17.2.1 Balance Update Coming May 18 – 8 Card Nerfs (Priestess of Fury, Hanar, Bloodboil Brute) + 4 Buffs (Shaman & Paladin)

A big balance patch is scheduled for “early next week” (May 18). Not only 8 cards are getting nerfed (Demon Hunter, Rogue, Hunter, Warlock, Warrior), but we’ve got 4 card buffs (Shaman & Paladin). We haven’t seen any card buffs ever since the Rise of the Mech event last year, and so it’s cool to see the weakest two classes getting some love. Additionally, one Wild card is getting a bug fix (Ethereal Conjurer, which previously caused the game state to lock).

Find more info in the official post below:

On May 18, we’ll be releasing a 17.2.1 balance patch that includes updates for a dozen cards in Standard, as well as a bug fix for Ethereal Conjurer.

Buffs:

Aldor Attendant:

Old: [Cost 2] 2 Attack, 3 Health → New: [Cost 1] 1 Attack, 3 Health.

Torrent:

Old: [Cost 5] → New: [Cost 4].

Shattered Rumbler:

Old: 4 Attack, 6 Health → New: 5 Attack, 6 Health.

The Lurker Below:

Old: 6 Attack, 3 Health → New: 6 Attack, 5 Health.


Nerfs:

Priestess of Fury:

Old: 6 Attack, 7 Health → New: 6 Attack, 5 Health.

Crimson Sigil Runner:

Old: 2 Attack, 1 Health → New: 1 Attack, 1 Health.

Scavenger's Ingenuity:

Old: Draw a Beast. Give it +3/+3. → New: Draw a Beast. Give it +2/+2.

Shadowjeweler Hanar:

Old: 1 Attack, 5 Health → New: 1 Attack, 4 Health.

Blackjack Stunner:

Old: Battlecry: If you control a Secret, return a minion to its owner’s hand. It costs (2) more. → New: Battlecry: If you control a Secret, return a minion to its owner’s hand. It costs (1) more.

Imprisoned Scrap Imp:

Old: Dormant for 2 turns. When this awakens, give all minions in your hand +2/+2. → New: Dormant for 2 turns. When this awakens, give all minions in your hand +2/+1.

Bloodboil Brute:

Old: 6 Attack, 8 Health → New: 5 Attack, 8 Health.

Bloodsworn Mercenary:

Old: 3 Attack, 3 Health → New: 2 Attack, 2 Health.

The 8 nerfed cards (listed above) will be eligible for a full dust refund until June 1.

Game Improvements and Bug Fixes

  • Ethereal Conjurer will now function correctly and will no longer lock the game state when played.

Stonekeep

A Hearthstone player and writer from Poland, Stonekeep has been in a love-hate relationship with Hearthstone since Closed Beta. Over that time, he has achieved many high Legend climbs and infinite Arena runs. He's the current admin of Hearthstone Top Decks.

Check out Stonekeep on Twitter!

Leave a Reply

28 Comments

  1. Vincent
    May 17, 2020 at 4:28 AM

    Fine.
    Except Crimson Sigil Runner. It’s class specific card, it should be a bit stronger. And if it sits in the middle of your hand, it’s basicly useless. This change wasn’t necessary. Why create the card then? Meh.

  2. Quidak
    May 16, 2020 at 7:42 AM

    Balance changes again? Its okey but blizzard said no more changes for a while or not? Even Stonekeep said earlier its safe to craft a cards now and build some decks and here we are again 🙂

  3. PitLord
    May 16, 2020 at 1:31 AM

    The buff are ridicoulous simply remove all nerf for Dod galakrond shaman, if you want him viable, and flame totem again to 2 otherwise it’s still suck. Sure for arena are great buff, but shaman is already strong.

    For the nerf, hunter and especially warlock doesn’t need a nerf.

  4. Shurchil
    May 16, 2020 at 1:02 AM

    Buffs are not enough. Nerfs are okay but not enough either.
    Hunter nerf wasnt needed. Priest nerfs are missing.
    Overall a joke of a balance patch.

    • LazyTitanftMadB
      May 16, 2020 at 6:01 AM

      So the fact that hunter has three decks in top tier doesn’t warrant a nerf? The +3 / +3 is absolutely busted in all of those decks.

      I really hate that the meta is so aggro.

  5. HellBat1020
    May 15, 2020 at 4:58 PM

    Yes! Finally, Blizzard shows some love on Shaman. As a Shaman main player, I love the change to Lurker. It saved my life so many times against aggro. Now, it can stands for longer 🙂 Other changes? Not sure.

  6. RoNiN2X
    May 15, 2020 at 3:46 PM

    I never understood why Scavenger’s Ingenuity was so much better than Call to Adventure.

    • Nonagon4
      May 15, 2020 at 6:12 PM

      I’d say mainly the cost, but the Beast tutor is pretty damn good too. Gotta love the 4 7/7 Zixors

    • Erfedeli90
      May 16, 2020 at 1:34 AM

      For a lot of reasons: it cost less so is more easy to play on curve and gain tempo (spend 2 play on 3, rather than spend 3 and on turn 4 develop a 1 cost minion), you can tutor specific target that are more relevant for your gameplan than “the lowest cost minion” and then sinergies are way more stronger.
      Diving Gryphon become a 7/4 assault and draw another assault card.
      Phase Stalker become a 5/6, harder to remove from the board and can easily trigger his ability more than once.
      Tutor one of these cards mean you cycle throug your deck, increasing his consistency.
      Can tutor Zixor, both normal and prime, with the latter being almost a game winning combo with 4 7/7 rush on board.
      A simple stonetusk boar will be a 4/4 charge for 1 mana.
      Hyppogriph (a card never seen in the meta and now in hig legend HH decks) will be a 5/9 rush taunt for 4 mana.

