Blizzard recently released its latest expansion for Hearthstone, Scholomance Academy. This expansion introduced the Dual-Class mechanic to a lot of cards, allowing for even more crazy combos to its 10 classes. Last expansion, Ashes of Outlands, saw a new record time for nerfing cards. As of yet, it seems most cards from Scholomance Academy are safe for now from a balance change, but I thought I’d round the top 5 best cards from this latest expansion.
Scholomance Academy introduces a brand-new ability to cards with Spellburst. This ability allows minions to have a certain effect trigger when you play a spell which can sometimes lead to a devastating change in the game or even add an additional effect to some minions. The expansion is still in its early days so a meta has yet to be ironed out, but Hearthstone players have been busy at work making and testing all sorts of new decks that Scholomance has brought along with it.
5. Ace Hunter Kreen
Ace Hunter Kreen
This dual-class Demon Hunter and Hunter card has a devastating effect that allows the player and all other minions they control become immune while attacking. When Demon Hunter was released with Ashes of Outlands, most of their cards in their arsenal were over-powered, hence the need for a speedy balance change. Now with this card under their belt, that power level starts to creep back up. Admittedly, this card wouldn’t be that strong if you played it on curve, but in the late game it will allow you to make trades with no cost to your board or health, putting your opponent in a very difficult position.
4. Lightning Bloom
Lightning Bloom
The fact that this card exists for Druid is mind-blowing. Druid is a class that is now for cheating out mana with cards like Innervate or Overgrowth. Druids can get up to 10 mana in very few turns. Now with this dual-class Shaman and Druid card, it makes their job even easier. With the cost of Overload, the player is able to gain an additional 2 mana for 0 cost. Now match this with a card like Kael’thas Sunstrider and you could cause havoc for your opponent. Keep that combo in mind for a card later on.
3. Secret Passage
Secret Passage
Now this card could potentially be the best card in Hearthstone to date. A bold statement, I know, but when you take a look at its effect you might just agree with me. For the small cost of 1 mana, you’re able to swap your entire hand with 5 new cards from your deck and then swap them back next turn. If you compare this to a card like The Soularium, it’s no contest. Granted, with The Soularium you keep your original hand but at the cost of potentially losing the 3 cards you just gained if you don’t have enough mana. Now with Secret Passage, there’s very little cost attached to this card and if any of the cards you draw from it generate more cards, you won’t lose them after your turn is over.
2. Troublemaker
Troublemaker
This card could be the card to bring a control deck back into the meta for Hearthstone. Warrior gets this 8 mana 6/8 that at the end of your turn summons two 3/3s that attack random enemies. Ragnoros back in the day used to be in many decks, as it dealt 8 damage to a random enemy at the end of every one of your turns. With Troublemaker, it has a similar effect, but you end up getting two minions out of it which could survive the attack. So with the reduction of 2 damage, you’re getting quite a fair trade.
1. Survival of the Fittest
Survival of the Fittest
Remember I said to keep the Kael’thas Sunstrider and Lightning Bloom combo in mind? Well, with Survival of the Fittest, it’s the perfect fit into that combo. Usually, this card will cost you 10 mana, leaving you not being able to play any more cards or your hero power for the rest of the turn. Kael’thas and a couple of Lightning Blooms makes that a distant memory. Kael’thas makes every third spell you cast cost 0 after playing two Lightning Blooms or any other low-cost spell. You can give all your minions in your hand, deck, and battlefield +4/+4, making even the smallest minions in your deck a difficult threat to get past. Druid has had a few ways to buff their minions before, but with this combo, your deck will be almost unstoppable.
Those are my favourite cards from this latest expansion of Hearthstone. We’ll have to wait and see if any of these cards are a little too powerful to stay as they are right now. What cards have you been enjoying from Scholomance Academy and which decks have given you the most success so far?
