Hearthstone’s latest Great Dark Beyond expansion is all about the Draenei, bringing a host of Draenei-themed minion cards to the table along with a unique starship mechanic that seriously shakes up deckbuilding for each ofHearthstone’s classes. Not content to merely slap together some vanilla minion cards with Draenei artwork, theHearthstoneteam took pains to ensure that the new card set would align thematically with the Draenei race and offer new gameplay approaches with dedicated Draenei decks.
Game Rant spoke withHearthstonesenior game designer Leo Robles Gonzalez and senior VFX artist Luke Mason about the expansion’s new Draenei collection of cards, specifically their placeinHearthstonedeckbuilding. They went into detail about the Draenei minion playstyle that’s strongly tied to the race’s characteristics, along with how opposing players can leverage those characteristics in counterplay.
Draenei Minions In Hearthstone Are About Thinking Ahead
Leo Robles Gonzalez noted that the Draenei playstyle is based on the race’s identity: a hopeful, unified people who are building for a better future after being exiled from their home planet. With that in mind,Hearthstone’s Draenei cards are all about the setup; many Draenei cards have effects that empower the next Draenei card that is played. Because these interactions are predictable and easier to plan, Draenei decks feel distinct from more chaoticminion-focusedHearthstonedecks.
“WithDraenei, it’s very much about sequencing your turns, planning ahead, and making decisions with what you’ve got. I think that’s where the strength really lies.
I thinkDraeneidecks are deceptive. There’s this intrinsic desire, when playing a minion-type deck, to just put them all in your deck, thinking they’re going to synergize, yay! But I think with a lot of theDraeneidecks, it’s not the case. For example,Draenei PriestwithAskara’s Battlecry to summon the nextDraeneiyou play. There are very selectiveDraeneiyou want that to hit, so all the little cheapDraenei—you maybe just don’t run so they don’t get in the way. Those deck-building decisions are really interesting.”
Gonzales pointed out that players may be tempted to fill out a minion-based deck with asmany Draenei charactersas possible, but that’s not necessarily the best approach for Draenei decks. For example, Askara’s battlecry can summon another Dranei, which could be wasted on a cheaper Draenei card if the deck is oversaturated with them. Draenei cards may synergize well, but a properly-planned deck might not needallof them.
Hearthstone’s Draenei Minions' Strength Is Also Their Weakness
On the other hand, Gonzales noted that the Draenei tendency to predictably empowerfuture Draenei cardsalso works in favor of the opponent. Both players are immediately made aware that the next Draenei card to come into play will have certain characteristics, so the opponent can adjust their plans with the same predictability the Draenei player benefits from.
“I think the counterplay aspect is also important. Going back to thatRushexample: If I play that card that says the nextDraeneiI play is going to get Rush, as the opponent, I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s going to happen.’ Do I really want to play these minions that I was going to play this turn, or should I reevaluate and try to do something else?”
This dynamic makes Dranei decks at the table interesting for both players, allowing for classic CCG mind games where a Draenei card is played perhaps to provoke some desired reaction from the opposing player. This new strategic layer brought by Dranei decks along with thenew starship cardsmake The Great Dark Beyond a particularly impactful expansion with plenty of fresh strategies forHearthstoneplayers to consider.
