The League of Explorers




 * ''This page is about the Adventure. For the characters called the "League of Explorers", see League of Explorers (organization).


 * "We've traversed the tombs of Naxxramas; we've climbed every cliff on Blackrock. Now, the world cries out for heroes, as a new evil rises. There will be danger! There will be doom! There will be ancient temples, filled with relics, treasures and traps! Who will answer the call?"

The League of Explorers (LoE) is the third adventure for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, released November 12/13, 2015. An assortment of boss battles and Class Challenges with both Normal and Heroic modes, the adventure features 45 new collectible cards. With a strong theme of exploration, the adventure brought 2 new battlefields, and also a new keyword - Discover. In addition to the usual boss battles, the adventure also debuted a new kind of encounter - where the player must survive through several rounds of traps, ambushes and environmental events to escape to safety.

The adventure sees the player following four famed adventurers from the –Elise Starseeker, Reno Jackson, Sir Finley Mrrgglton, and Brann Bronzebeard–on a journey through some of Azeroth's most exotic and dangerous locations, on a quest to recover an ancient artifact called the Staff of Origination. As each wing is completed, players gather pieces of the Staff, and put them on display in the museum. However, the League of Explorers are not the only ones searching for the artifact, and danger waits within the shadows.

The adventure went live on November 12 in the Americas region, and on November 13 in all other regions. The data for the adventure was added on November 10, 2015, with Patch 4.0.0.10833.

Structure
For general information on adventures, see Adventure.


 * The League of Explorers comprises 4 wings and 13 boss encounters
 * Defeating each encounter for the first time will award copies of one or more new cards, which may be neutral or class-specific
 * Completing each wing for the first time will award copies of at least one new card, including a legendary card corresponding to that wing
 * The adventure features 9 Class Challenges, one for each class
 * Completing a Class Challenge will award 2 copies of a new class card
 * Class Challenges can be unlocked through completing wings
 * The adventure has both Normal and Heroic modes, with the latter featuring "immensely difficult" versions of the same bosses
 * Defeating all Heroic bosses will award a special card back

Summary
The below table summarises the structure of the adventure, with bosses matched with their corresponding rewards. The placement of the Class Challenge sections indicate which boss features in each Challenge, as well as which wing must be completed in order to unlock it. The "Dust value" column shows the amount of Arcane Dust the cards in that wing will produce if disenchanted. For deck listings and strategy for Class Challenges, see The League of Explorers Class Challenges.

Access

 * Each wing of the adventure must be purchased before it can be played.
 * The fourth and final wing can only be purchased once the bosses in each of the other wings have been defeated (in any mode).
 * In order to access the adventure, the player must have unlocked all 9 classes.
 * Each wing was originally unlocked one per week following the initial release on November 12, with a one week break in the middle to accommodate the American.
 * Each wing of the adventure must be purchased with gold or real money in order to unlock it for play. Once a player has unlocked a wing, that wing stays unlocked, and can be replayed as frequently and as many times as desired.
 * As a Wild format adventure, The League of Explorers is no longer available for purchase by new players through the in-game Shop and must be purchased through the Blizzard Shop with real money. Players who have already purchased at least one wing can purchase the remaining wings through the adventure itself.

Pricing
Players can purchase wings using either gold or real money. A discount is if purchasing the entire adventure at one time using real money. "Bundle" discounts are also offered if purchasing all remaining locked wings at one time using real money.

Note while players can purchase a variable number of wings, all options above a single wing involve buying all remaining wings. For example, it is not possible to use real money to purchase the first 3 wings, and then buy the final wing later; in order to buy multiple wings using real money, the player must buy all remaining wings. It is however possible to buy individual wings, and later buy all remaining wings at once.

The following prices are for PC/Mac/Android. iPad prices may differ.

Some of these prices changed on March 22, 2017.

Encounters
The League of Explorers features numerous boss encounters, mostly of the kind familiar from earlier adventures - see Boss for details.

