As you start your Hearthstone journey, you’re going to need to come to terms with your generally limited access to cards at the beginning. But very quickly you will start adding cards, and it’s good to know what common neutral cards are worth their salt in many decks. Here are my top 5 neutral commons that you will want to use. Note, you will not necessarily start with 2 of these, but they are generally some of the easiest expert cards to acquire if they are not basic. As a disclaimer, I am no expert of pro at the game. That being said, I’m winning quite more than I’m losing at least at this time.
5. Chillwind Yeti
4/5 for 4 is one of the most economical beatsticks in Hearthstone, and you will encounter a lot of these as you start playing more. The lack of Taunt on this guy is less relevant as he is a threat that must be dealt with quickly.
4. Elven Archer
It may seem like a rather modest card at first glance, but it will get you out of a bind more often than you could ever imagine at first. There are plenty of 1 health creatures that this will quickly remove, making it a common 2 for 1, and you’d be surprised how often you need just one more damage to take down something big. I’ve won a surprising amount of games with this little common. For 1 mana, and attached to a 1/1 body, you will be relieved to see her more often than not.
3. Acidic Swamp Ooze
I’m on the fence about advising you to take 2 of these in a starter deck, but you could do a lot worse than a 3/2 for 2. The ability to destroy your opponent’s weapon can be devastating, but it can also be completely irrelevant depending on your enemy. Never leave home without at least one, though.
2. Harvest Golem
A 2/3 for 3 isn’t terrible on its own, but the fact that you get a 2/1 deathrattle off of this fellow makes him an almost automatic 2 for 1, and that is too good to pass up for most beginner decks.
1. Sen’jin Shieldmasta
Possibly the most valuable starter card in the game. The cost of 4 for a 3/5 beat stick is almost as good as a Chillwind Yeti, and yet with the addition of Taunt, this becomes an automatic magnet for any removal spells your opponent has in hand, and failing that, its 3 attack will take down many attackers trying to pass. Whether you are playing an aggressive or control style deck, this guy will be an all-star for quite a while when you are still starting out.