Imagine: a lush expanse of green jungle, rife with crumbling temples, tombs of the ancient, and traps galore. The depths of these surely, anthropologic sights are combed by anxious explorers, only using the finest comapsses and maps to find the elusive Golden Monkey. If you think I’m describing the next Indiana Jones flick, you wouldn’t be terribly off base, as Blizzard has partly based its latest Hearthstone expansion, League of Explorers. In this expansion, heroes explore 4 (instead of the traditional 5) wings of temples runs, in which they face 3 bosses per wing, 9 class challenges, and loot 45 brand new cards. The card aid players in the endeavor to build a Explorer’s deck, which can prove useful in tackling a few of the in game dilemmas during the single player campaign. These card emphasise a deck based on daring moves, bold tenacity, exotic adventure, and at times (most times) plain old luck.
The most exciting aspect of this expansion has to be the all new 45 cards (the most that has been added to the game so far). All centered around the action packed, explorer serial theme, the cards really are more of a luck of the draw, fly by the seat of your pants gameplay. Take for example the three card play of Elise Starseeker. The Map of the Golden Monkey, and The Golden Monkey:
1. Draw Elise Starseeker randomly from your deck of cards, resulting in the ability to shuffle The Map of the Golden Monkey into your deck.
2. Cross your fingers, hold your breath, draw Map of the Golden Monkey, and place The Golden Monkey into your deck.
3. Make a wish on a star, sell your firstborn child, and, against all odds, miraculously procure the Golden Monkey from your deck.
4. Using the Golden Monkey’s Battlecry, you can now replace your hand with Legendary Minions.
Simple, right?
Some of the exciting cards, including the above mentioned Elise Starseeker, Map of the Golden Monkey, and The Golden Monkey, can be seen below.
Hearthstone, League of Explorers, is available for download as of today, 11/12, and is for PC, Mac, phones, and tablets. It can be purchased through Blizzard’s battle.net for $19.99 USD–fedora hat and bullwhip sold separately (please use responsibly).