Hearthstone Budget Decks For Into the Emerald Dream, Cheap Decks for Laddering in Hearthstone!
By Stonekeep -
One of the big complaints about Hearthstone is the price to pay (to play) when you first start. There are a ton of Legendaries released, and if you are unlucky you may have not received much in the way of playable cards. This is unfortunate, so we've gone ahead and created some budget decks that should serve you well if you are in the Bronze or Silver divisions. Some of the stronger builds should be viable throughout Gold and possibly even Platinum if you master them. We don't recommend those decks in Diamond or to attempt a Legend climb, unless you replace some of the budget cards and turn them into actual meta decks. You CAN hit Legend with some of them, but you would really need to master them and play very well, and by that time you most likely will have enough resources to build a full version anyway.
The game is in a better state than it was a few years ago. The free Core Set, as well as the current rewards system, are both pretty generous (at least by the old Hearthstone standards). We're also commonly getting other free stuff like packs, Legendaries etc. during expansion releases, events, and from outside of the game (e.g. Twitch drops). While things have gotten much better for new and F2p players, it's hard to deny that the game is still quite expensive to get into. F2P players should easily be able to build a few meta decks per expansion, but the issue is that they can't play whatever they want. So once they commit to crafting certain cards, if they want to switch to another class - tough luck! That's why we think that those budget decks can come really handy. No matter if you want to do Daily Quests for another class, test a deck before crafting a full version, or just play around with different options, they should be a good option for new and F2P players alike.
Defining a Budget Deck
We're trying our best to keep the budget decks as cheap as possible while making them as strong as we can. Overall, there's no hard cutoff, but we try to keep the decks within the 2-3k Dust range (Dust cost listed next to decks below isn't always accurate, since it includes cards that are given away for free). However, their real cost is usually much lower, because players tend to own a lot of Commons / Rares used in them already.
When it comes to Commons & Rares - it's simple, all of them are allowed. It's very easy to get a full Common & Rare collection (doubly so with the recent addition of Catch-Up Packs), and even if you're missing some of them, they're cheap to craft.
As for the Epics - if it's not possible, we try to not include them. If a deck can be built with no Epics at all, that's great. However, that is sadly quite rare. Epics are often key cards in a given build, so removing them is either impossible or would drop the deck's win rate by a lot. Even in the worst-case scenario, we try to keep it down to a couple of Epics, but if choosing between a deck that has to include a few Epics and a completely unplayable deck, we'll choose the former. Playing a deck that virtually can't win any games is just not fun.
Legendaries are completely excluded UNLESS they are available for free. This includes all of the Core Set Legendaries, as well as Legendaries that were given out for free in the current Standard rotation. To unlock those free cards, you either have to open a single pack from a given expansion, or finish a simple achievement like owning 30 cards from a given set. It also lines up quite nicely with the fact that you're guaranteed a Legendary in your first 10 card packs from each set. For this reason, if you are a new player or you just came back after a long break, your first priority should be buying up to 10 card packs from each Standard expansion. This will give you plenty of free Legendaries that you can use in all your decks, many of which are genuinely powerful.
Into the Emerald Dream Update
I'm sorry that this update came so late - usually I try to release them within a couple of weeks after expansion's launch, but I had some real life stuff holding me back. Budget decks update is always a big time committment because I try. With that out of the way, let's talk about budget decks.
Emerald Dream is the first expansion of a new Standard year, so I had to basically redo all of the budget decks completely because of the rotation. 4 expansion metas are usually very tough to build budget decks for because the card choice is limited. Many of the budget staples are no longer playable in Standard, and others got nerfed in one of the latest balance patches. However, this entire batch of decks was saved by a single card Blizzard added to the Core this year - Menagerie Jug. It activates many Aggro/Midrange strategies by adding a serious win con package.
However, Jug can't solve every problem. Menagerie strategy works better in some classes than the others (depending on the rest of the available toolkit). I had a few problematic classes that didn't really work with the Menagerie package. For Druid, I built a much better and more fun alternative if you're willing to craft one Legendary. But for classes like Warlock and Warrior I simply couldn't find a bettter budget alternative, so even though they aren't great, there's simply nothing else that I could think of.
I know that focusing on the Meangerie strategies means that the diversity of budget decks went down, but despite sharing the same package, they still have their own playstyle quirks
If you're wondering which of the budget decks are the strongest, I think that Death Knight, Hunter, Paladin and Rogue are the best ones this time (also Druid if you count the semi-budget Imbue version). Demon Hunter, Mage and Priest are also okay. The rest I would stay away from unless you really need to play the class to complete some quests etc. because they felt the weakest during playtesting.
Cheap Hearthstone Decks
Budget Handbuff Death Knight – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard
2,120
Death Knight Cards (30)
Budget Dreadseed Menagerie Demon Hunter – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard2,200
Budget Menagerie Druid – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard1,840
Semi-Budget Imbue Druid – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard5,080
Budget Egg Menagerie Hunter – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard2,160
Budget Protoss Mage – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard3,760
Budget Shanty Paladin – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard2,300
Paladin Cards (29)
Neutral Cards (1)
Budget Menagerie Pain Priest – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard2,000
Budget Pirate Rogue – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard2,240
Budget Evolve Shaman – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard3,800
Shaman Cards (21)
Budget Menagerie Warlock – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard1,040
Budget Menagerie Dragon Warrior – Into the Emerald Dream
Format: standard3,640
269 Comments
Icyice999
Thanks for this guide I'll try these decks soon.
Carestless
Great guide, thanks for the hard work of those less fortunate to not be able to use a lot of dust.
I always make Decks for my son who loves to play Hearthstone too.
These Budget Deck Guides are always a big help for me to make Decks for him with his current Card Collection.
Keep up the good work, it is much appreciated.
Evident
Thanks, glad to help. I hope your son is enjoying Un'Goro!
Ridanculous
Hi admins,
Your site has fantastic articles delivered in a timely manner and it has become my favourite HS resource.
I find it a shame that with such a wealth of information it is rather hard to sort through. For example if an article I saw 2 weeks ago came back to mind I'd have to rifle through the site to find it, not knowing if it will be on page 3 or 5 or whatever.
