During the very height of late-nineties Pokémania, I had just started at high school. This was when the TCG bug took a firm grip on my hindquarters and never let go.

As with most schools, mine tried the age-old tactic of banning Pokémon cards. The only real effect this had was to bring about a roaring trade in black market booster packs. Pupils would surreptitiously reach into their pockets and show off their holo Hitmonchan cards, like they were shady tradespeople who were smuggling whole turkeys around Britain during the dark days of rationing.

I had absolutely zero clue how to play the game itself, you understand, but that wasn’t important. What mattered was that I become totally enamoured with these cards, and gradually built up quite a collection.

Since those days, my friends and I have dabbled in just about every major TCG going. Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic, the fancy new Final Fantasy TCG… I’ve dabbled in all of it. To varying degrees of success, sure, but there it is.

For some, of course, the best TCG of all doesn’t involve physical cards at all. Warcraft offshoot Hearthstone has become a fully-fledged standalone game in its own right. It’s hugely popular and has even gained a great deal of momentum as an eSport.

Like all collectible card games, it’s had its ups and downs. It’s had great cards and awful ones, and sometimes it’s tough to tell the difference. Let’s check out some of the best and worst Hearthstone cards ever.

30 Worst: Acidmaw (Please, No Maw)

Now, granted, there’s no promise that all legendary cards are going to be… well, legendary. That’s just not how things work around here. You expect a little something’ somethin’ out of them, though, and Acidmaw disappoints in just about every possible way.

Sure, you can combo it with Whirlwind for a bit of a fun time, and there are other quirky things you can do with this guy. In terms of actual competitive play, though? You’re usually going to harm yourself more than your opponent trying to make this work.

29 Weakest: The Mistcaller (Nope, Sorry, Can’t Hear You)

Like a lot of cards on this list, The Mistcaller is going to be quite a controversial pick. In some areas, sure, it has its uses. Against control decks and that sort of build, there’s some real value here. It’s quite niche, though, and that is its problem.

Back when this guy was a thing, it just couldn’t compete in a very fast meta. You need to find the time to make use of that powerful buff, which so many decks struggle to do.

28 BEST: Countess Ashmor (Couldn’t Ash For More)

Inevitably with TCGs, new sets will arise, and the cards therein will be compared with others that have already been released. It’s a convenient way to look at new cards, to get an idea of how they work. A new card may be a better such-and-such, or a worse such-and-such.

As for Countess Ashmore, she’s like a more versatile Curator. With her neutrality and utility, the Countess is a great pick for a variety of decks, and she’s no offensive slouch either.

27 Worst: Dark Pact (Wait? What? Warlock?)

So. Here’s the big question: what makes a card ‘bad’? The answer to that isn’t as simple as you may think. Being just plain weak or useless is one thing, but you’ve also got to consider whether a card is bad for the game generally. Unhealthy. Unbalanced. Just plain wrong.

For many players, Dark Pact is one of these.

Warlock is not a class that should be healing. They work in the opposite way.

Dark Pact was nerfed, but in the wrong way: you get the HP, plus a ‘free’ deathrattle from a minion.

26 Worst: Jade Idol 

In a similar fashion to Dark Pact, Jade Idol is a card that’s seen non-stop debate since its release. On the surface, I suppose it might not look like much, but veteran players can see the danger immediately. Infinite value should never really be a thing, and Jade Idol just makes that far too easy.

Control Druid decks are just super frightening with even a single Jade Idol. Fatigue damage? I don’t think so, buddy boy. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat, as the classic meme goes.

25 BEST: Lord Godfrey (Oh, Lordy)

Now we’re talking. Of the Witchwood series, Lord Godfrey is probably one of the best cards. Healthy? That’s another matter. If you look at it that way, a lot of the cards in this rundown could be deemed either best or worst, in terms of the game. It’s all down to player perspective.

As for me? I’m not sure that Warlock needed any more board-wiping effects, but here we are. There’s no doubt that this guy can be incredibly devastating for an opponent. It’s not that serious, Godfrey, it really isn’t.

24 Worst: Deck Of Wonders (Less Than Wonderful)

Is it just me? I don’t think so. I guess it could be.

Generally, competitive TCG play tends to revolve around limiting the amount of chance involved in games. Reliably getting out your best resources and reducing your opponent to sad, salty slice of shattered spam.

Relying on luck? That’s a last resort. Heart of the cards? Nope. Deck of Wonders is so much fun to use, but it’s a huge chunk of RNG that I just do not want to be dealing with. And, no, it doesn’t count towards quest.

23 Worst: Confuse (Very Confusing)

Through the history of Hearthstone, Priest really hasn’t had an easy run. It’s probably the class that’s come under the most scrutiny, the most difficult to find consistent success with.

Why? Because a lot of Priest cards have been all kinds of questionable.

Confuse can be great, true enough, but it’s totally situational. It depends on your opponent’s board as well as your own, and that’s not easy to control at all. It’s a card that will usually sit in your hand, but when it works… your opponent will be crying to their grandmas.

22 BEST: Shudderwock (Shudder Indeed)

I know, friends. I’m sorry. I went there. I didn’t really want to, but here we are.

Shudderwock is a card that needs no introduction. It’s a relatively recent addition to the game, and it made one heck of an impression immediately.

You can see the problem. Repeat all other battlecries from cards you played this game? What is several of these things are being played? It’s like a fireworks display of RNG madness, and everyone’s invited. Stop that, Shudderwock. Nobody likes you.

