MAJOR UPDATE
Rumble, Young Troll, Rumble
Enter a rugged Hearthstone arena with Rastakhan’s Rumble. Tap to read.
Hearthstone
Strategy Card Battle
Trolls have been summoned from every corner of Hearthstone’s world for a take-no-names, once-in-a-lifetime tournament. And they are so ready to rumble.
Rastakhan’s Rumble, the 10th expansion for Blizzard’s collectible card battler, is all about trolls (the under-a-bridge kind, not the annoying internet kind). By order of fang-faced King Rastakhan, teams of troll gladiators have descended upon Azeroth’s Gurubashi Arena. And things are going to get marvelously messy.
The new expansion adds 135 cards to Hearthstone’s digital decks, featuring plenty of ruthless combatants, fearsome beasts, wicked weapons, and lots more. The nine troll teams align with Hearthstone’s nine classes, meaning there are new tactics to try, no matter which hero you favor.
Each team has its own awe-inspiring Loa—a mix between a mascot and a demigod—as well as a legendary troll champion with powerful abilities. If you play as a Rogue, you might bring Captain Hooktusk into battle. Use her to draw three pirates from your deck that can immediately attack enemy minions. Prepare to be boarded, matey!
Or maybe you’ll summon Gral, a giant shark that devours a minion in your deck, gaining it stats. Each team also has its own unique Spirit, a stealthy new type of minion with impressive abilities. The Spirit of the Shark causes Battlecries and Combos to trigger twice for as long as it remains in play. Just imagine the sneaky strategies.
And that’s only the Rogues. Multiply that wild new set of possibilities by Hearthstone’s nine classes—and add that to an already awesomely deep game.
Rastakhan’s Rumble also brings a freshly minted new card mechanic into the arena called Overkill, which rewards players for dealing more damage than necessary to take out an opponent. What’s more trollish than that?
For example, if you play the Half-Time Scavenger card and deal three damage to an enemy with just one or two points of health, your hero gains three points of armor. If the Arena Patron minion deals Overkill damage to an enemy, it automatically summons another Arena Patron—like fans rushing the field.
And it wouldn’t be a Hearthstone expansion without some new story beats. Rastakhan’s Rumble features a dynamic new single-player mode that casts you as a young troll named Rikkar. You’ll choose a Shrine—another brand-new card type, granting impressive powers—and wade into battle against eight champions. Each victory grants you new cards and perks, but surviving the entire gauntlet will test the mettle of even the most skilled Hearthstone veterans.
If you’ve never played Hearthstone, it might all sound intimidating. But part of the game’s enduring appeal is how easy it is to jump in and instantly grasp the basics. Even the toughest troll champion started out as a rookie.