Card set

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The card set interface

Card sets are the major categories into which all collectible cards are divided into. Card sets reflect how collectible cards can be obtained, and they also determine whether collectible cards can be used in Standard format.

In Standard format, only the card sets from the first two Standard years are allowed for building decks. A card set rotation occurs every year at the beginning of April in which the card sets from the oldest Standard year are removed from Standard play. In Wild format, however, all card sets can be played. In Twist format, any card set may be able to be used, provided that it's part of the available sets in the current rotation.

List[edit | edit source]

As of Patch 31.4.0.214839, there are 40 card sets, 8 in Standard format and 32 in Wild format.

Card sets
FormatCard setRelease dateTypeYearCollectibleBy rarity
Standard
The Great Dark Beyond - SVG logo.svg
The Great Dark Beyond
November 5, 2024ExpansionPegasus19477 Common/58 Rare/28 Epic/31 Legendary
Standard
Perils in Paradise - SVG logo.svg
Perils in Paradise
July 23, 2024ExpansionPegasus18369 Common/55 Rare/28 Epic/31 Legendary
Standard
Whizbang's Workshop - SVG logo.svg
Whizbang's Workshop
March 19, 2024ExpansionPegasus18369 Common/55 Rare/28 Epic/31 Legendary
Standard
Event - SVG logo.svg
Event
February 13, 2024Card setPegasus150 Common/11 Rare/1 Epic/3 Legendary
Standard
Showdown in the Badlands - SVG logo.svg
Showdown in the Badlands
November 14, 2023ExpansionWolf18370 Common/54 Rare/28 Epic/31 Legendary
Standard
TITANS - SVG logo.svg
TITANS
August 1, 2023ExpansionWolf18369 Common/55 Rare/28 Epic/31 Legendary
Standard
Festival of Legends - SVG logo.svg
Festival of Legends
April 11, 2023ExpansionWolf18369 Common/55 Rare/28 Epic/31 Legendary
Standard
Year of the Pegasus - SVG logo.svg
Core
March 30, 2021Card set291144 Common/64 Rare/42 Epic/41 Legendary
Wild
Caverns of Time - SVG logo.svg
Caverns of Time
August 31, 2023Card set14754 Common/45 Rare/23 Epic/25 Legendary
Wild
March of the Lich King - SVG logo.svg
March of the Lich King
December 6, 2022ExpansionHydra18369 Common/55 Rare/28 Epic/31 Legendary
Wild
Path of Arthas - SVG logo.svg
Path of Arthas
December 6, 2022Card setHydra2612 Common/8 Rare/3 Epic/3 Legendary
Wild
Murder at Castle Nathria - SVG logo.svg
Murder at Castle Nathria
August 2, 2022ExpansionHydra17066 Common/49 Rare/26 Epic/29 Legendary
Wild
Voyage to the Sunken City - SVG logo.svg
Voyage to the Sunken City
April 12, 2022ExpansionHydra17066 Common/49 Rare/26 Epic/29 Legendary
Wild
Fractured in Alterac Valley - SVG logo.svg
Fractured in Alterac Valley
December 7, 2021ExpansionGryphon17066 Common/49 Rare/26 Epic/29 Legendary
Wild
United in Stormwind - SVG logo.svg
United in Stormwind
August 3, 2021ExpansionGryphon17066 Common/49 Rare/26 Epic/29 Legendary
Wild
Hall of Fame - SVG logo.svg
Legacy
March 30, 2021Card set20518 Common/20 Rare/9 Epic/15 Legendary
Wild
Forged in the Barrens - SVG logo.svg
Forged in the Barrens
March 30, 2021ExpansionGryphon17066 Common/49 Rare/26 Epic/29 Legendary
Wild
Madness at the Darkmoon Faire - SVG logo.svg
Madness at the Darkmoon Faire
November 17, 2020ExpansionPhoenix17070 Common/46 Rare/25 Epic/29 Legendary
Wild
Scholomance Academy - SVG logo.svg
Scholomance Academy
August 6, 2020ExpansionPhoenix13552 Common/35 Rare/23 Epic/25 Legendary
Wild
Demon Hunter Initiate - SVG logo.svg
