This article presents our Hearthstone Arena Tier List (2021). The tier list has been updated on 01^st June, 2021.

If you haven’t heard of Hearthstone yet, then we don’t know which rock you have been living under for all these years. Ever since this giant of a game came out in 2014, it seems like it changed the history of digital card gaming. Until then, card games were left for a 3D reality rather than digital. Except for a few bad adaptations of games in digital form, there wasn’t much in card gaming. Everything changed after Hearthstone. Blizzard created a balanced competitive game that attracted millions of players around the world and inspired many other games to come out. The genre of deck builders was created thanks to Hearthstone.

The game is marketed as a free-to-play online digital collectible card game. It builds upon the existing lore of Warcraft by using the same characters, elements and relics. The game features cross-platform play, allowing players on any supported device to compete with one another, restricted only by geographical region account limits.

Hearthstone features a variety of game modes in which players can battle each other and enjoy the game. The game modes come in two forms, single player solo experiences and multiplayer matchmaking modes. Single player game modes include Adventures, Missions and a Practice mode. The multiplayer modes include Arena, Battlegrounds, Duels and Tavern Brawls. In this article we will be focusing only on the Arena game mode.

Hearthstone Arena Class Tier List

The first thing that you need to do after entering the arena is to choose one hero from a choice of 3 random heroes presented to you. Your choice here defines the pool of cards from which you will be able to pick the cards and it will include random neutral and class cards appropriate to your hero choice.

Each class has specific strengths and weaknesses in Arena. For the most part, these traits come from the class’s Hero Power, and their class specific cards, particularly those of Common rarity. However, the differences between classes is a lot less pronounced than it is in Contructed, as most decks will contain the same standard of high quality neutral cards if drafted well.

Despite the similarities, there are classes in Arena that are considered stronger than others. However, the differences between tiers of Class are very small, and even the bottom tier classes are capable of 12 wins regularly with intelligent drafting and high level play. You may find that your personal success rate differs from what we suggest, due to your play style and own strengths or weakness as a player.

We’ve divided the 10 hero classes into four tiers. Tier 1 being the strongest and Tier 4 being the weakest. However, keep in mind that this is simply a guide, and that even among the very best Arena players, opinions differ widely on the relative strengths of each class.

Tier 1

Rogue

For rogues, the only code is the contract, and their honor is purchased in gold. Free from the constraints of a conscience, these mercenaries rely on brutal and efficient tactics. Lethal assassins and masters of stealth, they will approach their marks from behind, piercing a vital organ and vanishing into the shadows before the victim hits the ground. Rogues can dip their weapons in paralyzing toxins that render foes unable to defend themselves. These silent stalkers wear leather armor so they can move unencumbered, ensuring that they land the first strike.

The rogue Hero Power offers some ability to maintain board control, as it allows your hero to destroy 1-Health minions. This allows you to establish control and force them to waste valuable removal early on. This can also allow you to keep your minions alive longer, adding value.

As a Rogue, you will often lean towards an aggressive play style rather than a control one. This is due to a large number of cards that allow you to maintain a good momentum throughout the game (tempo cards), as well as your Hero Power. Rogue’s will often lower their own Health in the process of clearing minions with their Dagger, and as such, healing cards should be drafted more highly. Even in decks with no healing however, you should still be aggressive with your own life as a resource, as your Dagger is always key to victory.

Cards such as Deadly Poison will always provide you with card advantage, while the majority of Combo cards and Backstab will contribute to the tempo and put your opponent under a lot of pressure.

Rogue is the queen of tempo decks. Utilizing cheap removal spells alongside well drafted manacurve, rogue can easily get out of control. Valeera’s hero power also works as a decent tempo tool since it can technically get rid of two targets per usage. No matter how good of a tempo you can put out, it’s core to use your life total in a responsible way.

Warlock

In the face of demonic power, most heroes see death. Warlocks see only opportunity. Dominance is their aim, and they have found a path to it in the dark arts. These voracious spellcasters summon demonic minions to fight beside them. At first, they command only the service of imps, but as a warlock’s knowledge grows, seductive succubi, loyal voidwalkers, and horrific felhunters join the dark sorcerer’s ranks to wreak havoc on anyone who stands in their master’s way. Warlocks can ignite distant enemies in searing flame, send them fleeing in terror and pain, or afflict them with corrupting diseases and curses that steal the victim’s vitality.

