Gameplay


Info

From the cut and thrust of glorious battle to the cunning construction of an indomitable deck, this page offers a rough guide to Hearthstone The Hearthstone icon Hearthstone (formerly known as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft 1] 2]) is a free-to-play digital collectible card game from Blizzard Entertainment. It was first announced in a presentation by Rob Pardo at the hearthstone `s gameplay. Use this as a helpful guide to getting started in Hearthstone and to learn more about the basics of gameplay, heroes, cards, and strategies! This article is most useful for new players.

Matches

Each Hearthstone match is a 1vs1 battle between two opponents. Gameplay in Hearthstone is turn-based, with players taking turns to play cards Cards are the basic pieces that make up the game of Hearthstone. Each card represents an action that the player can take by playing that card. There are three main types of cards: spell cards, hearthstone from their hand to cast powerful spells Fireball, a simple mage spell. It costs 4 mana, dealing 6 damage to a chosen target. Spell cards are cards that can be played to trigger a one time effect or ability, described in the hearthstone , equip mighty weapons Garrosh Hellscream ready to attack using an equipped Fiery War Axe For the equip ability, see Equip Weapons are special cards which can be equipped by heroes. Each weapon has an Attack value and a hearthstone , or summon vicious minions Bloodfen Raptor, a simple minion card. A Beast-type minion, it has 3 Attack, 2 Health and a mana cost of 2. Minions are persistent creatures on the battlefield that will fight for their hero. Minion hearthstone to do battle on their behalf. The game may be played between two human players, or one human and an AI computer opponent.

Each player is represented by their chosen ` hero A hero is a character in the Warcraft universe representing the player. In Hearthstone, this concept is expressed in three interrelated but distinct ways: Heroes are gameplay characters representing players or bosses within a match. hearthstone `, an important character from Warcraft lore. Each hero is associated with a particular class Class is the primary determinant of a hero s powers and abilities, and the strongest factor in deck selection. While each hero represents a unique character with their own personality, portrait and sounds, their class determines hearthstone , which determines the special cards and unique hero power Anduin Wrynn with the basic priest Hero Power Lesser Heal A Hero Power is a special ability displayed to the right of each hero s portrait. Usually Hero Powers can be used once per turn and hearthstone available to them. Each hero has 30 Health Health, sometimes referred to as life, hit points or HP, is an attribute found on heroes and minions, reflecting the remaining survivability of the character. Health can be reduced, almost always by taking damage. If hearthstone , and if their Health is reduced to zero, the hero is destroyed and the controlling player loses the game.

At the start of each turn Hearthstone takes place in turns. Each turn gives a player the opportunity to act. At the end of each turn, play is passed back to the other player. A round describes one turn for each , the player draws a new card from their deck A deck is a collection of exactly 30 cards. All cards drawn by the player during a game come from their deck. Each deck is tied to a specific class. Decks can be created and hearthstone - a collection of 30 cards selected before battle. Players can choose to play using one of several pre-assembled `basic` decks, or one of their own custom-made decks. While most cards are available to heroes of any class ( neutral Neutral is the term used to describe cards which are not limited to a specific class. Neutral collectible cards can be included in any deck, regardless of hero. Neutral cards use a plain, grey card hearthstone cards), a substantial portion of them are limited to a specific class, giving each hero their own strengths and unique abilities.

During their turn, each player can choose to play any of their cards, use their Hero Power Anduin Wrynn with the basic priest Hero Power Lesser Heal A Hero Power is a special ability displayed to the right of each hero s portrait. Usually Hero Powers can be used once per turn and hearthstone , command their minions to attack This page describes the act of attacking. For the Attack attribute, see Attribute. Attacking or combat is what occurs when a player commands one character to attack another, causing them to simultaneously deal damage to targets, or even have their hero attack directly if they have a weapon equipped. Be that as it may, most actions require the player to spend mana, and this limitation forces players to strategically plan out their moves. Each player starts the game with 1 Mana Crystal, and gains one more at the start of each turn until they reach the maximum of 10 Mana Crystals. All of a player`s mana regenerates at the beginning of their turn (all their Mana Crystals become `filled`). Unspent mana remaining at the end of the turn does not carry over to the next. The larger mana pools in later rounds allow players to play increasingly expensive cards, opening the game up to more impressive moves and powerful abilities.