However, League also features some more unusual encounters, which do not involve a boss, but rather a situation from which the player must escape, such as a crumbling temple which is falling down around their ears. Instead of an enemy hero, these encounters feature a timer, counting down the player's attempt to escape their predicament. Each turn, events will take place, which may include being ambushed by new attackers, Choose One-like decisions on how to proceed through the area's traps or which treasure to grab, and environmental events such as crushing boulders.

These encounters still feature a game board as usual, with the player's minions mostly serving to defend against attack from the nefarious denizens of the zone. However, with no enemy hero, the only goal of the encounter is to survive for the stated number of turns, as the conditions grow increasingly dangerous.


 * Temple Escape
 * Mine Cart Rush

Cards
The League of Explorers adds 45 new collectible cards to the game, including 27 collectible class cards (3 for each class) and 18 collectible neutral cards, as well as 15 uncollectible cards. League of Explorers cards can be recognised by a special watermark (an explorer's hat) behind the card text, not found on other cards.

Regular versions of the cards can be obtained through beating bosses, completing wings, and defeating Class Challenges. Once the regular version of a card has been obtained, both regular and golden versions can be crafted and disenchanted for the usual amounts. Explorer's Hat and Forgotten Torch are exceptions, being awarded upon purchasing the adventure.

All cards are available for selection in the Arena, regardless of whether the player has purchased or completed the corresponding wing.

Class cards
The adventure brings 27 new collectible class-specific cards. Some are obtained through completing Class Challenges, while others are obtained through defeating regular bosses. Explorer's Hat and Forgotten Torch are special exceptions, with 2 copies of each of these cards being given to players automatically upon purchasing the first wing of the adventure.

Each class receives 3 new cards: 1 rare and 2 common. There is no connection between rarity and the means by which the cards are obtained.

Boss cards and Hero Powers
In addition to the playable cards listed above, The League of Explorers brings 122 unique cards and Hero Powers available only during the adventure's boss encounters. For a full list, see The League of Explorers boss cards.

Discover


The adventure brings a new keyword: Discover. This ability presents the player with three possible cards, which are usable by the player's current class, but which are generated, not drawn from the deck. The player can choose one of these to add to their hand. The keyword involves strong elements of both RNG and strategy, with players having to predict their needs and what will best suit their deck.


 * Dark Peddler
 * Ethereal Conjurer
 * Gorillabot A-3
 * Jeweled Scarab
 * Museum Curator
 * Raven Idol
 * Tomb Spider
 * Arch-Thief Rafaam
 * Sir Finley Mrrgglton

Replace
Debuting with Golden Monkey, Replace replaces cards in the player's hand or deck with other cards, without destroying or discarding them in the process.


 * Golden Monkey

Murlocs
From the gentleman and scholar Sir Finley Mrrgglton to the fearsome boss Giantfin, this adventure features an array of murlocs. Most importantly, players are able to obtain the following Murloc minions and related spells:


 * Sir Finley Mrrgglton
 * Murloc Tinyfin
 * Anyfin Can Happen
 * Everyfin is Awesome

Shuffle into deck
With its overarching theme of discovery, it's perhaps unsurprising that this adventure doubles the amount of shuffle into deck effects previously in the game, rewarding players for digging through their decks - or punishing them for digging a little too deep.


 * Entomb
 * Forgotten Torch
 * Ancient Shade
 * Excavated Evil
 * Elise Starseeker

Battlefields
The League of Explorers  includes two new battlefields. Matches in the first and second wings are played exclusively upon the first battlefield, while matches in the fourth wing are played exclusively on the second battlefield. The third wing reuses the Stranglethorn battlefield, though it uses music from the prior wings.

Card backs
A special card back is awarded to players for defeating all bosses in Heroic mode. The card back for Ranked play Season 20 (during which the adventure was launched) also matches the adventure.


 * Images

Storyline

 * ''For background information on the main characters, see Lore, below.

The League of Explorers are seeking a brave adventurer to assist them in finding the Staff of Origination - an ancient artifact that will fit perfectly as a centrepiece in their museum. Elise Starseeker has a lead on where the three pieces of the Staff are, and the first one lies in the Temple of Orsis.



