Given the straightforward nature of Hearthstone, players can have a wild ride constructing various decks that fit a wide variety of builds. However, things get a bit crazy when players have to consider the game mode in question, especially since the Duel Mode in the card game adds a challenge to spontaneous deck-building and adaptability.

Thankfully, despite the on-the-spot nature of Duel Mode, players of Hearthstone can rely on a variety of go-to decks to ensure they have a decent chance of winning 12 rounds to win its official gauntlet. However, just which standardized decks and card choices work best in Duel Mode?

The Fast Context: Quick Tricks, Tips To Consider

Being a more formal PVP mode, Duels Mode allows players to dish out their most powerful strategies against foes in a more formal format. With this in mind, it’s important to remember that players often go all-out with their deck builds, meaning players need to think ahead when it comes to how precise they want their decks to be and what strategies they want to follow throughout the rest of the duel. With this in mind, here are common strategies considered with the decks presented below:

  • First Passive - Prioritize Resource Generation: When creating any deck for Duels, the best First Passive are cards that arguably create additional resources without any additional costs. Great examples of these are Mysterious Tome (play two random Secrets at the start of the game), Dragon Affinity (Dragons cost (2) less), and Open The Doorways (get another copy of the first Discovered card in the turn). Next in line are cards that can help enhance a unit’s defense or generate stats, such as Armor and Spell Damage. Second Passive - Prioritize Stats, Discounts: When choosing the Second Passive for any Duels deck, it helps to prioritize cards that improve stats. For instance, Battle Totem (Battlecries trigger twice), Totem Of The Dead (Deathrattles trigger twice), and Bronze Signet (add a copy of minions drawn) are great for added stats. Likewise, Scepter Of Summoning (Minions that cost (5) or more simply cost (5)), and Khadgar’s Scrying Orb (spells cost (1) less) are great discount options. Active Treasure - Overwhelm Foes, Turn The Tide: When choosing an Active Treasure, it helps to choose cards that provide an advantage that works well with the deck’s strategy or against a particular situation. For instance, Royal Gift (give one minion +2/+2 for every minion controlled), Wand Of Disintegration (silence and destroy all enemy minions), and Dreamgrove Ring (Discover and summon five copies of a Legendary Minion) can easily overwhelm foes when used at the right time.

Neutral Drek’Thar Rising

It’s not all the time that a Neutral Class can rise to the top of the ranks in Duels, but Drek’Thar is proving to be a worthy companion for devastating decks. In this Neutral Drek’Thar Rising build, players can easily secure advantages with the Hero Power (2) Harness the Elements alone, which reduces a drawn spell cost. Coupled with the Signature Treasure (1) Magister Unchained, this lets players draw one spell after casting another spell, ensuring they’re prepared at all costs.

This Neutral Drek’Thar Rising Deck is an offensive control deck, making use of extreme aggression to overwhelm the enemy’s defenses. Damaging spells such as (1) First Flame, (2) Flame Geyser, (2) Flame Cannon, and (3) Combustion are just some of those that can easily whittle the enemy’s defenses. It doesn’t help that these cards also synergize with (0) Hot Streak that reduces Fire spell costs and Armor-per-spell (1) Arcane Artificer.

Vanndar Stormpike Warrior

Warrior Class alternate hero Vanndar Stormpike might not be everyone’s first choice for Duels, but this Vanndar Stormpike Warrior build proves his potential. His Hero Power (2) Battle Tactics can reduce the cost of high-cost Neutral Minions, making combat more accessible for players. Not to mention, Signature Treasure (1) For The Alliance lets players place cards in the deck that enable them to Discover spells affiliated with the Alliance.

In this Vanndar Stormpike Warrior Deck, players can tap into the power of the creature version of (4) Vanndar Stormpike to reduce the cost of all minions in the deck. This is probably why its cards can devastate the enemy deck, such as minion-damaging (8) Goliath, Sneed’s Masterpiece, armor-granting (8) Mo’arg Forgetfiend, damage-or-healing (9) Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, or even minion-rushing (10) Raid Boss Onyxia.

Fireheart Shaman

The flexibility of the Shaman easily becomes an asset given the rather free-for-all nature of Duels, and the Fireheart Shaman build specializes in exactly that. Thanks to her Hero Power (2) Ferocious Fury, she can get an attack boost and Windfury for that turn. Not to mention, Signature Treasure (3) Tempest’s Fury unleashes a Lightning Bolt on a random enemy character after a Hero Attack, ensuring steady aggression all throughout the match.

