A guide to Hearthstone's newest cards

By Philip Kollar on November 20, 2014 at 4:10pm

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When Blizzard announced the Goblins vs. Gnomes expansion for Hearthstone at this year's BlizzCon, one important fact stood out to hardcore Hearthstone players: NEW CARDS. Lots of them.

When Blizzard sent Polygon all the details on the first 28 new cards in Goblins vs. Gnomes (of a promised 120-plus), we wondered if the developer itself might have some interesting thoughts on where these cards came from and how it expects them to affect the game.

With that in mind, we now present the first 28 revealed Goblins vs. Gnomes cards with some thoughts on each provided by Hearthstone designers Ben Brode, Max McCall, Dean Ayala and Ryan Masterson. We've also tossed in our own immediate reactions.

Warning: The language used in this feature is intended for knowledgeable Hearthstone players and may read like total nonsense to anyone who hasn't played the game. If you're interested in getting started, check out our beginner's tips.

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes

  1. Annoy-o-Tron

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Annoy-o-tron

    Annoy-o-Tron

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Attack: 1
    Health: 2
    Special Abilities: Taunt, Divine Shield

    Blizzard says: "Annoy-a-Tron challenges card creators everywhere to make a more annoying minion for only two (2) mana."

    Our take: The name sure fits! I'm going to cringe when I see this thrown out on turn 2 or (even worse) turn 1 with a coin — especially if it's backed up by some of the mech-buffing cards below.

  2. Blingtron 3000

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Blingtron 3000

    Blingtron 3000

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 5
    Attack: 3
    Health: 4
    Special Abilities: Battlecry: Equip a random weapon for each player.

    Blizzard says: "This guy lets Jaina wield a Golden Doomhammer, so basically, he’s awesome. Also, you can pack Ooze or Harrison Jones and eventually guarantee yourself a target!"

    Our take: Finally, my wildest dreams of equipping non-weapon-using classes with the most devastating weapons can come true. I foresee this being a popular turn 7 card paired up with an ooze as Blizzard suggested.

  3. Bomb Lobber

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Bomb Lobber

    Bomb Lobber

    Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 5
    Attack: 3
    Health: 3
    Special Abilities: Battlecry: Deal 4 damage to a random enemy minion.

    Blizzard says:"Gadgetzan Auctioneer is going to try and conceal himself behind a wall, only to find a bomb lobbed directly into his face."

    Our take: Anything that makes life harder for miracle rogues is a-okay in my book.

  4. Bouncing Blade

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Bouncing Blade

    Bouncing Blade

    Warrior-only Spell Card
    Mana Cost: 3
    Special Ability: Deal 1 damage to a random minion. Repeat until a minion dies.

    Blizzard says: "Armorsmith, Acolyte and Frothing Berserker come to mind initially. What about Gurubashi Berserker or Commanding Shout? We hope to see Bouncing Blade inspire some truly unique new decks."

    Our take: This is one of those cards that's difficult to totally parse the impact of because it's going to be best used in very technical scenarios. I can't quite wrap my head around it yet, but I think we're going to see some big plays from this one.

  5. Clockwork Giant

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Clockwork Giant

    Clockwork Giant

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 12
    Attack: 8
    Health: 8
    Special Ability: Costs (1) less for each card in your opponent's hand.

    Blizzard says: "Having an answer in your collection to all different types of decks is important to us. When opponents are consistently filling their hand in the early game, Clockwork Giant is there to punish them."

    Our take: Clockwork Giant is a hard counter to the handlock decks that have been destroying me in ranked games for months now. Another reliable answer to this popular deck is very much appreciated.

  6. Clockwork Gnome

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Clockwork Gnome

    Clockwork Gnome

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 1
    Attack: 2
    Health: 1
    Special Ability: Deathrattle: Add a Spare Part card to your hand.

    Blizzard says: "This cheap Mech packs a punch much greater than his small stature might indicate. He enables powerful Mech synergies and is kind enough to leave you a spare part after he's sent to the scrap heap. Thanks, little guy!"

    Our take: This guy's usefulness depends on how good the Spare Part cards are, but generally I avoid 2/1s in my deck, and I know I'm not alone on that. Perhaps if you've got a mech-centric deck full of stuff that can buff him up...

