11-25-2019, 01:14 AM
Hearthstone Battlegrounds Heroes – Four New Challengers enter the fray
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray.jpg" width="250" height="250" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p> <span class="author">By Joe Robinson</span> <span class="date">20 Nov 2019</span> </p>
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<p>I’m still plugging away at <em>Hearthstone Battlegrounds</em>, even though it makes me despair more than any other Auto Chess game has done previously. I like it, but I also kind of hate it… hopefully someone else will take what Blizzard has done with <em>Battlegrounds</em> and make something that’s not completely bonkers, than I can free myself from this Auto Chess hell I’ve found myself in.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Blizzard has added four new heroes into the mix, while retiring launch heroes King Mukla, Giantfin, Millificent Manastorm and Lich Baz’hial.</p>
<p>Giantfin was the first Heroes I ever tried when playing <em>Battlegrounds</em>. Personally I thought he could work if Murlocs as a tribe were given a boost. Along with King Mukla and Millificent Manastorm, you’re forced down a specific build (Murlocs, Beasts or Mechs), which I guess is a gamble if someone else is also buying up those card types. Still, they’ve left the Demon buffing Lord Jarraxus in the mix so it’s hard to tell if Blizzard are against tribe-specific heroes or not. Maybe they just wanted to give Demons an advantage?</p>
<p>Here are the details on the new heroes joining the game:</p>
<h3>Sindragosa</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds sindragosa" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Stay Frosty (Passive)<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 0<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> At the end of your turn, Frozen minions get +1/+1</p>
<p>This is an interesting ability, but it creates an odd tempo because you essentially have to buy the card you want AFTER you freeze it for a turn. Not only that, once you’ve bought it there’s no way to freeze the minion again so we’re talking about a minor, one-off stat boost. I wonder if it heralds a future update where ‘Freezing’ becomes a minion ability, and not just something you do in the Tavern. They’ll need to be something, because with the stat-inflated mess the game is currently a simple 1/1 boost won’t be able to keep up with the other abilities.</p>
<h3>Elise Starseeker</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray-1.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds Elise Starseeker" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Lead Explorer (Passive)<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 0<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> When you upgrade Bob’s Tavern get a ‘Recruitment Map’.</p>
<p>I don’t really understand this ability myself – will need to test Elise out to see where it’s value is. The Recruitment Map will be a bonus card added to your hand, but it costs three cold to play. It allows you to recruit a minion from your current tavern tier after upgrading it at Bob’s Tavern. Is this a scry/search ability? Or is better or worse than Discover? I guess we’ll find out.</p>
<h3>Brann Bronzebeard</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray-2.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds brann bronzebeard" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Battle Brand (Passive)<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 0<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> After you play a Battlecry minion, give a random friendly minion +1/+1</p>
<p>Battlecry as a keyword is pretty ubiquitous across the card-pool, and focusing on them with Brann means you get an added incentive for using them. Plus, you can then sell them on if you want, although going by the wording on paper, the Battlecry minion you just played may end up getting the +1/+1. Brann’s ability is better than Sindragosa’s from where I’m sitting, as you can in theory boost a minion more than once (although you have no control).</p>
<h3>Sir Finley Mrrggltn</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray-3.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds Sir Finley Mrrgglton" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Power Up!<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 1<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> Give a random friendly minion +1/+1. After you sell a minion, refresh this.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how meta selling lots of minions is in <em>Battlegrounds</em> at the moment, especially because of the fixed economy around buying/selling. Still being able to use this ability more than once a turn is not to be sniffed at, and could be good for giving your lync-pin minion an early boost while you’re still sorting your synergies out. Again, the ‘random’ elements makes it less reliable, however, and so far I’ve not seen a strategy that allows for boards below 5 minions.</p>
<p>New heroes aren’t the only things that are coming in the new update – there’s plenty of balance changes and tweaks coming as well, which are detailed in the full <a href="https://playhearthstone.com/en-gb/blog/23231583/hearthstone-battlegrounds-update-november-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">patch announcement</a>.</p>
<p>The next update will be dropping in December. Generally, Blizzard wants to look at tweaking and balancing the existing card pool, as well as rotating heroes in and out. Two new minions are also on their way, although not sure if they’ll make the next update or not.</p>
<p><em>How are you finding Battlegrounds so far? What do you make of the new heroes? Let us know in the comments!</em></p>
</p></div>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2019/11/...-the-fray/
