What are Loaner Decks? Why play one? 

Hearthstone loaner decks are only available to new and returning players. If you created a new account, completed the tutorial, beginning questline, and have progressed beyond new player ranks, you will be eligible for a loaner deck. As a returning player, if you have spent 90 days or more away from the game, you will be eligible for a loaner deck. 

Loaner decks are Hearthstone’s way of giving players incentive. This provides you with an opportunity to jump into the game at a competitive level without having to invest anything. Hearthstone provides you with 6 loaner decks that you can play with for a week, and once the week is up, you can choose one to keep.

 Why play one? Loaner decks are an excellent way to check out different classes and card synergies for free. The decks consist of some of the best cards, making these decks competitive with good win rates. You don’t have to start spending money to get into the game, or to return to the game, Hearthstone gives you everything that you need to get started for free, so let’s talk about which loaner decks are best! 

5. Well Excavate Rogue 

Explosives, and treasures, and trinkets, O my ! 

With the Well Excavate Rogue you will manipulate your deck and generate value. Meaning, you’re working with a lot of cards that will simply generate more and stronger cards for you and give you the card advantage. How convenient. You will also utilize draw abilities on a lot of cards. This deck is fast paced and contains a lot of low cost cards and continues to generate more cards so you shouldn’t have an empty hand at any time in the game. You will want to try to keep some minions on your board and move toward board control by using removal spells to lock down your opponent. Excavate Rogue can be difficult to play, it isn’t a straight forward deck, a lot of your cards generate other cards which are done so at random, so there’s a luck factor. 

The Well Excavate Rogue is a decent deck, and has the capability of being strong, but it’s too reliant on luck in the way of card generation. This deck is competitive and will win you games, but it isn’t the strongest loaner deck that Hearthstone offers. This is a good deck, it has good cards and does have strengths of its own, it’s also super fun to play. Being fast paced keeps the game moving, and interesting. 

Well Excavate Rogue Strengths

• Resource generation is this deck's greatest strength. Several cards generate more cards and generate stronger cards, giving you the card advantage, which is crucial in Hearthstone. 

• Versatility is another strength that this deck offers. This deck plays on combos, battlecries, and shuffle effects, giving you the ability to use different mechanics to get ahead. 

• As an aggressive deck with low cost cards, this deck allows you quick board control. This deck contains powerful early game minions, as well as removal spells to maintain board control. 

• Tempo! While aggressive, this deck can maintain tempo, giving it a good survival rate and making it a worthy late game opponent. 

Well Excavate Rogue Cards

• Preparation x 2
• Shadowstep x 2
• Bloodrock Co. Shovel x 2
• Break Dance x 2
• Stick Up x 2
• Swashburglar x 2
• Dart Throw x 2
• Antique Flinger x 2
• Bounce Around (Ft. Garona) x 1
• Bounty Wrangler x 2
• Velarok Windblade x 1
• Drilly The Kid x 1
• Wishing Well x 2
• Tess Greymane x 1
• Greedy Partner x 2
• Kobold Miner x 2
• Burrow Buster x 2

4. Earthen Paladin 

Treasures, holy spells, and Amitus Disciples! Wait, what? 

This deck is a heavy hitter! Combine holy spells, treasure cards, and powerful minions to overwhelm your opponent. The Earthen Paladin deck is a lot of fun to play, but can be a little tricky. The key here is patience. The main components of this deck cost a lot of mana,, so they’re designed for end game play. In the meantime, survive. Use your draw cards to maintain card advantage, and play your Amitus Disciple’s as soon as you’re able. Then use resurrection to continue to bring them back, bigger and bigger! 

This deck is great because of its consistent game plan. You know the strategy, it’s straightforward, and it doesn’t change. There are no complex combos to worry about, and the card synergies are easy to play with. This deck is very easy to play, and strong enough to win with. If you’re a new player trying to learn the game, this is a good deck to start with because it’s a great way to learn game mechanics while avoiding becoming overwhelmed. Above all else, this deck is so much fun! The satisfaction that you get from destroying your opponent with giant golems that you created, doesn’t get old. 

Earthen Paladin Strengths

• Reliable and consistent- With this deck's straightforward strategy, once you get it down, it’s very reliable and consistent. 

• Board Control- Earthen Paladin is great at controlling the board. Loaded with plenty of removal spells, and combined with your buffed golems, the board is yours. 

• Gradual Power Progression- Your minions grow stronger throughout the game, so if you can survive until late game, you’ll be tough to beat. 

• Easy to learn- This deck is one of the best for new players. The strategy is so easy and it doesn’t change. It’s a great way to get familiar with the game while playing a great consistent deck. 

Earthen Paladin Cards

• Righteous Protector x 2
• Hand of A’Dal x 2
• Hi Ho Silverwing x 2
• Showdown! x 2
• Deputization Aura x 2
• Holy Cowboy x 2
• Boogie Down x 2
• Stoneheart King x 2
• Disciple of Amitus x 2
• Keeper’s Strength x 2
• Tyr’s Tears x 2
• Tyr x 1
• Amitus, The Peacekeeper x 1
• Prismatic Beam x 2
• Miracle Salesman x 2
• Vicious Slitherspear x 2

3. Odyn Control Warrior

Amuse me with tales of your victories! 

Odyn Control Warrior is just that, a control deck! This deck was crafted entirely around one card, Odyn, Prime Designate. When you start the game, you need that card in your hand. Mulligan everything that you have to try to get it. If you don’t draw Odyn don’t panic, that sucksl, but there’s time. Control Warrior decks are slow to start, and until late game you're basically surviving and removing minions to push for board control. Make good use of your hero power to gain armor to assist with survival. Use your removal spells and your weapons to maintain board control. Once you play Odyn, Prime Designate, any armor that you gain, you will gain attack for. There are tons of big armor cards in this deck giving you the potential to gain 20+ attack power in a turn. This deck is a lot of fun, but keep in mind it is slower paced, push to maintain control, play Odyn, gain attack when you gain armor, win games! 

