Maps that will disappear in standard mode. Everything about Standard Mode rotation: which cards will go away and what will happen to the meta? What cards are not included in standard mode

Hello, dear readers of the site!

It is always frustrating when, opening a set of cards, you see a legendary card that has no worthy use in the game. The thought immediately appears: "So what to do with you?" On the one hand, you can spray a card at the same time, receiving 400 dust. On the other hand, the card might not be all that bad ... it might play in the future. Or maybe a deck in which this card looks good just does not go into my head. If in this situation you have similar questions, this spray guide legendary cards will help to answer them.

Note: No one knows for sure whether it is possible to successfully use a particular card. Even the worst legendary card has a chance to make it into decks anytime soon if it is put to good use. The article will be based on the status of the current meta and previous ones. But since it is not known what cards will be released in the next expansion, we are not talking about 100% accuracy in the estimates of the usefulness of legendary cards.

It is worth remembering that recently, when opening any set of cards, users will never receive legendary cards that are already in their collection. This is done so that players can quickly collect the necessary legendaries, and the opening of packs has become even more interesting and enjoyable. So, if you have a non-playable legendary card, and there is no urgent need for Arcane Dust, you can delay spraying it to avoid a situation in which this card will drop to you again.

This overview highlights the potential of the cards as seen by the Standard Mode player. If you are playing or planning to play in the Freestyle game, it is worth keeping some cards in spite of the fact that they will be leaving the Standard soon.

Legendary cards you can spray safely

Each questionable legendary card from each expansion that has not found its place in strong decks for a long time will be described in detail below. These are cards that were either never played or were only used in fan decks. They can be divided into two categories:

1. – very bad cards that are unlikely to ever be used.
2. – cards that find their place in weaker, unpopular decks, or have a stronger counterpart. In the same category, there will be stronger candidates who simply do not have a place in the current meta, but in the future they have a chance to get into the decks.

Classic set

There are more legendary cards in the Classic set than in any of the others, which means there are also a large number of unusable cards. However, oddly enough, most of the legendary creatures in this set are either just great, or at least not bad.

Legendary cards you can spray safely

Lorewalker Cho- A card that is often used for testing different types interaction in the game, well, or just for fun with friends. In real life situations, Lorewalker Cho will do absolutely nothing in 90% of cases.

Millhouse Manastorm- An excellent card in the meta, in which there is no place for spells. But, alas, this is unlikely to happen. Now, having played Millhouse, there is a chance to lose the opponent's next move.

Illidan Stormrage - 7/5 is not the best example of a stat distribution for a card that costs 6 mana crystals. Also, its effect requires the use of several cards in one turn, and the Flame of Azzinoth, which Illidan will summon, is too vulnerable to all kinds of cheap table clearing. It is worth mentioning the Teacher of Magic, because this card performs the same role much better with the expectation that most of the cheap cards are spells

Nat Pagle- a long time ago this guy was used in many decks, because his effect meant drawing cards at the end of your turn. Then the fisherman was weakened, and everyone forgot about him. Although, most likely, in the current aggressive meta, it would not have been used even in its former form, because 0/4 on the second turn is rather weak.

Monster“Just good performance ... with side effects. In a game where the health of a creature is much more important than its attack, the Beast is not too different from the Ogre of the heavy fist, which can be seen only in basic decks. As a result, +3 to attack in exchange for a 3/3 creature is not a very good deal for the enemy.

Gruul- Like the Beast, just strong characteristics... As a plus, it can be considered that Gruul is constantly "growing" and has no negative effect. The problem is that when putting up a legendary creature for 8 mana, you usually want to immediately influence the table, and not just get a "big body". In addition, if the enemy destroys Gruul immediately on their turn, the Dragon Slayer will leave the battlefield as a basic 8/8 creature for 8 mana.

Nozdormu – Unique effect, which affects not even the game itself, but its perception by the players, making a move of each of them no longer than 15 seconds. It can work only if the opponent has an obviously difficult and long move, but even then it is not a fact. In other cases, it turns out 8/8 for 9 mana - horror.

Legendary Cards to Diffuse According to the Situation

King Mukla- Sometimes it finds its place in extremely aggressive decks, recently it was even used in the legendary Pirate Warrior. But in general, this is not a card that cannot be dispensed with, and it is rarely used.

Mehmaster Zamykalets- This gnome was a good answer to K'Tun in the first time after the release of the Awakening of the Ancient Gods. After the decks with K'Tun disappeared, Mehmaster Zamykalets also disappeared. It turns out that if this card can be good in a particular meta, it will most likely never be critically needed.

Captain Zelenyams- Occasionally appears in some of the slower counterparts of pirate decks. But in general, this legendary card is too slow. 5/4 - weak characteristics for an aggressive card on the 5th move. And the right weapon for improvement is not always equipped. To understand why Captain Zelenyams is bad, just look at the Cult Pirate.

Crusher“This gnoll used to appear frequently in control archetypes. And the card itself is not that bad, it can still be used, especially if you are a new player. But, unfortunately, in strong decks, the Crusher is unlikely to ever appear, because on this moment its characteristics are considered too weak.

King Crusch- The only class legendary card in the Classic set that is not used in decks. This does not mean that the card is extremely weak, but there are certain questions to it. Even now, the weakened Call of the Woods offers a much better perspective on turn 9, although it is not a Legendary card. Perhaps, after the departure of the Call of the Forests to the Free regime, King Crusch will have some chance, but this is doubtful.

The awakening of the ancient gods

In terms of the overall strength of the expansion, the Awakening of the Old Gods was not always great. Players received many powerful and usable Legendaries in 2016, but with each new addition their power relative to other Legendaries became less and less significant. However, it was immediately not without and frankly bad cards, or those cards that have not found a serious use in the game.

