Tag Archives: Hearthstone

Digital Playground

Hearthstone Update April 2024

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Introduction

In yesterday’s update, I gave all the things I liked (and a few I dislike) about Magic the Gathering Arena. I planned to do Hearthstone today. From previous articles, you may expect the list of dislikes to be much longer than the list of likes. However, as I mentioned a few times before, age made me both more understanding and less patient. I can’t explain it, kids. As a result, I came to a place of understanding and even joy with the game as of this Hearthstone Update April 2024.

Events

Hearthstone events happen much more infrequently than Arena. Certainly, unless you count the Tavern Brawl, we don’t get them every week. However, when run, I enjoy them. Blizzard also makes them easy to complete and they give good rewards. Similar to Arena, you receive packs and hero portraits mostly and sometimes card backs.

The most recent event for the release of Whizbang’s Workshop set.

If the rewards this time look paltry, I agree. I think they went lighter this time around because they recently ran an event for Hearthstone’s 10 year anniversary. That one gave many more and much better rewards. Still, how can you complain about free packs and a hero portrait?

Really? 10 Years?

Man, I am getting good at these transitions between sections. And, it only took 10 years. No, that title isn’t meant to remind you that 2 Generations gaming debuted almost 10 years ago. Instead, I refer to the Hearthstone 10 year anniversary mentioned above. If you asked me 10 years ago, I never imagined still talking about this game on this page 10 years later. Sure, the game might last that long. However, when it first released, Chris and I shared a mutual hatred of the game.

Because he sticks to his guns much better than I, he eventually left the game and never came back. I quit and uninstalled more times than I can count. Yet, here I am. 10 years later and still talking about the game I once loved to hate. Hell, I wrote an article a few weeks ago possibly eulogizing the game. Then, they promptly came out with the plan for the new Hearthstone year and here we are. Congratulations, Hearthstone, I guess we’re stuck together until the bitter end.

Other Modes

Instead of talking about the other freebies, which are similar to Arena, I want to mention the other modes that Hearthstone offers. Some of them died after being left on the vine to rot. Obviously, I’m looking at Duels and Mercenaries, of course. I just started playing Mercenaries regularly when they finally decided to pull the plug. Yes, poor timing on my part, but it still stings.

Mercenaries, we hardly knew ye.

Then, only the old stalwarts remain. Tavern Brawl, which gets a bump every time they run the whale backed event, the Brawliseum. Arena used to be the cash cow and everyone streamed it, but then they released Battlegrounds. I wrote an article about it and the time and said that I’d probably only play that mode. For a while, that was true. Then, I completed the rewards track for the mode and now I just play to finish quests.

Rewards Tracks

If I’m being honest (and why wouldn’t I?), I only play for the rewards at this point. As I just mentioned, they give rewards for Battlegrounds. They also offer a rewards track for the main game mode every time they release a new set. No video this time because I played on my Smurf account this morning. But, the screenshots give a general idea.

Overall

Overall, as of the Hearthstone Update April 2024, I found peace with the game. I play to finish quests and to get free (and slightly more than free) rewards on the rewards tracks. I celebrate lasting longer than the ill fated attempt at eSports and look forward to see what the next ten years brings. Raise a glass in the tavern, fellow gamers, and toast with me.

Digital Playground

The Death of Hearthstone?

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Introduction

Nothing lasts forever. Father Time is undefeated. Your preferred cliche here to explain the passing of time and impermanence of everything. I mean, I’m even going through another one of my “do I really want to spend all of this money on cards (real or virtual) anymore?” phases. This one feels different, though. Nevertheless, I come to praise and not bury on this the possible Even of the death of Hearthstone.

At times in the past, I’d bury Hearthstone and happily so. Either I grew up, or it became less annoying, or both, because I actually feel melancholy about the possible demise of the old lady. Between rewards tracks and actual enjoyment of Battlegrounds, if the game dies, that puts quite the hole in my daily rotation of games. Whatever will I do? Perhaps update the YouTube page more consistently?

Why the Funeral?

