Hearthstone is kicking off the Year of the Phoenix with the Ashes of Outland expansion. This one takes players beyond the Dark Portal and all the way to Outland. Fans of World of Warcraft should find Outland familiar, as it was the setting of The Burning Crusade. Only this time the world has been destroyed by the Rusted Legion.
Before we go a bit deeper into what the new expansion has to offer, you can view the trailer below:
Going back to the story at hand, the Rusted Legion are malicious monstrosities that have been mechanically enhanced in a bid to conquer Outland. This has resulted in this world becoming a post-apocalyptic wasteland. To survive in this shattered world, many of the inhabitants are doing their best to get by. In the middle of everything is the Black Temple, where Illidan Stormrage, along with his army of Demon Hunters, are trying their best to fight back.
For Hearthstone players, this means that they get the chance to play the new Demon Hunter Class. Its hero power is known as Demon Claws, which costs one mana and gives a +1 Attack. Demon Hunters also have access to the Outcast keyword. These are cards that become stronger when played either in the left-most or right-most position.
Of course it wouldn't be fair if we don't talk about the Rusted Legion. They're raising fallen warriors, known as Primes, to do their own bidding. This is a new kind of Legendary minion that start off as strong either in early game or mid-game. When their Deathrattle is activated, an upgraded version of themselves is shuffled into the deck.
Arriving as well with the new expansion is Imprisoned Demons. These are fel entities that come into play Dormant for two turns. What this means is that while it's visible to both players, it's going to be untouchable by either. Once the effect is activated, there's a chance it can swing the game to the owner's favor.
Ashes of Outland is set to be released on April 7. It looks like some are jumping into the game a little early as players who log in can now receive the Legendary neutral minion Kael’thas Sunstrider. While the Lord of the Blood Elves is in play, his ability is that each third spell you cast per turn is free.
There's also going to be a new quest chain for players to earn free card packs from Year of the Dragon expansions and Ashes of Outland. Take note of these dates:
- April 7, 1:00 PM ET
- Play 25 Cards in Play Mode to earn an Ashes of Outland and Descent of Dragons card pack.
- April 8, 1:00 PM ET
- Play 3 Games in Play Mode as Demon Hunter to earn an Ashes of Outland and Saviors of Uldum card pack.
- April 9, 1:00 PM ET
- Play 20 Spells in any mode to earn an Ashes of Outland and Rise of Shadows card pack.
Players can now pre-purchase Ashes of Outland in two bundles, both available until April 6:
- Ashes of Outland Bundle
- Price: $49.99
- Includes:
- 5 Ashes of Outland card packs
- Serpentine card back
- Random Ashes of Outland Golden Legendary card
- Ashes of Outland Mega Bundle
- Price: $79.99
- Includes:
- 90 Ashes of Outland card packs
- Lady Vashj Shaman Hero
- Serpentine card back
- Random Ashes of Outland Golden Legendary card
- 4 Arena Tickets
- Descent of Dragons Battlegrounds Bonuses
- Upgrades to Tavern Pass at launch of Ashes of Outland