This is a good loaner deck because it’s a top tier deck. This deck is very powerful, with a pretty easy strategy as well. It is great for ladder climbing because it’s a reliable deck that maintains consistency. There are a lot of opportunities to gain armor giving it high survivability, and many removal spells to help maintain control of the board. This deck is great for both beginners, and experienced players. The straightforward strategy, high survivability, ability to buff minions and have some huge golems, combines to make this deck so much fun. 

Odyn Control Warrior Strengths

• Survivability- massive armor gain making the Warrior hard to touch. 

• Reliable and consistent- a well-balanced deck that offers consistent game play. 

• Easy strategy- the deck strategy is an easy one, making this deck suitable for beginner or experienced players. 

Odyn Control Warrior Cards

• Shield Slam x 2
• Verse Riff x 2
• Bash x 2
• Bladestorm x 2
• Shield Block x 2
• Stoneskin Armorer x 2
• Bellowing Flames x 2
• Chorus Riff x 2
• Heavy Plate x 2 
• Craftsman’s Hammer x 2
• Bridge Riff x 2
• Sanitize x 2
• Trial By Fire x 2 
• Odyn, Prime Designate x 1 
• Ignis, The Eternal Flame x 1
• Taelan Fordring x 1 
• Yogg-Saron, Unleashed x 1 

2. Sludge Warlock 

More sludge please!

If aggressive decks with a lot of strong early game options is your game, then Sludge Warlock might be for you. This deck is extremely aggressive and typically dominates the early game board with sludges. The consistent, early game pressure that this deck applies, will be aggravating for opponents. The Sludge Warlock deck is strong enough to take you to Legend status, and has held it many times over. A couple of things that cause this deck to stand out, aside from the strong early game minions, is the ability to gain early game board control, and maintain board control throughout. Sludge Warlock has enough removal spells that maintaining board control isn’t generally an issue. There are a couple of key cards in this deck that can swing an unfavorable game in your favor when used strategically. 

While Sludge Warlock may be one of the more difficult loaner decks to play, due to the heavy strategy aspect of this deck, it’s a lot of fun once you’re familiar with your cards and how best to play them. This deck is one of the top loaner decks because of the power that it possesses. This deck holds a top 500 Legendary status, and is great for the ladder climb due to its flexibility in managing many different situations efficiently. 

Sludge Warlock Strengths

• Board control- easy early game board control with sludge cards. 

• Removal spells- easily maintain board control by utilizing removal spells strategically 

• Low cost spells and minions- this deck has a lot of low cost cards making it a strong, early game opponent. 

• Swing cards- This deck contains cards that can swing your position from unfavorable to favorable, in a single turn. 

Sludge Warlock Cards

• Baritone Imp x 2
• Crescendo x 2
• Disposal Assistant x 2
• Forge of Wills x 2
• Furnace Fuel x 2
• Sludge on Wheels x 2
• Trolley Problem x 2 
• Crazed Conductor x 2 
• Pop’Gar the Putrid x 1 
• Waste Remover x 2 
• Symphony of Sins x 1 
• Miracle Salesman x 2
• Tram Mechanic x 2 
• Trogg Gemtosser x 2 
• Gloomstone Guardian x 2
• Chaos Creation x 2

1. Excavate Plague Death Knight

Drown in the plagues of my wrath! Or something Helya says. 

This brings us to the Excavate Plague Death Knight, a deck that nobody ever enjoys going up against. This deck is a midrange strategy deck, with the main strategy being, fill your opponents deck full of plagues that deal damage to them when drawn. Play Helya as soon as you’re able too, as she makes the plagues never ending. Meaning that if your opponent draws a plague, it damages them and then is reshuffled into their deck. The excavate allows you to draw treasures when specific cards are played, and this will strengthen your attack or your defense. Pairing Excavate and plagues together is a tough combo to beat, this deck has so many low cost cards to boost early gameplay, unending plagues if Helya is played, many opportunities for removal spells to maintain board control, and excavate treasures can be gained throughout, further strengthening you and providing you with a safety net. 

This deck is the best loaner deck out there right now, because it is such a strong deck. It’s also very reliable and consistent with a more than 50% win rate according to hsreplay.net. This deck can maintain tempo throughout the game and there isn’t much that can stand in your way. You have an insane amount of board removal spells, plenty of minions to play, as well as weapons to deal face damage with. Unending plagues overwhelm your opponent the longer the game lasts. This is another Legend status deck, and rightfully so. This deck is full of surprises! 

Excavate Plague Death Knight Strengths

• Early game strong- there are a lot of cards that this deck has that will help you gain board presence quickly and maintain it. 

• Resources- using Helya to gain unending plagues on your opponent helps ensure you continue to damage your opponent, even if the game runs long and you begin to run out of cards. 

• Versatility- this deck is great with aggression and control, maintaining a good balance between the ability to deal face damage and maintain board control. 

Excavate Plague Death Knight Cards

• Staff of the Primus x 2
• Distressed Kvaldir x 2 
• Down with the Ship x 2
• Frost Strike x 2
• Pile of Bones  x 2 
• Chillfallen Baron x 2 
• Hardcore Cultist
• Reap What You Sow x 2 
• Helya x 1
• Skeleton Crew x 2 
• Tomb Traitor x 2 
• The Primus x 1
• Chained Guardian x 2 
• Reska, The Pit Boss x 1
• Kobold Miner x 2 
• Burrow Buster x 2 
• Prison of Yogg-Saron

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