New heroes, a new minion, and the long-awaited groups function come in this massive update to the Battlegrounds! Plus some balance changes to Standard cards.
New Battlegrounds Heroes
Jandice Barov has been a favorite so far in Standard since Scholomance Academy's release, and she joins the ranks of other 0-cost hero power Battlegrounds heroes. Her ability to swap one of your non-golden minions with a minion in Bob's Tavern means she'll have token-creating minions like Alleycat and Murloc Tidehunter in her sights in the early game. Similar to Yogg-Saron, she's likely to do best at taking advantage of early-game tempo.
The royal Lord Barov has arguably the most innovative hero power presented yet in Battlegrounds, asking the player to bet on the winner of an upcoming match. Taking a quick look at their comps, tavern tier, and recent matches will be vital to making a good choice. Using HDT will let you quickly see the last known board of them if you matched up against either opponent, and you'll want as much information at your hands as possible.
Forest Warden Omu brings a new take on Nozdormu, giving players the ability to potentially tier up and get access to those minions before anyone else. Careful gold management and next-turn planning will be critical to using Omu properly.
New Minions: Micro Mummy
Deflect-o-Bot is shedding a tear. But outside of those Mech and Divine Shield compositions, we're unlikely to miss Mech-a-roo. In its place, Micro Mummy stands to make quite a splash. In Battlegrounds, it stands to be a interesting buffer with good survivability in combat.
NEW FEATURE - BATTLEGROUNDS PARTIES
With the introduction of Battlegrounds Parties on September 8, players will be able to queue up for Battlegrounds matches with more than one other player! Battlegrounds Parties will allow groups of players to queue Battlegrounds together, and it supports a full lobby for private games!
Here’s how it works:
- Up to 4 players will be able to queue for a normal ranked Battlegrounds match together.
- Once the group lobby exceeds 4 players, the game type will automatically switch to a private Battlegrounds match for 5-8 players.
Climb in rating with a handful of friends or invite the whole family to determine, once and for all, who is the true Battlegrounds pro of the bunch!
Card Balance Updates
Updated Battlegrounds Minion: Pack Leader
- Old: 3 Attack, 3 Health. Whenever you summon a Beast, give it +3 Attack. → New: 2 Attack, 3 Health. Whenever you summon a Beast, give it +2 Attack.
Secret Passage
- Old: Replace your hand with 5 cards from your deck. Swap back next turn. → New: Replace your hand with 4 cards from your deck. Swap back next turn.
Cabal Acolyte
- Old: 2 Attack, 6 Health → New: 2 Attack, 4 Health
Totem Goliath
- Old: 4 Attack, 5 Health. Overload (2) → New: 5 Attack, 5 Health. Overload (1)
Archwitch Willow
- Old: [Cost 9] 7 Attack, 7 Health → New: [Cost 8] 5 Attack, 5 Health
Darkglare
- Old: [Cost 3] 3 Attack, 4 Health. After your hero takes damage, refresh 2 Mana Crystals. → New: [Cost 2] 2 Attack, 3 Health. After your hero takes damage, refresh a Mana Crystal.
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