I originally planned this article as an update to the game. The last time I visited Hearthstone, I wrote a quick article comparing the new expansion to the new MTG expansion. Not even a full set of articles for the game and that expansion. And, to be honest, not much has changed. They released a mini set, but there are no other expansions planned right now and their “Year of” update normally gaining steam right now is nowhere to be found.

The company just experienced massive layoffs at the hands of their new owners, Microsoft. Wizards, too, but for some reason Magic the Gathering still looks strong right now. Hearthstone, not so much. Hell, I even typed “Is Hearthstone Dead” into Google to try to confirm my suspicions. No confirmation, but the drums are beating louder if Reddit is any indication.

Esports, on the other hand…

In this case, I will take a victory lap. Call it dancing on the corpses of the content creators and influencers, if you must. If so, please make sure that you call it the sour grapes that it definitely is. Chris and I never believed in the whole esports scene and we are repeatedly being proved right on that front. It’s different to watch Lebron James or Patrick Mahomes do great things and know that you never could. It’s entirely different to watch some rando sling cards and know that, with a little bit of practice, you could pretty much do the same. Apparently, Blizzard stuck a knife in the side of their Hearthstone esports scene and nearly everyone agrees that’s over.

The Verdict

I may be premature in naming the death of Hearthstone. I mean, people still play Doom on a semi regular basis 30 years ago. Even if the game does stop getting support completely from Blizzard, people will still play and they might even pick up the mantle to keep the game going. That’s what seems to happen to the games that I play. They get sold to another company who keeps it afloat for a few years. I guess we’ll truly see in a couple of months when it’s time for the new “year” in Hearthstone.

Digital Playground

2023 Mobile Game of the Year

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Introduction

We wrote some words a few days ago about the contenders for the title this year. While familiar, none of them are any less deserving of the title of 2023 Mobile Game of the Year.Actually, let me tell you a possibly funny story about why all of the games are familiar.

In my Financial Algebra class, while they worked (and some didn’t work), I reflected on the mobile games I played. I offhandedly asked the class, “Does anyone know of any good mobile games?” One student answered quickly, “No. All of them are garbage.” I replied, “I just play the games that aren’t really mobile, but have been ported like Magic the Gathering and Hearthstone.” Another made a face and we talked for the last 15 minutes of class about games. Okay, maybe not hilarious, but I laughed when he, without hesitation, declared every mobile game as trash.

My Criteria in Picking the Winner

Before I reveal the worst kept secret until next week when I write another set of these articles for PC Games, let me write a little to pump up the legitimacy of this page a little bit. You need to know the criteria that I used to pick the game.

Genuinely, the only criteria that I use is the personal and hard to define “fun”. Obviously what’s fun to one person is not fun to another. But, honestly, I can’t use things like graphics because all card games use the same basic graphics template. I could use sound because they take different tact in their use of sound. But, most of the time I play without sound, so I have little to no data for that criteria.

Variety of game modes just came to me as I wrote. In that area, the winner wins without question. Both Magic the Gathering Arena and Marvel SNAP offer differing game modes. But, ultimately, they both boil down to different versions of the same game. Slightly different rules or standards, but just playing cards. Hearthstone gives you Battlegrounds at the top of the list and a variety of other dead or nearly dead modes that they tried.

Silly and Stupid Hearthstone

I started to post with more regularity to the YouTube channel for the page. With that new commitment, I uploaded a couple of Hearthstone videos that I thought were fun.

Speaking of dead game modes, the first video comes in the recently deceased Mercenaries mode. I started playing the mode earlier in the year and enjoyed it. Then, of course, came the announcement that Blizzard killed the mode. Oh well. Enjoy the video. Note: This came before I shortened the introduction, so the video starts about 20 seconds in. You live, you learn.

My favorite game mode, by far, is the Battlegrounds. I’ve been playing it since it first released. I can’t remember if I got early access or not. I also can’t 100% explain the appeal. It’s just fun.

The Verdict

Yes, my 2023 mobile game of the year is Hearthstone. It’s not always fun. In fact, I hate the game more than I love it. But, when it’s fun, it’s really fun. And, they know just how to keep me coming back for more with rewards tracks, special events, and Twitch giveaways. Congratulations, Blizzard, the award is well deserved.

