For Inven’s exclusive card reveal for Hearthstone’s new expansion, Perils in Paradise, there are five cards! The cards are Sanc'Azel, Lifeguard, Grillmaster, Power Spike, and Sunscreen.
Sanc'Azel
◆ Class: Paladin
◆ Rarity: Legendary
◆ Card Type: Minion
◆ Mana: 5
◆ Stats: 3/8
◆ Elemental
◆ Effect:
(1): Rush, After this attacks, turn into a Location.
(2): Give a friendly minion +3 Attack and Rush. Turn Back into a minion.
Lifeguard
◆ Class: Paladin
◆ Rarity: Rare
◆ Card Type: Minion
◆ Mana: 4
◆ Stats: 2/7
◆ Effect:
Battlecry: The next spell you cast has Lifesteal.
Grillmaster
◆ Class: Paladin
◆ Rarity: Common
◆ Card Type: Minion
◆ Mana: 4
◆ Stats: 3/4
◆ Effect:
Battlecry: Draw your lowest cost card.
Deathrattle: Draw your highest cost card.
Power Spike
◆ Class: Paladin
◆ Rarity: Common
◆ Card Type: Spell
◆ Mana: 6
◆ Spell Type: Holy
◆ Effect: Deal 4 damage. Give a random friendly minion +4/+4.
Sunscreen
◆ Class: Paladin
◆ Card Type: Spell
◆ Mana: 1
◆ Effect: Give a minion +1/ +2.
Developer's Comment
“Paladin is spending Perils in Paradise on the beach! Even the holiest defenders of the Spiral Isles need time to relax. We've already met the Paladin tourist Sunsapper Lynessa, who loves small spells - but Paladin has some big cards, too.
Grillmaster will help you find your cards right on time, and Lifeguard will help you survive long enough to use them. Lifesteal can really turn the tide of the game in your favor, especially on a big spell like Power Spike that will help you swing the board at the same time.
But one legendary Paladin card isn't on the beach... it IS the beach. Sanc'Azel has come to life to protect the sands. Much like Remornia the Living Blade from the Murder at Castle Nathria expansion, Sanc'Azel will transform back and forth between a minion form and a location. You can play him, attack, activate the location ability, then attack again on the same turn - but when he transforms back to a location again, he'll be closed and will have to wait to reopen. His health in minion form is the same as his durability in location form.
We're excited to see what players come up with on July 23rd!”
This expansion introduces the 'Tourist' keyword, requiring a broader perspective on the cards.
The 'Tourist' allows you to include cards from another class's new expansion set in your deck when you add the specific 'Tourist' card. Each class has one designated class, effectively creating a dual-class system for this expansion. In essence, every class card in this expansion will be a dual-class card.
However, you can't include other classes, meaning you can't build a deck with cards from three different classes. For instance, if Paladins add the Rogue Tourist card 'Sunsapper Lynessa' to their deck, the deck can be built with Paladin cards and the Rogue cards from the Perils in Paradise expansion, but Paladins cannot include the Warlock Tourist cards available to Rogues.
The classes that can use the Tourist keyword are as follows: Paladins can include new Rogue cards, and Mages can include new Paladin cards.
Paladin → Rogue
Rogue → Warlock
Warlock → Death Knight
Death Knight → Shaman
Shaman → Demon Hunter
Demon Hunter → Priest
Priest → Hunter
Hunter → Warrior
Warrior → Druid
Druid → Mage
Mage → Paladin
Card Effects, Pros, and Cons
'Sanc'Azel,' sandcastle by the beach, is a 5-mana 3/8 Elemental with Rush, and after it attacks, it transforms into a Location. The 'Sanc'Azel' Location grants a friendly minion +3 Attack and Rush and then transforms back into a minion.
Following the 'Remornia, Living Blade,' which alternated between being a minion and a weapon, 'Sanc'Azel' also has a unique ability that switches between being a minion and a Location.
The stat of both the health of the minion and the durability of the Location are shared. In the gameplay footage, you can see that after taking 2 damage, the Location's durability is 6 when it transforms, and when the Location is used, it transforms back into a minion with 5 health.
Fundamentally, 'Sanc'Azel' has solid stats as a 5-mana 3/8, and its Rush ability allows it to immediately impact the board, making it a valuable minion for Paladins. Additionally, with 8 health, it is likely to survive its initial attack and be able to utilize its Location ability.
If you have other minions already on the board or spare mana, you can summon another minion and grant it Rush and +3 Attack, further strengthening your position on the field.
Moreover, when 'Sanc'Azel' transforms back into a minion from a Location, it can attack again with the Rush effect seen in the gameplay video below. This means it can be used in a sequence of Summon - Attack - Use as Location - Attack, similar to the Windfury mechanic.
