Welcome everyone to our 100th Touchstone Tavern, our weekly roundup of everything cool and interesting in the world of Hearthstone []. Hard to believe that we've reached that 100 issue milestone, which also translates into me doing this for quite a long time. The first time we published this column was May 26th, 2015, so the 100th issue comes just a bit after the two-year anniversary. I hope you've been enjoying reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. If you feel like seeing how much the game and the conversations around it have changed, go check out . Fun times, I guarantee it. And now, enjoy last week's news, today.
We knew this patch was coming, and I know many of you are glad it's finally here. The latest patch has added Deck Importing, which allows players to import decks simply by copying a decklist, and Quest with friends, where players can complete quests and even Brawls while playing against friends. The update has also improved Collection Manager searches, switched some game boards to be Wild only, and more. And, of course, we got the regular bug fixes. Check out all the changes .
As you've all experienced, losing a match often leads to incredible amounts of frustration and saltiness, which in turn lead to more defeats and more frustration. looks at ways that can help you overcome all that saltiness and, in turn, get more wins. By reframing ideas such as "everyone netdecks, there's no creativity" or "aggro players are ruining the game," you can approach these issues differently and come up with solutions that can help you win more and get frustrated less. A very useful article that I'm sure most of you will benefit from.
Deathwing, one of the most recognizable cards in the game, didn't feel that cool coming into the game in the past, but the most recent patch has changed that. As you can see in the video, Deathwing will now shock and awe your opponent once you drop it on the board. Definitely a welcome change.
If you've ever played Arena, you probably know that you often get pretty crappy cards as rewards, especially commons. Ben Brode recently talked about fixing the issues with Arena rewards and talked about how some of the changes they have made in the Arena will be coming down the pipe in future updates. Read the story for more info.
For those rich in spirit but poor in gold and dust, there's hope for you yet. pulls together some of the best budget decks you can play with, like Pirate Warrior, Token Druid, and Inner Fire Priest, all of which come with guides on how to approach. If nothing else, it's always useful for newer players to see how veterans go about putting their decks together.
We always talk about how Hearthstone has become quite expensive to play well, but there are always players who can go to the top just on skill, and is about just that. Disguised Toast started a new F2P account and started climbing the Ladder without spending any money. It took him three weeks, but he managed to reach Legend without playing Arena, which would have given him more money to spend. He didn't even disenchant any cards. He used a Midrange Hunter to climb, and managed to reach Legend. Quite impressive.
The Hall of Fame is the place where powerful or overused Standard cards go to retire, and asks which cards should depart Standard next. Sticking with the rules that Blizzard uses for making Hall of Fame cards, the writer believes that Alexstrasza, Edwin Van Cleef, Fiery War Axe, Innervate, and a few more cards should head to the lands of the Hall of Fame. What do you think about those choices? Any other cards you want to see leave Standard for good?
As we saw in the latest playoffs, the new Standard season has spelled the end of Warlock as a competitive class, at least according to . There were zero Warlock decks in the European and Americas playoffs, and that's a huge drop from the Winter season. The reasons are primarily the departure of Reno Jackson from Standard, Silence becoming more fun to play in Priest than Warlock, and Zoolock not as strong as it used to be any more. With every one of Warlock's strengths matched and surpassed by other classes, Warlock can't find a place at the table right now, although that might change in the next expansion.
After years of waiting for Kripp to disenchant all his cards, we finally got to , and the result was... anticlimactic. As you can see in the video below, the client crashed when he pressed the button, and once he came back into the game, he had the 660,000 dust he was supposed to have. People have been waiting for years for this moment, so it was a real pity—but not that surprising—to see the cards go out with a fizzle.
As always, we have some good resources on the site for you in case you are new to the game or simply want to sharpen up your game. There's never such a thing as too much help in Hearthstone, so check out our guides.
