Hearthstone has a number of features that set it apart from other card games, but one that stands out as particularly unique are the Hero Powers associated with each class. Their presence means you always have something to do with your mana, even if none of your cards are particularly useful.
They also play a massive part in creating the identity of each class, pushing them in specific directions. And while there are quite a few special Hero Powers you can get from various Hearthstone cards, the most impactful will always be the basic 11 — those from the original nine classes, and the two later additions — as you’ll be seeing them every game. Let’s see which of them is the most powerful.
11 Lesser Heal: Priest
Lesser Heal’s biggest problem is that it does nothing if both you and your minions are at full health. Sure, if you’re playing defense against an aggro deck, it can keep you alive, but it will feel useless far more often than any other Hero Power on this list.
The Priest-only Overheal mechanic, which triggers an effect when you heal a minion for more than its maximum health, gives Lesser Heal some extra utility in those scenarios, but thus far cards with Overheal have been relatively underwhelming.
10 Shapeshift: Druid
There are quite a few one-damage Hero Powers, and unfortunately, Druid got the short end of the stick when it comes to power level. Getting one armor is nice, but it doesn’t compare favorably to the benefits that come with the comparable options for other classes.
That said, there has been a recent influx of cards focused around increasing the amount of attack and armor Shapeshift grants you by a substantial amount. That has gone a long way to making pressing the Hero Power button an appealing proposition.
9 Reinforce: Paladin
Once upon a time, Reinforce was much more powerful. In the early days of Hearthstone, summoning a 1/1 every turn provided enough value over the course of a game to compete with other decks. Unfortunately, the constant power creep the game has seen over the years means it just isn’t all that impactful anymore.
Still, a 1/1 is better than nothing. And if your deck has synergy with Silver Hand Recruits, giving them greater stats, Divine Shields, or other bonuses, having the ability to consistently summon them becomes far better.
8 Totemic Call: Shaman
Shaman’s Totemic Call is the only basic Hero Power that has been changed. The Wrath of Air Totem, which gave you Spell Power, was replaced with the Strength Totem, which gives one attack to a random friendly minion, in 2021. That’s obviously a massive downgrade; the Wrath of Air Totem was so powerful that entire games often hinged on whether you rolled it from Totemic Call.
Despite that change, Totemic Call is arguably better now than it used to be. There has been so much support for Totem Shaman decks released over the years, that all Totems are substantially more threatening, even if the best of the basic options isn’t around anymore.
7 Armor Up: Warrior
Like Lesser Heal, Armor Up is a purely defensive Hero Power. And Armor Up isn't even able to keep your minions alive. However, the fact that armor sticks around means it will always be useful.
Over time, all that armor will really build up, giving you extra leeway against aggro decks and helping you win games that drag out until both players start taking Fatigue damage, although that happens far less in modern Hearthstone than it used to. Put simply, Armor Up’s unique ability to boost you past 30 life is what has helped make Control Warrior decks viable in a variety of different metas.
6 Fireblast: Mage
If your goal is to finish off one-health minions, Fireblast is the Hero Power for you. Sure, five of the 11 Hero Powers on this list do that in some form, but Fireblast doesn’t need to worry about Taunt, and you don’t take damage when using it.
Additionally, Mage has been given a variety of ways to increase Fireblast’s damage, or take advantage of the Hero Power in other ways. As a result, you can find Hero Power Mage floating in and out of the meta across Hearthstone’s history.
5 Demon Claws: Demon Hunter
Demon Claws has the unique distinction of being the only one-mana Hero Power in the game, which comes with both upsides and downsides. It doesn’t have the highest impact from a single use, being literally half of Shapeshift. However, its low cost means it requires less of a commitment than any other Hero Power.
You can weave it into your turns with ease, granting it unparalleled flexibility, something that is especially important when you are running cards that have effects that trigger when you attack.
4 Dagger Mastery: Rogue
Dagger Mastery is the only basic Hero Power that can be used as an investment. While you can use the Wicked Knife it creates to immediately start affecting the board, you don’t actually have to swing with it right away.
You can use the Hero Power, then save the weapon until you need the damage. As a result, you are basically guaranteed to always have a weapon available when you need one, whether it’s to help finish off opposing minions or allowing you to take advantage of the many weapon buffs Rogue has available to them.
3 Steady Shot: Hunter
Every class in Hearthstone is defined to some extent by their Hero Power, but few are so closely tied as Steady Shot and Hunter. It is the only purely aggressive Hero Power on the list, which has historically pushed Hunter decks toward aggro.
Two damage might not sound like much, but it builds up over the course of a game if you use it consistently, allowing you to win races against other aggro decks and keep constant pressure on control and combo decks. On the other hand, it provides little to nothing for Control strategies, which is why attempts to make them work with the class have generally fallen flat.
2 Ghoul Charge: Death Knight
Like many other Hero Powers, Ghoul Charge provides you with a consistent source of one damage that you can direct as you please. However, the fact that it creates a minion to do so comes with a number of unique advantages.
Death Knight has many ways to transform the Frail Ghoul, or sacrifice it for some beneficial effect. Additionally, when the Frail Ghoul dies it creates a Corpse, providing fuel for your other cards to use. As a result, Ghoul Charge functions as both a board control tool and a value generator at the same time.
1 Life Tap: Warlock
Drawing cards is one of the best things you can do in any card game, and Hearthstone is no exception. That’s why, despite being the only Hero Power with a drawback, Life Tap is still so absurdly powerful. Sure, spending two mana and life to draw a card isn’t exactly a stellar deal, but having guaranteed access to card draw is something every deck would absolutely kill for.
Life Tap was actually viewed as so strong that the Hearthstone team strongly considered changing it during the game’s early days, but they couldn’t figure out a suitable replacement. As a result, Warlock cards have often been weaker than other classes, simply out of a need to compensate for Life Tap’s existence.