Demon Hunter Initiate
April 7, 2020Card setDragon208 Common/6 Rare/4 Epic/2 Legendary
Wild
Ashes of Outland - SVG logo.svg
Ashes of Outland
April 7, 2020ExpansionPhoenix13552 Common/35 Rare/23 Epic/25 Legendary
Wild
Galakrond's Awakening - SVG logo.svg
Galakrond's Awakening
January 21, 2020AdventureDragon3515 Common/12 Rare/4 Epic/4 Legendary
Wild
Descent of Dragons - SVG logo.svg
Descent of Dragons
December 10, 2019ExpansionDragon14049 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/28 Legendary
Wild
Saviors of Uldum - SVG logo.svg
Saviors of Uldum
August 6, 2019ExpansionDragon13549 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/23 Legendary
Wild
Rise of Shadows - SVG logo.svg
Rise of Shadows
April 9, 2019ExpansionDragon13649 Common/37 Rare/26 Epic/24 Legendary
Wild
Rastakhan's Rumble - SVG logo.svg
Rastakhan's Rumble
December 4, 2018ExpansionRaven13549 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/23 Legendary
Wild
The Boomsday Project - SVG logo.svg
The Boomsday Project
August 7, 2018ExpansionRaven13649 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/24 Legendary
Wild
The Witchwood - SVG logo.svg
The Witchwood
April 12, 2018ExpansionRaven13549 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/23 Legendary
Wild
Kobolds and Catacombs - SVG logo.svg
Kobolds & Catacombs
December 7, 2017ExpansionMammoth13549 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/23 Legendary
Wild
Knights of the Frozen Throne - SVG logo.svg
Knights of the Frozen Throne
August 10, 2017ExpansionMammoth13549 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/23 Legendary
Wild
Journey to Un'Goro - SVG logo.svg
Journey to Un'Goro
April 6, 2017ExpansionMammoth13549 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/23 Legendary
Wild
Mean Streets of Gadgetzan - SVG logo.svg
Mean Streets of Gadgetzan
December 1, 2016ExpansionKraken13249 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/20 Legendary
Wild
One Night in Karazhan - SVG logo.svg
One Night in Karazhan
August 11, 2016AdventureKraken4527 Common/12 Rare/1 Epic/5 Legendary
Wild
Whispers of the Old Gods - SVG logo.svg
Whispers of the Old Gods
April 26, 2016ExpansionKraken13450 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/21 Legendary
Wild
League of Explorers - SVG logo.svg
The League of Explorers
November 12, 2015Adventure4525 Common/13 Rare/2 Epic/5 Legendary
Wild
The Grand Tournament - SVG logo.svg
The Grand Tournament
August 24, 2015Expansion13249 Common/36 Rare/27 Epic/20 Legendary
Wild
Blackrock Mountain - SVG logo.svg
Blackrock Mountain
April 2, 2015Adventure3115 Common/11 Rare/0 Epic/5 Legendary
Wild
Goblins vs Gnomes - SVG logo.svg
Goblins vs Gnomes
December 8, 2014Expansion12340 Common/37 Rare/26 Epic/20 Legendary
Wild
Curse of Naxxramas - SVG logo.svg
Curse of Naxxramas
July 22, 2014Adventure3018 Common/4 Rare/2 Epic/6 Legendary
Wild
Hall of Fame - SVG logo.svg
Legacy
March 14, 2014Card set24594 Common/81 Rare/37 Epic/33 Legendary
Notes
  • Some collectible cards are uncraftable and only obtainable through special ways. For more information, see individual cards in Uncraftable#Uncraftable cards.
  • Mini-set cards are included in the "Collectible" section for each expansion.
  • LEGACY and EXPERT1 are the in-game names of two separate sets that are merged into one set, called "Legacy", in the Collection manager. EXPERT1 used to be the Classic set prior to March 30, 2021.

