Cards We Would Like to See in Core Set 2022

The next Hearthstone Standard rotation is rapidly approaching – even though we have not received the announcement yet – and with it, the Core set will be changed for the first time. Historically, the Standard year has changed in either late March or early April. We are only weeks away from a brand new meta that will be shaped by the expansion rotation and also the Core set changes.

Any cards that rotate out of the Core set will be gone from your collection. If they belong to a previous expansion, you will keep that expansion’s version of the card for Wild, if you already own it. If you don’t, you can craft it or get it from the packs of that expansion. If they were specifically made for the Core set, they will be craftable as part of the Legacy set.

It is unclear how many Core set cards will be replaced, but according to Iksar, there are big changes coming.

Big changes but I wouldn’t expect it to drastically alter the way the game is played. The goal of the core set is partly to have interesting cards to choose from, but it’s also to be the baseline set of cards to help introduce new players to the Standard experience.

— August Dean Ayala ???? (@IksarHS) January 11, 2022

I expect there to be three kinds of cards in the Core set:

• Baseline cards for class identity
• Cards that support some of the archetypes from the 2021 expansions
• Cards that support some of the archetypes from the 2022 expansions
• I guess there’s also a fourth type, completely useless cards, but we don’t talk about them, no, no, no

Now, we do not know what themes 2022 will be about yet. But we do know what cards remain in the Standard format from 2021, so there is some information we can speculate upon.

Demon Hunter

This is the first Standard rotation where a full year’s worth of Demon Hunter cards leave Standard. The Demon Hunter Initiate set already left Standard last year, as, through some creative accounting, it was considered to be part of the 2019 Standard year even though it was actually playable only after Ashes of Outland was released.

This means that the pool of Wild cards available for the Core set is limited. Blizzard can, of course, simply create new cards if they so desire. On the other hand, some of the rotating cards are already part of the Core set too, such as Crimson Sigil Runner and Spectral Sight. I would be surprised if these left the Core set, as they provide some fundamental class identity in the form of card draw and the Outcast keyword.

The sets that will remain in Standard format mainly support four Demon Hunter archetypes: Deathrattle, Fel, Token, and Big Demons. Deathrattle Demon Hunter and Fel Demon Hunter already have reasonably good support, so if Blizzard wanted to help uncompetitive Demon Hunter archetypes, they could provide some support for Tokens or Big Demons.

Some potential Demon Hunter cards that could be seen in the Core set of 2022 include Hulking Overfiend (Big Demons), Command the Illidari (Tokens), and Illidari Studies (class identity). I would especially like to see Illidari Studies stay even though it is rotating out because it combines the Discover mechanic that has become core to Hearthstone with the Outcast mechanic that is essential for Demon Hunter’s class identity.

Druid

Taunt minions, Nature spells, and Beasts are the big themes for Druid in the sets that will remain in the Standard format. Oh yeah, and then there’s Wildheart Guff. And Kazakusan, which is totally not a Druid card. At all. Neutral. That’s what it is.

Druid is losing some ramp in the rotation, but they still have Wildheart Guff and possibly Wild Growth and Nourish through the Core set. Ramp is a core part of Druid’s class identity, so we might get to see some changes or additions to this part of Druid’s arsenal. How about bringing back Breath of Dreams? There are more Dragons around now than there have been for a while, so giving Druid some Dragon-oriented Ramp for this year could make sense.

The original classes have a rich history to draw from. Finding just the right balance for a Core set card can be tricky though.

I thought about Living Roots, for example, but I think it would be incredibly powerful even today. Perhaps too powerful for a Core set card. Another one that I would love to see back in action is Living Mana, but that might be too complex for a Core set card. It would be such a fun card to go alongside Guff though.

I also considered Juicy Psychmelon until I realized it would just make Kazakusan that much more consistent. Mulch might be a bit too strong, Druid is supposed to lack that sort of hard removal. Savage Combatant‘s Inspire keyword is probably something Blizzard does not want to see back in Standard.

Lesser Jasper Spellstone could provide support for Nature spells and synergize well with the Druid Questline, so it would be an interesting card to see back in Standard. If Blizzard decided to go the Dragon route for Druid, Emerald Explorer is waiting for another chance.