Calling nightmarish Demons to their aid, warlocks are willing to sacrifice their own life, cards, and even their own minions to overwhelm their enemies. Regarding their own lifeblood as nothing more than a currency, warlocks readily trade away their Health to draw additional cards, but must often pay a terrible price for the services of the infernal beings with whom they consort.

The warlock Hero Power is Life Tap, allowing them to sacrifice 2 Health (and 2 mana) in order to draw a card. While this may seem like an unworthy trade, the ability to gain card advantage is very strong, and Life Tap is widely considered one of the strongest Hero Powers in the game since cards are the fundamental tool used to win games. This ability allows you to draft a very aggressive, low curve and overwhelm your opponent in terms in Tempo. Historically this was clearly the strongest way to draft Warlock decks, and remains strong still.

However, Warlock also has access to powerful removal spells such as Felfire Potion and Blastcrystal Potion which provide the ability to draft successful Control decks. The Arena changes in March 2017 also drastically increased the viability of Control decks by lowering the frequency of common cards and many early-game minions as a result. As you are now much less likely to get overwhelmed in the early-game you are now able to play a more controlling style if you are able to draft a deck consisting of many high quality mid- and late-game cards instead.

Since Warlocks rely on lowering their own Life Total to maintain resources, cards such as Deranged Doctor and Rotten Applebaum have much higher value than usual. A card that heals you for 4 can be viewed as allowing you to draw 2 extra cards over the course of the game.

Mage

Students gifted with a keen intellect and unwavering discipline may walk the path of the mage. The arcane magic available to magi is both great and dangerous, and thus is revealed only to the most devoted practitioners. To avoid interference with their spellcasting, magi wear only cloth armor, but arcane shields and enchantments give them additional protection. To keep enemies at bay, magi can summon bursts of fire to incinerate distant targets and cause entire areas to erupt, setting groups of foes ablaze. Masters of ice can command blizzards that tear into flesh and limit movement. Should enemies manage to survive this assault, the mage can shrink them into harmless sheep in the blink of an eye.

Masters of arcane, fire and frost, mages wield formidable single-target and area of effect damage spells, and can freeze enemies in their tracks. Mages have a strong spell-synergy, capable of turning minor incantations into devastating Fireballs, and can employ a range of magical Secrets to redirect enemy effects, protect themselves from damage, or stop the deadliest foe or spell in its tracks.

The mage Hero Power Fireblast is the most versatile of the 1 damage effect Hero Powers in Arena, since it is unaffected by Taunt and does not cause you to take damage yourself when targeting minions. It is useful for board control, able to remove smaller minions like Bluegill Warrior or even large minions like Boulderfist Ogre if the minion has already been weakened. It can be used strategically to remove a Divine Shield from an enemy, or to hit one of the mage’s own minions to activate certain effects, such as Amani Berserker or Acolyte of Pain.

One of Mage’s greatest strengths is that many of its strongest cards are Common, or Basic rarity, meaning that Mage is extremely consistent to draft overall. It’s also one of the most versatile classes in Arena, with cards like Mana Wyrm, Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Frostbolt enabling you to draft very aggressive Tempo decks, while cards like Fireball, Polymorph and Flamestrike can allow you to win a slower, more Control based game.

Tier 2

Shaman

Shaman are spiritual guides and practitioners, not of the divine, but of the very elements. Unlike some other mystics, shaman commune with forces that are not strictly benevolent. The elements are chaotic, and left to their own devices, they rage against one another in unending primal fury. It is the call of the shaman to bring balance to this chaos. Acting as moderators among earth, fire, water, and air, shaman summon totems that focus the elements to support the shaman’s allies or punish those who threaten them.

Masters of the elements, Shamans command the service of mighty elementals, and even the Elemental Lords themselves. Shamans can Overload their mana in order to rise to the needs of the moment, with their attacks producing varying potency. Shamans can also summon Totems to boost their powers.

The shaman’s Hero Power is Totemic Call, which randomly summons 1 of 4 possible Totem-type minions, each with different stats and abilities: Healing Totem, Stoneclaw Totem, Searing Totem, or Strength Totem.

