Summary
- Battlegrounds doesn't require card collection, uses gold for key elements, and makes players choose their Heroes wisely.
- Hero Powers like E.T.C.'s Buddy selection and Snake Eyes' gold rolls add unique strategies.
- Specific hero strategy types such as saving or unlocking the tavern offer varied game styles.
Battlegrounds is one of Hearthstone’s most popular game modes, and is vastly different from Hearthstone’s regular modes. It doesn’t require players to unlock or collect any cards, making it more accessible to new players. Battlegrounds is an eight-player auto battler, where players choose a Hero and build a war band of minions.
At the start of the game, players must choose one Hero from the two they are offered (or four if they purchase the tavern pass). Each Hero has a unique Hero Power, which impacts the game in different ways. Some are more powerful than others, so choosing the right Hero is key to success.
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10 Shudderwock
Battlecry Triggering Monster
Shudderwock has a zero-gold Hero Power that triggers a friendly minion's battlecry. A battlecry is triggered when a minion is played onto the battlefield, but Shudderwock allows players to trigger the battlecry again when the minion is in play. Many minions in Battlegrounds have a battlecry with a valuable upside, such as gaining gold, increasing stats or giving extra minions. Therefore, it is crucial for Shudderwock to find battlecry minions it can activate and get value from.
Shudderwock’s strength depends upon which minion types are in the tavern. For example, Shudderwock is better with Demons, Dragons, Elementals, Murlocs, Pirates, and Quilboars than with Undead, Beasts, Mechs, or Naga. Plus, with the current battlecry minion pool on tier one, there are only a handful of minions that Shudderwock works well with, limiting his high roll potential early in the game.
9 E.T.C., Band Manager
Assemble A Band Of Buddies
With a Hero Power that unlocks at tier 2 and discovers a Buddy, E.T.C. Is a strong Hero, particularly early on. Buddies are powerful minions that cannot be purchased in the tavern and whose effects work well with their companion Hero. E.T.C.’s three-gold Hero Power allows a player to choose one of three random Buddies (from the player’s current tavern tier or lower) to add to their hand. Due to the Buddies’ powerful abilities and good stats, E.T.C. Is a powerhouse in the early game.
However, in the mid to late game, when players find crucial pieces that fit their war band and game plan, the Buddies are less useful. Additionally, it’s easy for players to get locked into using certain Buddies because they have good individual effects, even if they don’t make their board stronger. This being said, the ability for E.T.C. To access an exclusive pool of minions makes them a potentially overpowered Hero.
8 Trade Prince Gallywix
Save Gold For Later Turns
Gallywix has a passive Hero Power that gains one gold the turn after a player sells a minion. In general, buying a minion and then selling is a -2 gold investment (-3 for buying, +1 for selling). However, Gallywix reduces this to -1. This makes buying certain minions much more profitable, as Gallywix can cycle through them to buff his board while making his next turn stronger.
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The importance of minion types cannot be understated. Elementals, Pirates, and Murlocs are the three best minion types for Gallywix because they involve a lot of buying, buffing, and selling minions, which can generate huge amounts of gold for their next turn. Therefore, at least one of these classes must be in the game for Gallywix to get the most out of his Hero Power.
7 Forest Warden Omu
Upgrade The Tavern With Less Risk
Omu's passive Hero Power gives two gold after the tavern is upgraded, allowing players to tier up while keeping gold to buy minions and spells. This helps players reach higher tavern tiers before others, while limiting the downside of having a weak war band. Plus, Omu is not affected by the types of minions in a game, making her a great pick for any match.
However, two gold isn’t enough to buy a minion, so careful planning is required to get the most out of the Hero Power. Furthermore, while it’s a great Hero Power early game, it doesn’t have much impact later. Once a player reaches tier six, it has no effect. Despite this, the boost it grants early on helps players to reach higher tiers while building a decent board.
