With only two (or four, with the Season Pass!) Heroes available to select at the start of a Hearthstone Battlegrounds game, it’s important for players to recognise which characters will give them the best chance at winning their game. Each Hero has their own unique abilities, with varying costs and effects. Hearthstone Battlegrounds has over 90 different Heroes to choose from, which can make it quite tricky trying to keep track of who is actually worth selecting. Luckily, Hearthstone players can find a list of the best Battlegrounds Heroes here.
Shudderwock
Snicker Snack (0): Trigger a friendly minion’s Battlecry.
After his rework in Spring 2023, the Shudderwock quickly made his way up the rankings in Hearthstone Battlegrounds. His new power allows him to activate a minion’s Battlecry once per turn, free of cost. This means that, if used correctly, Shudderwock players can very quickly build, and maintain, tempo. Players will find that the Shudderwock works best with tribes focused on Battlecries, such as Quillboar and Undead.
Infinite Toki
Temporal Tavern (1): Refresh the Tavern. Include two minions from a Tier higher than yours.
Infinite Toki is another great Hero for players looking to gain tempo. Her Hero Power allows her easy access to Minions in the Tavern Tier above her own, meaning she can save Gold, and won’t have to level up as fast. An alternative way of playing is levelling to Tier 5 as fast as possible, and then being able to acquire two Tier 6 minions a turn.
George the Fallen
Boon of Light (2): Give a minion Divine Shield.
George has one of the simpler Hero Powers in the game, allowing the player to permanently give a Minion a Divine Shield. George’s Hero Power works best on Minions that the player knows will be in the game for the long-term, making the cost far less steep. Divine Shields work particularly well on Cleave Minions, as it gives them another chance to get an attack off. Players should make sure they don’t play Minions that already have an easy way to acquire Divine Shields when playing as George, such as Mechs, as they’ll simply not be putting his Hero Power to its full use.
Master Nguyen
Power of the Storm: At the start of every turn, choose between two new Hero Powers.
Master Nguyen’s Hero Power relies on a lot of RNG, but luckily, players will more often than not find the Power working in their favour. Master Nguyen gives players the opportunity to switch between Hero Powers, and access one-time abilities to really push their tempo up. Master Nguyen has the potential to provide players with more tempo and value than any other Hero on the roster.
The Lich King
Reborn Rites (0): Give a minion Reborn until next turn.
Another Hero with a simple power, The Lich King allows the player to temporarily give one of their Minions Reborn. This works best with Deathrattle Minions, as it allows the player to get double the value out of them. It can also be used on Minions that are vital to a build – giving them reborn will ensure that they’re safe from a potential snipe or unfortunate bout of RNG. Having an extra life for one of the player’s Minions can almost never be a bad thing – although it’s important to note that Reborn won’t trigger additional Battlecries.
Thorim, Stormlord
Choose Your Champion: At the start of the game, Discover a Tier 7 minion to get after you spend 65 Gold.
Thorim gives the player a chance to pick one of the most powerful Minions again, and is one of the few ways to consistently access Tier 7. By choosing the Minion at the start of the game, the player will immediately have direction for the rest of their match, and know where they’re eventually going to end up. Tier 7 Minions are incredibly powerful, and can quickly swing the game into the player’s favour. It’s important to note, Tier 7 Minions alone aren’t guaranteed to win the player’s game. The player still needs to build their army around the Tier 7 Minion in order to give it a fighting chance of success.
Sire Denathrius
Whodunit?: At the start of the game, choose one of two Quests.
To simply put it, most Quest rewards are better than the Hero Powers available. The only problem players may have with Sir Denathrius is if they’re offered two particularly difficult quests, or some of the more lackluster rewards (looking at you, Volatile Venom). However, in most cases, players can gain some serious tempo once they’ve completed their questline, and have the potential to race ahead of the pack.
Galakrond
Galakrond’s Greed (1): Choose a minion in the Tavern. Discover a higher Tier minion to replace it.
Galakrond’s playstyle relies on a lot of high-risk, high-reward factors. Players can either choose to fall behind at the start of the game, whilst trying to acquire a Tier 6 Minion as fast as possible, or they can play a bit more safe and follow the pack, with the occasional power spike from his power. However the player decides to play the game, they will have access to higher tier Minions much quicker than their competitors, allowing them to play a bit more risky than they usually might.