The Shaman Hero Power is unfortunately random, which often makes it a gamble, and the totems are mostly a simple delay for your opponent rather than a serious threat. In order to benefit from your Hero Power, you need board control.

Shamans have some really powerful cards such as Fire Elemental and Hex, while the majority of Overload cards such as Stormforged Axe, Forked Lightning, and Lightning Bolt require some careful planning in order to generate advantage and not delay yourself. Shamans can be very strong, but much of their strength lies in their Rare cards such as Lightning Storm and Feral Spirit, which is not something you can rely on drafting consistently in the Arena.

A key to drafting Shaman successfully is valuing buff cards highly. Cards like Dire Wolf Alpha and Defender of Argus amongst others can turn your often useless Totems into an attacking force, and create card advantage for you over the course of the game. Cards that buff your entire board such as Stormwind Champion are particularly strong.

Druid

Druids harness the vast powers of nature to preserve balance and protect life. With experience, druids can unleash nature’s raw energy against their enemies, raining celestial fury on them from a great distance, binding them with enchanted vines, or ensnaring them in unrelenting cyclones. Druids can also direct this power to heal wounds and restore life to fallen allies. They are deeply in tune with the animal spirits of Azeroth. As master shapeshifters, druids can take on the forms of a variety of beasts, morphing into a bear, cat, storm crow, or sea lion with ease. These keepers of the natural order are among the most versatile heroes in Azeroth, and they must be prepared to adjust to new challenges on a moment’s notice.

Masters of the elements, shamans command the service of mighty elementals, and even the Elemental Lords themselves. Shamans can Overload their mana in order to rise to the needs of the moment, with their attacks producing varying potency. Shamans can also summon Totems to boost their powers.

Shapeshift is the druid’s Hero Power. It grants the druid a +1 Attack for that turn, and +1 Armor, allowing them to tackle enemy minions head-on, or even attack the enemy hero directly. The Druid Hero Power is decent, as you can use it defensively and slowly stack up armor, or aggressively and trade your health for potential card advantage. Cards such as Swipe, Starfire, Druid of the Claw, or Ironbark Protector will always have pretty big impact on the board during the mid-late stages of the game, while cards such as Wrath and Claw offer the Druid great solutions for the early game.

The weakness of the class is its one dimensional nature. Almost every Druid deck relies on outclassing the opponent in the late-game with high value cards and hard to remove Taunts. It is very difficult to draft a Druid deck aggressively, since very few of their class cards play into this strategy, however the addition of Shellshifter and Verdant Longneck has helped make this less of an issue. They are flexible enough to function as strong cards for potentially more aggressive Druid drafts, while also being solid defensive cards for more standard Druid Arena decks.

Demon Hunter

Demon hunters, the disciples of Illidan Stormrage, uphold a dark legacy, one that frightens their allies and enemies alike. The Illidari embrace fel and chaotic magics—energies that have long threatened the world of Azeroth—believing them necessary to challenge the Burning Legion. Wielding the powers of demons they’ve slain, they develop demonic features that incite revulsion and dread in fellow elves.

Agile fighters who call upon demonic allies and Fel magic. Outcasts of society, Demon Hunters attack with their blades and claws, using fallen allies to fuel their power. Not ones to shy away from a fight, Demon Hunters specialize in granting their hero Attack damage for one turn.

While most classes spend 2 mana on their hero power, the Demon Hunter only spends 1. Demon Claws, the class’s Hero Power, is a one mana-cost boost to the Demon Hunter’s Attack, designed around robust synergies with its class cards. The low mana cost of Demon Claws allows it to fit fluidly into curves, giving the Demon Hunter a unique gameplay feel. The hero power can reliably allow the Demon Hunter to fill their Mana curve, and can be used alongside their many synergistic cards such as Blade Dance and Satyr Overseer.

Because of Demon Hunter’s fantastic card draw, high chip and burst damage, and the speed at which they burn out, most Demon Hunters are geared towards aggressive or midrange builds. Demon Hunters arm themselves with weapons and aggressively-statted minions to take control of the board or apply massive face damage, and look to seal the game with cards like Imprisoned Antaen and Priestess of Fury before the opponent can stabilize.

