Hearthstone Patch 7.1 nerfs Small-Time Buccaneer and Spirit Claws, tweaks ranked ladder

Pirates have been running wild in Hearthstone for too long, and Blizzard is finally doing something about it. In the upcoming Patch 7.1, two of the biggest culprits in the all-encompassing aggro meta will be taking hits: Small-Time Buccaneer and Spirit Claws.

Small-Time Buccaneer will have its health dropped to 1, significantly impacting its ability to trade early with other, less powerful one-drops. Gone are the days of seeing your Voidwalker or Northshire Cleric picked off by the little guy on turn two, only to get whacked in the face by him on turn three.

Also on the chopping block is the Buccaneer’s best bud, Spirit Claws, which will cost two mana from 7.1 forward. As it turns out, a class like Shaman with easy access to Spell Power and the Small-Time guy doesn’t exactly need a single-mana weapon option.

Also included in 7.1 will be changes to the way Hearthstone’s ranked ladder works. Now, if a player reaches ranks 15, 10, or 5, they can’t drop below those “floors” upon losing matches. Previously, that floor only existed at rank 20. The change should significantly reduce the grindy nature of climbing through the Hearthstone ranked ladder.

For how the nerfs will affect the meta, head over to the Yahoo Esports Hearthstone hub.

Follow Taylor Cocke on Twitter @taylorcocke.