Digital Playground

2023 Mobile Game of the Year Contenders

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Introduction

I searched earlier in the week back to last year to see if I wrote preview articles for the new year. I did, but I wrote them in January as part of “New Year, New Games”. Next year, our 10th, the theme is “New Decade, New Games”, so I the previews come then. Therefore, I needed a Wednesday article for my look back series. Enter 2023 Mobile Game of the Year Contenders.

This article almost makes us look official like. While merely a web page run essentially by two guys as a hobby, I like to dip my toe into the professional writing scene every now and then. So, while I already picked the mobile game of the year for this year, I can pretend for the sake of this article.

Candy Crush/Soda Saga

I played these games regularly several years ago. I worked ridiculous hours and spent what down time I had with the games on my phone. For whatever reason, even though I enjoy Magic the Gathering and Marvel more, I played these match 3 games and spent more money that I’m comfortable admitting on boosters and extended levels.

More recently, I picked both games up again. I spend less time with some of the other games that I like. Plus, I can’t find a new time sink that satisfies me the same as these games. So, I’m back to logging in on a daily basis to try to finish the next level. Once in a while, I get inspired to keep playing for a streak or other bonus.

Hearthstone

Likewise, I spent a good amount of time on this game at the beginning of the year. Mostly, I played Battlegrounds, but I always tried to finish quests in the main mode, too, in order to advance on the rewards track. Over the last few months, as I mentioned, I spent less time playing. I finished the Battlegrounds rewards track pretty early this time and they only recently released a new one. So, I might find some recency bias and choose Hearthstone as my game of the year. Hey, there’s precedent. I picked Marvel SNAP last year in spite of only having played it for a couple of months.

Magic the Gathering Arena

In spite of my recent decrease in play time, I still play MTGA as often as ever. I found a new joy with the game through my play group with Chris and Jason, so I use the game as a way to keep my brain and plays fresh during the in between times. They also offer cool midweek Magic events to get packs and other cosmetics. This week they introduce the new “Vintage” format for the game, Timeless. I tried to make a deck but didn’t have all of the cards or wild cards. So, I just submitted my elf tribal deck.

Marvel SNAP

As mentioned, Marvel SNAP won game of the year last year in spite of the fact that it took me several months to play the game. I probably played it more this year than many other games. My play time might not be as great as MTGA or Hearthstone, but that’s only because games only take 3-5 minutes tops to finish. Though, I recently discovered Conquest mode and I’m trying to get the Hellfire Gala Thor variant from that.

The Verdict

You get the true verdict for the 2023 Mobile Game of the Year Contenders on Friday. We here at 2 Generations Gaming already know the results. But, unlike much of what we do here, we promise no spoilers for this one. Come back Friday to find out.

Digital Playground

Mobile Gaming is a Gift 2023

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Introduction

Last year, I finally came through on an idea I had at least 5 years ago. I decided to come up with a theme for each month and focus the page on that theme. The first one I implemented was for October (the very first theme I came up with) and then I moved on to December. What better theme than gifts? And, so, welcome to the first article of the second installment, Mobile Gaming is a Gift 2023.

I use this as a way to look back on the year that was and all the mobile games I played. Also, I just got the idea to look at my “look ahead” article from earlier in the year. Provide an update on all the games I played and (more likely looking at the list) that I completely forgot.

So, About That List?

Of these three games, the only one I played was Mighty Doom. It was fun for about 10 minutes and then I quickly grew bored. Looking at the reviews of the other two, I won’t be trying MK: Onslaught any time soon. Sounds like a money sink with a decent story. I can watch that on YouTube. Dark Alliance sounds fun, but it’s 10 bucks, so we’ll see if I end up downloading that. Cheaper than the Steam version, though.

The Warhammer game looks like vaporware after a quick search. Apparently, the GTA series got incorporated into Netflix somehow because that’s the only story that I can find right now. Reviews of Ever Crisis describe it as an annoying grind fest with little pay off. So, one for six and I’m not even going to go into the cluster that the Warcraft Rumble game looks like.