Release calendar[edit | edit source]

The following table shows the calendar release schedule for all card sets. The highlighted sets are in Standard format.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2014 Naxx* GvG
2015 BRM* TGT LoE*
2016 OG Kara* MSG
2017 UNG KFT K&C
2018 TWW BP RR
2019 RoS SoU DoD
2020 GA* AoO
DHI%
SA DMF
2021 DR# FitB
Core%
WC# UiS DM# FAV
2022 OL# VSC ToT# MCN M&D# MLK
PoA%
2023 RtN# FoL Aud# TTN
CoT%
FoU# SitB
2024 DiD# Eve% WW DBII# PiP TTA# GDB
2025 SC#

* Adventure

# Mini-set

% Special card set

Events[edit | edit source]

First years[edit | edit source]

  • Closed beta began on August 26th 2013 in the Americas region, and September 4th 2013 in the Europe region.
  • On January 21st 2014, the game entered its open beta phase.
  • March 11th 2014 was the official release date of Hearthstone.
  • From December 4-8, Goblins vs Gnomes was heralded with a special launch event which saw all Goblins vs Gnomes cards available in Arena, as well as some uncollectible cards available in constructed play.[1][2]

Year of the Mammoth[edit | edit source]

  • On April 4, 2017, near the start of the Year of the Mammoth, all cards in the Reward and Promo sets were moved to the Hall of Fame, effectively closing both sets.
  • On April 5, 2017, several days before the release of Journey to Un'Goro,  Volcanosaur was released into the game during a special launch event for the new Year of the Mammoth.[3]

Year of the Raven[edit | edit source]

  • The Boomsday Project was heralded with a special pre-release event on August 4-5 in which players could open their packs in special Fireside Gatherings and play with their cards in unique Fireside Brawls before the expansion's official release.[4]
  • On November 5, 2018, four new cards were added to the Classic set:  Tome of Intellect,  Pilfer,  Call of the Void, and  Icicle.
  • From November 10 to December 3, 2019, Rastakhan's Rumble was heralded with a special pre-release event in which players could open their packs early and play with them in special Fireside Brawls.[5]

Year of the Dragon[edit | edit source]

  • Starting from April 4, 2019, five days before the release of Rise of Shadows, players who logged in received the free legendary card  Archmage Vargoth and were able to play with it in normal games.
  • On July 1, 2019, eight new cards were added to the Classic set:  Siegebreaker,  Gift of the Wild,  Righteousness,  Brightwing,  High Inquisitor Whitemane,  Barrens Stablehand,  SI:7 Infiltrator, and  Arcane Devourer. Furthermore, two new cards were added to the Basic set,  Radiance and  Plaguebringer, replacing the old cards  Mind Blast and  Vanish, which were moved to the Hall of Fame in the same update.[6]
  • Saviors of Uldum was heralded by a week-long livestreams event in which broadcasters and content creators had early access to the new cards.[7] Fireside Brawl participants also had special early access to the cards.[8]
  • On October 8, 2019, in the Doom in the Tomb event, 23 cards from old sets were added as Event cards to Standard play. These cards were temporary copies and not permanent additions to a player's collection. Even if a player already owned some of these cards, they still received copies of the Event cards. When the event ended on December 5, the cards disappeared from a player's collection. In total, there were 4 common, 4 rare, 6 epic, and 9 legendary cards temporarily added for this event.[9]
  • On November 5, 2019,  Sathrovarr was released into the game, a month prior to the official release of Descent of Dragons. Sathrovarr was most likely introduced into the game as a possible inclusion in Holy Wrath Paladin decks at the time with  Shirvallah, the Tiger.

Year of the Phoenix[edit | edit source]

Year of the Gryphon[edit | edit source]

  • On February 19, 2021,  Shadow Hunter Vol'jin was released into the game, around five weeks prior to the official release of Forged in the Barrens.
  • On March 30, 2021, the Core was released into the game, becoming the new base card set for Hearthstone. At the same time, the Basic, Classic, and Hall of Fame sets were removed.
  • On July 1, 2021,  Flightmaster Dungar was released into the game, around five weeks prior to the official release of United in Stormwind.
  • On November 16, 2021,  Drek'Thar and  Vanndar Stormpike were released into the game, three weeks prior to the official release of Fractured in Alterac Valley. Players could choose one between Horde and Alliance to add one of these minions to their collection, depending on their choice.

