New player to Rank 30, 100% F2P!

Tips from a new player who reached Rank 30 without any purchases, netdecks, or even crafting!

1. Introduction

Started on April 15th release. Zero purchases, netdecks, or even crafting! Just years of Hearthstone experience (Legend player). I ended up with about 380 unused resources, and it took about sixty hours. Can vouch for 100% F2P. <3


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Rewards from Rank 30. General season rewards are:

• Rank 5: 1 standard
  
• Rank 10: 1 standard + 1 pack
  
• Rank 15: 1 limited + 1 pack --> 1 special + 1 pack if OC
  
• Rank 20: 1 special + 1 pack --> 1 elite + 1 pack if OC
  
• Rank 25: 1 special + 2 packs --> 1 elite + 2 packs if OC
  
• Rank 30: 1 elite + 3 card pack (implicit OC)

+ 1 nation pack per Field Marshall (FM).
The card is not gold, and you get no elite if you are in Officer's Club (OC) but Rank 18 or 19.

You earn an extra star for win streaks of three or more, except in General rank. Wait until you reach a new rank to experiment because you can't fall below its safety net. Rarely (~5%), matchmaking can't find a human player and offers you an AI after exactly one minute. The AI is essentially a freebie, so have your cursor ready to accept before a human is found. Save your best nations (specials or elites in collection) for last because the competition gets hard Ranks 25-30.

2. Constructing a Deck

All five decks had 28 nation plus 12 ally cards, equally represented (i.e. 40 each x 5 = 200). A-tier cards, measured by inclusion of four or more total copies across the five decks upon reaching FM, were:

• USA: M8 Greyhound, M16 Half-Track*, 30th Regiment, M4 Sherman, Death from Above*
  
• Soviet: Bloody Sickle, Katyusha*, From the People, T-34-85
  
• Japan: Imperial Order, Naval Operation, Osaka Regiment
  
• German: Panzer 35(t), Panzer III-J*
  
• Britain: Lancashire Fusiliers

All these are standard except for four that are limited (*). A strong, low-budget deck is tempo with high-stat minions (units) and removal spells (orders). Tempo means your mana (kredit) curve starts middle with 1-2 cost cards, peaks high at 3-4, and tapers low at 5-6+. Units should make up about 2/3 and orders 1/3, or eleven to fifteen cards. Other archetypes exist like aggro, control, ramp but are more complex to play. Based on the above, the easiest deck for a beginner would be USA-Soviet. Start with:

• 3 x M8 Greyhound
  
• 2 x M16 Half-Track*
  
• 3 x 30th Regiment
  
• 3 x M4 Sherman
  
• 2 x Death from Above*
  
• 3 x Bloody Sickle
  
• 2 x Katyusha*
  
• 3 x From the People
  
• 3 x T-34-85

And fill the remaining cards with whatever you enjoy, really! Though you can have four copies, I had at most three because flexibility helps more. Be sure to include enough cards to draw about 1/4 of, or eight to twelve, total cards from your deck. An empty hand with high kredits spells death!

3. B- and S-Tier Cards

If you need more suggestions, B-tier cards with three total copies across five FM decks were:

• USA: T19 Howitzer, 17th Infantry Regiment
  
• Soviet: Burning Sky, BT-7, 84th Infantry Regiment
  
• Japan: Rising Sun, Type 93*, Akita Regiment, Type 97 Chi-Ha
  
• German: 59. Panzergrenadier, 980. Volksgrenadier
  
• Britain: 5th Brigade, Baluch Regiment, Blackburn Skua Mk II*, 22nd Guards Brigade*

I'd consider most elites to be S-tier. After opening some sixty packs (about one per hour), I averaged one elite per deck. The elite was marginally helpful, but unnecessary for progressing. It doesn't even matter which they were because the decks don't and shouldn't revolve around them. You can disenchant (recycle) golden cards for crafting resources, but I'd be careful just because you'll open cards in time anyway. However, you'll never get back a golden card you destroy.

