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Upcoming Hearthstone Game Mechanics Update

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Gameplay Engineer Josh Durica discusses a couple of upcoming changes to game mechanics.

These mechanics changes address some rare interactions (Disguised Toast has presented a lot of them in his videos), but they are still substantial changes in Hearthstone's core systems.

The first one is that "After" effects will only activate if they were present for the original action. The example presented in the video is that if you pull a Wild Pyromancer from your opponent with Shadow Visions, the Pyromancer won't trigger from the Shadow Visions.

The second change involves the sequence of triggers. Currently, the game checks for triggers first on the board, then on your hand and then in your deck (and with the same order for the second player). Now the game will simultaneously check for triggers in all three zones. This will prevent cards like Bolvar Fordragon to trigger off themselves.

A more in-depth explanation with various other examples and a glossary of terms can be found below:

Blizzard LogoDaxxarri

Hearthstone has a lot going on under the hood. The cause-and-effect relationships when cards are played are relatively straightforward and easy to predict, but because of the way certain events are timed, some very surprising things can happen in rare circumstances. We want cards to work the way that you guess they might—in other words, we want the game to work intuitively. 

In the upcoming patch, we’re making some changes in pursuit of that goal. We want Hearthstone to continue to be strategically deep: a game of careful choices, calculated risks, and exciting events. So we want to be extra clear that this update isn’t a change in depth; instead it’s one step in an ongoing effort improve Hearthstone’s mechanics.

Hearthstone’s core gameplay won't change, but what will change are some rare edge-cases. 

Please be aware: what follows is a detailed look at Hearthstone’s mechanics by Hearthstone Gameplay Engineer Josh Durica. If you want to delve into the nitty-gritty details regarding how this change will work, read on.

First, A Glossary
Event
Events
 are interactions that occur throughout gameplay that can cause triggers to activate when they happen. 

Example Events:
  • Whenever a Card is Played
  • After a Card is Played
  • Deathrattle (When this minion dies)
  • Whenever a Minion Takes Damage
  • At the End of Your Turn


Trigger
trigger has two parts: an event (usually starts with “Whenever”, “After”, or “At”), and an effect. Sometimes triggers can also have a condition (usually noted with “if” or “while”, but sometimes noted by qualifiers like “your”).

Example triggers:
  • Whenever you cast a spell, gain +1 Attack.
  • After you cast a spell, deal 1 damage to ALL minions.
  • At the end of your turn, give another random friendly minion +1 Health.
  • If you control a Secret at the end of your turn, gain +2/+2.


Zone
In Hearthstone, there are three zones where triggers can happen, and they happen in order: First, any triggers in the Battlefield, then those that occur in a player’s Hand, and finally those that belong to cards in a player’s Deck

Sequence
Whenever an action is taken, Hearthstone executes a sequence of steps to resolve what happens. 

Here’s a simplified example sequence:
 
  • ACTION: A card is played (this begins the sequence)
  • EVENT: Whenever A Card is Played
  • o Whenever A Card is Played triggers resolve

  • Card ability activates
  • EVENT: After a Card is Played event occurs
  • o After a Card is Played triggers resolve


Here’s what that sequence would look like using actual cards, if you had a Questing Adventurer and a Flamewaker on the board, and then played Frostbolt:
 
  • ACTION: Frostbolt is played (this begins the sequence)
  • EVENT: Whenever a Card is Played triggers resolve
  • o Questing Adventurer gains +1/+1 

  • Frostbolt’s text resolves: Deal 3 damage and freeze
  • EVENT: After a Card is Played triggers resolve
  • o Flamewaker shoots two missiles


This is a simple example, but a sequence can incorporate many events and triggers.

Keep in mind that dealing damage, destroying a minion, and other things can interrupt sequences with new sequences, like in this more detailed example:
 
  • ACTION: Frostbolt is played (this begins the sequence)
  • EVENT: Whenever a Card is Played triggers resolve
  • o Questing Adventurer gains +1/+1 

  • Frostbolt’s text resolves: Deal 3 damage and freeze
  • o NEW SEQUENCE: Damage dealt
    o EVENT: Whenever a Minion Takes Damage triggers resolve

  • EVENT: After a Card is Played triggers resolve
  • o Flamewaker shoots 1 missile

  • NEW SEQUENCE: Damage dealt
  • EVENT: Whenever a Card Takes Damage triggers resolve
  • o Flamewaker shoots another missile

  • NEW SEQUENCE: Damage dealt
  • EVENT: Whenever a Card Takes Damage triggers resolve


In Pursuit of the Goal
If you watched the video in our recent blog post, then you saw two different examples of cards triggering in counter-intuitive ways because they weren’t present when the sequence that activated them took place. That sets the stage for the primary goal we wanted to accomplish with these changes:

If you want to trigger off something, you need to be present and valid when that something first happens.

