The decks you need to win Hearthstone’s The Naughty List Tavern Brawl

A brand-new Tavern Brawl arrives in Hearthstone this week: The Naughty List asks you to create the worst deck you can. As soon as the game starts, you swap deck with your opponents, so you want to ensure they’re playing something bad! However, each player starts with ten mana and draws two cards a turn, so it’s not as simple as “fill your deck with expensive cards.”

So read on to find out if creating a terrible deck is as simple as you think it is!

Tavern Brawl basics

• Name: The Naughty List
• Description: Coal for the naughty! Make the worst deck you can! Both players swap decks, start with 10 mana, and draw 2 cards per turn. Good luck!
• Fun level: 3/10
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Replayability: 1/10
• Format: Wild
• Type: PVP
• Deck: Constructed
• Rewards: 1 Across the Timeways card pack.

You want to make sure the opponent has a lot of “dead” cards: cards that simply don’t do anything (or do very little) when played. They have no synergy, they require other tools that the player simply lacks. For example, a card that says “if your started with no duplicates” will suck if your deck… started with duplicates. A card that summons Murlocs from your deck will be dead if you have no Murlocs. You get the idea.

Don’t fall into the trap of simply filling your deck with expensive cards, but at the same time, you don’t want to make it too easy for your opponent to actually play a lot of minions for their stats. Consider favoring expensive spells that do nothing, because an expensive minion that does nothing will usually at least leave a body the opponent can use to attack. Maximize their inability to act!

What decks do I need to win the Naughty List Tavern Brawl?

Here are a few bad decks you can use to make your opponent lose. They have almost zero synergy, and lots of dead cards that will accomplish very little when played.

Big Bad Rogue

• Deck code:

  AAEBAbrGBwzCBr4P6RGCwgLQ5wL96wLn+gLI4QO2igSKqAbf/gaArgcJ9Qz5RpNH5bwC5dMD/awE8ucGzP4GxrYHAAA=

• Centered around Rogue spells that will do very little for you, such as Quasar and Myra’s Unstable Element, as well as costly minions with effects that will be largely negative for you in this situation, such as Majordomo Executus, Deathwing, and Octosari.

No-Spell Warlock

• Deck code:

  AAEBAZT9BgrCBtcG6RHprAKd2AO2igTrhAfsrAeArgezsAcK+Af1DL8U+UaTR5LNAsaABNGgBJyzBsa2BwAA

• Both versions of Yogg-Saron require you to casts lots of spells. Even smaller minions like Hullbreaker can only effectively work with spells. What if you add all of those cards in a deck… that has no spells?

Incompetent Warrior

• Deck code:

  AAEBAemKBwrXBukR6awCge0CndgDtooE0LAG7KwHgK4Hs7AHCvgH9Qz5RpNH+bMC5bwCxPUDpooE0aAExrYHAAA=

• Minions that ask for spells, and no spells. Minions that ask for weapons, and no weapons. Minions that ask for no duplicates, and duplicates. If a card in this deck asks for something, it probably can’t provide it!

Building a bad deck can be fun… playing a bad deck, not so much

I didn’t enjoy this Brawl very much, to be honest. Playing Hearthstone — or any card game, really — is at its most fun when your cards are actually doing things for you. When you play a card, you want it to feel good, to help you win. Having a ton of crappy cards is a fun deckbuilding challenge, yes, but it’s not a fun play experience. I’ll call this one a bit of a dud.

Either way, hopefully the information you’ve find here has helped you earn your win with as little friction as possible! Have fun, and make sure you’re not on the naughty list in real life. Greatfather Winter is watching!