22 Cards We Want To See in Hearthstone’s Core Set for 2022

Hearthstone's Core Set for 2022 is being unveiled on April 5th, and we've already received a few hints about what it might look like. With the Standard Rotation that brings the new Core Set to Hearthstone coming within the month, we figured it's a good time to look back on the history of Hearthstone and find some cards we'd like to see brought back.

Note that this list is by no means exhaustive or predictive. Think of it as a short(ish) wishlist of cards we think would play well in the upcoming meta. With that in mind, here are the reasons we think these 22 cards should be included in the 2022 Core Set.

Dragons

We may only be a year out from Descent of Dragons cards leaving Standard, but a full year is plenty of time to start wishing we had more Dragons. With Onyxia's Lair bringing back some Dragon synergies, it really shines a light on the lack of playable low-cost and midrange Dragons in Standard. We're severely lacking on support Dragons to fill in the curve of dedicated Dragon decks. Onyxian Warder, Lightmaw Netherdrake, and Onyxian Drake are a good start, but let's bring back Twilight Guardian, Faerie Dragon, and, yes, even Azure Drake as Neutrals that can fit in any Dragon curve. It's been five years since Azure Drake was put in the Hall of Fame; Hearthstone is not the same game and it won't have anywhere near the same effect as it did all those years ago.

It's also important to have a bunch of middle-of-the-curve Dragons to make sure that Lady Prestor can't turn 1-Drop minions into Raid Boss Onyxia too consistently. Our guess is that if this is at all a concern for Blizzard that we might see Hungry Dragon return.

Mechs

If Voyage to the Sunken City is going to bring back Mech Mage, then it needs to do it right. And by doing it right, we mean it should bring back some of the powerhouses of the archetype. We're particularly interested in Fel Reaver who, besides being a house of a Mech, plays extremely well with Azsharan Sweeper and the concept of Dredge.

Snowchugger and Mecharoo, meanwhile, are both good cheap Mechs to smooth out the curve of any Mech deck while giving extra ammunition for Mecha-Shark.

N'Zoth

The God of the Deep himself has some connections to Azshara and the naga of the Sunken City, so we kind of expect to see him eventually, in one form or another. It's possible that Darkmoon Faire's N'Zoth, God of the Deep delays his rotation by one year in order to play with the new minion tribe (especially since it's one he helped create), but it could also be time to bring back N'Zoth, the Corruptor as the late game power play he once was.

Whichever version we potentially see (or not), that doesn't close the door on Blizzard pulling a Raid Boss Onyxia and giving us an entirely new N'Zoth (well, it would actually be a new new N'Zoth). Perhaps in a mini-set centered around the Old God's realm of Ny'alotha?

Altruis the Outcast

Demon Hunter is getting a few new Outcast tools from Voyage to the Sunken City, so it might be a good time for the triumphant return of the ultimate Outcast payoff. With Wayward Sage in on the game plan, Altruis the Outcast can deal a lot of damage to both board and face. And, while his effect is still undoubtedly powerful, we think the meta can handle Altruis this time.

Dirty Rat

While Blademaster Okani might be able to hold his own just fine, Standard could use another disruption tool to combat all the OTK and Combo strategies that have plagued the meta over the past year. Enter Dirty Rat, a cheap minion whose job it is to specifically break up minion-reliant combos so slower decks don't have to feel like they're wasting their time. Is it an obvious pick? Well, yeah, but that's because it's needed.

Eerie Statue

The simple fact of the matter is that Standard just hasn't had a 4 Mana 7/7 since Flamewreathed Faceless rotated out, and we've been the worse for it. Since Silence Priest is apparently getting some love, it might be a great time to bring back Eerie Statue as a big body who's a great target for self-Silence effects.

But seriously, Blizzard. Give us the memes. We need the memes.

Fishflinger

With Warlock getting in on the archetype, the weather has never been better for Murloc decks to reappear, and Fishflinger is a fun way for fast Murloc decks to refill their hands with more Mggrggl. Good for Murloc Shaman, good for Murloc Warlock, good for everyone.

Besides, the only other Murloc option for Warlock is Seadevil Stinger, and we don't think anyone wants to see that.

Mana Cyclone

You want spells? If Mage is going to play with all its new Naga friends, then what better minion to bring to the party than Mana Cyclone, a cheap, efficient Elemental that can refill your hand with spells to replace those you cast to feed Commander Sivara and Queen Azshara.

