Inspired: Breaking down the Hearthstone 'Grand Tournament' cards (Part 3)

The folks at Blizzard have gotten off to a quick start in revealing the 132 cards that will take up Hearthstone's upcoming Grand Tournament expansion. Shacknews' detailed look into these cards began last week and today, our analysis continues.

Be sure to catch up with our previous breakdowns: Part 1, Part 2

(6) Justicar Trueheart (6/3) - Battlecry: Replace your starting Hero Power with a better one

We recently offered a quick overview on this Legendary when it was first unveiled last week. Her Battlecry essentially doubles each class's Hero Powers for the remainder of the game, an effect that will benefit some classes more than others.

The Priest immediately comes to mind, as the beefed-up Heal can help get most minions back in the fight. Better yet, the effect can be paired up with Prophet Velen to heal for a whopping 8 health. This strategy can be a potential game-saver if the Priest starts running low on health.

The next beneficiary of this effect is the Warrior, who can now gain four Armor for each Hero Power use. Not only can this keep the Warrior in the fight, but it can also make for a lethal combination with Shield Block and Shield Slam, one potent enough to take out just about any minion on the board.

These are just a few examples of the power that Justicar Trueheart can bring to the table. Even though menial stats mean she won't survive to the next turn, her impact can switch the game's momentum over the long haul.

(6) Wilfred Fizzlebang (4/4) - Cards you draw from your Hero Power cost (0)

This is something of a baffling Legendary for the Warlock. These stats are weak for such a relatively high-cost minion. So don't look for Wilfred to survive until the next turn. Worse yet, his effect is not a Battlecry, so once Wilfred goes, so too does his power.

Because his effect is pretty much dependent on Hero Power, there are few synergy possibilities for Wilfred at the moment. Maiden of the Lake comes to mind, making the Hero Power a little cheaper to use. But assuming Wilfred can be kept alive, the most intriguing synergy possibility comes in the form of Chromaggus, who can double that free draw. There aren't many options beyond this, but maybe some of the newer cards that get revealed in the coming days will play a little nicer with Wilfred.

(4) Sacred Warrior (3/5) - Whenever a character is healed, gain +2 attack

For Priests, here comes a class-specific twist on the Burly Rockjaw Trogg or a significantly stronger Lightwarden. And it's one that can be made very deadly, very fast.

First thing to note is that Sacred Warrior's does not specify which characters, meaning it can gain power for enemy characters healed, as well. Any good Priest player should have immediately thought about Circle of Healing upon hearing about this minion's effect. Place her down alongside a Sludge Belcher, drop Circle of Healing, and prepare to strike. If survival is a concern, supplementing her with Power Word: Shield or Divine Spirit should help out.

(3) King's Defender (3/2) - Battlecry: For each minion with Taunt you control, gain +1 Durability

The Warrior has his share of useful weaponry, but this is definitely an interesting one. Worst case scenario, it acts as a slightly more expensive replacement for Fiery War Axe, but if used correctly, it can be used to last a lot longer.

This card should be an opportunity for Defender of Argus or Sunfury Protector to shine. At best, they can add two Taunt minions to the fold, which will up this weapon's Durability to 4. It'll be the closest a Warrior can get to having high Durability on par with the Hunter's Eaglehorn Bow and can come in very handy to take out lower-health minions.

(9) North Sea Kraken (9/7) - Battlecry: Deal 4 damage

Using 9 mana for anything is an expensive proposition and North Sea Kraken's Battlecry may not be worth the price. It can deal 4 damage, but by the time a player reaches turn 9, the opponent will more than likely have higher-health minions out on the board. Shamans, in particular, will scoff at this guy, since it can deal nearly that much damage with its much more cost effective Fire Elemental.

At 9 mana and 9/7 stats, there are far greater options out there already. Warlocks can get much more out of Mal'Ganis, especially when they can summon it through Voidcaller. Any other class can get a more useful effect from Mekgineer Thermaplugg. This may be one instance where it's not worth releasing the Kraken, since there are better ways to wreak havoc out there.

But, as a Common card, Blizzard seems keen on giving newer players an answer that can trade evenly with the sea of Legendaries that more experienced players have built up. It's not the greatest answer, but releasing the kraken might do in a pinch.

There's still plenty more to go with the reveals for Hearthstone's Grand Tournament expansion. Shacknews will continue its ongoing analysis of these new cards as they're released, so stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

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?