It was 2018, when in the hot summer of the year Blizzard announced the expansion of Hearthstone Knights of the Frozen Throne, second update relating toYear of the Mammoth. Watching that breathtaking trailer we all hoped for the new Hearthstone class dedicated to the Death Knight, which would have upset the game's already all too solid foundations for several years. Unfortunately, halfway between disappointment and happiness, we had to settle for the Lich King, a very strong card that guaranteed all classes of Death Knight themed resources, without however being a new character in its own right. Hopes were now gone also given the presence of the Hero Cards, but Blizzard was ready to surprise us.
After almost two years, however, the developer has decided to completely reinvent himself, and to bring a new story inside the iconic Hearthstone inn, showing everyone the Demon Hunter. This is the first real new class for the card game, which when added to the others ranks as the tenth. With several presentation trailers, the software house showed the news scheduled for 2020 and 2021 of Hearthstone, making official theYear of the Phoenix and the new expansion Outer Lands Ashes - Or Ashes of the Outlands. After having thoroughly analyzed all the details shown, we are here to tell you about our considerations about it: here's what we think!
Illidan: a Demon Hunter
Imprisoned for ten thousand years… exiled from my homeland… and now, do you dare to enter my kingdom? You are not ready ... YOU ARE NOT READY!
One of the most beloved and iconic characters in the universe of Warcraft - present within Hearthstone only in the form of a card now off-meta - is ready to become the tenth hero of the card game. Illidan is an unstoppable Demon Hunter always ready to show off his two magnificent twin Warblades of Azzinoth. Before the release of Ashes of the Outlands, arriving on April 7, we will be able to get our hands on a prologue dedicated exclusively to this character, where we will perhaps be able to experience the history of the demon more deeply, with possible connections to his brotherhood with Malfurion. Appointment set for April 2nd!
The new class will be integrated into the game thanks to the cards available in this free adventure, which will try to enter the meta in the same way as the others, positioning themselves in the set of The Descent of the Dragons, the current expansion in effect. The new class is based on the frequent attacks of the hero, which are hidden behind the mechanics to be deepened and mastered, as they are extremely technical in the trifles. The Demon Hunter cards shown have a crazy power level, accompanied by his Hero Power with a mana that grants him +1 attack on activation, certainly very strong.
Let's discover the Hearthstone Outlands
It didn't seem so clear until recently, but the fundamental theme that has been missing - until now - in the world of Hearthstone is related to Outlands is Earth External. Concealed from Dark Portal di Azeroth, located in the region of Kalimdor, these lands are the real hell of Warcraft, considering also that they open their repertoire with the Hellfire Peninsula. These areas offer endless narrative pretexts for The Year of the Phoenix, which will likely be narratively linked in the 3 expansions it will contain.
We could talk about Netherstorm and Area 52 for the August expansion, and Hellfire Peninsula expansion in the third, though the cities of Shattrat and Nagrand are quite eligible for the role, as may other locations. The only certainty is now Ashes of Outland, the next expansion of Hearthstone. This will add the mechanics Repudiation - Or Outcast - which grants the cards an upgrade in the event that they are played from the far left of the hand, prompting the player to use resources to activate the effect. In addition, various new features will be included in the expansion, such as legendary minions that are shuffled into the deck in an enhanced version at the moment of death.
Considering the cards revealed, Ashes of Outland seems to bring about an immeasurable power level compared to the Year of the Dragon. However, we can only hope for an extreme weighting by Blizzard, which he will not want to make the mistakes of the Year of the Mammoth creating a power level that is no longer controllable, which would lead Hearthstone into a new period of extreme recession as happened in theYear of the Raven. It is good that the Demon Hunter is not the only class played, also given the gratuitousness of his cards, and it is necessary that all the others are up to the task with their arsenal.
A Year of the Phoenix full of news
The next three expansions seem to guarantee a lot of new things beyond the "simple" additions of cards every four months. Blizzard, in fact, wanted to show its road-map of the game, providing indications on how it intends to develop the additions for Hearthstone in the coming months. There is even talk of a new mode parallel to the Battle, which could take up the idea of Tournaments announced and never finalized, or perhaps an unexpected novelty. The "Businesses and Progress“, Which could give interesting new ideas for spending time in the inn. Also, as you can see from the following photo, some surprises will be ready to surprise us with the arrival of the next two expansions.
Speaking of the current changes… well, Blizzard didn't want to spare anything! Starting from the new priest cards, and from all the Hall of Fame changes detailed in the following article, it seems that the meta really wants to start from the ground up, which forced us to say goodbye to the beloved Leeroy Jenkins in standard mode.
Over the course of the Year of the Phoenix, Blizzard plans to favor all new players with several new additions. All Hearthstone newbies, as well as anyone who hasn't logged in for at least 4 months, will receive a competitive deck of a class of their choice, as soon as you log in for the first time. Furthermore, the packages can no longer contain triples of cards already owned in double copy, just like with the legendaries. This will make Hearthstone spending significantly lower and undoubtedly more compelling unpacking.
Last news, but certainly not least, the software house has decided to completely revolutionize the classified mode. The various ranks will in fact be separated into groups of 10 from the classic tiers of the videogame world: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond, which will lead to the classic legend rank. Every 5 ranks a checkpoint will be established and rewards awarded, with bonuses for the first achievement. In this way the ranked matches will not be governed by mere cold stars, but by rewards and interesting leagues. At the start of the month, players will all return to Bronze 10 rank, but will earn bonuses based on the previous month's rank.
Blizzard is ready to work excellently throughout the Year of the Phoenix, with lots of news announced and just as many factors to keep an eye on. The Demon Hunter will have to be at the same level as the other classes, the promises will be kept and an eye for the next expansions will be necessary, given the apparently very high power level of Ashes of Outland. Furthermore, it is not yet clear how the narration of the prologue and the adventure will be structured, but we will delve into all the contents on our pages. Keep following us!
