The latest Hearthstone Patch 26.4.3 brought balance changes for Standard, Battlegrounds, and Duels, plus a Wild ban.
Standard Updates
Quote From Blizzard Dev Comment: The meta is in a pretty healthy place right now and a lot of players seem to be enjoying the post mini-set meta, so we’re not trying to be too disruptive with this round of changes. We’re making some smaller adjustments to tone down a few emerging meta outliers and to give a little more power to some of the mini-set cards that have not gotten much attention.
The following cards have been adjusted to be less powerful:
The Purator
- Old: [5 Mana]
- New: [6 Mana]
Disco Maul
- Old: [2 Mana] 2 Attack, 2 Durability
- New: [3 Mana] 3 Attack, 2 Durability
Feast and Famine
- Old: [1 Mana]
- New: [2 Mana]
Dev Comment: Pure Paladin has been a strong deck for a while now. After this latest patch, we saw a jump in the deck’s power to the point where it is now a dominant power outlier at all levels of play. Purator is the best card in the best deck, by every measure, so it was an easy target for change. We expect it to still see play after getting toned down a little. Disco Maul has been a card we’ve had our eyes on for a while, and this felt like the appropriate time to act on it. Finally, we’ve seen a lot of power come from the Horn of the Windlord – Feast and Famine combo, but we can see that Horn of the Windlord isn’t a problem in Shaman, so we’re adjusting the other half of the combo to make it a little slower overall and less flexible on non-combo turns.
Lady S’Theno
- Old: 2 Attack, 4 Health
- New: 1 Attack, 4 Health
Dev Comment: There’s been a growing negative sentiment about Spell Demon Hunter, especially at the top levels of play, and particularly with the class closing out games in the same way for a long time. There were a few choices for us on which card(s) to adjust, but Lady S’Theno seemed like the best target to have the biggest impact on play experience and player sentiment.
Hope of Quel’Thalas
- Old: 4 Attack, 2 Durability
- New: 3 Attack, 2 Durability
Dev Comment: Big Hunter has emerged as another power outlier after the mini-set additions of Hollow Hound and Star Power. We think the deck is fun and cool, and we want to see players continue to enjoy it, but we also don’t want it to become too powerful after the other adjustments this patch, so this is a small preemptive adjustment to shave a little bit of its power.
Pozzik, Audio Engineer
- Old: 5 Attack, 4 Health
- New: 4 Attack, 4 Health
Dev Comment: Statistically, Pozzik is the highest winrate neutral legendary in the game and has been criminally underplayed. As we saw more and more decks trying the card, it became clear it could use a little nudge.
Crimson Clergy
- Now banned in Wild.
Dev Comment: Crimson Clergy is a key enabler in a combo deck with play patterns beyond what we want for the format.
The above craftable cards will be eligible for a full dust refund for two weeks following Patch 26.4.3 (there is both an uncraftable version of Crimson Clergy that all players have for free as part of the Core Set, which can’t be disenchanted, and a version of Crimson Clergy in the Legacy Set that can be crafted or disenchanted).
The following cards have been adjusted to be more powerful:
Dev Comment: These mini-set cards were the ones that had the most room for adjustment.
Rhythmdancer Risa
- Old: [5 Mana]
- New: [4 Mana]
Fiddlefire Imp
- Old: 3 Attack, 2 Health
- New: 3 Attack, 3 Health
Remixed Dispense-o-bot
- Old: [4 Mana] 4 Attack, 4 Health
- New: [3 Mana] 3 Attack, 3 Health
Battlegrounds Updates
Quote From Blizzard Hero Updates
Aranna Starseeker (Hero Power – Demon Hunter Training)
- Old: [Passive] After you Refresh 5 times, Bob always has 7 minions.
- New: [Passive] After 16 friendly minions attack, the first minion you buy every turn is free.
The Curator (Hero Power – Menagerist)
- Old: [Passive] Start the game with a 2/2 Amalgam will all minion types.
- New: [Passive] Start the game with a 1/1 Amalgam with Venomous and all minion types.
E.T.C., Band Manager (Buddy - Talent Scout)
- Old: [Tier 3]
- New: [Tier 5]
- Dev Comment: E.T.C.’s hero power, Sign a New Artist, respects that Tavern Tier you’re currently at, so raising Talent Scout’s Tier means that it can’t be Discovered until later in the game.
