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Core is the primary card set of Hearthstone. It was first made available on March 30, 2021, along with Forged in the Barrens launch.

The purpose of the Core is to provide a modern collection of starting cards to players of all types and make Hearthstone even more approachable for newcomers. Some of the Core cards are returning from previous sets, some are reimagined favorites, some are completely new. Regardless, all Core cards can be obtained for free through leveling up classes, while their golden cards can be obtained by winning in Ranked, Arena, or Duels games.

Unlike Basic and Classic, which were the main card sets of Hearthstone, Core will be refreshed each year. At the end of every year, a new Core Set will take the place of the previous, comprised of new and existing cards. When that happens, Core cards that are rotating will be swapped with new ones in the player's Collection automatically. The original versions of these cards can still be crafted and disenchanted, but the player will be unable to keep their Core versions.[1][2]

Core cards can be used at any time in Standard and Wild format, as well as Twist format provided the set is in the current available card sets, although you may still only have the normal number of copies of any given card in your deck (two for most rarities, one for legendaries).

Notes[]

  • All the old cards in the Core set will have two versions that exist in parallel: One from the original set, and one from the Core set.
    • The original version can be crafted or disenchanted for Arcane Dust, while the Core version is uncraftable.
    • The Core set version is temporary and can be removed depending on the announcement of the next year's Core set.
    • In Wild format, both the original and Core versions are associated; therefore you can only bring either 2 copies of either of them. For example, you can only put:
    • Both versions are treated as the same cards for the Highlander cards' conditions.
    • Both versions are treated as separate cards for some mechanics like Discover and generation. For example:
    • In Collection manager, when you filter cards by format (Standard Cards or Wild Cards), the collection manager will prioritize the Core version over the original one if you have any copies of the Core version to display.
    • The Core set version functions like how Wild Event did.
  • Core versions of Legacy cards are not usable in Classic format. Only their original Legacy versions are usable.

How to get[]

Core cards are free to obtain without using gold or real money to purchase them.

  • Regular Core cards can be obtained by raising your class levels, up to 10 for class cards, and sum of them to 60 for neutral cards.
  • Golden Core cards can be obtained through the Progression achievements, which involve in winning Ranked, Arena, or Duels games.

Cards[]

Year of the Wolf's Core set consists of 284 collectible but uncraftable cards. They can be recognized with the year's watermark behind the card text, not found on other cards.

Customize this list

Neutral

CORE ICC 023
CORE CS2 188
CORE ULD 191
CORE CS2 189
CS3 037
CORE UNG 205
CORE ULD 723
CORE SCH 312
CORE EX1 011
CORE EX1 010
CORE GVG 085
CORE NEW1 018
CORE EX1 162
CORE GVG 076
CORE NEW1 023
CORE ULD 271
CORE CS2 142
CORE EX1 096
CORE EX1 082
CORE EX1 506
CORE LOOT 413
CS3 038
CORE EX1 049
CORE EX1 007
CORE BOT 021
CORE LOE 039
CORE GIL 534
CORE CS2 122
CORE SW 072
CORE UNG 928
CORE CS2 182
CORE NEW1 022
CORE ICC 026
CORE SW 066
CORE CS2 179
CORE GIL 667
CORE EX1 028
CORE BOT 563
CORE CS2 222
CORE LOOT 137
CORE YOP 032
CORE EX1 509
CORE EX1 059
CORE SCH 713
CS3 022
CORE FP1 007
CORE NEW1 020
CORE EX1 103
CORE UNG 844
CORE EX1 093
CORE OG 254
CORE GIL 622
CORE BOT 312
CORE EX1 043
CORE EX1 284
CORE EX1 095
CORE CFM 790
CORE NEW1 021
CORE EX1 507
CORE NEW1 027
CORE ULD 209
CORE EX1 005
CORE UNG 848
CORE EX1 586
CORE EX1 012
CORE LOOT 516
CORE EX1 002
CS3 025
CS3 024
CORE BOT 548
CORE EX1 110
CORE EX1 249
CORE GVG 110
CS3 035
CORE EX1 298
CS3 031
CS3 034
CS3 032
CS3 033
CS3 036

Related cards

DREAM 05
ULD 209t
GVG 110t
DREAM 04
BOT 312t
CORE EX1 506a
ICC 026t
Ds1 whelptoken
DREAM 01
DREAM 02
DREAM 03
FP1 007t
EX1 110t

