The latest Hearthstone game update, patch 16.4, was just released for the PC platform. The mobile update is expected to be available later today, according to the announcement tweet. The new update introduces the Dragon trait and a total of seven new playable heroes for Hearthstone Battlegrounds.
Hearthstone Battlegrounds’ new heroes
Seven new playable heroes are now available to play in Hearthstone Battlegrounds. Unlike in previous updates, only one hero – Professor Putricide – has been removed from the pool of available heroes. Professor Putricide is planned to return in the future, with some changes for the hero to better suit a role in the game.
As for the new heroes, they and their Hero Powers are as follows:
Galakrond
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- Galakrond’s Greed [Cost 1]: Replace a minion in Bob’s Tavern with a minion from a higher Tavern Tier.
Deathwing
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- ALL Will Burn! [Passive]: ALL minions have +3 Attack
Ysera
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- Dream Portal [Cost 1]: Refresh and add a Dragon to Bob’s Tavern.
Nozdormu
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- Clairvoyance [Passive]: Your first Refresh each turn costs (0).
Malygos
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- Arcane Alteration [Cost 0]: Replace a minion with a random one of the same Tavern Tier.
Alexstrasza
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- Queen of Dragons [Passive]: After you upgrade Bob’s Tavern to Tavern Tier 5, Discover two Dragons.
Reno Jackson
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- Gonna Be Rich! [Cost 4]: Make a friendly minion Golden (Once per game).
New and Battleground-exclusive cards
This game update introduces the largest number of new playable cards to date. A total of 18 new minions are included, 12 of which hold the first new trait of Hearthstone Battlegrounds: Dragon. All cards of the new expansion, except for Cobalt Scalebane and Unstable Ghoul, are Battlegrounds-exclusive cards.
These exclusive cards include their own unique artwork as well as gold versions of themselves. At this time, there are no plans to add any of these to the regular Hearthstone game.
Some of the most interesting cards include Murozond and Kalecgos, Arcane Aspect. These will likely become the staple win condition of the Dragon trait in Hearthstone Battlegrounds. Murozond is a strategic use card, and while its stats are lacking in the early game, it has the potential to become a game-changer if you find one early on.
Kalecgos, Arcane Aspect, on the other hand, is your late-game win condition. This card aims to create boards strong enough for the Dragon trait to compete in the late-game stages of a match.
Other changes
Besides the addition of many new cards and heroes, some old favorites have received updates as well. For example, George the Fallen sees the cost of his ability reduced from 4 to 3. Sneed’s Old Shredder, previously the worst Tier 6 minion, has now become Tier 5 instead. At Tier 5, Sneed’s Old Shredder is expected to become one of the stronger units. However, with the introduction of many new cards, it still might not have a place in the metagame.
The final change of this patch is to Mama Bear, one of the strongest Tier 6 minions in the game. This card, on its own, is the win-condition of the Beast decks. However, as Beasts have struggled in recent months, this card will now receive a sizable buff to both its effect and base stats. Mama Bear has been buffed from giving allied beasts +4/+4 to +5/+5 when they are summoned. Her own base stats have also been boosted by 1 health and attack.
For more Hearthstone news, make sure to read all about the change of venue for the Hearthstone Masters Tour Indonesia.