4. CCG Fundamentals

Collectible card games (CCG) like Hearthstone, Panzer General, Magic the Gathering, etc. share common concepts that apply to Kards:

• Mulligan for 1-3 cost cards.
  
• Trade units by matching your attack stat to their defense while keeping your unit alive, if possible (e.g. your 3/1 or 3/5 attacks their 4/3). Even a 1-health survivor will cost them a unit or order!
  
• Use guard and buffs to make the reverse difficult for them.
  
• Keep your units on the same side of HQ for easier guarding.
  
• Save your removals (damage, destroy, retreat, etc.) for artillery, smokescreen, and armored threats.
  
• Deal area damage first, then random damage, then single-target damage to maximize your output.
  An exception is when you, e.g., ping (deal 1 damage to) a 1-defense unit in order to "randomly" destroy a 5-defense unit.
  
• Try to use all your kredits each turn.
  An exception is when your units will die or they have a board clear in hand. Signs of an incoming board clear include them 1) having zero to one units compared to your three or four and 2) skipping their turn while holding several cards. Usually having two or three more units than they do is enough. Another is waiting to play a combo or counter, which I discuss later.
  
• Clear their units before going for face (HQ).
  An exception is when you have lethal this turn or the next and need the extra damage.
  
• It's not over until it's over! Don't show off when you're ahead, and don't surrender when you're behind. A lucky card may turn the tide!

5. The Front Line

The front line is best controlled with meat-shield infantry. High stats, no text, 3 or 4 kredits. They exist to soak damage and protect ranged units in your support. The stats should be cost ≤ attack ≤ health (e.g. 5th Infantry Regiment (2/3/4) or Lancashire Fusiliers (4/5/6)). Don't use tanks to hold the line early because their move cost is 2 compared to infantry's 1. This becomes less of an issue in the late game. Advance to the (empty) front line when you can:

• gain bonuses as with USA or Japan,
  
• offer a favorable, one-to-one trade (e.g. your 2/2 vs. their 3/2 in support),
  
• push with two or three units together, preferably with a center guard,
  
• hold the line until next turn, even against multiple defenders (e.g. your 2/5 vs. their two 2/2s in support),
  
• send an ambush unit, even if it's a fighter (airplane), or
  
• summon (play) more units and need to make space.

If your opponent controls the front line, attack with units you want to keep in support so that your remaining units are free to advance after. Diversify the attack stat of your units. Having both a 3/6 and a 4/5 available gives you more options responding to an enemy unit that has 3 or maybe 4 defense. Leave the front line empty if the opponent has high-move cost units like tanks in support while you have guarded artillery and bombers. This will force them to waste kredits reaching you while you shell them from afar.

6. Combos and Counters

Earlier, I recommended spending all your kredits each turn as a general rule. However, there are times when you want to save cards for the next turn. One reason is to play a combo in a single turn. Here are some popular combos I encountered during my first week:

• T19 Howitzer + M8 Greyhound or 17th Infantry Regiment = 2/3 artillery that can attack on turn 3.
  
• 84th Infantry Regiment + Naval Support = 8/8 infantry, best used right before it attacks.
  
• Any 1-kredit infantry + Panzer 35(t) = 2/2 tank that can attack their support on turn 2.
  
• Imperial Decree + Tora! Tora! Tora! or Naval Operation = Deal 2 damage to all enemies.
  
• Cromwell Mk IV + The Desert Rats or Matilda Mk II = 5/6 tank that keeps gaining +2 attack.
  
• Blackburn Skua Mk II + Precision Bombing = pin an enemy unit, then destroy it next turn.

Another reason is to counter an expensive unit. Many removal cards (damage, destroy, retreat, etc.) are cheap so you may feel tempted to play them early, especially if you have nothing else to play. However, it's often better to skip your turn than waste a removal on a cheap unit.
e.g., you have a M16 Half-Track (3/2/2 that retreats an enemy air or infanty) in hand and nothing else playable on turn 3. You may feel tempted to return their recent 3/3/4 to hand. However, you should move units instead and save the retreat for a juicy target later like a 6/5/9 with guard.

