Blizzard has showcased some of the new cards coming in the Galakrond's Awakening solo content!
- The new content will launch on January 21, with chapters releasing over 4 weeks.
- Each week brings us a new chapter and new cards.
- A total of 35 new collectible cards will be added to the game.
- The cards will be unlocked by progressing through the chapters.
- The whole adventure can be purchased for $20, or each chapter can be purchased individually for $7 or 700 gold.
New Cards
Four new cards have been revealed.
Cinematic Trailer
Quote From Blizzard Do you feel that? A chill swirls across the frozen wastes, glints of sunlight reflecting off the ice crystals carried by rising winds. But these winds carry more than frost…there’s an ill portent in Northrend as Dalaran soars in the skies and the final phase of an evil master plan is set into motion. In Dragonblight, the bones of an ancient power stir, and good and evil prepare for a clash that will save the world…or one that could bring about its utter destruction. And it all hinges on one name: Galakrond.
Introducing: Galakrond’s Awakening
Galakrond’s Awakening is the final solo adventure in the Year of the Dragon and will conclude the saga that began with The Dalaran Heist. When we last left our heroes and villains, the Tombs of Terror had been unsealed, spreading plagues across the sands of Uldum. The League of Explorers defeated the Plague Lords, but Arch-Villain Rafaam escaped with the Plague of Undeath. We now know why: to resurrect Galakrond, the progenitor of all dragons!
Will E.V.I.L. prevail and prove that Rafaam is truly the evilest of all villains? Will the Explorers defeat Rafaam and save the world? In this adventure, you have the power to choose. Galakrond’s Awakening is two stories in one, giving players the ability to play through both versions of the story and experience two completely different endings. Unlike The Dalaran Heist and Tombs of Terror, Galakrond’s Awakening returns to the classic linear adventure format, allowing you to progress through the story by completing individual boss encounters in order.
A Story of Good and E.V.I.L.
Each story contains four chapters, each one with three encounters for a total of 24 unique battles. In each encounter, you’ll take control of one of the heroes or villains you’ve seen this year, and you’ll be given a premade deck built specifically for that encounter. You’ll come up against some new and familiar faces; without saying too much, you’ll see more of some of the side characters you’ve grown to love including George and Karl.
After you finish a chapter, try your hand at the Heroic mode, where you’ll build your own deck to take on a more challenging experience. As a reward for clearing Heroic, you can earn two different card backs, one for Explorers and one for E.V.I.L.
Book of E.V.I.L.
Book of Explorers
The four chapters will roll out on a weekly basis like previous solo adventures. When Galakrond’s Awakening launches, you’ll be able to play through both the League of Explorers and League of E.V.I.L. versions of the first chapter. The first E.V.I.L. chapter will be free for all players, and the Explorers chapter will be available for purchase.
All individual chapters will be available for $6.99 or 700 gold each, which includes both the Explorers and E.V.I.L. side of the story. (The first chapter is the only exception: since the E.V.I.L. campaign is free, purchasing Chapter 1 gets you the Explorers campaign and three bonus cards.) The full adventure will be available for $19.99 and includes all chapters and all cards. Players can prepurchase the adventure starting today and get a Golden Classic Pack that will be available right away.
Collectible Cards Are Back!
Galakrond’s Awakening also marks the return of collectible card rewards that will become available to add to your collection. Over the course of the four chapters, a total of 35 cards will be unlockable by clearing encounters in both the Explorers and E.V.I.L. campaigns. Clear an encounter, get a card (sometimes two!). It’s that easy! As a bonus for purchasing the first chapter’s good campaign, you’ll get an additional three cards at the beginning of that chapter.
After you earn a card, you’ll also have the option to craft the golden version.
Here’s a quick view of how you’ll be able to unlock all 35 cards.
