Patch 18.2 is dropping next week – on September 8, to be precise. And while the biggest changes are Battlegrounds-related, we’re also getting a balance update for Constructed format, with changes to some of the most popular & strongest cards in the current meta. Additionally, two cards from the weaker / underplayed archetypes are getting buffed. Will it be enough to bring them into spotlight? Well, it’s hard to say, but it’s certainly a good step!
Also check out Battlegrounds changes coming in the same patch!
Here’s a full list of Constructed changes coming in that patch:
- Secret Passage – Now “draws” 4 cards (down from 5).
- Cabal Acolyte – Now is a 2/4 minion (down from 2/6).
- Darkglare – Now is a 2 mana 2/3 that restores 1 mana crystal each time you take damage (down from 3 mana 3/4 restoring 2 mana crystals).
- Totem Goliath – Now is a 5/5 with Overload: (1) (instead of 4/5 with Overload (2)).
- Archwitch Willow – Now is an 8 mana 5/5 (instead of 9 mana 7/7).
The three nerfed cards – Secret Passsage, Cabal Acolyte and Darkglare will have a full Dust refund for the next 2 weeks, meaning that you can Disenchant them for their full Crafting cost. Given that they’re Epics, if you’re hoarding a Golden version of any of them, that’s a free Legendary of your choice!
And here are the changes in visual form if you prefer that:
Game Improvements & Miscellaneous Updates
- Newly created decks will now automatically appear at the top of My Decks in the Collection Manager instead of at the bottom.
- The Kael’thas Sunstrider login reward will now be granted if you own a pack from Ashes of Outland and go to the Open Packs menu.
- Transfer Student will now have the appropriate board effect when Discovered or transformed.
- Galakrond will now be upgraded correctly when invoked while using Secret Passage.
- Kingsbane drawn by Secret Passage will no longer be returned to your deck if played then returned to hand via Doomerang.
- Copies of cards drawn by Secret Passage will no longer be returned to your deck at end of turn.
- Copying a silenced minion with Faceless Manipulator will no longer temporarily activate card text effects that buff other minions.
- Dormant minions created by Shadow Reflection no longer disappear if you change your Hero after playing them.
- Fixed a visual issue with Devolving Missiles when transforming a target into a Dormant minion.
- Fixed a crash in the final One Night in Karazhan encounter when playing as Kel’Thuzad.
- Fixed a visual bug where Spellburst icons could disappear while the minion had not activated its Spellburst.
- Headmaster Kel’Thuzad’s Spellburst will now resurrect minions that are destroyed by spells that swap Attack and Health, and spells that have been granted Poisonous by Professor Slate.
- Summoning a cat will no longer allow Headmaster Kel’Thuzad’s Spellburst to trigger on the opponent’s turn. The Headmaster just gets really excited about cats…
- Manafeeder Panthara’s Battlecry will now properly trigger after using your hero power and then Invoking Galakrond or switching to a different hero power.
- Fixed a card text display issue with Master Scheme, Hatred Reactor, and E.V.I.L. Promotion.
- When refilling an existing mana crystal below 10 mana, you now receive a temporary mana crystal instead. This fixes an interaction where Forest Warden Omu would not grant the correct amount of mana.
Wow, they did more nerf to priest in this month that in six years, lol.
Darkglare nerf it’s for wild but they basically kill the deck especially for standard.
Secret Passage ok, still playable, Archwitch still 400 dust and goliath buff it’s not enough (revert flametongue totem nerf then we can talk maybe)
so they nerfed everyone but paladins, and now that paladins dominate the meta, they nerf, get ready for it, 3 classes that are not paladins.
who is the fucking genius in blizzard? and why cant libram cost be 10 mana since we do nerfs?
I wish I had enough wins with Rogue to agree with the Secret Passage nerf, but perhaps I shouldn’t be aiming for a weapon-based build. That said… Is Priest really in a position that tears up the meta where the Cabal Acolyte nerf was necessary? The few times I’ve pulled off the Wave of Apathy + Acolyte combo it’s rare for Acolyte to steal the minion that matters as long as there’s more than one minion, so even if you want to propose that Acolyte’s health doesn’t matter since it’s meant to be a two-card removal combo, the effect isn’t consistently pulled off enough. The biggest play I did was pulling it off on a Warrior’s Rattlegore but that’s a one-in-a-million sort of thing.
Is the Willow change really a buff? Does being able to play it one turn sooner outweigh the -2/-2?
The problem with Willow is there aren’t enough big demons in standard to make her useful.
Her stats aren’t really relevant – her effect is way more important. E.g. getting out a big Demon with Taunt a turn earlier against Aggro is big. 8 mana 5/5 with this effect is just better than 9 mana 7/7.
At the same time, with the current pool of cards in Standard, even an 8 mana 7/7 probably wouldn’t be good enough. But maybe they’re planning to release some more big Demons next expansion for example?
I really hope so, but they seem to be giving all the cool big demons to DH instead.
I approve of these nerfs. Secret passage is an absurdly powerful card that remains so even after the nerf.
It’s powerful, but not absurdly powerful card.
It is. It’s basically draw 4 cards for 1 mana in a hyper aggro deck.
The minute I saw Secret Passage i said “nerf incoming”. 🙂
These changes are unnecessary from the balance point of view. The meta has been extremely balanced. They are doing this just for refreshment, I guess. Darkglare nerf is related with the card’s impact in WIld. In Standard this means Druids are getting more breathing space (if Warlock goes away). Together with the fact GA & Overgrowth are left untouched, I predict Druid will explode post-patch; at least to some degree. The meta will try to hard-counter it again in a way I don’t like: obscure cards vs. obscure cards. Shaman can actually counter Druid, but is the huge buff to Goliath enough? So far, Totem Shaman could grab wins only by inconsistently making some bull*** miracle plays in the early game to seize the board control, otherwise playing 0 attack totems normally has been meh. Hopes are low, but we’ll see. Goliath still doesn’t help consistency, but is now a great card for comebacks. I like Acolyte nerf, because I hate the current identity of Priest, but the class may die now. Secret Passage, a reasonable nerf, again: nothing really needed. Power is certainly decreased, but will still see play. The problem with Willow is that’s it’s only one card in your deck. Decks can’t depend on one non-tutorable card. Maybe in future with more support.
Wait is Archwitch willow going from 9 to 8 or from 9 to 7? Because the picture and text state different things
Picture is correct, I just made a mistake in a hurry (wrote 8 to 7 instead of 9 to 8). It will now cost 8 mana.