Hearthstone Duels in Patch 24.0 - Witchwood Set and Darius Crowley, Added Treasures & Balance Changes, New Season, No More Unlock Requirements

The Duels card pool will be expanded once more, as The Witchwood is now one of the sets available for deckbuilding. With this and many more changes, the current Duels season is about to end once the patch goes live tomorrow on July 26. This is the ideal time to wait on an unfinished Heroic run to get the Tavern Ticket refunded!

As an overview, the Patch 24.0 will bring the following changes:

• New Hero - Darius Crowley with new Signature Treasures and Hero Powers
• New Passive Treasures 
• Card bans & unbans
• Balances Changes to existing Treasures and Hero Powers
• The Witchwood set added to deckbuilding
• Murder at Castle Nathria and The Witchwood added to card buckets
• All Hero Powers and Signature Treasures will be unlocked for every player

General Updates & Free Tavern Ticket

As noted above, at least this time around we've learned about a new season and the retirement of any ongoing Heroic runs ahead of time (we weren't quite so fortunate previously). So don't miss out on this rare opportunity, ideally by playing until you find yourself sitting at 2 losses. Once the patch goes live, you will then receive another free entry along with the rewards equal to whatever number of wins you've managed to hit. 

Besides that, it's certainly going to be nice no longer having to worry about any of these pesky unlocking requirements. 

Quote From Blizzard

General Updates

• On July 26, the current Duels season will end, ratings will be reset, and ongoing runs will be concluded.
• The Witchwood and Murder at Castle Nathria expansions are coming to Duels!
• The Witchwood will be fully usable in Duels on July 26. Murder at Castle Nathria will be added to card buckets and Discover effects with Patch 24.0 on July 26, but those cards will not be able to be used in initial deckbuilding until they are released on August 2.
• The new hero (below) will be available with the patch launch on July 26.
• All hero powers and signature treasures are now available for all heroes, for all players, no matter what. No more unlock requirements! 

Bug Fixes and Game Improvements

• Fixed a Duels bug preventing deck codes from working with Neutral heroes.

New Hero & Treasures

We've already covered Darius in the initial announcement, but here is everything about the veteran Warrior-Class Monster Hunter summarized. The update also comes with four new Passive Treasures.

Quote From Blizzard

New Hero

Darius Crowley

• Hero Powers
  • Fire!
    • [2 Mana] Fire your Cannons! If they kill any minions, refresh this.
  • Fire Away!
    • [2 Mana] Fire your Cannons! Give your minions +1 Attack.
  • Fire at Thee!
    • [3 Mana] Fire your Cannons twice!
• Signature Treasures
  • Safe Harbor
    • [2 Mana Spell] Choose a minion and put it into your hand. It costs (0).
  • Grizzled Reinforcement
    • [6 Mana Minion] 4 Attack, 3 Health. Battlecry: Summon an extra Cannon.
  • Tuskarr Raider
    • [4 Mana Minion-Pirate] 3 Attack, 9 Health. Rush. After this minion attacks, fire your Cannons.
  • Seabreaker Goliath
    • [10 Mana Minion-Pirate] 15 Attack, 15 Health. Costs (1) less for each time you’ve fired your Cannons.
  • Deck Swabbie
    • [3 Mana Minion] 1 Attack, 4 Health. At the end of your turn, fire your Cannons!
  • Draconic Munition
    • [1 Mana Spell] For the rest of the game, your cannons deal 1 extra damage.

New Passive Treasures

• Location, Location, Location! [Pool 1]
  • Passive. Start the game with a Location of your class in play.
• Be Our Guest [Pool 1]
  • Passive. At the start of the game, shuffle 3 Legendary Invitations into your deck.
• Brittle Bones [Pool 2]
  • Passive. After you destroy a minion with a spell, summon a Volatile Skeleton.
• Ring of Haste [Pool 2 Ultra Rare]
  • Passive. Every third minion you cast each turn costs (1).

Card Bans & Balance Changes 

We can gladly announce that Twig of the World Tree is now banned from deckbuilding. Alongside it, Genn Greymane and Baku the Mooneater, as well as Blackwald Pixie won't be part of The Witchwood set's additions. The remaining bans are Prince Renathal and Open the Waygate.

Quote From Blizzard

Card Pool Changes

• The following cards have been banned from deck creation: Twig of the World Tree, Genn Greymane, Baku the Mooneater, Prince Renathal, Open the Waygate, Blackwald Pixie

• The following card is no longer banned from deck creation: Lightning Bloom.

• The following card has been removed from the passive treasure pool: Plaguebringer.

 

Balance Changes

Bubble Blower [Hero Power]

• Old: 1 Mana → New: 0 Mana

 

Demon Blood [Hero Power]

• Old: Give a random Demon in your hand +2/+1. → New: Give a random Demon in your hand +2/+2.

 

Marvelous Mycelium

• Old: Discover two Choose One cards. They have both effects combined. Shuffle this card into your deck. →  New: Discover a Choose One card. It has both effects combined. Shuffle this card into your deck.

 

Flames of the Kirin Tor

• Old: Passive After you cast your first Fire spell in a turn, add a Fireball to your hand. → New: Passive After you cast your first Fire spell in a turn, add a random Fire spell to your hand.

 

Sr. Excavator

• Old: 5 Mana → New: 6 Mana

 

Ol’ Faithful

• Old: 4 Mana →  New: 5 Mana

 

Titan-Forged Grapnel

• Old: 4 Mana →  New: 5 Mana

 

Stalking Pride

• Old: 7 Mana → New: 5 Mana

 

Magister Unchained

• Old: 1 Mana → New: 2 Mana

 

Tempest’s Fury

• Old: 3 Attack → New: 2 Attack

What do you think of all these refreshing adjustments? Let us know in the comments below!