Year of the Hydra[edit | edit source]

  • On March 17, 2022,  Blademaster Okani was released into the game, around four weeks prior to the official release of Voyage to the Sunken City.
  • On April 12, 2022, the Core set was refreshed for the first time since its introduction, increasing the size of the set by 15 cards.
  • On June 27, 2022,  Prince Renathal was released into the game, around five weeks prior to the official release of Murder at Castle Nathria.
  • On November 1, 2022,  The Sunwell was released into the game, five weeks prior to the official release of March of the Lich King.
  • On December 6, 2022, the Death Knight Prologue was released, and players completing the mission unlocked the Core set for death knight.
    • A new special set, Path of Arthas, was also released at this date, containing 26 death knight cards.
    • Additionally, the Core set saw the first addition of new cards outside of the regular set rotation.

Year of the Wolf[edit | edit source]

  • On March 14, 2023,  E.T.C., Band Manager was released into the game, four weeks prior to the official release of Festival of Legends.
  • On April 11, 2023, the Core set was refreshed for the second time. 70 cards were both added and removed, keeping the size of the Core set the same.
  • On June 27, 2023,  Prison of Yogg-Saron was released into the game, five weeks prior to the official release of TITANS. Twist format was also released, where all card sets have a chance to be played in a new constructed format.
  • On August 31, 2023, Caverns of Time was released exclusively to Wild and Twist, making it the first ever new set that has been released while not being legal in Standard.
  • On October 17, 2023,  Thunderbringer was released into the game, four weeks prior to the official release of Showdown in the Badlands.

Year of the Pegasus[edit | edit source]

  • On February 13, 2024,  Colifero the Artist was released into the game, five weeks prior to the official release of Whizbang's Workshop.
    • The free Event set, containing 12 cards, was also released into the game to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hearthstone.
  • On March 11, 2024, the Core set was refreshed for the second time. 88 cards were added and 84 were removed, adding four new Warcraft Rumble themed cards.
  • On June 17, 2024,  Marin the Manager was released into the game, five weeks prior to the official release of Perils in Paradise.
  • On October 10, 2024,  Nexus-Prince Shaffar was released into the game, around four weeks prior to the official release of The Great Dark Beyond.
    • A new card,  Avatar of Hearthstone was also added to the Event set, continuing the anniversary celebration.
  • Later in November 12, 2024, another new card was added to the Event set,  Champions of Azeroth.

Categories[edit | edit source]

The main distinction between card sets is whether its cards are usable in Standard format or in Wild format.

Card sets can also be divided into more specific categories:

  • Core cards are the first cards players get in the game, received in the Apprentice Track. Core cards are permanently part of the Standard format.
  • Legacy is a special set that was added when the Core set was introduced. It contains cards from every removed set: Promo and Reward sets, as well as all Classic, Basic and Hall of Fame cards.
  • Expansion cards are cards added through expansions - for example Goblins vs Gnomes, The Grand Tournament and Whispers of the Old Gods. Expansion cards released in the last two calendar years are part of Standard, while earlier cards are in Wild.
    • Mini-set cards are cards that are considered to be part of an existing expansion and can be obtained through that expansion's card packs, but were added later and have a different watermark. Mini-sets are not considered separated card sets.
  • Adventure cards are cards added through adventures, for example Curse of Naxxramas. Similar to expansion cards, they may be in Standard or Wild format based on the calendar year their adventures were released.
  • There are also three special sets that are unique in structure and availability:
    • Demon Hunter Initiate cards are a handful of cards added to the Year of the Dragon to support the new Demon Hunter class added in the Year of the Phoenix.
    • Path of Arthas cards are a handful of cards added to the Year of the Hydra to support the new Death Knight class at the time of its release.
    • Caverns of Time contains existing and new cards. Existing cards can be opened from Caverns of Time packs or the packs/adventures of their original sets, while new cards can only be obtained from Caverns of Time packs.

