Patch 18.0.2 - Balance Changes - Kael'thas, Illucia & Battlegrounds
Blizzard announced the first Balance changes for Scholomance Academy, including some Balance changes for Battlegrounds.
Tuesday Update: Patch now LIVE.
Quote from Alec DawsonMindrender Illucia was quite strong, stronger than what we want out of cards like Mindrender Illucia (Star Student Stelina, Glide, etc.). We expected players to continue to learn how to take advantage of her, especially in the early game.
Quote from Alec DawsonKael'thas Sunstrider created too many turns that didn't feel like they should be possible. This change is aimed at eliminating some of those non-games that could occur because of his ability.
Quote from BlizzardIn the coming days we’ll be releasing a balance patch that includes a slew of Battlegrounds updates, adjustments for two minions in Standard, and handful of bug fixes.
Standard Balance Updates
Kael’thas Sunstrider
- Old: Every third spell you cast each turn costs (0). → New: Every third spell you cast each turn costs (1).
Mindrender Illucia
- Old: [Cost 2] → New: [Cost 3]
Mindrender Illucia will be eligible for a full dust refund for two weeks after the 18.0.2 patch goes live.
Battlegrounds Minion Updates
- Gentle Megasaur has been removed from the Battlegrounds minion pool.
- Arcane Cannon has been removed from Battlegrounds minion pool.
Rabid Saurolisk
- Old: 3 Attack, 2 Health → New: 4 Attack, 2 Health
Rat Pack
- Old: [Tier 2] → New: [Tier 3]
Pack Leader
- Old: [Tier 3] → New: [Tier 2]
Monstrous Macaw
- Old: 3 Attack, 2 Health → New: 4 Attack, 3 Health
Primalfin Lookout
- Old: [Tier 5] → New: [Tier 4]
- Now only Discovers minions from your current Tavern Tier or below.
Nat Pagle, Extreme Angler
- Old: Overkill: Summon a 0/2 Treasure Chest. → New: After this attacks and kills a minion, add a random minion to your hand.
- Minions generated are from your Tavern Tier or below.
Mama Bear
- Old: [Tier 6] 5 Attack, 5 Health. Whenever you summon a Beast, give it +5/+5.→ New: [Tier 5] 4 Attack, 4 Health. Whenever you summon a Beast, give it +4/+4.
Goldrinn, the Great Wolf
- Old: Deathrattle: Give your Beasts +4/+4. → New: Deathrattle: Give your Beasts +5/+5.
Battlegrounds Hero Updates
- Lady Vashj has been removed from the Battlegrounds Hero pool.
Captain Eudora
- Buried Treasure
- Old: Dig for a Golden minion! (4 Digs left.) → New: Dig for a Golden minion! (5 Digs left.)
Reno Jackson
- Gonna Be Rich!
- Old: [Cost 2] → New: [Cost 0]
The Lich King
- Reborn Rites
- Old: [Cost 1] → New: [Cost 0]
Galakrond
- Galakrond’s Greed
- Now freezes the minion added to Bob’s Tavern.
Bugs Fixes & Game Improvements
- Fixed a visual bug with Archwitch Willow’s play animation.
- Fixed a bug where Southsea Strongarm was showing incorrect art.
- Fixed a bug where casting Puzzle Box of Yogg-Saron with Rattlegore on board would cause the game to freeze.
- Fixed several technical bugs that would cause the game to crash.
Ok then...and I am talking about "skill testing" there is nothing skill testing about it and I never denied that secret passage wasn't broken and I never see any warlocks right now to complain about flesh giants. I also don't play combo decks, not to climb at least.
You sound like a very salty know nothing hearthstone player stuck at Diamond 5 every month (probably lower)
Illucia--skill testing card--gets nerfed, but darkglare, secret passage, lightning bloom, and guardian animal are all untouched. IT WAS ABOUT FUCKIN TIME YOU NERF KAEL. We have mutt devs who rarely ever interact with the community and are late to change--even late to the right changes for a healthy, engaging game. This game used to be good, used to be fun. I suppose this is what happens when your teams, standard, bg, and wild (KEKW), are just doin own thing and you gotta bend the knee to corporate. good god
We don't want ungrateful "mutts" like you in this community.
What is there to be grateful for?? That you get crumbs occassionally from devs and you feel special in this hs "community". Where's the adventure style pricing for cards/content, coop mode, any other modes ffs, where are these faithful devs you claim this community has--who listen to players. ITS BEEN YEARS. Bootlick harder. Regardless, the meta is mindless aggro and mana cheat but they nerf a disruption card and finally hit kael KEKW. So pls, once your done with my shaft, give the balls some love ;)
I was really hoping to see a replacement for Tier 6 Murloc unit. Not sure if a Tier 5 King Bagurgle being their best minion will still allow them to be competitive.
I was also disappointed to see Goldrinn still being Tier 6 unit. It should have stayed at 5.
I'm really sad to see Murlocs just so butchered as a Race. Megasaur did need to go, but they also need more to replace it then just droping primalfin a tier. IMO, Murlocs should have got a varient of the toxfin for Divine Shield. I think it's fine for Murlocs to be the divine shield + Poison tribe, they just shouldn't be able to do it to their full board with one battlecry (which also made it far too easy to pull off a sudden 1-turn transition to full DS-Poison Murlocs).
Dw there is still George for Divine shield.
I too think the murloc nerfs were way too harsh.
idk what theyre thinking with mindrender. Its the most broken card they've ever printed and all theyre doing is raising the mana by 1??
Broken? How so? Do you have any supporting evidence? Sounds like someone stole your DH cards
Nerf secret passage ffs..
I would have liked to see something to reduce the power of Turtle mage, you basically stop playing the game on turn 9.
The nerf in mindrender was too much, I can understand the increase in the cost making hard to spend opponent resources in the same turn but a least give her better stats, 2/4 instead 1/3...
Well the only way that's hero wide. Boon of light can still give murlocks divine shield for that sweet double poison per minion.
I think a better nerf would have been to make Kael'thas' effect say "The third spell you cast each turn costs (0)".
That was the murloc nerf.... seriously? that isn't going to do anything.
remove Gentle megasaur, the way to Divine shield, (and most of the time poisonous aswell) your murlocs wont do anything?
Ohhh, I missed that part! I was paying more attention to the named cards/pictures. Ok, those are great changes... Arcane Cannon gone too, Christmas has indeed come early.
i belive replacing Gentle Megasaur with Scalelord will fix all the shanenigans. Removing it and not replacing it with a way to at least give murlocs divine shild was a bad move. But well, hopefully the followin days will prove me wrong. At least i hope.
That would have been 100% a huge buff. DS is the most important thing you wanted from Megasaur.