I stopped playing for 4 months.
Come back at bronze rank 10.
Yet I face golden heroes with tier 1 decks 10 games in a row.
By the way, I quit 10 game in a row. That is how I know.
A golden portrait doesnt mean they are good, it means they play alot like me D.
However u find tier 1 decks even in apprentice ranks im not sure please correct me on that one.
Or maybe they are good players and your mmr is good ?
8 Likes
golden heroes= 500 wins, it’s nothing since the game is 7 years old, most players have several classes with 1k wins
3 Likes
Same. I play meme decks,and mainly play for fun. I have a golden hero lol I never got to legend ever.
1 Like
You wasted your time quitting.
The portraits have nothing to do with skill just time played. Since the game is 7 years old it would be rather odd if there wasn’t a bunch of gold portraits around.
500 wins is nothing over 7 years.
Its amazing what a colored portrait does to people.
9 Likes
I know! I don’t have any gold portraits because I have been playing very casual since the game was released. I’m only about 75 wins away from a gold portrait, so I’m trying to get it because I realized it may help me win more games by psyching out the opponent.
2 Likes
because the game is 6 year old and golden portraits arent a rare find anymore
2 Likes
Hearthstone works on a MMR system, the opponents are matched by their MMR points not their current rank, since only rank is not enough to evaluate the player.
It can backfire.
I have golden on a few classes, not all.
When I play a golden hero class I notice people get upset very easily when they lose. Some people start roping and so on. Happens not so much on the non-golden heros.
I swear “everyone” in wild has either an alternative portrait or a 1000 wins ones 
Last time I saw a basic anduin I thought I forgot to switch from casual to ladder
2 Likes
This game has been out for years. Players in bronze have had plenty of time to win 500 matches in bronze level if they have been playing for years.
A golden hero does not mean your playing someone from a higher tier
1 Like
Granted, a golden portrait doesn’t measure the player’s skill, but it does hint that the character has been played often, and for some time. Hence, a better choice in cards and decks, and often, it makes does a difference, especially at lower levels, where newer or less seasoned player have yet to find their play-style. The golden portrait, is the cherry on top.
Nicely done for those that have reached their 500+ wins in rank, but if they’re in bronze 10, it’s a farming daily account only, and they mainly play in a different region
It’s because there is evidently no MMR decay, the best aspect of the old system was it was very forgiving to a returning player, the new system favors the new player who is shielded from veteran returning players. Though 4 months break is hardly a huge hiatus and you should only be behind by one set, you shouldn’t be playing against bronze skill level players in my opinion.
Maybe the word you wanna use is hiatus?
Everyone resets to bronze 10 at the start of a season.
Golden portrait or legend rank doesnt mean skill at all. Basically its just acknowledgement that certain player spent certain amount of time playing the game.
Player with golden hero might be even a guy with no new cards from 3 expansions, top legend player can get wrecked by random guy playing a deck for 1st day etc. etc.
I guess the main question is - do you have top meta (t1-t2 preferably) deck? If not, ranked is not a place for you.
As almost everybody stated, the golden portrait is no longer an indication that the player you are facing is a top dog. Let me give you an example from personal experience.
I’m playing standard ladder with a secret mage build in the iron levels. (The deck does pretty good btw 
) . I face a golden demon hunter. My first thought is that it’s going to be a though battle. Getting 500 wins with demon hunter in less then a year, shows some dedication to the class.
It has been a long time since I faced such an abysmal player. He ignored all my secrets and just kept going face like a madman. In the process he :
- He coined wriggling horror, so not buffing anything and leaving it open for me to ping it on my turn.
- When he had a board (mindlessly barfing his hand) he played right into flame ward, leaving me with a board because he didn’t trade.
- He got his Skull of Gul’dan countered, although he could have tested for counter.
It was just…so…bad…
So in conclusion :
- Golden portrait but terrible player
- How broken has demon hunter been that you get 500+ wins and still play like it’s your first day of HS?
1 Like