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray.jpg" width="250" height="250" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p> <span class="author">By Joe Robinson</span> <span class="date">20 Nov 2019</span> </p>
<div id="content-container">
<p>I’m still plugging away at <em>Hearthstone Battlegrounds</em>, even though it makes me despair more than any other Auto Chess game has done previously. I like it, but I also kind of hate it… hopefully someone else will take what Blizzard has done with <em>Battlegrounds</em> and make something that’s not completely bonkers, than I can free myself from this Auto Chess hell I’ve found myself in.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Blizzard has added four new heroes into the mix, while retiring launch heroes King Mukla, Giantfin, Millificent Manastorm and Lich Baz’hial.</p>
<p>Giantfin was the first Heroes I ever tried when playing <em>Battlegrounds</em>. Personally I thought he could work if Murlocs as a tribe were given a boost. Along with King Mukla and Millificent Manastorm, you’re forced down a specific build (Murlocs, Beasts or Mechs), which I guess is a gamble if someone else is also buying up those card types. Still, they’ve left the Demon buffing Lord Jarraxus in the mix so it’s hard to tell if Blizzard are against tribe-specific heroes or not. Maybe they just wanted to give Demons an advantage?</p>
<p>Here are the details on the new heroes joining the game:</p>
<h3>Sindragosa</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds sindragosa" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Stay Frosty (Passive)<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 0<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> At the end of your turn, Frozen minions get +1/+1</p>
<p>This is an interesting ability, but it creates an odd tempo because you essentially have to buy the card you want AFTER you freeze it for a turn. Not only that, once you’ve bought it there’s no way to freeze the minion again so we’re talking about a minor, one-off stat boost. I wonder if it heralds a future update where ‘Freezing’ becomes a minion ability, and not just something you do in the Tavern. They’ll need to be something, because with the stat-inflated mess the game is currently a simple 1/1 boost won’t be able to keep up with the other abilities.</p>
<h3>Elise Starseeker</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray-1.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds Elise Starseeker" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Lead Explorer (Passive)<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 0<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> When you upgrade Bob’s Tavern get a ‘Recruitment Map’.</p>
<p>I don’t really understand this ability myself – will need to test Elise out to see where it’s value is. The Recruitment Map will be a bonus card added to your hand, but it costs three cold to play. It allows you to recruit a minion from your current tavern tier after upgrading it at Bob’s Tavern. Is this a scry/search ability? Or is better or worse than Discover? I guess we’ll find out.</p>
<h3>Brann Bronzebeard</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray-2.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds brann bronzebeard" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Battle Brand (Passive)<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 0<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> After you play a Battlecry minion, give a random friendly minion +1/+1</p>
<p>Battlecry as a keyword is pretty ubiquitous across the card-pool, and focusing on them with Brann means you get an added incentive for using them. Plus, you can then sell them on if you want, although going by the wording on paper, the Battlecry minion you just played may end up getting the +1/+1. Brann’s ability is better than Sindragosa’s from where I’m sitting, as you can in theory boost a minion more than once (although you have no control).</p>
<h3>Sir Finley Mrrggltn</h3>
<p><strong><img class="leftAlone" title src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hearthstone-battlegrounds-heroes-four-new-challengers-enter-the-fray-3.jpg" alt="hearthstone battlegrounds Sir Finley Mrrgglton" width="250" height="250">Hero Power:</strong> Power Up!<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> 1<br /><strong>Ability:</strong> Give a random friendly minion +1/+1. After you sell a minion, refresh this.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how meta selling lots of minions is in <em>Battlegrounds</em> at the moment, especially because of the fixed economy around buying/selling. Still being able to use this ability more than once a turn is not to be sniffed at, and could be good for giving your lync-pin minion an early boost while you’re still sorting your synergies out. Again, the ‘random’ elements makes it less reliable, however, and so far I’ve not seen a strategy that allows for boards below 5 minions.</p>
<p>New heroes aren’t the only things that are coming in the new update – there’s plenty of balance changes and tweaks coming as well, which are detailed in the full <a href="https://playhearthstone.com/en-gb/blog/23231583/hearthstone-battlegrounds-update-november-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">patch announcement</a>.</p>
<p>The next update will be dropping in December. Generally, Blizzard wants to look at tweaking and balancing the existing card pool, as well as rotating heroes in and out. Two new minions are also on their way, although not sure if they’ll make the next update or not.</p>
<p><em>How are you finding Battlegrounds so far? What do you make of the new heroes? Let us know in the comments!</em></p>
</p></div>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2019/11/...-the-fray/