Hearthstone expansion Goblins vs Gnomes is bound to shake up the meta in a few ways. Arguably one of the biggest changes, though, will come from a new mechanic called Spare Parts.
Spare Parts are a collection of 1-mana abilities that modify your other minions. They're created through the use of Mechs, a new type of minion introduced in Goblins vs Gnomes.
"Once a goblin or gnome has finished creating their crazy inventions, what do they do with all of the leftover parts?" Blizzard says. "That’s a trick question – to goblins and gnomes, there’s no such thing as leftover parts! When one of their inventions clash on the field of battle, there’s bound to be a screw that comes loose, a rusted over whirling blade that falls off, or a crumpled up reversing switch left on the battlefield when the smoke clears. These spare parts left over from Mechs are just the thing a clever goblin or gnome needs to improve on their next wacky invention."
These Spare Parts don't need to be used on Mechs. As painful as it sounds, you can attach them to Beasts or any other kind of minion in the game. This creates a lot of interesting possibilities.
"What’s better than a Chillwind Yeti? A Chillwind Yeti wielding Whirling Blades! Your Spider Tank not tanky enough? Give him a Rusty Horn upgrade and he’ll tank that incoming damage with Taunt. There’s seven different crazy spare parts that you can use, each gained from goblins or gnomes that bring some spare parts into battle with them, or from the destruction of a once-useful mech."
Here are the Spare Parts you'll be able to use on minions:
- Reversing Switch - Swap a minion's Attack and Health.
- Armor Plating - Give a minion +1 Health.
- Whirling Blades - Gives a minion +1 Attack.
- Emergency Coolant - Freeze a minion.
- Finicky Cloakfield - Give a friendly minion Stealth until your next turn.
- Rusty Horn - Give a minion Taunt.
- Time Rewinder - Return a friendly minion to your hand.
Many of these Spare Parts more or less replicate other cards already in the game. For example, Reversing Switch is the exact same effect and cost as Inner Fire. What's important about this feature, though, is that it blurs the lines between the classes. Inner Fire may be exclusive to Priests but anyone can use a Reversing Switch.
Some of the new minions in Goblins vs Gnomes, meanwhile, have abilities that increase your stockpile of parts. They'll enable players to make decks built around a steady supply of these cheap abilities:
- Clockwork Gnome (2/1, 1 mana) - Deathrattle: Add a Spare Part card to your hand.
- Tinkertown Technician (3/3, 3 mana) - Battlecry: If you control a Mech, gain +1/+1 and put a Spare Part in your hand.
- Toshley (5/7, 6 mana) - Battlecry and Deathrattle: Add a Spare Part card to your hand.
- Mech-Bear-Cat (7/6, 6 mana) - Whenever this minion takes damage, add a Spare Part card to your hand.
Gnomes vs Gnomes, the second expansion to the game, will add over 120 new cards to the game when it launches in December. These cards will be acquired through a new type of pack sold through the in-game store for money or gold.
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