A more technical way to say this is: In order for a trigger to activate from a sequence, it needs to be present and valid at the time the sequence began.


This means any card featuring a trigger that appears in the middle of a sequence can’t activate during that sequenceSo, when you play a card (or when a card is destroyed, or an attack occurs, etc.) you only need to consider what is currently on the board instead of guessing what the board state might be in the middle of the sequence. The Mindgames + Wild Pyromancer interaction showcased in the video is an example of an interaction improved by this change.

The valid qualifier is more subtle, but equally important. Before any trigger can activate, it needs to be validated. Each trigger has its own specific validation step, which allows the trigger to filter when it should and shouldn’t activate. For example, the Whenever a Card is Played event occurs when any card of any type (Minion, Spell, Weapon, etc.) is played. However, we want a card like Flamewaker to only trigger when a friendly spell is cast, so the Flamewaker’s validation step checks the card type and controller of the card played. In other words, Flamewaker’s trigger is only valid if the card played was a spell cast by Flamewaker’s controller.

Before our changes, we would validate triggers whenever their related event occurred, even if that was in the middle of the sequence. After the mechanics update, all triggers are validated when the sequence begins, and then they are only allowed to activate if they were valid from the start. 

For further insight, let’s look at a bug that will be addressed by the update:

Currently, if you have a Djinni of Zephyrs on the board and cast Entomb on an enemy minion, your Djinni of Zephyrs will trigger, sending itself back to your deck. Not great for you or the Djinni! Djinni of Zephyrs triggers off the After a Card is Played event, and his validation step should only pass if the card played was a spell cast on a different friendly minion. Entomb is a spell, but it was cast on an enemy minion, so why does Djinni trigger? 

Remember: the After a Card is Played event occurs after the ability on the played card resolves. In this case, that card is Entomb, and its ability moves the enemy minion into your deck. When the enemy minion enters your deck, it becomes a friendly minion. So, by the time the After a Card is Played event occurs, Djinni’s trigger is valid, because the minion is now friendly. 

After the mechanics update, Djinni’s trigger is validated at the beginning of the sequence when the enemy minion is still on the battlefield, and because the trigger isn’t valid at that point (since Entomb counts as being cast on an enemy minion), it’s prevented from triggering when the After a Card is Played event occurs.

There is one final change we should mention, which is a tweak to when we validate triggers across different zones. Currently, the order in which triggers are validated and activated looks like this:

1) Validate Player 1 Battlefield triggers and then activate those that are valid.
2) Validate Player 1 Hand triggers and then activate those that are valid.
3) Validate Player 1 Deck triggers and then activate those that are valid.
4) Validate Player 2 Battlefield triggers and then activate those that are valid.
5) Validate Player 2 Hand triggers and then activate those that are valid.
6) Validate Player 2 Deck triggers and then activate those that are valid.

That approach meant new triggers could appear in the middle of a sequence and still be activated, and a trigger’s validation could even be affected by previous triggers’ activations. The Bolvar Fordragon/Spirit Echo interaction detailed in the video was an example of a weird interaction caused by this.

After the update, the order now looks like this:

1) Validate all Battlefield triggers
2) Validate all Hand triggers
3) Validate all Deck triggers
4) Activate Player 1 valid Battlefield triggers
5) Activate Player 1 valid Hand triggers
6) Activate Player 1 valid Deck triggers
7) Activate Player 2 valid Battlefield triggers
8) Activate Player 2 valid Hand triggers
9) Activate Player 2 valid Deck triggers

This means all triggers are validated before any trigger is allowed to activate. Since all triggers are validated using the same game state, then triggers that appear in the middle aren’t allowed to fire. It’s important to note that the order in which triggers are activated is unchanged. 

