Hearthstone: Patch 23.4.3 with Nerfs for Warriors and Demon Hunters – Patch Notes

Update 23.4.3 for Hearthstone went online on June 16, 2022. Balance changes await for Standard format, Battlegrounds mode, Mercenary mode, and more! The primary goal of the developers: to weaken too strong decks of the current meta. Specifically, there are some Fel Demon Hunter and Control Warrior variants. Other changes are intended to improve the player experience against some of the most polarizing maps in the game.

Hearthstone: German Patch Notes from Update 23.4.3

map changes

The following cards have been weakened:

shield fragmentation

• Old: Deal 5 damage to ALL minions. Costs (1) less for each armor point you have. → New: Deal 4 damage to ALL minions. Costs (1) less for each armor point you have.

wailing spirit of the tides

• Old: Battlecry: Deal 5 damage. Gain 8 armor. → New: Battlecry: Deals 5 damage. Gain 5 armor.

Nellie’s Pirate Ship (the limb that summons Nellie the Great Thresher)

• Old: mockery. Deathrattle: Put Nellie’s Pirate Crew into your hand. They cost (1). → New: mockery. Deathrattle: Put Nellie’s Pirate Crew into your hand. They cost (1) less.

From the depths

• Old: [Kosten: 3] → New: [Kosten: 4]

Developer Comments: Variants of both the Assault Warrior and Control Warrior decks are overpowered in the rankings and gain higher and higher win rates with higher ranks. These decks share a few key cards, and these changes are intended to lower win rates for both archetypes. We don’t want these decks to go away entirely after the changes, but we’re hoping that some of the more frustrating moves they’re capable of (like Henchman’s Torment, which costs 1 thanks to Nellie) will be removed or toned down in the future.

Caria devil soul

• Old: [Kosten: 6] 6 Attack, 6 Health Battlecry: Transform into a 6/6 copy of a Demon in your deck. → New: [Kosten: 7] 7 Attack, 7 Health Battlecry: Transform into a 7/7 copy of a Demon in your deck.

Battle-hardened vanguard

• Old: 2 attack, 2 life. → New: 2 attack, 1 life.

Developer Comments: Demon Hunter was the second class with a notably high win rate since the release of the last miniset. While we’re happy to see the new and improved Xhilag making waves, we’re less pleased that Caria is being used to get a copy of Xhilag early. We’ve slowed down this interaction and also reduced the health of the Battlehardened Vanguard by one. This is to reduce the chance of the card being played early and then becoming overpowered quickly.

Wildpaw Gnoll

• Old: 4 attack, 5 health. → New: 3 attack, 5 life.

Developer Comments: Rogue is one of the most played classes in Standard, and it didn’t feel right for us to nerf other popular classes without also doing some digging on rogues. We’ve had a hard time getting Wildpaw Gnoll right, but we’re confident the current change is moving both the map and the class in the right direction.

Lightforged Cariel

• Old: [Kosten: 7] → New: [Kosten: 8]

Developer Comments: We’re happy to see late-stage hero cards really shake up the game for their classes, but felt Cariel showed this ability a move early. Paladins are in a pretty healthy position in the current meta, and with the changes in this patch, it should stay that way in the future.

grudge fin siren

• Old: [Kosten: 4] 2 attack, 5 life → New: [Kosten: 5] 2 attack, 6 life

Developer Comment: Angerfin Siren is a fun and interesting card for Nagamager decks, but we felt that it could end games in a way that didn’t leave much room for reaction. We’re pushing the effect back one turn, hoping that this gives opponents more time to interact with the crowded boards this card can create.

Earthen scales

• Old: [Kosten: 1] → New: [Kosten: 2]

Developer Comments: Druid has not been a dominant class since the miniset, but it can still be frustrating to lose to. We felt that Earthen Scales was doing too much for a one-mana cost card, so we’re increasing the cost by 1. This should make the class easier to attack in the midgame.

thunderstorm bloom

• Old: Gain 2 Mana Crystals this turn only. Overload: (2) → New: Replenishes 2 mana crystals. Overload (2).