6 Millhouse Manastorm
Cheaper Minions, But At A Cost
Millhouse Manastorm’s Hero Power changes the cost of minions and refreshes to two gold, while increasing the cost of tavern upgrades by one. This makes Millhouse the best early game Hero, because he can buy multiple minions while everyone else can only buy one. He dominates the early game with strong boards, which allows him to tier up with less risk of taking damage.
However, upgrading the tavern with Millhouse is more expensive. In the mid-late game, refreshing the tavern feels awful for the price of two gold, but it is sometimes required to find better minions to buy. Millhouse is best in lobbies that have Elementals, Pirates, and Murlocs, because they can be effectively cycled through. Elementals are perfect because they also offer discounted refreshes.
5 Master Nyugen
A Master Of All Hero Powers
Master Nguyen allows players to choose between two different Hero Powers at the start of every turn. In some cases, this can be powerful, allowing players to build a strong war band or reach high tavern tiers quickly. On the other hand, the two choices aren’t guaranteed to be good for the situation, which can leave the player without a useful Hero Power for a turn. This isn't too bad though, as they get to choose a different one next turn.
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Due to the randomness of his Hero Power, Master Nguyen can be versatile but also inconsisten. Despite this, on average, the Hero Powers offered will be decent. The high potential of his Hero Power makes Nguyen a great option, whatever minion types are in the game.
4 Cookie The Cook
He's Always Cooking Something
Cookie’s zero-gold Hero Power allows him to remove a minion from the board and add them to his pot. Once three minions are in his pot, Cookie discovers a minion from the minion types he’s collected. This essentially gives players a free minion every three turns. Players choose which minion types they throw into the pot, and they choose one from a selection of three to add to their hand. This gives them some control over which minions they get.
If a player wants to play murlocs, for example, throwing murlocs they may want to buy into the pot isn’t ideal. In the early game, players must be flexible. Getting an extra minion of any type for free is always a bonus to avoid taking damage. Cookie may not be a game changer, but his Hero Power makes players stronger early and is useful in the mid to late game too.
3 Snake Eyes
Roll For Free Gold
Snake Eyes’ Hero Power rolls a six-sided die that gives players gold equal to the number it rolls. While the Hero Power costs one gold and is luck based, there is no risk for the player, as it is guaranteed to give at least one gold in return. Therefore, players should use the Hero Power whenever it is available.
The number it rolls also equals the number of turns before the player can use the Hero Power again, limiting its effectiveness after high rolling and granting more uses when low rolling. Whether it’s upgrading to tier two on the first turn or buying more minions to strengthen a player’s war band, Snake Eyes is a brilliant Hero.
2 Sire Denathrius
Complete A Quest For A Fantastic Reward
When playing Denathrius, at the start of the game, players choose one of two Quests to complete. These involve a challenge and a reward. The harder the challenge, the better the reward. Most challenges are things players will do naturally throughout a game, such as summoning minions or adding cards to their hand. However, some are more specific, such as playing certain minion types or positioning minions from lowest to highest attack.
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Quest rewards range from discovering Buddies each turn, to making minions cost two gold, to getting an extra copy of discovered cards. The better rewards look appealing, if the Quest is too difficult, players may be defeated before they can earn the reward. It’s often best to choose a lesser reward that can be completed quickly.
1 Marin The Manager
What's Better Than Two Trinkets? Three Trinkets
Trinkets are the latest addition to Hearthstone Battlegrounds. Each one possesses a passive power-up that can be bought for gold and is in effect for the rest of the game. Players choose one Lesser Trinket from a selection of four on turn six, and one Greater Trinket on turn nine. The Trinkets offered are influenced by the player’s Hero, the minion types in the game, and the player’s current war band.
On turn five, Marin allows players to buy a Lesser Trinket. This ensures that players get one more Lesser Trinket one turn before anyone else can get on. Alongside the other two Trinkets he will later acquire, Marin can quickly become a powerhouse, developing. Of course, this all depends on which Trinkets Marin is offered. Still each one is useful, and players don’t even have to work for it, unlike with Denathrius' quest rewards.
Hearthstone
- Released
- March 11, 2014
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