Tavern Brawl – Pick a Hand, Any Hand

This week’s Tavern Brawl is “Pick a Hand, Any Hand”!

Discuss this Tavern Brawl on our Discord!

Official Description for Pick a Hand, Any Hand

Pick the first seven cards of your deck, and we’ll fill the rest with Unstable Portals. You get your portals AFTER your mulligan.

Pick a Hand, Any Hand Chalkboard

tb-pick-a-hand

General Information

  • You get one Standard Card Pack for winning your first game this week.
  • This is the fifth time we see this Brawl. Last time we’ve seen it on November 29, 2023.
  • It’s a PvP Brawl.
  • The Brawl’s format is Wild.
  • It’s a Constructed Brawl. You pick a class and build a deck of exactly seven cards.
  • You start the game with only seven cards in your deck. After the mulligan, your deck is filled with 23 extra Unstable Portals.
  • The idea is to pick some cards that you REALLY want to get at the start because you’re basically guaranteed to get them. If you count mulligan, you see 6 out of 7 cards you selected when going first and all 7 when going second. Since you can nearly guarantee a certain card in your opening hand, you can try to build some combos around it. Including early game combos that might be very rare otherwise.

Pick a Hand, Any Hand Deck Lists

Share your deck list in the comments and we’ll add it here!

Stonekeep

A Hearthstone player and writer from Poland, Stonekeep has been in a love-hate relationship with Hearthstone since Closed Beta. Over that time, he has achieved many high Legend climbs and infinite Arena runs. He's the current admin of Hearthstone Top Decks.

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Leave a Reply

43 Comments

  1. Tailsfromvienna
    August 16, 2024 at 1:49 PM

    # 2x (2) Distressed Kvaldir
    # 2x (2) Down with the Ship
    # 1x (3) Floppy Hydra
    # 1x (4) Helya
    # 1x (5) Steamcleaner
    #
    AAEBAfHhBAP/4QST+wWXuAYC9fcFgvgFAAA=

    Steamcleaner has even more potential:
    Helya gives your opponent an unending stream of Plagues.
    Destroy their deck before with Steamcleaner, then watch them get hit by multiple plagues every turn. Kvaldir and Down with the Ship buy you time before you reach Steamcleaner mana (unfortunately no ramp here), and after Steamcleaner hits Helya plagues their deck pile, and any leftover Kvaldirs and DwtS bury your oppenent even deeper.
    The Hydra can be replaced with anything, depending on what you want to protect against.

    The Plague deck is also a great counter against opposing Steamcleaner decks.

  2. Tailsfromvienna
    August 16, 2024 at 1:07 PM

    # 2x (1) Biology Project
    # 2x (1) Naturalize
    # 1x (3) Floppy Hydra
    # 1x (5) Steamcleaner
    # 1x (9) Yogg-Saron, Unleashed
    #
    AAEBAZICA//hBKmVBpe4BgLpAY/2AgAA

    Automaton Priest was a bad fit for this brawl, so i tried something else.
    With 2 Biology Projects, Steamcleaner can be played on turn 2 even without the coin. Naturalize and the 5/5 body of Steamcleaner buys you time until Yogg-Saron takes over. To protect you against fatigue, you can choose between Jade Idol and Floppy Hydra. Most games are won by fatigue, of course.

    I admit that I do not own Mecha’thun, which would maybe allow much easier wins (there is a deck posted by JennIsCool below)

  3. Inhiszton
    December 1, 2023 at 3:29 AM

    Since the brawl is wild, I simply used Automaton Priest:

    # 2x (0) Raise Dead
    # 1x (1) Animate Dead
    # 2x (1) Astral Automaton
    # 2x (2) Creation Protocol
    #
    AAEBAa0GAaSRBQPXzgOm8QXt9wUAAA==

    • Covalerahien
      August 14, 2024 at 12:20 PM

      Not sure if this is what you’re running this time, but it’s still a good option for an early-game win.

      I cut one Creation Protocol for a second Animate Dead.
      CP becomes a dead card if both Astral Automatons make it to your hand before it gets played.
      You have to make sure CP is in your opening hand and at least one AA isn’t, with a live draw before you can play it at face value, 2 if you forge it for the extra copy.
      It feels great when it works, but not so much when it doesn’t.

