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Hearthstone

Balance Changes and New Features in Hearthstone

Patch22.2.2
Quick Take

Hearthstone 22.2.2 ships a sweeping Battlegrounds tuning pass alongside Duels and bug fixes. Archdruid Hamuul is removed from the Battlegrounds minion pool. About 30 hero Buddies get tier, stat, and effect adjustments — Elementium Squirrel Bomb, Eclipsion Illidari, Snack Vendor, Captain Fairmount, and the rest are tuned across Tavern Tiers 2-4. Duels Treasure pool moves Battle Totem, Disks of Legend, and Totem of the Dead into the Ultra Rare slot, and Vanndar Stormpike's Hero Power now reduces two Neutral minions instead of one. Snowclaw and other Heroic Bounty difficulties drop, Bladestorm activations cap rises from 30 to 50. Golden Kil'rek and Spirit of Air Deathrattle bugs are fixed.

Balance Changes and New Features in Hearthstone

Battlegrounds Updates

MINION POOL CHANGE

  • Archdruid Hamuul has been removed from the minion pool.

BUDDY CHANGES

Elementium Squirrel Bomb (Millificent Manastorm’s Buddy)

  • Old: Deathrattle: Deal 4 damage to a random enemy minion. Repeat for each of your Mechs that died this combat. → New: Deathrattle: Deal 3 damage to a random enemy minion for each of your Mechs that died this combat.

Eclipsion Illidari (Illidan Stormrage’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 2] “Wingmen” also gives “Immune while Attacking” for one attack only. → New: [Tavern Tier 3] Your first minion that attacks has “Immune while Attacking” for one attack only.

Snack Vendor (A.F. Kay’s Buddy)

  • Old: At the end of your turn, give your Tavern Tier 3 minions +1/+1. → New: At the end of your turn, give your Tavern Tier 3 minions +1/+2.

Captain Fairmount (Cariel Roame’s Buddy)

  • Old: At the end of your turn, give three random friendly minions +1/+1. → New: At the end of your turn, give five random friendly minions +1/+1.

Ticket Collector (Tickatus’s Buddy)

  • Old: Battlecry: Discover a Darkmoon Prize from the most recent Prize turn. → New: Battlecry: Discover a Darkmoon Prize from the next Prize turn.

Muckslinger (Shudderwock’s Buddy)

  • Old: After you play a minion, add a Battlecry minion to Bob’s Tavern. → New: After you play a minion, add a Battlecry minion to Bob’s Tavern. Give it +2/+2.
  • [Golden version] Old: After you play a minion, add two Battlecry minions to Bob’s Tavern. → New: After you play a minion, add a Battlecry minion to Bob’s Tavern. Give it +4/+4.

Crabby (Tavish Stormpike’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 5 Attack, 3 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 4] 2 Attack, 3 Health

Karl the Lost (George the Fallen’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 7 Attack, 4 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 4] 3 Attack, 4 Health

Baby Elekk (Xyrella’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 2] → New: [Tavern Tier 3]

Mishmash (The Curator’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 2] 3 Attack, 3 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 3] 2 Attack, 2 Health

Valithria Dreamwalker (Ysera’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 3 Attack, 3 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 4] 6 Attack, 4 Health

Master Gadrin (Vol’jin’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] → New: [Tavern Tier 4]

Arfus (The Lich King’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 2] → New: [Tavern Tier 3]

Tuskarr Raider (Patches the Pirate’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] → New: [Tavern Tier 4]

Bilgewater Mogul (Trade Prince Gallywix’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] → New: [Tavern Tier 4]

Sparkfin Soothsayer (Fungalmancer Flurgl’s Buddy)

  • Old: 7 Attack, 5 Health → New: 5 Attack, 4 Health

Asher the Haberdasher (Dancin’ Deryl’s Buddy)

  • Old: 3 Attack, 3 Health → New: 2 Attack, 2 Health

Magnus Manastorm (Millhouse Manastorm’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 2] → New: [Tavern Tier 3]

Unearthed Underling (Lich Baz’hial’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] → New: [Tavern Tier 4]

Hunter of Old (Tess Greymane’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 4] → New: [Tavern Tier 3]

Warden Thelwater (Scabbs Cutterbutter’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 4] → New: [Tavern Tier 3]

Flight Trainer (Galewing’s Buddy)

  • Old: 4 Attack, 3 Health → New: 5 Attack, 4 Health

Baby Kodo (Guff Runtetotem’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 4] → New: [Tavern Tier 3]

Lady Sinestra (Deathwing’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 3 Attack, 8 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 2] 1 Attack, 6 Health

Lil’ K.T. (Mr. Bigglesworth’s Buddy)

  • Old: 5 Attack, 2 Health → New: 5 Attack, 4 Health

Jr. Navigator (Elise Starseeker’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 4 Attack, 5 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 2] 4 Attack, 4 Health

Sklibb, Demon Hunter (Aranna Starseeker’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 5 Attack, 4 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 2] 4 Attack, 4 Health

Piloted Whirl-O-Tron (Sneed’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] → New: [Tavern Tier 2]

Apostle of Galakrond (Galakrond’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 5 Attack, 7 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 2] 3 Attack, 5 Health

Sr. Tomb Diver (Reno Jackson’s Buddy)

  • Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 7 Attack, 3 Health → New: [Tavern Tier 2] 4 Attack, 1 Health

Evergreen Botani (Forest Warden Omu’s Buddy)

  • Old: 7 Attack, 6 Health → New: 9 Attack, 7 Health

Duels Updates

  • Battle Totem, Disks of Legend, and Totem of the Dead were are all moved from Treasure Pool 2 to Treasure Pool 2 Ultra Rare (for real this time).

Battle Tactics (Vanndar Stormpike’s Hero Power)

  • Old: Reduce the cost of Neutral minions in your hand that cost (4) or more by (2). → New: Reduce the cost of two Neutral minions in your hand that cost (4) or more by (2).

Bug Fixes and Game Improvements

  • Lowered the difficulty of the Snowclaw, High Justice Grimstone, Captain Galvangar, Lokholar the Ice Lord, and Drek’Thar Heroic Bounties, and both Normal and Heroic versions of the Louis Philips Bounty.
  • Increased the maximum number of Bladestorm activations from 30 to 50.
  • Fixed a bug where Golden Kil’rek would always give two copies of the same Demon when its Deathrattle was triggered.
  • Fixed a bug where Spirit of Air’s Deathrattle would sometimes apply to enemy minions.

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