The best Hearthstone decks: Rise through the ranks

There’s no better time to build some Hearthstone decks and start climbing the ranked ladder! The Descent of Dragons expansion and Galakrond’s Awakening solo adventure have brought many new cards and strategies to play around with. Ranked play can be fiercely competitive and sometimes frustrating, but that can be remedied with the right deck. If you haven’t been following the current Hearthstone meta, don’t worry. We are here with a list of the five best Hearthstone decks that are sure to make your win rate skyrocket.

We should note that there are many different Hearthstone tier lists, but there is no absolute consensus on which the best decks are. We’ve chosen from those that have a consistently high win rate. Some matchups will be harder than others and there’s always some RNG in card games, but as long as you understand a deck’s win condition, you should be good to go. Without further ado, here are our picks for the best Hearthstone decks:

The best Hearthstone decks:

1. Mech Paladin
2. Treant Token Druid
3. Highlander Dragon Hunter
4. Highlander Galakrond Rogue
5. Quest Resurrect Priest

Editor’s note: We will update this list regularly as new cards are introduced and new top tier decks emerge!

1. Mech Paladin

In the early game, you’ll be relying on cards like Galvanizer and Micro Mummy to build up your board presence and buff minions. However, two of the best cards in your arsenal are from Descent of Dragons: Sky Claw and Sanctuary. The first not only gives other Mechs +1 attack but summons two 1/1 Microcopters with its Battlecry. Sanctuary, on the other hand, allows you to summon a 3/6 minion with Taunt if you can avoid damage for one turn. Both cards are excellent at pressuring your opponent to clear your board instead of going for direct attacks.

From there, you’ll want to continue building up board presence with Magnetic cards like Replicating Menace and Annoy-o-Module and going on the offensive with Goboglide Tech, which gains +1/+1 and rush when you control other mechs. The mid-game is also when you’ll want to start magnetizing mechs to form powerful minions. You can even add a Faceless Manipulator to your deck for that extra punch. You shouldn’t get too greedy, though! When facing a control deck, for example, you’ll want to apply as much early and mid-game pressure as you can. This means not trading as much but focusing on direct attacks where possible instead. You’ll want to finish your opponent off before they can get their hands on their late-game clear or their own powerful minions.

If you do get to the late game, however, you could use Kangor’s Endless Army. It can bring back three of your destroyed mechs with all of their Magnetic upgrades intact, giving you all the power you need for that finishing move. This comeback ability and aggressive playstyle make Mech Paladin one of the best Hearthstone decks of the current meta. It might not be super easy to acquire, but it can take you far.

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2. Treant Token Druid

In the early game, you need to focus on building up your board. One of the key cards to do so is Treenforcements, which you can use to summon a 2/2 treant. Shrubadier can serve the same purpose. This plays nicely into Dendrologist — his Battlecry allows you to discover a spell if you control a treant. You can then continue to build your tree army with cards like Landscaping. The idea is to make it impossible for your opponent to keep up and scare them into wasting their resources.

In the mid-game, you can continue your swarm with Garden Gnome. There is a huge variety of spells in your deck that will activate its effect of summoning two 2/2 treants when holding a spell, which costs 5 or more mana. Combine it with Soul of the Forest with its death rattle effect, and your board is practically impossible to clear. Make sure you are dealing chip damage and not just trading. If you are playing against an aggro deck, you might have to make some suboptimal plays and buffs, however. Getting bullied off the board usually spells a loss for the Treant Token Druid deck.

Nevertheless, you still have a chance to devastate opponents in the late game. The key cards here are Goru the Mightree and The Forest’s Aid. The first is a powerful Taunt minion that will buff all of your treants for the rest of the game, including those already on the board. The Forest’s Aid, on the other hand, plants a full forest on your board with its ability to summon five 2/2 treants. You can then buff them with spells like Savage Roar and Power of the Wild for your closing lethal damage moves. This makes Treant Token Druid versatile and consistent and one of the best Hearthstone decks you can currently play.

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3. Highlander Dragon Hunter

With a name like Descent of Dragons, it should come as no surprise that the latest expansion has brought us an excellent deck full of fiery beasts. The Highlander version of Dragon Hunter is one of the most interesting decks in the current Hearthstone meta. It is structured around having no duplicate cards, which means it’s expensive but versatile in many ways. Here is how it works.

The Highlander Dragon Hunter deck relies on beast and dragon synergies and it usually shines in the mid to late game. However, because of its unique nature, it can be wildly inconsistent in the early game. You will often have to adapt as you go and make do with the cards you are dealt. Our mulligan advice is to absolutely keep Springpaw and Shimmerfly. Both have effects that will prevent you from being overrun — either by giving you two minions for the cost of one or ensuring you get a useful spell. Clear the Way is another great early card. Although its reward of summoning a 4/4 Gryphon with Rush is delayed, it’s an incredibly potent card considering its one mana cost.

