Patron Warrior has been the undisputed king of Hearthstone since the release of Blackrock Mountain in April. But now the card that made the deck possible has been changed beyond recognition.
Warsong Commander, the card which enabled the Grim Patrons and Frothing Berserkers in the deck to attack on the turn they were played, has been completely changed after a nerf announced earlier today by Blizzard. Now, it grants an attack buff to minions who already have charge.
As news broke, fans and pros alike agreed that this renders the deck essentially neutered and ends its reign as the undisputed strongest deck in the game.
The severity of the nerf has many comparing it to the changes to Starving Buzzard last year, which saw the card move from a must-have to nonexistent.
The exact timing of the balance change is yet to be announced, but it’s likely to go live before the Hearthstone World Championship in just under three weeks—making it an awkward time to be one of the 16 qualified players. The patch is planned for some time next week, the week before the opening games of the World Championship.
Last year, changes to Starving Buzzard and Leeroy Jenkins were made six weeks before the World Championship and were criticized for being too close, making this timing surprising to many.
The strength of Patron has led to a rise in Druid and Handlock over the past months. But with the biggest player taken out of the game who knows what the decks will look like once the change goes live.