Any New Games, Then?

Well, in addition to Marvel SNAP, Hearthstone (with less frequency than before), and Magic the Gathering: Arena, I also played Candy Crush and Candy Crush Soda Saga on a daily basis. Magic the Gathering Puzzle Quest is a daily login just for the freebie, as I theorized. I played a few times to finish quests, but not enough to consider it a regular. Even though the other Warhammer game looks imaginary or perpetually in the developing stage, I played Tacticus, a Warhammer 40k game. While repetitive, I still have fun playing it.

Additionally, sparked by conversation with colleagues, I downloaded the NYT word puzzle app again. I loved doing the small crosswords and got my Wordle streak to 75 before losing it. Good news! I’m almost to 20 again. They also have a game called Connections or something that took me a few tries to figure out. The last is Spelling Bee. Well, all of this nerdy fun led me to download Wordscapes.

It’s, uh, not great. I played for a few days, maybe a week. I paid to get rid of the ads because they annoyed the shit out of me. Then, today, I just stopped playing and uninstalled. It’s just too easy and there’s not enough variety in the levels to make it interesting. I thought it was cool to see what words used the same letters but just rearranged. Other than that, the game just became a time waster.

The Verdict

While the claim that mobile gaming is a gift 2023 isn’t completely false, it does feel empty after sitting down and reflecting back. Really, the only two games that brought me any joy were Magic the Gathering Arena and Marvel SNAP. Oh, I also dug out my tablet and played some Teamfight Tactics a few times. I don’t like it on the phone, but it plays nicely on the tablet. So, overall, not a total loss. But, definitely not the golden age of mobile gaming right now.

Digital Playground

Thankful for Mobile Gaming 2023

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Introduction

Tomorrow is the big day. One of my favorite, if not my favorite, holidays. Family, food, and football. And, with it, I started my thankful for gaming series. Yesterday, I talked about my adventures in console and PC. Today, I write about being thankful for mobile gaming 2023.

I played a couple of new games this year on mobile. Most of my time, though, I spent playing the old standards. Magic the Gathering, Hearthstone and, after an extended break, Marvel SNAP. Nevertheless, I still consider myself luck to live in a time that allows me to play all of those games on my phone.

A Couple of New Games

More than once, I typed into my Google machine, “best mobile game”. Every single time, I came away disappointed. I think most of the pages just listed the most popular or sponsored content. I mean, ads are the only way that we monetize our shitty web pages these days. Sorry, that was dark. Let me lighten the mood.

I spent more money in the original Candy Crush than I’m comfortable admitting. Recently, I take longer and longer breaks because the levels became nearly unpassable. The most recent level feels like a gate keeper level that requires me to spend more money. So, naturally, when I saw the Soda game pop up on one of the lists, I downloaded it. The game obviously plays identically to the original with a few “sodafied” alterations. I added it to my daily routine along with the first one.

I don’t remember when I saw this game, downloaded, or started playing it. I know that it still isn’t part of my daily rotation. I pick it up every now and then, play for a few levels to clear the daily quest, and then put it aside again for some time. I like the game, but always struggle with these tactics type games. They just don’t hook me for extended periods of time.

The Verdict

Other than that, I already mentioned the other games I played on a regular basis. For them all, I’m thankful for mobile gaming 2023. Do you have any others that you like and want to suggest? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter or Instagram.

Digital Playground, On the Tabletop

MTG vs. Hearthstone Part 2: Story/Art

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Introduction

It’s that time of year when things get pushed to the background, especially here on the page. But, I remain committed to updating as often as possible. And, so, MTG vs. Hearthstone Part 2 and Part 3 becomes Part 2 only. Who knows? I actually think this works better.

Again, similar to my previous article in this series, a direct comparison between the two feels ridiculous. Wizards of the Coast takes their art and story very seriously. They also worked tirelessly recently to clean up some loose ends and make the story more consistent and coherent. Blizzard went the route of making their stories sillier and their art less realistic. Being someone who likes that style less, I side with Magic the gathering on both.

