The famed traveling carnival of Azeroth has finally arrived as Hearthstone welcomes Madness at the Darkmoon Faire. This latest expansion offers 135 all-new cards. Players are sure to be tempted by the terrifying power of the Old Gods.
The Old Gods first made their appearance in Hearthstone through the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion. They return in this new expansion as Legendary minions. So be ready to face Old Gods that include C’Thun, N’Zoth, Y’Shaarj, and Yogg-Saron, but in Minion form. Players also have the chance to make use of Old Gods Artifacts. These are powerful new spells the recall the original abilities seen in the Whispers of the Old Gods.
In addition, players can also get an advantage over their opponents with the new Corrupt keyword. What this does is it upgrades cards into more powerful forms in-hand when a higher cost card is played.
Blizzard Entertainment President J. Allen Brack said in a statement that when they first appeared in the game, the “Old Gods spawned the creation of some truly astonishing decks” and this is what makes the new expansion more exciting. He added that they are also happy to start “the first season of Hearthstone Duels” and that it was very “encouraging to see early-access players having a blast with it.”
The arrival of the new expansion also means that start of Hearthstone Duels: Season One. This is a free competitive game mode which offers the excitement of PvP Arena mode and combines it with the unpredictability of Solo Adventures. Players that participate in Duels can build starting decks using their very own collections and then improve them with extra cards, along with game-changing Treasures, after each match.
With each season, the pool of available cards in this mode is going to be refreshed and accompanied by new Heroes, Hero Powers, and signature Treasures. For this inaugural season, the theme is going to be Wizard Duels, so expect to see Heroes from the Scholomance Academy expansion.
Players can try the Hearthstone Duels Heroic mode in order to earn rewards like in-game gold, cards, card packs, and Arcane Dust. Heroic mode Duels runs are available by paying 150 gold or buying a Tavern ticket for $1.99. Just remember, the better your record is at the end of the run, the greater the rewards.
This new expansion pass is also introducing a Rewards Track and Tavern Pass. The Track allows players to earn in-game items that include cards, packs, cosmetics, and gold. There’s going to be a free track that’s available to everyone and a paid track that comes with the Tavern Pass for $19.99.
Players that buy the Tavern Pass at any time during the expansion immediately receive:
- Golden Silas Darkmoon Legendary minion
- XP Boost that lasts for the duration of the expansion
- All paid track items up to the player's current level
Meanwhile, progression along the Tavern Pass paid track allows players to unlock these items:
- Annhylde Alternate Warrior Hero and Card Back
- Three Jaina Hero Skins
- Three Thrall Hero Skins
- One of Hearthstone’s first-ever collectible Cosmetic Coins
So what are you waiting for? Time to visit the carnival.
