35.4.2 Patch Notes – Hearthstone

Patch 35.4.2 rolls out today with balance changes for Hearthstone and Battlegrounds.

Reminder: Join us on May 21 for our Dev Update video on YouTube! The Hearthstone team will discuss these balance changes, Class Sets, Arena, and what’s coming next.

Hearthstone Updates

Dev Comment: Well met! Our first-ever Class Sets are here, and we’re happy to see how excited people are to try out the new cards and archetypes. That said, we agree with your feedback that they’ve landed a bit soft, so we’re giving a couple of them a boost in this update.

Mage saw a lot of early experimentation, but the Leyline package fell short, so we’re buffing three cards to help it compete and encourage more exploration. For Hunter, the Animal Companion archetype has been popular and pretty strong, but it’s been missing a strong two-drop. We updated Migrating Elekk to help fill that role.

We’re also showing some love to the new event card, Dragon Soul, Shattered. Two of its Essences are being strengthened to better reward the effort of combining them.

The meta continues to look diverse with no major outliers, so this is a lighter balance pass aimed at keeping things stable. Demon Hunter, Druid, and Warrior are leading the pack right now, so we’re dialing back one card from each to keep them in check.

We’ll be watching how these changes play out and continue to tune things as needed. Keep the creative decks coming!

Card Changes

Hounds of Fury

• Old: Summon two 3/3 Demons.
• New: Summon two 3/2 Demons.

Forest’s Gift

• Old: [2 mana]
• New: [3 mana]

Darkrider

The Arcanomicon

• Old: [7 mana]
• New: [6 mana]

Crystallized Leyline

• Old: [6 mana] Summon a random 6-Cost minion.
• New: [5 mana] Summon a random 5-Cost minion.

Surge Needle

Migrating Elekk

• Old: [3 mana] 3/4.
• New: [2 mana] 2/3.

Dragon Soul, Shattered: Storm Aspect Essence

• Old: Deal 3 damage to all enemy minions.
• New: Deal 4 damage to all enemy minions.

Dragon Soul, Shattered: Bronze Aspect Essence

• Old: Refresh 7 Mana Crystals.
• New: Refresh 8 Mana Crystals.

Battlegrounds Updates

Dev Comment: There are a lot of balance changes in this patch, so we wanted to highlight our overall goals. For minion changes, we focused more on buffs than nerfs to lift up underperforming types. Most of these changes target Pirates and Mechs, with some buffs for Murlocs, Undead, and Quilboar as well.

On the nerf side, we swapped Famished Felbat with Twisted Wrathguard to keep Demons in check while lowering the power of Fodders. We also brought back P-0UL-TR-0N, with nerfs to it and Stomping Stegodon, to keep that strategy balanced.

We originally planned to nerf Dragons, but after reviewing the data, most of their overperformance came from Egg of the Endtimes Portrait and Chromatic Tear. As a result, we kept our balance adjustments focused on their Trinkets.

Speaking of Trinkets, our main goal was to smooth out the power between the highest and lowest performers. We also removed some of the least-picked options to keep your offerings compelling. We’ll keep an eye on these changes and make further adjustments as needed.

Our mid-season update is just around the corner, and we’re looking forward to sharing more very soon. We’ll see you in the Tavern!

Minion and Spell Pool Changes

Returning Minions

• Holo Rover
• P-0UL-TR-0N
• Dreaming Thornweaver

Minion and Spell Updates

P-0UL-TR-0N

• Old: 8/8. Avenge (4): Gain Divine Shield and attack immediately.
• New: 10/10. Avenge (5): Gain Divine Shield and attack immediately.

Stomping Stegodon

• Old: 3/3. Rally: Give your other Beasts +4 Attack and this Rally.
• New: 4/4. Rally: Give your other Beasts +3 Attack and this Rally.

Twisted Wrathguard

• Old: [Tier 5] 4/4.
• New: [Tier 6] 8/8.

Famished Felbat

• Old: [Tier 6] 9/5.
• New: [Tier 5] 6/3.

Alert Alarmist

Metallic Hunter

Marquee Ticker

Holo Rover

• Old: [Tier 6] 4/12. Divine Shield. Rally: Get a random Magnetic Mech.
• New: [Tier 4] 4/4. Rally: Get a random Magnetic Mech.

Charging Czarina

• Old: 6/2. Divine Shield. Whenever you cast a Tavern spell, give your minions with Divine Shield +3 Attack.
• New: 4/1. Divine Shield. Whenever you cast a Tavern spell, give your minions with Divine Shield +4 Attack.

Moonsteel Juggernaut

• Old: 6/6. At the end of your turn, get two 4/4 Magnetic Satellites and improve this.
• New: 8/8. At the end of your turn, get two 6/6 Magnetic Satellites and improve this.