Hunter

The remaining Hunter cards support Beasts, Tokens, Secrets, and the Hunter Questline’s Spells.

So, how about a nice little Alleycat in these trying times? It would be a familiar sight to all Battlegrounds players too, inviting them to give Standard a chance.

Petting Zoo is leaving, so Secret Hunter could also use some tools to summon a board. Perhaps Hyena Alpha and some refreshing of the Secret pool with Cat Trick or Bear Trap? Bear Trap, in particular, would be sweet as a defensive Secret. It is so nicely balanced, forcing Hunter to take that one hit and then summoning a solid defender after that. It promotes interesting decisions and is just overall fun.

Mage

Ping Mage, Big Spell Mage, Frost Mage, and Fire Mage are the archetypes supported by the remaining expansions. The spell school Mages have never been a thing, and I’m uncertain whether they can be a thing because committing to a single spell school is so punishing, even more so in a world where Multicaster remains in the Standard format.

For Fire, Cinderstorm could be an option that can be used either for a board clear or to push face damage. Adding some Fire Secrets to the pool could also be useful. Explosive Runes and Flame Ward are both strong Fire Secrets that could return to Standard.

For Frost, the main problem is the inability to end games. Frost can stall, but it lacks a win condition. There are no frosty finishers available even in Wild.

If 2022 is a bit more Dragon-themed year again, we could see Kalecgos return. Sure, it is a ten-mana card, so can it ever really be played? If the game is more board-focused, maybe there is enough time to play it and use some big spells to stabilize.

Paladin

Well, Libram Paladin is gone. What will Paladin do next? Buff Paladin still has plenty of support, and then there is some support for Secret Paladin, Token Paladin (Questline), and Big Paladin.

Token Paladin has not been able to shine this year, and it would be nice if it could receive at least token support in the Core set. How about Lost in the Jungle? Paladin is losing a great one-drop in Aldor Attendant, and Lost in the Jungle would help promote Silver Hand Recruit and other Token strategies for the class. The ultimate support card would be Quartermaster, and I guess it would not even be overpowered in the current meta.

All successful token strategies in Hearthstone have required Health buffs, which is why the current Core set Warhorse Trainer fails: tokens still crumble to any removal with a Warhorse Trainer, but additional Health makes them that much more difficult to deal with.

Another Paladin card that I would love to see back in Standard is Ragnaros, Lightlord. It would help Big Paladin and it is thematically such a great Hearthstone card. A fun, totally non-canon take on what Ragnaros could be like in some very strange universe.

Priest

Priest is an eternal problem for Hearthstone. The original, classic Priest was way too weak. Whenever Priest is strong, it tends to be oppressive. A defensive class is so difficult to balance, it just jumps from unplayable to oppressive and back again. Shadow Priest with Darkbishop Benedictus has been a breath of fresh air for the class: ironically, this improvement is brought about by a card that changes the way the class functions entirely. Shadow Priest will keep most of its cards going into the new Standard year, so it should be fairly safe.

But what about traditional Priest? Soul Mirror is leaving. Sethekk Veilweaver is leaving. Nazmani Bloodweaver is leaving. The Miracle and random generation aspects of the class are going away. However, the Questline and the Hero card will remain, so Control Priest can be built around those and Deathrattle minions. If there are only a few OTK decks around, this Control Priest can still be scary strong, if it can survive the early game.

If Shadow Priest needs more support, Blizzard could always bring back Shadowbomber. It can be combined with Voidtouched Attendant for some scary burst damage.

For slower Priest decks, it is early survivability that may need more tools. Tools like Penance. A bit of removal, a bit of healing, no random generation. It could fit well into the new value Priest.

Rogue

Poison Rogue and Quest Rogue almost build themselves and they are by far the main favorites for post-rotation Rogue decks from the current card pool. The remaining Rogue support is for Thief Rogue and Deathrattle Rogue, two far less obviously viable archetypes.

There are no apparent ways to support Quest Rogue with additions to the Core set, as all SI:7 cards are currently Standard legal. SI:7 Agent is in the Core set, so removing it could weaken Quest Rogue, if that was the goal. Poison Rogue also has all its important tools available in Standard, Deadly Poison as part of the Core set. I guess you could make Poison Rogue better with Cavern Shinyfinder, but I doubt Blizzard wants to do that.

