ARMOR

Primary: Warrior

Secondary: Druid

Tertiary: Mage

Warriors have the most cards that care about gaining armor and having armor. Druid started receiving cards that care about gaining armor and having armors. Mage only has a small access to armor gain, favored as ice, mainly as a way for control playstyle to succeed.

BATTLECRY

Primary: Shaman

Only Shaman currently cares about resolving Battlecries.

BOUNCE

Primary: Rogue

Secondary: Hunter

Rogues can return enemy minions to the opponent’s hand. And they often can return their own minions to their hand. Hunter only has one card that bounces minions, Freezing Trap.

CARD DRAW

Primary: Druid, Mage, Rogue, Warlock

Secondary: Paladin

Tertiary: Hunter, Priest, Shaman, Warrior

Card draw appears in all class in varying power levels. Cantrips are considered, but they are weighted less compared to card advantage. Druid, Mages, Rogues, and Warlocks have the most card draw. Mages also have cards that care about drawing cards. Warlocks are placed to the primary category because it has some always have access to their cards thanks to Life Tap. Priests and Shamans historically have only a few card options when compared to Paladin. I have considered a fourth tier of Hunter and Warrior. Card draw is for Hunter and Warrior tied tightly to their subtypes. Hunter cares about beasts and Warrior cares about damaged minions. Most of Warrior’s card draw are cantrips.

CARD GENERATION

Primary: Mage, Priest, Rogue

Secondary: Druid, Shaman

Tertiary: Hunter, Paladin, Warrior, Warlock

The difference between card generation and card draw is card generation is specifically the generation of cards not in your deck. This could be due to Discover or random effects. All classes have access to their own cards. Mages are best at generating cards. They mainly generate Mage spells and copies of their own minions. Priests can copy their own minions, sometimes as 5/5 copy and generate copies of cards in your opponent’s deck. Rogues can copy their own minions, usually as 1 mana 1/1 copies, and cards they drew. They can also generate random opponent’s class cards. Druid and Shaman also got a few ways to generate more cards. Hunter, Paladin, Warrior, and Warlock can usually only generate cards in their own narrow subtypes (beasts, recruits, damaged minions, and demons).

CARD TYPE MATTERS

Minion

Primary: Druid, Paladin

Secondary: Warlock, Warrior

Tertiary: Mage

Druids and Paladins are heavily invested into minions. Both classes have many cards that create minions and care about when minions are summoned. Warlocks have a few cards to summon small demons and cares about minions in terms of sacrificing them. Warriors care a lot about damaged minions. Mages have some cards that care about minions (Book of Specters) but that is a new addition, so unsure if it will continue.

Secrets

Primary: Hunter, Mage

Secondary: Paladin

Tertiary: Rogue

Hunters and Mages have the most amount of secrets and cards that care about Secrets. Both of these classes have cards that synergize with Secrets in the base set. Paladins also always have secrets but don’t always have secrets support. Rogues had Secrets introduced in Kobold and Catacombs, but it is unknown if they will get any more support in future sets.

Spell

Primary: Mage

Secondary: Priest, Shaman

Tertiary: Rogue

Mages cares the most about spells, being the class with the most Spell Damage minions, spells generation, and can make spells cheaper. Priests and Shaman both have some spell generation and spell synergies, added relatively recently. Rogues have a few spell generation spells, creating 1 damage Razorleafs and have the powerful Preparation spell in the Classic Set.

Weapons

Primary: Rogue, Warrior

Secondary: Hunter, Paladin, Shaman

Rogue and Warrior are the two classes with the best weapons, and weapon enhancements. Rogue weapons often have high durability and Rogue weapon buffs can give their weapon’s unique effects. Warrior weapons often have high attacks and buffs that give attack and durability. The other listed classes get new weapons occasionally each expansion but don’t have any cards that buff or uses weapons.

CHARGE

Primary: Warrior

Secondary: Hunter

Warrior is Charge’s greatest supporter with cards capable of giving other minions charge. However this has led to many balance issues. causing most of its charge cards getting nerf. Hunter also has some support for Charge but mainly when dealing with Beasts.

DEATHRATTLE

Primary: Hunter

Secondary: Priest, Rogue

Tertiary: Shaman

Hunter, Priest, and Rogue all have powerful Deathrattle minions and cards that synergize off playing Deathrattle minions. Hunters uniquely have spells that trigger Deathrattle effects immediately. Shaman is skilled in giving minions Deathrattle but doesn’t have particularly have stellar Deathrattle minions.

DIRECT DAMAGE, SINGLE (TAKING WEAPONS IN CONSIDERATION)

Primary: Mage, Rogue, Shaman

Secondary: Druid, Hunter, Warlock, Warrior

Tertiary: Priest, Paladin

In Hearthstone, every class has some instance of direct damage just at different levels. This direct damage category will include weapons, which can be considered as conditional direct damage that you sometimes pay life for, and spells that give your hero attack.

