With season 5, the auto battler of Hearthstone has been equipped with a new mechanism. Between balancing and rotation, patch 27.6 of
Battlegrounds highlights new anomalies. 7 are added, offering a new rotation at the same time in order to renew the duels. More will be added as the update progresses, but not without the minions that go with them.
A rotation for anomalies
Marking the end of this season for Battlegrounds, 7 new anomalies redistribute the cards on the battlefield. Others will be added throughout update 27.6, on a weekly basis. Additionally, the “Transient Treasures” anomaly is renamed to “Anomalous Evidence”, without any change to its effects.
The new anomalies
| Abnormal Wisdom Sphere | From round 6 onwards, you occasionally get useful updates! |
| Double abnormal | Start of the fight: summons a copy of your minion with the highest HP. |
| Abnormal corruption | Once you have sold a servant, give its characteristics to a servant in the tavern. |
| Keys to victory | Once you have played a minion, give your other minions +1/+1 for each keyword they have in common with it. |
| The Hams of Discord | You start with two “Piggy Banks” which improve. Break them to get gold coins! Piggy bank: you gain 1 gold coin. (Improves with every round!) |
| Moderation of Aman’Thul | You start at tavern level 4. You gain 10 more gold coins, only on the first turn. |
| People’s choice | At the start of each round, one person chooses a card that ALL people will receive at the end of their turn. |
Future anomalies
| A little odd | Only tavern levels 1, 3 and 5 exist. As a reward for a triple, you discover a minion of your level. |
| Between peers | Only tavern levels 2, 4 and 6 exist. As a reward for a triple, you discover a minion of your level. |
| Diving into the Great Blues | At the start of your turn, you obtain 2 temporary “Grand Blues”. They give additional characteristics to a minion each time. |
| Treasure cache | On turn 5, you discover a level 3 golden minion. |
| Treasure cache | On turn 6, you discover a level 4 golden minion. |
| Treasure cache | On turn 7, you discover a level 5 golden minion. |
| Treasure cache | On turn 8, you discover a level 6 golden minion. |
| Price increase | Tavern level 1 does not exist. Minions cost an amount of gold equal to their level. |
| Outstanding detective | Each turn you look at 2 minions. Find the one your opponent had during the last fight for a piece. |
| Skillful handling | Every 4 turns, you obtain a “Faceless Manipulator” which copies a minion of your choice Faceless Manipulator: [Niveau 1] 3/3. War cry : Chooses a servant and becomes his exact copy. |
| Last minute | Protects your hero or heroine from the first fatal damage inflicted on them. Instead, you gain 11 gold the next round. |
| Good fortune | When a hero or heroine dies, discover a servant from their warband. It retains its enchantments. |
Balancing minions and roster
Anomalies are not the only ones to undergo changes on
Battlegrounds. A series of new servants appear in the tavern, accompanied by many changes. Some bow out, while others make a triumphant return for this season.
New servants
- Myth Observer (level 3)
- 1/4
- Once you summon a minion whose ATK is higher than that minion, give +1 ATK to all allied minions
- Muddy Forager (level 3, Murloc)
- 4/3. Start of the fight: gives +2/+2 to a Murloc in your hand, then summons one during this fight only.
- Carefree hoarder (level 4, Murloc)
- 5/6. When you sell this minion, give its characteristics to an allied Murloc.
- Ripple, lord of gains (level 5, Naga)
- 3/5. At the end of your turn, give your other Nagas +1/+1 for each different spell you cast during this game.
- Alert beetle (level 4, Beast)
- 5/2. Choice of weapons: gives +1/+1 and Reincarnation to a Beast or +4/+4 and Taunt.
- Peregrine Hawk Herald (level 5, Beast)
- 5/2. Start of the fight: Triggers all allied Deathrattles.
- Bold Anchor (level 4, Pirate)
- 3/13. Start of the fight: fight the nearest enemy minion to the death!
- Unscrupulous recruiter (level 5, Pirate)
- 9/3. Death rattle: summons 3 Rogues.
- Admiral Eliza Lametripe (level 6, Pirate)
- 6/7. Whenever a friendly pirate attacks, give all your minions +2/+1.
- Motley phalanx (level 6, all)
- 7/7. Provocation. Death rattle: gives +7/+7 to an allied minion of each type.
- Cultist S’thara (level 6)
- 11/3. Camouflage. Death rattle: Summon your first dead Demon during this fight. It retains its enchantments.
Updated Servants
- Lower gill
- Tavern level: 5, 8/3 (Previously Level 4, 6/2)
- Goldrinn, the great wolf
- 3/3. Death rattle: during the rest of the game, your Beasts have +3/+3. (Previously 4/4, +5/+5)
What impacts on the meta for patch 27.6
Once again, it’s impossible to really know how the meta will really evolve with this update. With this patch 26.6, new anomalies redistribute the cards in
Battlegrounds, but will that be enough not to rule it out? However, the undead seem to have gained quite a bit of power, which should make them more attractive. Minions seem to be leaning more towards brute force, which should speed up games slightly.