Hearthstone Battlegrounds Strategy Guide

The Newest Way to Play

When Battlegrounds was first introduced in Hearthstone, players jumped head-long into this new mode to experience an exciting new play style in this world-renown card game! Eight players face off against each other in this new mode, but only one shall emerge triumphant. Can you be that only one?!

How to Win

While there is no set formula to win every game of Hearthstone Battlegrounds, there are several tactics and tricks you can have up your sleeve to make sure you give yourself the best chance of winning every time. So here is our hints and tips guide to improve your win rate on when playing this exciting new mode!

#1 Upgrade Your Tavern at the Right Time

Arguably, the most important thing that you can do within this game mode is upgrading your tavern. This asset on the field of play will dictate how powerful your minions are and allow you to take out your competition fast. However, if you upgrade at the wrong time, it can leave you vulnerable as you become short on spare change to acquire minions to defend yourself. So here are a few things to remember.

When to upgrade fast:

• When there is a minion card from the next tier up that you can gain access to and upgrade, allowing you to have a more powerful minion on the field ahead of time.
• If you begin with a powerful board, it can sometimes be worth gambling with an early upgrade.

When to wait until later rounds to upgrade:

• When you have a weaker starting position and need to acquire minions cheaper at lower tiers.
• If you are low on funds and want to wait for the upgrades to lower in price as they do each turn.
• If the tier you are on offers better strategies on synergies.

#2 Combination Tactics

To succeed in this game mode, or any other for that matter, you need to combine minions in order to discover minions from a higher tier. This practice allows you to get ahead of the pack and potentially lay waste to your opponent fast. However, there are right ways and wrong ways to approach this. Here are some things to consider when combining minions:

• Be sure to play your first two copies whenever possible. When you get your third copy, this will automatically combine without needing to play the third card. Also, this will ensure that you gain passive buffs from any applicable cards.
• When you receive your discovered card from a combo, it can be worth holding on for a turn to upgrade your tavern. This is because the discovered card’s tier will be one above your tavern when played.
• Some cards are more beneficial to the player when in pairs. The Nightmare Amalgams are a particularly good example as these offer Divine Shield and Taunt which almost always acts as a better asset to the player than a discovered minion.

#3 Freeze the Board

Freezing the board is a key tactic that can really change your fortunes at the end of the recruit stage. This will allow you to continue adding minions to your roster but will stop the tavern from refreshing as well. There are times when this is the ideal thing to do but there are also times when freezing is detrimental. So here is everything you need to know about freezing in Hearthstone Battlegrounds:

When to freeze the board:

• You should do this when there is the ability to pick up a third copy of a minion. This will allow you to discover a higher tier minion and give you a one-up on the competition.
• When there is a minion on offer that can add to your tactical approach. Minions such as Mama Bear or Deathrattle Snakes spring to mind.

When not to freeze the board:

• When you choose to upgrade your tavern in the same turn, if you freeze the board you won’t be able to use them due to the tavern not refreshing.

#4 Using Hero Powers

Hero powers are a very important part of the Battlegrounds mode. In order for your tactics and game plan to work out, you’ll need to have a hero power that works to your advantage and suits your play style. There are two main types of hero power you can utilize — the one-time use powers and the constant hero powers that will affect the board throughout. Here is a quick guide to these powers:

One time use hero powers:

• These powers can be a real game-changer and rescue you from a losing position. So, you should ideally hold on to these until the last possible moment as a safety net in times of trouble.
• Using these powers early is a waste of money that can be used on minions to bolster your attack.
• The best cards of this nature are The Lich King, Nefarian and Ragnaros, amongst many others.

Constant effect hero cards:

• These hero cards offer constant perks right from the beginning of the game, so these should be used as early as possible to maximise their effectiveness.
• The best cards of this nature are Manastorm, Deathwing and Queen Wagtoggle, amongst others.

#5 Be Flexible

While everyone has a game plan going into battle, poor luck or a costly mistake can see the best-laid plan go awry. This means that players need to be able to improvise and adapt in order to ensure victory. So here are a few tips to make sure that you are set up for a switch in tactics during a match:

• Have several tactical approaches in place that you are comfortable with. Ideally, if you have an aggressive, defensive and a middle-of-the-road strategy, you won’t go too far wrong.
• Don’t stubbornly try to make failing tactics work. If you aren’t getting the refreshes you need, switch to something more feasible with the field of play at your disposal. Waiting for the tide to turn is a recipe for disaster and allows your opponent to capitalize.
• Read the field of play and don’t be scared to adapt. If there is a card that will offer a better chance of a win but doesn’t fit your initial game plan, weigh up the options and choose the path that leads to victory (not the path to saving your pride).

#6 Positioning

Lastly, we have positioning of minions in battle. This is a vital skill that will probably take the longest to master for new players. The way positioning works in this mode is rather simple – the minions you have placed on the field will attack from left to right, creating an outcome where various cards will be more beneficial in certain places. This is often due to the effects of the minions in question, so here is a quick guide on how to set up your minions for battle:

• If your card has a death rattle effect, this means that it will buff all monsters that attack after this card. So be sure to place cards of this nature to the left of the pack.
• Other minions will benefit from being placed last due to the buffs caused by the minions before laying waste to foes. Cards such as Mama Bear, for example, should be placed at the very right of the pack.
• Be sure to line up weaker minions against enemy cards that have the Divine Shield effect. This will ensure your better attacks will not be wasted on defensive cards.
• If you want to protect lesser cards with good effects, place a taunt monster before it to make sure it is given the best chance of survival.
• Be sure to leave space to place new cards in order to capitalize on good opportunities.

It’s Time to Rule!

While there is never a guaranteed winning strategy, these tips will certainly give you a much better chance of winning and coming to terms with the game in the early stages. There are a lot of intricate systems and moving parts within this game mode and there is always a way for the opponent to change their fortunes, but with these knowledge at hand, you give yourself the best chance of holding your nerve and coming out on top.

Add these to your repertoire, get out there and rule the Battleground!

What do you think of the game mode? Do you think it’s a better mode than the more conventional games? What tactics do you use to get ahead in this mode? Are there any helpful tips that we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments section and as always, thank you for reading!