Here are some more examples of sequences and their results before and after the mechanics update:

Card Played
Example Interaction:

Player 1 has a Mad Scientist on the board, and a Mirror Entity in their deck.
Player 2 plays Stampeding Kodo.
Before Update
1) Stampeding Kodo kills Mad Scientist.
2) Mad Scientist pulls Mirror Entity into play.
3) Mirror Entity triggers, copying Stampeding Kodo.
After Update
1) Stampeding Kodo kills Mad Scientist.
2) Mad Scientist pulls Mirror Entity into play.
3) Mirror Entity does NOT trigger, because it did not exist when Stampeding Kodo was played.

Minion Destroyed
Example Interaction:

Player 1 has a Piloted Sky Golem and a Wisp on the board (played in that order).
Player 1 plays Deathwing.
The Piloted Sky Golem spawn a Cult Master from its Deathrattle.
Before Update:
The Cult Master's power triggers off of the Wisp's death, and Player 1 draws a card.
After Update:
The Cult Master does not trigger off the Wisp's death, because it wasn’t present to see the Wisp destroyed.

Summon Minion
Example Interaction:

Player 1 has Starving Buzzard and Rotface on the board.
Player 1 also has a Flame Leviathan on top of their deck.
Player 1 plays Savannah Highmane.
Starving Buzzard triggers off of Savannah Highmane, causing Player 1 to draw Flame Leviathan.
Flame Leviathan triggers, dealing 2 damage to all characters.
Rotface triggers off the damage and summons Spiritsinger Umbra.
Before Update:
Spirit Singer Umbra triggers off the Savannah Highmane and summons two hyenas.
After Update:
Spiritsinger Umbra does not trigger off the Savannah Highmane, because she was not present when Savannah Highmane was played.

Thanks for Reading!
Of course, our work to make Hearthstone better won’t stop here!
Like the majority of odd interactions, each of these situations represents an edge case. While this update will address every situation we illustrated (among many others), there are still bound to be more. Keep in mind these are substantial changes to the core systems that underlie Hearthstone! We need to make them incrementally, and with the utmost care, but you can rest assured that we’ll continue to make improvements over time. (source)

Part of these changes are the fixed interaction between Evolve and/or Thrall, Deathseer and Unlicensed Apothecary. In a future patch, the team is also planning to make sure evolve effects won't activate any summon triggers.

Blizzard Logojdurica

This mechanic change actually does not affect the Apothecary/Thrall interaction because that’s due to a different issue involving evolve effects activating certain summon triggers. However, we ARE specifically changing Apothecary in the next patch, so that it will no longer trigger off evolve effects.
Additionally, while it won’t make the next patch, we’re planning to make sure evolve effects won’t activate any summon triggers in the future. (source)

 


 

Another issue with UA that was mentioned on reddit at some point, is that he apparently triggers twice on minions that transform. I can see that it's much less relevant, but it would be nice to see it fixed anyhow.

This is something we plan to address! (source)

This mechanics update, along with the removal of Arena synergies, are expected to hit live servers within October.

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These changes makes things even less transparent to people that don't study these changes, making things even more counter-intuitive because these mechanics aren't explained in detail in the game. They weren't before either, which is one of my points of criticisms for this game.

 

One of my first points regarding this is that new players aren't told anywhere except outside of the game that casting Wild Growth on 10 mana crystals will cause you to draw a card. This is one of those prime examples where "Oh so I didn't have to cast that on turn 8 to prevent it becoming completely useless." or them keeping it in their hand for the rest of the match since they drew it when they had 10 mana already.

 

With these mechanical changes, you'd expect the tutorial to get an overhaul or addition where these changes are explained by the Innkeeper, so that new players can quickly get in-depth on these changes.

 

 

But hey, that doesn't sell card packs.

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5 minutes ago, Yridaa said:

These changes makes things even less transparent to people that don't study these changes, making things even more counter-intuitive because these mechanics aren't explained in detail in the game. They weren't before either, which is one of my points of criticisms for this game.

 

One of my first points regarding this is that new players aren't told anywhere except outside of the game that casting Wild Growth on 10 mana crystals will cause you to draw a card. This is one of those prime examples where "Oh so I didn't have to cast that on turn 8 to prevent it becoming completely useless." or them keeping it in their hand for the rest of the match since they drew it when they had 10 mana already.

 

With these mechanical changes, you'd expect the tutorial to get an overhaul or addition where these changes are explained by the Innkeeper, so that new players can quickly get in-depth on these changes.