      • Tailsfromvienna
        August 14, 2024 at 12:52 PM

        I was cutting the Creation protocols for Power Word: Synchronize for exactly this reason.
        You want to mulligan both Automatons into your starting hand. Then creation protocol becomes useless. (went 2-1, won against plague death knight and rogue, lost against evolve shaman)

        However, there are better strategies in this brawl anway.
        i liked the evolve shaman deck that beat me, it makes perfect use of unstable portal.
        compare that to the automaton strartegy, which has actually negative synergy with unstable portal.

  4. JennIsCool
    November 30, 2023 at 11:13 AM

    Mecha’thun Druid

    Ramp to steamcleaner, stabilise with reno, combo at 10 mana with mecha’thun – innervate -naturalize combo.

    Innervate
    Biology Project
    Naturalize
    Overgrowth
    Steamcleaner
    Reno, Lone Ranger
    Mecha’thun

  5. Tailsfromvienna
    November 29, 2023 at 11:47 AM

    I aimed at Frequency Oscillator – Mistake – Parachute Brigand – Parachute Brigand – Patches.

    That did not work, because i drew Patches turn 1.
    Still won because i got Ysera from a portal, which is a good card at 6 mana

  6. Helioshadow
    September 17, 2018 at 5:01 PM

    Had a bit of success with 1x Spectral Cutlass, 2x Cavern Shinyfinder, 2x Deadly Poison, 2x Counterfeit Coin. Maybe sub in a Sap for the big Van Cleefs and the Mana Wyrms or Apprentices. It’s a bit slow, but it’s extremely difficult to stop once it gets going.

  7. Wator
    September 15, 2018 at 7:12 PM

    Kinda trolly hunter list, probably just got lucky with the beasts but won 4/5 games:
    2x Jeweled Macaw
    2x Play Dead
    2x Webspinner
    x1 Terrorscale Stalker

  8. BlackPantsu
    September 14, 2018 at 9:21 PM

    Zoo Warlock

    Flame Imp x2
    Kobold Librarian x2
    Voodoo Doctor x1
    Happy Ghoul x 2

    First 9 games,win 7 lose 2.Keep voodoo and happy ghoul everytime.

  9. CD001
    September 14, 2018 at 4:39 AM

    Awwwww Troggzor, he finally has a use!

  10. TheTallRonan
    September 13, 2018 at 11:22 AM

    Anyone else sick of tavern brawls that are either “whenever you play a card X random thing happens” or “we filled your deck with a million copies of Y RNG-based card”?

    Like I get why they do this rather than forcing you to build a whole deck just to get your pack. But after the hallucination one and the raven idol one and the 30th unstable portal one, they all start to feel same-y.

    I like the “pick a hand” mechanic a lot, but still, looking forward to the KFT brawl.

    • OldManSanns
      January 17, 2020 at 9:41 AM

      To be fair: they did originally plan to do a neat little PvE adventure with custom voices and a few custom bosses for the brawl this week. This Randy McRandomness thing is their last-minute contingency plan for when the latter melted down post-launch.

  11. D930065
    September 13, 2018 at 6:51 AM

    flame imp*2
    kobold librarian*1
    voodoo doctor*2
    happy ghoul*2
    90% flood 4 minions when go second

    • D930065
      September 13, 2018 at 6:59 AM

      counterfeit coin*2
      backstab*2
      preparation*2
      Edwin VanCleef*1
      huge vancleef incoming

  12. Joopiter
    September 13, 2018 at 5:35 AM

    If you want something fun, instead of OP mage, go Paladin with 2x Prismatic Lens and bounch of Big Boys (+ maybe 1 or 2 Consecration to stop early aggresion).

  13. Cruxkid
    September 12, 2018 at 9:31 PM

    1x Genn
    2x Eel
    2x 4 mana evolve guy
    2x Hex

    Lol

    • simon
      September 13, 2018 at 5:39 AM

      very clever deck.. works

  14. Collo
    September 12, 2018 at 9:12 PM

    successful with Anti-aggro even warrior concept:

    Warpath x2
    Execute x2
    Blood Razor x1
    Genn Greymane x1
    Scourgelord Garrosh x1

  15. Doran
    September 12, 2018 at 4:57 PM

    Good luck with mage so far, the taxing dude has been great:

    2x Mana Wurm
    2x the 3/2 for 3 that makes spells cost 1 more for your opponent
    1x Sorcerers Apprentice
    2x Leyline Manipulator

  16. Jan Rus
    September 12, 2018 at 1:00 PM

    Mage Deck
    2x Mana Wyrm
    2x Sorcerer’s Apprentice
    2x Demented Frostcaller (wild)
    Stargazer Luna

    If you get Stargazer Luna and Frostcaller on the board every portal freezes an enemy and draws a card totally locking down your opponent and filling your board with portal minions. No chance for your opponent to damage you after turn 4.

