Looking to discover the best class for Hearthstone? You’re not alone in this quest for the ultimate card-slinging mastery! In the world of Hearthstone, finding your ideal class is akin to finding the perfect chord progression in a classic rock anthem—it’s all about that harmony. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, we’ll go over the intricacies of each class. We’re also going to use the current class winrates from HSReplay to help determine placement.
Whether you fancy the calculated precision of the Mage’s spells or the unyielding strength of the Warrior’s armor, we’ll break down what makes each class shine. So, which class aligns with your gaming style and strategy? Let’s dive into the vibrant selection of Hearthstone classes and unearth the best class for your epic adventures!
Hearthstone: Best Classes for Victory – Ranked
11) Demon Hunter
Winrates
- Standard: 45.4% (10th)
- Wild: 42.9% (11th)
- Arena: 46.3% (7th)
- Duels: 40.5% (10th)
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Demon Hunter class in Hearthstone is known for its aggressive playstyle, utilizing quick attacks, powerful Demon minions, and self-damaging effects to dominate the battlefield. The class’s Hero Power, “Demon Claws,” enhances the attack, encouraging a proactive approach. The class’s unique mechanic is Outcast, where cards gain extra effects when played from the very left or right of your hand. The strategy often involves managing resources, balancing life totals, and timing potent abilities to dismantle opponents.
Standard Demon Hunter decks have a 45.4% winrate on HSReplay. The class is nowhere near the powerhouse it once was when released in April 2020. It was unanimously the best when the class was first released. In fact, it was so powerful that 4 Demon Hunter cards were nerfed only two days after release. Currently, the class does not have a true identity; none of the current archetypes are powerful enough to see play in the meta.
Demon Hunter also struggles mightily in Wild. Wild Demon Hunter decks have a measly 42.9% winrate on HSReplay. Since the class was introduced recently, it did not have the plethora of past expansions to accumulate Demon Hunter cards; it’s essentially 6 years behind other classes. Look for other classes to invest in.
Best Standard Decks for Demon Hunter
- Aggro Demon Hunter
10) Warrior
Winrates
- Standard: 44.0% (11th)
- Wild: 49.0% (6th)
- Arena: 49.9% (5th)
- Duels: 50.1% (6th)
The Warrior class in Hearthstone, once a dominant force, has seen its share of ups and downs. Warriors use Armor to absorb damage and often equip powerful weapons for both offense and defense. Their Hero Power, “Armor Up!” grants additional Armor points. Warrior decks often feature Control or Tempo playstyles, with the ability to remove enemy minions, gain health, and outlast opponents in longer matches. They can also utilize Enrage mechanics to boost the power of their damaged minions.
However, the current state of the Warrior class is a far cry from its glory days. In Standard play, Warriors are struggling with a winrate of just 44.0%, ranking 11th among the classes. The only somewhat-viable archetype for Standard is Control Warrior. Their once-mighty presence in Wild has also waned, with a winrate of 49.0%, now placing them 6th.
Even in the highly versatile arena, Warrior’s performance is middling, standing at a 49.9% winrate, landing them in the 5th spot. The story doesn’t change much in Duels, where their winrate hovers around 50.1%, putting them in 6th place.
It’s clear that the Warrior class, much like the ebb and flow of battle, has seen better days. While they still have their moments of triumph, they no longer dominate the Hearthstone meta as they once did. Players seeking a class that’s currently on the rise might want to explore other options.
Best Standard Decks for Warrior
- Control Warrior
- Enrage Warrior
9) Preist
Winrates
- Standard: 46.0% (9th)
- Wild: 49.2% (4th)
- Arena: 44.7% (8th)
- Duels: 43.4% (10th)
The Priest class in Hearthstone is known for its healing and control-oriented playstyle. Priests have a unique Hero Power, “Lesser Heal,” which allows them to restore health to friendly characters. They excel at removing enemy threats, stealing opponent’s cards and minions, and prolonging the game. Their decks often focus on healing, buffing, and using powerful late-game cards to outvalue their opponents. Priests can be particularly effective in long, attrition-based matches.
