Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs Card Analyses (Part 7)

Blizzard has begun new card reveals for Hearthstone's next expansion. Kobolds & Catacombs will introduce 135 new cards, utilizing a new Recruit mechanic and introducing a new Dungeon Run single-player adventure. It'll mark Hearthstone's seventh expansion and will be the final one issued in the Year of the Mammoth.

As is tradition, Shacknews is breaking down the cards by the batch. Last Tuesday saw the card reveals from streamers and press outlets begin in earnest. Today, we continue analyzing the second week of reveals. But first, a recap:

Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs Card Analyses (Part 1)
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs Card Analyses (Part 2)
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs Card Analyses (Part 3)
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs Card Analyses (Part 4)
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs Card Analyses (Part 5)
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs Card Analyses (Part 6)

Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs - Analyzing Dragon Soul
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs - Analyzing Aluneth
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs - Analyzing Twig of the World Tree
Hearthstone: Kobolds & Catacombs - Analyzing The Runespear

(3) Reckless Flurry
Type: Spell
Class: Warrior
Rarity: Epic
Spend all your Armor. Deal that much damage to all minions.
Source: Dog on YouTube

Analysis: In theory, Reckless Flurry feels like it should be an upgraded Shield Slam. That's until realizing that it actually spends all of the Warrior's Armor. That's a tough proposition and one that might not always be worth taking. Why spend most of the game building up an obscene Armor total if it means dumping it in one giant removal spell?

But then one starts to realize that building up 30 or so Armor is no good when staring down multiple big body Jades. Earlier today, Ben Brode and Sean "Day9" Plott showed just how powerful this spell can be, clearing off an entire board of big bodies single-handedly after Armoring up off a Bring It On! spell. It shouldn't be a Warrior's first choice, but as a last resort, Reckless Flurry can cause some serious damage.

(2) Drywhisker Armorer (2/2)
Type: Minion
Class: Warrior
Rarity: Rare
Battlecry: For each enemy minion, gain 2 Armor.
Source: Dog on YouTube

Analysis: That sound you hear is Cult Apothecary crying in the corner.

When there just aren't enough friendly minions to make the most out of Armorsmith, here comes Drywhisker Armorer, a quick solution for whenever the Warrior is staring down an aggro deck. Paired up with Reckless Flurry, it's a combo that should clear most boards and for just 5 mana. That makes it an enticing choice for Control Warrior, albeit one that takes up two slots over Brawl's single slot.

(4) Elven Minstrel (3/2)
Type: Minion
Class: Rogue
Rarity: Rare
Combo: Draw 2 minions from your deck.
Source: Nalguidan on YouTube

Analysis: Alright, I'm not very good with songs, like the Elven Minstrel would be. But I've got a limerick! Ahem...

The Rogue has an Elven Minstrel singer
It's Combo effect can be quite the zinger
It pulls two minions from the deck
Buffed by Prince Keleseth
To put the opponent through the wringer

Thank you. Try the veal.

But yes, Prince Keleseth Rogues are going to love this guy, especially if he fishes out Southsea Deckhand or Cobalt Scalebane. The drawback would be if it brings out Vilespine Slayer or Bonemare, but hey, there's always Shadowstep to just bring them back later, assuming they survive the next turn.

(5) Ixlid, Fungal Lord (2/4)
Type: Minion
Class: Druid
Rarity: Legendary
After you play a minion, summon a copy of it.
Source: Master Wang on Panda.tv

Analysis: Ooh, it's a Faceless Manipulator effect on a 5/5 body. This can be very dangerous in the right Druid deck. That should be most of them, even Quest Druids.

But any good Druid deck will find a use for Ixlid, whether it's summoning double Kun the Forgotten Kings, double Yseras, but it'll find the most use out of Hearthstone's myriad of giants. Jade Druid, in particular, should make some space for Arcane Giant or Sea Giant, because having two of those guys in a single turn should be devastating.

The downside to this guy is a 2/4 body isn't very good. It's downright disastrous against Priest, who can simply swipe it with Cabal Shadow Priest or Potion of Madness. So be careful when wielding this Legendary and don't drop it carelessly.

(5) Possessed Lackey (2/2)
Type: Minion
Class: Warlock
Rarity: Rare
Deathrattle: Recruit a Demon.
Source: TheWolverus on YouTube

Analysis: This is a really tough sell for Warlock, just because those 2/2 stats are exceptionally weak. On top of that, the Warlock already has a really good 5-cost minion for this slot. I can't imagine anyone swapping out Despicable Dreadlord for this.

Possessed Lackey can have its uses, drawing out Felguard, Doomguard, or Lakkari Felhound without penalty. But that's not something that sounds very likely to happen. I wouldn't expect to see this get a lot of play.

