
Hearthstone's Next Expansion, Rise of Shadows, Lets You Order Around Minions and Lackeys
Play cards, take over the world.
Out from the darkness comes news of the next Hearthstone expansion. Blizzard announced Rise of Shadows earlier today, and as its name suggests, it's giving some of the series' villains a little time in the grimy, yellowed spotlight.
Rise of Shadows introduces the League of E.V.I.L, a gaggle of mischief-makers who've gathered under the leadership of the Arch-villain Rafaam. These villains are aware they're not smart / strong / suave enough to accomplish their goals as individuals, but as a pack, they just might have what it takes to take down their ultimate target: The Floating City of Dalaran.
What does this mean for you, O Hearthstone player? For starters, it means you get a trailer with a snappy musical number. It's no "Hellfire," but then again, few things in life are.
Of course, there's more to the Rise of Shadows expansion than a decent villains' song. You can also look forward to new cards (135 in total, according to Blizzard's official blog post about the expansion), new mechanics, and arena rotations.
Rise of Shadows introduces Lackeys, 1/1 cards that don't offer much in the way of raw stats, but still manage to pack a significant punch. The Battlecry of the "Faceless Lackey," for example, can summon a 2-Cost minion, and the Kobold lackey's Battlecry can deal two damage (hey, it adds up). There are also "Scheme" cards that become more powerful as they stay in your hand, and other tricky cards that can be used to defeat rivals in roundabout ways.
Needless to say, the people of Dalaran aren't going to sit around and scratch themselves while the League tries to take them down. The Defenders of Dalaran cards let you create and use copies of spells, and even summon artisans to help you pick off the minions and lackeys crawling all over the city.
Hearthstone's previous expansion was Rastakhan's Rumble. It was leaked in a game about virtual penises, because life is weird. We have guides, tips, and hints for Rastakhan's Rumble, and we guarantee they're free of reproductive organs (Disclaimer: I'm not fully prepared to stake my life on that guarantee).
In other news
Xbox Confirms Game Pass Streaming for PCs and iOS Will Launch in Spring
Browser-based Xbox cloud gaming is just around the corner.
Halo Infinite Has Been Pushed Back to Fall 2021
Yes, Infinite will be coming out about a year later than originally intended, but test flights are making a comeback.
3
Xbox Series X Optimized Games Will Have Fast Fixes and More Quick Resume Support, Microsoft Says
Certain performance quirks and absent features won't be around for long, at least not according to Microsoft.
1
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Pushes Back Season One Launch and Warzone Debut
You'll still be leaving Verdansk for a new Cold War locale soon, just not *that* soon.
Need help?
Fortnite Season 10 Battle Pass, New Skins, Map Changes - Everything We Know
Here's our guide to the Fortnite Season 10 Battle Pass, new map changes, and more.
Apex Legends Crypto - Abilities, Backstory, How to Unlock Crypto
Here's everything you need to know about Crypto in Apex Legends, including his abilities, backstory, price, and how to unlock the new legend.
Destiny 2 Xenophage Quest - How to Get the New Xenophage Machine Gun
This is how to complete the Destiny 2 Xenophage quest, including all puzzles, and more.
Newsletter
Subscribe to our weekly newsletters
Get the best of USG in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters.