Hearthstone Patch 17.4.1: Trial by Felfire Adventure, Demon Hunter Nerf, and Battlegrounds Updates

The second week of Hearthstone’s Felfire Festival brings forth a new solo adventure, Battlegrounds updates, and an alternate hero for the game’s first new class since 2014.

Aranna’s Tale

The new five-chapter, free-to-play solo adventure, Trial by Felfire, follows Aranna Starseeker as she takes on the might of Mecha-Jaraxxus and the Rusted Legion with the aid of demon hunter Illidan Stormrage. Completing the adventure presents the player with a Rusted Legion card back.

Trial by Felfire Solo Adventure goes live today.

A special Aranna Starseeker bundle is also available for purchase. It contains the Aranna Starseeker demon hunter hero, 20 Ashes of Outland card packs, and the Aranna Starseeker card back. The bundle is priced at $20 USD (approx. PHP 1,000).

The Fall of Tempo Demon Hunter?

The new update, however, comes as a double-edged sword for demon hunter enthusiasts.  Twin Slice, a card that has played a huge role in the class’s early game dominance has received a possibly meta-shifting nerf.

The 0 mana, +1 hero power spell has allowed demon hunter to control the board and dictate tempo by removing threats at ease while developing their own board at the same time. The change to Twin Slice‘s mana cost complicates a number of staple DH plays.

Twin Slice

• Old: [Cost 0] Give your hero +1 Attack this turn. Add ‘Second Slice’ to your hand → New: [Cost 1] Give your hero +2 Attack this turn. Add ‘Second Slice’ to your hand.

Second Slice

• Old: [Cost 0] Give your hero +1 Attack this turn. → New: [Cost 1] Give your hero +2 Attack this turn.

Now, neither Stayr Overseer nor Glaivebound Adept can be played on turns 3 and 5 respectively unless the player has a weapon equipped.  Cheap weapons like Umberwing or Aldrachi Warblades will become even more vital keeps at the mulligan.

Say goodbye to your coined-out, turn 2 Satyr Overseer.

The card’s combo potential with Altruis the Outcast for game-swinging board clears has also been significantly reduced. Players will have to do more careful consideration when planning their Altruis turns, most likely relying on the cost reduction from cards drawn with an outcasted Skull of Guldan. A number of players may be inclined to cut Altruis from their decks altogether.

But these changes won’t discourage the Illidan Stormrage faithful for long. For what it’s worth, it may promote slower, control-type demon hunter decks that will spice up the meta. Highlander Demon Hunter, anyone?

Battlegrounds Changes

Battlegrounds welcomes a fair number share of changes as well.

• Lord Jaraxxus’s Hero Power Bloodfury will now cost one coin instead of two.
• Reno Jackson’s Hero Power Gonna Be Rich will now cost two coins instead of three.
• Millificient Manastorm’s Hero Power Tinker now grants Mechs +1/+1 instead of +2 attack.
• For Maiev Shadowsong‘s Imprison, dormant minions no longer reduce the number of minions you see when refreshing Bob’s Tavern (unless you’re at Tier 6 and have 2 dormant minions in play, then it will reduce by 1).

Three Battlegrounds minions will also receive some changes:

Scavenging Hyena

• Old: [Tier 2, Beast] → New: [Tier 1, Beast]

Rabid Saurolisk

• Old: [Tier 1, Beast] 3 Attack, 1 Health → New: [Tier 2, Beast] 3 Attack, 2 Health.

Monstrous Macaw

• Old: [Tier 2, Beast] → New: [Tier 3, Beast]

In addition to hero and minion changes, a couple of Battlegrounds bugs have been resolved:

• Fixed two separate issues that caused the Hero Powers for Lady Vashj and Maiev Shadowsong to trigger unintended effects in the shop phase.
• Fixed an issue where the Deathrattle for Sneed’s Old Shredder was not summoning newly added Legendary minions.

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