The deck lists you need to win the Top 3 Hearthstone Tavern Brawl

This week in Hearthstone, we have the Top 3 Tavern Brawl, which is like the odd child of the Top 2 Tavern Brawl and Battle of the Bans Tavern Brawls. Like both of its parent Brawls, there’s no random element this week: instead, it’s all about picking three cards that let you pull off some crazy combos.

Tavern Brawl basics

• Name: Top 3
• Description: Let’s mix it up a bit, shall we? Pick three cards and we’ll make you a deck with ten copies of each card.
• Fun level: -10/10
• Difficulty: 2-10/10
• Replayability: 2/10
• Format: Wild
• Type: PVP
• Deck: Constructed
• Rewards: 1 Year of the Phoenix pack

This week is another Wild Constructed Brawl. You’re not so much building a deck as you are building a list of three cards. These cards combine in a way greater than the sum of their parts to create some incredible plays. As long as you’ve got the three cards you need, the size of your collection shouldn’t hold you back as much as if you were building a full deck. Unlike Battle of Bans, no cards are off limits.

How to win the Top 3 Tavern Brawl

But which three cards should you use? Let’s look at some card combos that will help you win this week’s Brawl.

UPDATE!

New lists with cards released since we last covered this Brawl. The old lists also still work, but here are some new ones.

• Jade Druid

Cards: Jade Idol, Jade Golem, Keeper Stalladris

Strategy: Keep generating larger and larger Jade Golems to overwhelm your opponent.

• Wolpertinger Hunter

Cards: Wolpertinger, Wound Prey, Open the Cages.

Strategy: Keep a wide board with Wolpertinger, and Wound Prey so you’ll get Open the Cages to trigger each round. Keep pressure on face and concede if they have a board clear.

• Spring Water Mage

Cards: Incanter’s Flow, Refreshing Spring Water, Fireball.

Use Incanter’s Flow to discount your cards. Refreshing Spring Water draws cards and refills your mana. You’ll be able to draw your whole deck while Fireballs kill your opponent. Mulligan hard for Incanter’s Flow. You need Refreshing Spring Water and Fireball at discounted mana costs.

• Primordial Mage

Cards: Kabal Lackey, Primordial Studies, Counterspell

Strategy: Use Kabal Lackey’s to get Counterspell in play for free. Generate minions off Primordial Studies to pressure your opponent.

• Reliquary Priest

Cards: Reliquary of Souls, Gift of Luminance, Palm Reading

Strategy: Buff Reliquary of Souls with Gift of Luminance and heal your self with Reliquary’s Lifesteal effects. Use Palm Reading to reduce the cost of your spells and Discover key situational spells to disrupt your opponent’s game plan.

• Sacrifice Warlock

Cards: Grimoire of Sacrifice, Nerbuian Egg, Kobald Sandtrooper.

Strategy: Pop your Eggs with Grimiore while simultaneously clearing the enemy board. Pressure with minions and Kobold Sandtrooper.

Previous lists:

• Old god Shaman

Cards: Lightning Bloom, Ancestor’s Call, Y’Shaarj, Rage Unbound

Strategy: Lighting Bloom will give you enough mana to cast Ancestor’s Call, which will put Y’Shaarj on the board. Each Y’Shaarj summons another Y’Shaarj. Not even Aman’thul could stop so many Y’Shaarjs. Y’Sharji?

• Snowfury Shaman

Cards: Ancestral Knowledge, Lightning Bloom, Snowfury Giant

Strategy: Use Lightning Bloom to cast Ancestral Knowledge. Cast it as many times you can. This should give you three or four 0-mana Snowfury Giants in hand. Four 8/8s on turn 1 should win many games.

• Adorable Druid

Cards: Gibberling, Adorable Infestation, and Mark of Y’shaarj

Strategy: By turn two or three, depending on the coin, you’ll build a board many opponents won’t be able to counter.

• Embiggen Druid

Cards: Patches, Embiggen & Mark of the Lotus

Strategy: You need to start with Patches in your hand. Cast a couple of Embiggens, then play Patches. Instant board full of big minions.

• Carpet Paladin

Cards: Magic carpet, First Day of School, Competitive Spirit

Strategy: This one comes courtesy of our own Liz Harper! First Day of School supplies you with 1-mana minions. You play Magic Carpet turn 3 (or turn 2 if you have coin) to give your minions Rush. Put Competitive Spirit up to buff your minions. Use your buffed minions help keep the board clear and smash your opponent’s face.

• Solarian Mage

Cards: Primordial Studies, Ray of Frost, Astromancer Solarian

Strategy: Keep their board frozen and clear with Ray of Frost, generate spell damage with Primordial Studies, and close the game with your army of spell damage minions or Solarian Prime.

• Mill Mage

Cards: Incanter’s Flow, Research Project, Fireball/Frostbolt

Strategy: Mill you opponent’s cards with free Research Projects. Discount your spells with Incanter’s Flow. The Research Projects will draw more Research Projects. Check each turn for how many  free Fireballs you can cast and kill them once you have lethal. This combo could also work with Cinderstorm or Ice Lance.

• Pogo Rogue 

Cards: Pogo Hopper, Shadowstep, Secret Passage

Strategy: Play your Pogos and Shadowstep to build them quickly. Secret Passage puts more Pogos in your hand. You could also substitute Mimic Pod for Secret Passage.

• Discord Warlock

Cards: Malchezaar’s Imp, Soulfire, and Fist of Jaraxxus or Silverware Golem

Strategy: Face is the place for your Soulfires. The Fist version is even more pressure, but opt for the Silverware version for a more minion-based attack.

• Aggro Demon Hunter

Cards: Chaos Strike, Battlefiend, Shadowhoof Slayer

Strategy: Buff your attack with Shadowhoof and Battlefiend. Every attack buffs your Battlefiends and Chaos Strike serves as your card draw engine.

More Top 3 lists

With only three cards, it’s easy enough to copy off a list you’ve played against that may have been particularly effective. One of these decks should see you through. If you find another great list, share it with us in the comments.

Keep checking Hearthstone Top Decks. There are more Tavern Brawl decks being added by the hour.

Overall, I personally didn’t find this one enjoyable. It’s a race to see who can pull off their overpowered combo first.  On the upside, the games can be quick. Good luck getting this week’s Classic pack!

Originally posted 8/26/2020. Updated 4/15/2021.