Chapter E.V.I.L. Campaign Rewards Explorers Campaign Rewards 1. (E.V.I.L.) 4 Cards - 1 (GOOD) - 4 Cards + 3 Bonus Cards 2 4 Cards 4 Cards 3 4 Cards 4 Cards 4 4 Cards 4 Cards TOTAL 16 cards 19 cards
A Peek into the Future
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the cards you’ll be able to earn in Galakrond’s Awakening.
Earned from Chapter 1 of the League of Explorers Campaign
Priests will add some extra Discovery utility – and a big bump of minion health – with Dark Prophecy. Combo this with other cards that buff minions for a variety of exciting new options.
Earned from Chapter 4 of the League of E.V.I.L. Campaign
This Paladin card can take a punch. Bringing back the Reborn mechanic introduced in Saviors of Uldum, Shotbot will stay on the board and combo extremely well with any of your Magnetic cards.
Earned from Chapter 4 of the League of E.V.I.L. Campaign
The rather horrifying Chaos Gazer will select a random card in your opponent’s hand and corrupt it, giving your opponent the tough choice of playing it immediately or losing it next turn. Chaos, indeed.
Earned from Chapter 4 of the League of Explorers Campaign
Reno may have been captured by Rafaam and subjected to endless rhyming puppet shows, but that won’t stop him from injecting some of his signature flavor into Galakrond’s Awakening. Play the Amazing Reno and all minions will disappear. Where did they go? Who knows? Reno definitely doesn’t. Truly amazing work, Reno.
The Chapters will unlock on the following dates.
- Chapter 1: January 21
- Chapter 2: January 28
- Chapter 3: February 4
- Chapter 4: February 11
That’s it for now. We’ll have more of the 35 cards to show off soon. We’ll see you in Northrend to retake Dalaran and save the world! Or soar with Rafaam to the highest heights of villainy? It’s your choice.
Comments
I'm kind of triggered because I don't fully understand how The Amazing Reno works (we don't even know the hero power: I immediately went to HS official deckbuilder hoping to get more informations, but sadly nothing...), but I'm fine with these new cards.
I've just seen it, but I already love Shotbot's art and flavor. Playable in Standard Mech Paladin, I'm not sure about Wild cause I think [Hearthstone Card (Minibot) Not Found] is still better. Sweet sticky 2-drop.
Chaos Gazer looks really cool: you can't choose your target but it soft forces your opponent to change his game plan. Nice disruption effect that perfectly fits Warlock's class identity (Demonic Project, Void Contract, Gnomeferatu,...).
Dark Prophecy doesn't feel that great: yeah, if you highroll you can get a 2/9 Injured Tol'vir on turn 3, but most of the times it will be a vanilla-ish 2/4-5, which is not bad, but I'm not sure it is enough to cut through the competition. I may as well wait on this one and see the other stuff Priest will get.
For The Amazing Reno, it's probably something like silencing every minion, kill them and they don't count as deaths (for resurrect cards).
I'm still confused how reno's battlecry actually does, I wish they at least could show us a clip of how it works.
The wording is confusing sometimes.
Whenever new text comes up it is always confusing, they should at least have a clip to show what they actually do.
I suspect they are holding it back to give us a bit of time to speculate on what exactly it means. Lots of people enjoy that sort of thing and we'll find out the answer long before the card is available so I wouldn't worry too much about it for now.
Solo content been really fun this year. I'm hyped for this one!
I like that they are introducing new cards.
But i completely hate that this time there is both an expansion and an adventure, it's getting ridiculous. Very mad about it.
I agree. I hope that we don't get an adventure every 4 months in between the expansions. 6 sets a year is too much.
Well it's not really fair to label them all 'sets' when adventures have about 100 less cards than sets from packs. It adds up to a fourth set.
Well in the past we would alternate between an adventure and an expansion, and now we have an adventure and an expansion. This just feels like so much to keep up with.
I am glad I was a new player back when we alternated between adventures and expansions because things were a lot slower then and it made starting out a lot easier.
One thing i didn't like about that though is that you'd be waiting so long for the next expansion with only ~35 cards give or take to keep things interesting before they dropped another 135 card set. That's why they switched over to expansions only, and now to this. They have the staff to do the work now i guess, so they can put out more content.