Legendary cards you can spray safely

Werewolf Zerus- Too random to be used in serious decks. With incredible luck, it will always be exactly the card you need. But in practice, 9 out of 10 turns Zerus will remain a terrible creature. And on that turn, when it turns into something worthwhile, you may have to spend mana crystals on removal and healing.

Nat, the Dark Angler- For a slight advantage you have to pay with the possible draw of cards by the enemy. An absolutely unprofitable option, unless, of course, you are playing a Mill deck, but even such a deck will not take a creature that might do something useful for your opponent.

Creepy monster- This monster is one of the main contenders for the title of the worst legendary card in the entire game. It is completely meaningless. Remember, above we were talking about Gruul, he was called light dust, because 8/8 for 8 mana does not pull even a good card of normal quality. There is also 6/7 for 8 mana crystals. And unlike Gruul, in order for the Dread Monster to grow, he needs to attack and kill an enemy creature every turn to get a modest increase in characteristics. The result is a weak counterpart to an already bad legendary card.

Anomalus- A strong mass cleanup is always good. But if this sweep is a death rattle, the opponent can easily beat it. In addition, he will have a whole move to punch in the face. At this time, you can no longer play creatures, because they can die from the effect of Anomalus. A weak card that has no place in strong decks.

Cho'gall- the effect is really strong, but the Warlock does not have the necessary spells to use with this card. Also, spending health instead of mana crystals is not a good idea, despite the mass of healing available. On top of that, the Warlock now has a Bloodblood that can be used for the same purposes, but at a much lower resource cost.

Nightmare Grinder- Doesn't justify itself in playing against archetype control, and in aggressive match-ups it is too slow a choice. To benefit from it, you need to spend 7 mana crystals, wait 1 turn, and then attack a weak creature. And all this for the sake of provocation 2/2. Nightmare Grinder can be tried to be used in decks that can themselves activate its effect using, for example, weak mass spells, but it is no longer used.

Princess Huhuran“Even though the Hunter has many deathrattle creatures, this legendary card is difficult to capitalize on. Ideal to use its effect on Savannah Highmane, for example. But as a rule of thumb, if you place Savannah Highmane and it stays unscathed for the entire turn, you're fine as it is. Nice map, but too situational, so it can be sprayed.

Herald Volazh- the developers themselves realized that this legendary card is too weak, so they released its cheap counterpart in the person of the Mirage Summoner. This third drop, however, is also not very popular now, let alone a Legendary with actually the same effect, but for a higher amount of mana.

Legendary Cards to Diffuse According to the Situation

Mukla, Thunderstorm of the Valley On the one hand, getting two cheap bananas that are spells is always good, as there are obvious synergies with cards like Furious Pyromancer, Auctioneer Goblin, etc. But overall the map is too slow, at least for the current meta. Quest Mage, however, could have taken this beast into an assembly in synergy with the Overseer, but now both this archetype and this version of it seem weak.

Yogg-Saron- This card was in many of the strongest decks in the meta before the developers weakened it. Now she is practically invisible in the ladder. This does not mean that the ancient god is now bad, because the card has potential, but it will probably only be revealed in Freemode.

The evil city of Gadgetzan

The evil city of Gadgetzan will soon be leaving Standard Mode, and some legendary add-ons never found a place in serious ladder decks. It is unlikely that anything will change in the Kobolds and Catacombs in 2018.

Legendary cards you can spray safely

Madame Goya- not the most strong card... You need to build a special deck with extremely heavy creatures, which not everyone can afford. But then the problem will arise: what will you replace. A shaman, for example, can shuffle a totem into a deck and get a legendary card out of there, such Big Shamans have met before (they were hardly strong). But for the Priest or Druid, such options are almost always unavailable, where Barnes is much better suited to Big archetypes.

Mayor Noggenmogel- a fun card, and, in principle, everything. Even though the effect can be very powerful, it doesn't matter with a 5/4 9 mana creature. This card will be useless not only in an aggressive confrontation, but also in slow games, because the opponent can easily bypass the card, simply without playing anything that falls under the effect of this legendary card. He is bad when you are behind and he is just as bad when you are in the lead. Just a card for fun.

Sergeant Sally- a great idea for a card, but, alas, it was not used in the meta either in decks with a buff of cards in hand, or in decks with Overflowing Power, while this spell was still available in Standard mode.

Legendary Cards to Diffuse According to the Situation

Auctioneer Vikhlyun- is used exclusively by OTK Paladin with a death knight, but this archetype, alas, has not been revealed. Maybe in the future the situation will change, but Auctioneer Vikhlyun will no longer be in the Standard.

Sharpie Genzo- It seemed that this card has a certain potential in aggressive archetypes, but, as it turned out, the card is rather slow and situational, it does not draw cards right away and most often will be just a 5/4 creature for 4 mana crystals. In mirror fights, the effect can generally be negative.

Kulaks- in fact, it's not such a bad creature in terms of its characteristics, and its effect is interesting, only the Hunter does not need such slow mechanics, and for 5 mana crystals the aggressive class would like to put a creature with a higher attack rate.

Wrathion“This legendary card also seemed strong and potent. In practice, Wrathion usually only draws 1 card. If, in addition to dragons, there are beasts in the deck, it is much better to use the Overseer.

Krul the Unchained- Good card if you play Renolock in Freemode, bad if Kazakus as Warlock in Standard mode. Now, not only is Kazakus the Warlock himself weak, but the class also has much stronger synergies of demons, for which you do not need to trick and take one copy of each card.

Party in Karazhan

The last adventure available in Standard Mode is also about to go into oblivion (Free). The power of legendary adventure cards is, for the most part, very high. And this is not surprising, because 5 bad legendary cards in a full-fledged add-on will not make the weather, but in an adventure ... Nevertheless, among them there are bad examples that do not compete in the ladder.