 

 

But hey, that doesn't sell card packs.

Actually, it's more complex than "that doesn't sell packs", imho. It's not a matter of work, it's a matter of attenction span.

As a game designer, I think that the small tutorial and the abscence of a rulebook to read is a major point in the success of Hearthstone as a videogame.

You know, people downloading a game couldn't care less about the rule, they care about fun. Hearthstone rules are built to be the most easy to understand and remember; if you compare HS to other TCG like Magic or yugioh, you'll notice that the first have a lot less of text. This means both that HS cards can do less things (for example, we can't have minion with active abilities, because the only interaction possible with a minion on board is an order to attack) and that HS cards are faster to understand.

When I started playing HS, I used a murlock deck made of only basic card. I don't think it was a wise choice. Before the first time I saw a strange interaction I was already addicted to the game, and I didn't care about how many games I didn't use Wild Growth after 10 manas. Write on a basic card "Gain 1 addictional empty mana crystal OR a card that let you draw 1 card if you already have 10 mana crystals" is too much. Try to understand, for maximize their sale, HS must be written as us player were a bunch of idiots. Because this is what sells pack more then everything.

The same is about the tutorial: the smaller it is, the faster I go playing for real. The tutorial is boring. Playing is fun. So, there is the need to explein things common in tcg like the phase of the events, the priority of effects, etc; but it's only about the competitive sphere, that comes a lot after the first download. But it's the first download that make you stay or leave! It's the first download that decides if you'll buy cards or not!
So, the few of us interested in a better knowledge of the game have to go outside, even if it is important. I can't count how many games I have won thanks to Toast's video about strange interactions between cards.

 

Sorry for the walltext, I hope to have explained well myself :)

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Yes I do understand the post. I think that's exactly the problem nowadays though; that people need games to be very simple to be fun.

 

Every time a new season starts I'm surprised to see people still break Divine Shield before using cards like Assassinate or Deadly Shot.

 

I guess it's just easy free wins for us that understand the mechanics very well but I'd still rather see a more even playing field.

 

As for card text, you could simply add it in the inspect window (Where you can also read the flavor text in your collection for each card) or have something like an in-game pedia that explains "Divine shield prevents damage but does not absorb "destroy" effects"; just very simple things like that.

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I don't think this really impacts new players to be honest. I certainly didn't know how things sequenced as a new player, whether it worked as it does now or as it will in the future would've had zero impact on my early game experience.

The information is out there for people who want to understand everything in depth. I don't see that it matters whether it's in-game or not. If people want to learn, they will. If they don't, they likely won't read walls of text in-game either.

Stuff like wild growth and divine shield, sure, it could be explained better. But it doesn't exactly take long to figure out. I can't remember hurling my tablet away in a fit of rage when I first figured out I'd missed a few card draws from wild growth. A lot of stuff that isn't explained becomes pretty evident just through playing.

Edited by Bozonik

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I love this: it explains why game design is difficult: it requires logical thought processes and attention to detail.

(Criticizing game design is easy.  Anyone can do it.)

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32 minutes ago, mimech said:

I love this: it explains why game design is difficult: it requires logical thought processes and attention to detail.

(Criticizing game design is easy.  Anyone can do it.)

The only complaints I saw about Hearthstone's rulebook are that there are bugs or illogical interactions coming from overly complicated rules, such as the Dominant Player issue, and that the rulebook is too complicated (see for yourself), and as a result many cards are worded inconsistently, like paladin secrets or transform effects pre-KFT. 

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I believe that in order for one to be able to claim that rules are overly complicated one needs to be able to demonstrate a simpler set, or at the least an example of such.

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9 hours ago, mimech said:

I believe that in order for one to be able to claim that rules are overly complicated one needs to be able to demonstrate a simpler set, or at the least an example of such.

There are many simpler rule sets, though most of them are for games that do not match what Hearthstone is, or is trying to be. So, the best example would be HS rulebook itself, but simplified. Removing the Quad Queue and Dominant Player issue to make the game more consistent, same for paladin secrets and mid-phase triggers. It was already shown that simplifying the rulebook is possible after Unlicensed Apothecary interactions and Explosive Sheep + Poison Seeds combo were fixed.