  17. Evident
    September 12, 2018 at 9:05 AM

    Comments below this are from the last release of this Tavern Brawl. They may still be useful, but some of the cards might have been nerfed.

    • JoyDivision
      September 12, 2018 at 11:42 PM

      Thank you! I mean – THANK YOU. A little comment is all it takes. Please do that in every updated article in the future.

  18. Nandiman
    June 25, 2016 at 10:59 AM

    I’ve gone 5 – 0 with Auctioneer Tempo Mage (had daily mission for 5 brawls)

    – 2 x Mana Wyrm
    – 2 x Sorcerers Apprentice
    – 2 x Flamewakers
    – 1 x Auctioneer

    (Did not manage the dream though: 2 Apprentices and Auctioneer on the board: infinite Portals)

    • Danzig
      June 25, 2016 at 4:11 PM

      2 x Sorcerer App
      2 x mana wyrm
      2 x arcane missiles
      1 x flamewalker
      20 wins

    • Metamagus
      September 12, 2018 at 9:24 AM

      Updating this list for Sept 2016
      Swap Auctioneer for Luna

      Happy hunting.

  19. cheesecake
    June 23, 2016 at 1:48 PM

    2x Consecrate, 2x Equality, 2x Humility, 1x Guardian of Kings

  20. Ichorid
    June 23, 2016 at 3:42 AM

    I just went mill mode (ended up killing my oponent with onyxia/ bloodlust though)

    1x coldlight oracle
    2x gang up
    2x shadowstep
    2x vanish

  21. Sandro1000
    June 23, 2016 at 1:47 AM

    Paladin?

  22. Pneumatiker
    June 23, 2016 at 12:56 AM

    Druid:
    1x Alarm-o-bot
    2x Innervate
    4x Big Dudes
    I took:
    1x Ragnaros
    1x Deathwing
    1x Y’Shaarj
    1x Soggoth
    Mulligan for Alarm-o-bot, Innervate and any big boy.

  23. Rifi
    June 22, 2016 at 10:10 PM

    Druid, 3 games – 3 wins

    Innervate x 2
    Living Roots x 1
    Power of the Wild x 1
    Violet Teacher x 2
    Yogg – Saron: Hope’s End x 1

  24. Ivan
    June 22, 2016 at 9:48 PM

    This one has been doing quite nicely:

    Deathlord x2
    Inner Fire x2
    Divine Spirit x2
    Silence

    Deals with annoying tempo mages.

  25. Deathmist
    June 22, 2016 at 6:38 PM

    2x Evolve
    1x Shieldbearer
    2x Bilefin
    2x Murloc Tidehunter

    The perfect hand gets you two three drops, a two drop, and two one drops on turn 3.

  26. TimeRonin
    June 22, 2016 at 6:36 PM

    1x Demonwrath
    1x Shadowflame
    1x Antique Healbot
    1x Siphon Soul
    1x Justicar Trueheart
    1x Twisting Nether
    1x Yogg-Saron, Hope’s End

  27. Arnianor
    June 22, 2016 at 1:23 PM

    Druid,
    2 Innervate
    2 Astral Communion
    2 Nourish
    1 Troggzor The Earthinator

    Heavy muligan for astral communion on turn 1 and GG

  28. Shwitz44
    June 22, 2016 at 9:56 AM

    I did pretty well with Mage.
    2x Mana Wyrm
    2x Frostbolt
    2x Sorcerer’s Apprentice
    1x Polymorph

  29. karmaprey
    June 22, 2016 at 9:55 AM

    2x Preperation
    2x Conceal
    2x Sap
    1x Edwin VanCleef

    Usually Portal early, then Prep into a portal then hopefully get 0 drops to make Edwin huge. Sap to get their big ones out of the way.

  30. Athansor
    June 22, 2016 at 9:42 AM

    Working with a warrior deck to start:

    Upgrade x2
    fiery waraxe x2
    dread corsair x2
    bloodsail cultist x1

    Really only works well with the coin so you can double upgrade a turn one waraxe.