Armor Updates
Aranna Starseeker and The Curator now have 10 Armor.
Minion Updates
Flourishing Frostling
- Old: 0 Attack, 5 Health
- New: 0 Attack, 6 Health
Humming Bird
- Old: 0 Attack, 3 Health
- New: 0 Attack, 5 Health
Eternal Knight
- Old: 3 Attack, 1 Health
- New: 4 Attack, 1 Health
Scarlet Skull
- Old: 1 Attack, 2 Health
- New: 2 Attack, 1 Health
Soul Rewinder
- Old: 3 Attack, 1 Health
- New: 2 Attack, 1 Health
Radio Star
- Old: 2 Attack, 1 Health
- New: 1 Attack, 1 Health
Accord-o-Tron
- Old: 2 Attack, 3 Health
- New: 3 Attack, 3 Health
Prickly Piper
- Old: [Tier 4] 6 Attack, 3 Health
- New: [Tier 3] 5 Attack, 2 Health
Handless Forsaken
- Old: [Tier 4] 2 Attack, 3 Health. Deathrattle: Summon a 2/2 Hand with Reborn.
- New: [Tier 3] 2 Attack, 1 Health. Deathrattle: Summon a 2/1 Hand with Reborn.
Rylak Metalhead
- Old: [Tier 3]
- New: [Tier 4]
Malchezaar, Prince of Dance
- Old: [Tier 3] 5 Attack, 2 Health
- New: [Tier 4] 6 Attack, 3 Health
Scrap Scraper
- Old: 3 Attack, 6 Health. Avenge (4): Get a random Magnetic mech.
- New: 3 Attack, 7 Health. At the end of your turn get a random Magnetic Mech.
Xylo-bones
- Old: 5 Attack, 1 Health
- New: 6 Attack, 1 Health
Upbeat Duo
- Old: [Tier 4] 4 Attack, 4 Health
- New: [Tier 5] 6 Attack, 6 Health
Utility Drone
- Old: 4 Attack, 5 Health
- New: 6 Attack, 7 Health
Bongo Bopper
- Old: 5 Attack, 5 Health. At the end of your turn, get 1 Blood Gem and play 2 more on this.
- New: 6 Attack, 5 Health. At the end of your turn, get 2 Blood Gems and play 2 more on this.
Bristleback Knight
- Old: 5 Attack, 8 Health
- New: 6 Attack, 9 Health
Gusty Trumpeter
- Old: 4 Attack, 5 Health
- New: 6 Attack, 7 Health
Lightfang Enforcer
- Old: 2 Attack, 2 Health
- New: 4 Attack, 4 Health
Polarizing Beatboxer
- Old: 3 Attack, 7 Health
- New: 5 Attack, 10 Health
Sister Deathwhisper
- Old: 4 Attack, 9 Health. After a friendly minion is Reborn, give your Undead +1/+2 permanently.
- New: 4 Attack, 10 Health. After a friendly minion is Reborn, give your Undead +1/+3 permanently.
Fleet Admiral Tethys
- Old: After you spend 8 Gold, get another random Pirate.
- New: After you spend 9 Gold, get another random Pirate.
Eternal Summoner
- Old: 6 Attack, 1 Health
- New: 8 Attack, 1 Health
Young Murk-Eye
- Old: 7 Attack, 4 Health
- New: 9 Health, 6 Health
Minion Pool Updates
- Incorporeal Corporal has been removed from the minion pool.
- Rot Hide Gnoll has been returned to the minion pool.
Duels Updates
Quote From Blizzard Hero Power Updates
Arcane Craftiness
- Old: Fire two missiles at random enemies that each deal 1 damage. If any minion dies, repeat this.
- New: Fire two missiles at random enemy minions that each deal 1 damage. If any minion dies, repeat this.
Roguish Maneuvers:
- Old: [1 Mana]
- New: [2 Mana]
Dino Tracking
- Old: Discover a Beast.
- New: Discover a Beast. Give it +1 Attack.
