Neutral Minions in Hearthstone Battlegrounds Season 8

In this article, we will focus on so-called “neutral minions”. These cards are either type “all” or type “none”. There are plenty of useful minions here and some of them can even be used as key minions for specific builds such as the ones that we described in our Battlegrounds guide. These types of builds are usually considered as niche or menagerie comps and they can be quite powerful, especially if you use specific battlegrounds trinkets. This guide will not include Battlegrounds Duos minions as we have already written about those in a separate one. Without further ado, check out the guide for Neutral minions in Hearthstone Battlegrounds.

Trinkets to use for Neutral minions

Since these types of comps are menagerie, there are plenty of trinkets that can be useful for a specific card. However, the pure “none” or “all” types of comes are best achieved by using one of the following four trinkets:

Greater Trinket Ironforge Anvil: Probably the most difficult one to use, this trinket needs to be combined with some other synergy in order to get the buffs on your neutral minions. Keep in mind that here you need type “none” minions so Brann and Taunt synergies can work nice.
Greater Trinket Redeemer Portrait: Although you don’t need type “all” minions for this one, generally speaking, this trinkets works best if you have some type all minions (unless you are super lucky and get good minions from each tribe). Works well with spell cost reducing minions, powers, and lesser trinkets.
Greater Trinket Exquisite Dishware: This is a type of tempo-economy trinket and it alone won’t get you into the first spot but you will be getting a lot of minions each turn and if you can rely on some other synergy for stat boost, this is the way to go
Greater Trinket Enforcer Portrait: Works great with type “all” minions and it’s ability is doubled by Drakkari Enchanter. Easiest one to use.

Neutral Minions Tier 2

*There are no Tier 1 neutral minions.

Oozeling Gladiator

Oozeling Gladiator is a niche minion that is used when you need a Taunt on certain unit. Besides that, you don’t really need this one unless you are commiting to a full-taunt build. However, getting 4/4 on Tier 2 is not so bad so you can take him if you want on Turn 3 or 4.

Patient Scout

This minion has been in the game for a long time and is a great minion to obtain early on. Basically, unless you get him on Turn 4 or 5, you should stay away from this unit. However, early on Patient Scout is good because with enough tempo you can keep him on board for few turns and then sell it for a higher level tier one.

Prophet of the Boar

Prophet of the Boar is a neutral minion technically but he really belongs in a Quilboar minion tribe. There are no other synergies besides the obvious one with Quilboars that you can exploit.

Free Travel Winner

A newest addition in Season 8 of HS BG, Free Travel Winner is very risky minion to take and you should not commit to it if you see that it doesn’t work. What you want is for him to survive so that you can get a triple reward but sometimes that’s not so easy, especially because he has so low stats.

Whelp Smuggler

Similarly to Prophet of the Boar, Whelp Smuggler is a neutral minion just in name – his only synergy is with Dragon minion tribe so you should get him in case you need it for your Dragon board.

Neutral Minions Tier 3

Bird Buddy

Again, same like Whelp Smuggler and Prophet of the Boar, Bird buddy is neutral just in name – he belongs in a Beast minion tribe due to it’s obvious synergy with various “farm” minions from those comps.

Deadly Spore

Deadly Spore is a niche minion that you can take later on in case you are in dire need of a scam board. Most often, you will use it in a very late game phase of the game and in case that you can’t find a better scam minion such as Leeroy or Bramblewitch.

Disguised Graverobber

Disguised Graverobber is most often used with Undead tribe minions but there is a secret synergy that you might not be aware of – if you can cast Reborn on Amalgam and then use Disguised Graverobber, you will double your Amalgams (and any other type “all” minions for that matter). So there are a few uses of him outside of regular Undead board.

Phaerix, Wrath of the Sun

Wrath of the Sun is a very strong Tier 3 neutral minion that can be great for tempo boost, especially in early mid-game. You can use this guy with various comps, especially if you have some Reborn capabilities early on (like with Beasts or Undead).

Neutral Minions Tier 4

Assistant Guard

Assistant Guard is overall a great niche minion. There is even a whole build that you can make around this minion but you will need Brann – Murkeye – Assistant guard combo with preferably Shudderwock as your hero. If not, you can use this minion as a Taunt giving one.

Inspiring Underdog

Inspiring Underdog is a tempo minion that should be used early on if you have a full board and want a quick boost to your stats. Other than that, there are no usages of this minion that are meta at this point because his power is not that strong later on.

Rendle the Mastermind

Rendle is a niche economy minion that can be used early on, especially if you just upgraded the tavern to Tier 4. It doesn’t really do much as you only get one highest (random) minion from the Tavern but this can be enough in some situations for you to get a good value from it.

Sin’dorei Straight Shot

Sin’dorei Straight Shot is an anti Undead unit that is great to pick if you are facing an Undead army. It can also be used as an anti-scam units in certain situations such if you are facing an Amalgam with Reborn and Taunt. As we said, it’s a very niche minion to have.

Witching Nestmatron

Witching Nestmatron is basically a good economy unit that you can use in case you are running an Undead or Beast comp (or anything with a lot of Reborn/Taunt mechanics). Most of the Battlecry minions have either discover or stat boost abilities so it’s a good minion to have early on.

Motley Phalanx

Motley Phalanx is a minion that can be used in various types of comps and builds. The most obvious synergy is with type “all” comps as it’s Deathrattle will buff all your minion on the board. Furthermore, if there are Undead or Mechs in the game, you can cast Divine Shield and/or Reborn on it and further increase it’s effectiveness.

