armor)

Cariel Roame

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 6 (6-9 Armor) to Tier 7 (7-10 Armor)

Deathwing

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 4 (4-7 Armor) to Tier 5 (5-8 Armor)

Millificent Manastorm

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 3 (3-6 Armor) to Tier 5 (5-8 Armor)

Overlord Saurfang

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 6 (6-9 Armor) to Tier 7 (7-10 Armor)

Patches the Pirate

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 3 (3-6 Armor) to Tier 2 (2-5 Armor)

Trade Prince Gallywix

  • Armor Tier changed from Tier 4 (4-7 Armor) to Tier 2 (2-5 Armor)

MINION UPDATES

Prized Promo-Drake

  • Old: 5 Attack, 5 Health → New: 3 Attack, 3 Health

NEUTRAL_BG21_014_enUS_PrizedPromo-Drake-72073_NORMAL.png

Dazzling Lightspawn

  • Old: 4 Attack, 5 Health → New: 2 Attack, 5 Health

NEUTRAL_BG21_020_enUS_DazzlingLightspawn-72068_NORMAL.png

Mercenaries Update

  • All Heroic Level 30 Bounties will now include at least one pile of Legendary Coins (chosen from the selection of Coins designated for each Bounty) as part of their Bounty completion rewards.

Arena Update

  • Abominable Lieutenant is no longer draftable in Arena.

Bug Fixes & Game Improvements

  • The base versions of Drek’Thar and Vanndar are now eligible for full dust refunds. We will be doing a separate update later on patch day to grant additional Arcane Dust to players who already disenchanted either card.
  • Fixed a bug where the Duels treasure Impcredible Trousers did not properly shuffle the imp portals.