Core Set Refresh arrives + Divine Order balancing

The Core Set refresh is now live! There are 70 new cards out in the wild as well as a whole heap of changes to the original set. You can check out the full set of changes for these over at our previous CSR blog below.  

CArd LIST

Note that a bunch of cards have also had a domain shift, which means a few of your previous decks may be now missing cards. See their new domains below! The 70 new additions to the Core set will start appearing in packs from now (this means Core packs earned after March 7 5pm PST, 2022).

Divine Order balancing

This release also brings a small list of changes for some Divine Order cards. Most are minor buffs as we approach locking the set, but a couple of high–profile nerfs and a text fix are in there for good measure. 

Card Buffs

Venerable Paladin – Strength increased by 1.

• Change stats from 2/2 to 3/2.

Strix Conscript – Strength increased by 1.

• Change stats from 3/2 to 4/2.

Phalanx Lieutenant – Health increased by 1.

• Change stats from 5/3 to 5/4.

Pan Forgemaster – Strength increased by 1.

• Change stats from 3/3 to 4/3.

Smith’s Hammer – Mana cost reduced by 1.

• Change mana cost from 5 to 4.

Plate Pilferer – Mana cost reduced by 1.

• Change mana cost from 4 to 3.

Generous Aid – Text changed.

• Change text from “Heal one of your creatures for 2. If that fully heals it, add a Generous Aid to your hand.”
  to
  ”Heal one of your characters for 3. If that fully heals it, add a Generous Aid to your hand.”

Inquisitor Informant – Health increased by 1.

• Change stats to from 2/2 to 2/3.

Card nerfs

Sage of Renewal – Text Changed.

• Change text from: “Regen +2. Roar: Refresh 4 mana and delve four mana worth of nature spells.”
  to
  ”Regen +2. Roar: Refresh 2 mana and delve two mana worth of Nature spells.”

We loved how the redesign of Sage of Renewal works. It allows for great skill expression with it’s controlled randomness, and internally we found the card simply fun to play. However the value proposition of this card was clearly above the line; the question for us was whether or not it was acceptable at that pushed power-level, as Nature has limited support for 7+ control strategies otherwise. Over the last couple of weeks, the data has shown the answer as no.

Grand Hall – Text changed.

• Change text from “Frontline. Can't attack. Roar: Give each of your creatures leech and +1 strength.”
  to
  ”Frontline. Can’t attack. Roar: Give each of your other creatures leech and +1 strength.”

Grand Hall has proven to be a bit too strong as a recovery tool in and of its own. With this nerf it can still potentially gain a large amount of life, and the body is still adequate for forestalling aggro strategies alone, but it won’t represent an average of 6 heal and a two-for-one on most boards.

Polyhymnia, Aetheric Hydra – Health decreased by 2.

• Change stats from 6/12 to 6/10.

Our dear Polyhymnia will still be the best defensive 9 drop at this statline, but that 2 point health reduction does mean that it dies to quite a lot more of the other 9 drops on direct trades, and some spell combos can kill it with one less card. 

Text Fix

Cursed Hoplite – Text fixed.

• Text fix: Hoplite now summons a 1/2 with armor 1, not a 1/1, due to changes to Skeletal Hoplite.

Core Set Refresh

Domain shifts

The following cards are shifting domains and over the following hours you’ll find these cards removed from inapplicable decks (for example, if a card was previously Neutral and is now Death, it will be removed from all non-Death decks). You’ll need to find a different card to fill the spot of these cards. The cards that are changing are as follows:

• Dryder Sailweaver (Neutral to Light)
• Void Drake (Neutral to Death)
• Helios Battlesworn (Neutral to Light)
• Eldritch Demonologist (Neutral to Death)
• Dwarf Atlant (Neutral to Magic)
• Pyrrhic Hatchling (Neutral to Death)
• Solemn Lecturer (Neutral to Deception)
• Battlebard (Neutral to War)
• Trial Spirit (Neutral War)
• Sentient Amphora (Neutral to Deception)
• Arkmonian Anteater (Neutral to Nature)
• Nightleaf Hunter (Neutral to Nature)
• Planetar Centurion (Neutral to Magic)
• Skeleton Heavy (Neutral to Death)
• Phase Touched Golem (Neutral to Magic)
• Stormstress (Neutral to Magic)
• Minotaur Phalanx (Neutral to War)
• Blackguard (Neutral to Deception)
• Vanir Lion (Neutral to Nature)
• Valknir Outrider (Neutral to War)
• Duergar Priest (Neutral to Light)
• Shieldbearer (Neutral to Light)
• Rampart (Neutral to Magic)
• Catapult (Neutral to Magic)
• Nightleaf Prowler (Neutral to Nature)
• Cyclops Marksogre (Neutral to Deception)
• Frost Giant Deadshot (Neutral to Nature)
• Helian Blademaster (Neutral to War)
• Nightleaf Trapper (Neutral to Deception)
• Bloodguard (Neutral to War)
• Athena's Conjurer (Neutral to Light)
• Judge Envoy (Neutral to Light)
• Felid Janissary (Neutral to Light)
• Mercantile Marine (Neutral to Deception)
• Inspirator (Neutral to War)
• Singsong Satyr (Neutral to Nature)
• Infernal Footsoldier (Neutral to Death)
• Jungle Princess (Neutral to Nature)
• Traveling Bard (Neutral to War)
• Wicked Fae (Neutral to Death)
• Veteran Archer (Neutral to Deception)
• Penthesilean Warrior (Neutral to Nature)
• Tomb Blademaster (Neutral to Death)
• Aging Veteran (Neutral to Light)
• Sentry Post (Neutral to Magic)
• Highland Defender (Neutral to War)
• Ballista (Neutral to Magic)
• Viking Warmaiden (Neutral to War)
• Mammon's Stalwart (Neutral to Death)
• The Portable Fortress (Neutral to Magic)
• Mire Bloodworm (Neutral to Death)
• Ghost Marauder (Neutral to Death)
• Town Guardian (Neutral to Light)
• Ambitious Adventurer (Neutral to Magic)
• Veteran Cataphract (Neutral to War)
• Shadow Paladin (Neutral to Deception)
• Beastfury Shaman (Neutral to Nature)
• Thaumnetic Golem (Neutral to Deception)
• Dart Maniac (Neutral to Deception)
• Pyreshell Beetle (Neutral to Nature)