Is Hearthstone Becoming Too Expensive?
The variability of Hearthstone is what keeps me coming back day after day, week after week, aggressive meta after aggressive meta. If you’re a fellow Hearstone player, you can imagine my frustration with the current state of the game.
The Mean Streets of Gadgetzan expansion has produced a meta that has fostered hostility within the Hearthstone community. Standard play has become a predictable blend of Pirate, Reno and Jade decks (with the odd Dragon Priest in between). These refined decks are so efficient and simple to play, they squeeze out all of the variety that should exist in a digital card game.
But, Spring is coming. Players now look to the upcoming Journey to Un’Goro expansion for hope. Hope that the rotation of old cards and the introduction of new mechanics can create the ever elusive fun and interactive™ experience.
Give me a quest!
One of the new mechanics introduced in Journey to Un’Goro are class-based quest cards. These one-mana legendary spells require the player to meet specific conditions like summoning 7 deathrattle minions or discarding 6 cards. Completing quests reward the player with a powerful card with some sort of proactive effect.
I’m a fan of the quest mechanic. It presents new deck building options while offering positive reinforcement for achieving something apart from winning. In an ideal fantasy world, these quests will usher in a new meta filled with diverse mid-to-late game decks. This is a world where aggressive decks can be consistently countered and players ignore the existence of Jade Druid.
But, is the cost for a golden age of Hearstone worth it? Using numbers from the Hearstone Wiki, on average you will open approximately 3 legendary cards from 50 packs, costing $50.00 USD. That leaves you with at least 6 quests and 14 other legendary cards left to collect in the rest of Journey to Un’Goro.
Is the entry cost of quest decks too high?
We’ve had expensive decks in the past. I remember wanting to create a Control Warrior deck as a free-to-play player. The deck featured several legendary cards like Grommash Hellscream, Sylvanas Windrunner and Harrison Jones, along with expensive removal cards like Shield Slam and Brawl. It took me years to complete that deck playing casually (never missing a daily quest), because keeping up with new legendary and epic cards rotating in and out of the meta was grueling.
If I wanted to try the new Discard Warlock quest, then Clutchmother Zavas would be an auto-include. Even ignoring obvious synergies, experiencing this archetype costs at least 1600 dust. On the other hand, Anyfin Can Happen is a rare 10-mana card that created a new Paladin archetype for 200 dust. Anyfin Paladin decks often include expensive cards, but the core identity of the deck is not gated by expensive legendary cards.
A Year of Mammoth Investments
The decision to remove Hearthstone Adventures in favour of releasing more expansions puts the casual player in a difficult situation. I was quick to pay for the well-produced single player experiences that accompanied deck-defining cards. With guaranteed access to Reno Jackson and other high-impact cards, I could comfortably create a variety of competitive decks across all classes.
We are entering a year of Hearthstone where grinding daily quests isn’t going to put a dent in obtaining essential cards. Maybe this is just a free-to-play fantasy. Maybe this is the price of having a diverse meta. Maybe the entry cost of Journey to Un’Goro just isn’t worth paying.