In the current meta, Priest stands at a Standard winrate of 46.0%, securing the 9th position. The classic Control Priest decks are the most popular, followed by the more aggressive and newly minted Undead Priest. However, in the Wild format, they find more success, boasting a winrate of 49.2%, comfortably placing them 4th.
When it comes to the Arena, Priest’s performance holds steady at a winrate of 44.7%, landing them in the 8th spot among the classes. In the high-stakes environment of Duels, they face some challenges, with a winrate of 43.4% and a 10th place ranking.
While Priest may not be ruling the roost in Standard or Duels, their strong presence in Wild and their penchant for controlling the game make them a formidable choice for certain players. If you’re a fan of outlasting your opponents and playing a more patient game, Priest might be the best class for you.
Best Standard Decks for Preist
- Undead Preist
- Control Preist
- Highlander Preist
8) Druid
Winrates
- Standard: 48.9% (5th)
- Wild: 48.2% (7th)
- Arena: 42.4% (9th)
- Duels: 52.9% (2nd)
The Druid class in Hearthstone is known for its versatility and nature-themed playstyle. Druids have a unique Hero Power, “Shapeshift,” which allows them to switch between gaining Armor or dealing one damage to an enemy. They are masters of ramping up their mana quickly, enabling them to play powerful cards earlier than other classes. Druid decks often involve various strategies, including token-summoning, spellcasting, and control, making them adaptable to different playstyles. They are also known for their strong class-specific cards like “Wild Growth” and “Innervate.”
Druid archetypes are usually either one of these two; Token Druid or Control/Ramp Druid. Token Druid revolves around summoning and buffing a multitude of small, low-cost minions, often referred to as “tokens,” to overwhelm your opponent. The deck aims to flood the board with these tokens, leveraging their numbers to control the game and put significant pressure on the opponent’s life total. Token decks are usually cheap and a good choice for newer players.
On the other hand, Ramp/Control Druid focuses on gaining a significant mana advantage, or “ramping,” early in the game and then using that mana to control the board and out-value the opponent. It excels at playing powerful late-game cards and maintaining board control through removal and healing. Like all Control decks, they require discipline and a knowledge of the next moves your opponent could make. These decks are more suited to advanced players.
Druid also struggles in the Wild and Arena modes. The only viable decks in Wild are variants of Token Druid. For those who want a cheap deck that is easy to play, Druid may be a good class choice. Otherwise, look for other classes to invest in.
Best Standard Decks for Druid
- Dragon Druid
- Treant Druid
- Highlander Druid
7) Death Knight
Winrates
- Standard: 47.6% (7th)
- Wild: 48.2% (6th)
- Arena: 53.7% (2nd)
- Duels: 52.5% (3rd)
Newly added in December of 2022, the Death Knight class offers a versatile and sinister playstyle. With their 2-mana Hero Power, ‘Ghoul Charge,’ they summon 1/1 Ghouls with Charge, creating a transient advantage. A unique class mechanic involves gathering Corpses when friendly minions die, fueling specific card effects. Deck-building is guided by colored symbols called Runes, representing specializations like Blood (Red), Frost (Blue), and Unholy, offering strategic flexibility.
The playstyle of Death Knight depends on the Runes you choose to add to your deck. The Blood Rune stands out as the most resilient among the three Runes. It boasts a set of cards that specialize in maintaining control over the game board, offering formidable minions, and possessing abilities to influence life totals. In the current meta, this style of play is not effective at all.
On the other hand, the Frost Rune is renowned for its explosive potential. Within this Rune, you’ll discover cards that thrive on synergies with spells, offering direct damage, efficient card draw, adept mana manipulation, and the ability to Freeze opponents. Currently, Frost decks are not ideal.
Lastly, the Unholy Rune reigns supreme when it comes to commanding the legions of the Undead. Its cards excel in summoning a variety of Undead minions, creating overwhelming swarms of creatures, and efficiently generating and utilizing Corpses as a resource. Unholy decks are by far the most effective in the current meta.
In Wild, Death Knight is in a similar position to Demon Hunter; there aren’t enough cards to create strong archetypes. In fact, all of the Death Knight class cards in the game can still be used in Standard; that’s how new the class is. Death Knight decks aren’t awful in Wild, but there are better options if you want to succeed in this game mode.
