Next ‘Hearthstone’ expansion, ‘Rastakhan’s Rumble,’ is filled with trolls

Blizzard revealed at BlizzCon 2018 that the next Hearthstone expansion is Rastakhan’s Rumble, a troll-themed set that will offer a new single-player adventure and mechanic.

Rastakhan, the king of the Zandalari and the ruler of the great troll empire, has called forth the troll tribes of Azeroth to witness the “knockdown, drag-out, no-holds-barred, rough-and-tumble, beautifically brutal gladiatorial celebration” known as Rastakhan’s Rumble.

The game will offer nine legendary troll champions, one for each hero class of Hearthstone, accompanied by Loa, powerful primal gods worshipped by trolls that will also be represented by legendary cards in the expansion. Revealed cards for the set include Hir’eek, the Bat (one of the troll champions as an 8-cost 1/1 Warlock minion with a Battlecry ability that fills the player’s board with copies of it), and Shirvallah, the Tiger (one of the Loa as a 25-cost 7/5 Paladin minion with Divine Shield, Rush, Lifesteal, and an ability that reduces its cost by 1 for each mana that the player has spent on spells for the match).

The Loa will each also come with a Spirit, which are minions with potent passive powers that come with Stealth for one round. An example is Spirit of the Shark, a 4-cost 0/3 Rogue minion that triggers Battlecries and Combos of the player’s minions twice.

The new expansion also comes with a new mechanic named Overkill, which triggers when a card deals damage in excess of the target’s health. The revealed card demonstrating the keyword is Sul’thraze, a 6-cost 4/4 weapon with an Overkill ability that allows the equipped hero to attack again.

Rastakhan’s Rumble will also introduce Rumble Run, a new solo mode that allows players to select one of three random troll champions, which determines their class for the run. The champion will be on the board at the start of each match, accompanied by a shrine that grants a special boost. Players will be able to add spells and minions to their decks as they progress in Rumble Run, which draws comparisons to the Dungeon Run mode of last year’s Kobolds and Catacombs expansion.

Blizzard is now offering the Rastakhan’s Rumble pre-purchase for $49.99, which includes 50 digital card packs, King Rastakhan himself, represented as a new Shaman hero, and the Ready to Rumble card back. Players may also choose to buy the Challenger’s Bundle for $19.99, which includes 17 digital card packs and the Ready to Rumble card back.

Rastakhan’s Rumble will roll out on December 4 to complete the Year of the Raven expansions, following The Witchwood and The Boomsday Project.