Murder at Castle Nathria - New Hearthstone Expansion - Cards, Reveals, Release Date, New Mechanics, and More!
By Stonekeep -
Click here to skip the guide and quickly jump to revealed cards!
The Shadowlands is normally where souls go after they die, so when someone dies in the Shadowlands, that’s a special kind of mystery. Sire Denathrius invited 10 of his counterparts and enemies to Castle Nathria for a dinner party so that he could address the malicious rumors that he is hoarding anima, the life-energy that is drained from tortured souls and used to power the Shadowlands. But just after the festivities started, Sire Denathrius was found dead! It seems a gaggle of enemies does not a good dinner party make. Now the illustrious Murloc Holmes, and his trusty sidekick Watfin, have been called to solve the case. Scour new Location cards, follow the trail of Infused minions, question the 10 Legendary suspects, and help determine who committed Murder at Castle Nathria!
General Information
- Release Date - August 2, 2022
- 135 New Cards - Card Reveal Schedule Here!
- New Card Type - Locations
- New Keyword/Mechanic - Infuse
- Two Pre-Purchase Tiers - $49.99 and $79.99
Cinematic Trailer
Announcement Video
New Card Type - Locations
Locations is a completely new card type introduced in Murder at Castle Nathria expansion. It's the first new card type ever since Hero cards back in Knights of the Frozen Throne.
When playing a location card, you need to pay its initial cost and it lands on the board, where you can use it immediately. Each Location card has a limited number of uses equal to its Durability counter - after using all of them, it disappears from the board. Until it's gone, it takes the minion slot, but it can't be damaged or destroyed through regular means (like damage or "destroy" effects) unless the card specifically says so.
There's a one-turn cooldown between two uses of the same Location. For example, if you play it and use it on Turn 1, you can't use it again on Turn 2, but it will be usable on Turn 3.
Locations are Hearthstone's take on "board" or "ongoing effect" cards. They already experimented a bit with those through Objective cards in Alterac Valley, but unlike those, Locations can be used on-demand. You control when you need the effect instead of it triggering every single turn. They're quite interesting overall and should add an extra layer of strategy to the game.
New Keyword/Mechanic - Infuse
Infuse is this expansion's new keyword/mechanic. Thematically, it's based on Warcraft's "anima", the essence of souls that get to Shadowlands - it's a very precious resource in the lore and it acts as the lifeblood of the afterlife world. In Revendreth, where Castle Narthia is located, anima is used for sustenance, currency, and as a power source.
As for how it works in Hearthstone - Infuse (X) means that in order for the effect to trigger, X friendly minions need to die while you're holding the card in your hand. For example, Infuse (2) means that the card will get upgraded after two friendly minions die.
Infuse can be a healthy mechanic for the game, as it promotes board shenanigans. In order to trigger Infuse cards, you need to play minions, so they will be much less useful in so-called "solitaire" decks that try to play their own game without developing the board.
Pre-Purchase
Once again, we'll have two different pre-order bundles. You can get the bundles here. Here's what they include and how much they cost:
Murder at Castle Nathria Pre-Purchase Bundle ($49.99)
- 60 Murder at Castle Nathria Card Packs
- Two Random Legendary cards from Murder at Castle Nathria
- Denathrius Card Back
Murder at Castle Nathria Mega Bundle ($79.99)
- 80 Murder at Castle Nathria Card Packs
- 5 Golden Murder at Castle Nathria Card Packs
- 10 Mercenaries Card Packs
- Two Random Golden Legendaries from Murder at Castle Nathria
- Sire Denathrius Warrior Cosmetic Hero
- Denathrius Card Back
- Battlegrounds Board - Sandy Shores
Pre-purchases should be available all the way until expansion's release, but it's always safer to purchase them a day earlier (August 1 in this case).
Most Recently Revealed Cards from Murder at Castle Nathria
Murder at Castle Nathria Revealed Card List
If you're looking for cards from a specific class, click on it below:
Demon Hunter - Druid - Hunter - Mage - Paladin - Priest - Rogue - Shaman - Warlock - Warrior - Neutral
Demon Hunter
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Neutral
Legendaries
Epics
Rares
Commons
Key Art
Game Board
29 Comments
ronscha
What about the Battleground perks in the big bundle. I somehow miss to read that at the offer in shop. Is it included or not? ????
Stonekeep
There are no BG perks in the pre-order this time.
