Hearthstone Battlegrounds Patch 26.2.2: Banana Slamma, Nadina nerfed

Hearthstone Patch 26.2.2 is here, despite some hurdles and with it come Battlegrounds balance changes. Elementals get buffs, Dragons and Pirates receive nerfs. Beasts get a nerf, as their infamous Banana Slamma moves up a Tier. Mama Bear's effect and Reanimating Rattler's Reborn galore are also touched. Let’s dive into the details!

To further counter said Reborn effects, Sin’dorei Straight Shot is now available in all lobbies, not just against Undead. Rivendare, beware, as Zapp Slywick now has 8/16. Upbeat Duo now cares for positioning, giving a plain copy of the minion to the left of it, every two turns. There are some minor Armor changes as well: Master Nguyen down to 8 armor and Patches the Pirate down to 10 in higher ranked lobbies. 

E.T.C., Band Manager’s Armor goes down to 10, with the upside that its Hero Power is cheaper. Sign a New Artist now costs 3 Gold and allows smoother leveling curves than the awkward 4 Gold.

Let’s not beat around the bush, this is what you came for. Well, Battlegrounds Patch 26.2.2 won’t disappoint you! Banana Slamma's nerf takes him to Tier 4, up from Tier 3. Not enough for the maligned stat doubler? The team have slammed its enablers too. Mama Bear is now a 4/4 that grants +4/+4, down from 5, so their combo scales less. Say goodbye to Reanimating Rattler’s Battlecry! The snake now grants Reborn at the end of your turn. Thus, less targets, less repeats and taking a minion slot for the same effect. Monstrous Macaw is back instead, but will it be enough for Beasts?

On the other hand, Elementals get buffs all across the board. Literally what their game plan entails! Dancing Barnstormer’s Deathrattle now gives +3/+2 to Elementals in the shop, instead of +2/+2, while losing one measly stat from its body. We take those! Gustling Trumpeter can yield more blow out turns, as it now requires one less sell. That means 5 Elementals sold to get a random Elemental. Rock Rock also grants +2 stats now. Molten Rock and Flourishing Frostling get minor stat buffs for a stronger early game.

Battlegrounds Patch 26.2.2 brings the end of an era, nerfing Nadina the Red to only give 3 friendly Dragons Divine Shield. Kalecgos, Arcane Aspect’s stats are also tuned down a bit, its effect left intact. General Drakkisath moves up to Tier 5, probably to avoid tripling token shenanigans. Electric Synthesizer sizes down to Tier 4, with its effect crippled down from 4 Attack to 3. Low-Flier buffs lower Attack minions by half now, just +1. Finally, economy darling Upbeat Frontdrake is now a 1/1.

Pirates' Underhanded Dealer is dealt a tough hand, upped to Tier 5 in exchange for becoming a 4/4. Otherwise, key enablers such as Peggy Sturdybone and Record Smuggler receive a stat nerf.

From above sea-level to below it, Nagas Reef Riffer now has 2 Health instead of 3. Pufferquil, shared with Quilboards, is buffed to the Tier below. The Venomous change now allows a pseudo Poisonous effect on Tier 3. On the other hand, non-Venomous Murloc Scourfin is now nerfed to a 3/3 statline, as its synergy lies buffing your hand. Radio Star gets a minor touch, probably after an angry call by Arch-Villain Rafaam.

With Demons added for less than a week, lobbies now await Mechs and Quilboar. The balance team could have waited for the meta to stabilize and address the bigger picture. Instead, they chose to satisfy their most engaged players with early Battlegrounds balance changes, at the same time as Constructed Hearthstone.

This suggests more good news ahead! And what better place to keep up to date with them, other than our Hearthstone news and guides section? While you’re at it, make sure to visit esports.gg for all the latest esports news as well. See you next time in Bob’s Tavern.