Battlegrounds is the one game mode that is still keeping Hearthstone alive. Other game modes have lost popularity over the years, and Blizzard’s spin on the auto-battler genre has taken the reigns.
5/15/23 – This article has been updated for the Hearthstone Battlegrounds Season 4.
Like other auto-battlers, Battlegrounds focuses on making the best out of the randomized cards you get. Even though RNG significantly impacts every game you play, there are particular builds you can still aim for. Managing to pull off a build successfully will still be affected by chance, but having a game plan is half the battle. And despite the fact that the Standard game mode is not as popular anymore, here are some of the best Hearthstone meta decks.
Battlegrounds currently has ten factions, each with its own cards and interactions. These factions are not created equal, with some proving lackluster compared to others. So let’s have a look at some of the best builds that you should keep an eye out for when playing Battlegrounds. With Season 4 having just been released (Make sure you check out our newly published article if you’re looking for the best Hearthstone Season 4 cards), a few of the factions are still waiting to be added to the game. When they do, we’ll be ready with a follow-up article showing you some more powerful builds for Hearthstone Battlegrounds.
5. Dragons
With the emergence of Season 4, Dragons have received some huge buffs, making them one of the most consistent factions currently. You can still count on the classic Tarecgosa and Prized Promo-Drake synergy, but now there are even stronger combos to look for. Kalecgos has received a pretty hefty buff in that his ability activates every time you trigger a Battlecry. This means he works great with Brann Bronzebeard now, especially if you turn either of them golden. And with the help of Upbeat Duo, you can easily achieve that. It’s a ton of fun when you have a table full of Kalecgoses that buff each other multiple times whenever you play a card with Battlecry.
Late game, you should look for a Nadina the Red. Nadina has a Deathrattle that gives all your dragons Divine Shield. And since you generally need a board full of dragons to make the most out of the build, Nadina is an excellent addition. At the start of the game, you can also make good use of Upbeat Frontdrake, which will land you a random Dragon card every 3 turns.
4. Hand Murlocs
While the older style of Murlocs with Battlecry is still somewhat valid, there is an even better build that you can now use. We’re going to call it Hand Murloc, since it mainly uses mechanics that interact with cards you have in your hand. Your bread and butter is Bream Counter, a new Murloc that receives buffs while in hand whenever you play a Murloc. Paired up with Bassgill, you have an easy way of making use of him without having to play him. This means he will continuously be buffed as long as you keep playing Murlocs. And to top it off you have Choral Mrrrglr which receives the stats of all minions in your hand when combat starts.
Other helpful cards are things like Scourfin or Upbeat Flutist which also help with buffing the cards in your hand. And in order to keep the Murlocs flowing, you should definitely aim for a Brann which will help you make the most out of cards like Primalfin Lookout and Tad.
3. Greedy Pirates
Even though Hoggar has been completely removed from the game, pirates still have a pretty neat combo that they can achieve. The main combo piece is Fleet Admiral Tethys which gives you a random pirate when you spend eight gold. Ideally you want to turn him gold, which can be easily achieved with the help of Upbeat Impressionist. The Impressionist can also help you turn Peggy Sturdybone golden, since she’s the main buffing mechanic you will use. Blade Collector is an ideal target to buff since he can take out multiple minions with a single attack.
Another simple combo that can work great in this build is Record Smuggler paired up with Underhanded Dealer. As long as you have a table full of pirates, the Smuggler will buff the Dealer for every single one while also giving you a ton of gold. Which you can then obviously spend so you can activate Tethys and keep the wheels spinning. While definitely not as strong as the old Hoggar builds, pirates can still pack a mean punch if played correctly.
2. Summon Beasts
While Leapfrogger is still in the game and works just as good with Titus Rivendare, there’s an even stronger combo now that makes beasts a true powerhouse. And the main culprit for this new build is Banana Slamma which doubles the stats of any minion you summon. Pair it up Sewer Rat and Rat Pack with a Mama Bear backing them up and you will be summoning some huge minions in no time. The one downside that Slamma has is the fact that turning him gold will triple the stats, making two normal Slamma’s a better choice. Ideally, you’d want two golden Slamma’s but obviously, that won’t be a constant in every game.
Sly Raptor and Octosari, Wrap God are two other great cards to pair with this build, ideally with a Titus backing them up. Currently this build is pretty strong, being able to go head-to-head with any other build as long as you find the right cards. And to help you with turning your most important cards golden, you can always add an Upbeat Duo into the mix for a few turns.
1. Reborn Undead
The newest faction to join Battlegrounds, Reborn Undead is one of the strongest current builds. Your main combo pieces are Soulsplitter which gives other Undead Reborn, Eternal Summoner to create more Eternal Knights, and Sister Deathwhisper to buff your entire party. Eternal Knight is also a great card to add to this build since it keeps buffing itself and all other Eternal Knights every time it dies. Other great Undead units to keep on board are Sinrunner Blanchy and Colossus of the Sun, since they have Reborn and can be buffed by Sister.
If you have room on your board, keeping a Hungering Abomination in the back can also net you another huge unit. Since it gets buffed whenever a creature dies, all your Reborn units repeatedly dying can quickly turn him into a huge threat. Regarding heroes, The Lich King is great since it can consistently allow you to give a particular unit Reborn every turn. Professor Putricide is your best option since his hero power can give you an Undead unit, which combines two essential units, giving you more space on board.
Even though these are some of the strongest builds currently in the game, you should always remember that most of the time you have to play with what the game gives you. Mixing and matching parts of these builds can also work out great. If you want to know more about the heroes that are available in Hearthstone Battlegrounds, we have a handy Hearthstone Battlegrounds hero tier list guide to help you out. And if Battlegrounds is not doing it for you anymore, you can check out our Hearthstone Arena hero tier list to get back into the swing of things.