Showdown in the Badlands Art

As if proof of concept, I found no art in the new Hearthstone set that impressed me other than the new Reno. And, honestly, I think that’s just because I like the card style of the hero cards. The art itself leaves much to be desired. It’s simply a portrait of the hero. Some of the new Druid dragons look cool, too. Other than that, though, the set art is very plain.

Showdown in the Badlands Story

From the Blizzard Hearthstone site:

“The Bloodrock Mining Company found powerful Azerite in the Badlands. They’re digging deep and bleeding the land dry, disrupting the Badlands and awakening slumbering elementals! Now mysterious outlaws are riding into town to set things right. Tumbleweeds roll by and high noon looms. Grab your horse and your hat, it’s nearly time for a Showdown in the Badlands!”

I mean, that’s not a terrible set up for a decent story. But, after that, the pay off lacks some punch. Some of the cards and the mechanics mention the Azurite and other parts of the storyline. However, Blizzard doesn’t weave their story into the game as much as Wizards. So, while I like the story, I wish they gave fans like me a little more to work with.

Lost Caverns of Ixalan Art

I picked these three cards for a reason. The only one I genuinely like as art is Hurl into History. The art matches the card description perfectly. It also gives a great sense of motion. I picked the dragon to give a comparison in art styles between the two games. The Fabrication Foundry does the same. Even when they come up with some ridiculous idea of a being, they still make it seem like it exists in a real and living world. That adds to my enjoyment and appreciation of the art.

Lost Caverns of Ixalan Story

I can’t hope to include the entire story here like I did with the Hearthstone excerpt. The story on the official Wizards page scrolls for thousands of words and follows several different characters. But, what I remember from Ixalan before, it features dinosaurs and pirates. What more can you ask for?

As far as I’m concerned, nothing. But, as Billy Mays always said, “There’s more!” WotC also gives us gods in this set. Unlike some other planes, these gods aren’t explicitly immortal. Rather, when they die, they transform into temple lands with a mana ability that allows the god to reascend later in the game. I like that twist because you can remove the god from the board for a time without having to use an exile spell.

The Verdict

Again, without directly comparing the two, I need to wrap up this MTG vs. Hearthstone Part 2 article. The art for Showdown in the Badlands doesn’t impress me at all. The story, on the other hand, works well enough. I always love looking at old Magic the Gathering sets to revisit the art. I keep track of the story when it’s interesting. Other than the pirates and dinosaurs, I don’t find Ixalan particularly compelling.

Digital Playground, On the Tabletop

MTG vs. Hearthstone Part 1: Mechanics and Keywords

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Introduction

I realized a few weeks ago that both Magic the Gathering and Hearthstone released expansions this week. Instead of reviewing both sets individually (who has time for that?), I decided to write a series comparing the two sets. I, then, further refined the series by splitting it into three parts, mechanics/keywords, story, and art. MTG vs. Hearthstone Part 1 brings mechanics and keywords.

Having never written this type of article before, I have no idea how to approach it. Do I write it as if it was a true battle of the card battlers and come up with a victor at the end? Or, simply give a summary of the two sets and allow the reader to make up their mind. Now that I see that written, that makes the most sense. So, be prepared to make a decision by the end of the week.

Showdown in the Badlands Mechanics and Keywords

According to the Blizzard expansion page, Showdown in the Badlands only introduces two new keywords, Quickdraw and Excavate. For those of you who play Eternal, Quickdraw sounds familiar. However, in Hearthstone it has a completely different effect. Cards with the keyword get a bonus if you play them the turn that they are drawn. The card below gives you an example. If you play this on the turn it enters your hand (so it can be discovered, not drawn is how I interpret that), you get a coin. If you combo it with another card, you get a coin. According to my rudimentary research, you can only generate one coin with this. So, small miracles. Yes, that pun was intended.

Excavate, on the other hand, only applies to certain classes. By my understanding, other classes can excavate cards through Discover, but you don’t get a pay off of the legendary treasure. You simply cycle through the Common-Rare-Epic treasures. If you want to see the various treasures and their rarity level, check out this guide at Hearthstone Top Decks.