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      To round off the control toolbox from this expansion, we’ve got a pretty unique effect here. Hopefully, this doesn’t end up being too easy to play around for savvy opponents. You could pre-empt this by running out a Blademaster Okani first and baiting out your opponent into playing a small spell first. But still, while the effect will only be as game-changing as your opponent’s last spell, getting any meaningful spell off seems pretty nice.
      Putting it all together, we have put together an interesting Taunt Control Warrior decklist to try out:  AAECAQcMmu0D784EvIoE2fkDqIoEiN8E784E0qwEmu0DlJUEzJIFiKAECcWSBZTtA47tA5+fBImgBIagBJDUBMSSBcuSBQA= . Slotting in Varian seems like a natural addition to any deck with Silverfury Stalwart and Tealan hops along to be the one divine shield minion you might want to have in your control deck. Rokara and Remornia are just good cards and they’ll go a long way to having your Mor’shan Elite’s active. The rest of the deck is the classic Control Warrior shell that will hopefully give you the armor and removal needed to live long enough to throw down your double-stated taunted win conditions.
      https://hearthstone.blizzard.com/deckbuilder?deckcode=AAECAQcMmu0D784EvIoE2fkDqIoEiN8E784E0qwEmu0DlJUEzJIFiKAECcWSBZTtA47tA5%2BfBImgBIagBJDUBMSSBcuSBQA%3D
    • By Staff
      Murder at Castle Nathria is Hearthstone's latest expansion. It adds a new Infuse keyword that absorbs anima from your friendly minions, a new card type named Locations, and more.  
      (Source)
      .blog-detail .gallery figure { width: 100%; max-width: calc((100% / 3) - 6px); } @media screen and (max-width: 600px){ .blog-detail .gallery { justify-content: center; } .blog-detail .gallery figure { width: 100%; max-width: 250px; } .blog-detail h4 { text-align: center; } } Announcing
      Murder at Castle Nathria
      Hearthstone’s Newest Expansion

      The Shadowlands is normally where souls go after they die, so when someone dies in the Shadowlands, that’s a special kind of mystery. Sire Denathrius invited 10 of his counterparts and enemies to Castle Nathria for a dinner party so that he could address the malicious rumors that he is hoarding anima, the life-energy that is drained from tortured souls and used to power the Shadowlands. But just after the festivities started, Sire Denathrius was found dead! It seems a gaggle of enemies does not a good dinner party make. Now the illustrious Murloc Holmes, and his trusty sidekick Watfin, have been called to solve the case. Scour new Location cards, follow the trail of Infused minions, question the 10 Legendary suspects, and help determine who committed Murder at Castle Nathria!   

      Murder at Castle Nathria will launch worldwide on August 2 with 135 new collectible cards! You can find the full Murder at Castle Nathria reveal schedule, and all cards that have already been revealed, by visiting the card library here. Check back frequently—the list will be updated with new cards as they’re revealed!
      Ten Suspicious Suspects
      Sire Denathrius had a lot of enemies. And it just so happens that 10 of them were under his roof at the time of his demise! Each class will have a Legendary minion that is a prime suspect in Sire Denathrius’s murder. They all have the means and the motive, but it is up to you and Murloc Holmes to determine who is guilty.



      New Keyword: Infuse
      Anima, drawn from wayward souls, powers all the Shadowlands—and those who consume it! Cards with the Infuse keyword sit in your hand and absorb anima from your friendly minions as they die. After the specified number of friendly minions die while the Infuse card is in your hand, the Infuse card transforms into a more powerful version. Infuse your cards to unlock their full power!

      New Card Type: Locations
      Castle Nathria is like no place Hearthstone has ever been before. Explore the castle grounds through the all-new Location card type! Locations are played onto the battlefield for an initial cost, and then have an ability that can be activated for free on your turns, each time for a powerful effect. Each activation costs 1 Durability and has a 1-turn Cooldown. Every class gets their own Location card in Castle Nathria which represents where they claim their suspect was at the time of the murder, and synergizes with the themes of the class.

       
      Locations Gameplay Preview with Brian Kibler and Designer Leo Robles Gonzalez
      Want to get a longer look at the new Location card type? Join Brian Kibler and Game Designer Leo Robles Gonzalez as they explore the new Location card type, try them out in a couple games, and reveal some more new cards! Join them on Friday, July 1, at 11 a.m. (Pacific) on Twitch and Youtube!

