by Come to the tavern and relax with a nice card game. This is the premise of Hearthstone, Blizzard’s card game that is based on the lore of World of Warcraft. You’re a hero coming by WoW’s tavern where you re-create battles through card games.
Hearthstone came out in 2014 and it’s a free-to-play online card collectible game. You don’t have to spend any money on the game, but you can buy packs to enrich your card collection, as well as game cosmetics, a Tavern Pass or a solo adventure.
In this article, we’ll briefly, but concisely, tell you about the game’s features.
General Gameplay
In traditional Hearthstone, two players face each other and they both have a 30-card deck.
They start the game with 1 mana (the resource necessary to play cards and use your hero power), and with each turn they gain an additional mana crystal until they both reach 10 mana per turn. The person who plays second also receives the coin (a spell that gives you 1 additional mana that turn).
Each player starts with 30 health and the goal is to hit your opponent in the face (with hero power, minions, weapons, and spells) until they have zero or less health, which wins you the game. You have to also kill your opponent’s minions, because they pose a threat to your minions and face.
Hero Classes
There are ten hero classes in the game, each one of which has its unique features (e.g., Mage plays more spells) and its own hero power. In addition, each class has various archetypes depending on the meta (e.g., Murloc Shaman). Here are the ten classes:
- Mage (Jaina Proudmoore); hero power: 2 mana, deal 1 damage.
- Hunter (Rexxar), hero power: 2 mana, deal 2 damage to the enemy’s face.
- Druid (Malfurion Stormrage), hero power: 2 mana, +1 armor, +1 attack this turn.
- Shaman (Thrall), hero power: 2 mana, summon a totem.
- Paladin (Uther Lightbringer), hero power: 2 mana, summon a 1/1 silver hand recruit.
- Priest (Anduin Wrynn), hero power: 2 mana, restore 2 health.
- Rogue (Valeera Sanguinar), hero power: 2 mana, equip a 1/2 dagger.
- Warlock (Gul’dan), hero power: 2 mana, draw a card and take 2 damage.
- Warrior (Garrosh Hellscream), hero power: 2 mana, gain 2 armor.
- Demon Hunter (Illidan Stormrage), hero power: 1 mana, +1 attack this turn.
Cards: Minions, Spells, Weapons, Hero Cards
There are four types of cards – minions, spells, weapons, and hero cards.
A minion is the physical character/monster you put on board that has a certain amount of attack and damage. Some minions are neutral, while others have types (e.g., beasts). Minions can have a battlecry (an effect when you play them) and/or a deathrattle (an effect when they die), among others.
Then you have spells, which have various effects. Some are trap spells, called secrets, that remain hidden until your opponent triggers them. Other spells can heal, damage, buff minions and much more.
You can also use weapons that deal damage to your opponent’s face or to their minions. Last but not least, there are hero cards that give you a new skin and a new hero power; they usually also have a bonus effect when you play them.
When you create an account and pass the tutorial phase, you’d get a deck for each of the ten classes. Afterwards, you’d need to open packs to gain more cards. You can buy packs with the in-game currency gold (gained through doing quests) or with real money.
You can also craft cards with dust (created by destroying cards), the amount of which depends on the rarity of the card. There are four rarity types: common, rare, epic, and legendary. Now there’s also diamond, but these cards can only be gained by buying the Tavern Pass.
Constructed: Ranked, Casual, Wild
There are three types of traditional Hearthstone: ranked, casual, or wild. In ranked, you play to rank up on the ladder (with ranks: bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, and legend). You can only use core cards (each player gets them for free), along with cards from the last three expansions.
Casual is the same, but you don’t play for rank.
Wild, as its name suggests, allows you to play cards from every single expansion, besides hall of fame cards (retired cards). You play for rank in wild as well.
Modes: Arenas, Battlegrounds, Duels
There are three other modes you can play: arenas, battlegrounds, and duels.
It costs 150 gold to enter the Arenas and you have to craft a deck, but the game gives you cards to choose from. Then, you play traditional Hearthstone. Depending on how many games you win in your arenas run, you win prizes accordingly.
Battlegrounds is a totally different mode. You play against 7 other people in an auto-chess gameplay where you put your minions on board and they automatically attack the opponent’s minions. You start with 40 health and you face each opponent at least once.
You don’t craft a deck, but instead you buy minions from the tavern (each for 3 gold). Every player starts with 3 gold until it reaches 10 (similar to mana). You can upgrade your tavern for gold to find higher class minions.
Finally, Duels have you craft a deck, but you also get treasures with each duel you play against the AI. There are free duels, and also ones that cost 150 gold to enter (these carry prizes).
Mercenaries
Mercenaries is another mode-like Hearthstone game, that is more RPG-oriented. Your mercenaries are cards you can open in mercenary-only packs or craft. You pick a bounty on the board and choose mercenaries (each with their individual hero power) who face other AI-generated characters.
Tavern Brawls
Tavern brawls are the relaxing part of Hearthstone. A weekly adventure that can have you craft a deck or give you a random one. You play against real people and your first won tavern brawl of the week results in a free card pack.