Temple of Orsis
Assisting the player in their investigation of the Temple of Orsis is the impulsive treasure hunter Reno Jackson, who claims to have already cleared most of the traps from the Temple. However, when the two venture together into the Temple, Jackson can't resist grabbing an ancient lamp, unwittingly unleashing a certain djinni - Zinaar. Eventually the two reach the temple's treasure room, and find the first piece of the Staff - the Rod of the Sun. Unfortunately, the adventurers find it in the hands of the massive guardian Sun Raider Phaerix. Worse still, while it is only one piece of the Staff, the Rod is incredibly powerful, and grants the holder total immunity to damage.

After wresting control of the Staff from Phaerix, the adventurers find the Temple of Orsis crumbling around them, discovering too late that the Rod was the only thing keeping the Temple standing. Racing out of the collapsing structure, the two treasure hunters must avoid traps, navigate obstacles and make critical decisions as they attempt to escape, all the while contending with the ambushes of the Temple's deadly denizens.

Uldaman
With the first piece safely on display in the Hall of Explorers, Elise sends the player to the digsite Uldaman, once a mighty Titan city. With the dwarves having already partially excavated the site, Brann Bronzebeard is quick to volunteer his assistance in searching for the second piece. However, things have changed since the dwarves were at the digsite. While always plagued by troggs, one trogg has recently risen to dominance - Chieftain Scarvash - and is unwilling to allow outsiders passage within Uldaman.

While the adventurers eventually succeed in dethroning Scarvash, the Chieftain's loyal trogg followers are not too pleased with this, and the two must take flight. Luckily, Brann is familiar with some mine tracks laid by the dwarves during their earlier excavations of the site, and the two are able ride this to the centre of Uldaman, dodging attacks from the raging troggs all the while. However, waiting for them at the centre of the city is Archaedas, Titanic watcher, guardian of the vault containing the city's treasures, and holder of the second piece of the Staff.



The Ruined City
The third and final piece is believed to be deep within The Ruined City, a previously lost ruin deep in the jungles of Stranglethorn. With Sir Finley Mrrgglton already stationed in the area doing research on the local primates, the murloc gentleman is the perfect candidate to assist the player in hunting down the city, and the third piece of the Staff. However, it is Sir Finley himself who is first in need of the player's assistance, finding himself on the dinner menu of the local naga. To prevent Finley from being turned into murloc soup, the player must defeat Lord Slitherspear, with the naga hordes all the while growing hungrier and hungrier.

After freeing Finley from the cauldron, the two escape into The Ruined City. However, Finley is not the only murloc around, and the two soon run into trouble in the form of the gigantic Giantfin. After defeating the monstrous murloc, the two at last find the third piece of the Staff, the Pearl of the Tides - but it is already in the grasp of the naga sea witch, Lady Naz'jar. The adventurers will have to snatch the Pearl from the sea witch and turn it against her in order to escape.

Hall of Explorers
With all three pieces in their possession, the two return to the Hall of Explorers, to assemble the pieces of the Staff. However, they soon discover that they are not the only ones seeking the ancient artifact. A shadowy figure has been watching their every move in eager anticipation of their victorious return, and has no intention of letting them keep the Staff for the museum.

By assembling the Staff, the adventurers unwittingly trigger a curse laid upon it by the Supreme Archaeologist Arch-Thief Rafaam. The curse allows the ethereal to break through the wards surrounding the Hall of Explorers and teleport into the museum, where he uses magic from his many stolen artifacts to bring the exhibits to life, attacking the explorers.

With armies of exhibits springing to life around them, the five adventurers must band together in a fight unlike anything they've faced before, as the Arch-Thief Rafaam seizes the Staff of Origination and turns its powers to his own nefarious ends.

Dialogue
Most dialogue within the adventure takes place inside specific encounters, comprising threats, celebrations, and banter between the bosses and the player's companions. See individual boss pages for full listings, e.g., Zinaar.

However, some dialogue takes place within the menu screens of the adventure itself. This dialogue is listed below.

Launch blog
The following dialogue was featured in the launch blog.


