Hearthstone's next mini-set will pit Sylvanas against Zovaal next week
Maw and Disorder goes live on September 27
The next Hearthstone mini-set has been revealed as Maw and Disorder, a collection of 35 cards featuring the return of Sylvanas, who hasn't been a playable card in Standard since her original incarnation was sent to the Hall of Fame in 2017. This time around the most infamous of the Windrunner sisters "has been brought before the Jailer to answer for her crimes."
The mini-set will include 35 new cards—16 common, 14 rare, one epic, and four legendary—which can be found in Murder at Castle Nathria card packs when Maw and Disorder goes live on September 27. For those who'd rather not go at it piecemeal, the full mini-set (with 66 cards in total: one copy of each legendary card and two copies of all the rest) will also be available for purchase in two editions: A normal edition available in-game for 2,000 Gold or 1,500 Runestones, and an All-Golden version which can be had for $70 or 7,000 Runestones.
Blizzard didn't share too many details on the mini-set, but as far as I can make out, Sylvanas stands accused of perpetrating the crimes stemming from the main Murder at Castle Nathria set. This is apparently a TWIST. Zovaal, (that's the Jailer), will preside over the case.
"Revendreth was shocked when it was revealed that the judge to oversee the Sylvanas Anima Drought Trial was Zovaal himself," an overwrought (and, to be clear, entirely fake) newspaper article claimed. "To those who questioned how one man can be both Judge and Jailer, Zovaal's long history of placing people in their afterlives was brought up.
"However, when Zovaal's long history of fighting warriors and causing chaos in the Shadowlands was brought up, Zovaal glowered and you know what, we shut up. The Judger—er, the Jailer—will answer such questions as, 'What the heck happened here,' and 'Why not put on a shirt dagnab it?'"
Clearly this isn't going to be the most serious trial of the century, but there is history between Zovaal and Sylvanas that goes way beyond Hearthstone: The two were allied for a time and brought chaos to the Shadowlands, until Sylvanas realized that Zovaal's motives were not what he claimed and turned against him.
Speaking of Sylvanas, here's her card. It has the highest Infuse requirement so far at 7, but her effect is strong whether it's been juiced up or not. In terms of flavor, it also plays into what the OG version did. We'll have to see whether it becomes a similarly ubiquitous inclusion.
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When she hits the stand, everyone will know.🧑⚖️Introducing, Sylvanas! pic.twitter.com/oodXoGRNUPSeptember 22, 2022
And here's the Jailer, who hasn't appeared in Hearthstone previously. His effect, which destroys your own deck but renders your remaining minions Immune, is obviously insane and has the potential to end plenty of games. There is counterplay though. A judicious Whirlpool or Twisting Nether will still be able to remove the entire board, despite the Immune tag.
Prepare to enter the courtroom of Judge Zovaal. The suspects are real, the anima is missing, their soul's fate is final. pic.twitter.com/yC9va2eLMwSeptember 22, 2022
Ahead of the launch of Maw and Disorder (on September 27, remember), cards from the set will continue to be revealed on the Hearthstone Twitter account.
Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.