This new Year of the Phoenix will change a lot of things in Hearthstone — especially for the Priest class. Some of these cards have gone to the Hall of Fame, and new ones have appeared.
The Combo Priest is dead and buried, and the meta should completely change with the various additions. In total, there are 19 changes that directly impact the Priest, with 6 cards removed from Standard, 6 new cards and 7 balance changes!
Cards sent to the Hall of Fame
New cards
Card Balance Changes
- Power World: Shield → The cost is reduced to (0) instead of (1) and no longer makes draw.
- Holy Smite → inflicts 3 damages instead of 2
- Thoughtsteal → The cost is reduced to (2) instead of (3)
- Shadow Word: Death → Cost is reduced to (2) instead of (3)
- Shadow Madness→ Cost is reduced to (3) instead of (4)
- Holy Nova → Cost is reduced to (4) instead of (5)
- Temple Enforcer → The cost is reduced to (5) instead of (6). The attack is reduced to (5) instead of (6).
The Year of the Phoenix will be the year of change for the Priest class. With 19 changes, it's a huge novelty that's looming, and the new Priest decks may well see some brand new archetypes emerging.
Between the cost reductions of some cards, and the addition of some control cards, we should see a new archetype with much more control for the Priest. The Shadow Word: Ruin is an excellent example of this. It has the luxury of sparing a good portion of your creatures, who have a little attack for many HP, to destroy your opponent's big threats. The Divine Spirit / Inner Fire OTK meta Priest Combo will disappear, and that's great news for the balance of the game!
With the Year of the Phoenix, it's time to say goodbye to a lot of different cards such as Leeroy Jenkins!
