Farseer Nobundo & The Galaxy’s Lens

◆ Class: Shaman
◆ Rarity: Legendary
◆ Card Type: Minion, Location
◆ Mana Cost: 5
◆ Stats: 5/5, 2 Durability
◆ Race: Draenei
◆ Effect:
(1): Deathrattle: Open the Galaxy’s Lens. It absorbs the power of the next spell you cast.
(2): Spellburst: Absorb the spell’s power!

Nebula

◆ Class: Shaman
◆ Rarity: Epic
◆ Card Type: Spell
◆ Mana Cost: 9
◆ Spell Type: Arcane
◆ Effect: Discover two 8-Cost minions to summon with Taunt and Elusive.

Cosmonaut

◆ Class: Shaman
◆ Rarity: Common
◆ Card Type: Minion
◆ Mana Cost: 7
◆ Stats: 5/5
◆ Race: Draenei
◆ Effect: Battlecry: Discover a spell from your deck. Reduce its Cost by (5).

Planetary Navigator

◆ Class: Shaman
◆ Rarity: Rare
◆ Card Type: Minion
◆ Mana Cost: 2
◆ Stats: 3/2
◆ Race: Draenei
◆ Effect: Battlecry: The next Draenei you play costs (2) less, but has Overload: (2).

First Contact

◆ Class: Shaman
◆ Rarity: Common
◆ Card Type: Spell
◆ Mana Cost: 1
◆ Effect: Summon two random 1-Cost minions. Overload: (1)

As Hearthstone celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, following the journey from a toy workshop to a vacation resort, it now ventures into the vast expanse of space.

In the Warcraft universe, space is not an unfamiliar concept. The Draenei, whose home planet was invaded by the Burning Legion, fled to other planets, sparking conflicts with the Orcs, which ultimately propelled the main storyline of Warcraft.

The Draenei, now wanderers in the cosmos, and the Burning Legion, seeking to conquer the stars aboard their spaceships, provide the backdrop for this new expansion. Set against the vastness of space, The Great Dark Beyond brings a space opera atmosphere reminiscent of iconic sci-fi sagas like Star Wars, Star Trek, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Today's legendary card, Nobundo, is a Draenei from the Warcraft universe who suffered greatly at the hands of the Burning Legion. Originally a Paladin, he was affected by Fel magic during the war against the Fel-corrupted Orcs, a conflict caused by the Burning Legion.

This exposure turned him into a Broken Draenei, twisting both his appearance and mind. Unable to wield the Light, Nobundo lost his Paladin status and was cast out by the Draenei. In this desperate situation, he began hearing the voice of the elements and, through this new enlightenment, chose the path of the Shaman. He dedicated himself to uniting the Broken Draenei and the uncorrupted Draenei.

Nobundo has since played a key role in aiding Shamans, helping players in the Crystal Hall to combat the Legion. In the Warlords of Draenor expansion, which explores parallel worlds, players can even encounter Nobundo as his uncorrupted Paladin self.

Of course, as always with Hearthstone's lighthearted tone, Nobundo appears as a mysterious and seasoned captain of a starship, exuding a wise and commanding presence. In fact, his appearance might remind some of Yoda. His illustration on the signature card is even more striking. When viewed alongside the newly revealed signature card Nebula, you get the impression of a hopeful starship venturing into the mystical depths of space.

Card Introduction, Pros, and Cons

Let's take a closer look at Farseer Nobundo. Farseer Nobundo is a 5-mana 6/4 Draenei minion with a Deathrattle ability that opens the The Galaxy’s Lens.

The Galaxy’s Lens is a location card with 2 durability. It has a unique ability to absorb spell power using Spellburst. To explain what "absorbing a spell" means: the location remembers the next spell you cast, and when you activate the location, it will cast that remembered spell.

This makes Farseer Nobundo an extraordinary card, allowing you to absorb a powerful spell with Spellburst and cast it two more times without any additional cost. Since the location opens as soon as Nobundo is summoned, you can cast a large spell twice in a row for an even greater impact. Therefore, the spell you choose should have a powerful, game changing effect, even if it is expensive.

Among the current Standard Shaman cards, some of the more impactful spells include Wish Upon a Star, which grants +2/+3 to all minions in your hand, deck, and battlefield, or Pack the House, which summons random minions with mana costs of 6, 5, 4, and 3.