Bream Counter

• Old: 4/4. While this is in your hand, after you play a Murloc, gain +4/+4.
• New: 5/5. While this is in your hand, after you play a Murloc, gain +5/+5.

Mrglin’ Burglar

• Old: 10/8. After you play a Murloc, give a friendly minion and a minion in your hand +5/+4.
• New: 10/10. After you play a Murloc, give a friendly minion and a minion in your hand +5/+5.

King Bagurgle

• Old: [Tier 3] 2/3. Battlecry: Give all other Murlocs in your hand and board +2/+3.
• New: [Tier 4] 4/4. Battlecry: Give all other Murlocs in your hand and board +4/+4.

Brazen Buccaneer

• Old: 4/4. At the end of your turn, give your left-most Pirate +2/+2. Repeat for each other card you’ve played this turn. (0)
• New: 6/6. At the end of your turn, give your left-most Pirate +3/+3. Repeat for each other card you’ve played this turn. (0)

Sky Admiral Rogers

• Old: 4/6. After you spend 10 Gold, get a random Bounty. (10 Gold left!)
• New: 4/5. After you spend 9 Gold, get a random Bounty. (9 Gold left!)

Dastardly Drust

• Old: 5/3. Whenever you get a Pirate, give your minions +2/+1. Give Golden ones +4/+2 instead.
• New: 5/4. Whenever you get a Pirate, give your minions +2/+2. Give Golden ones +6/+6 instead.

Dreaming Thornweaver

• Old: Avenge (4): Your Blood Gems give an extra +1 Health this game. (Swaps to Attack next turn!)
• New: Avenge (3): Your Blood Gems give an extra +1 Health this game.

Drustfallen Butcher

• Old: 2/9. Avenge (4): Get a Butchering.
• New: 2/7. Avenge (3): Get a Butchering.

Nalaa the Redeemer

• Old: 5/7. Whenever you cast a Tavern spell, give a friendly minion of each type +3/+2.
• New: 5/6. Whenever you cast a Tavern spell, give a friendly minion of each type +4/+3.

Spell Changes

Healthy Bounty

• Old: Give three friendly minions +4 Health.
• New: Give four friendly minions +4 Health.

Hostile Bounty

• Old: Give three friendly minions +4 Attack.
• New: Give four friendly minions +4 Attack.

Queen’s Command

• Old: Give your minions +2/+3. Give all your Naga another +2/+3.
• New: Give your minions +2/+2. Give all your Naga another +2/+2.

Trinket Changes

Trinket Pool Changes

Removed Lesser Trinkets

• Alliance Keychain
• Battlecruiser Portrait
• Auric Offering
• Blingtron’s Sunglasses
• Tarecgosa Sticker
• Skipper Portrait

Removed Greater Trinkets

• Cloud Serpent Horn
• Felburned Ledger
• Glowscale Portrait
• Radio Star Portrait
• Peacebloom Candle
• Dragonwing Glider
• Turbocharged Drill

Lesser Trinket Cost-Only Changes

• Demonic Tapestry: 4 → 3
• Holy Mallet: 2 → 1
• Sellemental Portrai: 5 → 4
• Spell-powered Wrench: 2 → 1
• Putricide Sticker: 3 → 2
• Deathly Phylactery: 2 → 1
• Bazaar Sticker: 2 → 1
• Stormcoil Sticker: 1 → 0

Lesser Trinket Changes

Egg of the Endtimes Portrait

• Old: [5 cost] Get 2 Eggs of the Endtimes.
• New: [2 cost] Get an Egg of the Endtimes. At the start of every 2 turns, repeat this.

Chromatic Tear

• Old: [4 cost] Get all 5 Chromadrakes.
• New: [5 cost] Get 2 random Chromadrakes. At the start of each turn, repeat this.

Copper Coil

• Old: Whenever you Magnetize a minion, give it +1/+1 and improve this.
• New: Whenever you Magnetize a minion, give it +2/+1 and improve this.

Nomi Sticker

• Old: After you play an Elemental, give Elementals in the Tavern +2/+1 this game.
• New: After you play an Elemental, give Elementals in the Tavern +2/+2 this game.

Dragonwing Glider

• Old: Whenever you play a card, give a friendly Dragon +3/+2.
• New: Whenever you play a card, give a friendly Dragon +4/+4.

Tiger Carving

• Old: Whenever a friendly minion takes damage, give a random friendly minion +2 Attack permanently.
• New: Whenever a friendly minion takes damage, give a random friendly minion +3 Attack permanently.