Prince Malchezaar- A map designed for players who want to play with legendary cards, but their collection looks poor so far. In fact, you just shuffle 5 not very best cards, which can only be useful when playing to the point of fatigue, and even then in the most rare cases. The success of any other confrontation lies in the reduction of the number of cards in the deck, which helps to quickly find the key tools and implement your game plan.

Morose- for all the time of its existence, Morose was used only in the Rogue Quest in the very first days, when this archetype first appeared. But very soon the players abandoned such a weak third drop in favor of jerks and additional defensive tools. Alas, I haven't experienced the best 1/1 days for 3 mana.

Expedition to Un'Goro

Legendary cards you can spray safely

Queen Zawas- In the past, the mechanic of discarding cards has received support, but it still fails to consolidate its competitiveness. Decks built on this mechanic Queen Zawas gives some security and stability, but the benefits of this card are still not big enough to give it a place in the deck.

Victim of Lakkari- at first, many players made the mistake of putting this card in their decks Discard Zooloka... But when playing with slower assemblies, the reward for completing the task was almost always possible to get. While this map has unfortunately not seen a competitive game yet, it may receive support in future expansions to become viable.

Ozruk- synergy of elementals acting in a chain, from time to time appeared in decks of some classes, but all "elemental" assemblies have one thing in common - they exclude Ozruk... Typically, these decks want to play creatures on a mana curve turn by turn. This strategy is effective, but leaves too few cards in hand by turn 9 to make Ozruk a significant threat (or at least a small hindrance).

The last kaleidosaurus- If Galvadon personifies the power of the kaleidosaurs, it is not surprising that they became extinct. The five adaptation effects might sound fun, but giving the chance to win only in his clutches will be another reason for disappointment when any removal is played on your Galvadon.

Queen of the swamps- the task of the Hunter, which was predicted to be a refractive force in the match, but which was never given the opportunity to meet the expectations of the players. The main problem with the mechanics of legendary tasks is that you have to give the first turn to play them. And this pass has a rather noticeable effect on the further game. Hunter's Quest, since his deck is teeming with creatures for 1 mana crystal.

Vorax Is another victim of the pace of Hearthstone. A 3/3 creature on turn 4 is not a problem for the opponent, and most of the buffs that require duplication consume a significant portion of mana. As a result, Workas stays out of play over and over again, even in decks that have a lot of tools to "fertilize" this plant.

Tyrant- of course, this giant looks very tempting, as it is a creature with impressive characteristics, which also cannot be targeted by hero power or spells. However, when you spend more than eight Mana Crystals in a single turn, you expect more than just a bunch of stats.

Legendary Cards to Diffuse According to the Situation

The awakening of the creators- restoring all your health (and even more) can instantly end the match. But it is worth remembering that, leaving in starting hand this card, you make a big commitment. Like many other class quests, it does The awakening of the creators a card that can be turned into Arcane Dust.

Hunter Hemet- it has already been mentioned several times that this card is a pretty bad option for diluting the deck, because even its exhaustion should be good, right? Well ... or something like that. Hunter Hemet has a potential that has never found a sensible strategy to implement. Too often, you will have cheap cards in your deck that you don't want to destroy.

Jungle giants- Malfurion is exceptional in his ability to quickly bring large creatures into play. He's so good at it that his singularity does Jungle giants a much less consistent investment than simply gaining ten Mana Crystals as quickly as possible. Free creatures are great, of course, but after completing the task, all you can do is get one on the table every turn.

King Mosh – Control Warrior has a huge number of removals, which makes King Mosh just a mere bystander in most decks of this archetype. As a rule, on the ninth turn the Warrior has either lost control of the table or continues to hold the upper hand. If our case is the second, the remaining cards in the deck should continue to work to win.

Murloc Union – Megamrrrgl solves one problem Murloc Shaman, namely the rapid depletion of the hand. But, as with the Hunter, this deck doesn't want to lose the first move in favor of efficiency.

Sherazin- this card has been indispensable in decks for a while Miracle of the Rogues... Now, for the slot for 4 mana crystals, which was empty before, now there is a lot of competition. Even if in the future Miracle the Rogue will regain strength, Sherazin can be sent to rest.

Swamp King Dred- a huge dinosaur named Dread can become a serious problem for your opponent, however, the current state of the Hunter does not allow him to give a place in the deck to one huge creature. Players who consider the Hunter as their main class can keep this card, while others can safely spray it.

Knights of the Frozen Throne

Legendary cards you can spray safely

Archbishop Benedict- Most decks are built with winnings in mind if certain conditions are met. By copying your opponent's deck that either matches the goal of your deck or does not match, you will most likely simply dilute your cards with extra cards, which will greatly reduce your likelihood of winning.

Psartas- The Lich King's favorite was initially used in some builds, but casting a 2/2 creature on turn 4 looks rather weak. There are other cards at the same cost that compensate for the potential loss of pace.

Queen Lana’tel- like the other queen (Zawas), Lana'tel fits well into slow assemblies, which she aspires to become Quest Warlock, but she suffers from the weak position of this archetype on the ranking ladder.

Lillian Voss- 4/5 characteristics for a creature for 4 mana crystals are always good, but, as is the case with Sherazin and Xaril The Rogue has more attractive options for a slot with this value. More importantly, Rogues often need to keep their own class cheap spells in order to use them with the Auctioneer Goblin or set the pace for the game.

Murabi- the Shaman's freeze mechanic has received quite a few new cards to spur interest in it, but this is clearly not enough to create a new archetype. It is also worth considering that this 4/4 creature worth 6 mana crystals needs to create a decent number of cards to justify its appearance on the table.

Sindragosa- during the announcements this map looked very promising, but so far it has not met the expectations of the players. To make matters worse, the death rattle of the summoned creatures will slow down your pace of the game in the event that you have to destroy them yourself. Sindragosa is impressive for its incredible value, but decks that this dragon will fit well usually have a lot of tools to finish a match without her.