Tier 3

Warrior

For as long as war has raged, heroes from every race have aimed to master the art of battle. Warriors combine strength, leadership, and a vast knowledge of arms and armor to wreak havoc in glorious combat. Some protect from the front lines with shields, locking down enemies while allies support the warrior from behind with spell and bow. Others forgo the shield and unleash their rage at the closest threat with a variety of deadly weapons. The warrior’s battle cries embolden friends and leave foes cowering in fear. With legendary precision, warriors target the smallest gaps in armor and slice at hamstrings in a blur of steel.

These lords of war use heavy weaponry and deadly attacks to slam and devastate the battlefield. While their skill with armor and shields allows them to soak up the mightiest of blows, their gladiatorial bloodlust brings synergy with Enrage and on-damage effects, sending their minions charging at the enemy.

The warrior hero power allows the warrior to gain armor. A powerful defensive option, it can be useful for slowly building a wall of Armor, through which the opponent will have to break in order to defeat the warrior, and makes a solid option to fall back on when mana is not better spent elsewhere.

Having cards such as Fiery War Axe, Molten Blade and/or Blood Razor is essential, and games without them are extremely difficult to win. Solid aggro/tempo draft accompanied by weapons will let you shine with warriors. Weapons are the most essential cards for warriors but you shouldn’t be picking too many of them. You should have a good balance between weapons for tempo and high value minions to provide you with attrition so that you can outlast opponents.

Paladin

This is the call of the paladin: to protect the weak, to bring justice to the unjust, and to vanquish evil from the darkest corners of the world. These holy warriors are equipped with plate armor so they can confront the toughest of foes, and the blessing of the Light allows them to heal wounds and, in some cases, even restore life to the dead. Ready to serve, paladins can defend their allies with sword and shield, or they can wield massive two-handed weapons against their enemies. The Light grants paladins additional power against the undead and demons, ensuring that these profane beings corrupt the world no longer.

Stalwart champions of the Light, wielding sturdy weapons and gifting the recruits of their order with Divine Shields and a range of powerful Blessings. Paladins can also have a range of spells to heal themselves or smite their enemies, weaken foes, and Secrets to protect vulnerable targets.

The paladin Hero Power is Reinforce, which summons a 1/1 Silver Hand Recruit. This provides a cheap and unending supply of weak minions, which can be improved using spells like Blessing of Kings, or simply used to bolster the player’s forces.

They have the potential to draft very fast and aggressive decks, utilising cards like Argent Protector to retain minions on the board and force the tempo of the game onto your opponent. You can draft very effective late-game focused Paladin decks using powerful Control cards like Truesilver Champion and Consecration to push the game long, letting you gain incremental advantages with the 1/1 tokens you can generate each turn.

One of the weakness of Paladin is that many of their strongest cards, such as Aldor Peacekeeper, Rallying Blade, and Sword of Justice are Rares and Epics, meaning that they will not be offered to you very often, reducing the overall consistency of the class. It is also worth mentioning that if you are lucky enough to be offered Tirion Fordring, you should take it immediately as Tirion is widely considered to be the single strongest card in all of Arena.

Tier 4

Priest

Priests are devoted to the spiritual, and express their unwavering faith by serving the people. For millennia they have left behind the confines of their temples and the comfort of their shrines so they can support their allies in war-torn lands. In the midst of terrible conflict, no hero questions the value of the priestly orders. These masters of the healing arts keep their companions fighting far beyond their normal capacities with an array of restorative powers and blessings. The divine forces at the priest’s command can also be turned against foes, smiting them with holy fury.

Devout healers with powerful restorative abilities, Priests use the power of Light to sustain themselves and their allies while pacifying enemies, but they can also use their darker abilities to manipulate and destroy enemies, peering into or even seizing control of their opponents’ minds.

The default priest Hero Power is Lesser Heal, a powerful healing option which can be used on heroes or minions to restore Health. It can help restore damaged minions to full Health, keeping them alive and allowing them to trade against multiple enemies, leading to good card advantage. It can also be used to heal the hero itself, recovering Health lost to the opponent’s attacks. A powerful defensive tool, Lesser Heal can allow the priest and its minions to survive long after they should have been defeated, and fits best with a slower strategy, outlasting and outmaneuvering opponents.

