At the end of March, we are due to have Hearthstone: Forged in the Barrens released. Not only does this bring a whole new expansion, but will completely change up the card system with a quick reset!
That's right, Basic and Classic cards will be no more. In their announcement last month, Blizzard stated that the sets would be moved to Wild; being replaced by the Core Set. The Core Set will rotate each year, acting similarly to the Basic Set in that they will be earned by levelling up each class.
Every year, the Core Set will change, comprised of new and existing cards. When you log in after each rotation, you'll be given the Core Set cards equal to your current level for each class; so you won't be starting from scratch.
But where are the Basic and Classic cards going? They're forming a new set called 'Legacy', with a few exceptions. This set will also acquire most of the Hall of Fame cards too, and will be playable in Wild.
This then paves the way for Classic Format, a throwback to when Hearthstone was originally released. This format allows players to use the original 240 cards as they were in 2014, at Hearthstone's release. This means you'll be able to play cards as they were before balance changes; including the 4-Cost Leeroy Jenkins!
Now, onto the expansion!
Forged in the Barrens delivers new spell types, introducing Classes that each Spell falls under; allowing for classifications and interactions.
We also will be seeing Rank spells, which improve when you have 5 and 10 mana. This means that spells will always be useful throughout the game, gaining power as time goes on.
To round it out, a new Keyword is being introduced. Frenzy gives minions effects that take place the first time they take damage. The trailer shows Frenzy doing things like dealing damage to all enemies, or destroying random enemy minions.
The new expansion definitely looks like it will shake Hearthstone up in a big way!
To support the expansion release, there will be a number of events across the week preceding.
On March 22, the last of the Forged in the Barrens cards will be unveiled on a livestream.
The following day, Tuesday March 23, content creators will showcase the new set; using decks that have been submitted by fans.
On Wednesday, March 24, the attention will turn to Reddit, with a Mega Bundle giveaway, before passing the baton back to Hearthstone creators for March 25-26 who will be giving Mega Bundles away too.
During all this, there will be multiple chances to win Mega Bundles; 500 in total! Followed by Twitch Drops over April 2-4.
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