As for the more niche Rogue archetypes, there could be some support in the form of, say, Undercity Huckster, which could even combine thievery with Deathrattles.

Shaman

Freeze Shaman and Elemental Shaman will have all of their core pieces in good order for the next Standard year. Things look less bright for Quest Shaman, which is about to lose Guidance, Lightning Bloom, and Serpentshrine Portal. Murloc Shaman got a good chunk of support in Forged in the Barrens but has been unable to become a serious deck. Burn Shaman is currently strong, but losing direct damage and Primordial Studies will hurt the deck.

It would be fun to see Totem Golem return. It would be a nice card for Quest Shaman, and maybe we could see some more Totem synergies next year for it to support as well. Just don’t bring back Tunnel Trogg, we don’t have to see that dynamic duo in action again.

If Elemental Shaman is given any additional support, Hot Spring Guardian would be a sweet addition. It would provide some healing and defensive capabilities for a meta where fighting for the board is more important than previously.

Warlock

The remaining Warlock cards are all over the place. The Demon Seed is still here, but Flesh Giant, Backfire, and Hand of Gul'dan are all leaving, so how viable will it be? Zoo Warlock still has some tools, perhaps enough to thrive in a weaker meta. OwlTK can still exist as well, even without School Spirits. There is some Handlock support with Anetheron and Dark Alley Pact, but many of the big Demons are leaving. Fractured in Alterac Valley started to push a Fel Warlock, but so far nothing has come from that.

Even in the Wild sets, Warlock does not have a lot of useful Fel spells or big minions for Handlock. There are always Giants, which are Neutral, but the Core set was largely about finally getting rid of them anyway, so it is unlikely for them to be reintroduced to Standard. As for Fel spells, well, Imp-losion is a Fel spell, but it is inconsistent and not necessarily even strong enough in the current meta.

Warrior

Arr? What is a Warrior to do? Quest Warrior is all about them Pirates, and all other Warrior support is weird. Control Warrior has some tools, and it has either the Captain Galvangar combo or Kazakusan as a win condition. Taunt Warrior got some support in Fractured in Alterac Valley, but the deck does not exist at the moment.

Bash would be a good fit with the current Armor synergies in Warrior. Mountainfire Armor is another option. If Blizzard wanted to improve the handbuff capabilities of Warrior, Grimy Gadgeteer could fit the bill.

Overall though, Warrior is looking a little bit lost. I can’t see Blizzard wanting to buff Quest Warrior, after the domination it displayed in the lower ranks. Control Warrior already has a couple of potential win conditions, although I guess it can always use more removal. Midrange Warrior decks are in trouble and there is no clear path to fixing them with the Core set.

Neutral

Neutral cards could support a wide variety of archetypes: big minions, tokens, Murlocs, some Elementals, maybe Demons. Probably no Pirates to not support Quest Warrior more.

Ragnaros the Firelord would tick a couple of boxes. It’s a big minion ideal for Big decks, and it’s also an Elemental that could serve as the curve topper in Elemental Shaman. Too soon? Maybe it is too soon to summon Ragnaros back to Standard. It is just such an iconic character, I cannot see it kept away forever. Another Elemental to be brought back would be Siamat, it is such a flexible card that would also teach new players about the various keywords in a fun way.

On the Murloc side of things, I’d most like to see Bilefin Tidehunter or Rockpool Hunter back. Just don’t accidentally bring back Toxfin while Firemancer Flurgl remains in Standard. The result could make one feel a little nauseous.

As for tokens, what could be a better card than Haunted Creeper? Nice early minion that does not apply too much pressure, but that gives nice board presence.

Conclusions

Hearthstone is an old game. There is a huge backlog of old cards amassed over eight years that could be brought back to Standard format through the Core set. Many themes can be revisited and multiple archetypes can be supported.

Without knowing what themes the design team plans to support in 2022, it is impossible to say what Core set cards could enhance them beyond the support cards in the new expansions. Furthermore, Blizzard can also create brand new cards for the Core set: Taelan Fordring is an example of a new Core set card that became popular and has seen a lot of play.

In this article, I have attempted to look at some cards that could support the archetypes from 2021, and do so in a fun way. After all, Hearthstone is all about that Ragnaros action, whether fiery or holy.