With only 30 cards to each deck, space is at a premium in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. Naturally some cards are better than others. Some are more interesting, and some are just plain worthless. Not all of these cards work in every deck (and some of them can’t, thanks to class restrictions), but all of them are worth your consideration if you can find the room and the strategy to fit them into your rotation.
We received a passionate response from the Hearthstone community the last time we listed the best cards in the game. That said, we spoke to several hardcore players to create this top 25 Hearthstone cards list. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
25.) Chillwind Yeti
He’s not glamorous, but not every card needs to be. Chillwind Yeti is a great standard foot soldier. With four attack, he hits that magic number, making him a pain for Priests running Shadow Word: Pain and Shadow Word: Death (basically, all of them).
24.) Harvest Golem
For one mana less, the Harvest Golem’s combined stats (4/4 over two minions) are nearly as high as the Chillwind Yeti’s. Besides the lower mana, you’re also getting two minions in one, which makes immediate removal expensive or just impossible. He’s a deceptively solid early-game minion in most decks.
23.) Ancient and Youthful Brewmaster
From a cost perspective, Ancient Brewmaster and Youthful Brewmaster are practically identical. An extra two mana for the latter gets you an extra two health and attack. Both cards are decent for their costs, but what’s really valuable is the ability to recall minions. Cards with useful battlecries can be twice as effective, while minions that have been silenced, lost their divine shield or just need healing can be restored – sometimes on the same turn.
22.) Swipe
Swipe is our favorite area removal spell, probably because it’s also a single-target nuke. It’s a nightmare for Shamans’ fragile totems, helps counter mass summons, finds synergy with Leeroy Jenkins and works as a decent late-game finisher. Like so many Druid cards, it’s all about versatility.
21.) Hex
Hex is the most cost-effective single-target removal spell in Hearthstone. Unlike damage dealing and destruction-based cards like Fireball and Assassinate, it ignores deathrattles and divine shields. It’s also cheaper than the Mage’s Polymorph, and leaves the afflicted creature without an attack to speak of.
20.) Azure Drake
Azure Drake is pretty basic, but as we’ve established, that’s not a bad thing. Extra spell damage is almost always useful, and that card draw always is. As a 4/4 for five mana, he’s not incredibly intimidating, but the draw alone is worth the higher cost than an Ogre Magi.
19.) Spellbreaker
Silence is hugely important. Taunt, buffs, divine shield and passive abilities: they all fall to silence. As a 4/3 creature for four mana, Spellbreaker is more threatening and cost-effective than the similar Ironbeak Owl. It’s also a common neutral and cheap to craft.
18.) Big Game Hunter
He does exactly what the card says; he kills big minions, cheaply. Big Game Hunter is only worth running in decks designed for the late game where you’ll encounter big minions. If you do, then you get a free kill in addition to a 4/2 minion.
17.) Defender of Argus
Defender of Argus isn’t flashy, but plays on Hearthstone’s lack of high-powered area removal. With the exceptions of Flamestrike, Lightning Storm, Mass Dispel and perhaps Abomination, there isn’t really a card to counter Defender of Argus’ battlecry cost-effectively. That makes your opponent waste removal on otherwise innocuous cards or throw away minions. This is exceptionally useful for decks built around stalling to the late game.
16.) Gadgetzan Auctioneer
Any deck with a reasonable number of spells is better with this card. It’s one of only a few that gives repeatable card draw, and a 4/4 minion is quite stable in its own right.
15.) Knife Juggler
Of the many 3/2 for two mana cards, Knife Juggler might be the most useful depending on who you ask. His passive ability usually gives him a psychological taunt – nobody wants him surviving for more than a turn. Of course, you can play him behind taunt or a Master of Disguise to draw expensive removal spells, or use him as intended.
14.) Argent Commander
Charge and Divine Shield work incredibly well together. It means you’re going to trade at least two for one almost every time when vying for board control. Brewmasters and especially Shadowstep are huge boons when using him in the late game. That’s especially true because, besides his low health, he doesn’t draw any special attention on the turn after he’s been used.
13.) Faceless Manipulator
Faceless Manipulator is just efficient enough to be useful. What really makes him an annoyance is his versatility. He can be used defensively to counter big enemy minions or offensively by copying big allied minions. You should use him on something that costs more than five mana, which makes him most effective later than his cost implies.
