Hearthstone ups the ante (literally) with the pricey Heroic Brawliseum Tavern Brawl [Standard]

This week’s Hearthstone Tavern Brawl, Heroic Brawliseum Standard, is a strange amalgamation of the Arena and the Ladder. Like Arena, this Brawl has an entry fee and a “three strikes and you’re out” mechanic that finishes your run as soon as you loose three matches. Unlike Arena, there’s no draft, which means you’re going to have to craft your own deck in order to play. That makes this week’s Brawl both a challenging experience and an expensive way to play — because it costs either 1000 Runestones (about $10) or 1000 gold to enter the Brawliseum.

Fortunately, even if you don’t play this, you can still get a free pack this week. You should see a Legendary Quest called “Call of the Brawl” which will provide a pack for playing 1 game of any mode.

But if you’re willing to pay for this Tavern Brawl, you can earn some nice rewards. So let’s dig into how to win the Heroic Brawliseum Tavern Brawl.

Tavern Brawl basics

• Name: Heroic Brawliseum
• Description: Make a Standard deck to compete with the best! Stakes are high, the competition is intense. More wins means more rewards. Can you make it to 12 wins, or will 3 losses end your run?
• Fun level: 3/10
• Difficulty: 10/10
• Replayability: 3/10
• Format: Standard
• Type: PVP
• Deck: Constructed
• Rewards: Varies based upon how much you win

Step one to playing this week’s brawl to get your wallet. The entry fee is either 1000 Runestones ($10) or 1000 in-game gold — that’s significantly pricier than an Arena run, but the rewards are potentially better as well — if you win. Once you’ve paid your entry fee, you’ll need to build a Standard deck before starting your first game. The game itself it plays out exactly like a normal match — use your awesome cards and bring your opponent’s life total to zero.

You continue your run by playing additional games until you experience the thrill of 12 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.

But each victory also upgrades the chest your get at the end of your run. Here’s a handy dandy chart of the winnings:

Can you win enough to make the entry fee worth it? If we assume 1 pack equals 100 gold, the the break even point is somewhere around 7 or 8 wins depending on how you want to value the Arcane Dust into your equation.

How to win the Heroic Brawliseum Tavern Brawl Standard

Most Constructed Brawls fall into their own meta, but with this Brawl, the Brawl meta is the Standard Ladder meta. You’ll see the same decks that dominate on the Ladder — so if you play much Standard ranked Hearthstone, this Brawl will be very familiar. Like most Constructed Brawls, the key to winning is building a good deck and piloting it well.

With the high $10 admission fee to this Brawl, if you’re not familiar with the Hearthstone meta, or don’t have a large card collection, I strongly recommend you skip this Brawl. And even if you are familiar with the Standard meta, stick to proven decks: this isn’t the time to try something new or off meta. Stick to the tried and true decks, and think about consistency over big plays. Survive and advance should be your mindset.

Here are five decks that should serve you well in the Heroic Brawliseum Tavern Brawl.

Note for the May 14, 2025 Brawl: The mini-set for Into the Emerald Dream, The Embers of the World Tree released yesterday and the meta is still settling. While some strong decks are being identified, the full impact of the new cards is still being analyzed by the community. The miniset is influencing existing archetypes and potentially creating new ones.

This makes this iteration of the Heroic Brawliseum more risky than usual. There potential to find the hot new deck and rack up huge prizes, but there’s also the possibility that the deck you’re playing falls out of favor and you’re in for some short runs.

Top Standard Decks for Heroic Brawliseum

Blood Dark Gift Death Knight

• Deck code:

  AAECAfHhBAi9sQbC6Aaq6gbp7Qbh9AaD/QakiAftnwcLh/YEsvcEz7wGlM8GoOIG4OUG/eYGvugGl4IHpYUHqIcHAAA=

• The Dark Gift mechanic from the expansion has enabled the emergence of this new and potent Death Knight archetype. By focusing on discovering and buffing Undead minions with Dark Gift, the deck establishes strong board control and applies significant pressure. Cards like Volcoross and Cremate from the miniset further enhance the deck’s ability to generate powerful threats and maintain board advantage.

Cliff Dive Demon Hunter

• Deck code:

  AAECAea5AwTJsAbfwAal/AbAjwcNgIUEtp8E7KAE4fgFw7AG1sAG18AG9sAG+MAG3v8GnIEH/oMH0a8HAAA=

• Alternate Deck code (no Briarspawn Drake):

  AAECAea5AwLJsAaSgwcOgIUEtp8E4fgFv7AGw7AGqrgG18AG9sAGwf4G0f4G3v8GnIEH/oMH0a8HAAA=

• This archetype, centered around the spell Cliff Dive, aims to cheat out high-cost minions like Illidari Inquisitor and Briarspawn Drake for massive early-game damage. While not directly benefiting from a large number of miniset cards, the deck’s unique strategy and ability to surprise opponents with early burst damage keep it as a viable and strong option in the current meta.

Imbue Druid

• Deck code:

  AAECAZICBszhBqqBB5KDB/KDB6+HB6yIBwyunwSB1ASiswbW+gaggQfggQfigQf3gQeIgwewhwfAhwekiQcAAA==

• Leveraging the powerful new additions from The Embers of the World Tree, Imbue Druid has quickly risen to prominence. The combination of Charred Chameleon for early board control, Amirdrassil for long-term value and mana acceleration, and Petal Picker for crucial card draw has transformed this archetype into a consistent and powerful force. The deck aims to quickly Imbue the Hero Power and then utilize the enhanced effects alongside Plant Golems and other synergistic cards to overwhelm opponents.

Shanty Ursol Paladin

• Deck code:

  AAECAZ8FBMmgBNK5BrSBB5KDBw2S1AS1ngbBtgbUuAbBvwbOvwbO1QaM1gah4QbX8wbP/gbI/wbDjwcAAA==

• This midrange Paladin archetype continues to demonstrate its strength in the post-miniset meta. By utilizing Holy spells to discount Flickering Lightbot and Sea Shanty, the deck generates significant board presence and applies consistent pressure. The inclusion of Ursol as a powerful late-game threat, often drawing and recasting Sea Shanty, provides a strong finisher. While the miniset’s direct impact on this archetype might be minimal, its overall power level keeps it at the top.

Zarimi Priest

• Deck code:

  AAECAa0GCqiKBK2KBPCfBOmoBoC4BtfSBqn1BqGBB7aUB9KvBwrqqAbrqAbOwAbe2Abc8wal/AbEgQf3gwfBjwftrAcAAA==

• Despite the introduction of new cards, Zarimi Priest remains a top-tier deck. The core strategy of controlling the early game with cheap minions and spells, followed by a devastating Timewinder Zarimi combo in the late game, is still highly effective. The miniset’s additions, such as Smoldering Ascent, provide further tools for board control and value generation, ensuring the deck’s continued dominance.

Are you feeling lucky?

If your main use of Tavern Brawls is to enjoy a rollicking good time where the size of your card collection may not matter much, the only winning play this week might be to not play. If you’re going to play, I’d suggest playing early in the week — Wednesday or Thursday — when you still have people trying out the Brawl. Later in the week, it will likely be serious players only.

If you’re just looking for your pack, remember the “Call of the Brawl” quest. You can play Casual, Ranked, or even Battlegrounds to earn your win — and your free pack.

If you’re consistently hitting high ranks on the Standard Ladder and are confident in your abilities, there are some fantastic prizes to be had. Best of luck to you if you choose to venture in!

Originally published September 23, 2020; last updated May 5, 2025.