Aside from the keywords, the only notable mechanic that I see returning in the set is “Highlander” decks. So called because they only contain one copy (get it?!) of each card, some cards in the game pay off for just such a deck. The most prominent is the original Reno, which healed your character back to full health in the case of only one card left in your deck. Others came along like Kazakus and Zephrys that were fun, but the only ones that really caught on long term were priest cards. Well, Reno is back and he wants your Highlander deck again.

Lost Caverns of Ixalan Keywords and Mechanics

The other reason I didn’t want to directly compare the two sets is that Magic the Gathering is a much more complex game than Hearthstone. Therefore, with each set release, they have more keywords and mechanics. They also have cycles in each set that share a commonality. If you’ve never played the game, you care nothing about those. On the other hand, if you have, then you probably already know all of this. If you somehow exist in another subset of those possibilities, you can read more here.

The two brand new keywords in the set are Craft and Descend. Craft allows you to transform an artifact into a more powerful artifact with a mana and additional cost. Descend refers to your graveyard. You can descend by putting a card into the graveyard. You can check your descend score with an “X” value.

The Verdict

No, I didn’t lie. You won’t find any actual verdict here at the end of MTG vs. Hearthstone Part 1. Instead, I leave you with a question. Which of the keywords has you most excited, interested, or wondering. Are there any that you can see yourself building a deck around? I, for one, love the idea of Reno and I’m putting that in my decks.

Digital Playground

Hearthstone TITANS

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Introduction

Those who thought I wrote about the acutal Hearthstone TITANS in my last article breathe a sigh of relief. I went back and forth on how to approach these articles. I thought because I planned for the release last week that I’d only have time for one article. So, my usual tact of covering the cards class by class would not work.

Initially, I planned just to cover the Hearthstone TITANS in that single article. However, I reworked my schedule and moved some things around. That gave me a whole week to cover the expansion. I still didn’t want to write the usual article covering all of the cards, though. So, I got the idea to write about keywords, then the supporting legendary cards, and finally the TITANS themselves.

Before that, let me explain why these minions have an entirely different card type. They start as minions on the board, unable to attack. Each turn, including the one you play them, you may use one of three abilities. Once an ability is used, you can no longer use that one. After all three abilities have been used, it can attack.

Death Knight: The Primus

The blood and the frost rune powers seem pretty great. Removing a big minion and gaining that health on one of your minions plus healing is a big swing in any game. +3 spell damage on most mass removal spells is very welcome. The unholy one, by comparison, feels weak. But, they can’t all be bangers, as they say. Even so, in some situations, 4 bodies with taunt might be enough to help stabilize. My verdict: Good.

Demon Hunter: Argus, the Emerald Star

I actually played this one a couple of times to finish the event quest. I both needed to play as Demon Hunter and owned this card from the packs that I opened. As I sit here, I realize that I rarely actually used his abilities. The mechanic takes some getting used to. In any event, Show of Force is great in an aggro deck and Crystal Carving gives you options. The third, like above, can help stabilize. Plus, his persistent power is nice and versatile. My verdict: Good.

Druid: Eonar, the Life Binder

When writing about the other accompanying legendary cards, I noticed that this one and the druid keeper can combo quite nicely. The first power is always welcome. The other two combo pretty nicely with Wildheart Guff. Druid is known for mana and ramp shenanigans and this card really ups the ante on that. My verdict: Good.

Hunter: Aggramar, the Avenger

This card equips a weapon and then gives three powers that support that weapon. Card draw is nice, again taunt minions give a chance to stabilize, and the third power gives you the ability to remove small and medium minions without taking damage. Overall, a tad bit underwhelming, in my opinion. My verdict: Decent.

Mage: Norgannon

The abilities by themselves seem underwhelming. But, chaining them together by starting with the secret, then making the enemy cards cost more (to try to lock them out) and finishing with a double Pyroblast to the face is the dream. The only problem is protecting Norgannon for two turns to pull it off. My verdict: Good.

