Hearthstone 23.2.2 update improves Xhilag of the Abyss, nerfs Drek’Thar: patch notes

Activision Blizzard’s hugely successful card game, Hearthstone, is getting a brand new update with a slew of new map changes, Battlegrounds updates, and more.

Since its release in March 2014, Hearthstone has consistently proven to be one of Activision Blizzard’s most successful products.

As a result, the development team has made a serious effort to stay on top of game balance with continuous updates and features to build on the strong foundation the game started with.

Now Activision Blizzard has released update patch 23.2.2 and adjusted some strong cards like Drek’Thar, Dragonbane Shot and many more.

Drek’Thar received a nerf to reduce the number of minions aggressive decks could summon.

Update 23.2.2 patch notes

Perhaps the most notable nerf comes in the form of the aggressive minion card Drek’Thar. After this update, Drek’Thar will no longer summon 2 minions from the deck when the conditions are met, but rather one.

Players should take special note of this change as it will surely make a difference in many of the aggressive decks that use Drek’Thar.

In terms of buffs, among other things, Xhilag’s Stalk was strengthened to deal 1 more damage, Azsharan Saber gained an additional attack, and Health and Vortex was reduced to 8 mana.

Below is a list of the full patch notes for Hearthstone’s May 19 Update 23.2.2:

Xhilag’s stalk has been improved, meaning players can now use it to deal more damage to enemies.

Map Updates

The power of the following cards has been reduced:

Drek’Thar

• Alt: Battlecry: If this costs more than each minion in your Deck, Summon 2 of them. → New: Battlecry: If this costs more than each minion in your deck, Summon one of those minions.

multiple strike

• Old: [Costs 1] → New: [Costs 2]

Dragonbane shot

• Old: [Costs 2] → New: [Costs 3]

The above craftable cards are eligible for a full dust refund for two weeks after patch 23.2.2 (the only version of Drek’Thar that is craftable is the normal, non-gold version). All players who own Diamond Drek’Thar at the time of the patch release will automatically receive a 3,000 gold refund upon logging in.

The following maps have been buffed:

Xhilag’s Stalk (part of Xhilag the Abyss)

• Alt: At the end of your turn, deal 1 damage to an enemy. → New: At the end of your turn, damage an opponent by 2.

Harpoon Gun

• Alt: After your hero attacks, Dredge. If it’s a beast, reduce its cost by (2). → New: Dredge after your hero attacks. If it’s a beast, reduce its cost by (3).

animal collector

• Old: 3 attack, 3 health → New: 4 attack, 4 health

Azsharan Saber

• Old: 3 attack, 3 health → New: 4 attack, 3 health

Sunken Saber (generated from Azsharan Saber)

• Old: 3 attack, 3 health → New: 4 attack, 3 health

Blackwater Behemoth

• Old: [Costs 8] → New: [Costs 7]

jacuzzi

• Old: [Costs 9] → New: [Costs 8]

Shadowcloth Needle

• Old: [Costs 2] → New: [Costs 1]

snake wig

• Old: Give a minion +1/+1. If you were playing a naga while holding this, add a snake wig to your hand. → New: Give a minion +1/+2. If you were playing a naga while holding this, add a snake wig to your hand.

Tooth of Nefarian

• Old: [Costs 3] → New: [Costs 2]

SI:7 Smugglers

• Old: Battlecry: Summons a random 0-cost minion. (Improved for every other SI:7 map you’ve played in this game). → New: Battlecry: Summons a random 1-cost minion. (Improved for every other SI:7 map you’ve played in this game).

