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.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)They overnerfed murlocs. Murlocs can't compete with other builds now at higher tiers. Should have replaced Megasaur with the 5/6 dragon that gives murlocs divine shield and that's it.
Rat Pack at tier 3 is garbage. I like the Pagle change, now it's an economy card like Hogger. Goldrinn to tier 6 was a mistake and they know it but they won't address the real problem (which is Rivendare, and Rivendare doubling the parrot effect). Rivendare and Brann should be moved to tier 6 and bring Goldrinn back to tier 5.
Why do they make more Battlegrounds changes than balancing to their actual game? The Kaelthas change is just another refusal to admit the problem. The card text should read "Your third spell this turn costs 0" and that's it. One discount, not infinite discount potential. It's the same reason why Sorcerer Apprentice abuse is running rampant.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Man the 3/2 Murloc at tier 4 is actually a huge buff to Murloc because it increases the pool size and Tier 3 triple. Part of what makes Murloc so problematic is that certain hero can get the huge lead at the start with midrange build - get Brann and then Primalfin the shit out of the game. Blessed Blizzard for trying to make Murloc played in 100% of the BG games by making the lategame switch easier. <3 I'll just go Mech Rafaam into Murloc and push to 11k.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Mindrender just seems like a wild nerf. So you cant togg on same.
Only being able to play 7 mana of your opponents cards is trash. Most game changer good cards are 8+
RIP Mindrender into bloom into SotF from druid.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Demons being bad does not mean Murlocs won't also be bad. I agree they were too strong, I hit 10k by pretty much just Murloc transitioning every other game, but now there's no point going them at all. I don't know that I've ever seen a game above 7.5k won by a pure stat build. You either have divine shields and/or death rattles or you lose.
Waiting for toxfins and spending 2 gold each to poison a non divine shield Murloc really doesn't accomplish much.
Tier S will be Dragons
Tier 2 is Mechs & Amagaldon Menagerie
Tier 3 Beasts & Pirates
Tier 4 Demons & Murlocs
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Murlocs will still have a lot of stats, if you find brann and +2HP/+1+1/Bagurgle/Primalfin.
Very good Patch, Murlocs are not Top Tier anymore, but still at leaset (in your Tier) Tier 2
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)so you loseing out on 240 dust?? i thing you will live...
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)This is barely a nerf to Kael'thas. Druids already have 2 copies of Bloom and Innervate which give them the extra mana needed. This nerfs Kael being able to be used in any other class which is unfortunate. I do however see this as a fair nerf as it won't kill the Kael Druid archetype. This is the type of nerf that will only affect the Druid winrate by a very small percentage.
Illucia nerf is fine.
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Posted Aug 18, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)It's a nerf to the turn 3/4 kael'thas explosions that druid could do. A game practically ending that damn early because suddenly they just drew 9 cards, made a board, and buffed everything for +4/+4 on turn 3 is not really that damn interactive or even fun.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Hof kael before rotation odds 1.01%
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Just realized.........I own a golden Mindrender Illucia.
Free legendary for me!!!!
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)2 legendarys :)
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Me too bro, they gonna give back 3200 dust?
And about Karl, everyone has a golden one. Dust too?
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)I'm still gonna make a regular Illucia.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Always nerf kaelthas cause it was free and you cant get dust from him....
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Which is crazy considering how they let Demon Hunter run pretty much unchecked for quite a while.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)So the fanboys were wrong once more, huh?
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Doesn’t change much about Illucia, which is fine, I love the card.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Megasaur is understandable, but I'd have rather liked if they would have removed Primalfin, since that enables transitions into Murlocs by itself (along with Brann). It's also the reason for easy triples and huge stat buffs.
This only makes Primalfin and Stat creep even more possible. I dunno if it is offset enough by the removal of divine shield, tho.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Primalfin Lookout
I think it is enough, lets see in play.
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Posted Aug 17, 2020 (Scholomance Academy)Why does it matter if people can transition into murlocs with Primalfin when it was only Megasaur that made a move like that viable. With a late transition you will have low health, low attack murlocs that you have to individually give poison and who will never get Divine Shield unless it's Amalgadon.