Hearthstone Battlegrounds Dark Gifts 37.0.2 now guarantee at least two minions of your most common type in every Dark Gift Discover from turn 7 onwards. Previously, that protection only started on turn 10. The November 3 patch also weakens a couple of early Gifts while strengthening options such as Incubation, Hostility and Resistance.
Waiting until the middle of a match now gives you a better chance of finding minions that fit your warband. That doesn’t mean you should save every use. Here’s exactly what changed and when it’s worth spending your Gold.
Hearthstone Battlegrounds Dark Gifts 37.0.2: the turn 7 to 9 Discover guarantee
You can first use Dark Discovery on turn 3. Each use costs 3 Gold and offers a choice of three minions, each with a Dark Gift. You can activate the button once per turn, up to three times per game. Patch 37.0.2 changes the types of minions offered from turn 7, not those costs or limits.
| Turn | Guaranteed minion types |
|---|---|
| 3 to 6 | No new two-minion guarantee announced |
| 7 to 9 | At least two minions of your most common type |
| 10 onward | The existing at-least-two guarantee remains |
Say you’re building around Elementals. On turn 8, at least two of your Dark Gift Discover options will be Elementals. The third can be something else, and the rule doesn’t guarantee a particular Tavern Tier or Gift. Blizzard hasn’t said how ties between equally common types are resolved.
That’s useful when you’re trying to strengthen a particular warband without gambling all three options on unrelated minion types. You still need to judge the Gift attached to each offered minion.
Hearthstone Battlegrounds Dark Gifts 37.0.2 buffs and nerfs
The balance changes push in two directions. Fresh Perspective and Toughened Shield are less attractive early on, while Incubation, Hostility and Resistance offer bigger bonuses. Desecration was also weakened, so it isn’t a blanket buff to late-game Gifts.
| Dark Gift | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Perspective | Offered turns 3 to 5 | Offered turns 4 to 5 |
| Toughened Shield | Turns 3 to 6, +3 Health per card played | Turns 3 to 5, +2 Health per card played |
| Incubation | +4/+4, doubles stats in 2 turns | +6/+6, doubles stats in 2 turns |
| Hostility | Doubles Attack at Start of Combat | +15 Attack, then doubles Attack |
| Resistance | Doubles Health at Start of Combat | +15 Health, then doubles Health |
| Desecration | +3/+3 per card discarded | +3/+2 per card discarded |
Incubation now starts with an extra +2/+2 before its delayed doubling. Hostility and Resistance gain 15 points in the relevant stat on top of their doubling effects. Toughened Shield, by contrast, grants less Health per card played and has a shorter window to appear.
These figures are specific to the named Gifts. The patch notes don’t announce new drop rates or promise that you’ll be offered a particular Gift in every Discover.
Hearthstone Battlegrounds Dark Gifts 37.0.2: other turn changes
Blizzard shortened the availability windows for several options. Battle Scars now appears on turns 7 to 9 rather than 7 to 10. Charisma runs from 7 to 10 instead of 7 to 11, while Sharpened Sword appears on turns 3 to 5 rather than 3 to 6.
Golemancy can now appear from turns 9 to 12, extending its former 9 to 11 range. Worship has moved from turn 12 to turn 11. Relentless Deflector is also no longer offered alongside Furtiveness.
The available turns matter. If you’re saving a use for Battle Scars, for example, turn 10 is now too late. Golemancy, on the other hand, can still show up on turn 12.
Should you use your Dark Gifts early or save them?
The Hearthstone Battlegrounds Dark Gifts 37.0.2 update makes saving a use more appealing, but don’t sacrifice a stable board just to reach turn 7. An early 3-Gold Discover can still be the right choice when you need to avoid taking damage.
The Hearthstone Battlegrounds Dark Gifts 37.0.2 change matters most from turn 7, when the Discover pool starts favouring your main minion type. Look at the minions you already own, the Gift attached to each option and whether the reward matters immediately or needs time to grow. Your current board matters more than following a fixed rule about saving every Gift.
Other Battlegrounds changes are worth knowing about: Living Azerite now gives Tavern Elementals +3/+3 per Tavern spell instead of +4/+3, Expert Aviator has left the minion pool, and Murcules has returned. Those changes don’t affect how many Dark Gifts you can discover.
Hearthstone Battlegrounds Dark Gifts 37.0.2 FAQ
Does the guarantee start at turn 7? Yes, at least two offered minions now share your most common type from that turn onward. Does it end on turn 9? No, it continues at turn 10 and later. Which Dark Gifts were buffed? Hostility, Resistance and Incubation. How many Dark Gift Discoveries can I use? Up to three in a match, once per turn, costing 3 Gold each.
In practice, decide based on your board. Spend a Dark Gift use early if it helps you survive, or save one for turn 7 onwards if you’re comfortable waiting for a Discover that’s more likely to match your main minion type.
Official source: Blizzard’s Hearthstone 37.0.2 patch notes.
