The Duels card pool will be expanded once more, as Knights of the Frozen Throne 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 March of the Lich King expansion goes live on December 6th. This is the ideal time to wait on an unfinished Heroic run to get the Tavern Ticket refunded!

As an overview, the Patch 25.0 will bring the following changes:

General Updates and 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 well ahead of time (we weren't always quite so fortunate). So don't miss out on this rare opportunity, ideally by playing until you find yourself sitting at 2 losses. But not just yet: there is still a good week to enjoy yourselves in Duels until then. And we will undoubtedly remind you about this for the last time during the weekend.

Once March of the Lich King goes live on December 6th, you will then receive another free entry along with the rewards equal to whatever number of wins you've managed to hit. It has to be said that this timing is rather unusual, as in the past Team 5 often used to end seasons together with the .0 patches rather than with the expansion's release date: looks like Duels has decided to join Arena for the regularly scheduled rotation this time around! 

This decision has to do with the introduction of Death Knights, of course - otherwise the game mode might have an advantage over Constructed, were the new class cards and sets to become available there a full week earlier.

Bucket System Revamp and Death Knight Deckbuilding

Besides that, what really jumps to the eye is the revamp that Duels' bucket system underwent, going live together with Patch 25.0.

  • The "Group Learning" bucket will be removed entirely.
  • All other buckets will be adjusted to give cards by expansion, instead of by grouped type of effect.
  • Cards for buckets will be generated based on cards from your deck, then a bucket will be generated based on the associated bucket pool.

Finally, Team 5 also shared some information regarding the deckbuilding phase.

  • Death Knight's deckbuilding in Duels will follow the same rules for Constructed.
  • You are not required to complete the Death Knight Prologue to unlock the Death Knight heroes in Duels.
    • However, you won’t have the Death Knight Core Set available to you in deckbuilding if you haven’t unlocked the class.
  • If you don’t have any Death Knight cards, you will only be able to use Neutral cards in your deckbuilding.

Full 25.0 Patch Notes for Hearthstone Duels

Quote From Blizzard

Duels Updates

General Updates

  • On November 29, there will be a major change to how Duels card buckets function (discussed below).
  • On November 29, March of the Lich King, Path of Arthas, and Knights of the Frozen Throne will be added to the Duels card buckets (subject to the new buckets logic). At the same time, Knights of the Frozen Throne will also be added to deckbuilding.
  • On December 6, the current Duels season will end, ratings will be reset, and ongoing runs will be concluded.
  • On December 6, March of the Lich King and Path of Arthas will be added to deckbuilding and the two new Death Knight heroes will be added to the hero pool.
  • Death Knight deckbuilding rules will apply to the initial Duels deckbuilding phase, just like the Hearthstone mode.
  • You are not required to complete the Death Knight Prologue to unlock the Death Knight heroes in Duels. However, you won’t have the Death Knight Core Set available to you in deckbuilding if you haven’t unlocked the class. If you don’t have any Death Knight cards, you will only be able to use Neutral cards in your deckbuilding.

Card Bucket Revamp

With Patch 25.0, the Duels card bucket system will be getting a major update. The “Group Learning” bucket will be removed entirely. All other buckets will be adjusted to give cards by expansion, instead of by grouped type of effect. Cards for buckets will be generated based on cards from your deck, then a bucket will be generated based on the associated bucket pool.

New Heroes & Treasures

We've already covered Sai Shadestorm and Scarlet Leafdancer in the initial announcement, but here is everything about the brand new Death Knight Heroes summarized. The update also comes with four new Passive Treasures and one new Active Treasure.

Quote From Blizzard

New Heroes

Sai Shadestorm (Death Knight)

  • Hero Powers
    • Ghoul Blitz: [2 Mana] Summon a 1/1 Ghoul with Charge and Reborn. It dies at end of turn.
    • Gathering Storm: [2 Mana] Gain a Corpse. Draw a card.
    • Lichborne Might: [1 Mana] Give a friendly minion +3/+3. It dies at the end of your turn.

  • Signature Treasures
    • Gluth: [4 Mana Minion—Undead]
      • 4/2. Battlecry: Give your other Undead +2/+1 and Reborn.
    • Glaciaxe: [4 Mana Weapon]
      • 5/2. Deathrattle: Equip a 2/5 Wings of Glaciaxe.
        • Wings of Glaciaxe: [4 Mana Weapon] 2/5. Windfury, Deathrattle: Summon four 1/1 Zombies with Reborn.
    • Remembrance of Ice: [6 Mana Spell—Frost]
      • Resurrect the minions your Frost spells have killed this game.
    • Unholy Embrace: [4 Mana Spell]
      • Spend up to 10 Corpses and add an Unholy Rune card to your hand for each.
    • Gluth-sicle: [7 Mana Minion—Undead]
      • 6/4. Battlecry: Summon two Undead from your deck and Freeze them.
    • Inexorable Ghoul: [5 Mana Minion—Undead]
      • 5/5. Rush Revive: (2)

Scarlet Leafdancer (Death Knight)

  • Hero Powers
    • Blood Parasite: [2 Mana] Summon a 2/1 Bloodworm with Lifesteal.
    • Hematology: [1 Mana] Spend up to 3 Corpses. For each, reduce the cost of a card in your hand by (1).
    • Scourging: [2 Mana] Discover an Undead.

  • Signature Treasures
    • Runed Soulblade: [4 Mana Weapon]
      • 3/4. After your hero takes damage, deal 1 damage to all enemies and lose 1 Durability.
    • Scourge Strike: [3 Mana Spell]
      • Gain 1 Corpse, destroy 1 enemy minion, and draw 1 card. (Improves during run)
    • Crimson: [1 Mana Minion—Undead]
      • 1/1. Whenever your hero is healed, this minion gains that much Attack and Health.
    • Ironweave Bloodletter: [3 Mana Weapon]
      • 3/2. Battlecry: For the rest of the game, whenever you consume one or more Corpses, restore 2 Health to your hero.
    • Greatsword of the Ebon Blade: [3 Mana Weapon]
      • 1/5. Whenever you play a minion, give it Reborn and this loses 1 Durability.
    • Contagion Concoction: [2 Mana Spell]
      • Infect a minion with “Deathrattle: Deal 3 damage to your hero, then infect a neighbor.”

New Passive Treasures

Cadaver Collector [Pool 1]: After the first time you gain a Corpse in a turn, gain 1 additional Corpse.

Blood Shields [Pool 1]: After the first time you spend a Corpse in a turn, gain 1 Health.

Ghouls Rush In [Pool 2]: After the first time your spend a Corpse in a turn, summon a 2/2 Risen Ghoul with Rush.

Cold Feet Pact [Pool 2]: At the end of your turn, summon a Risen Groom with stats equal to half your Corpse total.

New Active Treasure

Tiny Thimble [Pool 1]: 3 Mana, 3/3 Minion—Undead. Rush, Deathrattle: Add a Regular-Size Thimble to your hand.

  • Regular-Size Thimble: 4 Mana, 5/5 Minion—Undead. Rush. After this attacks and kills a minion, gain +2/+2.

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