Looking even further, you could consider Giant Tumbleweed!!! which deals 6 damage to all minions and summons a 6/6 minion, or Wave of Nostalgia, which transforms all minions into random past legendary minions.

Additionally, it’s important to consider the Tourist Keyword from the Perils in Paradise expansion. Shaman has received access to Hunter Tourist and Demon Hunter Tourist cards from the previous expansion, allowing the use of Hunter and Demon Hunter cards from that set.

However, among the spells these classes received in Perils in Paradise, there are relatively few high-impact options. For Hunters, Furious Fowls stands out, which summons two 3/3 minions that attack an enemy and make the player immune during the attack, potentially dealing 12 damage in one turn.

For Demon Hunters, Cliff Dive can be utilized, summoning two minions from the deck, granting them Rush, and returning them to the deck at the end of the turn. This card has already been popular in Big Shaman decks and could be even more effective with the addition of Farseer Nobundo.

Additionally, Nebula, which was revealed alongside Farseer Nobundo, is a high-cost spell that pairs well with him. This 9-mana Arcane spell allows the player to discover two 8-cost minions and summon them with Taunt and Elusive.

With 8-mana minions, value is almost guaranteed. Many powerful minions with special abilities can be discovered, such as Kologarn, Al'Akir the Windlord, and Ragnaros the Firelord. The expansion also introduces new options like Splitting Spacerock.

Since the spell uses Discover, the chance of failing due to randomness is low, and with the added Taunt and Elusive effects, it becomes difficult for the opponent to clear the board. When combined with Farseer Nobundo, it becomes possible to summon four 8-mana Taunt and Elusive minions at once, overwhelming the opponent.

There are also ways to reduce the cost of these spells, such as using Golganneth, the Thunderer or Cabaret Headliner. Other options include discovering the spell with Hagatha the Fabled or pairing it with Shudderblock.

The card Cosmonaut addresses both the search and cost reduction issues for these high-cost spells. It is a 7-mana 5/5 Draenei with a Battlecry that allows you to discover a spell from your deck and reduce its cost by 5.

Meanwhile, Planetary Navigator is a 2-mana 3/2 Draenei with a Battlecry that reduces the cost of the next Draenei you play by 2, but gives you Overload (2) in return.

This creates the possibility of playing Planetary Navigator on turn 2, enabling Cosmonaut to be played for 5 mana on turn 5. Then, Nebula could be cast immediately in the following turn. Alternatively, you could play Farseer Nobundo for 3 mana earlier in the game and prepare spells to match with The Galaxy’s Lens.

Since both cards have Battlecry effects, tempo can be accelerated further with Parrot Sanctuary, the location that reduces the cost of Battlecry minions by 1. This allows for more flexible and efficient plays, helping to maintain control of the board while setting up powerful spell combos.

Another key aspect is that all three minions introduced today have the Draenei tribe tag, which is important for synergies with several previously revealed neutral Draenei cards that work well with Shaman.

For example, Lunar Trailblazer is a 5-mana 6/4 Draenei with a Battlecry that makes the cost of a random spell in hand equal to the minion's cost. By reducing the cost with Planetary Navigator, Nebula can be played more cheaply. Additionally, various Draenei minions can be duplicated using Astral Vigilant, creating stronger board control.

After playing enough Draenei, Velen, Leader of the Exiled allows the reactivation of all Battlecries and Deathrattles from the previously played Draenei, enabling a second round of powerful effects. This creates a variety of synergy options, which is a standout feature of this Shaman deck.

The final card, First Contact, is a 1-mana spell that summons two random 1-cost minions and has Overload (1). This card can be used to establish early tempo or trigger Overload synergies with cards such as Flowrider or Jazz Bass. In Evolve decks, it also serves to expand the board while preparing for Wave of Nostalgia.

Overall

Recently, Shaman has performed well in the meta across a variety of deck archetypes, from Nature and Elemental builds to Evolve, Highlander, and Big Minion decks. The class has demonstrated its versatility, offering multiple viable deck-building options.

Now, with Farseer Nobundo at the forefront, the door has opened for Big Spell or Draenei-themed decks. The mana curve fits well, and there are multiple synergy possibilities, suggesting that these new parts can not only enhance existing Shaman archetypes but also pave the way for entirely new deck types.

What future does the Farseer see ahead? Shaman is ready to journey beyond the Great Dark Beyond, exploring new paths in the endless expanse of space. All aboard for the adventure!