Beginner's Guide to Hearthstone

New to Hearthstone? This guide covers everything you need to know: mana, board control, mulligan strategy, and building your first deck.

Understanding Mana & Turns

  • 1You start with 1 mana crystal and gain one more each turn, up to a maximum of 10.
  • 2Each card has a mana cost shown in the top-left corner. You can only play cards you can afford.
  • 3Spend all your mana each turn if possible. Floating (wasting) mana means you are falling behind.
  • 4The Coin, given to the player going second, provides one extra mana crystal for a single turn.
  • 5Plan two turns ahead. Think about what you will play next turn while spending your current mana.

Board Control Basics

  • 1Controlling the board means having more or stronger minions than your opponent.
  • 2Trade your small minions into enemy threats to protect your larger ones.
  • 3Do not ignore the opponent board. Going face while they have minions often leads to losing.
  • 4Use your hero power when you have leftover mana. It provides incremental value every turn.
  • 5Taunt minions protect your hero and force favorable trades. Include a few in every deck.

Mulligan Strategy

  • 1The mulligan is your chance to swap cards in your opening hand for better ones.
  • 2Always keep cheap cards (1-3 mana) that you can play in the first few turns.
  • 3Throw away expensive cards (5+ mana) unless your deck specifically needs them early.
  • 4Keep removal spells if you expect your opponent to play early threats.
  • 5Against aggressive decks, keep board clears and Taunt minions. Against slow decks, keep value cards.

Building Your First Deck

  • 1Start with 30 cards. A good beginner deck has a smooth mana curve peaking at 3-4 mana.
  • 2Include around 8-10 minions that cost 1-3 mana to secure the early game.
  • 3Add 4-6 removal spells to deal with enemy threats you cannot trade into.
  • 4Include at least 2-3 card draw effects so you do not run out of resources.
  • 5Pick a win condition: either aggressive (end the game fast) or controlling (outlast the opponent).

Game Modes for Beginners

  • 1Start with Practice mode against the AI to learn each class and its basic cards.
  • 2Play Casual mode to practice against real players without affecting your ranked standing.
  • 3Try Tavern Brawl each week for a fun, low-pressure mode with unique rules.
  • 4Arena mode teaches card evaluation and drafting, but costs gold or real money to enter.
  • 5Ranked mode has a ladder system. Do not worry about losing early as you learn the game.