Things get a bit easier in the mid-game. This is your time to take hold of the board and begin chipping away at your opponent’s HP with direct attacks. One of the essential cards that will enable you to do so is Stormhammer. Once you have a dragon on the board, this weapon doesn’t lose durability. Spells like Kill Command and Deadly Shot, on the other hand, will make sure your opponent doesn’t overwhelm you with minions.

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In the late game, it’s time to crush your enemy with the most powerful cards in your arsenal. Utilize Dinotamer Brann’s Battlecry to summon King Krush — an 8/8 beast with a charge that can be all you need for the lethal blow. Don’t worry if you don’t have Dinotamer Brann on hand, though. The Highlander Dragon Hunter deck has many tricks up its sleeve, including Dragonqueen Alexstrasza, which allows you to add two dragon cards to your hand thanks to the lack of duplicates, and they cost 0! Siamat and Zephrys the Great can also save you in a tight spot so make sure not to use them too early. If you are patient and don’t mind some unpredictability, the Highlander Dragon Hunter deck is one of the best and most enjoyable Hearthstone decks.

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4. Highlander Galakrond Rogue

Just like the previous deck on our list, the Highlander Galakrond Rogue does not contain duplicate cards. This means your early game can be a bit hectic and inconsistent, but the Rogue deck has a lot of cheap minions that can get you out of a pinch and help you maintain an early board presence. Our Mulligan advice is to prioritize Necrium Apothecary and Zephrys the Great. Although Necrium might seem like a counterintuitive choice due to its mana cost, it actually paves the way for some of your best early to mid plays. Its combo allows you to draw a Deathrattle minion and gain its effect. With cards like Mechanical Whelp and Anubisath Warbringer, your opponent is in for a nasty surprise.

But how do you activate Necrium’s Deathrattle in the mid-game? You’ll need Necrium Blade which allows you to trigger the Deathrattle of a random friendly minion. Don’t worry if you don’t draw this card right away though. You have plenty of other options. Your opponent can be slowed down with cards like Vendetta, Faceless Corruptor, and more. You can even combo Shadowstep with Flik Skyshiv, so he costs less and can eliminate all copies of two minions — an incredibly powerful ability.

In the late game, of course, you’ll want to invoke Galakrond the Nightmare. If you are lucky, his Battlecry could hand you everything you need for zero mana. Ideally, you’d get Dragonqueen Alexstrasza or Knox Dragonhoof. The latter is an essential card in any Galakrond deck because it makes it easy to regain board control and compensate for tempo loss with its powerful devastations. You could even reuse Knox’s Battlecry if you’ve saved your Shadowstep to completely wipe the floor with your opponent. It’s not an easy deck to pull off, but when done right (and with some luck), the Highlander Galakrond Rogue is among the best and most enjoyable Hearthstone decks.

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5. Quest Resurrect Priest

The first key to understanding this deck is understanding its Quest. Activate the Obelisk is fulfilled by restoring 15 health. This, in turn, will give you the hero power to restore 3 health and give +3/+3 to a targeted minion. You don’t have to activate the Quest right away — you’ll want to have some healing on hand first, but you shouldn’t delay it too long either. Unlike most Hearthstone decks, Quest Resurrect Priest has no early game minions. This can put you in a precarious position if you are not careful. You’ll need to rely on spells like Penance, which not only deals 3 damage to a minion but offers lifesteal as well. Forbidden Words, Breath of the Infinite, and Shadow Word: Death are the other cards that will hold you over until the mid-game by clearing your opponent’s board.

Once you get to the mid-game, you can finally get some minions out. Sandhoof Waterbearer is always a good choice because it restores five health to a damaged friendly character. Convincing Infiltrator and Khartut Defender have a lot of value too, especially when combined with Psychopomp. It can summon a random friendly minion that died this game and give it Reborn, reusing its effects. This will allow you to fulfill your Quest sooner rather than later.

The late game is where this deck truly shines, however. Mass Resurrection is your trump card — it can resurrect three different friendly minions. From there, you can buff them with Obelisk’s Eye for some serious damage. Zilliax is an excellent candidate for this, as is Batterhead thanks to Rush and the latter’s ability to attack once more every time it kills a minion. Use him to wipe your enemy’s board and then focus on direct damage. If you want to go all out, you can even add N’Zoth, the Corruptor to bring back all dead Deathrattle minions. It’s a deck that requires careful and meticulous play but using your late game cards is satisfying and fun, making Quest Resurrect Priest one of the best Hearthstone decks you can currently play.

Deck import code: AAECAa0GCNMKoIADjYID5ogD1pkDk5sDr6UD3asDC9YKl4cDgpQDmJsDmZsDg6ADoaED0aUDmakDn6kD8qwDAA==

These are our picks for the five best Hearthstone decks in the current meta. If you want to practice building your own decks like we have, also be sure to check out Hearthstone Top Decks.