EvilSun
https://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/cards/sire-denathrius/
Will probably be OP..
tailsfromvienna
While infuse promotes the use of minions and combat, I hope it won't be too easy to just play creatures and kill them immediately (thinking of Risky Skipper and Wild Pyromancer) and this making them solitaire cards again.
As for the locations: They cannot be destroyed or otherwise deactivated by the opponent, so I fear they will make the game less interactive. But we will see.
Stonekeep
We would need some really broken Infuse effects to build a deck around killing your own minions to trigger them :D But it's a possibility.
As for interactivity of locations, I'd wait and see what kind of location interactions we get in this set, because we'll surely get some. And, of course, what kind of location effects we get, because the ones we have right now are more like a small bonus than something that needs to be taken care of.
BethLynn
Based on the key art, my predictions for the portrayed legendaries are: Mikanikos for Paladin, with mech interplay through Bron. We know Vashj is Shaman. Hot Draka for Demon Hunter (already have Warrior, she's a fighter who's agile and has fought Demons, therefore Demon Hunter). fdjkghdfsigsfdhg for Druid. We know Olgra is Warrior. Kel'Thuzad for Mage. Rafaam for Warlock (both this and Kel'Thuzad in line with past portrayals). Artificer Xy'mox is Rogue. Pelagos is Priest. Nifty fellow who I legit have no clue who he is Hunter I guess? The last one is by far my least confident but I'm assuming each class has a legendary shown on the key art.
Solojazz
Thanks for always posting high quality expansion art. Always look forward to updating my desktop wallpaper when the new expansion is announced,
Syrinx-
Welcome to the new meta for the next two years, where every deck is now 40 cards. You would be foolish not to play it, since you will be disadvantaged with everyone else playing it. So many long games ahead of us.
Chi.Spurger
I am not so sure. You will basically be diluting your deck with 10 cards that are less optimal for 10 health. 25% chance of a "bad" draw for 10 health will not always be a good choice
Vincent
I thought the same, but Renathal druid seems to do well. Guff is even better now.
Chi.Spurger
Some 40 card decks will be good. But certainly not all.
DanzTheDeadly
Or you will be adding 10 strong cards to your deck.
OokamiCZ
So... we're getting less for Big Pre-order this time around since Perks aren't included, right...
Is there any official statement from Blizz? I assume it's going to be something like "We want to improve player experience, so we're separating those"...
Goodboy
Wasn't expecting mage to become a resurrection class yet here we are.
Nightfall
I weep for all the warlock players such as myself because we're last to get even a single card revealed for our class yet it's probably going to suck or be a niche that works for maybe 1 expansion cycle... *sigh*
Noelle
Ya like Imps?
Nightfall
I don't like the fact that it's still a single expansion gimmick.
yoavsnake
Hi, any chance the sets in the duels deckmaker get updated? The last one appears to be fractured in alterac.
Otherwise the deckbuilder is perfect
h0lysatan
It's been quite a long time since we had giveaways.
Is it gonna happen this time? Is it?
HarryZeng
Druid is Sesselie
DH is Xymox
Hunter is Aralon
Mage is Kelthuzad
Rogue is Draka
Priest is Pelagos
Warlock is Rafaam
Shaman is Vashj
Warrior is Olgra
And Paladin is Stewart but he is a steward. Actually we have 9 guest ????
HarryZeng
One of the remaining neutral legendary is DrWatfin ????????
MJT3ll3r
I was wondering. I have been loyally rating the cards on your site since I've been playing HS. Would there be a way to see how I rated (or don't the cookies remember) in the past? I wonder how often I missed or hit the ball. ????
Pipeek
Looking forward to Baroness Vashj for some evolve shenanigans.
Asbaloo
https://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/cards/kelthuzad-the-inevitable/
This is my favorite card
Jessthesaver
https://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/cards/kelthuzad-the-inevitable/
Im expecting this card to be my favorite, I hope the deck is at least playable
ejab2779
https://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/cards/kelthuzad-the-inevitable/
This is my favorite card
A person who reacts to this
Is there a reason why Sire Denathrius isn't among the neutral Legendary?
https://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/cards/sire-denathrius/
Anyway nice expansion. Hopping to be able to build some new cool decks in wild, that aren't out performed by the old deck stiles.
darksmilefrost
https://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/cards/kelthuzad-the-inevitable/
Ever since its reveal I already know I needed to make a Mordresh X Kel'Thuzad deck
rodsimon
https://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/cards/murloc-holmes/
Such an awesome design and effect! Too bad I think it's gonna be unplayable
Comments are closed.