The decks you need to win the Hearthstone Great Dark Beyond Pre-Release Tavern Brawl

Try out the cards from the brand new The Great Dark Beyond expansion with the new Hearthstone Pre-Release Tavern Brawl. For the first time ever, you can open your expansion packs early and try out the new cards before its official release on November 5.

Tavern Brawl basics

• Name: Pre-Release Tavern Brawl
• Description: Build a deck using valid cards from your collection, including cards from the upcoming expansion, and earn more new cards!
• Fun level: ?/10
• Difficulty: ?/10
• Replayability: ?/10
• Format: Stardard* (see below)
• Type: PVP
• Deck: Constructed
• Rewards: Varies based upon how much you win

By the time this article is live, you’ll be able to open any The Great Dark Beyond packs you have, regardless of whether you got them as a pre-purchase or earned them through other activities like Twitch drops. You still can’t buy The Great Dark Beyond packs with gold and you can’t do any crafting yet. You’re only allowed to use whatever cards you open. Standard packs won’t help you either, as they won’t have any The Great Dark Beyond cards in them until the official expansion release on November 5.

Like Heroic Brawliseum, this Brawl follows Arena’s “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” mechanic. Unlike Heroic Brawliseum, you’re capped at six wins instead of twelve. You continue your run by playing additional games until you experience the thrill of six victories or the agony of three defeats, whichever comes first. Fortunately you can stop between games and come back later to continue your run, so you don’t need to have a marathon play session to win. Every victory increases the difficulty of your next opponent. If you have four wins, you’re matched up against other players who also have four wins.

Pre-Release Tavern Brawl cost

According to the Developer Update, “everyone will get one free entry into the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl. But a bug causes the game to request an entry fee even on your first run, using for two Tavern Tickets, 300 Gold, or 400 Runestone. Fortunately according to Ridiculous Hat on Reddit, this is just a display bug, the first one is actually free — but if you want to keep playing after that, you’ll have to pay up.

Deck building for the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl

You can build decks using cards from the Core set, Event Set, Whizbang’s Workshop, Perils in Paradise, and the big one, The Great Dark Beyond.

There are some cards that aren’t invited to the party. Prince Renathal is in the Core set now, but won’t be when The Great Dark Beyond launches, so he’s right out. Splendiferous Whizbang is also benched. He would kind of defeat the whole idea playing with the new expansion’s cards. The developers have left the option open of banning more cards if necessary. If they do, you’ll get a refund for the run you used that deck.

This will be an interesting deck building challenge. Many of the staples from the current meta are gone. The Titans have retreated. Reno, Lone Ranger has ridden off into the sunset. Pretty much every “meta” deck loses some important pieces. Handbuff Paladin, for instance, loses fourteen of its cards.

Pre-Release Tavern Brawl rewards

Each victory upgrades the chest you win at the end of your run. If we assume the average player will go 3-3, the rewards would be two The Great Dark Beyond packs, one Perils in Paradise pack, and one random The Great Dark Beyond Common card. Here’s a handy dandy notebook, err…, I mean chart of all the potential winnings:

How to win the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl

Most Constructed Brawls fall into their own meta, though that may not emerge here simply because of the limited resources. It’s modern Hearthstone, so I would expect a healthy dose of aggressive decks. It’ll be interesting to see what emerges as players explore the exciting cards in The Great Dark Beyond.

Like most Constructed Brawls, the key to winning is building a good deck and piloting it well.

Here are a variety of decks that have been theorycrafted by the community. Several can be played with few or even none of the cards from The Great Dark Beyond.

Frost Death Knight

• Credit: ZachO from Viscous Syndicate
• Deck code:

  AAECAfHhBAbLpQWkwAaowAaWywa6zgbV5QYMh/YEsvcEtIAFy58G/7oGv74Gx8kG/8kGrsoG2+UG3eUG3uUGAAA=

• This one might be a good option for your free run. It’s a functional deck that could get you a win or two and doesn’t need cards from The Great Dark Beyond.

Blood Death Knight

• Credit: ZachO from Viscous Syndicate
• Deck code:

  AAECAfHhBAjHpAakwAaowAa6wQaWywa6zgan0wbM4QYLh/YEy58Gu7EG/7oGv74Gw74Ghr8G2OUG2uUG3+UG5uUGAAED9bMGx6QG97MGx6QG694Gx6QGAAA=

• This deck is primed to contend with the aggro decks that may be popular as the event starts.

