So Which Card Pack Should I Be Buying?
Trying to keep up with a constantly changing card game like Hearthstone can be both difficult and expensive. With each expansion a new set of cards and strategies is introduced into the game, forcing players to adapt their previous decks. The only way to really stay competitive is by acquiring more card packs and building variations of the best performing decks. In this article I’ll discuss Hearthstone’s card packs and tell you which ones are worth buying and why.
I’ll rank the card packs in ascending order, starting with the expansion that’s least used and has the weakest cards in the current meta. The statistics I’m about to present were accurate as of September 6th, 2018 according to the results on hsreplay.net but are always subject to change.
Something worth mentioning about Hearthstone’s card packs is that Blizzard guarantees a Legendary card in the first 10 packs that you purchase for a specific expansion. If you’re new to the game it’s worth buying up to 10 of every card pack to claim the guaranteed Legendary. Let’s get on with the card packs.
# 6 The Witchwood
The spooky themed Witchwood expansion unfortunately fell out of the meta relatively quick.
The Witchwood expansion was released on April 18th, 2018 and for a while its cards held a strong position in the competitive meta. It introduced some of the most popular Legendary cards such as Baku the Mooneater, Genn Greymane, and Houndmaster Shaw which are all certainly worth getting. Unfortunately, The Witchwood expansion lacks many popular/powerful cards and are the worst investment out of all available card packs.
Out of the total 135 cards released, only about 40% of them are used in competitive play. Meaning that for every pack you purchase, you might only end up using of two out of five cards. The Witchwood does hold some useful Rare and Common cards such as Lifedrinker and Hench Clan Thug, but overall the typical cards you get are lackluster.
I’d recommend to only buy Witchwood packs if you haven’t received any Legendaries from the expansion. Remember that you’re guaranteed at least one Legendary card within the first 10 packs you buy, making them worthwhile up until that point. Otherwise you’re better off crafting the cards you need for the decks you want to play.
#5 Journey to Un’Goro
Un'Goro card packs still contain valuable cards for specialized decks, but overall there are better choices for card packs.
This expansion is characterized in reference to the famous Un’Goro Crater region in World of Warcraft. Filled with jungle beasts and dangerous plant life, the collection added 135 new collectible cards which included the Adapt mechanic and the Quest card type.
In total the set carries 59 cards that are seen in ranked play. Un’Goro doesn’t fair much better than Witchwood although it does include some useful neutral minions. Firefly and Stonehill Defender have seen their share of play in competitive matches. The largest downside of purchasing Un’Goro packs are the Legendary minions, which aren’t very good or popular at all. The most popular Legendary card is Kalimos, Primal Lord which is only used in a lonely 3% of decks.
Just like Witchwood, I’d stray away from purchasing Un’Goro packs if you’re looking to fill your collection. As usual buy the first 10 packs to earn your guaranteed Legendary, then fill your collection with some of the packs I’m about to mention.
#4 Knights of the Frozen Throne
Knights of the Frozen throne offers the best value if you're looking for Legendary cards.
Also referred to as KotFT or KFT, the sixth expansion in Hearthstone was possibly the most game-changing yet. Based on the popular World of Warcraft Lich King expansion, Hearthstone sets players in the icy region of Northrend and Icecrown Citadel. KFT introduced a total of 135 collectible cards some of which included the famous hero cards, a completely new card type which replaces the user’s Hero and grants them a new Hero Power for the remainder of the match.
Frozen Throne card packs can be extremely valuable as the set makes up 11.7% of all cards used in the competitive game scene. Currently, many of the set’s Rare cards such as Saronite Chain Gang and Spreading Plague play an important role in most decks, giving this card pack decent value for every purchase. The Frozen Throne also has the highest Legendary card popularity due to the well received hero cards along with Prince Keleseth and the notorious Lich King.
If your collection is lacking powerful Legendaries, this card pack might be your best option at buffing up your decks. It offers an overall modest value and the Legendary cards alone can make it a tempting option.
