Whoa, it’s time for a new expansion already! Get your study books, prepare your magic wands, and stop secretly checking out the six-pack of the Demon Hunter exchange student, because it’s time to go back to school… or, more accurately, to Scholomance Academy.
That’s right, it’s hype time. The Year of the Phoenix advances and it’s time for its phase 2. Hearthstone is legendary for the seemingly random themes of its sets. It started as a classic fantasy heroes battle and later took many twists and turns, including exploration of a dinosaur jungle, archeology in ancient desert tombs, and even a dangerous town ruled by mobsters. This time we’re going to wizard academy, so Hearthstone fans who are also into Harry Potter (which is most of us, right?) can really get excited. Here’s a trailer:
The set brings at least three major announcements to the table. Let’s explore them real quick!
Dual Classing
You know the game has 10 distinct classes, but what would happen if you’re to combine them in pairs? Time to find out! Scholomance Academy will support a multi-class system with class cards that could be used in not just one, but two classes. These are spread across heroes who already share similar mechanics - for example, both Hunters and Druids use Beasts, Hunter/Druid cards are now a thing. The list goes as follows:
- Druid/Hunter
- Hunter/Demon Hunter
- Demon Hunter/Warlock
- Warlock/Priest
- Priest/Paladin
- Paladin/Warrior
- Warrior/Rogue
- Rogue/Mage
- Mage/Shaman
- Shaman/Druid
Hey, this is just like the colors of magic paired up in Ravnica!
New Mechanic: Spellburst
Just like every other new set, this one brings its own special game mechanic. Meet Spellburst.
Its effect is very simple - a Minion’s Sepllburtst will trigger only once - the first time you cast a spell. Think of it as a Battlecry that doesn’t go off automatically, but gives you some control - the player is the one who “detonates” it by playing a Spell card.
New Game Mode
There are quite a few ways to play Hearthstone - Standard, Wild, Arena, Tavern Brawl, and Battlegrounds, but let’s not forget that Blizzard promised a brand new style of play coming this year. Its release draws near just like the release of Scolomance Academy.
The expansion is expected to drop in two or three weeks.
Until then, keep getting your digital card game news right here on EarlyGame!