Legendary Cards to Diffuse According to the Situation

Bolvar the Scorched- The paladin on the Divine Shields is such an archetype that almost never there are not enough stars from the sky. As a result, Bolvar's second iteration plays slightly more often than his predecessor.

Hadronox- this spider has two significant drawbacks: the lack of an instant effect and the weak characteristics of creatures with provocation in the Druid's arsenal. If the card had a battle cry, its power would be overwhelming, but with a death rattle, it will almost never have a chance to resurrect anything. ... Hadronox It's pretty hard to squeeze into a Druid deck that is now filled with ubiquitous 1/5 taunts.

Prince Valanar- at first, the Prince played in where for 4 crystals of mana more matches than his comrades. However, the card's weak effect cannot compensate for the mana curve sag that you get by putting it in the deck.

Professor Putricide- although many had high hopes for this legendary mad scientist, the lack of consistency in his ability meant only a tiny chance of appearing in assemblies The Secret of the Hunters.

Rotface – Tempo Warrior, in the deck of which, most likely, there would be a place for this card, remains outside the current meta. In the future, the ugly monster will likely find its place in competitive builds, but this is unlikely at this point.

Kobolds and Catacombs

Legendary cards you can spray safely

Swagger King- the ability to change a deck with an opponent is quite memorable, but that's about it. It is unlikely that this kobold will be able to make any competition.

Temporus- there is always the possibility that this Priest card will turn the course of the game in the future. However, extra moves are a versatile and tremendous force in card games... In spite of this Temporus lose the game to you much faster than win.

Dark- the idea of ​​disabling the enemy Captive Times and Kazakusa It seems tempting, but the reward for playing the card is too volatile and rarely worth skipping turn four.

Rune spear- it Tortolla shaman on a stick, and the Shaman's legendary weapon is unlikely to be able to participate in more games than his double with a shell.

Legendary Cards to Diffuse According to the Situation

Geosculptor Yip- even with all possible ways of obtaining armor, Yip will not be able to offer Control Warrior better conditions for victory, for which it is much easier to drag out the games until tired.

Grumble, Shaker of the Worlds- some elementals have fantastic battle cries... Unfortunately, in order to benefit from Grumble, you must sacrifice your entire table.

Dragon soul- despite a lot of hype, decks using this legendary weapon have a terrible win rate. When this card is played, the situation in the match becomes much worse for its owner.

That's all, thanks for your attention. If you disagree with some choices or think that something is missing, feel free to share your opinion in the comments.

Good luck with the ladder and see you soon!

Translated by Fafnesbane, edited by Euphoria, styled by Granium

Hello, dear readers of the site! It's no secret that the Hearthstone world is about to take on a big upheaval in April - the annual rotation of Standard mode! Players are preparing for the meta update, making predictions and pinning their hopes on this event, because it should radically transform the game. This article will help you learn more about the upcoming changes and answer many questions. You can read about DLC rotation, how Standard Mode works, what the Hall of Fame is, what cards will get into it, and how to get additional Arcane Dust by the beginning of the Year of the Raven. Also you will find all known information about the Witchwood add-on, the release of which will open the upcoming Year of the Raven.

1. Added data on the Year of the Raven and the Witchwood expansion to the text
2. Removed information about irrelevant archetypes and cards associated with February nerfs in patch 10.2
3. In the section "What the top decks will lose", the current archetypes are added, the irrelevant ones are removed, the assemblies are updated
4. Changed the section "What is the Hall of Fame, which cards will get into it?"
5. Added subsection "About card spraying and receiving benefits from the Hall of Fame"

Navigating the article

About Standard Mode

In February 2016, Blizzard announced the opening of a whole new chapter in the history of the game. It's about the emergence of different game formats. The introduction of Standard Mode was intended to make the meta more dynamic and balanced, as well as make life easier for newcomers who would find it easier to join the game. Now each addition takes on special significance, because the release of new cards significantly affects the overall game picture. The set limit makes each card especially important, and the annual rotation completely transforms the game.

This dramatic turn of events met with a lot of feedback from players, both approving and the most angry. Many have come to the conclusion that such an innovation will not only not help newcomers, but rather will lead to exactly the opposite consequences. Those who recently joined the game will have to actively adjust to the meta, which tends to change dramatically with the release of updates. And they simply won't be able to accumulate enough dust and gold to make the most of the new card packs. All this pushes newcomers to investing money in the game, and many are sure that this was exactly what Blizzard was counting on.

However, not everyone took the change so negatively. The introduction of different formats gives players a choice. Standard mode is considered the main one, but you can always join the Free one if you want variety or nostalgia.

2018 will see the third rotation of Standard Mode. Hearthstone fans often find this event exciting, important and extremely interesting, because not only new expansion cards appear, but old ones also go away. On the one hand, it's a little sad: you can miss, for example, Guardian Medivh or N'Zoth, but, on the other hand, many tiring and boring mechanics and cards disappear over the course of a year, opening the way for new ones. Someone does not like changes, but Hearthstone without them is simply unthinkable!

Care supplements

The division into different formats meant to make one of them more dynamic. Once a year, the situation in Standard Mode should change beyond recognition - so how do you achieve this? It's simple: the game should only use cards from expansions of the last two years, as well as from the basic and classic sets. Earlier add-ons go to Free Mode. Expansion cards will leave Standard in 2018 Old Gods Awakening, Vicious City of Gadgetzan as well as from the adventure Party in Karazhan... All of them were released in 2016, and in the new season only 17-18 maps should be played (not counting the classic and basic ones).

Such a turn of events may seem too harsh and illogical to someone: only one new addition appears, while three leave at once. But in fact, such a cleaning is very useful for the meta: it weakens the level of decks, because almost all of them lose most their main options. So game situation becomes more balanced, a lot of new archetypes appear, and the old and boring ones disappear into oblivion. It's hard to even imagine what the meta of Standard Mode will be like after such a massive upheaval. One thing is clear for sure: the situation will change dramatically.