  7. Cogmaster

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Cogmaster

    Cogmaster

    Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 1
    Attack: 1
    Health: 2
    Special Ability: Has +2 Attack while you have a Mech.

    Blizzard says: "This guy gets the ball rolling for Mech decks. 3/2 for 1 mana? Valuesauce."

    Our take: One of the few must-have non-mech minions for mech decks. Blizzard is right that a 3/2 for 1 mana is great value, although it's worth remembering that Cogmaster will almost always be played later in the game to take advantage of that ability.

  8. Dr. Boom

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Dr. Boom

    Dr. Boom

    Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 7
    Attack: 7
    Health: 7
    Special Ability: Battlecry: Summon two 1/1 Boom Bots.
    Note: Boom Bot's have the Special Ability: Deathrattle: Deal 1-4 damage to a random enemy.

    Blizzard says: "Cards like Fire Elemental, Baron Geddon, and Ragnaros have high impact right when they hit the battlefield. Dr. Boom represents a high cost card that isn't as active in dealing with threats, but has a scary amount of damage and health for his (7) mana cost."

    Our take: Love the Fantastic Four nod here. Dr. Boom's cost is high enough that I don't think he'll get added to a ton of decks, but it's worth noting that the Boom Bots he summons are, of course, mech-type minions. He could be the perfect legendary to round out a mech-heavy deck.

  9. Enhance-o Mechano

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Enhance-o Mechano

    Enhance-o Mechano

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 4
    Attack: 3
    Health: 2
    Special Ability: Battlecry: Give your other minions Windfury, Taunt or Divine Shield (at random).

    Blizzard says: "This guy really gives minion-based decks a chance to seal victory in a unique way. That or give you a bunch of Windfury and Divine Shielded totems."

    Our take: Enhance-o Mechano is going to cause chaos in the worst/most delicious ways. The four cost may seem like a lot for those meager stats, but if you have a minion-heavy deck to unleash him into the middle of, those buffs can make a big impact.

  10. Explosive Sheep

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Explosive Sheep

    Explosive Sheep

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Attack: 1
    Health: 1
    Special Ability: Deathrattle: Deal 2 damage to all minions.

    Blizzard says: "This one simple Mech can leave the battlefield in ruin. Small minions HATE him!"

    Our take: "These are all cards for assholes." -Ben Kuchera, upon seeing the Explosive Sheep for the first time. This card is going to make people who run low-cost minion-heavy zoo decks very sad.

  11. Flamecannon

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Flamecannon

    Flamecannon

    Mage-only Spell Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Special Ability: Deal 4 damage to a random enemy minion.

    Blizzard says: "Flamecannon is going to battle with Frostbolt in terms of which removal is the most effective in the (2) mana slot."

    Our take: On the one hand, I'm firmly against giving mages more ways to dominate with low-cost, high-damage spells. On the other hand, this one's random at least. But if you use it early game when there's only one or maybe two enemies on the board, it's going to be guaranteed to help.

  12. Gnomish Experimenter

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Gnomish Experimenter

    Gnomish Experimenter

    Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 3
    Attack: 3
    Health: 2
    Special Ability: Battlecry: Draw a card. If it's a minion, transform it into a Chicken.

    Blizzard says: "Strong when you have mostly spells in your deck, or when you need a chicken right now instead of the top card of your deck next turn."

    Our take: Gnomish Experimenter's weak stats and single card draw aren't enough to make up for the potential downside of getting an important minion transformed into a chicken. I don't see this card getting a ton of play.

  13. Goblin Blastmage

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Goblin Blastmage

    Goblin Blastmage

    Mage-only Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 4
    Attack: 5
    Health: 4
    Special Ability: Battlecry: If you control a Mech, deal 4 damage randomly split among enemy characters.

    Blizzard says: "Goblin Blastmage represents the kind of power plays you can achieve when having Mechs on the battlefield."

    Our take: In addition to the awesome battlecry for mech-heavy decks, Goblin Blastmage has some really solid stats for its cost. Mage doesn't seem like the most obvious choice for a mech-focused deck, but I'd love to see this guy in action.

  14. Madder Bomber

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Madder Bomber

    Madder Bomber

    Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 5
    Attack: 5
    Health: 4
    Special Ability: Battlecry: Deal 6 damage randomly split between all other characters.

    Blizzard says: "Is this a lead-in to the eventual Maddest Bomber? Time will tell."

