Core Set 2025 was just announced and, as always, it comes with a hefty number of changes (although it is a bit smaller than last year’s rotation). A total of 79 cards rotate out and 76 cards take their place instead. That’s around the usual 25-30% number for the Core Set rotation.
2025 Core Set includes three brand new cards – two for Death Knight (Falric and Poison Breath) and one for Mage (Babbling Bookcase). They are nothing extraordinary, but Poison Breath in particular seems quite powerful in some decks (for example, you can combine it with Threads of Despair for a full board clear).
On top of the rotation, 28 cards were changed. Most of those changes are small buffs to cards that would be way too weak in 2025. It might push some of them over the edge and make them playable, but I would assume that most of them will still not be strong enough. Most of the buffs are to cards that are rotating in, but four of the cards currently in the Core Set also received updates.
This time we have only one card that immediately gets added to the Core Set after rotation (unless I’m missing something) – Death Metal Knight from Festival of Legends will “stay” in Standard. Not sure why out of all the cards they decided to pick this one since it hasn’t seen any play, but here it is.
Anyway, here’s a list of all the cards rotating out and the ones that will replace them. Below that, you can also find a full list of card changes. I’ll publish a full, updated list of cards in Core Set 2024 soon, once we get the official images.
Death Knight
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed:
- Deathbringer Saurfang – Now a 4/6 (previously 3/6).
Demon Hunter
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed
- Zai, the Incredible – Now a 6/4 (previously 5/3).
Druid
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed:
- Fandral Staghelm – Now a 3/6 (previously 3/5).
Hunter
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Mage
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed:
- Violet Spellwing – Now a 2/1 (previously 1/1).
Paladin
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed:
- Spikeridged Steed – Now costs 5 mana (previously 6 mana).
- Immortalized in Stone – Now summons in the order of biggest to smallest (previously the opposite).
Priest
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed:
- Natalie Seline – Now a 7 mana 7/1 (previously 8 mana 8/1).
- Greater Healing Potion – Now also draws a card.
Rogue
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed:
- SI:7 Agent – Combo now deals 3 damage (previously 2 damage).
- Defias Ringleader – Now a 3/2 (previously 2/2).
- Shaku, the Collector – Now a 2/4 (previously 2/3).
Shaman
Rotating out:
- Kalimos, Primal Lord
- Overdraft
- Thing from Below
- Muck Pools
- Air Elemental
- Spirit Claws
- Ancestral Knowledge
Rotating in:
- Krag'wa, the Frog
- Earth Elemental
- Jinyu Waterspeaker
- Blazing Invocation
- Voltaic Burst
- Marshspawn
- Wailing Vapor
Changed:
- Earth Elemental – Now a 7/9 (previously 7/8).
- Blazing Invocation – Discovered minion now costs (1) less.
Warlock
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Changed:
- Despicable Dreadlord – Now a 4/6 (previously 4/5).
Warrior
Rotating out:
Rotating in:
Neutral
Rotating out:
- Deathwing the Destroyer
- Malygos the Spellweaver
- Ysera
- Onyxia the Broodmother
- Alexstrasza
- Baron Geddon
- Zola the Gorgon
- Sylvanas Windrunner
- Justicar Trueheart
- Leeroy Jenkins
- Molten Giant
- Mountain Giant
- Sea Giant
- Footman
- Defender of Argus
- Mind Control Tech
- Replicating Menace
- Armor Vendor
- Warsong Grunt
- Night Elf Huntress
- Wargear
- Bronze Gatekeeper
- Wandmaker
- Southsea Deckhand
- Snowflipper Penguin
Rotating in:
- Octosari
- Chillmaw
- Sneed's Old Shredder
- Cairne Bloodhoof
- Cornelius Roame
- The Curator
- Finja, the Flying Star
- The Black Knight
- King Mukla
- Lorewalker Cho
- Blowtorch Saboteur
- Runaway Blackwing
- Steamcleaner
- Sunfury Protector
- Mo'arg Forgefiend
- Menagerie Jug
- Menagerie Mug
- Fire Plume Phoenix
- Netherspite Historian
- Maze Guide
- Prize Vendor
- Wisp
Changed:
- Sneed's Old Shredder – Now costs 7 mana (previously 8 mana).
- Cairne Bloodhoof – Now has Taunt.
- The Curator – Now costs 5 mana (previously 7 mana).
- Finja, the Flying Star – Now a 3/5 (previously 2/4).
- The Black Knight – Now has Tradeable.
- King Mukla – Now a 5/6 (previously 5/5).
- Blowtorch Saboteur – Now a 3/3, increases the cost of next enemy Hero Power by (2) mana. (Previously 3/4, increased the cost of the next Hero Power to (3) mana).
- Runaway Blackwing – Now a 10 mana 10/10 that deals 10 damage (previously all those numbers were 9).
- Menagerie Jug – Now buffs by +3/+3 (previously +2/+2).
- Menagerie Mug – Now a 3/3 (previously 2/2).
- Fire Plume Phoenix – Now a 3/4 (previously 3/3).
- Netherspite Historian – Now a 2/3 (previously 1/3).
- Prize Vendor – Both players draw a card on Battlecry and Deathrattle (previously just Battlecry).
- Evasive Wyrm – Now a 5/4 (previously 5/3).
Card Changes
And here’s a single image rounding up all of the card changes:
i appreciate that old cards get buffs to make them playable again, but at the end of the day this only adds to the underlying problem which is power creep.
to fight power creep there are two ways: creating less powerful cards for new sets (as we experienced it with the beyond set which struggled to get its cards played in an enviromnent of already overpowered cards) or existing cards can be nerfed. I think it takes a little bit of both to combat power creep effectively without alienating the player base.
As for nerfs, the pivotal question is: when is the best moment to hit a card with the nerf-hammer.
If people get tired of losing to the same card times and again, nerfing that card is a win-win, making players happy and reduciing power creep. However, is is not always that easy: People like the cards tthat help them win, and getting your favourite toys nerfed can be frustrating. The refund policy softens the blow, but I understand that nerfing always bears the risk of upsetting a certain share of the player base. Moreover, refunds put arcane dust on players’ acconts, and dust can substitute money, and less money for Blizzard is not what the company wants, ultimately putting the survival of the game at stake.
imho the best moment to nerf cards would be like 3 weeks before a new expansion starts. This way there is less pressure for the new set to have a high power level to get its cards played, so power creep could be reduced while still keepin the new cards playable competitively. 3 weeks is also enough time to shape a new meta, which is always changed more by nerfs than by buffs.
I would even go so far to say that any card that gets played too much should be nerfed immediately. Refunds should consolate all who crafted the card, and players who want a high win rate would need additional effort to adapt to the shifting meta instead of ginding up the ladder with the same overpowered cards week after week.
I would like to add that also nerfting a card if the meta gets stale, It can help change it. Also buffing other cards that are not playable to help make new archetypes. I feel the game always revolve around a few archetypes without opening space for others. If other cards gets buffed, then they can counter certain types of decks.