Undead Handbuff Death Knight

• Credit: Old Guardian from Hearthstone Top Decks
• Deck code:

  AAECAYjaBQAP9eMEseYEh/YEsvcEs/cEubEGurEGvLEG9rEGi7cG/7oGz7wG1+UG2OUG2eUGAA==

• The game plan is straightforward. You want to make big Undead minions and smash them into your opponent’s face. While this “meta” deck loses some tools, it still looks powerful, and you could probably play this list even if you didn’t have any The Great Dark Beyond cards.

Aggro Pirate Demon Hunter

• Credit: Old Guardian from Hearthstone Top Decks
• Deck code:

  AAECAea5AwaongbHpAbEuAb8wAaQwQbM4QYMr6AE7Z8G/KgG17gG17oGlL8G1sAG2MAG38AG9sAG1cEGrcUGAA==

• Of all the current meta decks, Pirate Demon Hunter loses the least amount of tools with the expansion. This might be a good budget option. You could probably play this list even if you didn’t have any The Great Dark Beyond cards.

Starship Pirate Demon Hunter

• Credit: Old Guardian from Hearthstone Top Decks
• Deck code:

  AAECAea5AwSongbHpAb8wAbM4QYNAAAAAK+gBO2fBvyoBte4BpS/BtbABtjABvbABq3FBgA=

• This is a slight variation of Aggro Pirate Demon Hunter using the Starship card.

Concierge Druid

• Credit: ZachO from Viscous Syndicate
• Deck code:

  AAECAZICAqW7BpegBA7k6gaAygaA1waHsQat4gaunwTvqQaUsQbZsQbVugaBvwbzygaxzgb35QYAAA%3D%3D

• My son loves playing Killer Instinct on Nintendo Online. If you face Concierge Druid, you’re going to want C-C-C-Combo Breaker from that game. This deck has some good board clears that should help you stay in the game long enough to setup your combo.

Token Hunter

• Credit: ZachO from Viscous Syndicate
• Deck code:

  AAECAR8Ex6QGus4Gp9MG5uYGDamfBOD4BcufBuelBvGlBvKlBv+lBpKmBoa/BozBBrThBoHmBoTmBgABA/OzBsekBvazBsekBpLvBsekBgAA

• This deck aims to go token for token with the other aggro decks. It’s also a decent list if you don’t have any The Great Dark Beyond cards.

Elemental Mage

• Credit: Old Guardian from Hearthstone Top Decks
• Deck code:

  AAECAf0EApygBMzhBg4AAAAA/Z4E3vgFsp4G054GwZ8GgKMG4qYGtKcGqM4G7eYGAA==

• A favorite of many budget players, this deck loses many key components. Old Guardian has tried to rebuild the deck with Fire and Elemental synergy from The Great Dark Beyond.

Elemental Asteroid Shaman

• Credit: Old Guardian from Hearthstone Top Decks
• Deck code:

  AAECAaoIBvPCApygBMekBr2+Bq3hBszhBgwAAADjoATTngbLnwaAowamwAaozgbR0Abt5gbv5gYA

• This deck changes from its current interation into a combo style deck with asteroid synergies. Hopefully, your odds of building the combo are better than 3,720 to 1.

Draenei Warrior

• Credit: Old Guardian from Hearthstone Top Decks
• Deck code:

  AAECAQcCx6QG5uYGDsufBo6/BvfJBpbTBt/fBuTfBubfBrbiBrjiBr/iBsLiBs3kBsnlBtHlBgA=

• While in my World of Warcraft life, I mained Paladin, but in Hearthstone, I have found a home with Warrior. I sincerely hope this deck proves to be a good option. Per usual, Warrior relies on its expensive Epic and Legendary which will be in short supply for this event. The true power of Draenei Warrior may not be seen until the expansion’s full release.

Are you feeling lucky?

There’s no doubt that luck will play a huge roll in what you can play in this Brawl. Are you a Warrior main who got nothing but Rogue and Death Knight cards? Did you get any Epics at all? Still, your first run is supposed to be free so at least give the format a try.

Do you have a great list you think we should try out? Let us know in the comments!