Perhaps you can implement a "Table of Contents" of sorts, a little like the weekly roundup but just a permanent sidebar or the like where we can browse the headlines of articles for easy access?
Evident
Hey, I'm glad you like the site! I've been mulling over some design changes, I'll see if I can fit something like this in.
sefikka
Thank you for your nice effort to help . Great guide.
Rotillion
Thanks for the awesome budget decks for every class! If you happen to have Leeroy, what card in the warrior deck would you replace?
babypuppykitty
i would drop a naga corsair. dont wanna jack up the curve too bad to get him in.
Evident
Naga Corsair would be one, you could also cut Acidic Swamp Ooze or Golakka Crawler.
Kurokiba
For the pirate warrior deck - firefly.
Paul
What the fuck? How does adding Preparation help that Rogue deck?? The only spells you have are Eviscerate!! What the fuck???
Evident
I was referring to needing Preparation for the Quest Rogue deck, not the deck listed in this post.
ChessPro
The preparation is for the quest rouge and you are hoping to draw it before you complete the quest to play the quest the same turn you play the last minion to complete the quest.
Rob
I got Swamp King Dred yesterday out of a pack. What can i replace in the hunter deck with him?
Drhotloving
personally i would get rid of both fireflys and add 1 more bat and dred
Evident
Yeah this is fine, you could also just cut the Ravasaur Runt.
Matejcasa
Gollaka krawler
Devin Buck
It's a tech choice vs control; if you are playing a lot of control swap 1x golakka crawler for 1x Dred
Blackmere
Thanks for this compilation. It's really appreciated.
acidic delta
i was wondering if you can create another priest deck because c'thun decks arent seeing play since a long time maybe a budget silence priest would be better.
DrunkMaster
Here. Try this.
https://m.imgur.com/lauzRS3?r
You can replace Lyra with another card and the cost is around 2000 dust.
Hard to master but lots of fun.
nightknight
I just want to say thank you for putting the work into this section, it really helps us poor folks enjoy the game more! Even if you dont follow the list directly it definitely gives an idea of what a successful deck build looks like.
Conner
I'd like to say that the elemental buff paladin listed in this article isn't good. And doesn't work, I built it and tried it and was hard stuck rank 10. The deck is too slow to beat aggro decks excluding pirate warrior, and isn't good enough against other slow decks. I had extreme trouble against most meta decks.
Evident
I mention in the article that most of these decks aren't going to get passed rank 10 very well. The Paladin list being one of them.
Ryan
Thanks for posting!
This really helps out people who lack legendaries needed for better decks, but still provides a solid fallback option.
I'm having great success with the Elemental Mage deck, it's a massive improvement over the disorganized rubbish I was playing with previously.
Keep up the great work!
Evident
No problem, glad it helped you!
GazingEyes
the Elemental Shaman deck is a solid one i have had a 12 game win streak going with it before starting to tweak it for the higher ranks
Hikaara
I have around 1700 dust and I'm not sure if I should go for the warrior pirate or for the elemental shaman. The only legendary card in my possession is Baron Geddon, is it good to replace something for him or not?
max
Barron geddon is crap craft it and create pirate warrior
Michael
I want to make quest Rogue eventually but being free to play that could be sometime down the road. MY big challenge right now is dust to make these and I have cards that I'm not sure if I should DE them or not which would help out. I'm probably a good 300-400 dust short.
Braeden
I am f2p as well, I have quite a few expensive decks. It really came down to rng for me, pulled a couple golden legionaries which DE for alot of f'n dust. I wouldnt DE any cards you dont have dups of for dust though. Never know when a new deck might come out. GL
fannymerlin
i have 1600 dust what deck should i make
Patches the pervert
MILLHOUSE MAAANNNASTORM
Zamudek
Tinkmaster overspark
harrytx
For the elemental mage deck, if i have blazecallers, what do you think they would replace in the deck?
SneakyNash
Replace the faceless summoners
coco
what is the best budget deck for farm gold ?
Leeroy
Whichever deck you need to complete quests, you make them accordingly
Squirrel
The arena is the best place for that. If you are a newer player, it is also the best place to learn about deck building, board control and tempo.
Also the arena evens the playing field and takes budget out of the equation. After all both of your decks are worth 150 gold.
Empti
These budgets are awesome, even reached rank 5 with the hunter list last season. Will be really really happy to see more budgets for Knights of the Frozen Throne. Good work for real, your efforts werent for nothing!
Evident
It's awesome to hear that, I'm working on updating them. I even have some of my writers working on a bunch!
Empti
Thats awesome! By the way would you please write somewhere in the beginning of the page that the decks are ready when they are. Just checked and saw some decks are still being updated. Cant wait to play with them :D!
Carlos
Hello, tahnk you for the decks and the great work. We beginners really apreciate it.
Just have a question. Of all of these budget decks, what is the best one?
Evident
I think Pirate Warrior, Evolve Shaman, and Token Druid are likely the best.
Roffle
Having tested several of the decks, I second this. I'll also say that Zoo Warlock has been performing surprisingly well for me.
niall
well there is not a real answer to that question because people play differently however that pirate deck is a god one and it was used by amaz (a pro) he just added patches the pirate
Kuan
Thank you Evident, I always love to read the budget section.
It's great that you keep this updated and many players like me benefit enormously from this effort.
Another section I'd love to read, or something just to keep in consideration, is a selection of decks that uses only Classic + Un’Goro + KFT so that what we invest in term of dust will still be there in the next rotation.
Keep up the good work!
Kolldun
Is there a chance there will be codes for copying the decks?
Thanks a lot!
Paberu
Hey! If you click on the decks name, it will take you to a separate page for that deck where you can find the code.
DrewT
Click on the deck title and it will take you to a page with the code.
Francesco
Hi, I would like to make space in secret mage and elemental mage decks for Medivh and Frost Lich Jaina. What would it be better to cut out?
Thanks
MachoJabroni
Medivh can fit in pretty well to a Secret Mage deck, I would take out a Cryomancer as the freeze synergy in a Secret Mage deck, especially one without Frost Nova, is kinda bad (Cold Wraith's stats justify its inclusion though they can also be substituted). Meanwhile, Frost Lich Jaina can replace a Faceless Summoner in the Elemental Mage deck, seeing as it is not necessary for such a deck and Frost Lich Jaina can easily generate minions with her Hero Power. I would even replace the second Faceless Summoner with a second Flamestrike in order to achieve more board clears and greater survivability.