      Prince Renathal Login Reward Available Now!
      Log in to Hearthstone to get your first hint at what Castle Nathria holds with the complimentary Prince Renathal Legendary minion!* Grow more powerful as you draw more souls to your cause with 40 life and a 40-card starting deck! Add him to your collection and see what you can do when you have more space to work with.

      * Limited one per account. After Patch 24.6, Prince Renathal will be granted upon opening your first Murder at Castle Nathria card pack instead of upon logging in.
      Pre-Purchase Murder at Castle Nathria
      The Murder at Castle Nathria Mega Bundle includes 80 Murder at Castle Nathria card packs, 5 Golden Murder at Castle Nathria card packs, two random Murder at Castle Nathria Legendary cards, the Sire Denathrius Warrior hero skin, the Denathrius card back, the Sandy Shores Battlegrounds Board, and 10 Mercenaries Packs!*

      The Murder at Castle Nathria Bundle includes 60 Murder at Castle Nathria card packs, 2 random Murder at Castle Nathria Legendary cards, and the Denathrius card back!

      Pre-purchase
      * Battleground Perks are not included in the Mega Bundle pre-purchase this time. We’re reworking how Battlegrounds Perks and rewards work for next Battlegrounds season. Until then, some of the current Perks are being extended. Check out the Patch Notes and stay tuned for more details.

    • By Damien
      This thread is for comments about our Handbuff Paladin Deck.
    • By Staff
      A new Hearthstone update prepares the Tavern for United in Stormwind, launching August 3. Here are the official patch notes.
      (Source)
      The 21.0 patch prepares the Tavern for United in Stormwind, launching August 3. It also brings a new Hero and cosmetics for Battlegrounds, a major update for Duels, an Arena rotation, and more.
      You can check out all 135 new cards included in United in Stormwind on the card library here.
      Battlegrounds Updates
      NEW HERO
      Galewing Dungar’s Gryphon Choose a flightpath. Complete it to get a bonus!
      Players with Battlegrounds Perks will have early access to Galewing before it's formally released on August 10.
      Duels Updates
      When the 21.0 patch goes live on July 27, all players’ Duels ratings will be reset and the pool of eligible cards you can use to build your 15-card start deck will be updated as follows:
      (NEW) United in Stormwind Wailing Caverns Mini-Set Forged in the Barrens The Darkmoon Races Mini-Set Madness at the Darkmoon Faire Scholomance Academy (NEW) Kobolds & Catacombs Journey to Un’Goro One Night in Kharazan Whispers of the Old Gods Curse of Naxxramas Legacy (Basic/Classic) Core NEW PASSIVE TREASURES
      Party Replacement At the start of your turn, summon a 2/2 Adventurer with a random bonus effect.
      Inspiring Presence After you play a Legendary minion, reduce the cost of a random minion in your hand by (1).
      Greedy Gains Your minions have +2/+2 but cost (2) more (up to 10).
      Meek Mastery Your Neutral minions cost (1) less and have +1/+1.
      Legendary Loot At the start of the game, equip a random Legendary weapon.
      Deathly Death! After a friendly Deathrattle minion dies, destroy the minion with the lowest Health.
      Ooops, All Spells! At the start of the game, destroy all minions in your deck. Your spells cost (1) less and gain +2 Spell Damage.
      BANNED CARDS & BUCKETS
      The following cards have been banned from between-game card buckets and will not be Discoverable:
      Final Showdown              Lost in the Park Defend the Dwarven District       Sorcerer's Gambit            Rise to the Occasion        Seek Guidance  Find the Imposter            Command the Elements The Demon Seed             Raid the Docks  Other Banned cards:
      Unstable Evolution is banned from card buckets but will still be Discoverable. Maestra of the Masquerade is banned from deckbuilding, card buckets, and will not be Discoverable. Seven new designer card buckets have been added as well:
      Furious Fel (Demon Hunter) AHHHH RATS!!!! (Hunter) Fire!!! (Mage) SI:7 (Rogue) ARRRRRRG! (Warrior) Auction House (Neutral) Live to Win (Neutral) Smart buckets have also been updated to include the two new card sets, and two previously missed card sets: Legacy (Classic/Basic) and Demon Hunter Initiate. Lastly, you’ll be able to find United in Stormwind cards in Duels card buckets after the patch goes live and before the expansion launches.
      Arena Rotation

