So I’ve been playing for 4 days now. I’m at Apprenticeship Level 11. I watch Hearthstone streamers so I have a good idea of what the current Meta is. I try to build decks to have some type of fighting chance if I encounter them. Though I’m extremely limited with the few cards I have.
Does this game not match you up with people around your skill level? Just kind of curious how the matchmaking is done because I’m finding myself playing Top Tier Meta about 75% of my games, yet I’m a brand new player and not even into Bronze Ranking yet.
I would figure they would at least match me up with people around the same rank? How does this system work? It’s quite frustrating playing against decks I see Legend players play as a brand new player.
I still enjoy the game but the system sure makes it difficult to progress.
My advice is to stop watching streamers & stop thinking about the meta: Choose a class you feel comfortable with & make only one deck, then learn to play it well. Stop thinking about whether your opponents are playing meta decks, or not. The in-game deck creator will give you a good deck that you can already build.
If you win, you get a harder opponent the next time, just as when you lose, you get an easier opponent next time (based on wins & loses, & NOTHING else.)
I’ve been playing for just over a year, & I’m still enjoying the game tremendously.
2 Likes
There is limited official documentation on the matchmaking process. But I believe that in the Apprenticeship ranks, the algorithm looks at a combination of rank and MMR (a hidden internal rating based on earlier match results, a bit like the ATP score in professional tennis).
So you should be competing against opponents who are also in the higher part of the apprenticeship ranks, and who have similar average match results as you. That last part, similar match result, should not be translated at “same deck quality”, nor as “same play skill”; it is a combination of the two. They may be starting players who spent a lot of money to instantly have the “best meta” decks, but no clue how to play them well. They may be players with decks that are totally terrible, but who navigate them like a pro. Or they may be players who, like you, make the best decks they can with their collection and their game experience and play them as good as they can.
My advice to you is to ask yourself: where is YOUR fun in playing this game (and note that this is a question with no right or wrong answer, it’s personal). Do you enjoy crafting decks with a limited collection and trying to squeeze the occasional win-against-the-odds? Do you enjoy a fast climb of the ranks? Do you enjoy learning to play one deck, or a few decks, well, and getting satisfaction from your own realization that you are improving, even when you still lose matches? Is your fun in trying to collect as many cards as you can without spending money? Or do you enjoy something else completely?
How to proceed with the game (and whether to proceed with it at all) depends highly on what makes the game fun for you.
3 Likes
I gave up trying to even understand the matching system in this game.
I play against players who have card backs 1+ year old. Against players who have very specific built decks (yet are only rank 35)
When I play Arena I go up against what seems to be decks that were BUILT by the person, not a deck built by RANDOM cards. (like the Warrior I fought) and ALL his cards were Warrior cards or cards that mainly only Warriors would be using.
Nope I have given up trying to understand this game and just play to have fun, if I want real competition I go up to my local gaming shop on specific nights and play with REAL cards not fake digital ones.
The new player ladder is full of smurfs and netdeckers, sadly. Makes sense if you think about how most “new” players are just returning players or smurf accounts. I’d honestly try to just make a tier 1 deck and grind out of apprenticeship