Thomas
Great post! Have nice day ! :) crssw
Bunny the Lifeguard
Will this get an update after the druid nerfs? (:
Bunny the Lifeguard
Okay, they released what they're gonna change:
https://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/21029448/upcoming-balance-changes-update-91-9-5-2017
- Innervate – Now reads: Gain 1 Mana Crystal this turn only. (Down from 2)
- Fiery War Axe – Now costs 3 mana. (Up from 2)
- Hex – Now costs 4 mana. (Up from 3)
- Murloc Warleader – Now reads: Your other Murlocs have +2 Attack. (Down from +2 Attack, +1 Health)
- Spreading Plague – Now costs 6 mana. (Up from 5)
Abesmess
I recently bought Karazhan and I wante dto inturduce Maelstrom Portal to the midrange shaman deck, what card should I take out?
Dani
Hello,
will you be making any changes to the budget and basic (0 dust decks) since crucial cards (like war axe) are being nurfed?
Evident
Yes, we'll reevaluate these decks after the nerf!
Joshua
is the reevaluation completed yet? :^)
Hallazero
Can i put The Black Knight in any of these decks i just got him in a Pack
Evident
He's not so great right now, and he doesn't really fit into most of these decks.
Josh
I would say with all the Lich King running around these days, hes not so bad to run as a tech
Randomness
Is the reevaluation ready? I still have mixed feelings about innervate in aggro druid. Do you think it's worth it to run it with teacher?
kHost
I second this comment! I'm eager to know what you guys want to do to the decks.
DJGlassZ
Are the reevaluation complete yet? Just asking as the last comment dated back to September.
Evident
I've made a bunch of changes and updates!
DJGlassZ
Thanks! Loving this site alot! :)
NixaHS
Why is "Budget Elemental Mage" removed from this list?
I found it the best one here, it was really cheap and yet really effective especially for someone who got Frost Lich Jaina from The Prolougue.
nekrodar
Can you put deck code here?
Evident
It's still there, it's in the description for Secret Mage, but here's the link: http://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/decks/budget-elemental-mage-deck-list-guide/
NixaHS
Oh, I haven't seen it there, but still, it's better when it's displayed here.
Great work on the page btw, well done admins (Y).
Rileypunk
THANK YOU MAN! NICE :D
Lester
Will there be a change to the decks when the expansion comes out and when will the change happen? :)
Lester
When will the changes hit these budget deck lists, knc is out and i wish you guys can update the list so we can deal with the meta. Your guys response and work is appreciated.
Evident
We're going to start updating these very soon, glad you like the site!
dabest
this website is the reason i started to like hearthstone, keep it up. when you guys planning to update new stuff?
Evident
Glad to hear that! We're working on these right now, should be done this week.
Dexter
lit worked so well
matt
thanks for updating these decks, these are great budget decks!
Shinobi_Fox
As a player on a budget, I really appreciate when you guys do these lists. Just noticed token druid was listed as a recommended deck, but there's no list given here for it.
Evident
It's listed in the Jade Druid description, which I realize is a bit confusing. I'm going to work on a better system for displaying classes with multiple decks. Here's the deck: Budget Token Druid!
M.Bison
Thnks!! Nice deks
Michael Rahmes
Can you make a budget otk dragon priest list please!! I’ve seen some for 3k dust. For a non priest player it’s hard to know what sacrifices to make.
Alex
Just add THE dragon that puts an heroe to 15 HP and 15 dmg spells
Mushroom409
Hey so im a returning player, I was really active but stopped playing around when mean streets hit; so i have all the cards before there but only some from the newer expansions. I was wondering if you would recommend the best budget deck right now just because im not totally familiar with the meta (and dont know alot of newer cards); also is there a crafting guide for the most versitile new legendaries? I have Lich King and 8000 dust but dont want to spend on anything without knowing the meta
Summ3r
try midrange hunter
Tezulah
Well, patches and southsea deckhand are in almost every class as an aggro deck... but here's a list:
-Druid, Priest, Hunter, and Warlock hero cards are found in most decks of the respective classes
-Lich Kind is Good
-Patches for aggro (with southsea deckhand and corridor creeper)
-Bonemare is a pretty good common
This is a bit general because I don't have the time to get in detail of every class, but I just wanted to send a reply while I'm here.
Hope I helped ;)
Wilson
Is it still worth spending my dust (I have 1500) to make a low-cost deck like the mid hunter, even with the ranked being in the final?
Or is it worth keeping my dust and the gold until next year?
Ps: And if I make it, how much time he is still being a good deck?
Sinitar
Craft secret mage. It's more stable.
Wilson
Why the mage is more stable than the mid hunter?
And what ranking can I get with him?
Thank tou for awnser.
TAbril
If the option is between these two decks it is better to think well. The ideal is to opt for a more enjoyable style because in reality neither of the two is particularly good.
- Tempo mage is bad against aggro and dragon priest, but good against the remaining priest decks, warlock control, jade and druid ramp. Also with the next rotation Medivh's Valet and Firelands Portal leave standard. There is also talk of the possibility of Iceblock also leaving for the hall of fame.
- Hunter is weaker than tempo mage, being bad against warlock control, priest... (any long game oriented deck) but is good against aggressive decks like tempo mage, tempo rogue, zoolock etc, but thats true when you run the pirate packet... After the next rotation it loses no cards (but upgrading is much more expensive).
- Also, in any of the lists is essential the addition of Spellbreaker.
Wilson
So what you recommend?
Maybe i should wait a little more and gather more dust to craft something more useful? Thanks for the help, I am really missed you here.
TAbril
First you need to keep in mind that during the first month after the release of a new expansion the most successful decks will almost always be the most aggro ones (e.g., usually hunter is good for the first month and then decays). However, in this meta it is likely that aggro is to stay +/- as it is due to Creeper Corridor and Patches. However, it is already known decks that can give a good counter to aggro, as the case of warlock control.
Knowing this you need to answer the set of answers:
1 - What style of play gives me more pleasure in playing?
2 - Against what do you see more play in rank mode? And what is good and bad against it?