In this Fireheart Shaman Deck, players can enjoy a lot of control cards to pester through an enemy’s defenses and summon a lot of Elementals to secure an advantage in terms of numbers. It doesn’t help that Elementals synergize with each other naturally, such as the cost-reducing (1) Kindling Elemental and (2) Fire Plume Harbinger, Attack-boosting (1) Wailing Vapor, and damage-dealing (3) Gyreworm.

Master Duelist Mozaki

It’s one thing to use a Mage deck to secure control over the battlefield, and another to use a deck like Master Duelist Mozaki to overwhelm the opponent with both attack power and creature numbers. In this particular deck, the Hero Power (1) Frost Shards not only deals damage but also gives Freezing minions to the player, and Signature Treasure (3) Elemental Learning adds random Elementals to the hand and reduces cost if Elementals are summoned in a turn.

These abilities already synergize with the rest of the deck, as this Master Duelist Mozaki Deck also relies on Fire-based cards to deal a ton of damage. These include damaging (1) First Flame, (1) Wildfire, (2) Flame Geyser, (2) Flame Cannon, and (3) Combustion. It doesn’t help that (0) Hot Streak reduces the cost of Fire spells, while (3) Explosive Runes can kill a powerful minion on the opponent’s side much faster.

Forest Warden Druid

The Druid’s flow with nature allows it to call upon its powers to make combat much easier, and this translates into the game through decks like Forest Warden Druid that make casting spells much easier and much faster. The Hero Power (2) Invigorating Bloom can reduce Mana cost of spells, making them accessible much earlier. Moreover, Signature Treasure (8) Awakened Ancient lets the player draw a card, deal 1 Damage, and gain 1 Armor - a nifty move for a single round.

In this Forest Warden Druid Deck, the Hero Power’s Mana-reducing ability gives access to more powerful spells. (0) Innervate, (2) Moonlit Guidance, and (4) Twig of the World Tree already gives access to copies and more Mana Crystals. They can pave the way for more devastating cards such as multi-damaging (8) Goliath, Sneed’s Masterpiece, damage-dealing (9) Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, and minion-rushing (10) Raid Boss Onyxia.

Star Student Demon Hunter

When a player makes a Demon Hunter deck, they often rely a lot on speed and attack power to finish fights quickly and efficiently. Such is also the case with the Star Student Demon Hunter build, this time using Star Student Stelina and her Hero Power (1) Illidari Studies to Discover and reduce the cost of Outcast cards. This synergizes well with the Signature Treasure (3) Gift of the Legion, which gives attack per minion dead and even has an Outcast that returns this to the hand.

Overall, the Star Student Demon Hunter Deck works well with the rest of its components. For instance, (1) Demon Companion, (2) Umberwing, (3) Coordinated Strike, and (5) Command Illidari can already give the advantage in terms of minions. However, even summoning minions can punish opponents with damage and minion buffs courtesy of (2) Field of Strife, (2) Knife Juggler, (2) Parade Leader, and even (3) Wrathscale Naga.

Rattlegore Warrior

It’s one thing to have a Warrior that has a direct approach towards offense, and someone like Rattlegore that sabotages the enemy as brutally as possible. This Rattlegore Warrior makes use of Rattlegore and the Passive Hero Power (Magnetic Mines), which shuffles a bomb in the opponent deck after every turn if players have Armor. This works well with Signature Treasure (6) Scrapmetal Demolitionist, with a Battlecry that grants Armor and shuffles a bomb into the opponent’s deck.

This brutal way of fighting is reflected throughout the Rattlegore Warrior Deck. A lot of its cards grant armor to the player to proc Magnetic Mines, such as (1) Armor Vendor, (2) Drywhisker Armorer, (2) Frozen Buckler, (3) Gluttonous Ooze, and (3) Shield Block. It doesn’t help that there’s (2) Prize Vendor that forces the opponent to draw a card, and cards like (2) Minefield that deal multi-target damage.

Professor Slate Hunter

Hunters often rely on a wide variety of traps and strategies to lure the opponent into a false sense of security, and Professor Slate Hunter is a build that does exactly this. Despite the unimposing appearance of Professor Slate, his Hero Power (2) Death Games can trigger a random minion’s Deathrattle, spelling trouble for opponents. It doesn’t help that the Signature Treasure (4) Deathstrider also has a Battlecry that does the same thing.

As such, it’s obvious that this Professor Slate Hunter Deck has a lot of nifty Deathrattles that can disrupt an opponent’s strategy. These include card-adding (1) Webspinner, minion-summoning (2) Haunted Creeper and (2) Nerubian Egg, card-drawing (2) Loot Hoarder, and even power-minion summons from (3) Devilsaur Egg and (5) Burning Blade Acolyte. It doesn’t help that there are cards like (4) Monstrous Parrot that can repeat a triggered Deathrattle.

Hearthstone is available on PC, Android, and iOS.