This is probably all pie-in-the-sky thinking, but I'd really like to see the teams introduced in Frostheart make it into the campaign too - after all they will be central to Hex for at least the next 3 sets, too.
I have pondered how they might possibly be introduced without a major overhaul of the content...
Create Champion screen
Each of the new teams can be implemented as a new class for an existing race, so wouldn't require an overhaul of the Create Champion screen (just a small adjustment when the rest of the planned core classes are introduced):
Each of the new team classes can be based on an existing class, so have the same talent tree as that base class:
Suggestions below...
Shard grid
Shard grids need a bit of a tweak:
With the idea being to avoid a major overhaul, I suggest just leaving all story content & rewards alone - not practical/desirable to encourage rolling 4 identical characters to build a playset of reward cards anyway!
Actually; would be nice to have 1 good new prismatic PvE card per team - get 1 copy of it at the point where would get the normal 4 different cards per race (3 early in in chapter 1 and 4th at start of chapter 2).
Race-class talent suggestions - Blightbark
A new Pet seems the easiest way to work Deathcry into the powerset, and we want to find a way to make ranger work anyway for the plant talents.
I have opted for an Undead Beast (rather than a plant) as I suspect the next set will take that direction, introducing Plague and Famine (see First Rites).
Class Power - Call Blighthound/Train Blighthound
: 2 > If you control Blighthound, Blighthound gets +1
/+1
. Otherwise, summon Blighthound.
Blighthound (2B)
Troop - Pet Undead Beast Unique
Deathcry: Summon an Abomination. It gets +
/+
each equal to this troop's
and
.
1
/1 ![[DEFENSE]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Defense-Icon-18px.png)
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Unnatural Selection
: 0 > Sacrifice target troop you control. Then, put target troop from your crypt into your hand.
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Bad Seed
At the start of the game, a random troop in your hand gets "Deathcry - Summon a Blightbush."
Race-class talent suggestions - Luminaries
The crucial Blessing talent pretty much writes itself!
Sadly have to make the level 30 balance crumby to balance, and because the base Human cleric talent is so awful it wouldn't be very fair otherwise.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Enhance Blessing: Lyvaanth's Blessing
Your Blessings have "Illuminate 1."
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - The Light of Lumos
If you are on a dungeon boss encounter you start with a Candlekin in play.
Race-class talent suggestions - The Cult of the Nameless City
Since Necrotic Mage is pretty much the worst character class combo in the game at the moment and the Necrotic class talents are useless to the CotNC however, not aiming for parity in this case.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Learn Spell: Fugue
2* > Bury the top 2 cards of each opposing champion's deck.
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Feed the Mind
When a resource enters an opponent's crypt, gain 1 health.
Race-class talent suggestions - The Merry Caravan
I didn't want to just steal Puff's power, but the new spell really needs to be one that transforms a friendly troop - got to synergize the same way.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Learn Spell: Party Animal
5* > Revert and transform target troop you control into a Merry Squirrel.
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Bon Vivant
At the start of the game, create a random Cheese or Wine and put it into your hand. It loses all thresholds.
Race-class talent suggestions - The Pack
Since being represented by a jacked Orc - and The Pack not yet demonstrating any artifact themes - these talents focus on the gladiatorial aspect of The Pack.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Training: Gladiatorial Combat
Your Trained troops in all zones have Gladiator 1.
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Alpha Strike
If you Battle a champion, troops you control get Speed and Crush this turn.
Race class portrait concepts
Blightbark
Blightbark doesn't canonically have any other Elves right now, but we can double down on Lord Blightbark and the Plague & Famine 'lord of the hunt' aspect...
Luminaries
Since all Luminaries are clerics anyway & have a strong aesthetic, portrait should follow suit while (since just the one portrait) covering all bases...
Basically Forbidden Tomeseeker AA is the archetype here...
I lean towards Rollicking Reveler as the inspiration, rather than continuing the current portrait theme - probably don't go full Merry Cravan (e.g. Whimsy Witch)...
The inspiration here is 100% Jackhat Heckler...
I have pondered how they might possibly be introduced without a major overhaul of the content...
Create Champion screen
Each of the new teams can be implemented as a new class for an existing race, so wouldn't require an overhaul of the Create Champion screen (just a small adjustment when the rest of the planned core classes are introduced):
- Blightbark = New Elf class.
- Luminaries = New Human class - female only.
- The Cult of the Nameless City = New Necrotic class.
- The Merry Caravan = New Elf class.
- The Pack = New Orc class (concept is of a jacked Orc accompanied by a Gnoll 'handler').
Each of the new team classes can be based on an existing class, so have the same talent tree as that base class:
- Blightbark = Ranger (plant synergy & planned Pet).
- Luminaries = Cleric.
- The Cult of the Nameless City = Mage.
- The Merry Caravan = Mage (seem to favor them).
- The Pack = Warrior (jacked archetype).
Suggestions below...
Shard grid
Shard grids need a bit of a tweak:
- Blightbark = Swap ruby for blood.
- Luminaries = No change or - ideally - change to a D/R grid based on the Elf model (favor rare & legendary).