3 - What is my goal? To have a single good deck, or to have variety (even with weaker decks) to avoid getting bored?
4 - What cards do I already have? (sometimes it is possible to make decks better than the typical budget ones because you already have the core cards or some epic-legendary ones)
5 - Which cards will leave the end of year (March-April) standard? Do I lose to investment I'm making now?
After answering this you will set your expectations and you will have an idea of what you really want to do and how far you can go with that in rank mode. It is important to be aware of the relevance of various cards such as Creeper Corridor and Patches, what you lose if you do not use them and what can be used instead when you run your list and when you run against a list with it (e.g. if you like aggro and it is very expensive to use the pirate pack, you can use Golakka Crawler to give counter to those who use it if you see many pirate decks). Budget slots may also include more tech cards than the rest and alternative strategies that no one is waiting for (and if your oponent does not expect it, he/she can not play around it).
Spencer
just for anyone wondering about the priest deck specifically its really hard to play but is probably one of the best besides mage im at rank 4 atm and just needed a priest deck for some quest so i made the one here and i didnt climb much but i had a 5-4 win rate with is so its something to keep in mind that it can work in the right hands
Jay
I'm brand new to the game but played ALOT of mtg, I saw the cost on the deck and had to try it as a ftp player, even in the hands of a noob, still stomps at low tiers
AndyTheClock
I love these decks ! I chose the mage one because i find it very fun. And btw the guides on each deck are very good, very well made. Congrats on you mr. ;)
Evident
Glad you liked it, and good luck with the Mage deck!
Brando9004
Ok, these are budget decks, but i think Corridor Creeper is Must Have.
Evident
We agree, it's mentioned in most of the guides as a must craft.
Sakima
In budget mage deck, what cards would I replace with Primordial Glyphs? Also any other cheap additions? I got 2k dust left. And should I put in Corridor Creeper into this deck, and if yes, what to replace? Thanks for reply.
yoyyoyoyoyoy
yoyyooyoyyo u should take out fireball for PG
shinso
Cobalt Scalebanes is what if replace, but mirror entity is okay too
Kyni
Thank you for these decks. I completed my Secret Mage and its so fun to play! I dont care about my rank, I just want to play a little with each class and this page its my guide to it. Thank you so much <3
Evident
Glad you are enjoying the deck!
Beefungplayz
You said that Corridor Creeper can be put in Budget Hunter, but what should I replace with?
Koldspeiter
unleash the hounds
skipman480
Budget Midrange Hunter looks fun. I have Deathstalker Rexxar and wanted to know if it could be squeezed into that deck.
Evident
Sure, it's not optimal but you can cut a Flanking Strike for it.
Chauska
I'm building a secret made, and I wonder if I could benefit from putting archmage antonidas and what to replace for corridor creeper. The deck is complete and I have 1120 dust to spend (without purchasing corridor creeper)
MatLelouch
Antonidas is not that good right now tbh , corridor creeper is the most powerful card of the expansion and its used in almost every deck , its a good choice for crafting
Chauska
So what cards should I replace with corridor creeper?
Lir18
Mirror entity is not nearly as good as counterspell or explosive runes, so I would replace this card or cobalt scalebane. Just don't put anything slow into this deck.
Zak
You could take out Bonemare.
NightRaven7
No antonidas its too up, the stansardard deck runs valet creeper aluneth instead of bonemare scalebane and entity so replace a bonemare and a scalebane
NightRaven7
Antonidas is too slow not up
Davio
It's mentioned that Corridor Creepers are good for nearly all of them; but what do they replace if I craft two? I'm trying out each of the decks, and want to put them in but unsure exactly where.
NightRaven7
So also replace minions that not have a ton of synergy and arent overly impressive from bottom to top
Naga corsair
Bloodfury or demonfire
Devolve, bloodlust, squire, primalfin
One mana cards or defias
Shieldraiser elixir
Chaingang champ jailor
Bearshark flanking strike hounds
Dont use in jade
shinso
Highly disagree with the zoolock and evolve shaman replacement recommendations. In zoolock considering you dont run keleseth youd really want to use the 2 mana cards. Demonfire can create your turn 1 demon ( voidwalker/flame imp) into a big boy in the early game and provides additional removal. You could add a vicious fledgling to the deck and that combined with bloodfury can by itself win you the game sometimes. You should replace the blood imp and fire fly with creepers and fledglings( or techs).
In the evolve shaman argent squire is a really important card since it provides a strong turn 1 Play that can trade into your opponents 1 health minions, and primalfin is just a great card at making tokens and the 3 health make it often hard to remove on your opponents turn ( after you play it) + it has good synergy with flametongue. You usually dont need 2 devolves, but one is a good tech, replace the other one and maybe a jade spirit or chain gang. The 2 blood lusts are a must since you don't have powerful minions like aya and the pirate package, making a board swarm into blood lust one of your main win conditions. Hope this helps.
Maximus31
If you do end wanting to rank with the mage i made it to rank 11 in about 3 days. I played this game for a few months a few years ago and with that knowledge and this deck its been enjoyable experience. Thanks i hope to push to rank 5 by the end of month. I hope it’s possible
Kwabat
Hi there,
built Midrange Hunter and im quite happy with the Deck. Recently crafted 2 Corridor Creepers as you recommended. Is cutting Hounds really the way to go? Quite liked the Synergy with huner's Mark and helped to turn some lost games into wins. I felt like cutting the Hyena... good idea or is it definetly Hounds? And why is it Hounds? :P
MasterTot
Yeah I would also consider replacing hyena, I also tried it and it is very difficult to make it work. Hounds is much better right now.
Toaster
I got shadowreaper anduin as free deth night.Is it any good Budget deck with him?
Titan2409
Uh u can play with a budget dragon-filled deck
Toaster
Cuse I dont have raza it's realy bad but is it any deck I can came to rank 10-5 with?? Now I dont use ut at all, I'm playing the Budget jade deck
BrokenTeapot_
I already have the full Budget Midrange Hunter deck and I am loving it, great guide! But, Is it worth crafting Secret Mage now or should I wait until April 2018 for the rotations and then spend my dust on updated budget decks? I suppose what I’m asking is, will these deck lists be updated very soon after the rotation or will they remain outdated until a few weeks after the rotation, if I’m making any sense? Thanks for any helpful repsonses.
