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Hearthstone: The Dalaran Heist Guide

Everything you need to know ahead of the Dalaran Heist launch.

The Dalaran Heist is the first portion of the single-player content planned for Hearthstone in the Year of the Dragon.

Out now on the live servers, it features a huge range of PVE encounters as players assume the role of League of E.V.I.L. henchmen attempting all manner of hijinx against the city of Dalaran.

Blizzard has called The Dalaran Heist the most ambitious single-player content it's ever created, and it's required them to gather together the biggest mission team in Hearthstone history in order to develop it.

That should surely be exciting news to anyone who has a fair few Rumble Runs and Monster Hunts under their belt, so let’s get right into everything we know so far.

Now that the new adventure is live, we've been busy putting together guides to handling all the bosses, and you can find all the help you need right here in this article.

Navigation

1. Overview - The lowdown on all the Dalaran Heist's key features.

2. Release Date and Price - When the new content's coming and what it'll cost you!

3. Chapters - Everything we know about the individual Chapters in the Dalaran Heist

4. Classes, Decks and Hero Powers - An overview of the Heist's henchmen, their starting decks and the hero powers they can unlock.

5. Bosses - Our work-in-progress guide to all the bosses in the Dalaran Heist,

6. Tavern Encounters - How the new deck-tweaking encounters will help you refine your evolving deck.

7. Difficulty Modes - How the Normal and Heroic modes will work, and the first details of the new Anomaly difficulty setting.

8. Rewards - What you'll unlock as you slowly conquer the Dalaran Heist.

Dalaran Heist Overview

If you’ve dabbled with Hearthstone’s previous single-player content then you should already have a decent idea of what to expect from The Dalaran Heist.

It’s best described as a blend of all the game’s previous single-player content, combining ideas from the older structured Adventures such as One Night in Karazhan, with the more freeform PvE seen in Dungeon Run and Monster Hunt.

You pick a class and a small 10-card deck, and from there make your way through a series of encounters without losing a single duel in order to claim victory.

After each winning battle, you’ll also add new cards and treasures to your deck from a trio of choices to bulk it out. That should give you the additional power you'll need against tougher foes.

A new ‘Tavern Encounter’ will also allow you to tweak your deck in new and interesting ways by adding, removing or swapping around cards in the deck. We'll discuss that side of the content in more detail a little later on in this guide.

This extra addition to the established single player content emphasises the sheer level of customisation and progression available in The Dalaran Heist. Not only can you pick between each class, but there are also three different hero powers and four starter decks to choose between as well, giving you lots of replayability options. You’ll also be able to play each chapter in Normal Mode or Heroic Mode.

Additionally, there's an assortment of Anomaly modifiers that add a random adjustment to the entire run. You can find more about these unique alterations later in the guide too.

Alongside this, one of the other areas Blizzard wanted to improve for single-player was progression and tracking. To this end, you’ll be able to unlock more decks, hero powers and extra features as you play through each chapter.

Additionally, The Dalaran Heist will feature a wealth of in-game tracking so you’ll be able to see all sorts of statistics pertaining to the decks, classes, hero powers and chapters you’ve played.

Altogether, it sounds like an incredibly comprehensive package that should give fans of single-player Hearthstone a lot to dig into for a long time to come!

Cover image for YouTube videoHearthside Chat – The Dalaran Heist Hijinks! (EU)

Release Date and Price

The first two chapters of The Dalaran Heist will be released on Thursday 16th May, and those chapters will be made available for free to everyone as soon as they log into Hearthstone from the day of release onwards.

It will include the first class (the Mage henchman Rakanishu), and the first location which is the Dalaran Bank. After compleing the Dalaran Bank, you can move onto the Violet Hold.

The four additional chapters will launch over the next four weeks at 700 Gold or $6.99 / £6.99 apiece. Each one will add a new location and two more classes with their respective decks and hero powers. You can also buy the entire set all at once for $19.99 / £16.99.

Here's the full release schedule for each chapter:

  • Dalaran Bank - 16th May
  • Violet Hold - 16th May
  • Streets of Dalaran - 23rd May
  • The Underbelly - 30th May
  • Kirin Tor Citadel - 6th June

Chapters

Each chapter of The Dalaran Heist will take you across a range of different locations in the famous city. Each one brings their own visuals and mechanics to mix up your games even further.

The five chapters included in The Dalaran Heist and their unique ‘Twists’ are as follows:

  • 1. Dalaran Bank - Twist: Coin-filled Coffers – In each encounter, a 0/3 Cache spawns on the opponent’s side of the board. Smashing it grants 2 Coins to each player.
  • 2. The Violet Hold - Twist: Imprisoned Minions – At the start of each game a random minion from each player’s deck is locked up on the board. Once enough turns have passed that are equal to its Mana cost it will be able to attack or be attacked.
  • 3. Streets of Dalaran - Twist: Crowded Streets – An assortment of untargetable tokens or objects will be on the board reducing the amount of space you have to play minions.
  • 4. The Underbelly - Twist: NAME TBC – The Attack and Health values of all minions are swapped.
  • 5. Kirin Tor Citadel - Twist: NAME TBC – You will have to face four additional encounters in order to successfully complete a run in this chapter.

