Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
With Hearthstone's 17.2 update, a handful of new heroes have joined the game's Battlegrounds mode. Those who have played this game mode know that it deviates quite a bit from standard Hearthstone, requiring a different set of strategies. Those strategies change further depending on which hero is being used. So for today, we're taking a look at new hero Kael'thas Sunstrider and how players should approach him.
The most important thing to note about Kael'thas and his Hero Power is that it carries over from turn to turn. There are three lights (not four lights) hovering over the Hero Power icon and each one will activate after purchasing a minion. Once the third light turns on, the attached minion will receive a +2/+2 buff.
Use the buff on minions that can't typically have their stats boosted. If you're in the early-to-mid game and you're playing Demons, using the Hero Power buff on Soul Juggler can be a critical play, because that can keep it out of the range of Kaboom Bot or Red Whelp. If you're playing Dragons, buffing up Waxrider Togwaggle can be a big boost that gives it a headstart at the start of any battle phase. Murloc players, try to save the buff for Murloc Warleader to ensure that its battlefield stat boost stays on the board.
How you use Kael'thas in the late game depends on the build you've assembled. If you're gone Deathrattle-heavy, buff up Baron Rivendare in an effort to keep it standing. Combine this with Spawn of N'Zoth and the Baron can become a formidable minion in his own right. If you're going stat-heavy with mixed minions or with a high-stat Demon build, get yourself a 5-Attack Annihilan Battlemaster and buff it from there. On a slightly different note, if you're playing against a Demon build, a Beast build, or somebody running their own Baron Rivendare, consider using the Kael'thas buff on Zapp Slywick and surprise them with a 9-Attack out of the gate.
Lastly, be consistent with the Kael'thas Hero Powers. If you're shooting for a triple of something like Baron Rivendare or Waxrider Togwaggle, make sure to buy all of them with the Kael'thas buff. The resulting triple will give you something much bigger than anything you can get outside of a Taunt buff like Defender of Argus.
These strategies should help you get started with Kael'thas Sunstrider. We'll have more Hearthstone Battlegrounds guides in the future, so keep it on Shacknews for the latest.