      A lot better then an oversized Murmy

    • Ridanculous
      May 16, 2020 at 1:49 AM

      I think he meant “why *did they make* Scavenger’s Ingenuity so much better than Call to Adventure”.
      I think the fact that it *is* so much better, is pretty obvious.

      • RoNiN2X
        May 16, 2020 at 3:25 AM

        Yes that’s exactly right. The 2 cards side by side are laughable. Honestly I was hoping for Call buff since xpac dropped, similar to Crystology. Guess that’s less likely now.

        • Ridanculous
          May 16, 2020 at 4:56 AM

          I would say it’s nearly impossible. They very rarely buff cards, and when they do it’ll be newer cards or a revert of a very old nerf.

          I guess blizz made CtA, saw that it was kinda-weak-but-ok, and wanted a new similar card. But when they finally made it for Hunter, they overtuned it.

  7. Axiotes
    May 15, 2020 at 3:23 PM

    I like that they’re adjusting stats slightly for the nerfs rather than changing costs. When you change the cost of a card it is often just dead (like Invocation of Frost). But changing the stats a bit leaves them viable, but just reduces their power level a bit (think of Evil Miscreant and Faceless Corrupter). I also like that they’re buffing Paladin and Shaman cards. I was hoping they would do that.

    I predicted the Scrap Imp change, since many people worried that Zoo Warlock would be oppressive if Warrior and Demon Hunter were nerfed. Giving the units less health makes it more possible for the opponent to clear them and survive the wave.

  8. Beerdserkr
    May 15, 2020 at 2:39 PM

    After 5 years I am finally going to drop the game I am TIRED of wasting my time and money on cards when they just keep getting nerfed..

    • Spectratr
      May 15, 2020 at 3:14 PM

      would u give me your account if u wont play anymore 🙂

    • Syrose13
      May 15, 2020 at 4:26 PM

      I don’t think I have spent any money for over a year or more now. And I will never have too just do the daily quest is more than enough. I play a game or two a day that’s it. Have every card I want.

    • Albionflux
      May 16, 2020 at 7:43 AM

      you can dust nerfed cards for a full dust refund for a week or 2

    • 808mafiabruh
      May 17, 2020 at 8:07 AM

      I dropped HS on the day LoR got released, and it was the best decision ever. Just hop over to LoR if you’re not having fun with HS anymore and you won’t regret it. Once you start playing LoR you’ll know how insanely generous that game is, and you’ll start to understand why Riot is what Blizzard could never be.

  9. Sbud78
    May 15, 2020 at 2:31 PM

    I have a full set of rares. I disenchant the nerfed rares for full cost. Next pack gives same rares, because of duplicate protection. I disenchant again, get pack, get them again. Would it work like that or is protection gone once full set is assembled at some point?

    • CloudTemplar
      May 15, 2020 at 2:40 PM

      Nah i experimented with that but Blizzard foresaw it

      If u arent low on dust u shud save extra cards till at least next expansion; in my case, since witchwood i started saving all extras till the card rotates

    • Spectratr
      May 15, 2020 at 3:16 PM

      nope it doesnt work like that.if u disenchant one time, game keeps it still u have that care. after that when u open packs it gives you randomly rares.

    • Stonekeep - Site Admin
      May 15, 2020 at 4:15 PM

      Disenchanted cards count as owned for the sake of duplicate protection. So it doesn’t work.

      Don’t try to game the system 🙂

  10. Peter
    May 15, 2020 at 2:12 PM

    Another 2 DH cards nerfed, and it will still stay at the top

    • CloudTemplar
      May 15, 2020 at 2:27 PM

      Thats cuz the nerfs have nothing to do with the broken effects of the cards

      6/7 minion on turn 5 that deals 6 damage EACH TURN is just bs

      6/5 minion with the same effects?? I’ll disenchant the ones i got to craft golden ones

      • WIMPDRAGN
        May 15, 2020 at 2:29 PM

        Doesnt help that theres a neutral card that’s a 6/3 and it deals 6 dmg randomly split among all minions as a battle cry which is garbage especially compared to Priestess of Fury

    • Stonekeep - Site Admin
      May 15, 2020 at 4:17 PM

      I’m not so sure anymore. Enrage Warrior was already taking over as a #1 deck. Now with Sigil Runner being a 1/1 (so less early game pressure) and Priestess of Fury being so much easier easier to clear (the fact that a 5 attack minion can now kill her is big)… I think that DH might finally be where it should have been at the start with those nerfs.

    • Zombie69
      May 15, 2020 at 6:00 PM

      It’s already not at the top. Enrage Warrior is head and shoulders above the rest at Legend and Face Hunter and even well played and well teched Rogues and Mages have also now managed to get above 50% against it. Demon Hunter is only a problem at low ranks, at higher ranks they’re quite well countered already. In fact, I feel like the nerfs to Warriors aren’t enough. That deck dominates and the new form it acquired this week was already performing better than the old one, which was already the best deck in the game.

      • Guyopt
        May 17, 2020 at 1:14 AM

        DH is super popular in Legend, about 20% of entire meta. In Grand masters every player included Demon Hunter in its lineup. Enrage Warrior is the only counter to DH, all the other decks has negative win-rate against DH.