Classes, Decks and Hero Powers

All nine Hearthstone classes will be available to play in The Dalaran Heist, and each one will be represented by their own individual henchman from The League of E.V.I.L.

Rather than all being made available at once, however, you’ll start with the Mage, Shaman and Hunter classes and then unlock two additional heroes with each chapter you purchase.

Within those classes you will begin with just one deck and one hero power. Additional decks and hero powers will be unlocked as you play, adding a welcome sense of progression to the mode.

You can find all the details on the classes available in The Dalaran Heist below. We will add others as soon as they’ve been revealed.

Druid

  • Squeamlish - “A Druid of the Rat, known for her turtle and hedgehog forms.”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 4

Hero Powers

  • Shapeshift. 2 Mana: +1 Attack this turn. +1 Armor.
  • Lifebloom. 2 Mana: Restore a minion to full health.
  • Touch of Bark. 2 Mana: Give a minion +1/+1.

Starting Decks

  • Ferocity
  • Two Paths
  • Nature's Boon
  • Random Deck

Hunter

  • Ol' Barkeye - “Who gave a high powered sniper rifle to a gnoll?”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 2

Hero Powers

  • Steady Shot. 2 Mana: Deal 2 damage to the enemy hero.
  • Opportunist. 2 Mana: Give a minion +2 Attack this turn.
  • Pet Training. 1 Mana: Add a 1/1 Shifting Chameleon to your hand.

Starting Decks

Beast WithinLocked and LoadedTech and Death
Arcane ShotOn the HuntClockwork Gnome
SpringpawRapid FireMecharoo
Explosive TrapShimmerflyWebspinner
Scavenging HyenaHunting MastiffFireworks Tech
Animal CompanionLock and LoadGlaivezooka
Cave HydraSpellzerkerPlated Beetle
Eaglehorn BowBanana BuffoonNightmare Amalgam
Ironfur GrizzlyCarrion GrubNine Lives
HoundmasterFlanking StrikeSpider Bomb
Multi-ShotMarked ShotInfested Wolf

Mage

  • Rakanishu - “The mischievous fire elemental from Togwaggle's lantern.”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 1

Hero Powers

  • Fireblast. 2 Mana: Deal 1 damage.
  • Burning Wit. 1 Mana: Reduce the cost of a random card in your hand by (2).
  • Frostburn. 2 Mana: Freeze a character. If it’s already Frozen, deal 2 damage.

Starting Decks

Kindling ApprenticeThe ElementsBURN!
Arcane AnomalyFire FlyKabal Lackey
Magic TrickAmani BerserkerSaronite Taskmaster
Faerie DragonFrostboltFlame Juggler
Flame GeyserMagic Dart FrogKobold Geomancer
Sorcerer's ApprenticePrimordial GlyphCinderstorm
Earthen Ring FarseerBlackwald PixieExplosive Runes
Messenger RavenIgneous ElementalMirror Entity
PolymorphKobold ApprenticeTwilight Flamecaller
Water ElementalDark Iron DwarfCosmic Anomaly
Rotten ApplebaumScorchUnexpected Results

Paladin

  • George the Fallen
  • Unlocks:Chapter 5

Hero Powers

  • Reinforce. 2 Mana: Summon a 1/1 Silver Hand Recruit.
  • Backup. 2 Mana: Add three 1/1 Silver Hand Recruits to your hand.
  • Boon of Light. 1 Mana: Give a friendly minion Divine Shield.

Starting Decks

  • Old Hero
  • Adventure
  • Holy Flames
  • Random Deck

Priest

  • Kriziki - “Lazul promised this shadowy arakkoa that she would fly.”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 3

Hero Powers

  • Lesser Heal. 2 Mana: Restore 2 Health.
  • Distort. 2 Mana: Swap a minion’s Attack and Health.
  • Soothe. 1 Mana: Give a minion -2 Attack until next turn.

Starting Decks

  • Disciplined
  • Shadows
  • Visions
  • Random Deck

Rogue

  • Captain Eudora - “This fleet-footed vulpera pirate captain has gone freelance.”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 3

Hero Powers

  • Dagger Mastery. 2 Mana: Equip a 1/2 Dagger.
  • Yoink. 2 Mana: Add a random card to your hand (from another class).
  • Cut-less. 2 Mana: Deal 2 damage to an undamaged minion.

Starting Decks

  • Skulker
  • Dead Man's Tale
  • Kobold's Desire
  • Random Deck

Shaman

  • Vessina - “Hagatha's shamanic serpentine sidekick slithers sinisterly.”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 2

Hero Powers

  • Totemic Call. 2 Mana: Summon a random Totem.
  • Evolution. 2 Mana: Transform a friendly minion into one that costs (1) more.
  • Refresh. 1 Mana: Draw a card. Overload (1)

Starting Decks

Carve and CursePrimal StormsThe Swamp
Air ElementalFire FlyMutate
Earth ShockLightning BoltDire Mole
Knife JugglerLikkimSludge Slurper
Loot HoarderTotem GolemGhost Light Angler
Rockbiter WeaponWhirling Zap-o-maticUnderbelly Angler
Stormforged AxeWitch's BrewFlesheating Ghoul
Earthen Ring FarseerHot Spring GuardianSpirit Echo
Feral SpiritLightning StormInfested Tauren
Flametongue TotemUnbound ElementalTidal Surge
WindspeakerLifedrinkerHagatha's Scheme

Warlock

  • Tekahn - “This tol'vir prince is forged of hate and stone.”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 5

Hero Powers

  • Life Tap. 2 Mana: Draw a card and take 2 damage.
  • Pain Split. 2 Mana: Take 2 damage. Deal 2 damage.
  • The Pact. 2 Mana: Take 2 damage. Summon a 2/2 Imp.