Hearthstone Patch Adds Deck Importing, Friendly Quests
We knew this patch was coming, and I know many of you are glad it's finally here. The latest patch has added Deck Importing, which allows players to import decks simply by copying a decklist, and Quest with friends, where players can complete quests and even Brawls while playing against friends. The update has also improved Collection Manager searches, switched some game boards to be Wild only, and more. And, of course, we got the regular bug fixes. Check out all the changes .
How to Reframe Negative Experiences
As you've all experienced, losing a match often leads to incredible amounts of frustration and saltiness, which in turn lead to more defeats and more frustration. looks at ways that can help you overcome all that saltiness and, in turn, get more wins. By reframing ideas such as "everyone netdecks, there's no creativity" or "aggro players are ruining the game," you can approach these issues differently and come up with solutions that can help you win more and get frustrated less. A very useful article that I'm sure most of you will benefit from.
Deathwing Finally Gets the Animation it Deserves
Deathwing, one of the most recognizable cards in the game, didn't feel that cool coming into the game in the past, but the most recent patch has changed that. As you can see in the video, Deathwing will now shock and awe your opponent once you drop it on the board. Definitely a welcome change.
Arena Changes to Rewards Under Consideration
If you've ever played Arena, you probably know that you often get pretty crappy cards as rewards, especially commons. Ben Brode recently talked about fixing the issues with Arena rewards and talked about how some of the changes they have made in the Arena will be coming down the pipe in future updates. Read the story for more info.
Best Low-Budget Decks
For those rich in spirit but poor in gold and dust, there's hope for you yet. pulls together some of the best budget decks you can play with, like Pirate Warrior, Token Druid, and Inner Fire Priest, all of which come with guides on how to approach. If nothing else, it's always useful for newer players to see how veterans go about putting their decks together.
Player Reaches Legend Without Spending Any Money
We always talk about how Hearthstone has become quite expensive to play well, but there are always players who can go to the top just on skill, and is about just that. Disguised Toast started a new F2P account and started climbing the Ladder without spending any money. It took him three weeks, but he managed to reach Legend without playing Arena, which would have given him more money to spend. He didn't even disenchant any cards. He used a Midrange Hunter to climb, and managed to reach Legend. Quite impressive.
Which Cards Should Go to the Hall of Fame Next?
The Hall of Fame is the place where powerful or overused Standard cards go to retire, and asks which cards should depart Standard next. Sticking with the rules that Blizzard uses for making Hall of Fame cards, the writer believes that Alexstrasza, Edwin Van Cleef, Fiery War Axe, Innervate, and a few more cards should head to the lands of the Hall of Fame. What do you think about those choices? Any other cards you want to see leave Standard for good?
Why Has Warlock Been Left Out of the Spring Playoffs?
As we saw in the latest playoffs, the new Standard season has spelled the end of Warlock as a competitive class, at least according to . There were zero Warlock decks in the European and Americas playoffs, and that's a huge drop from the Winter season. The reasons are primarily the departure of Reno Jackson from Standard, Silence becoming more fun to play in Priest than Warlock, and Zoolock not as strong as it used to be any more. With every one of Warlock's strengths matched and surpassed by other classes, Warlock can't find a place at the table right now, although that might change in the next expansion.
Kripp Finally Pressed the Dust Button, and....
After years of waiting for Kripp to disenchant all his cards, we finally got to , and the result was... anticlimactic. As you can see in the video below, the client crashed when he pressed the button, and once he came back into the game, he had the 660,000 dust he was supposed to have. People have been waiting for years for this moment, so it was a real pity—but not that surprising—to see the cards go out with a fizzle.
When the Game Just Hates You
Insane Turn 4 Priest 30+ Damage
Insane Tortollan Primalist RNG
WTF Moments #148
Top 10 Removal Spells
Discover, It's Time to Stop
10 Best Legendary Cards
Kripp's Most Hated Cards
Hearthstone Mulligans #3
Fails #43
As always, we have some good resources on the site for you in case you are new to the game or simply want to sharpen up your game. There's never such a thing as too much help in Hearthstone, so check out our guides.