Awakening of the Old Gods

Indeed, the first three cards were universally used by all classes, while the latter stood out noticeably among the Warlock, Mage and Rogue. This made the game less varied, and the decks more formulaic: what's the point of using another 6 drop if there is Sylvanas Windrunner?

It is important that players who have these cards in their collection will receive full compensation for arcane dust for them with the onset of the Year of the Raven. There are several ways to either enrich yourself with extra dust in the new year, or replenish your collection with gold copies of cards for free. Read more about this in the next section.

What should players do before rotation?

Each year, the rotation of the add-ons confronts the players with difficult task: what to do with those cards that go to Free mode? Fans of Standard Format will, of course, say: dust, dust, and more dust! The advice for most players is relevant, most likely many will do just that. Removal of add-ons gives a rare opportunity to get a large amount of dust at a time.

Free mode players are deprived of this opportunity. To tell you the truth, the rotation will not particularly affect them at all, so they are not faced with any torments of choice.

About the Party in Karazhan

Players who have not bought the adventure yet are in the most difficult situation right now. Party in Karazhan. So is it worth purchasing it now or not?

Many are convinced that adventures should be bought anyway, even if they are long gone, because they are guaranteed to provide several legendary cards, while buying boosters is a risky and unreliable business. One set, according to most, is equal to 40 Arcane Dust, but legendary cards from the adventure can be dispelled for as much as 400!

In fact, not everything is so simple. Think twice before buying Karazhan Party now with less than a month left before he leaves. First, the most obvious: these cards will soon go to Freemode. If you are not going to play 12 hours a day for the next 3 weeks, then the costs will clearly not pay off. Buying an adventure solely for the sake of spraying is even more controversial. Yes, you are guaranteed to get a fixed amount of dust for a certain amount, but is it worth it?

The purchase of the entire adventure will cost you 2800 gold, which will provide 2930 Arcane Dust after spraying all cards (Hall - 620, Opera House - 740, Menagerie - 590, Spire - 980) plus 20 more dust for 2 pairs of regular cards from the free Prologue, but they can be ignored.

For the same 2800 gold, you can purchase 28 sets of cards. It should be said that the widespread opinion that the average benefit from one booster is 40 dust is very much mistaken. When buying a large number of sets of cards, the average benefit of one increases to about 100 Arcane Dust, and the probability of dropping a legendary card increases significantly. Therefore, if you have accumulated 2800 gold, it is better to spend them on sets of actual sets: classic boosters, if you are a beginner, or sets of cards for the Witch's Forest expansion, which will be released very soon.

Do not forget that the rotation takes place in parallel with the release of a new addition, that is, new cards that you will definitely need. In this case, spending almost 3 thousand gold on 2930 dust certainly does not make sense - you will not even have enough for two legendary cards. You can create 1 legendary, 2 epic and 5 rare cards (+30 dust remaining) or 7 epic and 1 rare (+30 remaining). The variations can be different, but in the end you will get 8-15 cards of not the highest quality.

At the same time, 28 new boosters will give you 140 cards, of which not all will be common or rare (of course, there is a chance, but here you just need total bad luck). And not all of them are useless.

Thus, there are no serious reasons for buying Karazhan and cannot be. Of course, if you have huge reserves of gold and there is simply nowhere to go, then you can spend 3000 on an adventure. Ultimately, if your desire to buy Karazhan and save the Guardian of Medivh is that unforgiving, grab one wing for 700 coins. After that, you can always buy the rest, even after rotation.

It should be emphasized once again that the above tips do not apply to Free Mode players: for them, buying an adventure will not lose its relevance either now or after the change of seasons.

About creating outgoing cards

Having dealt with the adventure, it is logical to move on to the issue of creating cards for the outgoing sets. All expansions are full of interesting and powerful creatures and spells that are firmly entrenched in many decks. Some are powerful enough to determine the current state of the meta.

If you can not spare dust on ordinary and rare cards, then legendary and epic ones require more serious costs. You need to clearly understand whether these investments will be beneficial for you.

Some cards may serve you well for the rest of the time, but that doesn't mean you need to craft them as soon as possible. It all depends on your desire to play a particular deck and the time you are willing to devote to it. Playing for half an hour a day for the sake of fulfillment daily tasks, to spend money on N'Zota is clearly not worth it. And if you suddenly suddenly realized that your cherished dream is to conquer the ladder Big Priest 24 hours a day, then it makes sense even to create E'Shaarj and Barnes (if you once recklessly sprayed it). Everything is relative and depends only on you. The main thing is to decide what will be more profitable in your case.

Ospraying cards and gaining benefits from the Hall of Fame

If you are the lucky owner of all the cards from the Awakening of the Old Gods sets, the Wicked City of Gadgetzan and the Party in Karazhan, then their mass dispersion will bring you about 32 thousand arcane dust. It is not yet known if it will be possible to disperse K'Tun and the Evil Calls. If so, add 410 more dust. Plus, don't forget about the cards that will go to the Hall of Fame, but more on that later.

Due to the fact that not everyone has the opportunity to get so much benefit from spraying, many players rush to look for non-playable legendary cards from the standard set and current add-ons in order to get the missing dust at least from them. This is not a good idea, as any card might play someday. It is not known what mechanics Blizzard will come up with in the future - maybe even Lorewalker Cho will someday be on the level of the old Pirate Scout before the nerf and become the # 1 legendary card. It was once written off from Cairne Bloodhoof, but he was heavily used by some popular decks. The not-so-popular Baron Geddon appeared in the Elemental Mage. Any card can play, then go into the shadows again, play again, etc. So dusting some legendary cards for the sake of others is extremely irrational (and mathematically unprofitable).