Death Knight

RLK 503
RLK 034
RLK 958
RLK 061
RLK 025
RLK 511
RLK 708
RLK 024
RLK 709
RLK 060
RLK 077
RLK 067
RLK 720
RLK 079
RLK 039
RLK 715
RLK 753
RLK 101
RLK 048
RLK 705
RLK 710
RLK 226
RLK 752
RLK 125
RLK 707
RLK 115
RLK 744
RLK 223
RLK 082
RLK 224
RLK 071
RLK 085

Related cards

RLK 039t
RLK 077t
RLK 061t
RLK 085t
RLK 705t
RLK 907t
RLK 008t
RLK 070t
RLK 226t

Demon Hunter

CORE BT 351
CORE BT 480
CORE YOP 001
CORE BT 035
CORE BT 514
CORE BT 491
CORE BT 921
CORE BT 036
CS3 017
CORE BT 427
CORE BT 416
CS3 020
CORE BT 801
CORE BT 355
CORE BT 271
CORE BT 187
CORE BT 429

Related cards

BT 429p2
BT 429p
BT 036t

Druid

CORE TRL 243
CORE AT 037
CORE GIL 663
CORE DMF 057
CORE EX1 160
CORE DMF 058
CORE EX1 154
CORE OG 047
CORE EX1 158
CORE CS2 013
CORE EX1 165
CORE EX1 169
CORE CS2 009
CORE EX1 164
CORE NEW1 008
CORE DMF 733
CORE EX1 573

Related cards

CS2 013t
AT 037t
EX1 158t
EX1 573t
GIL 663t
EX1 160t
EX1 165t1
EX1 165t2
OG 044a

Choice cards

AT 037a
AT 037b
EX1 160b
EX1 154b
EX1 154a
EX1 160a
OG 047b
OG 047a
EX1 164b
EX1 164a
EX1 165b
EX1 165a
NEW1 008b
NEW1 008a
EX1 573a
EX1 573b

Hunter

CORE LOOT 222
CORE UNG 912
CORE EX1 610
CORE EX1 611
CORE BRM 013
CORE NEW1 031
CORE EX1 617
CORE DAL 371
CORE DS1 185
CORE DS1 184
CORE KAR 004
CORE DED 009
CS3 015
CORE LOOT 079
CORE EX1 534
CORE DRG 256
CORE EX1 543

Related cards

EX1 534t
KAR 004a
NEW1 034
NEW1 033
NEW1 032

Mage

CORE LOOT 231
CORE UNG 018
CORE BOT 453
CORE GIL 801
CORE UNG 020
CORE CS2 023
CORE EX1 289
CORE SW 107
CORE CS2 029
CORE KAR 076
CORE KAR 009
CORE EX1 287
CORE LOOT 101
CORE CS2 028
CORE EX1 279
CORE BOT 103
CS3 001

Related cards

UNG 809t1

Paladin

CORE ICC 038
CORE EX1 362
CORE TRL 307
CORE CFM 753
CORE BT 292
TTN 851
CORE DRG 229
CORE CS2 093
CORE CS2 094
CORE AT 075
CORE CS2 092
CORE OG 273
CORE CS2 097
CORE DRG 226
CORE EX1 619
CORE GVG 061
TTN 908
CORE DMF 240
CORE EX1 383

Related cards

CS2 101t
EX1 383t

Priest

CORE AT 055
CORE CS1 130
CORE EX1 193
CORE SW 441
CORE AT 011
CORE ICC 210
CORE EX1 622
CORE CS1 112
CS3 013
CORE CS3 014
CS3 028
CORE CFM 605
CORE CFM 606
CORE EX1 197
CORE GVG 008
CORE SW 448
CORE DAL 721

Related cards

CFM 606t
EX1 625t

Rogue

CORE CS2 072
CORE EX1 144
CORE AT 029
CORE CS2 074
CORE KAR 069
CORE LOOT 204
CORE EX1 124
CORE EX1 129
CORE SCH 706
CORE CS2 076
CORE DAL 416
CORE BT 707
CORE EX1 134
CORE LOOT 211
CORE EX1 145
CORE BT 188
CORE GIL 598