In theory the objective of a game of Hearthstone is simple: reduce the enemy hero`s health to zero before they can do so to you. Be that as it may, the game featuresSpecial attraction multiple strategic elements which require mastery before one can be successful at competitive levels of play. The control of minions, the assignment of strategic importance to various targets, complex card synergies and interactions, as well as the unpredictability of the randomly selected cards drawn each round, combine to create a complex game where the best plays are not always obvious.

Completing a match will grant each player`s hero experience A hero is a character in the Warcraft universe representing the player. In Hearthstone, this concept is expressed in three interrelated but distinct ways: Heroes are gameplay characters representing players or bosses within a match. hearthstone , slowly increasing their level Each hero s level is displayed on the bottom-left of their portrait. The coloured bar shows their current experience. A video explaining levels in Hearthstone made by the Curse Gamepedia @@@#@@@YouTube(youtube.com)###@### Channel. A level is a hearthstone , and granting them access to extra cards. While concluding a match will reward both players with experience, winning matches offers additional rewards.

Videos

Battlefields

A guide to the main elements of Hearthstone`s battlefields.
See more: Battlefield

Each match takes place on a randomly selected battlefield The battlefield (or game board) is where the action takes place, representing the board on which each game is played out. Around the battlefield are various important UI elements, such as each player s hand, deck hearthstone , representing the board on which the game is played. There are numerous possible battlefields, each depicting a particular zone or city within the Hearthstone universe. Each battlefield features its own design and numerous interactive elements, but play is in no way affected or determined by battlefield selection. Around the battlefield are various important UI elements, such as each player`s hand, deck and Mana Crystals, as well as the two heroes A hero is a character in the Warcraft universe representing the player. In Hearthstone, this concept is expressed in three interrelated but distinct ways: Heroes are gameplay characters representing players or bosses within a match. hearthstone themselves.

Order of play

At the start of each match, a coin is tossed to decide which player will go first. Each player is then shown 3 random cards from their own deck (4 cards for the player going second) which they can either keep or replace individually. Random cards from the deck will be selected to replace those cards that the player discarded, and the discarded cards are reshuffled back into the deck. The player that goes second also receives a special card on their first turn called " The Coin The Coin Set: Basic Type: Spell Cost: 0 Tags: Mana-related Gain 1 Mana Crystal this turn only.See this card on Hearthpwn data page] The Coin is a special uncollectible spell card granted at the start hearthstone " that can be used at any time to grant the player one extra full Mana Crystal Mana is the resource used in Hearthstone to play cards and use Hero Powers, each of which has a mana cost that must be paid to use it. The supply of mana is represented by hearthstone until the end of the turn it is played on. For more details on the card selection stage, see Mulligan The mulligan stage The mulligan or card selection stage occurs at the very start of each match. Each player is shown their randomly selected starting hand, and given the option to redraw as many of hearthstone .

At the start of each turn Hearthstone takes place in turns. Each turn gives a player the opportunity to act. At the end of each turn, play is passed back to the other player. A round describes one turn for each , all of the player`s Mana Crystals are refilled and one card is drawn from their deck and added to their hand. Players can have a maximum of 10 Mana Crystals, and every turn, if the player has less than 10 at the start of the turn, they will receive a new filled one. Players can also only have up to 10 cards maximum in their hand; attempting to draw a card with a full hand will cause this new card to be revealed to both players and be immediately destroyed.

