Hearthstone Battlegrounds is the newest iteration in the surging auto-chess genre, but with a Hearthstone twist. The game sets itself apart from others in the genre, in large part, due to it’s 24 unique heroes who all possess a certain Hero Power, much like the heroes in the traditional Hearthstone mode. This offers players the opportunity to not only strategize with the cards they buy in-game but also with how their hero can interact with those cards.
But, as with anything else, there are always going to be the best and the worst, and the heroes of Hearthstone Battlegrounds are no exception. So, to help new players better navigate which they should choose in that initial draft, and to help more seasoned players increase their win-rate, here’s a tier list of the best (and worst) heroes in Heartstone Battlegrounds, updated with the four new heroes from the latest patch.
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As it stands, these two heroes are clearly the top choices in any draft, even considering the slight nerf to A.F. Kay in the most recent patch. Each of these two has exceptional early game strength and can scale into the late game better than most, especially in Brann’s case. Each of these has limited RNG, making them not only strong, but also safe choices for guaranteed results.
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Several heroes find themselves in a position, given the current balance changes, where they can remain very strong and can net solid results in most games. These heroes are incredibly strong and can be just as viable as those in S-Tier, however, they sometimes require slightly more RNG and can be just slightly less optimal across a wide range of strategies. Of the new hereos, this author has identified Sylvanas as the strongest early on, but there is a chance this will continue to change as the newest patch notes have time to settle into the meta more.
[Related: The Best Minions of Each Tavern Tier in Hearthstone Battlegrounds]
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These three B-Tier heroes round out the last of the above-average heroes in Hearthstone Battlegrounds. Each has a niche ability that can allow them to compete with any of those in the top two tiers, with just a slightly higher barrier to entry. Take Nefarian, for example. The dragon can completely nullify a Divine Shield mech composition in the late-game, however, it cannot do much to otherwise affect the enemy team or it’s players’ team. The same sort of barriers apply for Rafaam and Sindragosa, with each having the ability to be very strong, with only a few situational limitations. Overall, keep an eye on these heroes, especially as players figure out the new meta more and more.
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These heroes are knocked down to C-Tier due to either their reliance on RNG and the recent changes made in the December 5 patch. Patchwerk was hit hard by this patch, losing that extra 10 health is pretty tough on a character that doesn’t offer any other synergistic abilities. The same can be said of the nerf to Millificent Manastorm. Overall, these are no longer the most ideal heroes, but can still be viable if RNG favors a player.
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The heroes in this tier have abilities that simply aren’t up to par with some of the others in the game. Even heroes that were recently nerfed seem to stack up better than most of these. This isn’t to say that winning is impossible with heroes in this tier, but it is certainly more improbable. Look elsewhere if possible.
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As the game currently stands, these two lowly heroes are simply not good. There is not enough value in their abilities to give players much of an edge at all, despite whatever composition comes along. Perhaps the addition of new cards in later patches or some buffs to their abilities can one day make them relevant. For now, however, try to stay away from these heroes if at all possible.
As new patches arrive and new cards/heroes are released into Hearthstone Battlegrounds in the month of December, this piece will continue to be updated to reflect those changes. With each new month, check back at The Game Haus for a completely new tier list which will be linked from previous month’s lists.
Stay tuned!
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