Hearthstone Must Haves

You just got into the open beta for Hearthstone, and you're pretty pumped. There are hundreds of cards to collect, heroes and legends from the Warcraft series to play, a rapidly growing community and esports following. But with so many cards, where do you start? This guide aims to help you jumpstart your collection by recommending free, common and rare cards that can be crafted inexpensively and play an integral part in the game.

Commons

1 Mana

-Leper Gnome
Besides having 2 attack for a 1 drop, it will deal 2 damage to the hero even if it is killed by an enemy the turn after it is played. Multiple hits with the Gnome just add extra value.

-Argent Squire

Its divine shield means that it can take 1 instance of damage before losing health. This can be used to finish off a 6/1 just as easily as it can wrestle early game control from other 1/1’s or even 2 health minions, because of the card's ability to live through the first hit.

 

2 Mana

-Faerie Dragon 
A staple anti-mage, anti-spell, anti hero-power card that by itself at 3/2 is already a good value.

-Ironbeak Owl
Silence is golden, although its 2/1 stats leave something to be desired. Silence can taunt an enemy minion that allows the killshot on the hero

-Loot Hoarder
With the recent change to Novice Engineer, Loot Hoarder at 2/1 is a little more utilitarian than the 1/1 Novice, and has found itself replacing the Novice in most decks. The only drawback is that Loot Hoarder can be silenced before dying, which would not yield a card draw However, if an opponent silences the Loot Hoarder, he can’t silence something bigger later on in the game.

-Youthful Brewmaster
A 3/2 plus the ability to return a card with an effect to your hand so you can play the effect twice. Also good for getting injured minions back to the hand to return at full health.

 

3 Mana

-Harvest Golem
TCG’s are a lot about effective trading. This card does that. With a 2/3 that returns as a 2/1 after dying, there are very few instances an opponent can remove this card for the price that you paid to summon it. Super value.

-Raging Worgen
Windfury is retroactive. This allows you to clean up a 1/1, become enraged, then attack again having proc’ed the enrage by attacking the first time. Perfect for board control/hero damage combinations. Mages can proc enrage with their hero power then hit twice for 8 total damage.

 

Rares

1. Defender of Argus (2/3 for 4 mana + ability)
A 2/3 for 4 mana doesn’t sound great, especially when it was just dropped from 3/3. Don’t worry, the best part of the card is its battlecry. Giving adjacent minions +1/+1 plus Taunt cements DoA as a board control monster, that can even be recalled and replayed with either Brewmaster for even more stats and taunt.

 

2. Argent Commander (4/2 for 6 mana Divine Shield + Charge)
This is another 2 for 1 trader card with the added benefit of Charge, allowing him to take a free swing at an enemy for 4 damage without taking damage himself. This can be a massive momentum swing in the midgame that you can not afford to be without in most decks.

 

3. Azure Drake (4/4 for 5 mana + card draw + spell damage)
This card is an ultimate midgame beast. 4 attack is the perfect anti-priest number, while big enough to deal with many threats. The spell damage supercharges your spells, while the card draw helps to cycle your deck and keep your hand fuller than your opponents. Utility at its finest- a jack of all trades.

 

Honorable Mention Rares

-Wild Pyromancer (3/2 for 2)
Capable of some clever board clears with its triggered area damage ability every time you play a spell.

-Knife Juggler (3/2 for 2 + ability)
1 random damage per minion summoned can be brutal for board control if you don’t mind praying to RNG-esus.

 

Free Cards

- Acidic Swamp Ooze (3/2 for 2 Mana + ability)
This card’s ability destroys your opponent’s weapon. A 3/2 value plus a great situational ability means 1 or 2 should find its way into many decks

- Shattered Sun Cleric (3/2 for 3 mana + ability)
Don’t be fooled by the less than ideal stats. This creature’s ability to give a minion +1/+1 means a surviving first or second turn minion can get a nice buff, or a later game minion can deal that 1 extra damage to finish off a big guy or survive the hit.

- Chillwind Yeti (4/5 for 4 mana)
No abilities, but those stats make him the mayor of value town (4 is a great attack number to have against priests who can kill those with attack of 3 or less, or an attack 5 or more)

- Sen’jin Shieldmasta (3/5 for 4 + Taunt)
This card has been regarded as one of the better taunts in the game, and it's free! Most early minions will trade unfavorably into the beefy 5 health minion, creating board presence and shielding your hero from damage at the same time. 

With these staples in your arsenal, you should have a good foundation for success in Hearthstone! Keep playing, ask questions, and show your support for Hearthstone and Hearthstone content below in the comments section.