Gold Pendant

• Old: Make a random friendly minion from Tier 3 or below Golden. At the start of each turn, repeat this.
• New: Make a random friendly minion from Tier 4 or below Golden. At the start of each turn, repeat this.

Great Boar Sticker

• Old: [0 cost] Your Blood Gems give an extra +4 Attack.
• New: [2 cost] Get 3 Blood Gems. Your Blood Gems give an extra +2/+1.

Bluegill Flippers

• Old: After you cast a Tavern spell, give the left-most minion in your hand +4/+4.
• New: After you cast a Tavern spell, give the left-most minion in your hand and warband +3/+3.

Lorewalker Scroll

• Old: Whenever you cast a spell on a minion, give it +2/+2.
• New: Whenever you cast a spell on a minion, give it +4/+4.

Pocket Cyclone

• Old: [5 cost] Cast Easterly Winds twice. At the start of each turn, cast it again.
• New: [3 cost] Cast Easterly Winds. At the start of each turn, cast it again.

Jewelry Box

• Old: [5 cost] Get 2 Blood Gems that give a Quilboar Taunt, Divine Shield, or Reborn. At the start of each turn, repeat this.
• New: [2 cost] Get a Blood Gem that gives a Quilboar Taunt, Divine Shield, or Reborn. At the start of each turn, repeat this.

Lucky Tabby

• Old: After 6 friendly minions die, get a random Beast. (6 left!)
• New: After 7 friendly minions die, get a random Beast. (7 left!)

Ornate Clock

• Old: Gain 3 Gold. Buy your Greater Trinket next turn instead of Turn 9.
• New: Gain 2 Gold. Buy your Greater Trinket next turn instead of Turn 9.

Upstart Embers

• Old: After the Tavern is Refreshed, double the stats of its highest-Health minion.
• New: After you Refresh, double the stats of the highest-Health minion in the Tavern.

Greater Trinket Cost-Only Changes

• Booty Bay Brew: 1 → 0
• Faerie Dragon Scale: 6 → 4
• Behemoth Portrait: 1 → 0
• Lava Lamp: 3 → 1
• Pagle’s Fishing Rod: 5 → 4
• Accord-o-Tron Portrait: 3 → 4
• Egg of the Endtimes Portrait: 0 → 2

Greater Trinket Changes

Powder Keg

• Old: Start of Combat: Give 2 friendly Pirates “Deathrattle: Summon a 1/1 Sky Pirate and give it this minion’s Attack. It attacks immediately.”
• New: Start of Combat: Give 3 friendly Pirates “Deathrattle: Summon a 1/1 Sky Pirate and give it this minion’s Attack. It attacks immediately.”

Aggem Sticker

• Old: At the end of your turn, this plays 5 Blood Gems on a friendly minion of each type.
• New: At the end of your turn, this plays 7 Blood Gems on a friendly minion of each type.

Charming Panpipes

• Old: At the end of each turn, give your left-most minion +2/+2. After you cast a spell, improve this.
• New: At the end of each turn, give your left-most minion +3/+3. After you cast a spell, improve this.

Blood Golem Sticker

• Old: [3 Cost] Whenever a friendly Quilboar dies, summon a Golem with stats equal to its Blood Gems. (3 times per combat.)
• New: [5 Cost] Whenever a friendly Quilboar dies, summon a Golem with stats equal to its Blood Gems.

Tiger Carving

• Old: [1 Cost] Whenever a friendly minion takes damage, give a random friendly minion +4 Attack permanently.
• New: [2 Cost] Whenever a friendly minion takes damage, give a random friendly minion +5 Attack permanently.

Great Boar Sticker

• Old: [1 Cost] Your Blood Gems give an extra +2/+2.
• New: [2 Cost] Get 5 Blood Gems. Your Blood Gems give an extra +3/+3.

Young Murk-Eye Sticker

• Old: [6 Cost] At the end of each turn, trigger all friendly Battlecries.
• New: [4 Cost] At the end of your turn, trigger your your left and right-most minions’ Battlecries.

Nomi Sticker

• Old: [3 Cost] After you play an Elemental, Elementals in the Tavern have +4/+4 this game.
• New: [4 Cost] After you play an Elemental, Elementals in the Tavern have +5/+5 this game.

Avalanche Sticker

• Old: Get a Mounting Avalanche. After you sell 5 minions, repeat this. (5 left!)
• New: Get a Mounting Avalanche. After you sell 4 minions, repeat this. (4 left!)

Bug Fixes

Battlegrounds

• Fixed a text bug on Darkgaze Elder where it incorrectly read “Blood Gem” instead of “Blood Gems.”
• Fixed a text bug on Butchering to remove “Attack,” so it now correctly reads “+x/+y.”