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Hearthstone - Heroes of StarCraft Mini-Set Review

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Terran, Zerg, or Protoss - pick your side! StarCraft has finally come to Hearthstone as a mini-set that is actually not that small. This mini-set includes 49 cards spread across these 3 factions, and should shake up the Standard metagame.

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переведено Joey

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рассмотрено Joey

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Оглавление

  1. > Introduction
  2. > Terrans
    1. Neutral
    2. Warrior
    3. Paladin
    4. Shaman
  3. > Zergs
    1. Neutrals
    2. Hunter
    3. Demon Hunter
    4. Death Knight
    5. Warlock
  4. > Protoss
    1. Neutrals
    2. Druid
    3. Rogue
    4. Mage
    5. Priest
  5. > Neutral
    1. Grunty
  6. > Final Words

Introduction

Greetings, Hearthstone community! The new mini-set, Heroes of StarCraft, is finally here, and it is not just any set: for the first time, Blizzard has brought us a crossover between Hearthstone and one of its other franchises!

This new mini-set, Heroes of StarCraft, features the same theme as the last set, The Great Dark Beyondlink outside website! For those who don't know, StarCraft is a real-time strategy-based game franchise like WarCraft, but set in space. The franchise explores a war between 3 factions for control of a certain part of the galaxy, and everything escalates quickly as even bigger powers are revealed to be behind it all.

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These three factions are the Terrans, human soldiers with many spaceships, mechs, and a lot of artillery; the Zergs, a typical alien swarm controlled by a single collective conscience, and Protoss, a race of aristocratic psionic templars.

To put it in Hearthstone terms: all 11 classes were spread across these 3 factions. Warrior, Paladin, and Shaman are Terrans - Hunter, Demon Hunter, Death Knight, and Warlock are Zergs - and Druid, Rogue, Mage, and Priest are Protoss. This mini-set is bigger than usual, as it has 49 cards. There are three for each class (33), 5 neutral cards for each faction (15), and one truly neutral card. You can only use neutral cards of a certain faction if you're playing a hero in that faction. For instance, even though Jim Raynor is neutral, you can only use it if you're playing Terran classes (Warrior, Paladin, and Shaman).

Let's take a look at these cards!

Terrans

Terran's whole theme is building Starships, which makes sense, considering the last set didn't give us cards with this mechanic in the three Terran classes (Warrior, Paladin, and Shaman). Now, we have many cards that discount the cost to launch a Starship, so we can finally play this mechanic while we play Warrior, Paladin, and Shaman, and don't have to invest 5 mana to do it. These classes also got cards that get better if you play a Starship, and cards that summon 2/1 Starship pieces that have various effects when you launch them.

Neutral

Jim Raynor

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If everything goes according to the plan, Jim Raynor's Battlecry should create a devastating board presence, something like Bloodreaver Guld'an in its prime. Please note that he doesn't bring back Starships, he re-launches them, so if these Starships have any effects that activate when you launch them, they'll reactivate. Basically, this card is the endgame for any class that wants to follow the Terran game plan.

Rating: ★★★★★

Ghost

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This card is a bit fragile despite its Stealth, and you can't exactly activate its ability on curve every time. However, it is disruptive and can get in the way of your opponent's game plan. In any case, usually the best cards are the most expensive ones, not the cheapest.

This card might just be too situational to be consistent. Fortunately, Rogue can't use it!

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Lift Off

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We can't play Arcane Intellect nowadays, yet this card combines card draw with a valuable effect (the Starship Piece), and has synergy with Terrans. This tells me this neutral spell should be vital in any Terran strategy.

Rating: ★★★★☆

SCV

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A 1/3 for 1 mana is already great to fight for the board early on while you build your Starship fleet. The fact it makes launching your Starships cheaper is quite solid considering the initial investment. You'll always find this fella in Terran decks.

Rating: ★★★★★

Starport

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This Location is a bit slow, but it will give you a very significant amount of Starship Pieces. In general and in theory, each Piece costs 1 mana, so you'll get your investment back - even if you take a few turns to do it.

