Even though the "Heroes of Warcraft" moniker disappeared from the title of Hearthstone some time ago, Blizzard continues to delve into the immense lore of Warcraft for new in-game ideas. Thus, Knights of the Frozen Throne (set to release today) seeks to add even more Warcraft content to the increasingly popular CCG.
The new expansion includes 135 brand new cards and two new mechanics: Lifesteal and Death Knights. Lifesteal causes damage dealt by a card to also restore that much health to your hero, while Death Knights are represented by nine legendary alt-heroes that give you extra armor and a new hero power in the fashion of Lord Jaraxxus.
If you can't decide which cards to craft from Knights of the Frozen Throne, then keep reading to find out which cards are the best in this expansion. The list includes the following rarities:
- 3 Common Cards
- 7 Rare Cards
- 4 Epic Cards
- 6 Legendary Cards
Righteous Protector
Every Paladin player has played Argent Squire in their decks at one point or another. But with the arrival of Righteous Protector, Squire becomes completely obsolete. There's just too many good 1-drops in Paladin's arsenal for it to have any relevance this time around.
The Protector can be easily buffed and turned into a real menace by both handbuff spells, such as Smuggler's Run and Grimestreet Outfitter, and Divine Shield buffs, such as Rallying Blade. So it's much more than just a 1/1 for one mana!
Blood Razor
It's a rare case to see a well-balanced weapon that is also of Common Rarity these days in Hearthstone. But here's Blood Razor, a card very similar to Death's Bite from Naxxramas, and although it's a bit weaker, the double Whirlwind effect makes it a worthy inclusion in almost any Warrior deck.
It works really well with Execute and Sleep With the Fishes spells, which is the reason you want to include at least one copy of it in your control lists. And, if you run a card like Frothing Berserker in your aggro decks, then it may find its way in there as well.
Bonemare
Surely, this card will be insane in Arena, but don't neglect it in your constructed decks either. With such a powerful Battlecry, you can turn even the tiniest of minions into a real threat on-board.
The fact that it also gives that minion a Taunt already turns Bonemare into a premium common card. But in all honesty, +4/+4 effect on its own would be more than enough -- so thanks for the bonus, Blizzard!
Defile
This AoE spell is great against a board of minions with varying life totals. If you can cast two of these on the same turn, you will most likely clear every single enemy minion for just 4 mana.
Obviously, it is much more effective against aggro decks, such as Paladin, that play lots of small minions with Divine Shield, but it also has a small chance against bigger threats, especially if you can add some spell damage to your combo.
Druid of the Swarm
This little Druid minion is every control player's dream. First of all, it's really cheap considering the things it does. Secondly, it's super flexible and can be effective against both big and small enemy minions.
Lastly, if you can combine it with Fandral Staghelm, then you have one of the most unique control cards in the current meta. Having a 1/5 with Taunt and Poisonous is something that will annoy any opponent immensely.
Happy Ghoul
With all the new Lifesteal cards in this expansion, Happy Ghoul will be increasingly popular as the meta evolves. The most obvious hero choice for this minion is Priest, who can heal himself on turn 2 and immediately play a copy or two of Ghoul.
But Zoolock can also make this card work with the help of spells like Drain Soul or any other cards with Lifesteal. In any case, if you build your deck in the right way, you will surely put this little fella on-board earlier than intended.
Shadowblade
Combine this with Deadly Poison and you can kill any minion without losing a single point of your life total. This means that Shadowblade is the first viable Rogue weapon in a long time. Finally!
Yes, you can't use the Immune ability the second time around, but it's a small price to pay for a great removal combo. And considering that Rogue didn't get that many great cards in the Knights of the Frozen Throne, Shadowblade should be a number one pick for your next decklist.
Eternal Servitude
Priest already has a number of solid Resurrect spells in its arsenal. But the problem with most of them is the complete inability to control the outcome of the given resurrect effect, as you'd never know which minion comes back to life.
Eternal Servitude solves the problem... at least partially. You will know that if you don't want your Doomsayer coming back to life, then this time you will have that choice, which makes Servitude a must-have spell in your resurrect decks.
Saronite Chain Gang
One of the most popular Shaman spells is Feral Spirit, which produces two 2/3 minions with Taunt for 3 tmana -- but also with 2 overload. This time we get the same effect, which is a bit more expensive, but without the overload drawback.
Another great point is that this card is neutral, which makes it playable in any deck. So, if you ever wished to play Feral Spirit in, let's say, your Rogue or Priest deck, then you now have that chance.
