Spells are coming to Hearthstone Battlegrounds to make your matches spicier

You’ve read that right: spells are coming to Hearthstone Battlegrounds — though it’s what the official Hearthstone Twitter account calls a “limited-time mechanic.” Starting tomorrow, your Battlegrounds games are about to become a little spicier, as every four turns, you’ll be able to Discover a Battleground-specific spell, called “prizes.” So you can pick a spell on turn 4, another on turn 8, one more on turn 12, and a final one on turn 16 (if the game is still going by then, of course).

Hearthstone superstar content-creator Kripparrian revealed this feature on a YouTube video where he walks you through the new systems and the strategic possibilities. But of course we’re here to provide you with the “too long; didn’t read watch” version of facts. Here are all the spells that you’ll be able to choose during your Battlegrounds games, starting tomorrow.

Battlegrounds spells you can discover on turn 4

• Big Banana — Give a minion +2/+2.
  • Straightforward buff. Nothing too exciting, but probably strong enough on its own if you have one specific minion that would be good to buff (like a Cave Hydra).
• Pocket Change — Add 2 Gold Coins to your hand.
  •  A “save it for later” kind of prize. If you feel you can survive for a while longer, you might want to keep it for when you hit a higher Tavern Tier. Or you could use it to catch up immediately.
• Might of Stormwind — Give your minions +1/+1.
  • If your board is full of minions and you’re not looking to replace too many of them soon, this might be the pick.
• Gacha Gift — Discover a minion from Tavern Tier 1.
  • Seems a bit weaker than the other options, unless your current Warband is really behind, or you’re fishing for some specific piece (like a Wraith Weaver).
• The Good Stuff — Give minions in Bob’s Tavern +1 Health for the rest of the game.
  • Seems like the most powerful option for the following few turns, but loses value later on, as that one point of health becomes much less important.
• Rocking and Rolling — Your next three Refreshes cost (0).
  • Powerful! Especially if you’re looking for many minions that come from your current Tavern Tier (or your next one).
• New Recruit — Add a minion to Bob’s Tavern for the rest of the game.
  • This might be my favorite pick from this Prize Turn, but if you’re not lucky, it could not amount to much, and it has little immediate impact — the value only comes if you stay alive long to benefit from that extra minion option every turn.

Battlegrounds spells you can discover on turn 8

• On the House — Discover a minion from your current Tavern Tier.
  • An option to consider if you’re planning to buy lots of minions from a specific Tavern Tier, without necessarily upgrading any time soon.
• Gruul Rules — Give a minion “At the end of your turn, gain +2/+2.”
  • Good if you already have a minion that will certainly stay on your Warband for the foreseeable future, like a golden Glyph Guardian or Herald of Flame.
• Evolving Tavern — Replace all minions in Bob’s Tavern with ones of a higher Tavern Tier.
  • Possibly a good pick this if you’re struggling or falling behind. Reset the odds!
• Great Deal — For the rest of the game, reduce the cost of upgrading Bob’s Tavern by (2) at the end of your turn.
  • Probably the best pick if you’ve fallen behind too much, or if you desperately need to reach the upper tiers before other players.
• Time Thief — Discover a minion from your last opponent’s warband.
  • This one depends on how your particular game is going. You might have just faced an opponent that had a key minion you need, for instance.
• Brann’s Blessing — Your Battlecries trigger twice this turn.
  • Didn’t find Brann yet, but really need his amazing power, at least for one turn? Here’s another chance.
• The Unlimited Coin — Gain 1 Gold this turn only. Return this to your hand at the end of turn.
  • Much like New Recruit form Prize Turn 1, this will be good if you can stay alive long enough to benefit from this power several times in that game.
• The Bouncer — Give a minion +5/+5 and Taunt.
  • If you already have something big that you’re not looking to replace, and/or if you need some extra protection for key minions (like Soul Jugglers), consider this.

Battlegrounds spells you can discover on turn 12

• Buy the Holy Light — Give a minion Divine Shield.
  • So that’s what Uther has been telling us all along! Like with Gruul Rules, this is the power to pick if you have a specific minion that has been carrying you to victory.
• Ice Block — Secret: When your hero takes fatal damage, prevent it and become Immune this turn.
  • This Secret is the main reason why The Great Akazamzarak sees some success. It either gives you extra protection, or allows you to take big risks — at least once.
• I’m Still Just a Rat in a Cage — Double a minion’s Attack.
  • Want to double that Hydra’s power? Do it, despite all the rage you may cause in your opponent.
• B.A.N.A.N.A.S. — Fill your hand with Bananas.
  • Bananas are the same as King Mukla’s spell: Give a minion +1/+1. You could spread the joy of buffing minions across multiple ones, I guess. Hmm. Could work on certain situations, but I like the other options better.
• Training Session — Discover a new Hero Power.
  • This is possibly a very good pick if you’ve already spent your Hero Power (such as when playing Reno), and can no longer benefit from it.
• Repeat Customer — Return a friendly non-golden minion to your hand. Give it +2/+2.
  • A very situational spell. Maybe you need to benefit from a powerful Battlecry again. Seems weaker than the rest, though, at least for this stage of the game.
• All That Glitters — Make a random minion in Bob’s Tavern Golden.
  • If you can buy everything else from the Tavern and make sure this hits the minion you want, this could be very good.
• Top Shelf — Discover a minion from Tavern Tier 6.
  • Probably the “I’m out of options” pick. Or if you desperately need to find a specific Tier 6 minion, and want to leave it to fate to help you.

Battlegrounds spells you can discover on turn 16

• Friends and Family Discount — For the rest of the game, minions in Bob’s Tavern costs (sic) (1) less.
  • Despite having the most epic art of all these cards, this is a very powerful effect on its own, which should allow you to snag multiple late-game minions faster than everyone else.
• Open Bar — Your first 5 Refreshes each turn cost (0).
  • And this one should allow you to find the good late-game minions with much less difficulty than everyone else. If you’re missing your final key pieces, this is the pick.
• Raise the Stakes — Make a friendly minion Golden and return it to your hand.
  • If you have a powerful minion that would greatly benefit from becoming golden and/or being re-rolled, pick this. Amalgadon is the obvious one.
• Fresh Tab — Refresh your Gold.
  • A solid option if you have no other specific picks you need, and just want more power, wherever it may come from.
• Argent Braggart — 1/1 Minion with Battlecry: Gain Attack and Health to match the highest in the battlefield.
  • If you’re playing something like Big Demons, you might greatly benefit from repeating your biggest minion.
• Big Winner! — Discover a Darkmoon Prize from each of the previous Prize turns.
  • Possibly the weakest option of this batch, unless you’re truly desperate and can see nothing else to fit your current situation.
• Give A Dog A Bone — Give a friendly minion Divine Shield, Windfury, and +10/+10.
  • If you have something like a Maexxna or a Foe Reaper 4000, this could be extremely powerful.

And there are also some new heroes and minions

A few new Heroes — such as N’Zoth and Y’Shaarj — and minions (the Acolytes and Champions of those Old Gods) are also coming to Battlegrounds. Kripp wasn’t the only content creator who got to share some news: if you want to learn more about those heroes and minions, check out these videos — also officially endorsed by the Hearthstone Twitter account — by Slysssa and Thijs. Or the official blog post with all the info you need, including some balance changes.

All in all, this is a tremendously exciting update to Battlegrounds coming tomorrow. I can’t wait to try these spells — and I hope that, provided that they’re fun enough, Blizzard rethinks just how “time-limited” this addition to the game mode is.