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.
My god when are they gonna stop buffing beasts are all the battleground devs that play the game just forcing beasts or something like holy shit
So, question: if I were to dust Illucia now, get the full refund, then buy the new bundle, would there be a chance to get her from that again? I think I have almost every legendary in the expansion and enough dust to craft the remaining few to only have 2 left to get, so that might be a decent enough dust investment. If it works.
I know that duplicate protection doesn't work for nerfed things (i.e. have all rares, dust the one that got nerfed, buy a pack to get it back isn't possible) but I've no idea how this would interact.
I don't understand what people are down voting him for. He is right, the card is a 1 of and not that reliable, and though the card does shut off combo decks the 1 mana nerf does pretty much nothing for that. The nerf was pointless.
Seems to have slowed things down a little.. had one game no one was dad by turn 10! .... Only played Reno out of new changes but seems best at getting one more turn on a golden (e.g. Golden minion into Goldgrubber on 3 then gold the Grubber)
So... murloc has nothing to do on tier 6?
Amalgadon and hope for divine shield + poison but you are not going for tavern 6 for sure it is only discover option to get him.
Srry didn't notice that part XD
"Gentle Megasaur has been removed from the Battlegrounds minion pool."
I can't handle all this dust.... oh wait.
Excellent time to go back to playing standard
I got Mindrender Illucia from a pack. Dust or no?
Dust. You'll get full value, and if you decide you want it later, like even tomorrow, you can just craft it then.
Lucky me, I got Golden of her... Super dope.
Too reliable?? LOFL...it's a LEGENDARY aka ONE (1) copy per deck. For a class with no draw, that's a big deal. This nerf is LUDICROUS.
I was hoping HS would finally announce the addition of elementals to the BG pool, but no such luck :(
Elemenals have high Spell synergy. As of right now, there are no spells in BG other than the cards you get to discover a minion from after playing a golden or triple card, Bananas from King Mukkla, and the Treasure Maps from Elise.
So what? Pirates have high weapon synergy and they added them to BGs without a single weapon. Dragon often have "if you holding a dragon", no such thing in BGs. No chance blizzard would give elementals same "if you played elemental last turn" or spell sinergy. It's a totally different game.
Sorcerer's Apprentice and Loatheb aren't Disciplinarian Gandling and [card]Cult Neophyte[/card] are they? Are you just another pathetic troll? Do you see Gandling in every Priest deck? Do you see Cult Neophyte in every deck? No. Maybe come back when you play more than 1 game vs a Priest with Gandling and Neophyte and some better trolling material.
Completely agree. When I saw Illucia I was very surprised.
I love all the battleground changes!
Specialy the galakrond buff, it felt so bad to freez a crap board, after crap board just to get a crap 6 drop...
And I'm so happy murlocs are no longer the be all end all late game build, that you can get in one turn if you save the right cards or are extremely lucky.
I welcome our new beast overlords!