“Hearthstone” has had some pretty rad cards since it came out in 2014. Previously, the mobile and PC digital card game graced us with minions that can replace your Hero, some spells that swap your deck with another class’ cards, and a minion that makes everything choose targets randomly. Now, though, another batch of cards revealed for the next expansion pack confirms Archbishop Benedictus as a new legendary inclusion for the Priest class, by far the most kleptomaniacal we’ve seen yet.
‘Knights of the Frozen Throne’ expansion
Set to be released this August, “Knights of the Frozen Throne” will introduce 135 new cards to “Hearthstone.” It brings with it nine legendary Hero Cards that will transform the game’s heroes into Death Knights after being played.
It’s the first expansion to get single-player content, emulating the old Adventure releases with missions that include a prologue, two wings of three bosses, and a meeting with the Lich King.
As with all “Hearthstone” cards, “Knights of the Frozen Throne” card packs will be winnable in Arena mode and purchasable with in-game gold or real money at the same prices. Card packs from the new expansion will also be given to players as they complete portions of the campaign.
Archbishop Benedictus’ insane Battlecry
Trying to take down a Control Mage? Now you are the Control Mage. Need to counter a Token Shaman? Now you are the Token Shaman. When you play Benedictus, your opponent's entire remaining deck gets added to your own in a random order.
The introduction of this card could change a lot of Priest deck strategy’s wholesale:
Archbishop Benedictus (Priest Legendary)
Mana: 7
Attack: 4
Defense: 6
Battlecry: Shuffle a copy of your opponent’s deck into your deck
It’s worth noting that Benedictus only copies the cards your opponent has remaining in their deck. Meaning, if he’s one of the last cards you play, you’ll get only a handful of cards.
The stats for seven mana are obviously not ideal, in fact, following the exact line as Reno Jackson but for one more mana. But this card is all about the effect. If played on curve, you could be talking about 20 cards or more.
For a long time, priests were considered one of the weakest classes in the game, but it appears as if Blizzard has kept up their longstanding tradition of taking class balance in the opposite direction in an attempt to improve said balance.
A special, one-time pre-order offer is available for “Hearthstone: Knights of the Frozen Throne,” allowing you to buy 50 card packs for $49.99. Doing so also gets you a special card back, along with some new artwork.