During your turn you can play any of your cards, including summoning minions Bloodfen Raptor, a simple minion card. A Beast-type minion, it has 3 Attack, 2 Health and a mana cost of 2. Minions are persistent creatures on the battlefield that will fight for their hero. Minion hearthstone , casting spells Fireball, a simple mage spell. It costs 4 mana, dealing 6 damage to a chosen target. Spell cards are cards that can be played to trigger a one time effect or ability, described in the hearthstone and equipping weapons Garrosh Hellscream ready to attack using an equipped Fiery War Axe For the equip ability, see Equip Weapons are special cards which can be equipped by heroes. Each weapon has an Attack value and a hearthstone , provided you have enough mana. Playing a card will consume the amount of mana stated in the top-left corner of the card. You are also able to command your minions to attack, use your hero A hero is a character in the Warcraft universe representing the player. In Hearthstone, this concept is expressed in three interrelated but distinct ways: Heroes are gameplay characters representing players or bosses within a match. hearthstone `s Hero Power Anduin Wrynn with the basic priest Hero Power Lesser Heal A Hero Power is a special ability displayed to the right of each hero s portrait. Usually Hero Powers can be used once per turn and hearthstone , or even use your hero to attack targets directly if your hero has an Attack value this turn (usually granted by having a weapon equipped). Any cards, your Hero Power, or minions that you are currently able to play or command, are illuminated with a bright green aura.

Players can end their turn by clicking the End Turn button on the right of the battlefield. If a player has taken every action possible that round, a voice will say "Job`s done" and the End Turn button will become illuminated. Each turn lasts a maximum of 75 seconds, plus some non-playable "slush time" at the end to account for animations. When the player reaches around the last 20 seconds of the turn, a fuse will appear across the board and start burning down, depicting the remaining time. If the fuse`s burning animation reaches the right side of the field, the turn will automatically end for the current player and it will be the next player`s turn.

If a player takes no actions during their turn and the time limit expires, that player`s next turn will begin with an even faster burning fuse, giving them around 7 seconds to play. Be that as it may, as soon as the player takes any action, the fuse will disappear, and the player`s turn time will be extended to the usual 75 seconds. In combination, these mechanics force players to think quickly, keeping the game moving at a brisk pace, and prevent non-active players from prolonging a game indefinitely.

Running out of cards to draw does not cause the player to lose. Be that as it may, once a player has drawn all of their cards, later attempts to draw an additional card from their empty deck A deck is a collection of exactly 30 cards. All cards drawn by the player during a game come from their deck. Each deck is tied to a specific class. Decks can be created and hearthstone will cause them to suffer damage from Fatigue The message displayed upon attempting to draw a card after reaching Fatigue. Fatigue is a game mechanic that deals increasing damage to players who have already drawn all of the cards in their deck, whenever hearthstone . Fatigue initially deals 1 damage to the player, but this amount increases by 1 each time. Players can mouse over their own deck or their opponent`s deck to display how many cards are remaining in each. Players can also mouse over any card or hero power at any time to read its description and view any related enchantments An enchantment, or buff or debuff, is a special effect gained by a minion. Enchantments may be generated by spells, minion texts or abilities such as Battlecries, or other sources, may be temporary or permanent, hearthstone . Mousing over something will highlight it in red on your opponent`s screen, and vice versa. Observant players can use this featureSpecial attraction to make educated guesses about what their opponent plans to do next with their cards, and/or what they might have in their hand.

Conclusion

The match will go on until one of the following goals is achieved:

Conceding

Players often choose to concede or forfeit the match once they realize they cannot avoid defeat, and can do so at any time through the Game Menu The Game Menu as seen during a match against another player The cog-wheel icon. The Game Menu is a menu dialog accessed through the cog-wheel icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen, available at hearthstone , accessed through the cog-wheel icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Conceding can save time spent playing out the final inevitable events of the match, or be used at a far earlier stage in order to avoid wasting time in a match the player feels they cannot win. In some cases, players will concede due to having made a critical error, following which they cannot bring themselves to continue the match.