      When United in Stormwind launches on August 3, the Arena will include cards from the following sets:
      United in Stormwind Forged in the Barrens Wailing Caverns Mini-Set Madness at the Darkmoon Faire Darkmoon Races Mini-Set The Witchwood Saviors of Uldum Rastakhan's Rumble Core Book of Heroes Illidan – Coming August 10

      After regaining his freedom, Illidan was eager to prove himself once and for all. But even as he journeyed far from his homeland and joined forces with new allies, the thirst for power never left him. It was only a matter of time before it interfered with his judgment, resulting in more dire consequences than ever before…Defeating all 8 bosses in this linear adventure will reward 1 Demon Hunter pack, containing only Demon Hunter cards from Standard.
      United in Stormwind Rewards Track & Tavern Pass
      When the Rewards Track refreshes when United in Stormwind launches, all players will automatically be granted any unclaimed rewards on both the free track and the Tavern Pass track (if purchased), and a completely new Rewards Track of unlockable loot will take its place.

      The Forged in the Barrens Tavern Pass will expire with the launch of United in Stormwind and a new Tavern Pass will be made available for purchase—offering a host of brand-new cosmetic rewards and XP boosts.

      Learn more about the United in Stormwind Rewards Track and Tavern Pass here.
      As a reminder, Battlegrounds Perks are now available as a standalone purchase, separate from the Tavern Pass.
      New Cosmetic Coins
      Two new Cosmetic Coins are being added with United in Stormwind, the Stormwind coin and the Lordaeron coin. The Stormwind coin is obtainable by completing the first 90 levels of the Rewards Track with the Tavern Pass. The Lordaeron coin is obtainable by collecting 135 unique United in Stormwind cards.

      Keep in mind that United in Stormwind will have a 35-card Mini-Set that will make it easier to reach both the 25 total United in Stormwind Legendary cards for the Archbishop Benedictus Diamond card reward and the 135 total United in Stormwind cards for the Lordaeron Cosmetic Coin. We’ll have more information to share about the United in Stormwind Mini-Set in the coming months.
      Bug Fixes & Game Improvements
      Fixed a bug where Shenanigans would not transform Soul Fragments into Bananas. Fixed a bug where Wicked Stab could be upgraded by cards that temporarily increase mana. Fixed a bug where Shan’do Wildclaw would not lay flat on the board. Fixed a bug where Defender would not play its VO when summoned by Noble Sacrifice. Fixed a bug where golden Soul of the Forest would not summon golden Treants. Fixed a bug where golden Ancestral Spirit would not summon a golden minion. Fixed a bug where golden Grave Rune would not summon golden minions. Fixed a bug where golden Primal Talisman would not summon golden minions. Fixed a Battlegrounds bug where Y’shaarj’s Battlegrounds Hero Power would not take its newly summoned minion into account when deciding which warband attacked first. Fixed a Battlegrounds bug where Baron Rivendare was causing visual issues when in a warband with golden Kaboom Bot. Fixed a Battlegrounds bug where Galakrond’s Greed was missing a tooltip for Discover. Fixed a Battlegrounds bug where Come One, Come All! Was missing a tooltip for Discover. Fixed a Battlegrounds bug where Avatar of N’Zoth was missing a tooltip for Deathrattle. Fixed a Battlegrounds bug where Sprout It Out! Was missing a tooltip for Taunt. Fixed a Battlegrounds bug where Hero Powers for Aranna Starseeker, Infinite Toki, Millhouse Manastorm, Nozdormu, and Tess Greymane were missing a tooltip for Refresh. Fixed a Duels bug where Diamond cards would only be Diamond in appearance for the first game of a run. Fixed a Duels bug where Lone Champion and minions summoned by Gift of Luminance were not buffed by Hold the Line. Updated the description of the Roguish Maneuvers Hero Power in Duels to be more accurate. Fixed a bug with Book of Mercenaries Guff where A Party of Adventurers will cast Against All Odds, even if they have board control. Fixed a bug where one of Lady Katrana Prestor’s emotes was showing incorrect text. Searching “Refund” in the Collection will now populate with cards eligible for a dust refund. Pressing and holding on the Rewards Track page arrows will now flip through the pages quickly. Fixed a bug where if a player disconnected from a ranked match, they’d get a message stating they won their last ranked game upon relogging.  


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