DLC Review: Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramus!

If you want to read my review/impressions of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, click here!


Over this past summer, Blizzard rolled out their first ever DLC package for Hearthstone in the form of a single player adventure! Curse of Naxxramus references the classic undead raid from World of Warcraft and has you participate in various wings. With five wings (as in the raid) you are also given two class specific challenges for each wing. Not to mention the 30+ new cards that were added into the game. Including brand new legendaries! Is all this new content enough to keep you wanting to play though?


Curse of Naxxramus involves five sets of bosses that you can clear with whatever class deck you choose from. Each boss has his/her own hero power which you are able to look at before hand. This allows you to re-customize your deck to the boss you're going up against! Not all bosses have the same amount of health so that also can make for an interesting game. Memorable characters from the MMO include Patches, Anub'rehkan, Baron Rivendare and the lich Kel'Thuzad himself! Some of these bosses make interesting fights, for example, Patches has no cards in his deck but uses a weapon. That weapon has a powerful attack value which can wipe you out in five turns. Thaddius' hero power switches the attack/health of every minion on the board each turn etc.

Fancy new board!

The new cards introduced all have the theme of the "Deathrattle" effect. This goes into play once a minion dies and an event occurs. Various new strategies can be created and exploited with these cards. For myself personally, my Warlock deck includes many "Deathrattle" minions coupled with a card that is powered up with each card played that has that attribute!

The class specific challenges are especially entertaining as they again pit you against a boss you've cleared. The deck you are given is designed around the special card you can win. How crazy can that get? The Hunter card for example is a beast with a "Deathrattle" that gives you a random beast creature added to your hand. So why not have the deck consist of NOTHING BUT THAT CARD (30 of them 0_0).

Snapshot of the Hunter's Class Challenge

The bosses have their own hilarious dialogue (Kel'Thuzad especially) tailored to your character deck. Curse of Naxxramus certainly adds a lot to the game with it's new cards and bosses. Plus, a heroic mode is added after you beat each wing normally. These changes include revamped decks, more health, and cheaper hero powers etc. The pricing structure for each wing is $7.00 or 700 coins which you can earn through quests. This expansion feeds into the addiction that this game initially came with.

Should you Play this DLC?
Yes! If you're a regular Hearthstone player looking for a new challenge. Otherwise feel free to skip this if the game never interested you in the first place.