However, after it attacks again, the Location's cooldown must be waited out before it can be used again. On the plus side, in the current Standard, the only ways to destroy Locations are with 'Twisting Nether' or 'Reno, Lone Ranger', making Sanc'Azel relatively safe in certain situations.
From Paladins' perspective, 'Sanc'Azel' is a great card for buffs. Cards like 'Grimestreet Outfitter', 'Muscle-o-Tron', and 'Painter's Virtue' can significantly enhance its stats, making it very efficient. There will be many low-cost spells, and the synergies will depend on which spells are added. You can effectively dominate the field with just one other minion that can get buff from the Location.
However, since most of the new Rogue cards haven't been revealed yet, the synergy with the Rogue tourist cards remains uncertain. Given that the ability of 'Sunsapper Lynessa' involves casting two spells less than two cost, Rogues will likely have many low-cost spells, and the playstyle will depend on the tricky nature of these new Rogue cards.
Using Paladin tourist cards with a Mage deck seems ambiguous. Currently, Mage decks are primarily focused on spells that effect without using minions or aimed for OTK (One Turn Kill) with spell damage like Sif, making it difficult to utilize 'Sanc'Azel', which is specialized for the field.
However, since 'Sanc'Azel' is an Elemental, it might inspire reconsideration of Elemental Mage. Elementals have been updated on the game so far, but there hasn't been an Elemental strong enough to form a core game plan, and 'Sanc'Azel' doesn’t seem powerful enough to change that trend.
Although the new Mage cards and the Paladin tourist cards have not been revealed yet, unless there is an impressive card that can build an Elemental-focused plan, it seems unlikely that 'Sanc'Azel' will be included in Mage decks.
The next card you can check is 'Lifeguard.' It's a 4-mana 2/7 minion with Taunt and a Battlecry that gives your next spell Lifesteal.
Since the condition for granting Lifesteal is your 'next spell,' you can put 'Lifeguard' on the field in advance and use the Lifesteal effect at any time, making your gameplay convenient. Additionally, both its Taunt and sturdy 2/7 stats are advantageous.
Although its attack is low, 'Lifeguard' can get buff while in hand, and you can use 'Lifeguard' on turn 4 and 'Sanc'Azel' on turn 5 to supplement the attack power on the following turn.
Paladins also have several damaging spells. Paired with board-clearing spells like 'Prismatic Beam' or 'Keeper's Strength', you can clear the board and heal for a large amount, allowing you to sustain in the game.
Moreover, Mages, who have limited healing options, can also benefit from this card. In a control Mage deck, 'Lifeguard' can be included to turn Mage's various damage spells into healing sources.
'Power Spike' is a 6-mana Holy spell. It deals 4 damage and gives a random friendly minion +4/+4.
While it is a slightly heavy spell, it is good for field battle as it deals 4 damage and buffs a friendly minion with +4/+4. You can chain 'Lifeguard', 'Sanc'Azel', and 'Power Spike' from turn 4 to turn 6 to also benefit from Lifesteal.
From the perspective of a Mage, the spell is somewhat awkward to use due to its combination of minor damage and minion buff. Although it provides Holy attribute damage that Mages don't have, Mages already have 'Discovery of Magic' that can discover a spell you haven't cast in this game and use 'Sif' together. Unless a new archetype for Mage emerges, finding a place for 'Power Spike' in Mage decks might be difficult.
'Grillmaster' is a 4-mana 3/4 minion with a Battlecry that draws the lowest-cost card from your deck and a Deathrattle that draws the highest-cost card.
It's a card that finds 1 lowest and 1 highest cost card without much restriction, and it has decent stats to help your deck roll smoothly. You can use Battlecry to fetch a low-cost card for early-game utility, while the Deathrattle can draw a core card for late-game.
Depending on the deck composition, it could be a useful draw mechanism for both Paladins and Mages.
The final card is 'Sunscreen,' a spell generated by the previously revealed weapon 'Volley Maul.'
'Sunscreen' is a simple spell with 1-mana that gives a minion +1/+2. With the Rogue tourist card 'Sunsapper Lynessa', 'Sunscreen' can provide a +2/+4 buff for 1 mana, but this isn’t a particularly strong combo.
Overall
While not all Paladin cards have been revealed yet, it’s clear that Paladins have received strong minions, their specialty. There are also some decent search cards together. These cards can be mixed and matched with existing types as needed.
Meanwhile, new possibilities are emerging. It’s intriguing that Paladins, known for their straightforward playstyle, can now use the trickiest of Rogue cards. This opens up a variety of potential strategies for Paladins. Additionally, Mages might use Paladin cards to bolster their traditionally weak field presence.
What will Paladins bring back from this journey?