Related cards

BT 707t

Shaman

CORE GIL 600
CORE EX1 238
CS3 007
CORE AT 053
CORE EX1 565
CORE BOT 533
CORE EX1 246
CORE CS2 046
CORE CS2 042
CORE EX1 248
CORE EX1 259
CORE OG 028
CORE SW 114
CORE CS2 053
CORE EX1 567
CORE DMF 709
CORE NEW1 010

Related cards

Hexfrog
EX1 tk11

Warlock

CORE EX1 319
CORE EX1 302
CORE BOT 222
CORE CS2 065
CORE ICC 055
CORE GIL 191
CORE CS2 062
CORE BRM 006
CORE UNG 833
CORE FP1 022
CORE CFM 751
CORE ICC 041
CORE EX1 309
CORE BT 304
CORE EX1 312
CORE EX1 323
CORE GVG 021

Related cards

BRM 006t
CORE GIL 191t
EX1 tk33
EX1 323w
BT 304t
EX1 tk34

Warrior

CORE CS2 108
CORE EX1 391
CORE EX1 400
CORE AT 064
CORE EX1 603
CORE ULD 195
CORE EX1 606
CORE GIL 653
CORE SW 094
CORE DMF 521
CORE EX1 604
CORE BOT 104
CORE EX1 410
CORE BT 117
CORE EX1 407
CORE ULD 258
CORE EX1 414

Related cards

DMF 521t

Design[]

At the time of the Core set's introduction, the Classic set comprised 240 cards while the Basic set had another 143, for a total of 383 evergreen cards. With 148 less cards each year, the dev team can focus on making each set of evergreen cards more consistently impactful and relevant to the current meta.[3]

History[]

  • Year of the Gryphon Core set
    • On February 9, 2021, Core set was first announced, giving the players a brief description of how the Core set and the rotation works.[4]
    • On February 19, 2021, along with announcement of Forged in the Barrens and Year of the Gryphon, some of the core cards had been revealed.[5]
    • On February 25, 2021, the full details of Year of the Gryphon's Core set had been revealed on PlayHearthstone Library website.
    • Between February 25 and early March 2021, Stonetusk Boar and Bluegill Warrior were originally part of the first Core set, but both were changed from Charge to Rush in exchange for 1 more attack. Due to player feedback, the two minions were left unchanged for the Legacy set, while the new minions CoreEmerald Skytalon and CoreRedgill Razorjaw took their place with the intended changes.[6]
    • On March 30, 2021, Year of the Gryphon's Core set was released.
  • Year of the Hydra Core set
  • Year of the Wolf Core set
    • On March 23, 2023, the full details of Year of the Wolf's Core set were revealed, with 70 cards both leaving and entering the Core set.[8]
    • On April 11, 2023, Year of the Wolf's Core set was released.
    • Year of the Wolf's Core set introduced Tradeable as a new evergreen keyword, as well as Magnetic returning for just this year. Priests also received a new class-exclusive keyword, Overheal, which was proactively added to older cards.
    • This year's Core set was designed to be "more flexible" than usual by allowing for both planned adjustments and unplanned balance changes. Cards could be rotated from Core early or new cards could be added in the middle of the year as needed.
    • In Patch 27.0.0.181554, two new cards were added to the Core set and used right away: CoreResistance Aura and CoreCrusader Aura. From this onwards, Aura is considered to be one of Paladin's design spaces.[9]

References[]

 
  1. Blizzard Entertainment (2021-02-09). Introducing the Core Set and Classic Format
  2. Celestalon on Twitter. (2021-02-09). 
  3. Celestalon on Twitter. (2021-02-09). 
  4. Introducing the Core Set and Classic Format. (2021-02-09). Retrieved on 2022-04-16.
  5. Welcome to the Year of the Gryphon. (2021-02-19). Retrieved on 2022-04-16.
  6. Patch 20.0.0.77662
  7. Blizzard Entertainment (2022-04-05). Welcome to the Year of the Hydra. PlayHearthstone. Retrieved on 2022-04-16.
  8. Blizzard Entertainment (2023-23-03). Year of the Wolf Core Set Update!. PlayHearthstone. Retrieved on 2023-04-11.
  9. Aleco Pors (2023-07-31). Developer Insight: Paladin and Core Set Changes. Blizzard Forums. Retrieved on 2023-08-12.
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