 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''The Staff of Origination has been divided into three pieces, and they’ve been scattered across the face of Azeroth. If our translations are correct, now we know where the pieces are.


 * Brann Bronzebeard
 * ''Aye, we’re close! An ancient Titan artifact! Imagine what it’ll teach us!


 * Sir Finley Mrrgglton
 * ''Right-o, chap! Imagine how absolutely smashing it will look in the collection!


 * Reno Jackson
 * I imagine'' that it’s worth a fortune. . . Why are you all looking at me like that?

Adventure screen

 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''Good timing, adventurer; welcome to the Hall of Explorers!
 * ''We’ve got a lead on the three pieces of the Staff of Origination! Can you help us recover them?

Introduction

 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''I am Elise Starseeker, the Cartographer. We’ve got a lead on the three pieces of the Staff of Origination and could use your help!
 * ''I'll stay here and direct, but the other explorers are already in the field. Could you assist them?


 * Sir Finley Mrrgglton
 * ''We were just embarking on a mrrrgle of discovery. AHEM.  A voyage of discovery, I should say!

Wing 1
Introduction
 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''The first piece of the Staff lies in the ancient Temple of Orsis. Reno's inside already and he needs your help!

Completion
 * Arch-Thief Rafaam
 * ''So they’re looking for the Staff. Heh heh heh.

Wing 2
Introduction
 * Brann Bronzebeard
 * ''Hail, fellow explorer! I'm Brann Bronzebeard, the League's founder.  I’ve got a lead on the headpiece of the staff! It’s somewhere here in Uldaman.

Blog
 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''The Staff of Origination’s headpiece is located in Uldaman. I should caution you, Brann. It won’t be easy to get there, the excavation site is found deep within the forbidding wastes of the badlands.


 * Brann Bronzebeard
 * ''True!


 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''If you survive the journey to the site, the caverns are potentially unstable, and likely filled with venomous vermin of the most deadly sort.


 * Brann Bronzebeard
 * ''Yep!


 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''Also, we have reason to believe that the excavation is home to an entire tribe’s worth of savage, primitive, ill-tempered, and violent Troggs.


 * Brann Bronzebeard
 * Aye, that sounds like the place! I can’t wait to get started!

Completion
 * Arch-Thief Rafaam
 * ''They’ve found the second piece. My plan is nearly complete.

Wing 3
Opening
 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''The third piece of the Staff, the Pearl of the Tides, is in Stranglethorn Jungle. Sir Finley's there, but I've lost contact with him.

Blog
 * Reno Jackson
 * ''Hey there little buddy! Are you all packed up for your expedition to Stranglethorn?


 * Sir Finley Mrrgglton
 * ''Indeed I am, Reno! I find the tropical climate quite agreeable, and I’m even fluent in the dialect of the local murloc tribes. I’m quite confident I can recover the Pearl of the Tides for the League!


 * Reno Jackson
 * ''Sensational. Great. Say, speaking of murlocs—did I ever tell you about the time I made a murloc disguise to sneak into--


 * Sir Finley Mrrgglton
 * Oh, yes! Very droll story, that. Still funny the hundredth time you tell it, ha ha. Why, would you look at the time! I really must be going. Immediately. Good bye, Reno!

Completion
 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''Explorers, we've done it! After so many years, the Staff of Origination is complete.
 * Arch-Thief Rafaam
 * ''The final piece falls into place.
 * Reno Jackson
 * ''Hey, what?!
 * Arch-Thief Rafaam
 * ''Hello explorers. I am Rafaam, the Supreme Archaeologist!
 * ''Thank you for finding my staff. Let me give you a demonstration of its power!

Wing 4
Opening
 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''Rafaam's stolen the Staff and taken over the museum. He's animating the exhibits and stealing everything!

Blog

 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''Gentlemen, we must act quickly! Arch-Thief Rafaam has stolen the Staff of Origination, and now he plans to use its power to plunder the museum’s collection!


 * Brann Bronzebeard
 * ''Let ‘im try! Not one artifact passes through those gates on our watch!


 * Sir Finley Mrrgglton
 * ''Stand fast and prepare yourselves, my compatriots! Who knows what sorceries the Staff will unleash?


