![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/w/i/t/witchwood-wallpaper001-26fe4.jpg)
With the standard set rotations, Hearthstone enters the New Year of the Raven, which eliminates all the sets from 2016, such as Whispers of the Old Gods, One Night in Karazhan, and Mean Streets of Gadgetzan.
Lots of powerful cards leave the meta. But don't worry, there's more than enough new cards from the latest expansion, The Witchwood, to replace them all. Some of the legendaries in the new set are so strong that players will be able to create whole new archetypes with no problems.
If you want to know which 15 cards are the best in The Witchwood set, then follow this guide for the top:
- 3 common cards
- 3 rare cards
- 3 epic cards
- 6 legendary cards
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/r/e/b/rebuke-89d99.png)
Rebuke
Paladin is getting some serious support from Blizzard in the shape of Rebuke, a spell that stalls all opponent's attempts at casting AOEs, targeted removals, card draws, minion buffs, or any other spells.
Currently, every single deck utilizes spells in one way or another, so Rebuke will be a perfect tech card in any Paladin deck. It should be played right after you build up a board and repress the desire of your opponent to clear it.
That one turn of a timely Rebuke can easily win you one game after another!
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/b/l/a/black-cat-8232c.png)
Black Cat
Odd-cost deck is a new thematic archetype in The Witchwood, which is supported by some really strong cards. Black Cat is a very similar card to once-staple Azure Drake that had the same effect.
Nothing beats the early draw and spell damage -- both essential elements for Mage's survival. It could easily replace Arcane Intellect as the Mage's usual 3-drop, and put a minion on board at the same time.
The only drawback is that you won't see this card on Arena, as all cards with odd-cost effects are eliminated from the drafts.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/d/i/r/dire-frenzy-df9f5.png)
Dire Frenzy
This Hunter buff spell will work especially well with low-cost beasts. You can cast it on all the cheap beasts with Rush, Charge, or Echo that will come back buffed once again. Beasts with Lifesteal are another great option, which may finally fulfill the lack of proper healing within the class.
Also, consider playing it with Rexxar the Deathknight. His Zombeasts can be really powerful and cheap, and now you can also put three copies of these unique cards in your deck.
It's definitely a great tool for all Beast Hunter players!
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/b/e/l/bellringer-sentry-515aa.png)
Bellringer Sentry
Here is a fairer version of Mysterious Challenger -- a card that can only be seen in Wild format now. Bellringer Sentry puts two random secrets on the board, which is totally enough for current Aggro Paladin decks that use only a few really effective secrets.
One of them is the latest Hidden Wisdom, which draws two cards in case your opponent plays three minions in one turn. This means that Bellringer Sentry and Hidden Wisdom create a perfect combo against aggro decks.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/w/i/n/wing-blast-c4723.png)
Wing Blast
To be honest, this card will rarely cost 4 mana, so it's more like "deal 4 damage" for 1 mana, which is incredibly strong. There is no question this card will see play in all new Hunter archetypes, whether midrange or aggro.
Sure, you can't go face with it, but when you need to remove a cheap Taunt or any other minion that prevents you from winning, then this will do the job. Wing Blast will also be invaluable on Arena since it's only a Rare card.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/c/o/f/coffin-crasher-7fd77.png)
Coffin Crasher
The Old Gods are rotating out, which means that N'Zoth Priest is dead. However, here's a card that can effectively utilize the Deathrattle effect in the new meta. Coffin Crasher can summon Obsidian Statue, Bone Drake, and Cairne Bloodhoof for free.
If you're out of options, then even by summoning a second copy of itself, you're already saving 6 mana. Think of it as Savanna Highmane but much stronger. If even Hunter can afford playing a 6-drop with high value, then Priest can too.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/b/a/l/baleful-banker-1edc3.png)
Baleful Banker
The effect on Baleful Banker isn't anything new, but the fact that it's a neutral card makes it instantly very exciting. We've seen a similar card in Mage, but now you can play this in any deck you want.
So let's start with Warlock and all of its demon synergies, including the infamous Voidlord. Then, let's look at Rogue and Fal'dorei Strider, which can keep putting those spiders in your deck.
But the best one yet comes from Shaman and the new legendary Shudderwock that repeats all the battlecries, and will keep doing so with the help of Baleful Banker. So all in all, this is one minion that you can combo out really well with!
