How to win Hearthstone’s Gadgetzan Throw-Down Tavern Brawl

Another one of Hearthstone‘s oldest Tavern Brawls return this week after a very long absence. Gadgetzan Throw-Down is a simple Brawl where you’re randomly assigned one of the three crime lords from the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan: Aya Blackpaw, Don Han’cho, or Kazakus. Your deck and hero power will be crafted to reflect what those classic bosses do best.

So join us for this brawl that briefly returns to one of the most fun and iconic moments in Hearthstone’s history — but does it still work in 2026 without any changes?

Tavern Brawl basics

• Name: Gadgetzan Throw-Down
• Description: The three bosses of Gadgetzan have decided to throw down themselves! They’ll be armed with decks of Mean Streets cards from their factions!
• Fun level: 5/10
• Difficulty: 7/10
• Replayability: 6/10
• Format: Wild
• Type: PVP
• Deck: Provided
• Rewards: One Cataclysm card pack

The fact that this Brawl uses old cards for the provided decks makes us simultaneously nostalgic and having to adapt to a different time. Power levels were lower, and games were more “arena-like,” with more focus on the board, minion stats, tempo, and setting up good trades. So do keep that in mind as you play. You won’t see many cards that can swing a game by themselves; it’s almost purely a game of attrition.

Each of the three bosses has a slightly different playstyle, but their decks have a lot of cards in common, and all of them try to win the game on the board, through their minions, and without a lot of spells (except for Kazakus, but his spells aren’t all that powerful for the most part). It’s a slower, different kind of Hearthstone game, from a different era.

• Aya’s hero power summons a Jade Golem for 4 mana. Jade Golems start at 1/1, but the next one you summon is always +1/+1 stronger than the last, and this is cumulative no matter the source. So if you summon two Jade Golems from your spells, they’ll be 1/1 and 2/2, and then your next hero power will summon a 3/3 Jade Golem, for example.
• Don Han’cho’s hero power costs 2 mana and gives +2/+2 to a random minion in your hand. It’s a classic and basic hand-buff that makes your minions stronger before you play them, so that they can give you a constant board advantage.
• Kazakus’ hero power costs 2 mana as well, and adds a random potion to your hand. These potions have a variety of effects, like allowing you to take control of an enemy minion with 2 or less attack until the end of your turn, or giving -3/-0 to all the enemy minions for a turn, for instance. Their mana costs can vary.

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to press your hero power often in this Brawl. It’s what gives you an edge over your opponent, most of the time.

How to win Hearthstone’s Gadgetzan Throw-Down Tavern Brawl

Your strategy will depend on which hero you’re assigned.

As Aya Blackpaw, you probably don’t want to start pressing your expensive 4-mana hero power until you’ve already summoned a few Jade Golems from your cards. It’s just too much of a tempo loss to spend 4 mana and only get a 1/1, 2/2, or even 3/3 body. Even a 4/4 can be bad if you’re falling behind. So aim at finding Jade Golem cards in your mulligan if you can, and use up those cards as early as possible to turn your hero power into a very powerful button. Other than that, try to control the board in other ways so your Jade Golems can finish the job.

As Don Han’cho, luck needs to be on your side a little bit. You want to press your hero power early and often to handbuff your minions, and you also have to hope they land on minions you can play early, and with effects like Windfury, or on minions that summon copies of themselves (to make your handbuff worth even more). If you can get a few of those buffed minions down soon, the game is yours to dominate. If you can’t, however, you’ll probably struggle.

Kazakus is somewhat similar to Han’cho in that you want to press your potion dispensing hero power a lot, and you need some luck to get potions that will benefit you. But he seems a little more consistent, at least: you can usually find a use for most of your potions, and your spells can help keep you alive, as they’ll offer you board control, AOE damage, and healing, among other effects.

The truth is that all three heroes have what it takes to win, while also depending a little on your luck, and most games will be won or lost on the board, through making good minion trades and saving your few spells that affect the board for key moments. It’s a different kind of game than what we’re used to now, which may turn it into a slight struggle. Either way, good luck, hero, and may you be able to rise up and dominate the Gadgetzan crime scene!