Trying to come up with a best cards list for Hearthstone might seem like a Sisyphean task. No sooner have you rolled your list of cards to the peak of Mount Objectively Awesome, a patch or an update or a change to the metagame sends you tumbling back into the valley of Start All Over Again. Did that metaphor work? Let's just say that it did and move on.
Whether you're constructing your own deck from scratch, or hoping to tweak a popular one you've found online, we're here to help with a guide to the game's 46 coolest and most powerful cards. Why 46? Why not. (Also, that was the point our fingers started bleeding.) To create the list we used a team of hand-picked expert players from the Hearthstone community, plus input from our own in-house card sharps. Here's the team lineup.
- Former Dota 2 professional turned Hearthstone hotshot, TidesOfTime (TOT)
- Icy Veins resident decksmith and Warcraft expert Poyo (P)
- Hearthstone podcast The Angry Chicken co-hosts Garrett Weinzierl, William 'Dills' Gregory and Jocelyn Moffett (GW, DG, JM)
- PC Gamer's in-house Hearthstone addict – seriously, it's probably about time for an intervention – Tim Clark (TC)
- Deck-building neophyte Philippa Warr (PW)
- Resident Hearthstone Help columnist, Vincent Sarius (VS)
Note that there's obviously a degree of subjectivity when it comes to calling these cards the best, but as you're about to find out, we think these are the most effective (and fun!) cards to have in your hand. They're certainly not all expensive Legendaries, either – there are plenty of options for the budget Hearthstoner too. Let us know what else you think we ought to have included, and why, in the comments.
Hex
Mana: 3
Crafting cost: NA
Class: Shaman
Rarity: Basic
Transform a minion into a 0/1 Frog with Taunt
GW: Imagine the scariest minion currently in Hearthstone. Now imagine that card becoming a 0/1 frog with Taunt, and for just 3 mana. Tirion loses Divine Shield, six attack, five health, and Ashbringer never triggers. Sylvanas never steals a minion. Baine never steps in for his fallen father, Cairne . Instead of dealing eight damage to you or your minions, Ragnaros literally croaks. Hex is the most well-costed, single-target removal in the game.
TOT: It's not situationally overpowered, it's just straight-up overpowered. Not to the point where it can win games on its own, but at 3 mana it's the strongest instant removal option in the game right now.
Faceless Manipulator
Mana: 5
Attack: 3
Health: 3
Class: Neutral
Rarity: Epic
Crafting cost: 400
Battlecry: Choose a minion and become a copy of it.
TC: Incredibly useful in any deck designed to make it through to the mid-game point.
This photocopier card is versatile, in that it can be deployed defensively, by cheaply mirroring the high mana minion which your opponent has just slapped down on the board, (note: to ensure you're getting true value, don't bother copying anything cheaper than 5 mana), or used offensively to double-down and copy of one of the best minions you've got in play.It's brilliance is proven by how annoyed it will make your opponent.
Big Game Hunter
Mana: 4
Attack: 4
Health: 2
Crafting cost: 400
Class: Neutral
Rarity: Epic
Battlecry: Destroy a minion with an Attack of 7 or more.
P: Based on the current metagame, I have two of these in my deck because all of the decks are playing several cards that are potential targets for Big Game Hunter. Played properly, Big Game Hunter always makes a two-for-one trade. You shoot something down and you're left with a 4/2 minion on the board for a really low mana cost.
TC: Does exactly what it says on the tin: Takes out big minions, and at a reasonable mana price. It's a handy inclusion in any deck which struggles with fat boy removal, but less so if you've got Polymorph , Hex or Assassinate . That said, it never hurts to have an extra 4/2 minion. Best fielded in late-game decks where you're likely to face powerful minions.
Ragnaros the Firelord
Mana: 8
Attack: 8
Health: 8
Crafting cost: 1600
Class: Neutral
Rarity: Legendary
Can't Attack: At the end of your turn, deal 8 damage to a random enemy.
TC: Ragnaros is appearing regularly as a 'finisher' in decks. Providing you can keep him alive, either by hiding him behind Taunt cards or buffing his health, his unconventional attack means he'll continue operating like a toasty removal turret, blazing a random enemy with 8 damage each turn without taking any in return. Note: If an enemy silences him, he can then attack normally.
P: It's a card you put on the board that has immediate impact and puts immense pressure on your opponent. They will always need to deal with it as a priority.
Summoning Portal
Mana: 4
Attack: 0
Health: 4
Crafting cost: 40
Class: Warlock
Rarity: Common
Your minions cost (2) less, but not less than (1).
TC: Best deployed behind a big minion with Taunt so it doesn't get blitzed too easily – while active it slashes two mana off the cost of your minions, enabling you to rush the board. If you manage to get two portals out at once, you'll be able to play some absurdly powerful minions on much earlier turns. Timing is everything, though, so keep hold of the card until your troops are ready.
