Summary
InHearthstone Battlegrounds, Start of Combat effects are, as the name implies, effects that happen at the start of combat. Importantly, they trigger before minions on either side of the board attack (unless they are also under the influence of a Start of Combat effect).
As a result, you can basically break the normal rules of Battlegrounds by getting an extra ability that acts outside the game’s normal restrictions. If you too want to cheat at Hearthstone Battlegrounds, try some of these exceptional abilities.
There are severalQuest rewardsandAnomaliesthat have this Keyword, but they were intentionally excluded from this list because they are so rarely seen in current Battlegrounds.
10Audacious Anchor
She Both Is An Anchor, And Has An Anchor. Get It?
Audacious Anchor can take advantage of certain Pirate minions that give buffs when a Pirate attacks, like Admiral Eliza Goreblade. However, its main use is to disrupt your opponent’s board.
If you plan appropriately, you can use it to snipe key minions like Titus Rivendare or Kangor’s Apprentice before their abilities activate. Most of these cards have relatively low stats, which means the Anchor can kill them without being buffed, and can even break throughDivine Shieldsif your opponent has given their minion extra protection.
9Wingmen
You Couldn’t Wish For Better Allies
The Wingmen Hero Power buff is strong enough to make a difference in early fights, but it falls off significantly once you reach the later turns, where 4/2 in stats is basically irrelevant. Fortunately, that’s where the other half of the Hero Power really comes into its own.
Getting two free attacks before anything else happens is exceptionally powerful, especially if the minions attacking come with a special ability, like Windfury or also damaging minions adjacent to the one it attacks. And of course, if you happen to win the attack-first coinflip, you’ll get three attacks before your opponent does anything.
8ALL Will Burn!
The Name Is Not Hyperbolic
Deathwing’s All Will Burn! passive is a symmetrical effect, which might make it seem unappealing at first. However, since you are getting the stat boost every round, and your opponents aren’t, you will benefit from it far more than they do.
The stats this Hero Power provides are more impactful in the early game, but giving your board 14 total attack is nothing to turn your nose up at. It also provides an extra boost to minions that really want more attack, such as those with Divine Shield or low attack totals compared to their health.
7Tentacular
That’s One Spectacular Tentacle
Getting a 2/2 Beast with Taunt in the first few rounds of combat will often be enough to win those early fights, or at least save you some life with a draw. From there, the Tentacle will steadily gain stats throughout the game as you buy and sell minions naturally.
You can also cause it to grow at an extremely accelerated rate if you are playing a build that cycles through a bunch of minions every turn, like Elementals or Pirates. But Tentacular is at its best when Beasts are in the lobby, where you can combine it with Banana Slamma, a minion that doubles the stats of any Beast you summon in combat.
6Amber Guardian
Is He A Guardian That Is Amber, Or A Guardian Of Amber?
Divine Shield is one of the most powerful keywords Hearthstone Battlegrounds has to offer, so any method you have of getting it is going to be decently strong. That is especially true in Dragon builds, which lost their main Divine Shield option with the removal of Nadina the Red.
The randomness of Amber Guardian’s effect can be frustrating to deal with, but many Dragon builds have a bunch of roughly-equally sized minions, so where the Divine Shield lands doesn’t matter too much. The mere fact that you get one (or two, with a golden Guardian) is more than enough.
5Corrupted Myrmidon
That’s What Happens When You Mess Around With Corruption
Corrupted Myrmidon can be a bit slow to get going, and isn’t much to look at by itself; after all, it’s only a 6/6 after its ability activates. In many cases, there will be much better options at Tier Five for your specific build.
That said, when the Myrmidon reaches its maximum potential it can produce some of the most outlandish stat totals in the game, especially if you get the tripled version which, appropriately, triples the minion’s base stats. If you have a way to buff it, either with the Naga Spellcraft synergies or some other means, the Corrupted Myrmidon can quickly scale out of control.
4Choral Mrrrglr
She Has A Beautiful Singing Voice
Choral Mrrrglr’s effect synergizes perfectly with the general strategy Murlocs aim for. Of particular note is Bream Counter, a minion that is intended to stay in your hand and gain stats as you play additional Murlocs.
You can summon Bream Counter with other Murlocs like Diremuck Forager or Bassgill, but you can also use Choral Mrrrglr to take advantage of those stats multiple times. In the ideal scenario, it can easily reach stats in the mid-hundreds, making it the perfect capstone for its minion type.
3Swatting Insects
Never Worry About Mosquitoes Again!
Swatting Insects is exceptionally powerful in the early game, where the free Divine Shield will allow you to win almost all your fights. And while Divine Shield is easier to find at higher Tavern Tiers, it’s not so common that getting it for free isn’t exceptionally useful.
Meanwhile, the Windfury component often doesn’t matter in the early game, but becomes far stronger as the game progresses. Once you reach the Tavern Tiers where minions like Blade Collector—that damage minions next to the ones they attack—are available, it can be a game-changer.
2Rapid Reanimation
Much Better Than Its Cousin, Sluggish Resurrection
Rapid Reanimation is at its best with minions that have either Deathrattle or Reborn, which will get an extra trigger of their Keyword once re-summoned. Minions like Motley Phalanx, Impulsive Trickster, or Moroes, Steward of Death all get doubly strong when combined with this Hero Power.
This effect is also great in Banana Slamma-based Beast builds, guaranteeing you an activation of the minion’s doubling ability. Basically, any build centered around powerful on-death effects or summoning minions would give an arm and a leg for the power Rapid Reanimation provides.
1Hawkstrider Herald
Bow Before Your Bird God
Hawkstrider Herald gives you the ability to trigger all your Deathrattle effects — many of which are extremely potent. You get an extra charge of those Deathrattles, and the ability to activate them without interference from your opponent’s minions.
This effect allows you to do all kinds of overpowered shenanigans, from building massive stat totals to using a minion like Lighter Fighter to rain fire on your opponent’s board. If Beasts are in the game, there’s a good chance the lobby-winning build will include a Hawkstrider Herald.