- The Cult of the Nameless City = No change or - ideally - change to a B/S grid based on the Vennen model (balanced).
- The Merry Caravan = Swap ruby for sapphire.
- The Pack = Swap blood for wild.
With the idea being to avoid a major overhaul, I suggest just leaving all story content & rewards alone - not practical/desirable to encourage rolling 4 identical characters to build a playset of reward cards anyway!
Actually; would be nice to have 1 good new prismatic PvE card per team - get 1 copy of it at the point where would get the normal 4 different cards per race (3 early in in chapter 1 and 4th at start of chapter 2).

Race-class talent suggestions - Blightbark
A new Pet seems the easiest way to work Deathcry into the powerset, and we want to find a way to make ranger work anyway for the plant talents.
I have opted for an Undead Beast (rather than a plant) as I suspect the next set will take that direction, introducing Plague and Famine (see First Rites).
Class Power - Call Blighthound/Train Blighthound
![[BASIC]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Basic-Icon-18px.png)
![[ATTACK]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Attack-Icon-18px.png)
![[DEFENSE]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Defense-Icon-18px.png)
Blighthound (2B)
Troop - Pet Undead Beast Unique
Deathcry: Summon an Abomination. It gets +
![[ATTACK]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Attack-Icon-18px.png)
![[DEFENSE]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Defense-Icon-18px.png)
![[ATTACK]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Attack-Icon-18px.png)
![[DEFENSE]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Defense-Icon-18px.png)
1
![[ATTACK]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Attack-Icon-18px.png)
![[DEFENSE]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Defense-Icon-18px.png)
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Unnatural Selection
![[BASIC]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/Basic-Icon-18px.png)
![[ONESHOT]](https://forums.hextcg.com/wcf/images/smilies/OneShot-Icon-18px.png)
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Bad Seed
At the start of the game, a random troop in your hand gets "Deathcry - Summon a Blightbush."
Race-class talent suggestions - Luminaries
The crucial Blessing talent pretty much writes itself!
Sadly have to make the level 30 balance crumby to balance, and because the base Human cleric talent is so awful it wouldn't be very fair otherwise.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Enhance Blessing: Lyvaanth's Blessing
Your Blessings have "Illuminate 1."
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - The Light of Lumos
If you are on a dungeon boss encounter you start with a Candlekin in play.
Race-class talent suggestions - The Cult of the Nameless City
Since Necrotic Mage is pretty much the worst character class combo in the game at the moment and the Necrotic class talents are useless to the CotNC however, not aiming for parity in this case.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Learn Spell: Fugue
2* > Bury the top 2 cards of each opposing champion's deck.
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Feed the Mind
When a resource enters an opponent's crypt, gain 1 health.
Race-class talent suggestions - The Merry Caravan
I didn't want to just steal Puff's power, but the new spell really needs to be one that transforms a friendly troop - got to synergize the same way.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Learn Spell: Party Animal
5* > Revert and transform target troop you control into a Merry Squirrel.
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Bon Vivant
At the start of the game, create a random Cheese or Wine and put it into your hand. It loses all thresholds.
Race-class talent suggestions - The Pack
Since being represented by a jacked Orc - and The Pack not yet demonstrating any artifact themes - these talents focus on the gladiatorial aspect of The Pack.
Level 1 Race-Class Combo Talent - Training: Gladiatorial Combat
Your Trained troops in all zones have Gladiator 1.
Level 30 Race-Class Combo Talent - Alpha Strike
If you Battle a champion, troops you control get Speed and Crush this turn.
Race class portrait concepts
Blightbark
Blightbark doesn't canonically have any other Elves right now, but we can double down on Lord Blightbark and the Plague & Famine 'lord of the hunt' aspect...
- Regal bearing.
- Pallid.
- Strong Blightbark color palette.
- Carrying a bow, or alternatively - to emphasie atypical Elf behaviour - a crossbow.
- In repose, rather than an action stance.
Luminaries
Since all Luminaries are clerics anyway & have a strong aesthetic, portrait should follow suit while (since just the one portrait) covering all bases...
- Light armor and robes together - Candlelit Zealot is a good model.
- White as primary color, but with red in outfit or a strongly red background.
- Not too sedate, but not mid-attack - purposeful pose akin to Scion of Lyvaanth.
Basically Forbidden Tomeseeker AA is the archetype here...
- Holding a book.
- Work some tentacles in to the image, without the character themselves being mutated.
- Blue and purple palette.
I lean towards Rollicking Reveler as the inspiration, rather than continuing the current portrait theme - probably don't go full Merry Cravan (e.g. Whimsy Witch)...
- Party backdrop.
- Other people in frame - caravan folk, but not other Elves.
- Smiling or laughing.
- Bright skin and clothes.
- Not wearing robes.
The inspiration here is 100% Jackhat Heckler...
- The character is a jacked Orc, but the Gnoll handler should be front & centre with them (in the in-match portrait too).
- Vivid green skin like the Orc on Jackhat Heckler, but red-hue background.
- Gnoll wearing jackhat contol gauntlet.
- Gnoll unarmed, since not the combatant.
Member of The Unnamed Council - the Hex TCG PvE Guild
The post was edited 5 times, last by Corvus ().