Hearthpwn

 The Key to the Hearthstone Arena

 Q2 Earnings Call, Patch 5.4 PTR - Build 17260
 Rollback Policy Update, "Special Announcement" at GamesCom 2013, New MP10 Uber Bosses Kill Record

Blue Post Recap

The foam dart wars are over and we've got a round of blues for you! If you missed Blizzard's Arena post earlier today, you can check it out here.

Arena Rewards System Clarifications

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

The gold will only be a portion of you rewards. You'll also get extra packs or more gold on top too.

Correct. You'll receive at least enough gold to play the Arena again as well as the other rewards.

Is there any news at all to share on the price to enter the arena money wise, or is this still being debated internally?

Not to share at this time.

How many wins is each key?

0 wins = Novice
1 win = Apprentice
2 wins = Journeyman
3 wins = Copper
4 wins = Silver
5 wins = Gold
6 wins = Platinum
7 wins = Diamond
8 wins = Master
9 wins = Grand Master

Ninth Win In The Arena Clarification

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

It was stated in the stream that you could keep playing past 9 games, but the reward will not change. This statement on the news page seems to imply that your deck is auto-retired at the 9th win.

Once you earn your 9th key, your Arena run will end and you receive the maximum amount of reward.

Apologies if this was unclear during the stream. The mention that you can win as many games as you can should probably had "up to nine" after that. Eric's mention of remaining games alludes to a limit, but it was not specifically expressed. 

I hope I can help clear up any confusion.

Cheating The Arena Hero Selection System

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Hey Zeriyah, got to ask if it's possible to 'cheat' the arena hero-picking system; i.e. if you don't like the three heroes you are presented with, would force-quitting the game and reloading present you with the same choice, or a different one?

No, you won't be able to cheat the system in that way. The choices won't reset if you exit out of the Arena.

Leaving The Arena

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Once I've started an Arena deck, are non-Arena game modes locked out until I've finished the run? (I hope not -- a bunch of my playtime will be on the subway doing PVE.)

No, you can leave the Arena at any time in between matches and come back later. You can play any other game mode in the meantime - it won't disturb whatever you have going on in the Arena.

"at any time" does not include during a match, however, correct?

Correct.

Hearthstone Rule Book

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Is there someone working on, or going to work on, a comprehensive rulebook, explaining how all the parts of Hearthstone function, and how they interact with each other?

I understand that such a document wouldn't be suitable for publication right now, since the rules are in flux, but I'm wondering if it's planned at all. I would hope that it is, since it's much better to be able to look up a rule and see if a particular combo works, instead of being forced to try it in a game.

And on a similar note, are there plans to have an FAQ for each card, either in the form of in-game tooltips or an online database? So, for example, someone can tell what Ysera's dream cards are, or that Arcane Missiles doesn't interact with Spell Power the same way most spells do, or that Lord Jaraxxus interacts with secrets and triggers differently than most minions.

We will have a basic rules outline, but we do not have current plans for any sort of comprehensive rules FAQ or FAQ per card. It's not really necessary in a digital world. We encourage people to explore different card options and interactions in-game versus friends or the AI rather than pour over a bleak novel of boring rules. Hearthstone should be simple and intuitive enough in itself to not warrant that sort of thing.

Knife Juggler With Leeroy Jenkins

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Would Knife Juggler trigger THREE times from Leeroy Jenkins entering play, since you are the one summoning the Whelps for the opponent, or would it only trigger once?

I know the wording leads us to believe that it would trigger three times, but what's the general consensus on this?

In this case, your Knife Juggler would only trigger once for Leeroy Jenkins and not with the two whelps that are spawned. The Whelps are considered your opponent's and won't trigger effects for you. However, your opponent would get to throw two knives if he has a Knife Juggler in play and you play Leeroy Jenkins.

How Are Multiple Secrets Triggered?

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

It's been confirmed throughout several blue posts. You can have multiple secrets, but only one of each one at any time (i.e. you can't have two Explosive Trap out at once). While this often doesn't matter, the secrets will technically activate in the order they are played, such that if you first played Misdirection then you played Explosive Trap, and if an enemy minion attacks, the MD will proc first. It hasn't been clarified if the Explosive Trap will still trigger if the target is md'd away from the enemy hero.

Explosive Trap will still trigger even after Misdirection because your hero was still the target of the initial attack.

Holy Wrath

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Also, let's say we have a Paladin. He has 1 health left. He plays Holy Wrath and draws a Molten Giant. Does Holy Wrath deal 20 damage because Molten Giant's original cost is 20 or does it deal 0 damage because Molten Giant now costs 0?

The Holy Wrath would deal 0 damage. The cost of the Molten Giant is constantly updated even as he is in your deck so when you get the draw it, it will match the cost of when it is in your hand. This is the same for Sea Giant (for minions on the field) and Mountain Giant (with cards in hand) as well.

Do I have to choose the target before seeing which card was drawn?

Correct. You will cast Holy Wrath by selecting a target, then the card will be drawn and the damage will be dealt.

Doomsayer, Sylvanas Deathrattle, Ancestral Spirit

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

deathrattle/effect question:

doomsayer + Sylvanas Windrunner
vs
any minion with Ancestral Spirit

do deathrattle trigger as "fast" as battlecry affects and sylvanas would have no target or does ancestral spirit trigger before?

In this case, Doomsayer and Sylvanas Windrunner will trigger and resolve before Ancestral Spirit goes off. Doomsayer will destroy all minions on the board, then Sylvanas' ability will try to take control of a minion. There will be no valid targets in play, and her ability will fizzle. After all that, Ancestral Spirit will bring back the minion.

Healing Full HP Targets

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Can I heal a minion or a hero with full hp?

You can cast a heal on them, but since no damage will actually be healed, effects that trigger when healing is done will not fire. 

Summoning Minions On a Full Board

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

If I already have a 6 minions on battlefield and play another one (like Murloc Tidehunter) who summon another one too.. what will happen?

The extra minion will not be cast at all. If there is only 1 available slot left in your minion row, the minion you first cast will fill that spot and the minion it creates will not happen.

Spell Power: Global or Local?

Originally posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Lets say I play a card that increases spell power. Does that spell power effect my spells or both mine and my opponent?

Only your spells.