Wildpaw Gnoll

• Old: [Costs 6] 3 attack, 5 health → New: [Costs 5] 4 attack, 5 health

Tess Greymane

• Old: [Costs 8] → New: [Costs 7]

Hench clan burglar

• Old: 4 attack, 3 health → New: 4 attack, 4 health

Sira’kess cultist

• Old: 2 attack, 3 health → New: 3 attack, 4 health

pulled down

• Old: [Costs 4] → New: [Costs 3]

Azsharian scavenger

• Old: [Costs 3] 3 attack, 4 health → New: [Costs 2] 2 attack, 3 health

Sunken Scavenger (generated by Azsharan Scavenger)

• Old: [Costs 3] 3 attack, 4 health → New: [Costs 2] 2 attack, 3 health

Bloodscent Vilefin

• Old: [Costs 4] 4 attack, 4 health → New: [Costs 3] 3 attack, 4 health

Battlefield Updates

Hero change:

Fungalmancer Flurgl (Gone Fishing Hero Power)

• Old: Passive: After selling a minion, add a random Murloc to Bob’s Tavern. → New: Passive: After selling 2 minions, add a random Murloc to Bob’s Tavern.

Hero Armor Changes:

• Al’Akir, Galakrond, George the Fallen, and Malygos have been moved to Armor Tier 1.
• Death Speaker Blackthorn, Fungalmancer Flurgl, Ini Stormcoil, Lord Barov, Maiev Shadowsong, Queen Azshara, Rokara, and Tickatus have been moved to Armor Tier 2.
• Edwin Van Cleef has been moved to armor level 4.
• Deathwing, Elise Starseeker, and Kurtrus Ashfallen have been moved to armor tier 5.
• Aranna Starseeker and Skycap’n Kragg have been moved to Armor Tier 6.
• Onyxia and Queen Wagtoggle have been moved to armor level 7.

Minion Changes:

Snail Cavalry

• Old: 5 attack, 2 health → New: 4 attack, 2 health

Lava Lurker

• Old: 2 attack, 5 health → New: 2 attack, 4 health

swarm commander

• Old: 2 attack, 2 health → New: 1 attack, 2 health

Stormscale Siren

• Old: [Tavern Tier 3] 5 attack, 4 health. At the end of your turn, your Spellcraft minions cast their spells on themselves. → New: [Tavern Tier 5] 6 attack, 5 health. At the end of your turn, you cast your spellcraft minions’ spells on them.
• Developer Comments: The effect text update is not a functional change, just a rewording to better match the card text with the current functionality of the effect.

Critter Wrangler

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

Tidemistress Athissa

• Old: 7 attack, 8 health. After casting a spell, give four friendly Naga +1/+1. → New: 7 attack, 3 health. After casting a spell, give three friendly Naga +1/+1.

Orgozoa, the tender one

• Old: 5 attack, 9 health → New: 3 attack, 7 health

Darkgaze Elder

• Old: After spending 4 gold, play a bloodstone on four friendly quilboar. → New: After spending 5 Gold, play a Blood Gem onto four friendly Quilboar.

Young Murk Eye

• Old (normal): At the end of your turn, adjacent Murlocs unleash their battle cries. → New: At the end of your turn, the Murloc to its left triggers its Battlecry.
• Alt (golden): At the end of your turn, adjacent Murlocs trigger their battle cries twice. → New: At the end of your turn, adjacent Murlocs will unleash their battle cries.

Duels Updates

• Removed the Dragon Affinity passive treasure.
  • Developer Comment: Good night sweet prince. Until we meet again.
• Adjusted the synergy rules for the Emerald Goggles and Fire School passive treasures.

Bug fixes and game improvements

• Improved connectivity around Discover effects.
• Fixed a bug where Glowscale’s temporary divine shield could remove a minion’s permanent divine shield.
• Fixed a bug where applying a spell power to a magnetic minion in Bob’s Tavern would make this buff permanent.
• Fixed a bug that caused mercenary portraits (mainly Rexxar portraits) to disappear. Players who earned an additional copy of a portrait while it was temporarily missing will instead receive a random portrait from that mercenary (or coins for that mercenary if all portraits are already owned).
• Updated the text in the UI of the Upgrade to Golden feature to better match the functionality.
• Fixed a bug that caused people who had selected the “random” card back to have that feature disabled when they first logged in after patch 23.2.

While this isn’t an amazing amount of big changes, it will certainly shake up Hearthstone’s current meta in some ways as players learn to customize and build decks around these new buffs and nerfs.