When Party in Karazhan, Awakening of the Old Gods, and the Evil City of Gadgetzan leave Standard Mode, you can do whatever you want with the cards of these add-ons. Leaving them aside, you can always use each one in most Brawls and Freemode. By spraying everything, you will receive a large amount of Arcane Dust, which can be spent on cards in future expansions.

Exactly how to proceed is a question that only you, as the owner of your own collection of cards, can answer.

Finally, it's worth talking about cards leaving the Hall of Fame and how you can benefit from the event. The whole situation can be described in several theses:

• When the Year of the Raven arrives, you will receive full Arcane Dust compensation (as much as it costs to create a card) for cards that go to the Hall of Fame
• If you have gold copies of cards, you will be fully refunded for them, but not for regular copies.
• In total, you can get compensation for 2 identical cards in your collection, it makes no sense to create more of them
• All cards that have gone to the Hall of Fame will remain in your collection in a special section, they can be sprayed at any time, but at regular rates.

So what can you do to get extra Arcane Dust or beautiful gold copies of cards? This issue was considered in great detail in a separate article: Here you can also derive several short rules:

1. If you don't have a single card that is about to enter the Hall of Fame, create two gold copies of each. If you don't have that much Arcane Dust, make regular copies
2. If you have gold copies of all cards, do nothing
3. If you have regular copies of all the cards and just want the maximum dust, don't do anything.
4. If you have regular copies of all cards and want to upgrade them to gold for free, create gold copies. The regular ones can be disenchanted now if you have two gold copies of them.

Conclusion

Expansion rotation is a game changer for the game. It is during this time that the meta is completely renewed. New decks are being created, the established list of the most popular classes and archetypes is changing dramatically. Many of the existing decks will weaken, others will disappear altogether. However, it was for this that the division into Standard and Free formats was introduced. Ultimately, changes are inevitable, and players can only hope that they will only be for the better.

Happy game, see you in the Witchwood!

Prepared by Buba and redsnapper, edited by Sadhappy and Blaze, designed by Piligrim.

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Cards are dispersed with a single purpose: to obtain arcane dust, from which you can already create the necessary missing cards.

Maths

First, let's look at the cost of creating maps and the amount of dust received from the sprayed maps.

Creation cost

The amount of dust received

As you can see, to create 1 map, several will need to be sprayed. It all depends on the rarity of the card.

Having carried out some simple mathematical calculations, we will see that these relations are as follows:

• For regular cards - 8 to 1;
• For rare cards - 5 to 1;
• For epic and legendary cards - 4 to 1.

When spraying a gold card to get the usual one, the situation becomes much better: we change all types of cards at the rate of 1 to 1, and we get 10 units of arcane dust in addition to the usual card.

Hence, we conclude that it is absolutely unprofitable to spray ordinary cards, and this should not be done. The last thing we lose is when spraying cards in the last two categories.

• To craft 1 Legendary, you will need to spray 320 Common, 80 Rare, 16 Epic, or 4 Legendary cards.
• When disenchanting one Legendary, you can create 10 ordinary cards, 4 rare cards, or 1 epic card.

Spraying a map is expensive.

Spray strategy

Never spray a card just because you don't like it. Blizzard periodically makes various changes to the game, from editing individual maps to releasing new additions and adventures. After such adjustments, a seemingly crappy card can become popular in many decks.

Diffuse cards just before you need to craft the required ones. Before doing this, measure 7 times and cut 1 time so as not to accidentally spray required cards, and craft unnecessary. For such cases, the interface provides a mechanism for canceling the decision. After selecting a map to spray / create, you will be asked to confirm or reverse the decision. Below I will show pictures from the interface in case someone gets lost in it.

Spray as many cards as needed to get the desired one. We will always have time to spray redundant cards. There is no need to hurry, as Comrade Saakhov said. Some Blizzard cards are sometimes nerfed, and for some time after the sad event, such a card can be dispersed at the cost of its creation. Of course, for a frank spot you are unlikely to wait for such an event, but do not forget about the first paragraph of this chapter.

It is very effective to spray gold cards. (See previous chapter). If you have 2 non-gold copies of the card and 1 gold, then why not spray on the gold version if you are not a gold deck collector. (In the case of the Legendary, only 1 non-gold copy is required).

Also, extra copies of some cards will drop out of the boosters. As you know, no more than 2 copies of one card and 1 copy of a legendary can be used in a deck. All unnecessary copies can be safely sent to the expense, for which the game even provides a mechanism for automatically spraying all unnecessary. You can only hold cards that can be nerfed in the near future.

If you are only going to play in ranked, and you desperately need dust for competitive decks, then you can spray cards that are practically not used there. Do not cut combat cards of classes that you are not playing yet. The meta is constantly changing, and with it the favorite classes.

With newcomers, things are already more complicated. Here at least one class to collect something. Approach this issue reasonably. See what cards you already have. Dig around on the Internet to find out what classes are right now. Look for effective budget decks for these classes and select cards for them. Don't chase the Legendaries right away. Then you can enter the game with less losses.

Interface

Let's take a look at the interface of this entire kitchen.

To get to it, first click on the "My Collection" tab in the main game window.

After pressing the button, you can scroll through your collection in the usual way, but when you click on the map, you will be prompted to spray or create it.

If you made a mistake with the choice of the card or change your mind, then the spraying can be canceled.

Now let's move on to creating / crafting a map. If you don't have it in your collection, then it will look unpainted.

We press on it, as on regular card... The familiar window appears, but without the Spray button.

Once created, you can still change your mind, as is the case with spraying.

Just keep in mind that if you close the pop-up window before clicking the "Cancel" button, then the changes will take effect completely. The same goes for the card spray case. Act more attentively.