Cards

One of Hearthstone`s many cards
See more: Card

Players can initially choose from a selection of more than 130 cards Cards are the basic pieces that make up the game of Hearthstone. Each card represents an action that the player can take by playing that card. There are three main types of cards: spell cards, hearthstone , with 1188 cards available in total for players to collect, from a variety of card sets The card set interface Card sets are categories into which collectible cards are divided, reflecting how they can be obtained, and determining whether they are eligible for use in Standard format. Card set does not hearthstone . New cards can be earned in several ways: through increasing the level Each hero s level is displayed on the bottom-left of their portrait. The coloured bar shows their current experience. A video explaining levels in Hearthstone made by the Curse Gamepedia YouTubeTechnology company Channel. A level is a hearthstone of their heroes, winning them as prizes in the Arena A video explaining the Arena in Hearthstone made by the Curse Gamepedia YouTube Channel. The Arena is a game mode where players compete against each other using specially constructed decks to earn substantial rewards. It hearthstone , purchasing them from the store (using either real money or gold, an in-game currency), earning ranks in Ranked play, or from completing single-player adventures. Cards may be gained individually or in packs of 5.

Players can browse their cards in the Collection screen, and create custom decks to play with. The selection of cards for a deck is a substantial part of the strategic play of Hearthstone, with each deck`s 30-card limit forcing players to make tough decisions and focus on their chosen strategy. Players can also disenchant unwanted cards to acquire Arcane Dust, a resource which can be used to craft powerful new cards.

Each card also comes in a golden form. Golden cards offer no gameplay advantage over non-golden cards, but feature special graphics and animations, bringing each card`s art to life. Golden cards serve as prestige items, and are more expensive to craft than other cards.

Game modes

See more: Game modes

Hearthstone offers several different game modes in which to do battle.

Game formats

Game formats window.png

Game formats present two distinct ways to play Hearthstone: Standard, and Wild.

Quests

One of Hearthstone`s many quests.
See more: Quest

Quests are special objectives players can complete to earn gold, and occasionally special cards. Quests feature criteria such as winning games with a certain class, dealing a certain amount of damage to enemy heroes, or casting a certain number of spells. Players are awarded a new daily quest each day, up to a maximum of three current quests. Quests are the main way for players to earn gold.

Matchmaking

See more: Matchmaking

Matches played in Play mode and the Arena A video explaining the Arena in Hearthstone made by the Curse Gamepedia YouTube Channel. The Arena is a game mode where players compete against each other using specially constructed decks to earn substantial rewards. It hearthstone use a matchmaking system to determine pairings. Each player has a matchmaking rating, based upon the player`s history of games played against other players. In Casual Play mode and the Arena, new players are placed in a special pool with other new players for their first few matches, to ease the transition into the game. The matchmaking process aims to ensure that players face opponents of a similar skill level.

Disconnection and reconnection

If a player is disconnected from Battle.net during a game of Hearthstone, the system will give the player 60 seconds to reconnect to the game, in which case they will immediately be returned to the match they were playing. Be that as it may, the game will not be paused during disconnections, meaning that returning players may find their turn has expired or the state of the battle has progressed in their absence. Disconnections during the finding opponent process generally cause the queue to be suspended until both players are connected.

Game Result.jpg

If the player is not able to reconnect to the game in time, the game will be concluded in favour of the remaining player. If both players end up disconnected, the game will end in a tie. Players who are unable to reconnect to the game will be informed of the outcome when they log back in.

Disconnection during matches can result in consequences such as experience A hero is a character in the Warcraft universe representing the player. In Hearthstone, this concept is expressed in three interrelated but distinct ways: Heroes are gameplay characters representing players or bosses within a match. hearthstone , gold and Ranked The 25 numbered ranks in Ranked play. Ranked (also known as Ranked Play) is the serious side of Play mode, with players able to earn special ranks to reflect their prowess in battle this season. hearthstone mode stars failing to display at the end of the match. Be that as it may, although not displayed these are correctly applied, and can be seen in other interface elements such as the Play screen rank indicator and the Quest Log.

Social

Unlike most games, Hearthstone does not have a traditional chat-box. Rather, you can right-click on your character and select specific emotes, such as a verbal taunt, a welcome, well played, or other chat options. Players can also choose to right-click on their opponent to "squelch" them, preventing their emotes from showing. There is also a friends chat function, which allows players on RealID and BattleTag friends lists to talk, regardless of whether they are playing Hearthstone The Hearthstone icon Hearthstone (formerly known as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft 1] 2]) is a free-to-play digital collectible card game from Blizzard Entertainment. It was first announced in a presentation by Rob Pardo at the hearthstone , World of Warcraft, Diablo III or StarCraft II, or simply have the Battle.net launcher open.