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Warrior

Concussive Shells

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Sword and Board was barely playable, but this new version also discounts the cost of your next Starship launch by 2 mana, so it works a lot better. Keep in mind you can always throw it at your opponent's face in the worst-case scenario.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Thor

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This Mech is not the God of Thunder, but he will deal a lot of damage when you summon him. Ideally, as it is a bit expensive, you'll probably have already launched one or two Starships when you finally put him in play. And, considering Warrior usually already enjoys longer matches, Thor could be the finisher these decks need.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Yamato Cannon

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Its body is a bit mediocre for its cost, but a similar effect would cost around 2 and a half mana (Deadly Shot costs 3 mana and sees no play). However, that's not all: its effect will activate again when you launch a Starship and another time when you play Jim Raynor. If you also play it with a cheap removal, like Concussive Shells, you'll most likely hit your opponent's best minion with this card's effect.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Paladin

Hellion

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Unlike Thor, you won't, guaranteed, Transform Hellion for four mana, which makes it a lot less efficient. Its Hellbat form, however, is brutal - it can even turn your Hero Power into a type of removal.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Salvage the Bunker

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This card is also very efficient. It has an average effect for 3 mana, but the fact it discounts the cost of your Starships is definitely interesting. Terran Paladin also likes having more minions on the board than usual, so this spell is even better in that sense.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Ultra-Capacitor

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Played on curve, this Starship Piece won't be bigger than a 2/2 for 2 mana, which is not ideal. Even after you launch it, you'll need a big board to gain any significant value with it. To me, this is one of the worst cards in the entire set.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Shaman

Lock On

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Unlike other Starship cards we've seen so far, this card needs a target to work, and this investment won't always be worth it, particularly early on. However, it plays really well with the next card we'll discuss, which could make it more valuable. For instance, if you play Lock On and launch a discounted Missile Pod, you'll remove your opponent's biggest minion.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Missile Pod

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Missile Pod really reminds me of Maelstrom Portal, as it is a great global effect against decks that swarm the board quickly (like Zergs) and also leaves a body behind. The fact it activates again will stabilize your board later on, though in this sense it is less effective. It has a great synergy with Lock On.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Siege Tank

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Very few minions will be able to survive a blast from this tank, and if it is Transformed, the extra damage is a nice bonus - though you don't need to use it every time. It is a simple, but very efficient card.

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Zergs

Just like in the original StarCraft, Hearthstone Zergs want to swarm the board with minions and gain that advantage against their opponent. This might make them extremely vulnerable to board clears, but they also have a few ways to get any investment back.

Neutrals

Kerrigan, Queen of Blades

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Kerrigan might not create the same oppressive board presence that Jim Raynor does, but she's way less conditional, and the 3 damage she deals to all enemies should get rid of most enemy defenses. Brood Queens are usually hard to remove (specially after your opponent takes 3 damage globally), and, each turn they're in play, you'll add more Zergs to your swarm.

Finally, her Hero Power can deal a lot of damage to your opponent directly according to how weak their board is and how strong yours is.

Rating: ★★★★★

Brood Queen

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This card already creates some value at the end of your turn, so, even if your opponent removes it immediately on their turn, you'll already get a Larva back. However, most opponents won't be able to remove a minion with 5 life early on.

What could get in the way of this card seeing play is the fact that it is not very aggressive, and most Zergs are. However, we are in dire need of Zerg minions, and, as we don't have that many of them, it should fill some gaps until we do.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Nydus Worm

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This card might initially cost 3 mana, but you'll gain 2 mana back by discounting the cost of the Zergs you'll draw with it, and it is a nice way to rebuild your Zerg army. It will probably see play in all Zerg strategies.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Spawning Pool

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Please note that the Zergling this card creates will go to your hand. This Location will give you several cheap minions in a row and this way enable several synergies with Zergs. Its Deathrattle is also incredibly powerful (as shown by Animated Broomstick).

Rating: ★★★★☆

Zergling

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Nothing special to see here. Creatures like this one (Alleycat, Wolpertinger, etc) usually see play naturally. Furthermore, this faction needs this type of synergy, so Zerglings, both the ones you add to your deck naturally and the ones Spawning Pool creates, should look great on many boards.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Hunter

Evolution Chamber

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With a board full of Zerglings and friends, Chamber is a +2/+1 global buff, will make your minions deal a lot of damage at once, and makes them more resilient. Hunter Zerg needs to fill the board even more than Zergs usually do, so this card is vital if you want to make this strategy work.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Hydralisk

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This Zerg can do a lot of damage at once. With a simple Zergling, you'll deal 6 damage to multiple targets, and will deal even more if your opponent spares your Zergs. The strategy we mentioned above will need both that spell and this minion.