    Our take: I've long had a love affair with the stupid randomness of the Mad Bomber card, but I'm not sure it's going to translate to Madder Bomber. Between the higher cost and the fact that six points of random damage have a higher likelihood of screwing up your own board when you play it, this doesn't seem like as obvious a choice as the 2-cost Mad Bomber. That said, bring on the Maddest Bomber.

  15. Mechwarper

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Mechwarper

    Mechwarper

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Attack: 2
    Health: 3
    Special Ability: Your Mechs cost (1) less.

    Blizzard says: "The anchor for the strongest Mech-deck openers. The fact that Mechwarper is a 2/3 for (2) makes him a small sacrifice for major potential gains."

    Our take: Mechwarper is going to be a great choice for mech-centric decks. It's like warlock's Summoning Portal except it can actually attack. Plus 2/3 for 2 is a fairly rare and generally not awful combination of stats.

  16. Mekgineer Thermaplugg

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Mekgineer Thermaplugg

    Mekgineer Thermaplugg

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 9
    Attack: 9
    Health: 7
    Special Ability: Whenever an enemy minion dies, summon a Leper Gnome.

    Blizzard says: "We tried the trigger functioning for all deaths before settling on enemies. You haven’t seen true terror until you’ve witnessed a Warsong Commander and her infinite army of gnomes."

    Our take: There are going to be scenarios where this card absolutely devastates an opponent. However, its high cost is going to keep it out of all but the cruelest of decks.

  17. Micro Machine

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Micro Machine

    Micro Machine

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Attack: 1
    Health: 2
    Special Ability: At the start of each turn, gain +1 Attack.

    Blizzard says: "Not overly threatening on its own, but it's interesting to have a low cost card that can become a major threat when protected properly."

    Our take: Micro Machine has a cool concept, but like a lot of the "grow more powerful over time" cards, it's going to be hard to keep him alive long enough to matter — especially with that meager and unchanging 2 health.

  18. Piloted Shredder

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Piloted Shredder

    Piloted Shredder

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 4
    Attack: 4
    Health: 3
    Special Ability: Deathrattle: Summon a random 2-Cost minion.

    Blizzard says: "Great when Millhouse is driving; not as great when it’s Doomsayer."

    Our take: A Harvest Golem, but with more randomness and a chance to wreck your own board? I'm in!

  19. Piloted Sky Golem

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Piloted Sky Golem

    Piloted Sky Golem

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 6
    Attack: 6
    Health: 4
    Special Ability: Deathrattle: Summon a random 4-Cost minion.

    Blizzard says: "Great Sky Golem pilots include Chillwind Yeti, Water Elemental, and Pit Lord!"

    Our take: Piloted Sky Golem actually seems like a better deal than Piloted Shredder, if only because there are many fantastic 4-cost minions and even the bad ones probably won't screw up anything. Probably. Anyway, yeah, I'm in for this too.

  20. Recombobulator

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Recombobulator

    Recombobulator

    Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Attack: 3
    Health: 2
    Special Ability: Battlecry: Transform a friendly minion into a random minion with the same Cost.

    Blizzard says: "Another in a series of cards that creates a wider variety of minions on the battlefield. Having to find the most efficient usage of minions you don't normally have in your deck is a great way to keep games fresh."

    Our take: This hurts my head trying to figure it out, but I think the best way Recombobulator will be used is "refreshing" an injured minion. Sure, you might not get something astoundingly great out of it, but it'll be better than the on-the-verge-of-death fire elemental you had probably. I don't know, this is a weird card.

  21. Shrinkmeister

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Shrinkmeister

    Shrinkmeister

    Priest-only Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Attack: 3
    Health: 2
    Special Ability: Battlecry: Give a minion -2 Attack this turn.

    Blizzard says: "Shrinkmeister is strong when you shrink their minion and force an advantageous trade, but he’s also good friends with Cabal Shadow Priest."

    Our take: Priests are becoming masters of stat manipulation, and this card just adds to that in a beautiful, elegant way. The Cabal Shadow Priest combo mentioned by Blizzard is almost certain to make me cry at least once in the coming months.

  22. Sneed's Old Shredder

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Sneed

    Sneed's Old Shredder

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 8
    Attack: 5
    Health: 7
    Special Ability: Deathrattle: Summon a random legendary minion.

