Patch 18.0 - Scholomance Academy, Game Improvements, Battleground Changes & Legendary Quest Chain
Blizzard just announced patch notes for Patch 18.0, which adds Scholomance Academy into the game, Game Improvements, Battleground Changes & Legendary Quest Chain.
Updated information in the cardback section.
There are some parts that weren't included in patch notes
- New weapon frames are available in-game
- There are 2 new cardbacks
- Ranked September 2020 (left) - This cardback was created in the "Cardback creation live-stream by Luke Mancini"
- Ranked October 2020 (right)
- [NEW] Cupcake cardback will apparently be available for purchase when the expansion launches next week
Quote from BlizzardToday’s 18.0 patch includes a smattering of Battlegrounds updates and game improvements. Its arrival means Hearthstone’s newest expansion, Scholomance Academy, is almost here! All Scholomance Academy cards have officially been revealed and while you can't use the new cards until they’ve unlocked on August 6, you can get a head start on building your launch day decks with our online deck builder!
Battlegrounds Updates
NEW HERO
Mr. Bigglesworth
- Kel’Thuzad’s Kitty [Passive]
- When a player dies, Discover a minion from their warband. It keeps any enchantments.
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Players with Battlegrounds Perks will have early access to Mr. Bigglesworth before the hero is formally released on August 13.
NEW MINIONS
Menagerie Mug
- [Tier 2] 2 Attack, 2 Health
- Battlecry: Give 3 random friendly minions of different minion types +1/+1.
Menagerie Jug
- [Tier 4] 3 Attack, 3 Health
- Battlecry: Give 3 random friendly minions of different minion types +2/+2.
REMOVED MINIONS
- Zoobot has been removed from Battlegrounds
- Menagerie Magician has been removed from Battlegrounds.
Game Improvements & Miscellaneous Updates
- Class-specific weapon frames have been added to every weapon in Hearthstone.
- Scholomance Academy cards will be added to Arena when the expansion unlocks on August 6.
- Free decks for new and returning players have been updated (recipes can be found here).*
- Returning players no longer need to complete the returning player experience to claim their free deck.
- Poisonous damage now has a special poison damage indicator and effect.
- Pressing the Hide button on mobile when making a card choice in-game will now also hide the banner that describes the choice, no longer obscuring vision of the opponent’s armor total.
- Spells created by Evocation will now disappear at the same time at the end of the turn instead of one by one.
- Target indicators will now more accurately represent an opponent’s target selection when aiming a Battlecry or targeted spell.
- Removed a delay from the damage effect for Mad Bomber and Demolisher.
- Reduced the delay between casting Plot Twist and its shuffling animation.
- Fixed a bug where Galakrond, the Tempest was showing the upgrade animation over the deck upon the fourth Invoke.
- Fixed a bug where heroes would not slot back into their portraits correctly after attacking.
- Fixed visual display issues with Deathwing’s Battlegrounds hero power.
- Battlegrounds summon speed improvements for Pack Leader and Mama Bear have been re-introduced.
* Limited one per account. A returning player is defined as one who has not logged into Hearthstone for 120 consecutive days.
Free Class Legendary & Launch Quests
Starting August 6, players will receive a random Scholomance Academy Legendary class card just for logging in, and can complete a chain of Legendary Quests to earn a total of six Scholomance Academy card packs!** Quests will be initially available on the following dates:
- August 6, 10:00 AM PT / 19:00 CEST: Play 25 Cards in Play mode to earn 2 Scholomance Academy card packs.
- August 7, 10:00 AM PT / 19:00 CEST: Play 20 Spells in any mode to earn 2 Scholomance Academy card packs.
- August 8, 10:00 AM PT / 19:00 CEST: Win 3 games any mode to earn 2 Scholomance Academy card packs.
** Limit one random Legendary class card per account. Must log in by October 27 to claim.
sigh....i wish blizz could do something to get away from activision. Activision has ruined both this game, and world of warcraft.
Yeah... I'm oddly a little sad about this. I've been running the Cupcake for a while, and now like, are folks going to think I bought it?
Couldn't they just design a different baked-goods HS card back?
Anyone else having issues with game occasionally stuttering/lagging on mobile devices after the latest update? I'm using a latest gen Xiaomi Mi phone, so hardware is not the problem.
Yeah I have the same on iPhone 7, to be honest I have this issue more often after an update
Not buying these cardbacks. If I didn't earn them when they came out, I dont deserve to have them now
Don't sell my cupcake back! 😭
Plot Twist fix was due. Holy F that shot was annoying.
Try 2 weeks earlier, that's how long Apple approval process took a couple years ago when I was developing mobile apps. Maybe things have sped up since then.
Just checked the data extracted from the patch 18.0, and in addition of the new extension "Scholomance Academy" and the modifications in the battleground, I was able to find than new Hero (Skins) have been added in the patch:
These Skins may be related to a new Tavern Brawl (Garrosh, Uther, Rexxar, Jaina), or may be temporary available in the shop (Annhylde) like "Sylvanas Windrunner" in the patch 16.0
The pictures are not available (yet), but the data are there.
The buffs shown on old managerie cards (Zoobot, Managerie Magician) when hovering over them are wrong, they were the same buffs as the new cards that replaced them, not double the amount. Perhaps Hearthpwn is giving stats for golden version of the card without showing it golden?
Why would they reuse that disturbing Karazhan artwork? Yikes. Good change, but the art... ahh.
Good thing they are adding old carbacks for purchase, fucking greedy company. Why not even make a cardback bundle so everyone can buy all the missing ones, you overgreedy stupid company? They are slowly destroying the identity of the game, good job.
hey bro, 100% truth, I wrote the same with Naxx purchasable cardback (even if I didnt have it and now purchased, it is NOT THE SAME). Nobody who is not collector soul will understand you and will vote you down. The rest know you are 100% right. Blizzard just starting the process of destroying collecting habit which is big part of every card game. They do this for money and also because they dont respect collectors in their game since some time. I think some guys from HS Team left and now there are only people who don't understand the habit of collecting and what's all about it and these "geniuses" just say: "lets monetize old cardbacks!".
Very true sir, thank you for understandin me.
So if i understand this correctly, you're saying that, because they give you the option to give up 500 in-game currency that you can't buy with real money for a cosmetic item, they're a greedy company and destroying the game's identity? I understand how frustrating it can be to work for something only for it to be given away pretty much for free later, but i think it's good that they're giving away old cardbacks, especially for the collector's that got into the game at a later point. Also i agree with blizzard being a greedy company, but not by giving away a 5 year old cosmetic.
Ikr their 'generosity' is really touching, it's the oldest trick in the book, throw something at em so you get in the mood of spending 'just a bit' on the game.
A free legendary has always been the case btw
Lets see here... Murlocs are still immortal gods at end game and everyone still forces them? Check.
Mech being a total joke and worthless past the first death of the game? Check
Yep, it's a battlegrounds update
I wish someday they would add the rainbow cardback for gold
More cardbacks for gold.....
More old cardbacks for gold... Activi$$ion Bug$$ard...