BrokenTeapot_
Whoops, forgot to ask if these lists will be updated to address the nerfs to Patches and Creeper etc. Sorry for the unintentional spam, just really interested to hear from site admins and better players! :)
TheCheeser
Mage won't be viable after the rotations I don't think, except if blizzard make a few new cards that support it. If you do have the dust or most of the cards you could craft it but I wouldn't recommend this version as it doesn't run the weapon which hard carries quite a few games.
Mellony
Which of these decks is the strongest? Please answer
Evident
Secret Mage and Zoo I would say.
TheCheeser
I disagree, though secret mage is very strong in ladder indeed this version doesn't run alluneth (the 6 mana mage weapon) which really hurts the deck.
In my opinion inner fire priest is the best closely followed by zoo warlock and midrange hunter. After that mage and druid and the other decks are pretty trash.
Josse
Inner fire without Shadow Visions I really disagree... Zoo is strong, surely if you manage to put in Keleseth and maybe Gul'Dan.
Elemental mage (not secret tempo, check 'other budget options') with Jaina and Baron Geddon (?) also works really well for me.
Joopiter
Can we get some update for post-nerf decks?
thedoctorproctor
Can we please get updates on these decks, pirates are almost non existent with patches nerf yet almost all these decks contain Golakka. It was nice to see them get rid of the creeper after nerf but golakka is somehow still in these decks and needs to be removed as well.
Meganium
Yeah, i'd also love to see all of these decks get slightly adjusted and maybe even a new deck or two.
Joopiter
I've asked for it also few weeks ago, but with no response. I assume that this will be updated after next patch.
Dan
Can we get some updates please?
Evident
We've updated four decks, we still need time to finish the rest.
Chad
You guys are doing great! Thanks for the work you do in updating, on top of playing yourselves!
Chad
Just a heads up: Elemental Mage is still listed with the Secret Mage deck list.
Evident
Fixed, thanks!
Ghnan
I LOVE THIS BUDGET DECK SECTION! Thank you so much for writing this up and caring for us, F2P players. Please keep this section up-to-date as the meta changes and perhaps provide a 2nd/3rd alternative for each class whenever possible. Keep up the good work!
PoopyPants
Thank you so much for this list. It helps a lot.
Quaeritate
These are great. Would be nice to have some budget odd and even decks (if they exist). Budget odd decks seem to be quite good, and baku is a good legendary for budget players.
elzein
If you own Baku, I belive odd Paladin is the cheapest deck. Odd hunter can be good too, yet weaker than Paladin and you may need Leeroy Jenkins.
Paladin_Fuj
Every dude paladin deck user should uninstall heartstone so the normal people can enjoy it.
CD001
Dude Paladin has been a thing since forever - they've just swapped Quartermaster for Tarim, Level Up and/or Lightfused Stegadon; it's always been a "normal" HS archetype - it's just a bit stronger now than it has been for a long time.
It's still beatable mind; I have few problems with it when running Control Warlock - especially with Despicable Dreadlord. Taunt-heavy decks generally do well too.
Olkov
And who are you to judge whet other people should play? If you don't like playing this deck than don't. I can say the same about cubelock, about face Hunter, face mage, quest rogue or any other deck if I don't like them. If you are playing ranked than you use every opportunity to take down your opponent. If you don't like that style you can always play normal and give up if you face 'cancer' deck. But don't tell other people why should they play. They will play with the deck that's give them fun and satisfaction. That why hearstone was made , to give fun (and of course money to blizzard).
Ben White
Yeah and cube locks they make the games not even fun and impossible to rank up
cryingHunter
If any new player see my comment, plz do not make the midrange hunter deck, it is not the hunter's world.
Evident
Midrange Hunter has been a budget staple for a long time, so I'm not sure what you are talking about.
cryingHunter
I did not judge your article, it is very helpful, I made my decks based on it, the problem is not hunter, no one can form a better budget deck for hunter, but in current environment, hunter is just too weak, New player would switch to other class after he beyond the newbie level.
Anyway, these decks are not expensive, and play different class would be more interesting and helpful.
Pucciboi
i got rank 15 for the first time with a slightly upgraded midrange hunter. I used a 4k dust elemental mage and tried different variations of mage but i was hardstuck rank 16. 1.2 k dust midrange hunter got me rank 15
MartinTiz
Hi All im noob here. Good post! Thx! Thx!
Kottler
The decks are great, good job, love the website :D Just a question: Could we get some tips on upgrades to these decks? Expensive cards that we might have to use in these decks. Or this doesn't makes any sense? haha ty!
Macaroon
Look at the meta versions of these decks (most of them have a meta version), and make substitutions based on the cards with the highest winrates.
Examples:
Rogue - Prince Keleseth and vilespines
Druid - Whispering woods and branching paths - malfurion too eventually
Mage- Jaina and blazecallers (Jaina has insane synergy with elementals)
Priest - Shadow visions (alternatively you could build the spiteful deck with spiteful summoners and free from amber)
Warlock- Hooked reavers, Prince keleseth, Gul'dan
Shaman - different class is a good upgrade
Paladin - Call to arms (insane card for that deck) and later sunkeeper tarim
Warrior- Town criers are a good craft for that deck
elzein
Nice list. I would also add that although Warlock is currently very strong, it's decks are also very expensive. If you are short on mana and are looking to upgrade a single class, I would suggest Druid, Rogue, Mage or specially Paladin instead. Priest isalso good, but it doesn't have a tier 1 deck right now. As for Shaman and Warrior, both classes remain at the bottom and are not worth the investment if you are a FTP or budget player with low mana avaliable.
Ash256
Lady in White dragon deck is amazing...
jeff
Lady in White turned out to be a bad deck for many reasons, best priest deck rn is control priest with mind blast
Olkov
I have lady in white from firsts packs and I really love to see her play. For.me it's amazing card but most of the time she doesn't work... Of course it's nice to throw on the table 9/9 steambot but too often she is too slow... She works as a nice additional card for deck with double heal and inner fire ( steambot cost 4 and have 9 health so it's possible to do otk with it). I have in this deck weapon for priest and lyra as well so it sometimes works ( but most of the time lady in white is far in the deck to have any usage from her).