21 Worst: Kabal Lackey (You Really CAN Get The Staff)

Right. I see where this is going, and I have mixed feelings about the situation. Mostly, rage and sadness.

Again, here’s a card that looks quite unassuming on the surface. A 1/1 minion? A one-legged kitten with a limp could take that out. That battlecry, however? That’s not even funny.

If you’re experienced with the game, you’ll understand how people were feeling when this abomination was released. Kabal Lackey and Counterspell, you say? You can flush that straight down Beelzebub’s underworld u-bend from whence it came.

20 Worst: Millhouse Manastorm (Oh Man(a)

If there’s any positive we can draw from this, it’s that the card’s name reminds me of Milhouse of The Simpsons. I like Milhouse.

I do not like Millhouse. I mean, sure, the card has its uses. It can be excellent for early-game momentum to have a 4/4 on the field on your first or second turn, after all.

The trouble is, it can come right back and bite you in the dangleberries. That battlecry can have devastating consequences for you, depending on the opponent’s hand (and their deck generally).

19 BEST: Voodoo Doll (As Frightening As Chucky)

Voodoo Doll is another excellent card from the Witchwood expansion. There’s no messing around here, no complex maneuvers or luck-based plays. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

A super cheap minion, hard removal of just about anything that’s in your way.

It’s a card that slots neatly and easily into all kinds of decks, but it’s probably best suited to the Mage class. It’s a little slow on its own, but Mages can help with that via their hero power.

18 Worst: Divine Favor (That’s A Heck Of A Favour)

Now, here’s something I just cannot dang well condone. Another general TCG necessity is resource management. This is a little more difficult in the Final Fantasy TCG, where there’s a lot of discarding going on, but the same rule applies. Overcommitting is deadly. It’s supposed to be.

With a quick Divine Favor, Paladins are free to throw cards around willy-nilly (not literally; beware of papercuts). I guess it’s not as simple as just that, but there’s some debate as to whether this card is healthy or not.

17 Worst: To My Side! (Actually, No, Stay Over There)

There’s very little debate here. To My Side! is generally agreed to be one of the worst Hearthstone cards ever made, and it’s clear to see why. We’ve already spoken a little about cards that are straight-up upgrades of others. Here, we’re looking at another Animal Companion, but twice as expensive.

To My Side!, then, has absolutely zero reason to be used at all, outside of one specific niche: a Hunter deck with no minions. Then you get two companions at least. Not that this is anything to dedicate an enthusiastic chapter to in the family holiday letter.

16 BEST: Doctor Boom (KABOOM!)

As we’ve established, then, it’s common for some new cards to straight-up outclass those that have come before. As much as games try to keep them diverse, in terms of abilities and such, there are always going to be some parallels.

Doctor Boom is a great example of this. The card is essentially a War Golem, only with the additional bonus of those Boom Bots. There are some interesting combos you can make with this, such as with Bran Bronzebeard for double the bots. As such, Doctor Boom is very cost-efficient, which is key in Hearthstone.

15 Worst: Cursed Blade (Ouch, That Hurts!)

TCG card design is (often) all about balancing their strengths. A minion, Yu-Gi-Oh! monster or FFTCG forward may have high attack strength, but simply function as a beatstick. Others, meanwhile, will have low power, but make up for that with a powerful ability.

Sadly, you can’t always get it right.

Cursed Blade is a strong warrior weapon, sure, but that side effect.

When a Mage’s Fireball deals twelve damage to you, it feels as bad as roundhouse kicking your own grandma in the face.

14 Worst: Magma Rager (Rage Quit)

Speaking of that power/effect balance, plain old attack and defense are often treated in the same way. You’ll get minions and monsters that have super high defensive values but deal little damage, and vice versa.

Again, it’s a tough balance to get right. Take our old buddy the Magma Rager here. It has high attack power for its cost, but a single point of health. The fact that it’s taken out by a casual gust of wind makes this ragey guy one of the worst cards in the entire game.

13 BEST: Azure Drake (Goes With Everything)

Sometimes, the best cards aren’t the ones with straight up overpowered effects. Ridiculous brokenness can be a factor a lot of the time, but it’s not always necessary. Sometimes, the best cards are the ones that are just so splashable. Never mind Guile’s Theme, these cards truly go with anything.

Azure Drake is one of them. It has unremarkable but respectable stats, an all-around-useful effect, and… another all-around useful effect. In decks that favor offensive spells, this dragon is definitely Ogre Magi 2.0.

12 Worst: Angry Chicken (Well, What Did You Expect?)

Here’s another thing about TCGs: not all cards are created equal. Nor could or should they be. Take Yu-Gi-Oh!, and its reams upon reams of Normal monsters with feeble attack stats. Without these sorts of cards, there’d be no Jerry Beans Man, and that’s something we all need in our lives.

Speaking of ridiculous and hilarious cards, meet the Angry Chicken. This thing is worse than other one-mana minions without its Enrage effect, and you’re really going to need to specialize at least some of the deck to get the most from that. Snark value aside, that’s a no.

11 WORST: Nozdormu (Because That’s A Thing)

Whichever way you slice it, Nozdormu is a dang tough sell. An 8/8 minion is nothing to mess with on your way home from grandma’s at night, true enough, but it’s super expensive at 9 mana.

There’s more to the equation than stats alone, of course, but its ability is a mixed bag too.

That strict time limit can fluster the opposing player, but it’ll just as easily throw you right off your game yourself.

An interesting novelty card, but that’s as far as it goes.