Hearthstone — Arena hero tier list and guides

Published at 20/08/2019 at 01:13 By Clémence "Idril" Lemoal

Which hero should you choose when starting an Arena on Hearthstone? After this overview of the classes and their specifics, your choice may be easier!

Hearthstone — Arena hero tier list and guides

The first choice for an Arena player is not a card... but a hero! Each hero is characterized by a Hero Power and a set of class cards. Blizzard did things right because no Hero Power is broken in Hearthstone: all of them are more or less equal and have their own advantages and disadvantages (which we will detail below, be patient!).

However, in Arena the Hero Power is more important than it is in Constructed especially because it is difficult to perfectly play on curve. Another factor that explains the domination of certain classes in Arena is their ability to interact on the opposing board through their Hero Power. The Mage can finish opposing minions, the Priest can heal his own... While the Hunter cannot affect the board with his power.

Concerning the range of cards available for each hero, this is where the problem lies. Some classes are much better off than others. But to begin with, let's talk about a sort of Tier List. We will give explanations of the why and how below.

Last update: August 20, 2019

Our Tier List of Standard Arena mode

Tier 1 ( > 50% winrate): Rogue, Hunter
Tier 2 (approx. 50% winrate): Mage, Warlock, Paladin
Tier 3 ( < 50% winrate): Priest, Warrior, Shaman, Druid

The last balances of the Arena mode have been studied so that the nine classes are at 50% winrate. Obviously, this cannot last forever and some classes stand out, upwards or downwards.

Tier 1

Pretty solid in earlygame

Very practical and effective Hero Power

Good removals

Good to regain tempo

Combos depending on mana

Very sensitive to aggressive classes

Big lack of good AoEs

Minions are often resilient or effective on the board

Useful Hero Power in certain situations

Allows an aggressive game plan

Few hard removals and AoEs

Very hard to get back on the board once lost

Hero Power that doesn't impact the board

Tier 2

Very versatile class

Very effective AoEs

Will win many games at the value

Powerful Hero Power

Many reactive and non-proactive spells

Bad class minions

Many AoEs, in early or lategame

Some interesting hard removals

Best Hero Power of the game

A good early board plug

Need to know how to measure the damage you do to yourself

Many class cards are useless

AoEs that often damage everyone

Many good potential buffs

Decent minions in earlygame

Good anti-aggro tools

Buffs require a board

Lack of hard removals

Almost impossible to get the board back once it is lost

Tier 3

Hero Power insane when you have the board

Quality removals in quantity

Very resilient minions

Useless Hero Power without the board

Many useless and situational spells

Weapons generate an insane value

A decent earlygame

Many anti-aggro tools

Useless Hero Power

Without weapons in your draft, you will do nothing good

Very good AoE and efficient removals

Potentially very violent burst

Very powerful overload cards

Harmless Hero Power

Many inefficient minions

Too much overload kills the overload

Can take a long lead in mana

Minions with good characteristics

Many anti-aggro tools

Ultimate Infestation

Very few "decent" AoEs

Mana costs are often high

No board recovery mechanics

Ultimate Infestation Dependent

Hearthstone — Dean Ayala reveals Arena future changes

Dean Ayala — Lead Card Designer for Hearthstone — answered a few questions on Reddit and revealed at the same moment how the Arena will work in the upcoming patch 15.4.