(5) Lesser Emerald Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Hunter
Rarity: Rare
Summon two 3/3 Wolves. (Play a Secret to upgrade.)
Source: Hearthstone website

(5) Emerald Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Hunter
Rarity: Rare
Summon three 3/3 Wolves. (Play a Secret to upgrade.)

(5) Greater Emerald Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Hunter
Rarity: Rare
Summon four 3/3 Wolves.

Analysis: As part of a growing effort to creater a Hunter with no minions... for some reason... here's the Lesser Emerald Spellstone. This allows the Hunter to call multiple 3/3 bodies, depending on how many Secrets are played.

Hunter Secrets are always useful and one of the most annoying things to play against. Freezing Trap and Exploding Trap alone should be more than enough to help upgrade this spell. That should help make this a solid Turn 5 play before sending out Deathstalker Rexxar on Turn 6. Maybe with a few more tools, there might be something to this minion-less Hunter after all.

(7) Lesser Diamond Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Priest
Rarity: Rare
Resurrect 2 different friendly minions. (Cast 4 spells to upgrade.)
Source: Hearthstone website

(7) Diamond Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Priest
Rarity: Rare
Resurrect 3 different friendly minions. (Cast 4 spells to upgrade.)

(7) Greater Diamond Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Priest
Rarity: Rare
Resurrect 4 different friendly minions.

Analysis: It's another incredible Priest tool and it's another one that can be utilized by multiple iterations of the class. Highlander Priest, of course, will find good use for the Diamond Spellstones, though 7 mana could be a little too expensive for that particular deck type.

So how about Big Body Priest, which can use this as Eternal Servitude on steroids? Big Body Priest loves running cards like Ysera, Obsidian Statue, and The Lich King. The Diamond Spellstone can help ensure they all return to terrorize opponents with no trouble.

(5) Lesser Onyx Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Rogue
Rarity: Rare
Destroy 1 random enemy minion. (Play 3 Deathrattle cards to upgrade.)
Source: Hearthstone website

(5) Onyx Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Rogue
Rarity: Rare
Destroy 2 random enemy minions. (Play 3 Deathrattle cards to upgrade.)

(5) Greater Onyx Spellstone
Type: Spell
Class: Rogue
Rarity: Rare
Destroy up to 3 random enemy minions.

Analysis: The Onyx Spellstones are a hard removal option for Rogue, which should be helpful for a class without a lot of area-of-effect removal spells. Remember, Vanish only stalls, but it doesn't destroy. Onyx will dispose of big-time threats and will do so for just 5 mana. Since it likely won't be used until the late game, it gives the Rogue player ample time to upgrade it.

So what kind of Rogue can upgrade this thing? Jade Rogue might find a few options here, as can certain types of Miracle Rogue that pack cards like Loot Hoarder. It'll go too slow for Keleseth Rogues and won't fit into that deck type, so maybe not that one so much. But a multiple Assassinate (even with random enemy targets) will be a nice tool for any Rogue looking to draw the game out for the long haul.

(3) Twilight's Call
Type: Spell
Class: Priest
Rarity: Rare
Summon 1/1 copies of 2 friendly Deathrattle minions that died this game.
Source: Lalala on Douyu

Analysis: Twilight's Call doesn't look imposing, but as a miniature version of Resurrect for Quest Priests, it might have some legs. Using it on Turn 3 or 4 to bring back a pair of minions like Crystalline Oracle, Loot Hoarder, or Bloodmage Thalnos is an idea that could have some legs. It could mean completing the quest faster than the average Quest Priest player normally could.

Big Body Priest might also have some limited uses for this card. Since this deck type usually rolls with Obsidian Statue, resurrecting a pair of 1/1 Statues can still make a lot of noise and be irritating for opponents to deal with.

(9) Dragoncaller Alanna (3/3)
Type: Minion
Class: Mage
Rarity: Legendary
Battlecry: Summon a 5/5 Dragon for each spell you cast this game that costs (5) or more.
Source: Blizzard email

Analysis: Let's end with what should be a nightmare of a Mage Legendary to deal with. Mages already like to go big with a lot of their spells, like Blizzard, Flamestrike, and Firelands Portal. Dragoncaller Alanna will summon a 5/5 Dragon for each one of those spells cast during the game. Think of her like Bizarro Onyxia.

But while a board full of 5/5 Dragons might look like it can do some serious damage, remember that for as many spells as the Mage has, the class doesn't have a lot of buffing spells. There's no real way to amplify those 5/5 stats or protect those bodies, so they're vulnerable to a lot of removal plays like the Paladin's Equality/Consecration, the Warlock's Twisting Nether, or Shadowreaper Anduin. Alanna can cause some serious damage, but might not prove to be the win condition that her effect might suggest.

The card reveals are underway, so keep visiting Shacknews for more card analyses. We'll also break down the Legendary weapons individually over the next few days. Hearthstone's Kobolds & Catacombs expansion is set to release on this week.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?