It’s been over a week since the last balance update. Even though only 2 cards were nerfed in Standard, it had a much higher impact than many people have suspected.
Nerfing Construct Quarter to 4 mana slowed Death Knight enough to give other high tempo decks time to fight for the board control – at 3 it was basically impossible to outplay the Egg into 2-drop into Quarter curve. Death Knight decks – especially Frost and Unholy – are still some of the best decks in the game, but they no longer dominate hard.
Nerfing Goldshire Gnoll to 11 mana had an ever bigger impact. Decks that played the card honestly are now a bit weaker, but it made the biggest difference in Evolve Shaman. Instead of evolving into a random 10-cost minion, Gnoll will now always evolve into itself. The change has – obviously – completely killed the deck, as it relied on early/mid-game Gnoll evolves to seize control. Right now the deck is completely unplayable so don’t even bother. I wish they made some changes that would keep the deck alive, but I guess that Gnoll had to go – it was really an imbalanced and unfun combo.
The current meta is still far from perfect. It’s mostly dominated by high tempo/aggressive decks. They simply have too efficient of an early game for slower decks to stand a chance. Even a Blood Death Knight, which should theoretically be a great counter for those, simply doesn’t have tools to deal with their early game fast enough. Yes, it has positive matchups against many of them, but it’s more a 55/45 matchup and not a full counter. If you add the fact that it gets countered quite easily itself by things like Questline Druid or Phylactery Warlock – it’s just not good enough for the most part. People still play because it’s the closest we have right now to a viable Control deck, but if you want to maximize your win rate, you should probably stay away for now.
Patch 25.6 should be dropping next week alongside a new expansion announcement. Time sure flies, huh? .6 patches rarely have any major balance changes, but they come with a new card release. Sometimes they are quite useless, other times they might be very impactful. For example, Prince Renathal was a .6 patch card and it changed the meta considerably. But it’s just guessing at this point. The next few weeks will probably be focused on announcements – card reveals, new Standard year rotation/Core set announcements, and maybe a roadmap with some new features (hopefully). It should be a busy few weeks, but unless the new card shakes things up, the meta itself will probably stagnate. I don’t think the current one is completely solved, but it should be in a couple of weeks, and probably stay that way until the next expansion.
Below, you will find a full list of the Legend decks from last week, sorted by the highest placement.
If you want to see all of the current top meta decks, go to our Hearthstone Meta Tier List post!
If you’re looking for the best Wild Format decks, check out our Wild Meta Tier List!
Hearthstone Standard Legend Decks of the Week
- 1Knight of Anointment2
- 1Righteous Protector2
- 1Sanguine Soldier2
- 1Sinful Sous Chef2
- 2Battle Vicar1
- 2Blood Matriarch Liadrin1