The sets could alternatively be categorized by the way players obtain their cards.

  • Standard expansion cards can be found through card packs of the corresponding set, crafting, as Arena rewards, or from Ranked rewards.
  • Wild expansion cards are obtained through card packs of the corresponding set or through Wild packs, purchased from the Shop.
  • The availability of Twist expansion cards depends on their format.
  • Craftable Legacy cards can also be opened from Wild packs.
  • Free cards are uncraftable, but can be obtained after completing New player's ranked system.
  • Adventure cards are earned by completing the corresponding adventure, or crafting once that adventure rotates to Wild.

For the purposes of the wiki, further categories can be realized for uncollectible cards:

  • Boss cards are used to categorize cards used by bosses. While not collectible by players, they are encountered during play in Adventures and Tavern Brawls.
  • Tavern Brawl cards are used to categorize cards used exclusively in Tavern Brawl decks. These are not collectible and are not featured outside of Tavern Brawl.
  • Battlegrounds and Duels cards are used to categorize cards used exclusively in Battlegrounds and Duels.

Core[edit | edit source]

Main article: Core

Core is the primary card set of Hearthstone. It was first made available on March 25th, 2021, shortly before Forged in the Barrens launched. It is the largest set in Standard format, usually featuring over 200 cards at any time.

The purpose of the Core is to provide a modern collection of starting cards to players of all types and make Hearthstone even more approachable for newcomers. Some of the Core cards return from previous sets, some are reimagined favorites, some are completely new. Regardless, all Core cards can be obtained for free after finishing the Apprentice Track, while their golden cards can be obtained by winning in Ranked or Arena games.

Unlike Basic and Classic, which were the main card sets of Hearthstone, the Core set is refreshed each year. At the start of every Hearthstone year, a new Core Set will take the place of the previous, comprised of new and existing cards. When that happens, Core cards that are rotating will be swapped with new ones in the player's Collection automatically. The original versions of these cards can still be crafted and disenchanted, but the player will be unable to keep their Core versions.[10][11]

Core cards can be used in Standard and Wild format, as well as Twist format provided the set is in the current available card sets, although you may still only have the normal number of copies of any given card in your deck (two for most rarities, one for legendaries).

Examples

Annoy-o-Tron
Gan'arg Glaivesmith
Taelan Fordring
Dirty Rat
Lord Jaraxxus

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Legacy is a special Wild format card set implemented on March 25th, 2021. It is the largest set in the game, containing 412 cards. Legacy is made of cards from the former Basic, Classic, and Hall of Fame sets.

In the game data, Legacy is technically a representation name of two separate sets, coded as LEGACY and EXPERT1.

The true Legacy set contains these following cards:


Expert1 is a set that contains all cards that were in the Classic set in 2014 at the time of its release, including Classic cards that were put in the Hall of Fame throughout the game's lifespan. Gameplay-wise, Expert1 is represented as Legacy, having the same name as the true Legacy set.

Expansions[edit | edit source]

Main article: Expansion

Card sets based on expansions are the largest sets after Core, usually bringing around 130-180 new collectible cards (when combining with their mini-sets).

Cards from Standard format expansions can be obtained through:

Cards from Wild format expansions were once obtainable the same way, but now can only be obtained through crafting or purchasing card packs.[12] Neither individual cards nor card packs are offered as rewards in the Arena, nor do they feature in the Highest Rank Bonus chest. However card packs for Wild format expansions are available in the shop and any card packs already obtained can still be opened as usual. (See also Wild format#Availability.)

For information on specific expansion sets, see expansion pages, e.g., Whispers of the Old Gods.

Adventures[edit | edit source]

Main article: Adventure

Card sets based on adventures are smaller than expansion sets, usually bringing around 30-45 new collectible cards.

Cards from Standard format adventures can only be obtained through defeating their corresponding adventure wing, which will grant regular copies of the card. Once the player has obtained the regular version, they can then be able to craft and disenchant both the regular and golden versions of that card.

Cards from Wild format adventures can still be obtained through defeating adventure wings, but can now be crafted and disenchanted regardless of whether the corresponding adventure wing was defeated or not.