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/v/o/o/voodoo-doll-3501a.png)
Voodoo Doll
Every control deck would want to have two copies of Voodoo Doll. Of course, a class like Mage will benefit the most from it since it can kill the minion right away using its hero power.
But other classes also have the tools to make it work. For example, Warlock has a combo with Mortal Coil, Druid with Moonshine, Rogue with Backstab, Shaman with Zap!, and so on.
Think of it as a 3-mana Assassinate that requires a combo, and you will have a very good hard removal on your hands.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/a/r/c/arcane-keysmith-e5e4b.png)
Arcane Keysmith
Arcane Keysmith is not only one of the most powerful Mage cards in The Witchwood, but also one of the best-designed cards in Hearthstone.
The low cost and flexible effect make it a sure winner. This card will not only see play in Secret Mage decks, but in all other Mage decks as well ... except the odd-cost decks, of course.
Just imagine having a choice of setting up a secret that you need in a certain moment, even if you don't have it in your deck at all. Your opponents will have no choice but to surrender.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/6/3/6/636580216800589254-30d79.png)
Lady in White
For many years, Divine Spirit + Inner Fire combo has been a staple in many Priest decks, especially budget variants. Now, Blizzard offers us a legendary that just happens to cast Inner Fire on all minions. This is a really interesting design, and quite a powerful one.
Imagine you're playing all those cheap cards with lots of health and 1 or 2 points of attack, such as Silverback Patriarch, Mogu'shan Warden, Public Defender, etc. And suddenly, they all turn into these overpowered creatures that are really hard to remove. Not a bad move, Blizzard, not bad at all!
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/c/o/u/countess-ashmore-b507a.png)
Countess Ashmore
Card draw has always been considered one of the most powerful effects in Hearthstone. That's why minions like The Curator and the pre-nerf Ancient of Lore were such great cards.
Countess Ashmore is very similar to The Curator in this regard, and may draw three cards on turn seven. The only drawback is that it has no Taunt, but this time, the attack is higher.
It's hard to say which one is better -- the Taunt or the attack -- but in any case, if you properly build your deck around this legendary, you will get some really good results.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/l/o/r/lord-godfrey-d6d25.png)
Lord Godfrey
Everyone likes to play Defile, a powerful AOE spell, in their Warlock decks. With the introduction of Godfrey, we get a super-Defile and a minion in addition to it. So it serves two purposes: it clears the board, and it avoids spell breakers, such as Counterspell and Rebuke.
All Control Warlock players will want to have Lord Godfrey in their decks. It could even replace some of the staple AOEs, such as expensive Twisting Nether or DOOM!
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/h/a/g/hagatha-witch-667a5.png)
Hagatha the Witch
The reason why Hagatha is such an attractive alt-hero is not because it has a solid battlecry, which is similar to Hunter's Death Knight, but because it grants you a passive hero power that gives you a random spell each time you play a minion.
This means that you will be able to refill your hand with spells, even if you play zero of them in your deck initially. Just imagine the potential with all the great new Shaman spells.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/b/a/k/baku-mooneater-4e702.png)
Baku the Mooneater
Here is a card that will define and dominate all odd-cost decks in this meta. Baku is a legendary that upgrades your hero power in the same way Justicar Trueheart had done before.
Since it's also a beast, it will potentially see play in Hunter, but the one class that proves this card to be really good is Mage. Then, the hero power with 2 damage can be upgraded to 4 damage with the help of Clockwork Automaton. And there you have it!
The last but not least mention is Control Warrior that relies on upgraded hero power, which is now a possibility once again.
![](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/gameskinnyc/s/h/u/shudderwock-c69a4.png)
Shudderwock
The final and best legendary in The Witchwood is Shudderwock. This is an incredibly OP card if you figure out how to build and play the deck around its effect.
The two combos that come to mind are Jades and Elementals. But there is so much potential in Shudderwock that players will probably find something even more powerful.
In any case, watch out for Shamans in this meta, as they will quickly jump to top-tier level with cards like this.
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What are your favorite Hearthstone cards from The Witchwood expansion? Which class do you think will dominate this meta? Let us know in the comments section below.
Published: Apr 10, 2018 07:25 am