- 2Class Action Lawyer2
- 2For Quel’Thalas!2
- 2Order in the Court2
- 2Seafloor Savior2
- 3Alliance Bannerman2
- 3Seal of Blood2
- 3Stonehearth Vindicator2
- 4Cariel Roame1
- 5The Purator1
- 6Blood Crusader1
- 7The Countess1
- 9Lightray2
- 0Desperate Prayer2
- 0Undying Allies2
- 1Gift of the Naaru2
- 1Shard of the Naaru2
- 1The Light! It Burns!2
- 3Amulet of Undying2
- 3Cathedral of Atonement2
- 4Bonecaller2
- 4Cannibalize2
- 4Drown2
- 4Lightmaw Netherdrake1
- 4Najak Hexxen1
- 4Xyrella1
- 5Clean the Scene2
- 5Spirit Guide2
- 6Lightbomb2
- 6Lightshower Elemental2
- 6Mi’da, Pure Light1
- 6Sister Svalna1
- 6Undying Disciple2
- 7Blackwater Behemoth1
- 8Xyrella, the Devout1
- 0Devouring Swarm2
- 1Ricochet Shot2
- 1Tracking2
- 1Trinket Tracker2
- 1Urchin Spines2
- 2Arcane Quiver2
- 2Conjured Arrow2
- 2Selective Breeder2
- 3Harpoon Gun2
- 3Revive Pet2
- 4Azsharan Saber1
- 4Dire Frenzy2
- 5Barak Kodobane1
- 5Pet Collector2
- 6Beaststalker Tavish1
- 6Defense Attorney Nathanos1
- 7Mountain Bear2
- 9King Krush1
- 0Aquatic Form2
- 0Innervate2
- 0Pounce2
- 1Lost in the Park1
- 2Capture Coldtooth Mine2
- 2Moonlit Guidance2
- 2Rake2
- 3Feral Rage1
- 3Pathmaker2
- 4Park Panther2
- 4Widowbloom Seedsman2
- 5Nourish2
- 5Wildheart Guff1
- 7Underking2
- 8Anub’Rekhan1
- 1Dreadprison Glaive2
- 1Fury (Rank 1)2
- 1Sigil of Alacrity2
- 1Tuskpiercer2
- 1Unleash Fel2
- 1Wings of Hate (Rank 1)2
- 2Battleworn Vanguard2
- 2Chaos Strike2
- 2Fel Barrage2
- 2Fossil Fanatic2
- 2Multi-Strike2
- 2Predation2
- 2Spectral Sight2
- 3Lady S’theno1
- 4Raging Felscreamer2
- 6Felscale Evoker2
- 6Kurtrus, Demon-Render1
- 7Xhilag of the Abyss1
- 8Illidari Inquisitor2
Hearthstone Wild Legend Decks of the Week
- 1Evocation1
- 1First Flame1
- 1Open the Waygate1
- 2Ancient Mysteries1
- 2Conjure Mana Biscuit1
- 2Primordial Glyph1
- 2Prismatic Elemental1
- 2Research Project1
- 2Vast Wisdom1
- 3Frost Nova1
- 3Ice Block1
- 3Objection!1
- 3Solid Alibi1
- 3Stargazer Luna1
- 4Commander Sivara1
- 4Fire Sale1
- 4Varden Dawngrasp1
- 7Magister Dawngrasp1
- 9Grand Magister Rommath1
- 0Aquatic Form1
- 1Biology Project1
- 1Floop’s Glorious Gloop1
- 2Composting1
- 2Jerry Rig Carpenter1
- 2Lunar Eclipse1
- 2Moonlit Guidance1
- 2Rake1
- 3Ferocious Howl1
- 4Branching Paths1
- 4Flobbidinous Floop1
- 4Overgrowth1
- 4Poison Seeds1
- 4Twig of the World Tree1
- 4Widowbloom Seedsman1
- 4Wing Commander Mulverick1
- 5Elise the Enlightened1
- 5Flipper Friends1
- 5Nourish1
- 5Wildheart Guff1
- 6Spreading Plague1
- 7Scale of Onyxia1
- 10Ultimate Infestation1
- 1Sir Finley, Sea Guide1
- 1Sphere of Sapience1
- 2Astalor Bloodsworn1
- 2Dirty Rat1
- 2Zephrys the Great1
- 3Brann Bronzebeard1
- 3Prince Renathal1
- 3Zola the Gorgon1
- 4Blademaster Okani1
- 4Street Sweeper1
- 5Loatheb1
- 5Spammy Arcanist1
- 6Reno Jackson1
- 6Theotar, the Mad Duke1
- 7Mutanus the Devourer1
- 10Raid Boss Onyxia1
- 10Sire Denathrius1
- 0Provoke1
- 1Shield Slam2
- 2Bash2
- 2Bladestorm2
- 2Corsair Cache1
- 2Frozen Buckler2
- 2Minefield2
- 2Shield Block2
- 3Bulwark of Azzinoth1
- 3Heavy Plate2
- 5Brawl2
- 6Gather Your Party2
- 7Rokara, the Valorous1
- 8Woecleaver1
- 9Rattlegore1
- 9The Boomship1
- 10Shield Shatter2