Best Standard Decks for Death Knight
- Plague Death Knight
- Unholy Death Knight
- Blood Death Knight
6) Mage
Winrates
- Standard: 46.6% (8th)
- Wild: 49.1% (5th)
- Arena: 49.0% (6th)
- Duels: 48.5% (7th)
The Mage class in Hearthstone is known for its spellcasting and control-oriented playstyle. Mages have a unique Hero Power, “Fireblast,” which deals one damage to a chosen target. They are masters of spellcasting and have access to a wide range of powerful spells for various situations, including direct damage, board control, and freezing effects. Mage decks often revolve around controlling the board, removing threats, and using spells to outmaneuver opponents. They are also known for their ability to generate and duplicate spells, offering a flexible and adaptable approach to the game.
For beginners looking to get into Wild, Mage is the perfect class to start. Secret Mage is a VERY good archetype and is cheap to craft; perfect for new players.
Not to mention, on our way to Legend, we went on a 13-game Ranked win streak with Secret Mage.
Best Standard Decks for Mage
- Secret Mage
- Rainbow Mage
- Mining Mage
5) Rogue
Winrates
- Standard: 49.3% (4th)
- Wild: 48.1% (8th)
- Arena: 41.0% (10th)
- Duels: 47.4% (8th)
The Rogue class in Hearthstone is known for its stealthy and combo-driven playstyle. Rogues have a unique Hero Power, “Dagger Mastery,” which equips a 1/2 weapon. They excel at dealing burst damage and controlling the board through the use of Combo mechanics. Rogue decks often focus on efficient card draw, card generation, and playing multiple cards in a single turn to activate powerful combos. This class is famous for its stealthy minions, weapon-based strategies, and the ability to surprise opponents with sudden, high-damage bursts.
One of the most popular decks in Standard is Mech Rogue. This deck revolves around creating Mechs in your hand and using Magnetic to create even bigger Mechs. Not only does the deck perform well, but it’s also relatively inexpensive; most of the cards are either commons or rares.
Other decks in Wild center around creating combos with smaller cards or by rapidly drawing cheap spells to play. Rogue also has a number of different Secrets to add to their decks. While not the best class, Rogue is one worth considering if you seek a tactical class.
Best Standard Decks for Rogue
- Mech Rogue
- Big Rogue
- Mining Rogue
4) Shaman
Winrates
- Standard: 48.2% (6th)
- Wild: 52.9% (2nd)
- Arena: 53.0% (3rd)
- Duels: 57.6% (1st)
The Shaman class in Hearthstone is known for its elemental and totemic playstyle. Shamans have a unique Hero Power, “Totemic Call,” which summons random Totems, each with unique effects. They excel at board control, using powerful spells like “Lightning Storm” and minions with Battlecries to influence the battlefield. Shamans also have access to the “Overload” mechanic, which allows them to play stronger cards in exchange for locked mana crystals in the next turn. Their class identity often revolves around the elements, with elemental synergy being a common theme in Shaman decks.
Shaman’s best decks are centered around summoning totems and casting powerful spells. A more niche deck in Standard (and more powerful in Wild) is Evolve Shaman. Being possibly the most fun deck in the game, Evolve Shaman is centered around transforming your minions into ones that cost more. This can lead to massive power swings. However, these decks are not the most effective for climbing the ranks; there are better decks to choose from if you want to win.
Overall, Shaman performs well in every game mode…except for Standard. The class has accumulated tons of great cards from past expansions, making this a great class for Wild. Duels is the game mode that Shaman performs the best in, particularly with an Overload-centered deck. Shaman is a great class and one of the better ones in Hearthstone.
Best Standard Decks for Shaman
- Totem Shaman
- Highlander Shaman
- Elemental Shaman
3) Warlock
Winrates
- Standard: 52.1% (3rd)
- Wild: 50.9% (3rd)
- Arena: 54.2% (1st)
- Duels: 51.9% (4th)
The Warlock class in Hearthstone is known for its life-tapping and self-damaging playstyle. Warlocks have a unique Hero Power, “Life Tap,” which allows them to draw a card at the cost of 2 health points. They excel at card drawing, hand manipulation, and powerful demons. Warlock decks often focus on sacrificing health for card advantage, using their life total as a resource. Depending on their card choices, they can employ various strategies, including Zoo (minion-heavy), Control, and even combo decks.