Signature Treasure Updates
Demonizer
- Old: [4 Mana] 4 Attack, 4 Health. Battlecry: Add 1 Demon to your hand. It costs (3) less. (Improves during run)
- New: [5 Mana] 4 Attack, 3 Health. Battlecry: Add 1 Demon to your hand. It costs (2) less. (Improves during run)
Chaos Storm
- Old: [1 Mana]
- New: [2 Mana]
Spiked Arms:
- Old: [3 Mana]
- New: [4 Mana]
Passive Treasure Updates
Staking a Claim
- Old: After you play your first Discover card in a turn, all friendly minions gain +1/+1.
- New: After you play your first Discover card in a turn, all friendly minions gain +1 Attack.
Beckoning Bicorn
- Old: After you play your first Pirate each turn, summon a Patches the Pirate.
- New: After you play your first Pirate each turn, add a Patches the Pirate to your deck.
Wither the Weak
- Old: After you cast a Fel spell, deal 1 damage to the lowest-Health enemy.
- New: After you cast your first Fel spell in a turn, deal 1 damage to the lowest-Health enemy.
Corrupted Felstone
- Old: Whenever you cast a Fel spell, give the left- and right-most minions in your hand +2/+2.
- New: After you cast your first Fel spell in a turn, give the left- and right-most minions in your hand +1 Attack.
Legendary Loot
- Old: On your first turn, Discover a Legendary weapon and equip it.
- New: On your first turn, Discover a Legendary weapon. It costs (3) less.
Ring of Phaseshifting
- Old: After you play a Legendary minion, add a random Legendary minion to your hand.
- New: After you play a Legendary minion, add a random Legendary minion to your hand. It costs (1) less.
Blood Shields
- Old: After the first time you spend a Corpse in a turn, gain 1 Health.
- New: After the first time you spend a Corpse in a turn, gain 2 Health.
Starving
- Old: Whenever a friendly Beast dies, draw a card.
- New: After the first time a friendly Beast dies in a turn, draw a minion from your deck and give it +1 Attack.
Elixir of Vigor
- Old: After you play a minion, shuffle two copies of it into your deck. They cost (3).
- New: After you play a minion, shuffle two copies of it into your deck. They cost (2).
Ring of Black Ice
- Old: Whenever a minion is Frozen, add a copy of it to your hand. It costs (1) less.
- New: Whenever a minion is Frozen, add a copy of it to your hand. It costs (2) less.
Imp-credible Trousers
- Old: After you cast a Fel spell, shuffle 2 Fel Rifts into your deck.
- New: After you cast your first Fel spell in a turn, shuffle 2 Fel Rifts into your deck. Draw a card.
Dragonbone Ritual
- Old: After you play a Dragon, give it Deathrattle: Go dormant. Revive in two turns.
- New: After you play a Dragon, give it Deathrattle: Go dormant. Revive in two turns. When this awakens, give it +1 Attack.
All Shall Serve
- Old: After the first time a friendly Demon dies in a turn, draw a minion from your deck.
- New: After the first time a friendly Demon dies in a turn, draw a minion from your deck and give it +1 Attack.
Card and Treasure Pool Updates
- Kingsbane has been banned from deckbuilding and all card pools.
- Spectral Cutlass has been banned from deckbuilding and all card pools.
- Heavy Armor has been removed from all treasure pools.
Bug Fixes and Game Improvements
Quote From Blizzard
- [Hearthstone] Fixed misc. localization issues.
- [Duels] Fixed a bug where the All Shall Serve Treasure also triggered on enemy minion deaths.
- [Duels] Updated the wording on the Journey to the East Signature Treasure to better reflect its effect; no functional change.
How will these changes affect the metagame? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Comments
I know I am late to this but my quick thoughts:
This does not help mage at all.
Pozzik, Audio Engineer will still be the best card in the game. Played on curve it leaves the opponent with 4 mana and two 3-mana cards they want to get rid of. Playing a 3-mana 3/3 is terrible and doing so on turn 4 is even worse. It wrecks the opponent's curve. I expect it will be nerfed again.
wow, S'theno was just atomized huh
That was my exact thought as well, but then a friend of mine pointed out that you can just use Crazed Alchemist instead of Abusive Sergeant if you want to use her as a finisher. She did get a lot worse as a usefull card in your deck that can occasionally spin out of control when your opponent doesnt clear her though.
