Several Hearthstone Battlegrounds Buddies are getting balance changes. Here’s what you need to know for patch 22.4.3!
Hearthstone patch 22.4.3 launches on March 3 and features Standard and Battlegrounds updates.
Kazakusan and SI:7 Smuggler updates
A couple of cards have been adjusted in terms of power in Hearthstone patch 22.4.3. These include Kazakusan and SI:7 Smuggler.
- Kazakusan: LOCUUUUSTS!!! Has been removed from the pool of Treasures that can be Discovered.
- SI:7 Smuggler: New Battlecry: Summon a random 0-cost minion (Upgraded for each SI:7 card you have played this game).
According to the developers, the adjustment to Kazakusan reduces the amount of focus that his treasure hoard has in terms of from-hand damage. By removing LOCUUUUSTS!!! From the discovery pool, players can have more back-and-forth even after playing Kazakusan.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment.
As for SI:7 Smuggler, he gets an effect change because of improper wording. The new text now lets the game track the cost of the minion summoned while SI:7 Smuggler is in a player’s hand.
Players can get a full dust refund for Kazakusan and SI:7 Smuggler for two weeks after Hearthstone patch 22.4.3 goes live.
Meanwhile, SI:7 Informant also gets a change in wording so that it only counts other SI:7 cards.
- SI:7 Informant: New Battlecry: Gain +1/+1 for each other SI:7 card you’ve played this game.
Hearthstone Battlegrounds updates
As for Hearthstone Battlegrounds, players can get a Buddy Meter bonus after defeating Kel’Thuzad, who is a dead hero.
Tamsin Roame, a Hearthstone Battlegrounds hero in the game mode, also gets an update for Fragrant Phylactery.
- Fragrant Phylactery: New: [Costs 0] Start of Combat: Destroy your lowest Health minion. Give its stats to four friendly minions.
Several Battlegrounds Buddies get adjustments as well with this Hearthstone update. The Buddies include the following:
- Elder Taggawag (Queen Wagtoggle’s Buddy): New: [Tavern Tier 3] 5 Attack, 4 Health. Whenever you play a minion of a type you don’t control, trigger your Hero Power. (2 left this turn.)
- Unearthed Underling (Lich Baz’hial’s Buddy): New: [Tavern Tier 3] 3 Attack, 3 Health. Whenever your hero takes damage, this minion gains +3/+3 instead. (2 left this turn.)
- Master Gadrin (Vol’jin’s Buddy): New: 6 Attack, 5 Health. At the end of your turn, the minion to the left of this copies this minion’s Attack.
- Spirit Raptor (Bru’kan’s Buddy): New: [Tavern Tier 3]
- Barov’s Apprentice (Lord Barov’s Buddy): New: [Tavern Tier 3] 5 Attack, 4 Health.
- Monstrosity (Tamsin Roame’s Buddy): New: [Tavern Tier 4] 0 Attack, 14 Health.
- Jr. Navigator (Elise Starseeker’s Buddy): New: [Tavern Tier 3] At the start of your turn, get a ‘Recruitment Map.’ Your Maps cost (1).
- Hunter of Old (Tess Greymane’s Buddy): New: [Tavern Tier 2] 5 Attack, 3 Health.
These updates can help balance overpowered strategies. Hearthstone game designer Dominic Calkosz weighed in on the Battlegrounds balance changes in patch 22.4.3 over on Twitter.
He highlighted the nerfs to Queen Wagtoggle, Lich Baz’hial, Vol’jin, Lord Barov, and Bru’kan. Meanwhile, Elise Starseeker and Tess Greymane are buffed in Hearthstone patch 22.4.3.