7. Revising Your Deck

Note which cards remained unused or which (type of) cards could've saved you, then adjust your deck after each defeat (e.g. if you encounter many tanks, add +1 For the King; if many bombers, +1 Burning Sky, etc.). Add or remove only one copy per card each revision. Evolution is gradual. As Darwin says, it is neither the strongest nor smartest that survive, but the ones most responsive to change. You don't need elite cards or tactical genius; just update your counters. What did your victory condition look like? Your defeat condition? Which strong cards were in their deck? It takes one press of Steam's screenshot button to review each endgame!

8. Expanding Your Collection

Check your achievements often and focus on ones close to free packs. If you do buy packs outright for 10 gold, I recommend Allegiance to expand your collection since progression rewards you with base packs already. Play arena (draft) for quickest progress. Whales (big spenders) have no power there. From what I've gathered, the rewards are:

• 0 wins: 1 pack + 0 gold + (1 standard)
  
• 1 win: 1 pack + 0 gold + (2 gold or 10 resources)
  
• 2 wins: 1 pack + 2 gold + (1 standard, 1 limited, or 1 pack)
  
• 3 wins: 1 pack + 4 gold + (1 standard, 3 gold, or 9 resources)
  
• 4 wins: 1 pack + 6 gold + (1 standard, 2 gold, or 1 pack)
  
• 5 wins: 1 pack + 9 gold + (1 standard, 1 limited, or 15 resources)
  
• 6 wins: 1 pack + 15 gold + (1 standard, 5 gold, or 1 special)
  
• 7 wins: 1 pack + 18 gold + (2 packs, 1 special + 1 pack, 2 specials, or 1 elite!)

You get one pack, a fixed amount of gold based on wins, plus a random bonus (samples included). If you follow the above principles, you can easily average 4+ wins, which is superior to buying packs. Draft favors aggressive decks and meat shields without text because combos are harder to perform. That means don't try to collect (Italy) alpine or (France) resistance cards unless you're offered multiple early in the draft. If so, you have to commit to collecting them all.

9. Draft Statistics

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A flawless run. The rewards for 7-0 are the same as 7-1 or 7-2. I recorded win rates for fifty runs, ten per major nation. I had the best results with Germany and the worst with Britain. It might just be my play style, but draft is more aggressive and Britain seems suited for control with pins, guards, and combos. Germany's lead seems supported by all Top 5 players in Season 13 (April 2020) favoring it.

German: 4.8 (1st place), USA: 4.5 (2nd place), Japan: 4.2 (3rd place), Soviet: 3.3, Britain: 3.3
Rewards: 440 gold + 57 packs + (100 resources + 16 commons + 10 rares + 6 epics + 1 elite!)
Bonus cards and resources accounted, each pack cost an average of 5 gold.

10. Conclusion

This post started as support for the F2P aspect of the game. It then developed into principles that I hope helps new players. If you have any questions, let me know!

Oh, and please rate so others will find it, thanks!

Auracle

[Admiral Smith]

Thanks

[Brohohontas]

Every tournament I've played, I've noticed it's the same 2.5 decks being played. Is everyone running japan or Germany? The .5 is us and I hardly see any British and when I do it's always stacked opponents

[marcin.marquiz]

there is no "Naval Operation" card in Japan.

[SouthernIceTea]

Thanks for posting brother. I'm happy you shared your advice. Cheers!

[Xenon]

PAY2WIN

[Картопляні козак]

Danke!

[Call The Ambulance]

Thanks

[Vio]

Great info, thanks!

[Rathion Valor]

And then they play one card that destroys your HQ. I've never seen a game that has one card that ends it like this does. It's pay to win and very disappointing.

[chrismac1972]

Thanks, fellow HS legend player - some good advice for a day 1 Kards player - cheers from Germany! :-)