Despicable Dreadlord
In addition to an already mentioned Defile spell for Warlock, here is a companion card that continues the hard work of removing enemy minions from the board. This time it deals AoE damage each turn, which will surely finish off those few minions that manage to survive the turn on the last point of health.
Doomerang
Kudos to Blizzard for an excellent card design and name. This card not only looks and sounds cool, but its effect is some of the best in the entire run of the game.
The most value one can get by playing Doomerang is during the final swing of the weapon, just before it breaks. In this way, you can replay your weapon several times in a game, and thus gain a greater advantage over your opponent.
Corpsetaker
Potentially, this minion could get all four of the abilities in its description, which makes it incredibly powerful just for a mere 4 mana. This mechanic brings it closer to the Shaman legendary -- Al'Akir the Windlord -- that also has Charge instead of Lifesteal. But Al'Akir costs 8 mana, so which one would you rather play?
Corpsetaker is a powerhouse of a card that will mainly shine in the decks of Paladin and Shaman. But its neutrality leaves it open to a few other classes as well.
Obsidian Statue
Blizzard is definitely on a lookout to make control Priest viable again. This minion fits in several Priest archetypes, especially the Deathrattle deck that utilizes N'Zoth.
Its effect protects your hero from minions that can insta-kill Obsidian Statue, as they will die to the Deathrattle effect at the same time. The only weakness of the card is its inability to deflect Transform spells, but then it would definitely be overpowered.
Ultimate Infestation
It's surprising to see this card without the "Choose one" text, which would be appropriate with this type of spell. It could've been much cheaper in that case, but even with the help of two Innervate spells, you could cast Ultimate Infestation as it is on turn six -- or even five -- if you manage to keep the coin in hand.
In any case, this card is a sweeper in Knights of the Frozen Throne. Just the fact that it draws five cards and deals five damage to any target, including the enemy hero, is a striking combination of effects. The rest is really just a cool bonus.
Thrall, Deathseer
Here's the first Death Knight hero from Knights of the Frozen Throne, and it's also the cheapest one at only 5 mana. It has a great effect that basically involves a double Evolve spell that can turn even the weakest minions into deadly enemies at once.
Surely, the RNG is strong with this legendary, but Shaman wouldn't be the class it is now without the (in)famous Evolve/Devolve effects.
Scourgelord Garrosh
Now, onto more serious threats in the form of Death Knights. This Garrosh alt can potentially deal 12 damage with one swing of a weapon, and 36 damage in total if one manages to hit nine minions every time it swings.
That's an insane amount of damage for an 8-mana card. So, if you're planning on giving a Control Warrior another chance, then get some dust for crafting this hero.
Shadowreaper Anduin
The most exciting thing about this legendary Priest alt-hero isn't its Battlecry ability, but the new hero power that turns into Voidform (Deal 2 damage. After you play a card, refresh this.)
Priest has tons of zero- and one-mana cost spells that can be used to refresh the new hero power. And with the help of Raza the Chained, the hero power itself will cost zero as well. This potentially allows Shadowreaper Anduin to perform a one-turn kill (OTK) before turn 10.
The Lich King
The Lich King is the only non-Death Knight legendary in this list of top Hearthstone cards. But it still gives you a random Death Knight card, including seven removal spells and one unique weapon -- Frostmourne.
The weapon, by the way, is the most interesting of all, as it summons back all the minions that it killed... but on your side. The body of The Lich King is not particularly great, but if you do get the weapon, then it is a worthy investment of your dust.
Uther of the Ebon Blade
Have you ever dreamed of playing two copies of Tirion Fordring in your Paladin deck? Well, you're almost there with such a powerful alt-hero as Uther of the Ebon Blade.
What makes this card great is not only the fact that it equips a similar weapon to a super powerful Ashbringer, but it also gives you an option to win the game four turns later with the help of the new hero power -- The Four Horsemen. All you need to do is find a way to protect the horsemen from getting removed.
Bloodreaver Gul'dan
The last Death Knight card is the Warlock alt-hero that re-summons all of your demons. Too bad we can't play all the overpowered demons that rotated out of the Standard, such as Mal'ganis. But there is still a whole army of good demon cards you can play and win many games with.
The hero power of Bloodreaver Gul'dan is a real surprise, as usually Warlocks deal damage to themselves, but this time everything is switched in the opposite direction. So play this hero whenever you need to bring your board back and/or when you need to heal yourself up.
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What is your personal favorite Death Knight card in the Knights of the Frozen Throne expansion? Be sure to leave your opinion in the comments section below.
Published: Aug 10, 2017 07:16 am