24.4.3 Patch Notes - Balance Changes For Constructed & Battlegrounds
Blizzard just released the Patchnotes for the upcoming Patch. It features Balance changes for Constructed & Battlegrounds.
Quote from BlizzardPatch 24.4.3 is a data-only client patch, scheduled for October 13, that includes the following updates and bug fixes:
Hearthstone Updates
Dev Comment: The meta is relatively stable right now, with just a few outliers. Our goal with this patch is to reduce frustration and give weaker decks a bit more breathing room by reducing the overall power level of Hunter.
The one notable outlier that is not getting changed, but which we are keeping a close eye on, is Prince Renathal. He is powerful and popular, but we don’t want this patch to completely shake up the meta, because we have something fun coming in Patch 24.6 and we want to see how Renathal performs in the next expansion before making changes to him.
The following cards have been adjusted down in power:
Theotar, the Mad Duke
- Old: Costs 4
- New: Costs 5
Dev Comment: Theotar is a defining card in the current meta. He plays an important role in giving players agency against powerful late-game plays, but he can also be very frustrating to lose to. We don’t want him to be one of the most popular cards in the next expansion, and our goal with this change is to lower his playrate across all ranks. If his playrate doesn’t drop significantly with this change, we’ll evaluate further changes at the next opportunity.
Stag Spirit Wildseed
- Old: 5 Attack, 4 Health
- New: 4 Attack, 3 Health
Bear Spirit Wildseed
- Old: 2 Attack, 5 Health
- New: 2 Attack, 4 Health
Harpoon Gun
- Old: After your hero attacks, Dredge. If it’s a Beast, reduce its cost by (3).
- New: After your hero attacks, Dredge. It it’s a Beast, reduce its cost by (2).
Dev Comment: Hunter has been the most popular and arguably the most powerful class in the game for some time, especially in lower ranks. These changes are meant to address some of the sharper play patterns this class is capable of, while simultaneously lowering the overall class power level.
The above craftable cards, as well as Spirit Poacher, Stag Charge, Wild Spirits, and Ara’lon will be eligible for full dust refunds for two weeks following Patch 24.4.3.
Battlegrounds Updates
Dev Comment: This is a smaller update, as we’ve spread our recent changes across the last few hotfix patches. Battlegrounds players should expect a bigger Battlegrounds update with the next major patch, Patch 24.6.
Hero Update
Fungalmancer Flurgl – Gone Fishing
- Old: Passive: After you sell 4 minions, get a random Murloc.
- New: Passive: After you sell 5 minions, get a random Murloc.
- Fungalmancer Flurgl has been moved from Armor Tier 1 (0 Armor) to Armor Tier 4 (4-7 Armor)
Quest Reward Update
The Smoking Gun
- Old: Your minions have +5 Attack.
- New: Your minions have +4 Attack.
- The Smoking Gun is now easier to earn.
Minion Updates
Nether Drake
- Old: [Tavern Tier 2] 0 Attack, 4 Health
- New: [Tavern Tier 3] 1 Attack, 5 Health
Twilight Emissary
- Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 4 Attack, 4 Health
- New: [Tavern Tier 2] 3 Attack, 3 Health
Bug Fixes and Game Improvements
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Dark Force Malygos was not able to be claimed or equipped.
Yep increasing Theotar’s manacost by 1 will surely fix things.
You're vastly underestimating how impactful that kind of nerf is. It ruins multiple breakpoints in which theotar has previously shone.
you're not playing since 2017 if you think this is the worst the meta is ever been. without theotar and denathrius, this would be the best meta in about 5 years
I did and I know It is the worst crap I ever seen.
Hunter nerfs are good imo, although I'd still make the weapon from the wildseed have 1 durability. The highroll potential between getting stag or fox is insane
I've been playing this game since 2017 and never never was pissed of meta. It is broken af. The "team" made most decks unbalanced . Almost every second game I play versus highroll. Especially I like Guff on second turn, a lot of ramp (back in the days folks complained about only 2 classic cards which everybody knows) but now druid has a lot of them and cards which draw them, a mage class which play many spells (AGAINST enemy) on turn five, freezing board for 0 mana and many many other "cool" things. It is insane. The cheating mana and card value are broken and it is unfunny at all. They nerfed only hunter class slightly but other stuff is untouched. What are they doing and thinking I don't know they literally ruins the game which I enjoyed. Now its just scam meta and not enjoyable. If compare wild and standard atm I d say are the same. Both are trash. I don't event talk about specific cards. Theotar was nerfed from 4 to 5 I wonder if they are just out of ideas or just make fun of us.
Fully agreed...but dumbos will still downvote.. it's so much tougher to play thei now.
It most definitely will. 4 mana was still a lil tempo. Now it's purely tech and difficult to play.
That one mana nerf is actually a big deal. I think the card is very good. Today's hs community just hates hand disruption. I m sure they wudve even complained abt dirty rat.
Would've? They did. You should have seen twitch chat during those times. It has nothing to do with "today's HS community", the community hated Dirty Rat just as much as they hate Theotar. Like, for real.
Hey BG design team. Instead of nerfing one outlier hero how about buffing the 40+ heroes that are worthless?
Ya, but I acutely wouldn’t have minded if they only nerfed gorge the Fallen.
This. I expect his playrate to drop by a third. I also think sylvanas could take his spot. Great removal midgame or mindcontrol late game. Far better tempo than Theo.
never seen an expansion go from fun start to this level of an unbearable slog
Remember Saviors of Uldum where we had a really fun meta with only minor problems, then halloween rolled around and they did the doom in the tomb event which put Evolve Shaman to Tier 0 and created infinite N'Zoth Khartut Defender rogue? Also Rez priest existed.
yes this is worse
It's always the worst according to people on here. That's why your comment has no validity.
well ive played since beta, usually things get better over time (darkmoon) or stay mediocre the whole way thru (ungoro), everything here is just too slow, too long, or too swingy to be consistently enjoyable, and the miniset's impact (or lack thereof) just exacerbated the issue.
This is not a nerf, this garbage card should be removed completely from the game, it's not fun to lose to this stupid Theotar, and it's also not fun to win, you feel like you cheated, Blizzard use brain before making something like this next time.
Hope they will renerf the gun once when it switches to wild.
Was very good and funny with tundra rhino imo. One mana could make the cut sometimes.