Confirmed! The "good" classes are getting hero cards of their own! I knew it! This will be a great meta shakeup!
Seems so. I very much doubt EVIL villains get their own (fair enough since they have Galakrond and two of them are already hero cards), but I would love to have Togwaggle and Rafaam as heroes. Perhaps as simple skins please Blizz...
I’m still just wishing I could have a playable Rakanishu, loved his voice lines from the Heist
Wow looks so good :)
New cards, and I assume significant impact on meta. Really helps the 4 months between expacs be much less stale.
Though that said it does meaning crafting gets even harder as the usual wait for a few weeks and then craft advice is harder to get right :)
And if this occurs every mid expac the game pretty much got 8400 gold a year more expensive, as this content is much less skippable than the last few. That's a pretty big deal for many people. At least we were warned in advance though before spending all gold on DoD. Will see if this is the pattern or once a year etc.
All in all can't wait to see the new cards!!!
Would be interesting if Reno removed minions wherever they are. Like no more minions on board, hands, decks and maybe graveyard, as someone suggested. The ultimate disappearance act.
A class legendary is new, it's usually only neutral legendaries for these adventures.
With the plague of Undeath being unleashed I wonder if we'll get a new Sindragosa with this set
Em, why League of explorers 1st chapter must be bought? Rly Blizz, you think 700 gold is too much?
I know, 2800 gold is not too high for 8 chapters, but it looks not soo good when you not giving full chapter 1 if you giving only half.
What i really don t like it's - no Renoes hero power and his text is not to easy to understand, i know, it's a joke, but after this they could add how is it works: like Plague of death, or shaffle, or random appearens maybe, or just destroy?
Also, i want to say about dust economy, coz of encouradge of golden craft in article, i mean, i m ok with 3200 dust for leg, it's leg, it must be costed, but why i must pay 10x cost for common? I think, it's too high for just common and when de is just 50 dust, I know, it's cosmetic and must be rare, but it's not ok when you must consider craft 4 golden commons or 1 leg. I think, 200 dust will be fair for common. x5 like rare.
If the cards work like the previous adventure-locked cards did, then you won't be able to craft them, golden or otherwise, until after the set rotates. The only way to get the cards is to buy it with 700 gold per wing, or cold hard cash of $20
I already hate shotbot, especially in wild. It's going to be super annoying to get rid of.
Plague of death Reno looks like a welcome addition to Reno mage. Curious if the effect is something a bit more, perhaps the minions could reappear somehow later in the game? Also, I don't think Reno comes with a new hero power, Reno could be just a skin for flavor.
EDIT: I've just noticed Reno's the only card they haven't added on the official website, which probably means they're just holding it back.
Dark prophecy - Not really that good and it corrupts the pool of minions for res.
Choas gazer - Interesting. How does this work in actuality? If this comes out at turn 4 and affects a 10 mana cost card, is this just a cheese? or is there some mechanism that ensures that it only affects cards that are playable by the opponent the next turn. If this forces the opponent to play certain cards they much rather keep, then its autoinclude in most mid range deck. Just imagine your opponent's face when they are force to play Galakrond unupgraded, or Shudderwock
Shotbot - Has reborn, so its an auto go into quest pally, right? No. Its a mech and it can't be drawn by Crystology. There's no lacking of reborn minions in standard, theyre just really bad, and this one's no better in my opinion.
The Amazzzziiiiiinnnnngg Reno - Board clear + Unspecified hero power = auto include into highlander. Anyone know what the hp is?
I'm a little concern over this kinda of adventures that introduce cards you cant craft and then plaster a 20 bucks sticker on it. While I will most certainly buy it (as I have with the other adventures this year) I can't help but feel that this one is 'mandatory', or you'd end up with an objectively inferior collection compared to those who has the gold or $20 to spare. This is about as pay-to-win as it gets, how does blizzard balance or justify this?