Paladin: Amitus, the Peacekeeper

He does what Paladin does. I like his persistent ability because it extends your minions and allows for more removal. Pairing it with his first ability gives them all one more hit on minions. His second ability combines with consecration, but without a coin or other mana cheat, you can’t do those both on the same turn. The third ability, very situational, feels like the design team got a little too cute. My verdict: Decent.

Priest: Aman’thul

That second ability alone makes this card worth the price of admission. Plus, simpy by getting that off, you discover a legendary minion. The first ability can be scary in the right deck. I’m thinking Velen right away. I’m never a fan of random effects, espeically mana locked ones. Too often, I “randomly” summon a 5 mana 1/1 for me to trust them. My verdict: Great.

Rogue: V-07-TR-0N Prime

At first glance, I want to call this card garbage. And, it very well might be. But, as I look at the abilities more and consider his persistent ability, I think some things can happen with this card and another minion on the board. The only thing I don’t like is the “Deal 4 damage to a ranom enemy.” That means that the ability can always go face. Sure, damage to the face is nice, but isn’t Hearthstone about board control and miinion interaction? Or, have we just forgotten all about that? My verdict: Decent.

Shaman: Golganneth, the Thunderer

Okay, now I’m quite confident that this one is garbage. The mana cheat is nice, but those abilities just don’t wow me like some of the other ones. I wish the Lord of Skies jumped like chain lightning or rolling fireball. Single target huge removal is nice, but just too limiting. Roaring Oceans is nice and Shargahn’s Wrath requires leaning into overload. My verdict: Decent.

Warlock: Sargeras, the Destroyer

This guy just seems like a ton of fun to play. They programmed that portal ability many years ago and they just keep building it into other cards. I can’t blame them for wanting to reuse their code, especially when I sit down and fiddle with the little bit of coding that I’ve done. The abilities themselves are middling, but like I say, I look at this card and smile mainly because of that removal spell. My verdict: Good.

Warrior: Khaz’goroth

I loved the Warrior keeper. I don’t love this one as much, but his utility is still pretty high. Being a limited (to only one minion) but immune Deathwing is kind of a nice little bonus. Plus, with the keeper, the first ability also gives attack. If you just absolutely want to decimate an opponent late game by tearing apart every minion he plays, this is the card for you. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict

Overall, the Hearthstone TITANS themselves underwhelm. I know they can’t make them too powerful, but some of the abilities are just downright bad and could be reworked or tweaked to make them slightly more powerful. Who knows? Maybe they plan on a Hearthstone TITANS 2 expansion sometime in the future and they’ll do just that.

Pictures taken from the mothership and snapped from Hearthstone Wiki.

Digital Playground

Legendary Hearthstone TITANS

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Introduction

I realize the title Legendary Hearthstone TITANS might come off as misleading. I tried the title Hearthstone TITANS Legendaries (but spell check tells me you can’t pluralize Legendary). Legendary Cards works, but makes the title too long. So, while you possibly came to this page looking for my thoughts on the actual TITAN cards, you missed by one article. Check out the very next article.

Instead, this article talks about the new legendary cards released with the set that don’t belong to the “Titan” keyword. Blizzard calls them Keepers and the lore explains that the Titans created them to develop and watch over the new planet. Basically, they became Azeroth’s first mythical heroes.

Death Knight: Helya

Helya comes with a basic stat line for a 4 drop card, but she shuffles 3 plagues into the deck and makes them “unending”. I looked up what that means. The cards get shuffled back into the deck for a chance to draw them again. Not what I thought, but sometimes Blizzard gets weird with their wording. Certainly not as logical as WotC and Magic the Gathering.

The plagues, for information sake, are Blood, Unholy, and Frost. All three deal 3 damage to the player. Blood restores 2 health to your hero. Unholy summons a 2/2 on your board. Frost increases the cost of the next card your opponent plays by 1 (not over 10).

Overall, a fine card for the cost. Especially if you plan to play plagues in your deck. My verdict: Good.