And don't worry: it's not going to be bringing Elemental Evocation back with it (we hope).

Mire Keeper

With Overgrowth finally leaving Standard, it leaves a gap in Druid's curve where a different (more balanced) ramp card can fit right in. Our opinion is that Mire Keeper is that ramp card. It doesn't turbo you to six mana like Overgrowth, and doesn't get Cost reduction from other spells, so it's unlikely that this ever feels unfair or rough to play against. Druid needs Ramp to survive, but at least with this card it's not going to get as much of a head start.

Mistress of Mixtures

Armor Vendor is a good card, but since it's leaving us we need another defensive 1-Drop for Control decks to use in their fight for survival against aggressive strategies. Mistress of Mixtures is a good minion for that job; while she doesn't act as quickly as Armor Vendor does, she still has a lot of utility in slower decks that are in sudden need of more survivability.

Reckless Flurry

Armor Warrior's doing pretty well right now, thanks to Frozen Buckler and Shield Shatter, so why not give the class another AoE clear that uses that Armor to great effect? Reckless Flurry works well because it rewards careful planning and smart use of resources; even though most decks that ran Reckless Flurry mainly did so because they could re-stack ludicrous amounts of Armor in its aftermath, currently Warrior has very few ways of offsetting the spell's downside. This makes it a perfect time to bring it in to reward smart deckbuilding and crafty play.

Sanguine Reveler

Warlock, apart from apparently being the next big Murloc class, has received a good amount of Sacrifice payoffs from recent expansions. Cards like Desecrated Graveyard and Grimoire of Sacrifice want you to kill off your own minions (as well as Ritual of Doom, if it makes the jump to the new Core Set), so why not bring back another cheap sacrifice card for Warlock to play with?

It's possible that you forgot that this card even existed. Maybe, even now, you're typing out your thoughts on how this minion is weak and not worth a slot in the new Core Set. We wouldn't do that, if we were you. Don't make us bring back Lord Godfrey instead.

Shady Dealer

With Pirate Admiral Hooktusk, Rogue's class identity for the new expansion appears to be leaning towards Pirates. If you're going to push Rogue into a Pirate's Life, then you've got to give them more ways to benefit from playing Pirates. Shady Dealer is a guy who likes Pirates, and plays well with the Stealthy tokens summoned from Azsharan Vessel. All in all, a balanced minion who'll be great for those Pirate-heavy decks.

Small-Time Recruits

Rise to the Occasion is one of the more underperforming Questlines from Stormwind, and a lot of that is due to its lack of card draw. We don't think that Small-Time Recruits can fix all those problems on its own, but it's a start. One cast of Small-Time Recruits is capable of drawing enough minions to complete one step of the Questline, which could make the deck more reliable and give deckbuilders added flexibility in how they craft their curve.

Spirit Echo

If Shaman is getting Piranha Swarmer and all its attendant generators, then the least Blizzard can do is give them a spell that puts those Swarmers back in their hand when they die. Spirit Echo is good for a lot of things, but it could be especially deadly in Swarmer decks where each Swarmer summoned buffs all Swarmers on the board. Unless the archetype gets a lot less underwhelming in the next week, we're guessing that Swarmer Shaman will need a spell like this.

Springpaw

Springpaw is just one step in a long line of 1-Drop Hunter Beasts that generate another 1/1 Beast. However, unlike Alleycat and Wolpertinger, it adds the 1/1 to hand rather than summoning it. Springpaw has always been our favorite Hunter 1-Drop, so it might be a bit of favoritism that led us to pick this minion. That doesn't change the fact that we truly believe that it could be a useful tool for all Hunter decks.

Whizbang the Wonderful

It was a crime that Whizbang the Wonderful ever rotated out of Standard. This one-man deckstravanganza was the perfect safe craft for any player who wanted to play a variety of decks and just have fun in Hearthstone. Considering that, even now, as he lurks in the dank dungeons of Wild, Whizbang still updates regularly with each expansion's deck recipes, it only makes sense to bring him back into the Core Set so any player can experience the truest variety of Hearthstone's play styles. We cannot imagine a better card for everyone to have access to for free.

Blizzard, if you're reading this, please bring back our Whizbang.

Recurring Villain

Recurring Villain has spent the last year biding his time, patiently laying his plans in order, waiting for just the right moment to bring about his triumphant return. If he's not part of the 2022 Core Set, it'll only be because of those meddling devs.

Do you agree with our picks? What cards do you want to see return to Standard? Share your thoughts in the comments!