Blizzard's Hearthstone patch 17.4.1 was released today, introducing several balance changes to Hearthstone's "Battlegrounds" mode. This time around, several Hero Powers will be adjusted, as well as the three beast minions; Twin Slice's cost and attack power have been increased by 1 each, and the Demon Hunter will also receive a new nerf.

This patch follows the solo adventure Trial by Felfire, which was unlocked yesterday. The adventure, consisting of five chapters, focuses on Alanna, sister of Eris Starseeker, as she teams up to take on Mecha Jaraxxus. Upon logging in, you will be presented with a new quest to finish the first chapter in exchange for packs of "Year of the Dragon," "Ashes of Outland," and "Rise of Shadow." All adventures are free and are unlocked as you defeat enemies. Completing all five chapters will only take a few hours and will return the Rusted Legion card. In between each battle, prepare to laugh and sigh along with the tireless rhyming dialogue.

Battlegrounds heroes Reno Jackson and Lord Jaraxxus each have their hero power cost reduced by 1 gold; Millificient Manastorm's passive hero power is "I'm in Bob's Tavern. Mechs get +1/+1" will now be displayed. As for hero changes, Maiev Shadowsong's dormant minions "no longer reduce the number of minions displayed when Bob's Tavern refreshes. It will be interesting to see if these buffs are enough to give each hero the boost they need, but so far these adjustments seem very positive.

In Battlegrounds minions, Scavenging Hyena drops to Tier 1. This is a small win for this beast, but its impact will be minimal compared to the other changes; Rabid Saurolisk will get +1 health, but will move up to Tier 2, which should be slightly more fair. Of the three minions, the notable one is Monstrous Macaw, a 3/2. Health and Beast Tag will remain the same, but will move up to Tier 3. A recent addition to the pool, it quickly proved to be too powerful for Tier 2. The Hearthstone team has reacted sharply to this, but we will have to wait and see if this adjustment is severe enough.

Turning to Standard, the change to "Twin Cutting" is going to hit "Demon Hunter" hard. Paying an extra mana for +1 attack doesn't seem so disastrous, but the synergy with cards like "Artruis, the Exiled," "Battle Fiend," and "Proficiency in Grenade Binding" will be weakened. While you'll still have to wait a turn for certain combos, you'll still be able to play "Twin Slice". If you're a Wild player, this is a real treat since Odd Demon Hunter got a cheeky buff.

These are the highlights of the 17.4.1 Hearthstone patch; Arena fans will be disappointed to hear that there is still no update on Arena rotations; Battlegrounds tweaks and solo adventures should keep players occupied for now. Trial by Felfire challenge mode will be unlocked on June 24. This will bring the focus back to building decks to defeat raid bosses. More packs are available as participation prizes, and completing all challenges will earn you a golden Kael'thas Sunstrider; the Burndown Tavern Brawl will also return next Wednesday, and the Trial by Felfire challenge mode will be available on June 11.