Automatic spraying works like this:

Fateful changes await the tavern! We're proud to announce the addition of a variety of game formats to Hearthstone! We hope that both beginners and veterans will enjoy them. Thanks to standard format Hearthstone will remain exciting and accessible for years to come, while free format everything that you already know about the game and what you love about it will be preserved.

The new standard
The standard format will allow players to fight in game mode using only the latest Hearthstone cards. You can create decks in this format only from the basic and classic sets of cards (they will always be at your disposal), as well as from those that appeared in the game in the current and last calendar years. For the fight, we will match you opponents who have decks assembled in the same standard format.

The standard format will allow Hearthstone to sparkle with new colors.

• It will make the metagame more dynamic and balanced.
• The set limit will make each card more meaningful!
• Developers will have more freedom when creating new maps.
• It will be easier for beginners to join the game as they do not have to collect a lot of cards.

The standard format is intended for friendly duels, ranked play and normal play only, but not for arena, solo play and adventures.

Free - will!
Freeform is just a new name for the version of the game that you are already used to and in which anything can happen. While in the standard format, the emphasis is on newly released cards and striving to balance the newest game process, the free format allows you to have fun from the bottom of your heart in conditions that are already familiar to you. Of course, over time and as new cards are added, it will become more and more unpredictable!

The very same gameplay in this format will not undergo any changes: as always, you will be able to complete tasks, earn gold, fight for a rating, win card backs, strive for the Legend rank and make free decks from your entire collection of cards. If you decide to use a "free" deck in a rating or regular game, then your opponent will also definitely be a player with a free format deck.

Forward to the legend!
With the introduction of the standard format, you can choose which of the two formats to play in ranked matches. In each you will have your own rank, and therefore you may well get the "Legend" in both free and standard formats. However, at the end of the season, you will receive a reward for reaching the best rank in one of the modes. So choose which one you like best!

Time for a change
The upcoming introduction to the game of formats is a great opportunity weigh and evaluate what Hearthstone is like at this stage. Usually we are very restrained in the issue of changing cards in order to improve the balance (and we will adhere to this policy in the future), however, next year provides us with a brilliant opportunity to reevaluate a number of cards from the basic and classic sets (including class cards) and add to them description of a number of long-awaited amendments.

For more information on what cards will be changed and why, we'll share with you closer to the appearance of the standard format in the game.

More space for decks!
Yes, finally you have more room for decks! We have prepared a small gift that you will receive shortly before the introduction of the standard format into the game: if you have unlocked all nine heroes, then your collection will be replenished with nine additional places for decks, which means that you will have eighteen in total!

Release the Kraken!
The standard format is coming to Hearthstone this spring! When that big day arrives, you will be able to build standard decks from the following sets:

• Base
• Classical
• Black Mountain
• Big tournament
• Explorers' League
• New addition (Spring 2016)

Curse of Naxxramas and Goblins & Dwarfs Sets cannot be used in standard format. Each year after the release of the first expansion pack, cardsets issued prior to the previous year will be excluded from the standard format.

The standard format will have an annual cycle. Each new year in Hearthstone will be symbolized by one of the zodiacal constellations that shine in the night sky of Azeroth. The emergence of a new constellation above the horizon heralds the start of the year and is accompanied by a lot of fun and glee wherever Hearthstone is played!

The first standard year will be named the year of the Kraken so get ready for a sea of ​​events!

For free bread
This year, Adventures and Expansions will be removed from the store that will not be included in the standard format, namely Curse of Naxxramas and Goblins and Dwarfs. If you still need cards from these sets (for free mode or for collection), then you can create them from Arcane Dust - even adventure cards that were previously impossible to create. Speaking of adventures, if you purchased at least the first wing from an adventure before it went out of rotation, you can still buy the rest of the wings and complete the walkthrough.

Not long left!
We've done a great job on the standard format and are eager to see how it transforms Hearthstone, brings gameplay to life, and add-ons begin to play a greater role. In addition, this innovation will not slow down to affect the competitive element of the game, because it is in the standard format that the Hearthstone Championship Tour will be held! All in all, we believe that the standard format will be the quintessence of all the best that Hearthstone has to offer.

We hope you share our enthusiasm and we look forward to your feedback.

Without a doubt, you have questions, and therefore we bring to your attention a section. If something still remains unclear for you, we are always ready to help!

General issues

I have not been able to read yet .So what's going on with Hearthstone?
We add formats to rating and normal regimes playing Hearthstone. In the standard format, it will be possible to use decks consisting of only those cards that were issued in the current and last calendar years, as well as basic and classic sets. The free format is already familiar to all Hearthstone players. It does not imply any restrictions, you can use any cards in it, including all those that are allowed in the standard format.

What is "format"?
In card games, format refers to the rules and restrictions that govern the set of cards allowed in the deck.

Why are you adding formats?
Thanks to the formats, we can achieve some important goals for Hearthstone. The standard format will make the gameplay more dynamic and exciting, will free up the hands of developers when creating new maps, and will also help beginners to get used to it sooner. The free format will give players a mind-blowing and unpredictable experience of handling all the cards that have ever been released - just like the version of the game you are already familiar with.

How often do you plan to update the standard format?
The standard format will be updated every year with the release of the first expansion. At this time, card sets issued in the current and last calendar years will be added to it. Basic and classic cardsets will be in this format on an ongoing basis.

Why will base and classic cards always be included in the standard format?
These cards serve as the backbone of the Hearthstone basics. They give the game a unique feel, their principle of operation is understandable for beginners, and returning players can be sure that there is always something familiar for them.

What is the Year of the Kraken?
The Year of the Kraken is a special name for the first year of the standard format. With the release of the first new addition next year, New Year and in Hearthstone: the standard format will be updated, and the symbol of the year will be another mythical creature.