 * Reno Jackson
 * ''Relaaaaax. We’re the good guys. We can’t lose! Hey, did that suit of armor just wink at me?

Assembling the Staff
Early
 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''We finally have a lead on the Staff of Origination. It would be a great centerpiece for the museum.

Completion
 * Elise Starseeker
 * ''The Staff of Origination! Thanks to your heroism, the reassembled staff now lies safely in the Hall of Explorers.

Lore

 * ''For lore on the League itself, see League of Explorers (organization).


 * Scattered across ancient sites of Azeroth are pieces of a powerful artifact: the Staff of Origination.


 * The League of Explorers follows four adventurers—Elise Starseeker, Reno Jackson, Sir Finley Mrrgglton, and Brann Bronzebeard—on their journey through the deepest jungles and hidden temples of Azeroth to recover an ancient artifact. These brave explorers will face many perils as they navigate through the Temple of Orsis, Uldaman, The Ruined City, and the Hall of Explorers on their most daring quest yet!


 * Adventure awaits! Grab your hat and join the League of Explorers to reclaim an ancient artifact of immense power. Prepare to journey to remote and exotic locales, defy insidious traps in the depths of forgotten temples, and dodge unfathomable doom at every turn to discover ancient treasures.


 * Travel alongside famous treasure hunter Brann Bronzebeard and his merry band of intrepid action-archeologists on a race to uncover the pieces of the Staff of Origination, a priceless, ancient artifact. But beware, for you are not the only one who's hunting the artifact. Others have picked up the scent as well, so you'll have to play your cards right to stay one step ahead of the competition and keep the Staff of Origination from falling into the wrong hands!

Arch-Thief Rafaam
Little is known about the villainous Arch-Thief Rafaam. Known as "the supreme archaeologist", this ethereal travels across worlds seeking powerful artifacts, and most recently appears to have set his sights upon the League of Explorers and their expedition to find the Staff of Origination. Watching the adventurers' every move, the Arch-Thief has no intention of allowing the Staff to be put into the museum.

The Staff of Origination

 * "There is an artifact that is so ancient, so powerful, and so cool, that it would be the perfect addition to the museum. It's called the Staff of Origination, and one explorer has been working tirelessly to find it."

The Staff of Origination is the overall objective of the adventure, with the League seeking it to serve as the centrepiece in their museum. The Staff has been broken into three pieces, and Elise Starseeker thinks she knows where to find them. However, the League are not the only ones hunting the artifact.

This ancient artifact was once used by the s, perhaps in relation to the.


 * Constructed by the great titans, the Halls of Origination are filled with ancient relics and the fearsome guardians that protect them. Rumors abound that the complex also contains a devastating weapon capable of reordering all life on Azeroth. Deathwing has moved to obtain this terrifying device through his agent, Al'Akir the Windlord. Thus far the facility's communication systems have been fully corrupted, but the weapon inside continues to elude Deathwing's grasp.

Temple of Orsis

 * ''Pack your satchel, grab a torch, and put on your explorer’s hat, because your first expedition in The League of Explorers is taking you to the mysterious Temple of Orsis! You won’t be going alone, though! You’ll be joined by world famous explorer (and exceedingly modest hero) Reno Jackson.


 * It’ll take all of your combined cunning, wit, and above all else, restraint, to overcome the Temple’s trials and acquire the first piece of the staff for the League of Explorers!

is the city of the of. When Deathwing returned and offered the tol'vir immortality in exchange for their allegiance, the Orsis tol'vir refused. Deathwing's ally Al'Akir punished them by burying their city in the choking sands of.

While the League are not the first to explore the buried city, clearly many treasures remain unsalvaged within its ruined buildings. The Temple of Orsis in particular houses a number of artifacts including a shiny lamp, as well as the first piece of the Staff of Origination - the Rod of the Sun. However, the Rod has not been left unguarded...

While the inhabitants of the temple are dangerous enough, an even great threat awaits the explorers - the collapsing walls of the temple itself.

