Zhuoqi Liu

Nightmare of Moonglade

A 130-card fan-made Hearthstone expansion translating a Warcraft story into keywords, class pairings, and card rules.

  • Excel
  • Adobe Photoshop
Timeline
Sep 2020 – Mar 2021
Role
Game systems design and rules writing
Outcome
130-card Hearthstone fan expansion
Nightmare of Moonglade title artwork over a purple forest, with the Hearthstone logo and a lone figure on the path.
Section

Nightmare of Moonglade is a fan-made expansion based on World of Warcraft: Stormrage. I designed the card rules, class pairings, costs, and stats, and built the 130-card set in Excel and Adobe Photoshop.

The setting, interface, and card frames are Blizzard Entertainment’s; the illustrations are sourced artwork. Full attribution appears in the Credits.

Awaken: using the End Turn signal

In the novel, Malfurion sleeps in the Emerald Dream while the nightmare spreads across the world. I wanted Awaken to connect his awakening to a moment when the player has run out of available actions.

Awaken triggers the first time the End Turn button turns green each turn. Cards with the keyword then provide an additional effect, potentially opening up more actions. I chose the existing button state as a visible cue, with the aim of making the trigger easy to recognize.

Awaken concept diagram: available actions, the first green End Turn state, Awaken resolution, and the green state after additional actions are spent.
Awaken resolves at the first green state each turn, before any additional actions are spent.
Story and mechanic concepts

I used three story situations to guide the rules: Malfurion’s awakening, opposing camps, and temporary cooperation between factions. The concept boards connect those situations to Awaken, Blessing and Nightmare cards, dual-class Sidequests, and Partner.

Concept board connecting Malfurion’s awakening to the Awaken keyword and additional player actions.
Malfurion’s awakening informed the Awaken trigger.
Concept board connecting opposing camps to Blessing and Nightmare cards and dual-class Sidequests.
The opposing camps informed Blessing and Nightmare cards and dual-class Sidequests.
Concept board connecting cooperation between factions to Partner and the Books of Experience.
Cooperation between factions informed Partner and the Books of Experience.

Class pairings and card design

I split the 10 classes into two story-based camps: six resisting the nightmare and four aligned with it. I mapped each class’s strengths and shared mechanics in worksheets, then used that overlap and the card allocation to choose cards for five class pairs.

Blessing and Nightmare cards. Each class has a minion that shuffles three copies of a spell into the player’s deck; the spell casts when drawn. The two card families represent the opposing camps. Blessed Paladin generates a Blessing that summons and buffs Silver Hand Recruits, while Demon Hunter’s Nightmare generates a spell that damages an enemy and gives the hero additional attack.

Partner. Partner applies when the opponent is the class paired with the player’s class. For example, a Druid activates Partner against a Warrior. I used that matchup condition to represent the story’s temporary alliances. The Book of Chaos normally Discovers one spell from the partner class and grants Armor equal to its cost; Partner increases the Discover effect to two spells.

Dual-class Sidequests. I adapted Hearthstone’s existing Sidequests to the paired classes and based their objectives on shared mechanics. Into Moonglade uses the Hunter and Rogue overlap: play two Secrets to equip an Eaglehorn Bow. Three’s a Crowd asks Warrior and Druid to summon three Taunt minions, then resummons them at the start of the next turn.

Three dual-class Sidequests. Into Moonglade rewards playing two Secrets with an Eaglehorn Bow; Three’s a Crowd resummons three Taunt minions at the start of the next turn.
The quests use shared class mechanics: Secrets for Hunter and Rogue, and Taunt for Warrior and Druid.
Class pairings and card allocation

Warrior and Druid, Nightmare resistance. Shared mechanics: Rush, Taunt, Armor, and hero attack. Warrior cards emphasize weapons and Rush; Druid cards use Choose One to support flexible play. Their dual-class cards combine Druid mechanics with Warrior’s Armor conversion.

Paladin and Priest, Nightmare resistance. Shared mechanics: Holy spells and spells that target minions. Paladin cards support Silver Hand Recruits; Priest cards use zero-cost cards and cost reduction for board control. Their dual-class cards reward minion-targeting spells.

Mage and Shaman, Nightmare resistance. Shared mechanics: Elementals, spell damage, Discover, and mixed spell schools. Mage cards emphasize Frost and Secret-related randomness; Shaman cards emphasize Nature spells and higher stats for their cost. Their dual-class cards reward Discover.

