Standard Deck Guide: Weapon Rogue - No Legendaries!

Weapon Rogue might not be a tier 1 deck, but has been standing out this season because it doesn't include any legendary cards. It is also pretty easy and often beats other top-tier decks.

This list includes 2 copies of 15 different cards, and several of them are part of the Core Set, so they are free for all players. This includes Preparation, for instance. Like so, Weapon Rogue became the cheapest deck in the current meta.

You won't need a lot of dust to craft this deck, but, nonetheless, its win rate was 55.38% on January 2nd, 2025, according to HSReplay. Considering this, we at Cards Realm decided to bring you a full guide and teach you how to play Weapon Rogue. Check it out!

The plan is simple: buff your weapon as much as you can and use it to strike the enemy hero. With the right spells, you can deal up to 15 damage when you attack this way, as shown below. This means you can defeat your opponent with just two strikes.

Some spells that will help you do this are Deadly Poison, Harmonic Hip Hop, and Sharp Shipment. We'll see more examples as we go through the other cards.

As a result, this list mainly includes spells. The only minions in it are two copies of Swarthy Swordshiner. Including weapons in the deck itself is not the best idea, considering we already have our Hero Power. So, we only bring two Quick Pick.

One of this deck's greatest weaknesses (which made it tier 2 instead of tier 1), is how vulnerable it is against Taunt and Freeze. We have a few resources to remove minions with Taunt, but we can't defend ourselves against Freezes. Any mechanic that prevents your hero from attacking the enemy hero directly will disrupt your plan.

I consider Weapon Rogue something between an aggro and a control because it may play many cheap resources and a lot of card draw, but you'll need time to buff your weapon. You won't be able to build a board full of minions to put pressure on your opponent from very early on.

Cards

Let's start with the only minion and weapon this list plays, and then we'll move on to the spells. The only thing Quick Pick does that your Hero Power doesn't is that, with it, you'll draw a card whenever you attack. It is very welcome in your hand, but, if you don't have it, you can just use your Hero power.

As for Swarthy Swordshiner, it makes your weapon a 3/3, which makes it even more resistant. This, in turn, will make your buffs even more valuable. The fact this minion is a Pirate also goes really well with Dig for Treasure. This spell will always draw you Swarthy Swordshiner, so it will filter your deck and give you a coin.

The stars of the deck are your spells, which will make your weapon even more destructive. Valeera's Gift adds even more Deadly Poisons to your hand. When you play Harmonic Hip Hop on the right turn, you'll deal an extra 3 damage with your weapon. Mic Drop is a good way to fill your hand with cards.

We also have Sharp Shipment, which gives your weapon +2/+2, so it is even more resistant.

Now, in terms of removal spells, we bring Deafen and Dubious Purchase, which are easy ways to deal with big minions, particularly if they have Taunt. Eviscerate and Oh, Manager! also definitely stand out, considering they're even more flexible, and you can use them directly on the enemy hero. This means you can use it to complement your damage and end the game.

If you want to draw more cards, Stick Up and Gear Shift are excellent options.

With so many spells, we couldn't forget Preparation, which discounts the next spell you play that turn. It is also a way to activate combo cards.

This deck doesn't use one single card as a win condition. Instead, you'll use the entire list to buff your weapon. One tip I can give you is, use your buffs correctly. You should always play Swarthy Swordshiner first to make your weapon 3/3. If you make your weapon have 10 power and then use this minion, you'll actually nerf it and return its attack to 3.

After you play it, feel free to use the best spells for each situation as you play. To remove minions, Deafen and Dubious Purchase are the best choices. In some cases, the damage Eviscerate and Oh, Manager! deal will be critical to win the game.

The best cards for your starting hand are Quick Pick and Dig for Treasure. If you can't find Dig for Treasure, look for Swarthy Swordshiner. As we mentioned, you must play it before all other buffs, so keeping it in your mulligan is critical.

Aggro

These decks tend to fill the board with minions, so you'll often struggle against them. You'll feel a lot of pressure from the very beginning, and won't have minions to deal with it. In this case, I suggest you prioritize your removals. Deafen, Dubious Purchase, Eviscerate, and Oh, Manager! will be essential.

Even Harmonic Hip Hop is a great option.

Control

Control matchups are easier. Many Control lists bring numerous removals to destroy any board you build, but you won't be doing that with Weapon Rogue. You'll also rarely face a spell or minion that will Freeze you, but keep in mind this is your biggest nightmare.

They'll only play big minions at the end of the game, so you'll have time to buff your weapon and strike the enemy hero a few times. By then, you'll also be able to draw and play important spells, like Deafen and Dubious Purchase, to deal with any blocks.

Weapon Rogue has its weaknesses, and is certainly not the most popular or the best deck in the meta, but it is certainly the most powerful budget deck around. The fact it is so easy also makes it excellent for new players that don't know much about the game or have many legendary cards.

What did you think of this deck? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!