Blizzard just posted a teaser of the upcoming balance update for both Standard and Battlegrounds! It’s the third balance update in The Great Dark Beyond, and the first one after the release of Heroes of StarCraft mini-set (which has completely shaken up the meta).
In Standard, the patch is surprisingly small. We’re only getting two nerfs. Well, technically one nerf that affects the current meta – Photographer Fizzle is getting hit. He’s been quite problematic especially in high Legend, creating easy infinite value with Snapshots. The other card nerfed is Nexus-Prince Shaffar, who was emergency banned on Day 1 of the mini-set because of his interaction with Zerglings (doubling the handbuffs each time). On top of that, we’re getting one buff to Void Ray. I’ll be honest, I expected quite a lot more – no nerfs to new top tier decks like Terran Shaman, Hero Power Druid or Zerg Death Knight, no nerfs to older decks that are still too strong and not very fun to play against (Dungar Druid, Weapon Rogue), no further buffs to Protoss decks (I don’t think that buffing Void Ray is enough to make them playable). We’ll have to wait and see the impact of the patch once it releases, but it might be underwhelming.
On the contrary, the Battlegrounds part of the update is WAY bigger. Between nerfs, buffs, reworks, minions added to the pool and removed from it, we’re getting over 50 changes. It should be a major meta shake-up. And it’s not even the Battlegrounds mid-season update, which should drop in a few weeks with Patch 31.6.
The patch will apparently also include Arena changes, although they aren’t showcased on a teaser image.
Until the full patch notes are released, we only know what cards are affected and not how! The patch will drop tomorrow (February 4), most likely around 10 AM PT. Patch notes are usually released an hour before the update itself. It’s not the official timing, but that’s how it works for most of those balance updates.
For now, check out the teasers below:
Standard
Here’s a full list of Standard cards that are getting changed in the patch:
Buffs
Nerfs
- Nexus-Prince Shaffar (the card will also be unbanned)
- Photographer Fizzle
Battlegrounds
And here’s a full list of Battlegrounds changes:
Buffs
- Runed Progenitor
- Archimonde
- Big Brother
- Tichondrius
- Nether Drake
- Dune Dweller
- Meteorite Crasher
- Corrupted Myrmidon
- Slitherspear
- Lord of Gains
- Salty Hog
- Thorned Trailblazer
- Pokey Thornmantle
- Ensorcelled Fungus
- Inspiring Underdog
- Menagerie Jug
- Nomi, Kitchen Nightmare
Nerfs
- Forest Rover
- Turquoise Skitterer
- Magnanimoose
- Hawkstrider Herald
- Stormbringer
- Ultraviolet Ascendant
- Holo Rover
- Marquee Ticker
- Fairy Gillmother
- ‘Loc Prince
- King Bagurgle
- Storm Splitter
- Gritty Headhunter
- Dual-Wield Corsair
- Boar Gamer
- Fearless Foodie
- Loyal Mobster
- Arid Atrocity
Mixed/Rework
- Amber Guardian
- Prized Promo-Drake
- Hunter of Gatherers
- Bubble Gunner
- Young Murk-Eye
- Rapscallion Recruiter
- Sky Pirate Flagbearer
Added to the Pool
- Hawkstrider Herald
- Amber Guardian
- Stormbringer
- Slitherspear
- Lord of Gains
- Salty Hog
Removed from the Pool
- Outback Smolderer
- Razorgore the Untamed
- Murky
- Arcane Cannoneer