Deck management

What will happen to my decks when the standard format is introduced?
Decks that are made up entirely of only valid cards in standard format will become standard decks. All decks that contain free format cards will automatically turn into free decks. They can be made standard by highlighting the deck name (or by hovering the mouse over it) and choosing a standard format. The game will then mark all Freelance cards in that deck so that they can be replaced.

Will the default cards in my collection be tagged?
Although at each separate card its format is not marked, your collection will contain hints with the help of which you will know which deck you are composing - standard or free. You can also use a filter to select only standard maps.

Will the new deck slots only be usable for standard decks?
Additional deck spaces are suitable for both standard and freestyle decks. You will be given nine additional spots after unlocking all nine heroes.

Crafting, Spraying, and Collecting Cards

How will the card collecting process be arranged?
Adventures and DLCs in the standard format can be purchased for gold or real money. Packs that do not fit in the standard format cannot be purchased from the in-game store, however, you can create any such cards using Arcane Dust - even those that were previously impossible to create or disengage.

How will the adventure purchase system work?
For Standard Adventure adventures, things will remain the same. Adventures that are not part of the standard format will no longer be available for purchase. If you managed to buy at least one wing of a particular adventure, you can unlock all the others using in-game currency.

Can I still create and spray cards that are not standard format?
Yes, you can craft and disenchant these cards - including those not previously crafted or disenchanted - for their normal Arcane Dust cost. The only exception is base maps that, in principle, cannot be created or sprayed.

Are the cards from the award-winning packs (like Gelbin Mekkatorque and Old Grim-Eye) included in standard format?
All cards received as a reward, as well as promo cards, can only be used in free format. Once the standard format appears in the game, Captain's Parrot and Old Grimeye cannot be obtained by collecting certain Classic cards, but they can be crafted (and sprayed). Principle of receiving cards "Gelbin Mekkatorque" and "E.T.C." will remain the same: regular versions of these cards can be crafted (and then sprayed if necessary), while their golden versions can only be obtained during special events, so they can neither be sprayed nor crafted.

Note that you can also craft and spray cards from standard format adventures. The main thing is that you have already received them!

Game process

How will random effects work in standard format?
Random effects (including summoning random creatures or cards, the Excavation mechanic, morphing, or any other similar effect) will summon cards that are allowed in the current format. This means that only cards of the same format can be summoned in a standard format. Any card can be used in free format, so such effects will work as usual.

Can I receive awards in both formats?
You can earn gold, complete quests, level up heroes, and earn victory points for a golden portrait in both formats without any distinction. However, the monthly ranked highest rank reward and card back will only be awarded based on the top score of the two modes. As a reward for the season and arena fights, you can only get those cards that can be used in the standard format.

Will the standard format be used in the arena?
Default for arena and other modes Hearthstone games, such as single player, adventure, etc., use a free format. Some Brawl events can be played in a standard format, but in general it only works in ranked and normal play.

Will the format system be used in brawls?
Each new brawl takes place according to different rules, and therefore some of them will be conducted in a free format, while others in a standard format. In any case, they will remain just as crazy!

Will the formats have any impact on my adventure decks?
The adventures take place in a free format, so you can create appropriate decks without any restrictions.

How will the matchmaking system work?
By queuing you up in a standard format, the system will automatically match opponents with decks of the same type. The freestyle queue will include players with both freestyle and standard decks, as freestyle offers the ability to use standard decks.

Can I play with a standard freestyle deck?
Yes! The free format contains the entire collection, regardless of the release date, including those cards that are used in the standard format. Therefore, you can queue up in a freestyle format with a standard deck.

Can I play standard friendly duels?

Yes! In the case of duels, you will have the opportunity to choose a format, and your opponent will only be able to choose a deck that suits him.

How will standard and freestyle ranked games work?
With the advent of the format system, your current rating will be "divided" into free and standard. For example, if you are rank 5, then after making the changes you will have rank 5 in both standard and free formats.

Since the rating system will be split, you will be able to move forward in rating table and strive for a legend in every from formats separately. At the end of the season, the reward will be based on the highest rank among the two formats, but not for both. Regardless of the format in which you received the reward, it will only contain standard cards.

Please also note that in Normal Play, the Matchmaking rating will be the same for both formats.

Which rank will my Battle.net friends see?
Your friends on Battle.net will automatically display the best rank at the moment. It can be either standard or free format.

Will you be announcing the Top 100 Players of the Season for both formats?
At the moment we are planning to announce only the list of the top 100 players in the standard format.

Can I earn Hearthstone Championship Tour Points in both ranked play?
No. Hearthstone Championship Tour Points will only be earned in Standard Ranked Play in 2016.

So will all of Blizzard's official esports events be hosted in a standard format?

Yes. The official format for the 2016 Hearthstone Championship Tour and Hearthstone World Championship will be Standard.

Other

Can I use different shirts and special characters in any format?
Yes, all shirts and heroes you collect can be used in both formats.

Will the base and classic cards that you upgrade for the Year of the Kraken be sprayed at full cost?
Basemaps are non-sprayable and cannot be created under any circumstances. However, the Classic Cards that we will change can be disenchanted at their full cost for a limited period of time.

Will the introduction of formats lead to an increase in the time for selecting an opponent?
We do not think that the introduction of the format system will lead to a significant increase in matchmaking time.

Will I still be able to participate in non-purchase adventures?
You will be able to play only those adventures that you already have. If you purchased at least one wing of an adventure removed from the store, then you can open all the others, but only for in-game gold, and not for real money.

I am a beginner and do not have access to free format in play mode. What can I do to unlock this format for Normal or Ranked Mode?
To access the free format and create the appropriate deck, you only need to create one card that is not included in the standard format. If you already have such cards, the free format will open automatically.

Do you plan to return the old kits to the standard format?
We currently have no plans to return old Free to Standard cardsets.

Tell us about the new addition for 2016.

It's very, very cool. We think you will definitely like it. We will tell you about it very soon ™.