Blizzard have stated that their decision to restrict (non-friends list) opponent communication to simple emotes, rather than allowing a full chat function, was in order to reduce potential for harassment, making the game more accessible, and to keep the game flowing at a quicker pace since no one is stopping to type.

Finding opponents

Each player`s friends list also displays the BattleTag of the last person they played against, provided they were not a Real ID or BattleTag friend. This allows players who enjoyed their last matching to add their opponent as a friend for future play, or chat.

In addition, the Players Near Me feature allows players to see other players on the same subnet in their friends list, allowing them to challenge local players to battle. Players who are already on the player`s friends list will not be shown in the Players Near Me section even if they are on the same subnet. The feature is enabled by default, but can be disabled in the Options menu.

Toasts

When a player completes certain actions, such as opening a legendary card, levelling a hero A hero is a character in the Warcraft universe representing the player. In Hearthstone, this concept is expressed in three interrelated but distinct ways: Heroes are gameplay characters representing players or bosses within a match. hearthstone or finishing an arena run, a `toast` will be displayed to all players on their friends list announcing their achievement.

Fireside Gatherings

See more: Fireside Gathering

Fireside Gatherings are real-world gatherings of people to play Hearthstone. They are intended to be an opportunity for Hearthstone players to meet, mingle, and form real-life friendships, as well as enjoying playing the game face-to-face with some new opponents in either casual play or in tournaments.

Gatherings can be of any size, and may feature multiple player pools (such as a "novice pool" and an "expert pool") or even mini-tournaments, but are intended to be open to players of all skill levels. With suggested locations of coffee shops, book stores and college dorms, Fireside Gatherings are mostly intended for users of iPads and laptops, although any computer on the same network could be considered part of the event.

Players are actively encouraged to plan and host their own gatherings. For a list of current events, and resources for hosting gatherings, see Fireside Gathering.

Global Play

See more: Region

Global Play allows players to connect to game servers in regions outside their own, making it easy to play with friends living in other parts of the world.

Hearthstone is divided into four geographical regions: Americas, Europe, Asia, and China. Each player by default uses their Battle.net account home region, but can choose to play Hearthstone in other regions if they wish. Be that as it may, players from the Americas, Europe, and Asia regions are currently unable to select the China region for play, and vice versa.

Players can choose a region to play in through the Battle.net launcher, by selecting an option from the drop-down list above the `Play` button, before launching the game itself. Be that as it may, players` card collections and game progress are unique to each region, and it is not possible to transfer cards to other regions, meaning that players wishing to try a new region will have to start building a new collection from scratch for that region.

In global tournaments, such as the Hearthstone Championship Tour and the Hearthstone Global Games, countries are officially assigned to one of the four regions. Competitors representing that country are assigned to that region, unless otherwise noted.

Hearthstone etiquette

Players can communicate with each other with a range of emotes
See more: Hearthstone etiquette

In an exciting game full of surging battle, the explosive destruction of the enemy, and the jeers and cheers of the audience, it`s hardly surprising that Hearthstone can bring out less than polite behavior in some players. But what exactly comprises correct or incorrect behavior, and who makes the rules? Hearthstone etiquette explains some of the basic sources of contention and debate within the Hearthstone community regarding player etiquette.

Advanced rulebook

See more: Advanced rulebook

While most rules in Hearthstone are fairly easy to ascertain, when several effects, each with their own behaviours, are brought into conflict, things can get a little more complicated. The unofficial Advanced rulebook offers a comprehensive explanation of the game`s underlying processes, complete with examples and video references.

Trivia

  • The "Job`s done" soundbite heard when the player is unable to taken any further actions that turn is taken from Warcraft III. The soundbite is used by the Alliance Peasant unit upon completion of a task such as constructing a building, serving to remind the player to assign the Peasant a new task.