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Roach

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Roach naturally creates card advantage, but it is very weird: you don't want it in your starting hand or play it on turn 2 without its bonus. It looks a bit clunky to me, but you'll have to play it because this archetype needs all Zergs available.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Demon Hunter

Creep Tumor

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Just like Hunter needs Evolution Chamber to create value from a full board, Demon Hunter will need Creep Tumor. While Chamber adds a lot of power to your board at once, Creep Tumor turns your minions into board control. They'll deal even more damage after you play more cards.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Lurker

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Here is another way to deal a load of damage: a single Lurker and a Zergling with Rush, either from Creep Tumor or Spawning Pool, will deal 6 damage to the board (4 from the Zerglings, 2 from itself), and Lurker will still have 6 life, so it can take a lot of damage too. Not to mention any other minions in play!

Rating: ★★★★☆

Mutalisk

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Mutalisk might represent a ton of damage on its own, but its body is too fragile. It was designed to go into play with Rush and either obliterate the enemy board or their life total with just 1 minion. It won't work every time, but, when it does, it will be very fun.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Death Knight

Baneling Barrage

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Unlike the other two classes above, the Death Knight cards we got are more control-focused, like this spell. You'll still want some board presence to get a copy of Baneling, but, most importantly, you need ways to buff its attack to make it a true board clear. At the end of the day, this spell might be powerful, but building a deck with it will be a bit weird.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Infestor

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This is a permanent, global buff, but you can't always activate it immediately, and its body is quite weak for its cost. Infestor will most likely have to rely on Spawning Pool's Rush. It is also not aggressive or control-focused enough, which is a dangerous limbo for any card to be in.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Viper

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This card is designed to be a Dirty Rat that destroys the creature it summons on the board. But it needs a lot to be decent. You can even use it to enable Infestor if you have to, but it is all incredibly conditional. I don't know where exactly Death Knight is headed in this set.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Warlock

Consume

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Just like Death Knight, Warlock also seems lost in this set. Its faction only has aggressive neutral cards, but Warlock leans control. The goal with this card is to use it to play Ultralisk faster, and yet, at the end of the day, it is simply a bad card.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Spine Crawler

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If Spawning Pool enters play on turn 1, Spine Crawler is a massive barrier on turn 2. But is that what Zergs want?

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Ultralisk Cavern

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You play this card on turn 3, and deal 1 damage to the entire enemy board. Then, you'll do it again on turn 5. Then again on turn 7 and summon an 8/8 with Rush. You might even get to do it on turn 5 with Consume. Does this sequence seem like a winning strategy? Poor Warlock.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Protoss

The last faction, Protoss, really reminds me of Libram Paladin: these cards are expensive and inefficient, but you will have a way to discount their cost and make them incredibly powerful threats. You'll play 12-mana cards, which, unlike Giants, don't discount their own cost in any way, so you'll have to rely on Protoss synergy to make them playable.

Neutrals

Artanis

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Just like the other 2 heroes, Artanis grows your board, but, unlike them, which are more like endgame cards, Protoss sets up plays, and is not exactly a finisher. Zealots are powerful, but they're better at controlling the board than punishing your opponent. Please note that the Divine Shield you get from Artanis' Hero Power is permanent, so a few decks will struggle to attack your hero, and you'll often trade really well.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Chrono Boost

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This Protoss card draw is more expensive than its counterparts in other factions, but it impacts the board a lot more and immediately, as a 3/4 with Charge usually costs more than 3 mana. As you can also discount its cost, it can be really efficient to keep drawing cards and also put pressure on your opponent.

Rating:★★★★☆

Photon Cannon

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2-mana cards that deal 3 damage to minions and nothing else usually don't see play unless their effects are worth it. Photon Cannon has precisely the effect this strategy needs.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Void Ray

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For 0 mana, this card is a beast. However, though the next card we'll see lets us do this quite easily, this card isn't spectacular if you can't give it all of its buffs. Because it is not consistent, I don't believe it will see a lot of play.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Warp Gate

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4 mana is too expensive for a Location that doesn't affect the board, but this effect can change the game entirely when you start playing minions for less mana. With Void Ray, this card will let you control the board on the same turn you play it. The secret is discounting Gate's cost so you can spring it into action before turn 4.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Druid

Carrier

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12 mana! In practice, you want this card to cost at most 7 mana, or even less if possible. 14 life means that, through damage alone, your opponent will hardly be able to handle this monstrosity. The issue is that it is too slow to deal with boards, particularly if the enemy minions have a lot of life.