Hunter and Rogue, Nightmare aligned. Shared mechanics: two-cost Secrets, crowd control, and weapons. Hunter cards support Spell Hunter, while Rogue cards emphasize cheap cards and Combo. Their dual-class cards support Secrets and flexible low-cost play.

Warlock and Demon Hunter, Nightmare aligned. Shared mechanics: Lifesteal, card exchanges, and board disruption. Warlock cards trade resources for an early advantage and larger finishers; Demon Hunter cards sustain pressure through Outcast. Their dual-class cards build on both classes’ trade-offs.

Neutral cards. The 20 neutral cards include characters central to the novel. Ysera, Alexstrasza, Remulos, and Teldrassil the World Tree occupy four of the five Legendary slots.

Card allocation

GroupCards per unitTotal cards
Single-class8 per class80
Dual-class6 per pair30
Neutral20 in total20
  • Each class: two Legendary, two Epic, two Rare, and two Common cards.
  • Each pair: one Legendary, one Epic, two Rare, and two Common cards.
  • Neutral group: five Legendary, five Epic, five Rare, and five Common cards.
Blessing and Nightmare examples: Blessed Paladin and Demon Hunter’s Nightmare, each shown with its generated spell.
Both families shuffle spells into the player’s deck and cast them when drawn.
The three Books of Experience, showing their standard effects and additional Partner effects.
The Books of Experience gain their Partner effects when the opponent is the paired class.

Playtesting and revisions

I printed the cards for paper playtests. I watched which cards were played, stayed in hand, or ended games unusually early, then adjusted costs and stats. I also published the set on Bilibili and the NGA Hearthstone forum, then revised card effects and wording in response to comments.

Two players holding printed cards over a paper game board. A hand of printed cards being read during a paper playtest.
Paper playtests used printed cards and a tabletop board.

Revising Enemy at the Gates

Enemy at the Gates originally set up a weapon replacement for the next time the player’s weapon was destroyed. The effect could be set up before the player equipped a weapon. Feedback pointed out that this situation lacked a clear ability indicator.

I attached the effect to the player’s weapon as a Deathrattle instead of keeping the deferred trigger. This gave up the ability to set up the effect before equipping a weapon. The March 31 update records the change, and the current card uses the Deathrattle wording.

The update log documents the changes, not a measured improvement in comprehension or balance. The card-by-card walkthrough remains available on YouTube.

Enemy at the Gates, a Warrior spell that gives a weapon a Deathrattle to equip a random weapon from the deck.
The revised card attaches the replacement effect to the weapon’s Deathrattle.
Selected revision notes

The log records updates labeled 3.26, 3.27, and 3.31, covering balance adjustments, card-text changes, and artwork updates.

UpdateRecorded changes
3.26Balance adjustments to Emeriss, Corrupted and Sharp Razor; card-text and keyword-formatting edits.
3.27A balance adjustment to Axe of Broxigar and artwork updates.
3.31A balance adjustment to Remulos the Guardian; revisions to Enemy at the Gates, Nightmare cards, and Holysword Arcanist; an artwork update.

Responding to a lore suggestion

A commenter questioned how several characters and weapons fit Warcraft lore and class assignments. In my reply, I explained that I prioritized the novel’s characters and relaxed some class assignments where those choices strained the available Legendary slots.

I also explained why I had kept the Axe of Broxigar design: I considered the proposed chain of Deathrattles difficult to describe and too close to an existing card effect, and Saurfang’s Legendary design was already established.

The full set

Browse the 130-card set by class and mana cost. The gallery also includes 12 generated spells and two Hero Powers, shown beside their source cards and grouped under those cards’ filters.

