Hearthstone Arena guide: The best Heroes tier list – January 2016 – Hearthstone
Our updated tier list of the best Heroes to pick in Hearthstone's Arena mode.
The best Hearthstone Arena hero class to choose in the Frozen Throne metagame, with a tier list ranking all nine characters from top to bottom.
Every Hearthstone class – given a bit of good fortune in the drafting process – is capable of achieving the elusive 12 win holy grail of the game’s Arena mode, but there’s no denying that some heroes make the challenge considerably easier than others.
For much of the game’s life, the Mage was considered the default pick for those looking to haul the juiciest rewards home from Arena. A few other classes are jostling for top spot in 2017 though, and so there are a few options to choose from if Jaina doesn’t take your fancy.
Who’s now the best Arena class to pick when you’re presented with your choice of three though, and before the drafting process has even begun? Using our own experience – and the generally accepted community wisdom of the time – we’ve put together a tier list outlining our preferred picks.
We will add one caveat, however, and it’s the same one we apply to all of our deck recommendations in Ranked play: you will almost always do better with the classes you are the most experienced with, and have the most fun playing.
With that one small piece of advice out of the way, here’s our rundown of the best Hearthstone Arena heroes for the current metagame. We’ll be adding an in-depth drafting and playing guide for each and every one of them in the weeks ahead. In the mean time you can check out our overall Arena guide and our round-up of Arena rewards.
9. Warrior
Draft a stack of weapons and you’re in with a shout by playing Warrior, but otherwise a relatively useless hero power holds this character back a huge amount in the Arena format. No weapons? No chance.
8. Priest
While the Priest’s hero power is certainly handy, it’s pretty useless without a board presence to maintain. Few other classes are more draft-dependent than the Priest, and if you’ve had a poor run of luck in the drafting process then you’re going to struggle to gain a board worth looking after.
7. Shaman
Although the Shaman’s Overload cards can be very powerful, that penalty can really cause you problems if the luck of the draw goes against you as the match wears on. Thankfully you have some very powerful Elemental cards to play with right now, increasing the odds of a strong deck themed in this direction.
6. Hunter
If you can draft an extremely aggressive deck then it’s possible to excel with the Hunter. Keep throwing in that hero power for continual pressure and you can reach the finishing line surprisingly quickly. Play aggressively at every stage, and always do your sums each turn to understand how close you are to lethal damage.
5. Druid
It can be a bit of a slog to craft a Druid deck that provides much versatility, and it’s often a case of building towards a big, beastly finish in the late-game. If you get run down before you can build up a decent defensive wall though, it can be very hard to recover in time.
4. Mage
Less potent than it was in the previous meta but still a very strong pick, the Mage’s ping-shot Hero Power provides the extra bit of oomph you often needs to bust through a problem on the board.
3. Warlock
The Warlock’s ability to draw more cards into their hand at the expense of health can give a major advantage in just about any match-up. Don’t forget to look for minions that restore health during the drafting process, as these not only provide you with a board presence but also the means to keep digging deeper into your deck pile.
2. Paladin
The Paladin offers up a huge amount of flexibility during the drafting process, allowing you to go for a very aggressive approach or a more controlling one. The recent addition of cards like Spikeridged Steed have made this already powerful Arena hero even stronger.
1. Rogue
The Rogue’s hero power makes it a real force to be reckoned with, and it’s also a hero that lends itself naturally to the kind of tempo play that works so well in the Arena format. You also have access to some seriously powerful burst damage spells.