Just some short comments;
- Paladin still remains good, but I wouldn't be surprised if pure just gets dropped. Maul wasn't just good because of the buffs its also practically the only early initiative card paladin's got. Now if they start turn 2 they're practically sitting ducks to impact 1 drops like Arms Dealer. There's likely a non-pure aggro-burn paladin somewhere.
- Nerfing Hope of Quel'Thalas is practically a joke. Not that Im asking for hunter to get nerfed, but what is the point of reducing 1 attack off a weapon that rarely gets played, of which its attack damage is never the reason to play it? Free 1600 dust is what this is.
- When I opined that pozzik is OP, and team5 making the right decision to nerf him, I wasn't exactly expecting this slight tap on the wrist. Nerfing attack by 1 is decent, but seriously, that's not what makes pozzik an OP card. Team5 is right in saying that the card is criminally underplayed, because this card can literally be played in any deck and still make a positive impact.
- Stheno is dead. Unfortunately, Predation paid for her sins.
- Rhythmdancer Risa remains a poor card to me. Spending 4 mana to deal 3 damage in todays hearthstone is practically conceding.
- And Im not altogether convinced team5 knows what to do with duels. Seems they're just nerfing all the good treasures/passives, banning cards, so the whole game mode gets mellowed down to who can amass the least shittiest deck at the end. Bring back the original buckets can help a bunch, because Im getting sick of having half my deck being counter productive to what I wanted it to do.
Thoughts now that the changes have arrived, reposted in this more official place:
S'theno: Wowow, that's harsh. Upping her mana cost would have reduced her combo potential some, but they opted instead to smash her offense. Now you basically have to find her attack buffs to use her as anything more than anti-minion tech. Decks that relied on her for killpower are sad.
Pozzik: instead of messing with his deathrattle or the bots, they kept his effect intact and just reduced how dire a threat he is. I think I actually like that; it's still a strong card, but not so much so that all action revolves around it when it drops.
Purator, Disco Maul, Feast or Famine: all basically expected.
-The Feast or Famine nerf is more impactful than it seems, I think, because the card served two purposes: it helped remediate Pure Paladin's disadvantage when behind on board, and it gave burst/reach when combined with Horn of the Windlord. At two mana it won't help Paladin with its tempo problem any more, and it changes the rhythm of its bursty finishes.
-Slowing down Disco Maul is huge because a large part of its power came from dropping before you start chucking out your minions. At three mana, it comes down *after* you want your board to be built and attacking. Oof.
-The Purator nerf is mild by comparison. Still a great card. It'll still let you drop Lightrays alongside it, probably, since you'll have gone a little longer before dropping Purator and typically will have played another few cards.
Hope: minus one attack is... fine? I don't think it really changes what makes Hope good, which is snowballing wide boards and pre-buffing big beasts, particularly Hound. You just don't get premium attacks in the bargain now.
BUFFS
Rhythmdancer: combined with the nerfs to the most aggressive deck, maybe the reduced cost will allow Risa to function as anti-aggro tech as designed.
Fiddlefire Imp: sure.
Dispense-o-bot: I wonder if it could fit into mech mage now, as it's not too big of a tempo hit, and it can give you either reload or some coins to facilitate your burst turns... or it could spend all game alternating between secrets and frost spells. Oof.
I hope they will revert Lady S'theno nerf when she rotates.
Pozzik: criminally underplayed, so nerf it? What? :)
It was "criminally underplayed" for its win rate. As people realized this, they started including it in more and more decks, leaving it on a clear trajectory to become That Card. Hence, Blizzard trying to get ahead of that trajectory.
Wait until they find out about Astalor
I like this out of Games thing but dang. I read this at HearthSpamwn quite a long time before.
Too many irons in the fire cause unintentionally burned fingers.
Totally agree, the website has been taking it's toll with the integration of multiple non card related games. I've been trying to get the HS Collection tab fixed for several months now, and it still isn't fixed. And the news articles are being released pretty late, every major hearthstone website has already posted the most important information before outofgames makes its article.
Would like for outofgames to focus on not letting the card content die out.
Yeah, they should consider hiring few more people and then make some teams, person A and B works on HS stuff, C and D - on Marvel Snap, etc.
That is the plan 😉