Looks like a bunch of minions are getting some new types which could mean something is coming in the next expansion that will synergize with these!
In our ongoing quest to make Hearthstone more consistent and intuitive, we always pay close attention to what our players are saying about the game. In an upcoming update, we’re taking some steps toward improving consistency by making some small tweaks to certain minion types, based on your feedback.
Some minions in Hearthstone are categorized into Types, like Demons, Beasts, or Elementals. We’re going to be making changes to a few cards to make their Type match what you’d expect based on their art, fantasy, and where they fit in with Warcraft lore.
The following changes will be included in the next major Hearthstone update:
Molten Giant & Mountain Giant
Both Molten Giant and Mountain Giant will be reclassified as Elementals. This adds some additional options in Elemental-type decks, but also makes more sense from a visual standpoint—these lumbering towers of magma and stone are the epitome of Elementals.
Witchwood Piper
Witchwood Piper will be considered a Demon. This satyr minion is rather demonic in nature, which is in keeping with Warcraft canon, and so it makes sense to acknowledge that in Hearthstone. This is the first* time we have introduced a satyr to Hearthstone, so we want to associate them with their proper minion classification.
North Sea Kraken
In line with the fantasy of a giant, boat-smashing terror of the deep, North Sea Kraken will become a Beast. Just don’t call it calamari.
Jungle Moonkin
While visually very Beast-like, Moonkin are in fact intelligent humanoids. We currently have two collectible Moonkin in Hearthstone—Darkmire Moonkin and Jungle Moonkin—and one was a Beast and the other wasn’t. We agree with the overall community feedback that Moonkin should not be Beasts, so, for consistency’s sake, Moonkin will no longer be classified as Beasts.
We also discussed how to address spectral beast cards like Witchwood Grizzly and Arfus. Are they Beasts or not? For Witchwood Grizzly, we liked the gameplay interactions that it had with Witching Hour and Kathrena Winterwisp. We decided to update its art to make it look like a beast instead of a ghost. Arfus meanwhile, is seeing a lot of play because he is being Discovered by Deathstalker Rexxar, which is really fun, so we’re leaving him as is for now.
As a follow up to our recent explanations regarding our refund policy, we would also like to clarify that minor consistency changes—such as name changes, templating updates, art updates, or Type changes that do not significantly affect the power level of a card—will not offer a full Arcane Dust refund.
In this case, since power levels remain essentially unchanged, we will not offer a full Arcane Dust refund.
If you’ve noticed any other minions that seem like they should be a different Type, let us know in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter.
* Fun early Hearthstone fact: The first “official” appearance of satyrs in Hearthstone was back in Alpha, where Jadefire Satyr was a basic Demon minion! That card was changed to be a Beast and is now known as Stranglethorn Tiger.
That’s some serious OCD changing the art of Witchwood Grizzly.
With Witchwood Grizzly’s art change to look more like a Beast than a ghost, how about Ghostly Charger, Ghostlight Angler, and the Dragon Spirit tokens from Dragon Soul?
This won’t have That much of an effect on the meta, will it? Molten’s in Wild now, could this affect elemental mage so broadly?
This could, actually. Mountain Giant is one of the meta’s most popular epics. This means you can fish him with Servant of Kalimos. Either way it’s good news for Elementals. NOw classes besides Thrall and Jaina will have a big baddie for Elemental synergy.
Elemental Hand Mage is also a near viable deck that some streamers like Brian Kibler have been trying, and making Mountain Giant an elemental should help that deck a surprising amount. Elementals tend to sit in your hand and/or replace themselves anyway, so Mountain Giant should be a good card for most elemental decks.
Question: don’t all creatures in MtG belong to a tribe? It’s been a long, long time since I played MtG. But I was surprised that there were minions in Hearthstone with no tribal tag.
Yes, in MtG every creature has at least one tribe (many have more than one)
In Hearthstone this is different because, the game just account the ones that have some sort of mechanic/synergy.
It just adds fluff (and some sort of complexity to new players) to have a minion tagged as human when no other card or mechanic will make use of it.
As the game gets more content and mechanics, tribes are getting added and accounted for, like it happened with the elementals.
awesome!
Jaina will rule…finally
This is all well and good, but when will they give Wrathion the dragon tag he deserves?
Has anyone ever played that card? (Before my time, I only heard it’s bad.)
And, lorewise, isn’t he hiding the fact he’s a dragon? I thought that’s why they didn’t include the label, so it happened on purpose.
The lack of a dragon tribe tag certainly didn’t help, since adding him to your dragon deck didn’t improve your dragon synergies. Nevertheless, in WoW he is a dragon.
I guess I’m just partial to Wrathion because I completed the questline for the legendary rogue daggers back during Cataclysm. He may have been trying to hide his dragon nature to some degree, but I definitely think not having it noted in Hearthstone turned him from a potentially interesting card into pack filler.
Hmm yes, playing priest very often so i can totally see that. Thanks!
It sounds so nerdy but I was really annoyed when I saw that Moonkin are classified as beasts and that giants aren’t elementals
Not nerdy at all! I’m pretty sure that labelling Moonkins as beasts was just a plain design decision that nobody really thought about.
I’m not too sure when it comes to the Giants changes, because it’s not really canon. Besides that, I’d wish for a separate “Giant” tag one day. 🙂
Aren’t the giants the last elementals that are still around in Azeroth from even before there were any humans and orcs though? I get that that’s not the case for all of them but sea giants for example are not elementals, even after the new patch, as they are of a different origin. Having a giant label would be awesome and crazy in terms or gameplay and possible cards, so I’d be all for it, great idea. But I think Molten & Mountain should be „Elemental Giants“.
Now the giants can sneak their way into DK Jaina decks. Sweet.
Was thinking the same. Those giants will be a pain with DK Jaina.
these changes are very cool i think:). good idea.
this changes…are not tooo usfull even in wild
This is lore justice porn at its best, so glad to see those changes!