There are some universal constants in life – the sun rising on a new day, taxes …and the Hearthstone team easily having the most fun with the Warcraft universe.
Their latest effort, announced today via the Hearthstone Spotlight, showcases that the next outing within the card game will be themed entirely around alternate universe tomfoolery that allows some of the greatest villains of Warcraft to team up and celebrate their victories.
Because in Hearthstone: Cataclysm, Deathwing was never defeated.
The previous Hearthstone content, Across the Timeways, introduced us to some wibbly wobbly alternate universe shenanigans, and now we get to see true disaster manifest as a disastrous timeline comes forth where Deathwing and his mates prevailed to raze the lands of Azeroth.
This expansion is set to (literally) shake the meta with 135 new cards, headlined by massive 10-cost Neutral Hero Cards.
A new iteration of Deathwing utilises the new “Herald” keyword to trigger up to four distinct “Cataclysm” effects. By “heralding” his various lieutenants – including Ragnaros, who is wearing the charred remains of the World Tree – players can upgrade their abilities, increase their overall potency, and summon a Colossal for immediate board presence.
That’s right, the “Colossal” keyword makes a return, featuring prominently on Deathwing’s lieutenants across six of the game’s eleven classes.
The other five classes will not be serving Deathwing – instead they will be championing the cause of good, and trying to take down this Saturday-morning cartoon squad of evil. These classes can make use of the “Shatter” keyword, splitting a card in half to recombine it into a more powerful effect.
Perhaps the biggest change to the game is the addition of something a great deal simpler – hand-targeting. Players will now be able to play cards with effects that buff specific cards in their hands. While it might not scream NEW and EXCITING, it’s absolutely a unique improvement to the game that paves the way for further options in the future.
The Blizzard website already has a tasty blog post live, with details on further reveals and details on a deluge of freebies that are upcoming to the game. If you are keen to see how the other (Evil) side lives, jump over there and take in the majesty of Cho’Galls impressive squidbeard.
Are you on board with some timeline chicanery? Impressed to see Queen Azshara as the true ruler of the oceans? Tell us all about it in the comments or on social media.
Known throughout the interwebs simply as M0D3Rn, Ash is bad at video games. An old guard gamer who suffers from being generally opinionated, it comes as no surprise that he is both brutally loyal and yet, fiercely whimsical about all things electronic. On occasion will make a youtube video that actually gets views. Follow him on YouTube @Bad at Video Games
