It’s been a few days since Blizzard opened their Hall of Explorers , the final wing from the latest League of Explorers (LoE) expansion to Hearthstone’s universe. By now most intrepid card players will have cleared the bosses and added some interesting cards to their collection. Previous wings have already impacted the metagame, with cards like Reno Jackson and Tunnel Trogg giving rise to some unexpectedly successful decks (please welcome Aggro Shaman to the top tier of the metagame!) So what does the Hall of Explorers bring to Hearthstone, and how will the latest batch of cards change competitive play?
The Hall of Explorers contains some of the most anticipated cards from LoE, including Desert Camel, Arch-Thief Rafaam and Elise Starseeker. While some of these are a little gimmicky (looking at you Ms Starseeker), others will have an immediate impact on the metagame. I’ve had a brief look at some of the notable cards that Hall of Explorers brings to Hearthstone.
Elise Starseeker: Elise is a 4-mana 3/5 legendary with a battlecry that has attracted much attention. Playing Elise shuffles the ‘Map to the Golden Monkey’ into your deck, and playing the ‘Map’ shuffles the ‘Golden Monkey’ into your deck. The ‘Golden Monkey’ is a 4-mana 6/6 with taunt and the arousing battlecry: replace your hand and deck with legendary minions. The lure of a deck full of legendary minions might see Elise included by less experienced players, but her effect is too slow and unreliable to be considered a serious strategy.
Desert Camel: A 3-mana 2/4 beast with a battlecry that adds a 1-mana minion to the battlefield for each player. It’s a card that warrants at least some consideration by deckbuilders – if you don’t run many 1-mana minions, then you risk tempo swings to your opponent in the early game. Add in potential synergies with the likes of Brann Bronzebeard and Kvaldir Raider, and Midrange Hunters might be hopeful of riding the Desert Camel back into the top ranks of competitive play.
Arch-Thief Rafaam: A 9-mana 7/8 legendary card with a formidable battlecry: Discover a powerful Artifact. Each artifact is a devastating 10-mana spell that can turn a game in your favor. The card is intended as a late game finisher similar to Ysera, and Rafaam benefits from the absence of any RNG – you choose the most appropriate card for your situation. As a minion his stats are high enough to force your opponent to deal with him, and the ability to choose a card that best suits your needs makes Rafaam an intimidating legendary card. He is already making his presence felt in control decks across the ladder, and could become as ubiquitous as the likes of Dr. Boom or Sylvanis Windrunner.
Museum Curator: A 2-mana 1/2 with the battlecry: Discover a deathrattle card. Preists don’t have many high value 2-mana cards, so the Museum Curator is a welcome addition. A closer look reveals this card to be essentially a Novice Engineer with better stats and a better battlecry. Due to the restrictions on cards selected by the discover mechanic, you are likely to see the Priest’s own Dark Cultist offered reasonably often, which conveniently allows it to be played on curve.
Tomb Pillager: This is a Rouge 4-mana, 5/4 minion with a useful deathrattle, adding a copy of the Coin to your hand. The minion’s high attack means it can’t be ignored by your opponent, almost guaranteeing a favorable trade and an extra coin in your hand. The card has potential synergy with Unearthed Raptor (another LoE Rouge minion), allowing for a useful source of additional mana. Rouges love using the Coin to trigger their combo cards, so the Tomb Pillager should see a significant amount of competitive play in most Rouge decks.
With its Indiana Jones theme and addition of the Discover ability, The League of Explorers has been a memorable addition to the Hearthstone franchise. It has added cards that should see play and influence the metagame for a number of seasons. Blizzard have managed to add some new and intriguing cards, while still keeping the metagame diverse and healthy.
In other Hearthstone news, ‘Feast of Winterveil‘ celebrations are now in full swing. Blizzard are offering 10 free classic packs with purchases of 40 or more classic packs. It’s not the deal of the century, however if you’re new to Hearthstone it’s a useful and cost effective way to grow your card collection. Other changes for the festive season include festive touches on your favorite game boards, and Heroes’ holiday-themed emotes that allow you to festively torment your opponent before delivering the final blow. Winterveil will run until January 6, and Blizzard have hinted at more festivities to come over the holiday period.
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