Starting Decks

  • Sacrificial
  • Seeker
  • Imp-ressive
  • Random Deck

Warrior

  • Mr. Chu - “This black-market bodyguard is the new muscle for E.V.I.L.”
  • Unlocks: Chapter 4

Hero Powers

  • Armor Up!. 2 Mana: Gain 2 Armor.
  • Invigorating Brew. 2 Mana: Deal 1 damage to a minion and give it +2 Attack.
  • Undermine. 2 Mana: Shuffle two Explosives into your opponent’s deck (Deal 2 damage when drawn).

Starting Decks

  • Tough Crowd
  • Burning Fury
  • Boomin'
  • Random Deck

Once we've got full deck lists we'll add in the information here so you know what to expect.

Bosses

As with other single-player modes, a whole host of different opponents are waiting to take you on as part of The Dalaran Heist.

If you need help beating any of them, make sure you take a look through our comprehensive Dalaran Heist Heroic Boss guide.

Tavern Encounters

As part of the new single-player mode, a non-competitive ‘Tavern Encounter’ will crop up between some of your fights.

In this short aside, you’ll be able to make some more precise changes to your deck so as to better optimise it for your game plan. It can vary a little each time, but the usual set up allows you to add, remove or adjust specific cards in your deck by interacting with the Tavernkeeper.

It plays out on a unique board, where a small selection of your minions will be put into play opposite a few other random minions. After that, you’ll be dealt a number of cards, each with their own gold cost unique to this mode. You’ll then have a certain amount of this currency to spend on these cards if you wish.

For example, if you see a copy of Savannah Highmane on the opposite side of the board that you really want, you can spend some gold – like you would Mana to play a card – on a spell that allows you to add that card to your deck.

On the other hand, if there’s a card on your side of the board that you feel is underperforming, you can trash it from your deck instead. Or, you can do both, or something else entirely – the choice is yours up to the amount of currency you have to spend!

Difficulty Modes

Heroic Mode was a popular mode for players looking for some additional challenge in Hearthstone’s single-player Adventures of the past

This retooled each encounter to give each opponent a significant boost in power so they were much harder to defeat. It required a mastery of your deck, plus a complete understanding of the fight in order to beat them.

With the release of The Dalaran Heist, this mode is going to return to single-player Hearthstone after a brief period of absence.

It will function almost identically to its previous iteration, so if you really want to test your mettle as a Hearthstone player then you’ll welcome its reintroduction. You’ll gain bonus rewards for doing it, too!

Anomaly Mode

Further to Heroic Mode, another alternate way to play single-player will be added in The Dalaran Heist. Titled Anomaly Mode, this will add another layer of replayability to the new single-player offering, and it will make each new run slightly different from the last.

Once unlocked, you’ll be able to choose Anomaly Mode at the start of a run. By activating it, one of eighteen different random modifiers will be put in effect for across the entirety of your run.

Here are the Anomaly modes that have been confirmed so far. As more are revealed - or discovered in live play - we'll add the details in here:

  • Wild Magic - All spells cast an additional time (Targets chosen randomly).
  • Glittering - Gain a Treasure after playing high-cost cards.

The only concrete example we have right now is that one Anomaly will grant all minions +1/+1 each turn, but they can be as straightforward as this or far more abstract.

Rewards

Blizzard is also keen to add some worthwhile rewards for players who manage to complete The Dalaran Heist.

Finishing each chapter for the first time will grant you three Rise of Shadows cards packs. That means there are 15 in total to be unlocked as you complete the new content.

Completing all five chapters will also grant you a few extra rewards. For achieving this feat on Normal Mode you’ll be granted a Dalaran Card Back. Finishing all five chapters on Heroic Mode will unlock the Aluneth card back.

Another reward for finishing all five chapters is the Zayle, Shadow Cloak card. This functions very similarly to Whizzbang the Wonderful by giving you a random Zayle’s E.V.I.L deck to play with when you choose to use it in Standard play modes.

Finally, having completed the content you'll receive a Golden Classic Card Pack. This contains the usual five random Classic cards, but every one of them is guaranteed to be Golden.

That covers everything we have on The Dalaran Heist right now. Be sure to keep your eye on Metabomb over the coming weeks, though, as we continue to update this page with more information and advice for The Dalaran Heist as it's announced.

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About the Author
John Bedford avatar

John Bedford

Contributor

John is Metabomb's Editor in Chief and looks after the day to day running of the site when he's not writing about Hearthstone.

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