What you are playing with LiW.that is so good? Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
LuckSack
Lady in White could be good with more support but mind blast control is best right now.
Undecided
Muitobom os Deck Budget , adorei .. Valeu <3 , Um abraço aqui do Brasil !
Sinitar
Спамеры совсем ебанулись. Это англоязычный сайт по игре, алло, гораш!
Allias
+
Lir18
guys, best budget decks right now are midrange hunter, dude paladin, tempo mage (not this elemental mage), combo priest and zoolock. Combo priest is inconsistent and a very tricky deck to play.
here is the meta tempo mage http://www.hearthstonetopdecks.com/decks/witchwood-tempo-mage-deck-list-guide-standard/
Tike
Is Budget rogue a good deck to craft for, Im currently using budget mage, but i also want to use rogue from time-to-time, or is mage just a wayy better option.
Greymane
For the priest deck would lady in white work?
FacelessFairy
it could, the only minions who would suffer is the bone dragons
that is unless she overides the Twilight drakes (i dont know how they interact with her)
Nanster420
the twilights will become 1/1 and still get the hand buff though so you could have a 1/7 twilight with LIW
James John Sanders
just crafted your preist dragon deck and it worked like a charm (: I mean sure it all depends on the draw ie you can't win them all but when this goes off it is hard to stop thanks much!
wheels
First let me say thank you so much for this guide! The decks are not only cheap to build but also very easy to pilot.
Would you mind putting up a budget murloc deck please?
That would be awesome
Thank you again!
ArcanaXknight
They could do so but the deck won't be strong enough.
Murloc package in a budget would lack in power to finish the game.
You would miss so much "Warleader" and "Gentle Megasore".
julien16p
Hello :)
I crafted the Budget Elemental Mage Deck a few days ago. It is so much fun :)
I am a new player and haven't got aluneth yet and no dust left. I enchanted all of my free legendaries for this deck.
My question is at this point, if it is still worth it to collect dust for Aluneth even, if this card will leave the rotation with the new expansion coming next year. I don't know how long it will take to collect that much dust. How much dust do you get if a legendary leaves the rotation and become a wild card?
Thanks a lot :)
TiARETiK
Basicly, average dust cost of a pack is one hundred, and due to quests you usually can collect 180 - 170 gold in three days. So, if you will win six to nine games, while completing the tasks, you will collect 1600 dust in 24 days. This will leave you with a really useful legendary for the next eight (Isn't it?) month. I think, that's worth it, at least, if you'r going to use it)
(Btw, this sounds hard, but crafting a legendary in a month is really not so hard)
TiARETiK
(I'm not really an english speaking man, so often do either logical, or grammatical mistakes, sorry)
julien16p
Yep, sorry mate :)
julien16p
Okay, thank you very much :)
GuyThatTalks
As a new player, you don’t want to sink dust into a legendary card. For starters, a deck can eaisilly get boring, and you might want to play something else. So while it might take only 24 days to save up for a legendary, you’ll be getting NO cards in that period of time, to further expand and enhance your collection, or to make new decks. Also, this deck is not very powerful, with no meta version. I’m doubting Aluneth’s place in this deck. In addition, that legendary card fits in little or no decks outside of this one, and could easily faze out of the meta. So overall, crafting a legendary can totally ruin your experience, and until you get a larger collection, I’d only recommend dusting cards that you never expect to use. (Sorry for typos, I typed this quickly on a phone)
Bourbaki
Elemage is not a strong deck right now. However you can still buy aluneth for secret tempo mage that is stronger.
MoroAlex95
Don't bother crafting aluneth,it's not worth it,the best legendaries to craft right nowpath are probably Baku/Genn.
wheels
I am sorry but I don't know where to post regular questions so I will post this here.
I want to build a secret mage style deck I have looked into deck formulas listed here and have not found anything within that vein so if someone can post a budget secret mage that would be awesome ps I have a little over five hundred dust saved so feel free to add some non budget cards near that amount thanks!
HSHSHSHSreplay
Do you have any epic or legendary mage cards?
If you look up the "non budget" tempo mage, how far off are you from this?
What secrets do you have?
Let me know and will make you a list.
wheels
Thank you (:
In answer to your question I have written down every Mage related epic and legend I have as well as every Standard legend and epic
I built Tempo mage once and did not like the flow of it yet I do want to play mage as I have heard she is an important class to learn.
Anyway here is the list
Mage Epic:
Book of Specters x2
Primordial glyph x2
Arcane Keysmith x2
Pyroblast x 2
Counterspell x2
Other secrets:
Explosive Runes x2
Frozen clone x2
Mirror Entity x2
Ice Barrier x2
Mage Legends:
Frost Lich Jaina x1
Aluneth x1
Archmage Arugul x1 (sorry I pulled one of these and was only able to craft one of the other two)
Standard Epics:
Doomsayerx2
Nightmare Amalgramx2
Blaze Callerx2
Spiteful Summoner x2
Primordial Drake x2
Charged Devilsaur x2
Mountain and Sea Giant x2
Standard Legends:
Prince Keleseth x2
Genn Greymane x1 not to brag but he is a gold genn btw lol lucky pull
Countess Ashmore x2
Baku x1
The Lich King x1
hope this helps and thank you so much!
SMOOOOORC
Btw, you probably want to replace the current midranged hunter deck with the other more secret oriented deck that used Spellstone and only 7 minions. You could replace Deathstalker Rexxar with a highmane or something.
ZbigniewJeż
Really good idea. Your deck is much better than the version from budget list.
Seb
Hi,
Thanks for this guide, it helps a lot !
Dude Paladin deck is very dependent of "LightFused Stegodon" and "Lost in the Jungle" cards, that will be soon unavailable due to extension turn over.
Would you have some tips to replace these cards ?
kalina88
Hello, please, when will be updated for new expansion ? Thanks a lot.
Evident
Being worked on currently!
kalina88
Ok. Thank you. Warlock seems to be a greatest choice for new players 😃
Carson
Right you are
Kevin
You put token Druid twice under deck recommendations.
Lester
Any changes after the nerfs to Giggling Inventor???
setatakahashi
Stonehill Defender for value generation
Rotten Applebaum for cost/benefit taunt
Evident
We'll be working on updating these soon after the expansion is released!