Class
Cost
Cost
Astrological Healing, a 0-cost Priest spell. Road to Awakening, a 0-cost Hunter spell. Descending, a 0-cost Rogue spell. Blessed Warrior, a 1-cost Warrior minion. Blessings of Courage, the spell Blessed Warrior shuffles into your deck. Desperate Trial, a 1-cost Paladin spell. Book of Awakening, a 1-cost Paladin and Priest spell. Divine Infusion, a 1-cost Paladin and Priest spell. Dream of Dragons, a 1-cost Paladin and Priest spell. Nightmare Elemental, a 1-cost Shaman minion. Grace of Lake Elune’ara, a 1-cost Mage and Shaman spell. Darkshore Captain, a 1-cost Rogue minion. Sharp Razor, a 1-cost Rogue weapon. Into Moonglade, a 1-cost Hunter and Rogue spell. Confuse Healbot, a 1-cost Warlock minion. Dead Silence, a 1-cost Warlock and Demon Hunter spell. Evil Intake, a 1-cost Warlock and Demon Hunter spell. Whisper of the Forest, a 2-cost Druid spell. Scythe of Luna, a 2-cost Druid weapon. Resisting the Nightmare, a 2-cost Warrior spell. Book of Chaos, a 2-cost Druid and Warrior spell. Three’s a Crowd, a 2-cost Druid and Warrior spell. Blessed Paladin, a 2-cost Paladin minion. Blessing of Holiness, the spell Blessed Paladin shuffles into your deck. Dream Collapse, a 2-cost Paladin and Priest spell. Blessed Mage, a 2-cost Mage minion. Blessing of Moonrune, the spell Blessed Mage shuffles into your deck. Blessed Shaman, a 2-cost Shaman minion. Blessing of Demigod, the spell Blessed Shaman shuffles into your deck. Fire of the Mist, a 2-cost Mage and Shaman spell. Nightmare Anomaly, a 2-cost Hunter spell. Spirit of the Devil, a 2-cost Hunter spell. Void Manager, a 2-cost Rogue minion. Escaping, a 2-cost Rogue spell. Corrupted Swamp, a 2-cost Hunter and Rogue spell. Crystal Trap, a 2-cost Hunter and Rogue spell. Spiritual Withdrawal, a 2-cost Hunter and Rogue spell. Phalanx Blade, a 2-cost Hunter and Rogue weapon. Demon Hunter’s Nightmare, a 2-cost Demon Hunter minion. Fallen Nightmare, the spell Demon Hunter’s Nightmare shuffles into your deck. Doomsday Ranger, a 2-cost Demon Hunter minion. Fracture Watcher, a 2-cost Demon Hunter minion. Battle Royale, a 2-cost Demon Hunter spell. Homicidal Ideation, a 2-cost Demon Hunter spell. Callerfin, a 2-cost neutral minion. Forestmist Huntress, a 2-cost neutral minion. Reincarnated Effigy, a 2-cost neutral minion. Blessed Druid, a 3-cost Druid minion. Blessing of Ancient, the spell Blessed Druid shuffles into your deck. Furbolg Timbermaw, a 3-cost Druid minion. Greedy Scavenger, a 3-cost Druid minion. Tauren Druid, a 3-cost Druid minion. Axe of Broxigar, a 3-cost Warrior weapon. Unawakened Dream, a 3-cost Druid and Warrior spell. Lucan Foxblood, a 3-cost Paladin minion. Condensed Shield, a 3-cost Paladin spell. Blessed Priest, a 3-cost Priest minion. Blessing of Dragon, the spell Blessed Priest shuffles into your deck. Shadow of Tyrande, a 3-cost Priest spell. Advanced Conjurer, a 3-cost Mage minion. Holysword Arcanist, a 3-cost Mage minion. Curse Totem, a 3-cost Mage and Shaman minion. Book of Nightmares, a 3-cost Mage and Shaman spell. Warlock’s Nightmare, a 3-cost Warlock minion. Spiritual Nightmare, the spell Warlock’s Nightmare shuffles into your deck. Imminent Evil Plan, a 3-cost Warlock spell. Mist Reaper, a 3-cost Demon Hunter minion. Acolyte of Souls, a 3-cost Warlock and Demon Hunter minion. Sinking Hand, a 3-cost Warlock and Demon Hunter spell. Beachcomber, a 3-cost neutral minion. Jungle Explorer, a 3-cost neutral minion. Broll Bearmantle, a 4-cost Druid minion. Kobold Conqueror, a 4-cost Warrior minion. Enemy at the Gates, a 4-cost Warrior spell. Forest Defender, a 4-cost Druid and Warrior minion. Holy Ambush, a 4-cost Paladin minion. Hymn to Valor, a 4-cost Paladin spell. Magic Angler, a 4-cost Priest minion. Nightmare Purifier, a 4-cost Priest minion. Frozen Arakkoa, a 