Neutral Minions Tier 5

Brann Bronzebeard

Next three minions are one the strongest ones in the game. Brann Bronzebeard is one of those – there are so many comps that this minion can be used that we could make an entire guide just based on him. In short, all Battlecry comps can use him – Quilboars, Murlocs and Dragons the most. He is a sure pick especially if you get him early on.

Drakkari Enchanter

Similarly to Brann Bronzebeard, Drakkari Enchaner is another game-changing minion that can be used in various builds. Dragons, Quilboars, Murlocs, Type All, Slitherspear Naga are just some of the boards which need Drakkari Enchanter on the field.

Titus Rivendare

titus

Probably the most wanted minion in Season 8 is Titus Rivendare. If you are running pretty much any kind of Great Wolf Beast, Skypirate Pirate or Undead build, you have to have Titus on the board for the comp to work. Even if you are not going for those builds, there is for example a way to use him with Quilboars as well.

Ensorcelled Fungus

A very niche minion to get is Ensorcelled Fungus. There are no builds that require this minion except maybe Anvil (no type) comp if you can cast many spells. He can also be used with Sleeping Azerite comp later on as buy-eat-sell minion.

Interrogator Whitemane

Interrogator Whitemane is a Titus counter minion that is especially effective against Beast and Pirate comps. It’s ability will (or at least it can) give Taunt on the opponenet’s Titus and sometimes this is enough for you to win the last duel.

Leeroy The Reckless

A pure scam minion that is great to pick in almost all situations, especially in the late phase of the game. This minion is very situational and should be used according to your assumption on how the opponent will line up his board. Generally speaking, you want Leeroy to hit first unless you are going against Undead, Beast or Pirate comps.

Kangor’s Apprentice

Although techincally in “neutral” tribe, Kangor’s Apprentice is mostly used in Mech boards (or Amalagam scam) ones. Not only that, this minion is mostly used in one very specific build and that’s Ancestral Automaton comp. Picking him without a plan is not so effective so use this minion only if you can really get some value from it.

Lightfang Enforcer

We have already spoken about Lighfang type all build that focuses on Lightfang Enforcer and the trinket that goes with him. Keep in mind that his ability is further increased by using Drakkari Enchanter as well.

Rodeo Performer

Rodeo Performer is one of those use (with Brann) and sell type of minions. Discovering a spell for just two gold (once you sell Rodeo Performer) is overall a great value and you should go for it especially if you don’t have anything useful to buy in the Tavern.

Tortollan Blue Shell

Tortollan Blue Shell is a pure economy minion that you should always buy and sell after losing because it will give you 2 extra gold. Other than that, there are no usages for this unit.

Neutral Minions Tier 6

Arid Atrocity

Arid Atrocity is a very versitile minion. Although there are no builds that can focus on this unit, sometimes he can really make a difference, especially if you can get him early on. The monster that it summons will usually have around 27/27 stats and this can be further buffed if you can put Reborn on Atrocity.

Cultist S’Thara

Like many other minions on this list, Cultist S’Thara is not really a neutral unit as it is almost exclusively used in Demon comps, especially paired with Insatiable Urzu’l. Besides those boards, Cultist can be used in type All builds (although not as effectively) and in Amalgam scam ones.

Nalla the Redeemer

One of the neutral minions that can be used as a key one is Nalla the Redeemer. The basic premise of this type of build is to get a lesser trinket that can generate spells (or economy) and to simply take few good type all and other tribe minions and cast spells on them every turn. This comp won’t scale very fast but it will usually get you in the first three spots of the Battlegrounds.

One-Amalgam Tour group

One-Amalgam Tour group, apart from it’s goofy name, doesn’t really offer much. The stat buff that you get from him is usually neglectable unless you somehow get your hands on this unit early on. Generally, this minion is not used that much.

Sun Screener

Sun Screener is a very niche minion with several potential usages. The first one is anti-Skypirate and anti-Beast as you want to prevent the left-most minion on your opponents board to die first. The second situation in which Sun Screener can be useful is too give Divine Shields to Dragons and for you to put Poet between the first two minions on the left side in order for them to keep the buff. Other than that, sometimes it is seen in Demon comps.

Orgozoa, the Tender

Orgozoa, the Tender is basically a Naga unit that would be too OP if it was really a Naga and not a Neutral type because of it’s synergy with Lord of Gains. That being said, it is useful to buy-use-sell this minion as you pretty much get one Naga unit for 1 gold if you discover and sell.

Tea Master Teotar

One of the trickiest minions to use is Tea Master Theotar. The reason is the fact that your board will feel very clunky with him on it because you need one space for him, the other for minions that you buy and sell and that only leaves 5 spaces left.

Neutral Minions Tier 7

King Varian

King Varian is a minion that basically gives you two Tier 6 minions. There is nothing fancy about this unit and there are no builds that revolve around it – you basically discover 2 Tier minions and that’s it.

Moira Bronzebeard

Ok so here me out – Moira Bronzebeard is probably the strongest unit in the game because it combines the power of Brann and Titus. However, there is a difference in text of the card so keep in mind that you can’t pair Moira and Brann but you can pair Moira and Titus. Similarly, two Moiras won’t give the same number of Deathrattles as two Tituses will.

Image Credits: Blizzard Activision, Hearthstone.