Warlock features tons of powerful board-clearing cards, including Defile; one of the best cards ever made. The minion type, Demon, is (mostly) exclusive to the Warlock class. Demons usually feature card-discarding mechanics or damaging your own hero.
Warlock is the most well-rounded class in Hearthstone. At the moment, the class performs exceptionally well in all four game modes. An argument could be made that this is the best class.
The only reason that Warlock is third on this list is due to the class’s inherent difficulty for beginners. Many of the Warlock’s archetypes involve damaging your own minions and hero. Without the proper discipline, new players may overdo these abilities and damage themselves beyond recovery. Nonetheless, Warlock is an excellent choice for any player and is undoubtedly one of the best classes in Hearthstone.
Best Standard Decks for Warlock
- Mining Warlock
- Thaddius Warlock
2) Paladin
Winrates
- Standard: 53.4% (2nd)
- Wild: 57.7% (1st)
- Arena: 40.7% (11th)
- Duels: 46.7% (9th)
The Paladin class in Hearthstone is known for its divine and minion-focused playstyle. Paladins have a unique Hero Power, “Reinforce,” which summons a 1/1 Silver Hand Recruit. They excel at building a strong board presence, buffing their minions, and having access to healing and protection spells. Paladin decks often focus on a variety of strategies, including Aggro (aggressive), Midrange, and Control, making them adaptable to different playstyles. They are famous for their class-specific cards like “Equality” and “Divine Shield” minions.
Paladin always has (and likely will continue to be) strong in Wild. With the recent introduction of new Mechs from the Titans expansion, Mech Paladin has seen a strong rebound in Wild. Pure Paladin has also been a strong archetype. Tons of older Paladin cards revolve around buffing your Silver Hand Recruits, which can snowball and overpower your opponent quickly.
Not to mention, Paladin has Tirion Fordring, one of the best cards in the entire game.
Best Standard Decks for Paladin
- Aggro Paladin
- Showdown Paladin
- Highlander Paladin
1) Hunter
Winrates
- Standard: 57.4% (1st)
- Wild: 48.9% (7th)
- Arena: 51.4% (4th)
- Duels: 49.6% (8th)
Love it or hate it; Hunter is still the best class in Hearthstone.
The Hunter class is known for its aggressive and beast-themed playstyle. Hunters excel at direct damage, utilizing their Hero Power, “Steady Shot,” to chip away at the opponent’s health. They are famous for their powerful Beast minions and synergy cards, often focusing on quick, aggressive strategies. Hunter decks are known for their burst damage potential and the ability to apply constant pressure on opponents.
This straightforward playstyle makes this a suitable class for beginners and the easiest class to play in the game. Historically, Hunter has been the most effective class to create aggressive decks. This is due mostly to their Hero Power, “Steady Shot,” which deals two damage to the enemy hero. It’s one of the best hero powers in the game and easily deals tons of damage.
The class has a variety of great deck options, mostly that play either aggressively or excel in the midgame. The decks that see the most play are Hound Hunter and Arcane Hunter. Hound decks focus on utilizing the powerful card “Hollow Hound” to kill minions and restore health. Arcane Hunter revolves around buffing your spells with more damage and aggressively hitting your opponent for face damage.
Hunter also has a plethora of great Legendary cards to craft. This is an excellent class to play in Hearthstone.
Best Standard Decks for Hunter
- Hound Hunter
- Highlander Hunter
- Arcane Hunter
Summary
In the ever-evolving world of Hearthstone, finding the perfect class that aligns with your gaming style is crucial. From the relentless aggression of the Hunter to the tactical playstyle of the Warlock, this article dives deep into the intricacies of each class, backed by current winrate data. While some classes like Hunter continue to dominate the meta with their straightforward approach, others like Demon Hunter and Warrior have seen better days.
Whether you prefer the thrill of fast-paced battles or the strategic control of the board, this guide helps you navigate the diverse world of Hearthstone classes, ensuring your epic adventures are a step closer to victory. So, let the hunt begin and discover which class suits your card-slinging mastery in the vibrant world of Hearthstone!
For more great gaming news, tips, and reviews, check us out at Shark Games.