    Blizzard says: "Your first reaction is usually 'Man, I hope I get Ragnaros, or maybe Ysera!' Then you start thinking 'Wait a minute, can I get ANOTHER Sneed’s?' So far, we’ve found the most intimidating Sneed driver to be Kel’Thuzad."

    Our take: I've seen a lot of people decrying the number of random effects on display in these cards, but how can you get mad at something as deliriously bizarre as this? Sneed's Old Shredder is going to make it into some of my decks, not because I think it will help me win games but because it's hilarious to imagine Deathwing parachuting down out of a busted goblin shredder.

  23. Spare Parts

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Whirling Blades

    Spare Parts

    Spell Card
    Note: There are multiple Spare Parts cards possible to be gained from minions such as the Clockwork Gnome listed above and the Tinkertown Technician a bit further down. Blizzard provided us with one example, Whirling Blades, which has a Mana Cost of 1 and the Special Ability: Give a minion +1 Attack.

    Blizzard says: "Spare Parts allow for all types of fun gameplay you would normally only find through specific minions. Finding the best way to utilize the Spare Parts you end up with is going to be a really fun and skill-testing part of Goblins vs Gnomes. They make every game feel a little different, and they all enable different kinds of cool plays."

    Our take: Not much to say here except that a 1-cost spell for a +1 stat buff is often going to be a good trade, of course. I'm curious to see how many ways there are to get Spare Part cards in Goblins vs. Gnomes.

  24. Spider Tank

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Spider Tank

    Spider Tank

    Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 3
    Attack: 3
    Health: 4

    Blizzard says: "No text? No problem! The 3/4 for (3) stats are plenty to go toe to toe with Harvest Golem as the go-to (3) cost mech."

    Our take: Blizzard's not wrong! Spider Tank seems like a really solid minion choice in any deck that only gets stronger when placed into a mech-heavy deck with special buffs. I imagine we'll be seeing this one in play fairly regularly.

  25. Tinkertown Technician

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Tinkertown Technician

    Tinkertown Technician

    Regular Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 3
    Attack: 3
    Health: 3
    Special Ability: Battlecry: If you have a Mech, gain +1/+1 and add a Spare Part to your hand.

    Blizzard says: "We hope players get excited reading cards like Tinkertown Technician and Goblin Blastmage and are inspired to go create a Mech based deck that works for them."

    Our take: Solid stats on their own, but Tinkertown Technician is going to be must-play in a mech-heavy deck. A 1/1 buff plus a Spare Part card potentially offering up even more buffs? There's too much value here to ignore.

  26. Unstable Portal

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Unstable Portal

    Unstable Portal

    Mage-only Spell Card
    Mana Cost: 2
    Special Ability: Add a random minion to your hand. It costs (3) less.

    Blizzard says: "We’re really looking forward to the crazy scenarios Unstable Portal is going to create for our players. Tirion for (5)! Jaraxxus for (6)! Wisp for (0)! Wait..."

    Our take: Seriously, embrace the randomness. This is going to make for some incredibly strange situations, as laid out by Blizzard. A mage playing a cheapened Jaraxxus? Terrifying.

  27. Upgraded Repair Bot

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Upgraded Repair Bot

    Upgraded Repair Bot

    Priest-only Mech Minion Card
    Mana Cost: 5
    Attack: 5
    Health: 5
    Special Ability: Battlecry: Give a friendly Mech +4 Health.

    Blizzard says: "Upgraded Repair Bot joins Goblin Blastmage and Tinkertown Technician in the list of cards we hope will inspire strong Mech-based decks."

    Our take: Priests are strong right now, and judging by the priest-only cards we've seen so far, they're going to stay strong in Goblins vs. Gnomes.

  28. Velen's Chosen

    Hearthstone: Goblins vs. Gnomes Velen

    Velen's Chosen

    Priest-only Spell Card
    Mana Cost: 3
    Special Ability: Give a minion +2/+4 and Spell Damage +1.

    Blizzard says: "We like Velen’s Chosen in Priest because health buff cards go a long way in helping the class utilize their heal cards and hero power to maximum potential."

    Our take: Like I said above. I think this is literally the best buff card in the game, to the degree that I wouldn't be shocked at all to see it get nerfed a little, or at least get the cost increased.

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