Developer Comments: Looking at the gameplay after the mini-set was released, we heard concerns about the wild play experience, prior to Greater Shaman decks. These decks can sometimes pose big threats very early on, making for games that feel like you don’t stand a chance. We quickly identified Thunderbolt as the card with the most problems for the format, both in the short and long term, so we’re making big changes to it.

henchman torment

• Old: [Kosten: 6] → New: [Kosten: 7]

Developer Comments: Henchman’s Torment is a powerful, game-ending card that’s a little overpowered when cast immediately upon reaching the required Mana Crystals. Hopefully with this change, the mid-game map will be a little more bearable and the various combos he’s involved in will be slowed down.

school teacher

• Old: 5 attack, 4 life. → New: 4 attack, 3 life.

Developer Comment: In general, we’re happy with the types of gameplay that Schoolteacher offers, but a card with a great Battlecry effect doesn’t need great stats as well. We expect this card to still be used a lot, but we hope it’s not as ubiquitous as it is now.

All craftable versions of the above cards can be disenchanted for the full amount of Arcane Dust two weeks after patch 23.4.3 release. (Core set versions of cards in the core set and the gold versions of Schoolteacher obtained from the Journey into the Sunken City reward path are not craftable).

Battlefield mode update

Updates to Hero Skills

Onyxia the Broodmother – Broodmother

• Old: Revenge (4): Summon a Whelpling (2/1). He attacks immediately. → New: Revenge (4): Summon a Whelpling (3/1). He attacks immediately.

Ozumat – Tentacled

• Old: Passive. Start of Combat: Summon a 2/2 Tentacle with Taunt. (Upgrades after you sell a minion!) → New: Passive. Start of Combat: Summon a 2/2 Tentacle with Taunt. (+1/+1 after you sell a minion!)

Developer Comments: Functionality does not change. This change is only aimed at more clarity.

Pyramidos – stone by stone

• Old: [Kosten: 1] Give a random friendly minion +4 Health. → New: [Kosten: 0] Give a random friendly minion +2 Health. (+1 life each turn you don’t use the ability!)

Tamsin Roame – Fragrant phylactery

• Old: Combat Start: Destroy your lowest health minion. Grants his stats to 4 friendly minions. → New: Battle Start: Destroy your lowest health minion. Grants his stats to 5 friendly minions.

Armor level updates

The following heroes now have more armor and are now in the following armor tiers:

• Al’Akir, Ambassador Faelin, Galakrond, Malygos, and Vol’jin are armor tier 2.
• C’Thun is armor level 3.
• Bru’kan, Edwin van Cleef, Fungumancer Flrrgl, and Queen Azshara are armor tier 5.
• Deathwing, Elise Starsseeker, Illidan Stormrage, Lord Jaraxxus, and Tess Greymane are armor level 6.
• Aranna Starseeker, Cariel Roame, King Mukla, High Overlord Saurfang, Rakanishu, The Curator, and The Rat King are armor tier 7.

The following heroes now have less armor and are now in the following armor tiers:

• Alexstrasza, Deathspeaker Blackthorn, Ini Stormcoil, Maiev Shadowsong, Cap’n Goggleeye, Dreadhurz, The Lich King, Trade Prince Gallywix, and Xyrella are armor tier 1.
• Reno Jackson is armor level 2.
• Brann the Dino Tamer is armor level 3.

Changes to Servants

bubbles

• Old: 2 attack, 5 life. →New: 5 attack, 4 life.

Tarecgosa

• Old: Tavern level 4 → New: Inn level 3

deep light seer

• Old: Tavern level 4 → New: Inn level 3

swarm commander

• Old: 1 attack, 2 lives. → New: 2 attack, 2 lives.

wave rider

• Old: Spellcraft: Give a minion +1/+1 and Windfury until next turn. → New: Spellcraft: Give a minion +2/+2 and Windfury until next turn.

creature tamer

• Old: 5 attack, 6 health. After you cast a Spellcraft spell on a minion, it gets +2/+1. → New: 5 attack, 7 life. After you cast a Spellcraft spell on a minion, it gets +2/+2.

Corrupt Myrmidon

• Old: 2 attack, 2 life. → New: 3 attack, 3 life.

Tidemistress Athissa

• Old: 7 attack, 3 life. → New: 7 attack, 8 life.