Hearthstone’s First Tavern Brawl is a Doozy

As it transpires, all of the earlier fuss about a fourth button was in fact a prelude to Blizzard unveiling a new Hearthstone game mode. It’s Tavern Brawl, which you probably know by now, and it’s inaugural battle is a lot of fun.

This week, Tavern Brawl casts you as one of two Lords of Blackrock: Ragnaros the Firelord or Nefarian, and gives you a premade deck for each. If you want to take a peek at what you’ll be dealing with, Hearthpwn have come up with the decklists for each hero. Without spoiling specifics, each deck is as ridiculous you’d expect, and both are stuffed with thematically appropriate Legendary Rares. Players are also given 60 life (30 life and 30 armor for Ragnaros) to allow for big boards and bigger numbers.

The obvious high point of Tavern Brawl is that it places players on a relatively even playing field — at least in terms of deck construction this week. Before any Hearthstone novices get too excited, though, skill and to a lesser extent luck both remain determining factors. Your first victory in Tavern Brawl each week is set to net you a booster pack.

As it’s free to enter Tavern Brawl, this is a fantastic way to newer players (like myself!) to expand their card pools without grinding for gold or paying in real-world money.