Mini-sets[edit | edit source]

Main article: Mini-set

Mini-sets are supplemental sets of around 35-38 cards, which continue the theme and mechanics of the previous expansion or year.

Mini-set cards can be obtained from their parent expansion's card packs, or through a bundle which includes all cards from the set. For the purpose of Achievements and progression, mini-set cards are considered part of their parent expansion, although they feature a slightly different watermark behind the card text to differentiate them.

As of Patch 31.4.0.214839, there are currently 13 mini-sets in Hearthstone.

Mini-set statistics
Format Mini-set Card set Release date Year Collectible By rarity
StandardHeroes of StarCraftThe Great Dark Beyond - SVG logo.svgThe Great Dark BeyondJanuary 21, 2025Pegasus4924 Common/20 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
StandardThe Traveling Travel AgencyPerils in Paradise - SVG logo.svgPerils in ParadiseSeptember 10, 2024Pegasus3816 Common/17 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
StandardDr. Boom's Incredible InventionsWhizbang's Workshop - SVG logo.svgWhizbang's WorkshopMay 14, 2024Pegasus3816 Common/17 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
StandardDelve into DeepholmShowdown in the Badlands - SVG logo.svgShowdown in the BadlandsJanuary 18, 2024Wolf3817 Common/16 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
StandardFall of UlduarTITANS - SVG logo.svgTITANSSeptember 19, 2023Wolf3816 Common/17 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
StandardAudiopocalypseFestival of Legends - SVG logo.svgFestival of LegendsMay 31, 2023Wolf3816 Common/17 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
WildReturn to NaxxramasMarch of the Lich King - SVG logo.svgMarch of the Lich KingFebruary 14, 2023Hydra3816 Common/17 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
WildMaw and DisorderMurder at Castle Nathria - SVG logo.svgMurder at Castle NathriaSeptember 27, 2022Hydra3516 Common/14 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
WildThrone of the TidesVoyage to the Sunken City - SVG logo.svgVoyage to the Sunken CityJune 1, 2022Hydra3516 Common/14 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
WildOnyxia's LairFractured in Alterac Valley - SVG logo.svgFractured in Alterac ValleyFebruary 15, 2022Gryphon3516 Common/14 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
WildDeadminesUnited in Stormwind - SVG logo.svgUnited in StormwindNovember 2, 2021Gryphon3516 Common/14 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
WildWailing CavernsForged in the Barrens - SVG logo.svgForged in the BarrensJune 3, 2021Gryphon3516 Common/14 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary
WildDarkmoon RacesMadness at the Darkmoon Faire - SVG logo.svgMadness at the Darkmoon FaireJanuary 21, 2021Phoenix3516 Common/14 Rare/1 Epic/4 Legendary

Removed sets[edit | edit source]

Reward[edit | edit source]

Reward cards were moved to the Hall of Fame set on April 4, 2017 with the start of the Year of the Mammoth, effectively closing the Reward set. Reward cards were formerly two cards,  Old Murk-Eye and  Captain's Parrot, both of which were originally earned through completing certain unique quests.

  • Old Murk-Eye was rewarded for free upon collecting at least one of every Murloc in the Basic and Classic sets. Golden Old Murk-Eye was rewarded for free upon collecting at least one of every golden version of those cards.
  • Captain's Parrot was rewarded for free upon collecting at least one of every Pirate in the Basic and Classic sets. Golden Captain's Parrot was rewarded for free upon collecting at least one of every golden version of those cards.

The associated quests were initially removed in Patch 5.0.0.12574, but were reinstated as achievements in Patch 19.0.0.65614 when achievements were officially added to the game. They are also obtained through regular crafting, like most Wild format cards. For a list of associated removed quests, see Quest#Removed.

Promo[edit | edit source]

Promo or Promotion cards were moved to the Hall of Fame set on April 4, 2017 with the start of the Year of the Mammoth, effectively closing the Promo set. Promo cards were special cards awarded as part of specific Blizzard promotions. The Promo set featured 11 cards, only 2 of which were collectible, namely  Gelbin Mekkatorque and  Elite Tauren Chieftain.