The Priest Hero Power can be a great source of card advantage if you can heal your minions that survive combat. However, if you are unable to get onto the board, the Priest Hero Power can be a liability, since it has no effect on the tide of the game if you are unable to heal minions with it. The Priest class cards will always make you lean towards a control play style, as you will either need to create advantage through cards such as Mind Control or Temple Enforcer in the late game, or through efficient minion combat and Hero Power usage. This makes cards such as Holy Smite, Shadow Word: Pain, Holy Nova, and Power Word: Shield essential for your early-mid game play.

Hunter

From an early age the call of the wild draws some adventurers from the comfort of their homes into the unforgiving primal world outside. Those who endure become hunters. As masters of their environment, hunters are able to slip like ghosts through the trees and lay traps in the paths of their enemies. These expert marksmen drop foes dead in their tracks with flawless shots from a bow, crossbow or rifle. With the ability to wield two weapons simultaneously, hunters can unleash a flurry of blows against anyone unfortunate enough to stumble into close combat with them.

Trackers and huntsmen, with a synergy with Beasts, a selection of bows, and a supply of cunning deadly traps, hunters never miss their mark. Whether unleashing their Beasts upon the enemy or sniping them from afar, hunters possess relentless and immediate damage capabilities.

Steady Shot is the hunter’s Hero Power, dealing 2 damage direct to the enemy hero. Steady Shot is a very direct and straightforward Hero Power – unlike many other Hero Powers, it does not offer special synergies or boast a range of possible uses, but what it lacks in strategic complexity it makes up for in sheer effectiveness. Without Health or Armor-granting effects, Steady Shot can single-handedly destroy the opponent and win the game in just 15 turns if used every turn. This allows the hunter to rely upon Steady Shot’s damage to make steady progress toward victory, regardless of the state of the board. Steady Shot works well with an aggressive approach to build pressure on the opponent.

Hunters are often powerful in Arena, but are usually one-dimensional, relying on strong Tempo or Aggro decks to create pressure on the opponent. The reason for this is the linear nature of the Hunter Hero Power, which only causes damage to the opposing Hero. Although Hunters do have access to some strong Control cards like Multi-Shot and Explosive Shot, and some high value late-game minions such as Savannah Highmane, even the most Controlling of Hunter decks will eventually end in a race to finish the opposing Hero.

What is Hearthstone Arena and how does it work?

Simply put, The arena is a game mode in which players draft decks to battle against other players in a tournament style format for the chance to earn rewards.

Players choose cards out of 30 separate selections of cards, building a 30-card deck to do battle against other players. Players play until they have suffered 3 losses or claimed 12 victories, at which point they will be granted a number of rewards based on the final number of wins they achieved.

Each admission to the Arena costs either 150 in-game gold or real money equivalent to $1.99 USD. Due to this reason, it is highly recommended that players who want to play arena should acquire a high knowledge of cards in general and a basic knowledge of card abilities and card interactions. The player should also know how to appropriately draft the strongest cards for their deck based on the cards offered in the draft and on the player’s chosen starting class. With a good knowledge of cards, card mechanics, and drafting strategy, a player will be able to do competently well in Arena.

Once players have drafted their deck, they will be put into a tournament-style format with other players. Players play until they have suffered 3 losses or claimed 12 victories, at which point they will be granted a number of rewards based on the final number of wins they achieved. Players do not have to play all of their Arena games in one go, and can return to continue their run whenever they wish. Winning at least 7 games before being eliminated guarantees that the player will earn their entry fee back in gold.

Due to it’s high competitive level of nature, The Arena is locked for players until they have reached level 10 in every class.

Conclusion

So that’s our comprehensive Hearthstone Tier List. You may find that your personal success rate differs from what we suggest, due to your play style and own strengths or weakness as a player. Watching streams and reading guides will certainly help you become a better player, however before you can truly master the Arena, you will need to develop the right kind of mind set that will allow you to see the best possible play when there are several really good options available.

If you’re new to the game, then Arena can be a powerful tool to o gain experience in the game while simultaneously building a card collection for use in Constructed play. As with everything in Hearthstone, you will need experience and familiarity with the mechanics and the cards in order to succeed, so do not be discouraged if your first Arena experiences are not very successful.

All that said, it’s time to get to the inn, pull up a chair by the hearth and start your Hearthstone adventure!

If you like this article, make sure to check out our Civilization 6 Tier List as well