Demon Hunter: Jotun, the Eternal

Less to explain on this one. As they always say, “text on card.” Does anyone actually say that? I feel like there’s a saying for when the card does exactly what it says. Kind of sarcastic way of saying, “Hey, buddy, just read the card.” Maybe that’s the saying. I don’t know. Some sort of memory tickled the back of my brain when I realized that this card needed less explanation. And, still, I spent an entire paragraph explaining that. Hey, we do what we do here.

Anyway, perpetual effects can be fun in Hearthstone. This one works very well in a deck that I played a few times, Spell Demon Hunter. If you draw it on curve, you get a copy of basically ever other card you draw for the rest of the game. Right now, I really like this card. Maybe I’ll craft it and play it to see if it’s as good as I think. My verdict: Great.

Druid: Freya, Keeper of Nature

Okay, we determined that there’s no sarcastic way to say, “text on card.” Unless you read that in a sarcastic tone. In which case, that’s on you. I meant no ill will with my explanation. If you can read, you know what this card does.

“Choose one” is standard druid stuff from the beginning of the game. While this seems like a potentially powerful effect, my experience in game is that this can brick more often that blow out the opponent. Maybe I’m just jaded because luck (I know, I know, but trust me I’m unlucky in these games) goes against me so often. Plus, 8 mana feels so expensive. My verdict: Decent.

Hunter: Hodir, Father of Giants

Okay, no more mention anymore to increase my word count. Let’s just talk abouot this one. I saw a video where they played this one and then two one mana minions with rush. Effective removal and youo end up possibly with 3 8/x on the board next turn. Also, in a beast hunter, you can combo it with some of the smaller minions with charge (but there are fewer of them) for a quick kill later in the game. My verdict: Good.

Mage: Sif

Okay, so some explanation required here. If you cast just from Mage, there are three schools that can improve spell damage. If, however, you pull from other classes, you might potentially get it higher. As with many mage minions, this one feels quite situational. I think that if there’s room, Casino Mage might find a spot for it. My Verdict: Decent

Paladin: Tyr

Okay, now this one is absolutely situational. The only deck that immediatly comes to mind is mech paladin, which sees play every now and then. Plus, mechs offer some very good cheap minions. My verdict: Decent.

Priest: Ra-den

I play a couple of priest decks depending on the quests of the day. One is a terrible quest priest, but I played the reward more than half a dozen times to kill the opponent. The other incorporates C’thun and Yogg into a Renethal deck. I can rework that one to fit this card in and see if it works at all. My verdict: Good.

Rogue: Mimiron, the Mastermind

Looks like they’re trying to make mech rogue a thing. As you will see in my Titans article on Friday, the Rogue titan is also a mech. The random gadgets are one of six cards that all cost one except for the coolant; coolant (next card played this turn costs 2 less), cloak field (give a minion +3 attack and stealth until next turn), switch (two minions swap stats), horn (give a minion taunt and divine shield), rewinder (return a minion to your hand), and blades (deal 3 damage). A decent card with some utility, but I wonder how many rogues will bite on the mech angle. My verdict: Decent.

Shaman: Thorim, Stormlord

Wow. This is the best card of the set so far. I looked ahead and the other two and the only one that feels as strong is the Warrior one. Cheap, versatile, card draw and it unlocks your mana? This one will absolutely see play. My verdict: Great. Best card of the Legendary Hearthstone TITANS.

Warlock: Loken, Jailor of Yogg-Saron

This card is fine in a big Warlock deck. Other than that, I don’t see a place for this card. I’m quite underwhelmed. This might be the worst card in the bunch. My verdict: Meh.

Warrior: Odyn, Prime Designate

Okay, now this card is great. Expensive, but Warrior often plays the long game anyway. Well, my Warrior deck do at least. Initially, I thought this might rival the Shaman card but, now I’m not so sure. The cheaper cost and utility of the Shaman card just give it an edge. I will definitely craft this one because I love playing Control Warrior, but I just think the Shaman card is better. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict

Legendary Hearthstone TITANS bring some fun cards into the mix. Overall, I can see myself playing every one of them at one point or another in a deck to finish out a daily quest. Come back on Friday to see what I think of the actual Titans.