Golden Promo cards were formerly available to be obtained as part of their corresponding promotions; it is no longer possible to obtain these golden cards. Following their promotion periods, regular versions of these cards were uncraftable, but were later made available for crafting. Golden Promo cards cannot be disenchanted, but regular versions can. For the removed promotional quests that offered golden Promo cards, see Quest#No longer attainable.

Promo cards were created with a design in mind that they offered no substantial advantage to the owner, since the cards were exclusive and of limited availability. Rather, the cards were designed to bring more of an entertainment and RNG aspect into the game. This prevented Promo cards from becoming "must-have" cards for higher-level play.

Promo cards were notable for being the only card set not available in Arena picks.[13][14]

Basic[edit | edit source]

Main article: Basic

Basic was a large, freely available card set, with 150 cards, 133 of which were collectible. Many Basic cards were neutral, available to heroes of any class. There were also 10 Basic cards exclusive to each class.  The Coin is also considered part of the Basic set. Because of the nature of the game system, Hero Powers and even heroes themselves are also categorized as Basic cards, but are not counted in this total.

All Basic cards were of free rarity, except for a few uncollectible cards that are common or have no rarity. All free cards are in the Basic set. "Basic cards" and "free cards" are therefore almost, but not exactly, synonymous. All Basic cards lacked the gem that normally indicates card rarity.

All neutral Basic cards were automatically included in players' collections. Five of the class-specific Basic cards were given to heroes as soon as they are unlocked; the other five are gained by advancing those classes in level. A new Basic card is granted for every two levels reached, up to level 10 in each class. All Basic cards are granted in pairs, enabling players to immediately include two of them in their deck if they so desire. Basic cards are uncraftable and therefore cannot be crafted or disenchanted.

A golden version of each Basic card could be obtained by leveling a specific class of hero to a certain level. Raising a hero of the correct class to the required level would 'unlock' the card, granting the player one copy of the golden version of that card. (The second golden copy of the same card is unlocked at a later level). Like the plain versions, golden versions cannot be crafted or disenchanted. While all class-specific golden Basic cards require a hero of the corresponding class to unlock, the required class for neutral cards varies.

The developers considered it important to keep cards from the Basic set relatively simple and their functions easy to understand.[15][16] This allows newer players to get to grips with the game's mechanics before being forced to grasp the subtleties of cards in the other sets. In at least one case this has caused the developers to significantly change the function of a card in development, due to new players finding the function's subtleties too confusing.[17]

The common rarity originally applied to approximately half of collectible Basic cards, identifying class cards that had to be unlocked by leveling up, and neutral cards that were not available until after the tutorial (with one exception,  Goldshire Footman). However, the Year of the Mammoth changed these to be uniformly free. Among uncollectible Basic cards, common rarity still indicates tokens created by other cards, free rarity is used on cards created by Hero Powers, and  The Coin and  Excess Mana have no rarity at all.

In the Year of the Gryphon, the Basic set was removed from the game, and its cards were moved to the Wild-restricted Legacy set.

Classic[edit | edit source]

Main article: Classic (2014-2021)

Classic (formerly known as Expert) was the largest card set, with 294 cards, 240 of which were collectible. It featured 135 collectible class cards (15 for each class) and 105 collectible neutral cards. Classic cards could be recognized by the distinctive "Hearthstone swirl" behind the card text, not found on other cards.

As the larger and more advanced of the two "permanent" sets included in Standard format, Classic cards frequently featured as core cards in successful decks, and the developers constantly monitor the set's power to ensure it does not form too large a proportion of decklists, thus causing the meta to become excessively stale. As of early 2017 the Classic set is "the most powerful set by a wide margin".[18]

Classic cards could be common, rare, epic or legendary.

In the Year of the Gryphon, the Classic set was renamed to Legacy. Most of its cards were moved to the Wild-restricted Legacy/Expert1 set.

Hall of Fame[edit | edit source]

Main article: Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame was a special Wild format card set, created on April 4, 2017 just before the start of the Year of the Mammoth. The set contained several collectible cards.