Joopiter
It would be nice :) If you can, please include more cards replacements in each deck. Obviously if someone is forced to make budget deck, he doesn't have all cards. Not only all legendaries and epics but also not all commons and rares.
Matteo
Budget decks can be already considered "replacements" for meta decks. If you don't have some cards, just craft them. The very reason for budgets is that you can build one from scratch for around 1500 dust.
thanasis
if someone has some legendaries and epics put some of them to replace a common or a rare to the descriptoon of the deck
Aayush
Can we please have multiple budget decks for each class?
Piotr
Can you add each deck bbcode ?
Piotr
nevermind i got it
Vélin
So, the best budget decks from this list are Midrange Hunter and Zoo Warlock. And if i mean the best, i mean the best by far.
DormantKing
I'm going to ask at risk of sounding like an idiot, But are the dust cost based on what you would get if you disenchanted the deck? Because none of theses decks cost anywhere near those prices to craft. And if so why mark the price like that? I don't understand.
NinjaFarts
No the dust cost just means how much it would cost to craft every single card in the deck.
Dumbino
I dusted a golden legendary earlier and thought i should craft a midrange Hunter without Rexxar but there are so many viable budget decks out there, which makes me think if there is a better budget deck that suit a newbie like me...
Dumbino
P.s: i have Uther, Jaxxarus along with Bloodmage Thalnos and Harrison Jones as well.
Silentstorm
You can go budget otk paladin but it takes some learning fun deck and you can turn it into a tier 1 deck
AryannaLao20
Thank you for this! :D Murloc deck seems to be the cheapest for me.
Crooked.Nose
Hi,
Will these decks be updated for Rise Of Shadows/Year of the Dragon?
Thanks.
Crooked.Nose
EDIT: Please ignore my comment above.
I completely forgot that I'd already asked this on you "Rise Of Shadows Deck Lists" article.
Didn't mean to spam, lol. :P
Stonekeep
We're currently working on the new budget decks! They should be ready some time next week.
DJCook55
Thank you guys and gals! No rush. The new expansion has only been out for 2 days. It takes time to see where the meta will be going, and to learn how to incorporate new cards. Keep up the hard work.
Stonekeep
Budget decks were just updated for Rise of Shadows meta! Big thanks to Martian & Roffle for doing it so quickly.
Comments below this one might be outdated.
OldManSanns
I have to say: crafting Whizbang is probably the smartest decision I've made in this game, if for no other reason than he keeps my games entertaining.
That said, I do truly appreciate these budget deck lists--especially this new format with the strategy and upgrade/sidegrade information. I'm already seeing so many things I want to try out... Thank you all so much for doing this and for writing it so quickly.
Sckylar
Considering Archmage Vargoth is given to everyone for free, is he not a good option for budget token druid?
Stonekeep
Yes, you're right, and it's discussed on the deck's page! If you have Vargoth (and everyone who plays the game right now does), replace Cult Master with it.
However, it's a limited time promotion (you can only get it until July AFAIK), so it's better to not assume that everyone has it in case someone checks out the budget guides after it runs out :)
Crooked.Nose
Absolutely adore this site, and since finding it a few years back, I haven't touched any other Hearthstone sites since! The degree of professionalism placed into every guide and the speed at which this site's content is updated after huge game updates and expansions is unrivaled by any other sites out there.
Necessary praise aside, will these budget decks need updating after the Rise Of Shadows nerfs and the new classic set cards, or have there been minimal changes to the meta and included cards?
reylla
Update budget deck pls :(
mukiwix
When can we expect an update? :)
Stonekeep
Budget decks were just updated for Saviors of Uldum meta! I really like this batch, I think that we have some really strong options.
Comments below this one might be outdated.
torekcazador
Awesome work :) (looking forward for your disenchanting and crafting guide for the new expansion)
DlN0
The aggro paladin deck has been surprisingly successful I climbed from rank 20 to rank 10. Thanks for the decks Stonekeep. ????
DlN0
why did it turn my emoji into question marks >:(
Stonekeep
What emoji did you try to put? Maybe it's not recognized on our site or something (not sure).
But I'm glad that you had a nice climb with the deck :)
Emtee
Hey! When is this going to be updated? I’d like to make a budget deck, but I don’t want to use all my dust to create one that is much weaker now... I hope you see this comment :) Keep up the great work!
Joopiter
Wild cards will return soon and everyone gets copies. So will you update decks inluding these?
Stonekeep
Budget decks were just updated for Descent of Dragons meta! While some of the decks didn't change that much, I offer two alternative builds that would need some Epics to work better - Deathrattle Rogue & Aggro Overload Shaman.
Let me know what you think!
Comments below this one might be outdated.
Ninjask2314
Where did you post Deathrattle rogue and Aggro overload shaman? I can’t find it.
Stonekeep
Click on the name of a given deck to get redirected to a full guide with mulligan, strategy etc.
In the Rogue & Shaman guides, I've added those alternative builds at the bottom :)
Ninjask2314
Thanks for clearing that up!
Joopiter
Do you think any of Galakrond's Awekening cards can be added to these decks?
Gibilan
Even in low ranks there are alot of meta decks
Gibilan
The only difference is that those players don`t know how to pilote them
Ridanculous
And sometimes they are missing 1 or 2 of the more expensive cards
Gabriel88BR
vai lançar outro deck hoje?
Raphapd
Escreve em inglês, gênio...
MajklE63
Your deck guide for Spel Druid inspired me to play and push for the legend for the first time. I reached 24k legend, I used slightly edited version with Rising Winds (minus Treenforcements and minus one Soul of the Forest) on Rank 5 diamond to legend with winrate 28wins and 13 loss. Deck si powerful you can create unkillable boards or just to trade and wait for the right moment to buff, you can reach legend with it quickly.
Bombasticbob
Could you maybe add some cards that you can add if you want to make them better?
Stonekeep
Each deck has a full guide which includes upgrade path - basically cards that you want to add to make the deck better or full deck lists you should be aiming for once you find more Dust :)
Sunsmith
I love the budget decks, they always help me decide where to spend my very limited dust. I would however, caution against dumping your dust into one and expecting to climb much higher than gold 5. The guide makes the claim that the agro Demon Hunter can climb to Legend rank, but unless you're a far better player than I am, it can't. So far I've found that it gets effectively walled by Druids, Paladins, and Priests that flood the board, clear the board, and use super cheap buffs. Unless you're lucky to draw very specific cards in a very timely manner, there doesn't seem to be much that can be done about this.