#3 Boomsday
The latest expansion was filled with bright and loud surprises that have become a focal point of the game.
The newest and most explosive expansion has had great success at becoming the center of the metagame. Currently 97 out of the total 135 cards introduced are being used in competitive play. Boomsday cards also make up 16% of the cards played in ranked matches, a generous size for a single expansion.
Minions from the latest set have made a strong appearance since their release. Many players are opting for cards that are difficult to counter like Giggling Inventor, the most popular card in the game. The Mech card type has seen some increased use as the new Magnetic mechanic opens up powerful tempo options.
Boomsday packs are worth buying because the set’s Legendaries were an instant success. Currently the most popular Legendaries are Zilliax, The Soularium, and Flobidimous Floop in their respective orders. Even if you don’t roll the legendaries you want, the packs provide great value through the rest of the cards.
If you didn’t pre-order the expansion it might be in your best interest to purchase plenty Boomsday packs. A majority of the cards from the expansion are being used so it’s kind of hard to be given useless cards.
I’d especially recommend Boomsday packs to veteran players, who have collected cards from previous expansions over time. Otherwise, the following packs give you the cards you need to get a head start in the game.
#2 Kobolds and Catacombs
The dungeon exploration themed expansion still offers players tremendous value.
The Kobolds and Catacombs expansion has remained a popular and widely used set of cards. It was released on December 2017 and was Blizzard’s 7th expansion with a classic fantasy theme emphasizing dungeon exploration. Kobolds and Catacombs introduced the Dungeon Run along with 135 new cards.
Currently the cards for the Kobolds expansion are the second most popular in the game. It’s filled with many powerful core cards such as Fungalmancer and Branching Paths which play key roles in many decks. The Legendary cards from the expansion are also quite good although a bit more niche in nature. Currently the most popular Legendary cards are coincidentally all weapons. Aluneth, Twig of the World Tree, and Skull of the Man’ari are leading the ranks.
If you’re looking to fill your collection with great cards, the Kobolds and Catacombs packs offer an extremely great value. I’d recommend these card packs to newer players who are looking to bolster their collections with high versatility cards. A majority (almost 20%) of the cards that are used in competitive matches come from this expansion, making it a top choice to any deck builder.
#1 Classic Cards
The cards from this set are not only the oldest, but also the most used.
Believe it or not the best and most popular cards in the game come from the classic set. The card set was released along with the game in March of 2014. The cards in the classic set are well known and have established roles in the metagame.
Almost one out of every five cards played in competitive matches come from this set is alone. It has established cards that are staples in popular decks, like Cold Blood for Odd Rogue and Flame Imp for Zoo Warlock. Not to mention it has some of the strongest Legendaries in the game including the late game terror, Leeroy Jenkins.
Weather you’re a newer player that needs the bare essentials or a seasoned duelist looking for valuable Legendaries, the classic set offers more value than any other pack available. There can literally never be bad time to buy classic card packs, several seasons of competitive play have proven it.
To Sum it All Up
Don’t buy Witchwood or Un’Goro packs, there’s not enough useful cards to make it worth the investment. In the end you’re better off crafting the specific cards you want or need.
If you want to add stronger legendary cards or are hunting for a specific Hero Card, your best option is to buy Frozen Throne packs. If you’re interested in expanding your collection, the best solution is to buy cards from the Kobolds and Boomsday sets.
Lastly, if you’re a new player it’s best to buy up to 10 of every card pack to earn the guaranteed Legendary from each set. From that point on it’s best to fill your collection with cards from the Classic set and work your way down the list from there.
I hope this article has helped you decide which card packs are worth buying. The answer can obviously vary depending on how long you’ve been playing the game and what your current Hearthstone goals are. Remember that the relevance of the information in this article can vary over time, so don’t take my advice as a final verdict.
For More Useful Hearthstone Tips Check Out:
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