Cards were inducted into the Hall of Fame from the Classic, Reward, and Promo sets. Problematic, frequently-played, and design-hindering cards were moved to the Hall of Fame to remove them from Standard format. Cards were also moved to the Hall of Fame to eliminate the Reward and Promo sets. The developers state that, in the future, they will more likely move problematic Classic cards to the Hall of Fame, whereas problematic cards from other sets will be nerfed instead.[19]

According to Yong Woo, if a metagame largely consists of decks with too similar cores and ideas, the development team will consider making changes to problematic cards found in such decks. Moving problematic cards into the Hall of Fame is one way in which a fresh meta can be ensured; however, it is not something that the designers plan to do on a regular basis.[20]

Being Wild format cards, Hall of Fame cards could only be obtained through crafting.[21] When cards were moved to the Hall of Fame set, they would be removed from their previous sets, and would no longer appear in card packs or be offered as rewards in the Arena, Highest Rank Bonus chest, or Heroic Brawliseum.[22]

In the Year of the Gryphon, the Hall of Fame set was removed from the game, and its cards were moved to the Wild-restricted Legacy set or returned to their home set in the case of the cards from The Witchwood.

Wild Event[edit | edit source]

Main article: Wild Event

Wild Event was a promotional card set that existed from October 8th, 2019 until December 5th, 2019. It consisted of 23 collectible cards, 5 neutral and two for each class. Wild Event cards were extra copies of notable Wild format cards given to each player for free, and were usable in Standard format. These cards could not be crafted or disenchanted, and had no Golden versions.

All Wild Event cards were removed from the game at the end of the event.

Related cards[edit | edit source]

These cards have effects related to a card's set.



Swipe left or right to see the cards.
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Patch changes[edit | edit source]

See also: Patches

References[edit | edit source]

 
  1. I got a new hunter legend from web spinner : constructed! (Hearthpwn.com forums). (2014-12-04). 
  2. Zeriyah on Twitter (X). (2014-12-04). 
  3. Daxxarri (2017-03-27). A Mammoth Celebration!. Retrieved on 2020-08-12.
  4. Blizzard Entertainment (July 17, 2018). THE BOOMSDAY PROJECT PRE-RELEASE PARTIES ARE COMING!. Retrieved on 2018-08-07.
  5. Blizzard Entertainment (November 8, 2018). Pre-Release Is Back for Rastakhan’s Rumble—And Rowdier Than Ever!. Retrieved on 2018-12-05.
  6. Blizzard Entertainment (July 1, 2019). Hearthstone Update – July 1 – Preparing for Saviors of Uldum!. Retrieved on 2019-07-06.
  7. Blizzard Entertainment (July 29, 2019). Saviors of Uldum Livestream Events!. Retrieved on 2019-08-08.
  8. Blizzard Entertainment (July 17, 2019). The League of Explorers Needs You to Join a Pre-Release Event!. Retrieved on 2019-08-08.
  9. Blizzard Entertainment (October 4, 2019). Can you survive… the Doom in the Tomb!?. Retrieved on 2019-10-05.
  10. Blizzard Entertainment (2021-02-09). Introducing the Core Set and Classic Format
  11. Celestalon on Twitter (X). (2021-02-09). 
  12. Jaeic "Koth" Lee (2017-02-24). Q&A with Yong Woo (transcribed from Korean Twitch stream) - InvenGlobal
  13. Ben Brode on Twitter (X). (2014-07-22). 
  14. Ben Brode on Twitter (X). (2015-01-25). 
  15. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-14). 
  16. Ben Brode on Twitter (X). (2016-01-13). 
  17. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12). 
  18. Ben Brode on Twitter (X). (2017-02-18). 
  19. Developer Insights Live - Year of the Mammoth Q&A. (2017-02-21). 
  20. Dev interview with Producer Yong Woo about the Mammoth-sized changes in Hearthstone. (2017-02-17). Retrieved on 2017-04-04.
  21. Ben Brode on Twitter (X). (2017-02-16). 
  22. Ben Brode on Twitter (X). (2017-02-16). 

External links[edit | edit source]