Mage also has a very tricky deck that can give them infinite, free spells that exponentially climb in spell power around turn 5-6, and I have not found a way to deal enough damage by then to prevent being burned by *20* damage fireballs.
Sunsmith
Does anyone have advice? I'm still walled at gold 5-4, warriors and paladins especially, but not only them.
Sotospeak
I first time climbed last month to legend with face hunter, and in this season Pirate Warrior is giving good success too (at Diamond 4 right now). I have Dragon Bane too and essentially am using VKLiooon's list for Hunter, and Krastinov 2 Steeldancers and Green Skin in Pirate, so the latter is not actually budget, but is serving well with much damage coming from weapons (Scythe, Ganarg and Ancharr) countering board clears. With Demon Hunter Aggro I have been suffering more, so I would definitely recommend Face Hunter to climb.
isaaccp
I am using the Demon Hunter deck (with one Stiltstepper) and I got so far to Gold 2, but likely can make it a bit further.
Take into account that as long as you are winning 51% of your games you'll eventually climb up :)
For Demon Hunter a thing that helps a lot is knowing the mana cost of the opponent's early removal and trying to play Mana Burn or Cult Neophyte at the right time to push them one turn further.
It is definitely game over if a Priest gets to 8 mana though :D
isaaccp
Platinum 8 now. FWIW, the Stiltstepper really helps push it in the end if it's close. Get them if you can afford them :)
tungizzi
If u played DH, I would suggest the Altruis variant of the Aggro build. Of course, u have to craft Pokelt; however, Pokelt is a neutral that is quite flexible and is used in Face Hunter, Highlander Hunter, Galakrond Rogue. Most of the aggro DH I encountered in Legend run this variant over the budget build anyways.
Gibilan
You can hit legend with any deck
Nerose
Some of the best budget decks ever.
Placebo
Do you think that I can toss in my Edwin into the aggro rogue list? And if I can, what card do I replace?
Asperkraken
Very good idea. I would drop the Agent for the record.
Caimael
I'm very excited to see what the Year of the Gryphon will bring for F2P Hearthstone players. Do you think that the new core set will be better for this expansion's budget decks, or do budget players now lack some good cards from the basic set? I'm hoping to see a couple of viable budget control decks using some of the new core set dragons, hopefully this could be a possibility this year!
Asperkraken
It’s a better time than ever for budget players. Yeah there are some high power builds out there but all the free Legendaries (many of which are surprisingly decent) have made building budget decks, especially for classes you may not like, easier. I am very happy with the new Core Set. Honestly it was time for a refresh.
LuKeAA
Face Hunt"er"s again;
hope you all prefer that to Watchtowers; this trend of "either the games last until T5 or it's no fun" is so annoying; no adaptation on new expansions, always the same. Between all the nerfs, BOTH watchtowers was the one I was mostly against.
Xanflo13
It's a real shame it's been 3 months and you guys have no updated budget decks.
mush shrap
They updated their budget decks after 3 months? Better complain about it!
Sotospeak
I am using Elemental Shaman with Earth Elemental in place of Lilypad Lurker and climbed to D1. Robes of Protection is an interesting tech choice against mage and Quest Hunters too. I just crafted the Pirate Budget too, I had only a Cargo Guard and Anchorman missing, and I won the only game I played with it at D3.
Great budget decks thank you.
Joopiter
Any additions after Deadmines release?
I bet Mr. Smite can be added to most aggro decks and maybe budget Big DH is better than this budget Deathrattle one?
Johan
Which cards out in the warlock budget to add Imp King Rafaam and Sire Denathrius.
Melchy101
Yo, that first death knight deck got me on a 13 win streak. Really good! Thank you for the work you do.
Sotospeak
After a year of HS I disenchanted all rotating cards and had 32k dust. Still these guides come in handy, and i made the BIG DH one since i already had Xhillag. It seems fun to play!
Thanks.
BIackBear
Really helpful guide
Pramadito
Is drum druid good enough for budget?
pat190
Really good work this season. Can you update this based on the mini-set? And perhaps some more budget options for each class that vary in play style. Tall ask on my part, but these guides are really helpful.
Pramadito
That Budget Face Hunter – Whizbang’s Workshop deck got me to legend at NA! thanks
zorgrexi
Pozzik, Audio Engineer is obtained by collecting 30 Neutral Festival of Legends cards. ETC is your reward for buying the pack.
That has been bugging me for a year now, sorry.
eccentr1ck
Hi Stonekeep, could you please update this page content and the meta decks page? Thank you for your time!
zorgrexi
I See, that you still have Not Corrected Pozzik, Audio Engineer. When you buy a Festival of Legends Pack, you get E.T.C, Band Manager. Pozzik, Audio Engineer ist rewarded after collecting 30 FoL cards.
You either eally don't know Hearthstone or your trolling.
zorgrexi
I See, that you still have Not Corrected Pozzik, Audio Engineer.
You either eally don't know Hearthstone or your trolling.
zorgrexi
I See, that you still have Not Corrected Pozzik, Audio Engineer.
You either really don't know Hearthstone or your trolling.
pat190
Came here to say I hit top 6k legend with Budget Weapon Rogue. Kept getting better with the deck, and the mulligan. Tried out Shaffar, but it was weird - as described.
Thank you for making budget versions of what the top 100 players are doing - I'd love to see more of this and more decks like this. Thanks - Pat
Edaks
Great selection of budget decks! ???? I’ve always been looking for ways to play without spending too much. By the way, if anyone needs help leveling up their account or farming resources in other games (like World of Warcraft), check out ExpCarry.com — awesome guys who make gameplay more enjoyable! ????
RagoTheEggo
A little advice for the people out there with not enough dust to build a deck like me do not waste your time on the semi budget Druid not worth the pain played 6 matches and having won one,
Pro: good zoo like deck to get minions on the field pretty fast
Con: completely get wiped your enemy next turn with nothing left to use ;-;
Comments are closed.