Hello and welcome back to In The Frame! The format for all card art enthusiasts!
Do you hear it too, the call of the sea? Well, you should!
With the release of Voyage to the Sunken City, Hearthstone is taking a deep dive into the waters of Azeroth, giving players an entire ocean's worth of things to do. Whether be it dredging up awesome loot, discovering the wildlife, or unleashing giant beasts to wreck absolute havoc, there's plenty of things to get carried away with while exploring the open seas!
Even some of Hearthstone's characters couldn't resist the alure of the wide waters, with its salty breeze and ancient mysteries. And while they're out and about adventuring, let us take this opportunity and join in with them, to get a great look at some Character Concept Art for VSC!
Let's get started!
Shipwrecked Magni
Say ahoy to your new Capt'n!
After spending a lifetime up in the high mountains, the former king of Khaz Modan now sets sail on the high waters of Azeroth to become the future king of the seven seas. He already has a beard that's worthy of a true swashbuckler, only thing that's missing is a new attire.
Blimey, seems he's more of a lousy landlubber than a Pirate Warrior!
Oh well, at least he's got some company while being stranded on that isle.
"Brave expeditions to new lands are all well and good until your ship is smashed to bits and your best friend is a grumpy parrot."
Mariner Maiev
Maybe this scallywag has more luck on her adventures.
A pirate's life is no smooth sailing, but Maiev seems to have adapted quite well to her new role as freebooter.
After all, looting isn't that much different from burgling!
Even though it's not a rogues usual cutlass,
her giant glaive is still a helpfull tool in "negotiating" a well deserved price for her crew of scoundrels.
"Undeterred by classical literature, she has taken to the seas in pursuit of vengeance she may never find."
George the Sunken
Oh oh, seems like someone wasn't ready to negotiate, and thus earned a fast journey to Davy Jones' locker.
This poor sailor better be quick with his knife, else he'll soon sleep with the fishes!
"Assisted by an anchor, George could, in fact, fall farther than he already had."
Edwin VanReef
Shiver me timbers!
Even down here, in the dark, briny deep, you won't be safe from someone else looting your booty!
"Edwin, do you really need to wear the bandana under the diving suit?"
Pirate Admiral Hooktusk
Even more pirates!
It looks like Captain Hooktusk learned a couple of new tricks during her time in Stranglethorn Vale.
She's been on a lot of raiding parties since then, and now she has set her eye on a new target:
a group of unaware explorers...
Sir Finley Mrrgglton
... lead by none other than the famous Sir Finley Mrrgglton!
Together with his crew, this seasoned explorer is searching for treasures in the lost capital of the Kaldorei,
Zin-Azshari, which now lies thousands of leagues beneath the sea.
But the question is: how will these adventurers reach their destination?
Ini Stormcoil
Behold the glorious Ini Stormcoil!
She's the Mechagnome genius behind the crew's mighty vessel and powerful mechs,
that'll guarantee a safe and sound journey to the bottom of the sea.
... hopefully.
"Before setting her sights on exploration, Ini was known for many inventions, such as the airborne breadmaking dirigible,
the hypersprocket 200X zoom binoculars, and jobes (jean robes)."
Ambassador Faelin
Faelin, a nightborne noble turned seafarer.
The stories of colossal beasts, hostile Naga, and the stormy sea itself
only emboldened him to embark on this dangerous voyage to the sunken city.
Thankfully, his magic armor will make sure that he won't end up as a fish out of water.
You better get yourself in shape first, if you plan on taking on the mighty deeps.
Else you'll end up in deep water!
"For thousands of years, Faelin has longed to return to his homeland.
Will Zin-Ashari be as he hopes, or are the secrets of the deep better left forgotten?"
The Artists
These are the artists that were featured in this article. Go and check out their galleries!
- Décio Júnior - Shipwrecked Magni; George the Sunken
- Ângelo Bortolini - Mariner Maiev; Edwin VanReef
- Rafael Zanchetin - Character Concepts for Finley, Faelin, Hooktusk, and Ini
And that's about it! Thank you for coming along with us, as we dipped our toes into some of the awesome concept art for Voyage to the Sunken City!
What's your favorite? What do you think about the art? Tell us in the comments below!
Comments
Several of these mention an underwater form. Was that an idea that got dropped later in the design phase?
They scrap a lot of design ideas each expansion, so maybe. Of course it could just be a necessary feature if they want air-breathing characters to interact with naga and other creatures underwater. Plus it just makes perfect sense in Hooktusk's case if Gral's blessing is already a thing in WoW.
You mean the one on Faelin? I assume that's there to explain his armor to the artists, in case they wanted to incorporate that in the final artwork.
You can actualy sea his cape transform in the key art.
Faelin, but also Hooktusk and Ini.
😍😍Mariner Maiev 😍😍
Seriously though, I've been loving the art direction for this expansion. Everything has fit perfectly into the theme and all the interconnected art pieces have been great.
TIL Hooktusk made her hair to resemble a shark
Dadghar vs Silver Fox Uther: the battle of the mechs, I love it!