12.) Nat Pagle
Like Tinkmaster Overspark, Nat Pagle’s text has an element of inconsistency. There’s no guarantee he’ll act as more than a sponge for enemy removal, but if his ability activates just once, he’s paid for himself. This card excels in your opening hand because it’s unlikely your opponent can remove him at that point. That maximizes his potential and gives you time to play “protect the Pagle,” forcing opponents into wasting resources.
11.) Bloodmage Thalnos
Bloodmage Thalnos doesn’t win games. He makes it so the rest of your deck wins games. He’s cheap enough to cooperate with area removal cards like Swipe in the mid-to-late game, and provides the always-important card draw at any stage. Thanks to his general sort of usefulness, he’s a great choice for crafting your first Legendary, and fits in just about any deck.
10.) Sylvanas Windrunner
We’re not very good with Sylvanas, but lot of other people are. As a 5/5 for six mana, she’s only a wasted slot in your deck if she doesn’t resolve her deathrattle. Her real power comes in forcing your opponent to play around her, so as to not activate her ability, which is useful but very difficult. Tinkmaster Overspark was born for Sylvanas Windrunner.
9.) Leeroy Jenkins
Good old Leeroy. At four mana, he’s basically a Fireball with board presence. His battlecry seems like an obvious drawback, but because only you know when it’s coming, there are ways to use it to your advantage. Flesheating Ghoul, Starving Buzzard and Knife Juggler will make meals out of the whelps, for instance, or use the always popular Rogue combo (Leeroy, Shadowstep, Cold Blood) for 22 damage in a single turn and ignore the whelps altogether.
8.) Tinkmaster Overspark
This one is properly overpowered. Overspark costs just three mana, can be used by any class and acts as great removal. At first he seems inconsistent with his random ability, but think about it. You wouldn’t want to risk him on an Acidic Slime, but turning an 8/8 Ragnaros the Firelord into a basic 5/5 is better than the alternative. Besides, there’s always the chance you’ll get the squirrel.
7.) Tirion Fordring
With taunt, divine shield and an amazing deathrattle that can cleave off half an enemy’s health three turns, Tirion is a magnet for silence. Worst-case scenario: the enemy uses silence to make you spend eight mana on a basic 6/6. Best-case scenario: the enemy wastes removal and/or minions breaking through divine shield and still gives you a 5/3 weapon. You can also use a Youthful Brewmaster to replay a silenced Tirion in a single turn.
6.) Cairne Bloodhoof
This is an 8/10 card spread across two targets. It’s cards like this that make Hex and Polymorph so good. Six mana is pretty reasonable, considering Assassinate and Fireball cost five and four, respectively, and will only take out the first target.
5.) Savannah Highmane
This card is incredibly similar to Cairne Bloodhoof, but just barely edges out the Tauren for several reasons. For the same mana cost, it has exactly one more combined stat than Cairne (10/9 versus 8/10), spreads it across multiple targets (requiring the use of area removal or an extra card to counter) and has synergy with Hunter decks. The lion’s one downside is being more susceptible to Priests.
4.) Lord Jaraxxus
He’s ever so slightly situational, but the situation is one you’re likely to encounter as a Warlock. You almost always want to use Lord Jaraxxus after you’ve fallen below 15 hit points. The hero ability and weapon he subsequently unlocks are ridiculous.
3.) Onyxia
Onyxia’s strength is not only in her irritating battlecry, but also in how well it works with a multitude of strategies. Own a Knife Juggler? That’s six random damage spread across all enemy targets. Playing a Shaman or Druid? Use Bloodlust or Soul of the Forest next turn. Just having minions out means you can now suicide them as removal to make room for her ability, and put the board squarely in your control.
2.) Ragnaros the Firelord
What makes this card so useful is immediacy. So many Hearthstone card passives activate at the start of your next turn, rather than the end of your current one. That’s not the case with Ragnaros. Meanwhile, silencing him only makes him dangerous in a different way. He’s a definite favorite among the Legendary cards.
1.) Ysera
Ysera isn’t just a dangerous card, Ysera makes dangerous cards. Even if you lose her on your opponent’s next turn (which isn’t likely without serious single-target removal), you still get one of her incredibly powerful Dream Cards. Some are better than others, but all are annoying in their own way. If you manage to keep her out for more than one turn, you’re probably in a position to win the game. We suppose Priest players really think this card is unfair.
Now that you have the best Hearthstone cards, read our Beginner and Advanced tips.
Published: May 22, 2014 04:58 pm