Rating:★★★☆☆

Construct Pylons

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I have played Hearthstone long enough to have played Innervate to get 2 mana crystals. I play Preparation to this day. This card might be limited to Protoss cards, but its effect is way too strong. If Druid Protoss actually becomes a powerful meta deck, you can blame this card!

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Rating: ★★★★★

Immortal

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On paper, this card costs 7, but, actually, it costs 11 because you want to use its Battlecry to get as much out of it as you can. A 10/16 with Taunt and Divine Shield is a very tough defense, and is quite powerful when it is your turn to attack. With one Warp Gate and a Construct Pylons, you'll have already discounted its cost by 5 mana.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Rogue

Blink

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2 mana to draw 1 card is terrible, but discounting its cost is crucial. Try to activate its Combo as often as you can!

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Dark Templar

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6 mana is a lot for this card's effect, but, if you discount its cost, it is a simple, direct removal that leaves a relevant body behind. The fact it has Stealth means you don't have to move it around while you look for its other half so you can merge it into an Archon!

Rating: ★★★☆☆

High Templar

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Similar to the templar above, you need to discount this card's cost to make it playable. The type of damage it deals tends to be less efficient than direct removals, but it is critical if Zerg decks become a relevant part of the meta. Keep in mind that keeping it alive so you can merge it into an Archon will be harder. However, with enough discounts to play two High and/or Dark Templar on the same turn, you'll be able to use both of their Battlecry effects and the Archon's end turn effect.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Mage

Colossus

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With the right number of spells, Colossus will resemble Sif, as it will destroy entire boards and even your opponent all at once. However, there are a few issues with this, like the fact you'll have a limited number of Protoss spells to buff this minion. Nonetheless, if you play 2 spells, you'll already deal 6 damage globally, and you'll probably play a lot more than that.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Resonance Coil

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This card is key if you want to make Colossus work, but it has a few issues: you need a valid target, and the spell you'll get with it is a random Protoss spell that can be from the other classes or neutral, so it can be anything. In any case, most cards you get with this should go really well with its synergies.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Shield Battery

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This card is also critical if you want to make Mage work with this mini-set. The good news is that its discount carries on to the next turns, so you can easily play this spell on turn 2 and then play a certain spell for less on the following turn.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Priest

Hallucination

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This card is quite cheap, so you won't have any issues getting value from it. You can either copy a cheap Deathrattle effect to use it another time, or copy a big minion that can take a couple of heavy hits. Fortunately, this class includes multiple cards that will be great with it!

Rating: ★★★★☆

Mothership

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If you enjoy attrition and Priest, rejoice! Mothership will give you a ton of value when you put it in play, when it dies, and when you copy it with Hallucination. 12 mana is no joke, though, so try to discount its cost as fast as you can. As this giant ship has Taunt, it won't leave you defenseless when you play it.

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Sentry

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This card will also be great with Hallucination, and will absorb a bit of damage as you progress your game plan. It will definitely be one of the pillars of this deck. Any way you can get more copies of it will be great for Protoss Priest.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Neutral

Grunty

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Grunty costs a load of mana for a 3/4, but it combines board presence with mass removal. In Standard, most Murlocs you can create are small, which can make this fella a bit inefficient, but you can get great ones like Funkfin, Drink Server, Plucky Paintfin, and, the best of all, Bayfin Bodybuilder, The One-Amalgam Band, and Mutating Lifeform. The fact you can pick the minions you want to remove means that, even if you don't get great Murlocs, Grunty will still take down some of your opponent's board.

On a good day, it will win you a lost game. For 8 mana, you want a card that impacts the game immediately, and Grunty definitely does that. It shouldn't see play in aggro decks, but any deck that wants to stall the game, even slightly, will be interested in this card.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Final Words

This StarCraft mini-set was a bold move by Blizzard. Not only because it brought a new franchise to Hearthstone, but because it also brought us several archetypes in a mini-set, which is often quite small. Of course, neutral cards for multiple classes will make building decks with it easier, but archetypes that can't find any space will perish, and will probably be abandoned.

Some of them seem quite clunky still, like Terran Paladin and Death Knight, Zerg Warlock, and Protoss Rogue. In any case, I thought this set was pretty cool, as it has a lot of favor and captures the essence of StarCraft really well.

What did you think of it? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!