Mage is a clear leader in dealing direct damage to minions or hero and can deal the largest printed amount in a single spell (Pyroblast). Shaman also has several direct damage spells and sometimes has lightning spells that deal a random amount of damage. Rogue can deal damage to minions through spells and own a specific subset of dealing damage to undamaged minions, referring to their sneaky and ambushing nature. They also have several weapons.

In secondary, these classes get direct damage, but not as often as the primary class, and not as powerful. Druid has several direct damage spells, especially when we include spells that gain the hero’s weapons, but these powers are often a low power level. These spells don’t exceed dealing 5 damage. Hunter has several damages dealing spells and weapons, but nothing that deals more than 5 damage. Warlock doesn’t have a lot of direct damage spells, but the ones they do are often strong enough to be played competitively. Warrior can leverage several of its weapons as removal. Outside of weapons, the damage that most spells that Warrior deal range from 1-3.

In tertiary, the other classes don’t have as many direct damage options. Priests have few damage cards probably they already have cards that destroy minions. Paladins, even when including their weapons, just don’t have a high number of direct damage options. Funny enough, they can theoretically deal the highest amount of direct damage in a single Holy Wrath.

DIRECT DAMAGE, MULTIPLE

Primary: Mage, Priest, Shaman, Warlock

Secondary: Hunter, Warrior

Tertiary: Druid, Paladin, Rogue

Mage is still the leader of direct damage even in the AOE form. Shaman has good AOE damage, but sometimes random due to liking lightning. Priests often have ways of dealing AOE damage, sometimes conditional. Warlock just likes dealing damage to everything and everyone.

In the secondary level, Hunters have more access to AOE spell with low damage levels. Warrior is the best at dealing 1 damage to everything and does that more damage based on its mechanics (damaged minions, armor, and/or weapons)

Down in tertiary, other than Starfall and Swipe (both in the core Basic/Classic set), Druid has not received any new AOE damage spell. Paladin is in the same situation with its Consecration and Avenging Wrath. AOE is also historically one of Rogue’s weakness.

DISCARD

Primary: Warlock

Only Warlocks discard their own cards and have on-discard effects.

DIVINE SHIELD

Primary: Paladin

While Divine Shield appears on Neutral cards, Paladins have several powerful Divine Shield minions, and cards that synergize with Divine Shield.

FREEZE

Primary: Mage

Secondary: Shaman

Mages have the most freezing cards and cards that benefit off freezing your opponent cards. Shamans also have freezing cards and supporters, but has only been pushed in one set, Knight of the Frozen Throne.

HEALING

Primary: Paladin, Priest

Secondary: Druid, Shaman

Tertiary: Warlock

Priests and Paladins commonly have healing spells and supporters. Druids and Shamans have cards with pure healing but not cards that synergize with healing. Warlock has some healing, but it always comes with dealing damage or sacrificing a minion.

LIFE LOSS

Primary: Warlock

Secondary: Warrior

Only Warlocks cares about having lost life or taking damage from your own cards. Warrior has a specific mechanic involving low life, 12 health or less.

LIFE STEAL

Primary: Warlock

Secondary: Paladin, Priest

Tertiary: Rogue

Warlocks’ healing is mainly in Lifesteal, as it connects with the flavor of draining life. Paladins and Priests have some Lifesteal cards, but not as many as Warlocks. Rogues’ Lifesteal is tied to weapons.

MANA CRYSTALS MANIPULATION

Primary: Druid

Secondary: Rogue

Tertiary: Shaman, Warlock

Druids get the best mana acceleration, both permanent and temporary. Rogues only get temporary mana acceleration in the forms of creating Coins. Shamans and Warlocks both negatively affect their own mana crystals.

MILLING

Primary: Warlock

Currently, Warlock is the only class that can directly destroy cards in the opponent’s deck.

MINION BUFFING, SINGLE

Primary: Druid, Paladin

Secondary: Priest, Shaman

Tertiary: Hunter, Warlock

Druids and Paladins have several single target buffs. These buffs are often +N/+N. Priests’ buffs are mainly health base. Shamans’ buffs are mainly attacks buffs. Hunters and Warlocks mostly have tribal based buffs, either beasts or demons respectfully.

MINION BUFFING, MULTIPLE

Primary: Druid

Secondary: Paladin, Shaman

Tertiary: Hunter, Warlock

Druid is the only class with universal minion buffing. The secondary classes only primary buff their subsets. Paladins only buff Silver Hand Recruits on mass. Shamans only buff attack temporary and Murlocs on occasion. Hunters and Warlocks have tribal based buffs, either beasts or demons respectfully.

MINION DEBUFFING, SINGLE

Primary: Paladin

Secondary: Priest

Tertiary: Hunter

Paladins can debuff minions by making them follow the rules, aka change their attack to 1. They can also change minions to 3/3, which can also be a buff. Priests have some attack lowering. Hunter has a common way to health lowering.

MINION DEBUFFING, MULTIPLE

Primary: Paladin

Secondary: Priest, Warlock

Paladin can change multiple minions health to 1. In the higher rarity, it can change all stats to 3/3 or changes all attack to 1. Priests and Warlock have as some attack lowering.

