Are you ready for the biggest Battlegrounds update to date?! To start, we’re introducing an entirely new Battlegrounds specific keyword, Avenge, that does something after (x) friendly minions die. Then, we’re replacing 37 minions with new ones and adding two new Heroes! You can get an idea of how the Avenge keyword works by checking out those new minions below.
Before you do, we’ve made a few fundamental changes we want to make you aware of. We’ve added a damage cap of 15 damage until the first player dies, meaning that no player can take more than 15 damage from combat until the first player in a lobby dies or disconnects. We’ve also increased turn timers so that everyone has time to get familiar with the new content: the length of turns 3-9 have been increased by 5 seconds. Everyone will start fresh with this update as ratings will be reset with the 21.2 patch to make way for a new season.
General Updates
- Battlegrounds Specific Keyword added, Avenge: Does something after (x) friendly minions die.
- The length of turns 3-9 have been increased by 5 seconds. We may further adjust the length of turns sometime in the future.
- Darkmoon Prizes have been disabled.
- All players’ Battlegrounds ratings have been reset for a new season.
- Damage cap of 15 damage has been added until the first player dies. Please note that the damage cap does not check for player deaths until the start of each Recruit Phase, meaning if someone concedes, disconnects, or dies during the Recruit Phase (Is Wrath Weaver ever really on your team?), the damage cap will still be present for that combat.
- Players with Battlegrounds Perks are now more likely to be offered new Heroes during the two-week early access period that follows their initial announcement. In every lobby during the two-week early access period, the option to play with new Heroes will be distributed at random between players with Battlegrounds Perks. No player will be offered more than one new Hero.
New Heroes
Master Nguyen- Power of the Storm [Passive]
- At the start of every turn, choose from 2 new Hero Powers.
Cariel Roame
- Conviction (Rank 1)
- Give a random friendly minion +1/+1. (Upgrades at Tavern Tier 3.)
- Conviction (Rank 2)
- Give three random friendly minions +1/+1. (Upgrades at Tavern Tier 5.)
- Conviction (Rank 3)
- Give five random friendly minions +1/+1.
Players with Battlegrounds Perks will have early access to the Heroes above before they’re formally released on September 14.
New Minions
BEASTS
Leapfrogger- [Tier 2, Beast] Deathrattle: Give a friendly Beast +2/+2 and this Deathrattle.
- [Tier 2, Beast] Deathrattle: Summon a 2/3 Turtle with Taunt.
- [Tier 3] Avenge (1): Give your Beasts +1/+1.
- [Tier 4, Beast] Battlecry: Give a friendly Beast Reborn.
- [Tier 5, Beast] Avenge (2) and Deathrattle: Give another friendly Beast +6/+6.
DEMONS
Impulsive Trickster- [Tier 1, Demon] Deathrattle: Give this minion's maximum Health to a friendly minion.
- [Tier 1, Demon] Deathrattle: Summon two 1/1 Imps.
- [Tier 3] Avenge (3): Add a random Demon to your hand.
- [Tier 4, Demon] Your other Demons have +3 Attack. Your Hero is Immune.
- [Tier 5, Demon] Taunt. After you play a Demon, consume a minion in Bob's Tavern to gain its stats.
- [Tier 6, Demon] At the end of your turn, each friendly Demon consumes a minion in Bob's Tavern to gain its stats.
MECHS
Pupbot- [Tier 1, Mech] Divine Shield
- [Tier 4, Mech] Avenge (2): Deal 6 damage to the highest Health enemy minion.
- [Tier 4, Mech] After a friendly minion loses Divine Shield, give it +2/+1 permanently.
- [Tier 5, Mech] After a friendly minion loses Divine Shield, gain Divine Shield.
- [Tier 6, Mech] Deathrattle: Summon six 1/1 Microbots. For each that doesn't fit, give your Mechs +1/+1.
MURLOCS
Saltscale Honcho- [Tier 2, Murloc] After you play a Murloc, give two other friendly Murlocs +1 Health.
- [Tier 3, Murloc] Battlecry: Gain +2/+1 for each other friendly Murloc.
- [Tier 5, Murloc] Avenge (3): Give a friendly Murloc Poisonous permanently.
- [Tier 6] Battlecry: Make a Murloc Golden.
DRAGONS
Evolving Chromawing- [Tier 1, Dragon] After you upgrade your Tavern Tier, double this minion's Attack.
- [Tier 2] After a friendly Dragon gains Attack, give it +2 Health.
- [Tier 3, Dragon] This permanently keeps enchantments from combat.
- [Tier 4, Dragon] Start of Combat: Give adjacent minions +1/+1 for each friendly Dragon.
- [Tier 4, Dragon] Whenever another friendly Dragon attacks, deal 3 damage to its target.
PIRATES
Defiant Shipwright- [Tier 2] After you upgrade your Tavern Tier, add a random Pirate to Bob's Tavern.
- [Tier 3, Pirate] At the end of your turn, if you have another Pirate, add a Gold Coin to your hand.
- [Tier 4, Pirate] After a card is added to your hand, give another Pirate +1/+1.
- [Tier 5, Pirate] Avenge (5): Make another friendly Pirate Golden permanently.
- [Tier 6, Pirate] Every two turns, add a random Golden minion to your hand.
ELEMENTALS
Smogger- [Tier 3, Elemental] Battlecry: Give a friendly Elemental stats equal to your Tavern Tier.
- [Tier 4, Elemental] Avenge (2): Elementals in Bob's Tavern have +1/+1 for the rest of the game.
- [Tier 4, Elemental] After you play an Elemental, your next Refresh costs (0).
- [Tier 6] Taunt. After a friendly Elemental gains stats, gain +1/+1.
QUILBOAR
Gemsplitter- [Tier 3, Quilboar] After a friendly minion loses Divine Shield, gain a Blood Gem.
NEUTRAL
Budding Greenthumb- [Tier 3] Avenge (3): Give adjacent minions +2/+1 permanently.
- [Tier 4] Avenge (3): Add a random Battlecry minion to your hand.
Updated Minion
Arm of the Empire- Old: 5 Health → New: 4 Health
Removed Minions
Tavern Tier 1- Fiendish Servant
- Vulgar Homunculus
- Micro Machine
- Murloc Tidecaller
- Dragonspawn Lieutenant
- Pack Leader
- Kindly Grandmother
- Steward of Time
- Waxrider Togwaggle
- Southsea Captain
- Tormented Ritualist
- Arcane Assistant
- Imp Gang Boss
- Infested Wolf
- Iron Sensei
- Hangry Dragon
- Bloodsail Cannoneer
- Warden of Old
- Crystalweaver
- Thorncaller
- Virmen Sensei
- Hexruin Maurader
- Junkbot
- Toxfin
- Herald of Flame
- Qiraji Harbinger
- Bolvar, Fireblood
- Security Rover
- Sneed's Old Shredder
- Nat Pagle, Extreme Angler
- Seabreaker Goliath
- Ironhide Direhorn
- Mythrax, the Unraveler
- Mal'Ganis
- Faceless Taverngoer
- The Tide Razor
- Lieutenant Garr
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