Uldaman

 * Uldaman, now that’s the place for a true explorer! Venomous scorpions, creepy stone guardians, ancient Titan machinery. . . it’s great! Well, except for the Troggs. Nobody likes Troggs. Anyway, world-renowned explorer Brann Bronzebeard is heading to Uldaman in pursuit of the Staff of Origination’s headpiece, and he’s graciously agreed to let you tag along!


 * It will take daring, bravery, and wit to explore Uldaman and claim the staff’s headpiece for the League of Explorers! Can you help Brann emerge unscathed from the Trogg-infested depths of Uldaman?

In World of Warcraft, is a level 30 dungeon, found in the.


 * '' is an old, complex buried deep within the . It was partially excavated, but has since fallen into the hands of the Dark Irons, who find the place ideal to dig for earthly riches. It is one of the three known ancient  cities in, the two others being Uldum in southern  and  in the.

The Ruined City

 * The Staff of Origination is nearly complete! All that’s missing now is the gem that fits into the headpiece: the Pearl of the Tides. It is, alas, secreted away somewhere in The Ruined City; an overgrown ruins set within the jungle of Stranglethorn Vale. Stranglethorn is no tropical paradise! it’s a dense, steamy jungle teeming with malignant murlocs and nefarious naga—indeed, danger lurks behind every leaf and vine! Fortunately, Sir Finley Mrrgglton is prepared to help you navigate through the wilderness to reach the ruins.

is a vast jungle located on the south-eastern corner of the. In the eastern Vale is found the ancient troll city of, while at its southern tip lies the goblin port-town of. The resulting from Deathwing's ascent split the sprawling zone in two, with it now separated by a huge and endlessly swirling whirlpool. To the south of Stranglethorn lies, home to King Mukla.

The exact location of The Ruined City is unknown, but judging by the ferocity of its inhabitants, Sir Finley Mrrgglton is likely among the first to discover it - or at least, the first to have lived to tell the tale. The city's less than welcoming denizens include Giantfin, Lady Naz'jar and Lord Slitherspear.

The Hall of Explorers

 * On the eve of triumph, disaster strikes! The pieces of the Staff of Origination have been recovered, but now they’ve fallen into the wrong hands! Now you’ll have to return to the hallowed headquarters of the League of Explorers itself and recover the staff from the vile grip of evil! Beware the artifact’s power, because who knows what havoc will be wrought once the pieces of the staff are combined! The League of Explorers is in a bind, and they need your help.

Development

 * The designers first brainstormed the idea for what would become The League of Explorers back in 2011.


 * Then Senior Vice President of Story & Franchise Development of Blizzard Entertainment inspired the adventure when he mentioned that World of Warcraft had never really explored the Explorer's League's potential, giving the developers an idea for a setting.


 * The escape encounters such as Temple Escape are one of the most original and striking features of the adventure. The designers had a prototype of this type of encounter in 2011, but it was not until The League of Explorers in 2015 that they found the right fit for it.


 * The team tried many different designs for the turn timer used in the Temple Escape and Mine Cart Rush encounters. One alternative was shared by senior user interface designer Max Ma.


 * The Discover keyword was developed "kind of" independently of The League of Explorers. Ben Brode states, "We just kind of smashed them together and it turned out that they felt very natural together."

Announcement
The adventure was revealed at 2015, on November 6. The announcement of the adventure featured the shortest delay of any content released so far. Eric Dodds announced:


 * "I'm also happy to announce that we're going to be releasing League of Explorers'' later this year."


 * * crowd cheers*


 * "And I guess since this month is technically part of "later this year"... I should probably be more specific and say we're actually launching League of Explorers'' later this month."


 * * bigger crowd cheer*


 * ''"Actually, I should probably be a little bit more specific than that..."


 * * crowd reacts with disbelief*


 * "...and tell you that League of Explorers'' is going live, the first wing starting this coming Thursday!"


 * * crowd explodes*

The release delay of only six days caught many by surprise, given that each previous adventure and expansion had had around a month long delay following the initial announcement - with the exception of Curse of Naxxramas, which saw a now infamous delay of three and a half months.

Gallery

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