MINION DESTRUCTION, SINGLE

Primary: Rogue

Secondary: Priest, Warlock

Tertiary: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Warrior

Rogue is the strongest class in single target removal. Priests can destroy specific subsets of minion, usually based on attack. Warlock has a few unconditional minion destruction options, some of which might make sacrifices. For the tertiary level, these classes only get a few minion destruction cards and are highly conditional. Druids have soft destruction options, that would give the opponent cards to replace it. Hunters can destroy a minion but usually random. Mage can only destroy frozen minions. Warrior can destroy damaged minions.

MINION DESTRUCTION, MULTIPLE

Primary: Warlock

Secondary: Priest

Tertiary: Hunter, Warrior

Multiple minion destruction is pretty rare. As part of Warlock’s reckless nature, Warlocks can destroy all minion, friendly and enemy. Priest have multiple minion destruction, but it is attack based. Warrior’s multiple minion destruction is very conditional. Hunter has only one card that destroys multiple minions (conditionally), so I hesitate to add it to the list.

POISONOUS

Primary: Hunter, Rogue

Secondary: Druid

Hunter and Rogue both commonly have poisonous minions and can grant minions poisonous. Rogue can also give its weapon poisonous. Druids have access to poisonous in the form of 1/2 Spider minions.

RESURRECTION

Primary: Priest

Secondary: Paladin, Shaman

Tertiary: Druid, Hunter, Warlock

Priests can resurrect any sort of minions. Paladins and Shaman scan resurrect any minions but it often has to be prepared with situationally spells. Druid, Hunter and Warlock only resurrect their supported subsets.

RUSH

Primary: Warrior

Secondary: Hunter

Introduced in the Witchwood expansion, Rush is primary focused on Warrior and secondary in Hunter.

SILENCE

Primary: Priest

Secondary: Druid, Shaman

Silence effects mostly appear in Priest. Druid and Shaman only have one silence effect card each, but those cards are in the core Basic/Classic set.

STATS SWAPPING

Primary: Priest

Priests can swap their own minions attack and defense. Or they can swap their minions attack and defense with other minions on the field.

STEALTH

Primary: Rogue

Secondary: Druid, Hunter

Tertiary: Warlock

Rogues are the most common user of stealth and have cards that grant stealth. Druids and Hunters occasionally have stealth minions but usually flavored as beasts or druid transformations. Warlocks have stealth minions but only as supportive imps.

TAKE CONTROL

Primary: Priest

Secondary: Warlock

Priests can take control of any minion permanently in Mind control and has other variants on taking control, either permanently or temporary. Warlock is the only class that can give a minion away.

TAUNT

Primary: Druid, Warrior

Both Druid and Warrior care about playing Taunt minions, buffing Taunt minions and have powerful Taunt minions.

TRANSFORM

Primary: Shaman

Secondary: Druid, Mage

Shaman have several effects that transform their own minions or their opponent minions. Often Shaman can “evolve” their minions, transforming them into minions that cost 1 more. Druid only transform using their choose one minions. Mage only have spells that transform by “polymorphing” minions, transforming them into specific animals.

TRIBAL MATTERS

Beast

Primary: Hunter

Secondary: Druid

Hunters are rarely seen without Beasts and have the most cards that synergize off playing beasts. Druids occasionally cares about beasts.

Demon

Primary: Warlock

A warlock signature tribal class.

Dragon

Primary: Paladin, Priest

Secondary: Warrior

Both Paladin and Priest have Dragons and cards that support Dragon, since Blackrock Mountain. Warrior has not received Dragon support since Blackrock.

Elemental

Primary: Mage, Shaman

Secondary: Priest

Both Mage and Shaman have several Elementals and cards that support Elementals, since the creation of Elementals in Journey to Un’Goro. Priest have more Elementals than other classes but doesn’t have cards to support them.

Mech

Primary: Hunter, Paladin, Warrior

Secondary: Mage, Rogue, Shaman

Tertiary: Druid, Priest, Warlock

The Boomsday Project signaled which classes were the primary class. The other classes are ranked mainly on the support they received in Goblins vs Gnomes, where all classes received class Mechs and Mech synergy.

Murloc

Primary: Paladin, Shaman

Secondary: Warlock

Paladins and Shamans have occasional Murloc synergy released. Warlock has a single Murloc support card.

Pirate

Primary: Rogue, Warrior

Only Rogues and Warriors have class specific Pirates, who naturally plays well with the classes’ support of weapon.

Totem

Primary: Shaman

A Shaman signature tribal class.

TOKEN

Primary: Hunter, Druid, Paladin

Secondary: Shaman, Warlock

Tertiary: Mage, Rogue, Warrior

Everyone summons tokens. However, some generate them and support them more than others.

WINDFURY

Primary: Shaman

Shaman is the only class that can bless creatures with windfury and has minions and a weapon with windfury.