Yesterday, Hearthstone kicked off the Year of the Raptor with its highly anticipated new set, Into the Emerald Dream. The expansion sees the return of Ysera and her fellow dragons, as well as the ever-present threat of the Old Gods, and tons of new mechanics.
Following the incredibly successful Heroes of Starcraft miniset, Hearthstone returns firmly to the Warcraft universe with Into the Emerald Dream. With 145 cards, two brand-new keywords, and an expanded keyword mechanic, the set ushers in a whole host of new Hearthstone deck archetypes based on dreams and nightmares.
Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, and Shaman get access to Imbue cards, letting them equip a new hero power and upgrade its effect as the game progresses by playing more Imbue cards. Meanwhile, the remaining classes fall on the side of the evil forces looking to corrupt the Emerald Dream, powering up their discover minions with Dark Gifts from beyond the veil.
The Emerald Dream is the Druids’ domain, and they’re being kind enough to let all eleven classes use the Choose One mechanic, so use it wisely to turn the tide of battle. The stand-out day-one decks on the ladder right now are Protoss Imbue Mage, Armor Demon Hunter, and Leech Death Knight, so we recommend giving them a go or cooking up the best deck you can to counter their strategies.
You can also take part in the Dreams and Nightmares event from now until April 15, 2025, by completing daily Dream quests and earning XP to progress on the special rewards track. If you fancy a challenge, try rerolling your Dream quest in exchange for one from the Nightmare – it’s harder to complete but rewards more XP.
Hearthstone remains one of the best mobile card games out there, even after over a decade, and the start of a new year is the perfect time to jump in. Alternatively, there are tons of other great free mobile games to explore if you’re not card-game-inclined.