4-cost Mage minion. Chopping Thornfin, a 4-cost Shaman minion. Lightning Strike, a 4-cost Shaman spell. Shattered Axe, a 4-cost Shaman weapon. Dream Reappears, a 4-cost Mage and Shaman spell. Hunter’s Nightmare, a 4-cost Hunter minion. Emerald Nightmare, the spell Hunter’s Nightmare shuffles into your deck. Shadowblade Panther, a 4-cost Hunter minion. Rogue’s Nightmare, a 4-cost Rogue minion. Slumbering Nightmare, the spell Rogue’s Nightmare shuffles into your deck. Rokhan the Shadowhunter, a 4-cost Hunter and Rogue minion. Rift Berserker, a 4-cost Warlock minion. Blood Withered, a 4-cost Warlock spell. Fandral the Fallen, a 4-cost Demon Hunter minion. Boasting Hatter, a 4-cost neutral minion. Dreamburning Dwarf, a 4-cost neutral minion. Volcano Rager, a 4-cost neutral minion. Woodland Creeper, a 4-cost neutral minion. Naralex, a 5-cost Druid minion. The Power of Truth, the spell Naralex adds to your hand. Dwarf Warrior, a 5-cost Warrior minion. Thora Saurfang, a 5-cost Warrior minion. Sword of Shalamayne, a 5-cost Paladin weapon. Elune the Goddess, a 5-cost Priest minion. The Nightmare Is Coming, a 5-cost Priest spell. Shandris Feathermoon, a 5-cost Paladin and Priest minion. Psychic Protection, the Hero Power Shandris Feathermoon replaces yours with. Korialstrasz, a 5-cost Mage minion. Cracking Blast, a 5-cost Mage spell. Sylvanas the Darkqueen, a 5-cost Rogue minion. Lethon the Fallen Dragon, a 5-cost Demon Hunter minion. Bushwhacker, a 5-cost neutral minion. Darkshore Deepdiver, a 5-cost neutral minion. Shadow Brontosaurus, a 5-cost neutral minion. Teldrassil the World Tree, a 5-cost neutral minion. Secret Rehearsal, a 6-cost Druid and Warrior spell. Tyrande the Moonpriest, a 6-cost Priest minion. Tol’vir Reforger, a 6-cost Paladin and Priest minion. Chief Baine, a 6-cost Shaman minion. Spore Vine, a 6-cost Shaman spell. Zaldimar the Trainer, a 6-cost Mage and Shaman hero card. Breaking Dreams, the Hero Power that comes with Zaldimar the Trainer. Xavius the Nightmare King, a 6-cost Warlock and Demon Hunter minion. Time-Transformer, a 6-cost neutral minion. Hamuul Runetotem, a 7-cost Druid and Warrior minion. Major Mattingly, a 7-cost Paladin minion. Eranikus, a 7-cost Mage minion. Spellbender’s Will, a 7-cost Mage spell. Zor Lonetree, a 7-cost Shaman minion. Stable Evolution, the spell Zor Lonetree adds to your hand. Goldrinn the Wolfgod, a 7-cost Hunter minion. Nagaqueen Azshara, a 7-cost Warlock minion. Nightmare Soulbinder, a 7-cost Warlock minion. Bloodspell Dreadlord, a 7-cost Warlock and Demon Hunter minion. Ogre Tyrannosaurus, a 7-cost neutral minion. Emissary’s Hearthstone, a 7-cost neutral spell. Emeriss, Corrupted, an 8-cost Hunter minion. Ysondre the Chaosmaker, an 8-cost Rogue minion. Mass Combat, a 9-cost Hunter spell. Alexstrasza the Well-Wisher, a 9-cost neutral minion. Remulos the Guardian, a 9-cost neutral minion. Ysera, Dreambound, a 9-cost neutral minion. King Varian, a 10-cost Warrior minion. Taerar the Dread Dragon, a 10-cost Warlock minion. Moltencrystal Giant, a 10-cost neutral minion.

Credits

Skills
  • Game systems design
  • Rules writing
  • Balance design
Tools
  • Excel
  • Adobe Photoshop
Roles

Design

  • Zhuoqi Liu
Note

Hearthstone®, its card frames, its interface, and the Warcraft setting are Blizzard Entertainment’s. Card artwork is a mix of Blizzard’s own work and Hearthstone-style pieces sourced from ArtStation. My contribution covers the expansion’s rules, card text, class pairings, costs, and stats, including adaptations of existing game mechanics. This is unofficial, non-commercial fan work, not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Blizzard. Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, and Warcraft are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Explore all work