Hearthstone’s new patch has a lot of smaller pieces of content that add up to some pretty hefty changes. This is the Masquerade Ball event where Rexxar is getting his own entry in the Book of Heroes, so Hearthstone players can learn the Hunter’s backstory.
Tavern Brawls and Arena
During the Masquerade Ball, players will get one free Dual-Class Arena run. You’ll start your run by picking a Hero, then a Hero Power from a different class, so you might have a Mage with Demon Claws. Then, players will build a deck made up of cards from both classes (and some neutral cards, to round things out).
There will be two Tavern Brawls. The first one has a unique twist. Every time a player drops a minion on the board, it is transformed into a minion that costs two more. When the upgraded minion dies, the original card is revealed and remains on the board to fight.
On Oct. 14, there’ll be a new Tavern Brawl — players will get to pick from 10 past bosses, each of whom have a unique hero power. This mode allows for match-ups like Dr. Boom vs Illidan Stormrage, or Cenarius vs. Hagatha the Vengeful.
Battlegrounds
In the game’s Battlegrounds mode, a new set of heroes have arrived, including Ragnaros the Firelord and Al’Akir the Windlord. A bunch of new elementals have also been added to the minion pool to help their bosses out; they’ll be mainstays in the minion pool for now, so players will be able to try these new combos out in Battlegrounds.
In addition, Blizzard is adding a new progression system via an external rating similar to the game’s ranked mode.
Legendary Quests (and a secret?)
The following quests are available for players and will unlock packs of cards for a reward.
Sept. 29: Play Dual-Class Arena to earn 1 Scholomance Academy pack, 1 Ashes of Outland pack, and 1 Year of the Dragon pack.
Oct. 6: Play 50 cards in any mode to earn 1 Scholomance Academy pack, 1 Decent of Dragons pack, and 1 Year of the Dragon pack.
Oct. 13: Defeat Leoroxx in Hearthstone Book of Heroes: Rexxar to earn 1 Scholomance Academy pack, 1 Saviors of Uldum pack, and 1 Year of the Dragon pack.
Players can also complete a “Secret Quest” for two golden copies of the Transfer Student Card. Blizzard describes the quest in the patch notes.
After a thorough examination of garments in our lost and found cupboard, Transfer Student has embarked on a laborious journey to find the perfect costume for the Masquerade Ball! We’ve identified an itinerary in the dormitory that outlines an intention to visit Dalaran, Uldum, Dragonblight, and the Black Temple. Scribbled on the back is mention of playing Rexxar’s tale in Hearthstone Book of Heroes, and at least one match in both Battlegrounds and Arena.
It looks like players will have to take a spin through past single-player content that took place in the above locations, as well as complete the new Book of Heroes content. The full patch notes for the 18.4 update can be found on Blizzard’s website.