Murlocs have long been the reigning minion type in Hearthstone Battlegrounds, which is very much thanks to their ability to become Poisonous units. Though there are obviously ways to counter them, they are nonetheless forces to be reckoned with. But, Murlocs are in an interesting place because the value that each one brings to the table is directly reliant on having other Murlocs on the board.
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Therefore, they can’t really be ranked by the value they provide outside a full Murloc team, especially considering they each provide near-equal value if they’re Poisonous. With that in mind, this list will rank the eight best Murlocs solely based on how they function within a full Murloc team. Also, if you’re new to Hearthstone Battlegrounds, check out our complete guide to get a firm understanding of the game mode as a whole.
8 Swampstriker
Swampstriker is a great tier-one minion to pick up and get stacking early in the game. Its largest downside is that it only gains attack when you play other Murlocs, but it will naturally gain health from the buffs of the other Murlocs you play, so it’s not the biggest deal.
That said, this isn’t a minion you want to pick up once you’re Murloc team is already developing. It’s a bit late to start stacking its attack power by the mid-game, especially if you’ve already unlocked the Poisonous Murloc (Toxfin), making attack power much less relevant than health.
7 Swolefin
Swolefin is a very self-sufficient Murloc, as he has the potential to be the biggest one before any buffs from other Murlocs come through. He is an excellent Murloc to have in the mid-game due to how buffed up he can get all by himself (with a team of Murlocs already present, though).
Once the late game comes around, however, he is just like any other Murloc who just gets buffed up by the others and is given Poisonous. Even so, he truly excels through his mid-game power, landing him a spot on this list.
6 Primalfin Lookout
When it comes to cycling Murlocs, Primalfin Lookout is your best bet. True, Tad is good for cycling Murlocs as well, but Primalfin Lookout is far superior because you can pick one of three Murlocs to add to your hand instead of one simply being added to it at random.
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This can allow you to pick the buff you want usually while making it easier for you to get a few more golden minions than normal. And if you’re getting golden minions more frequently, you’re getting bigger buffs and higher-tier Murlocs, which is always a fun time.
5 Saltscale Honcho
Saltscale Honcho is an absolute necessity to pick up as soon as you can to get your Murlocs’ health stacking as early as possible. The reason for this is to increase their health, of course, but there is something important to point out: once your Murlocs get Poisonous, their attack power becomes irrelevant and the only stat that matters is their health.
As such, the quicker you can get big numbers on your Murlocs’ health, the better. Saltscale Honcho is an incredible way to do this since he's only a tier-two minion and accessible quite early in the game.
4 Coldlight Seer
As good as Saltscale Honcho is at stacking health on your Murlocs, Coldlight Seer is even better, especially if you can pick up a lot of them. He’s only a tier-three minion, so you’ll be able to find him relatively early in your games and not too far after Saltscale Honcho.
This is a Murloc you want to pick up every chance you get, as the total health it gives to a team full of Murlocs is extremely valuable, particularly in preparation for when you start finding Toxfin and getting your Poisonous buffs going.
3 King Bagurgle
King Bagurgle is better than Coldlight Seer for two main reasons: he gives two attack in addition to the two health, and this buff triggers again as a Deathrattle. As such, he has infinite value (as long as he dies), allowing him to provide you with far more value than Coldlight Seer could ever hope to.
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Bear in mind that by the time you find King Bagurgle, you’re already at tier-five (or tier-four if you discover him with a golden minion). This is already past the tier level of Toxfin (tier-four), making it quite probable that you’re already getting your Poisonous buffs rolling. Thus, the extra attack he gives isn’t nearly as important as the extra trigger on the health buff each time he dies, so make sure you stick Taunt on him for maximum value.
2 Young Murk-Eye
Young Murk-Eye is the best Murloc when it comes to buffing up your team. As good as Coldlight Seer or King Bagurgle are at getting all your Murlocs as swole as the Swolefin himself, Young Murk-Eye can continually trigger their Battlecries, allowing for an unholy amount of buffing. He is a must-have once you get to tier-six and is best when triggering either of the two aforementioned Murlocs Getting yet another trigger each round on the two health buff is absolutely what you want to aim for.
That said, he is the only Murloc with an end-of-turn effect (as opposed to a Battlecry), so while the Quest Reward of your end-of-turn effects triggering twice is great for him, it's not the best for a Murloc team as a whole.
1 Toxfin
Finally, the one and only Murloc that single-handedly wins your games, Toxfin. He is the best Murloc in the game solely due to his ability to give other Murlocs Poisonous, arguably the best keyword in the game.
Furthermore, if you’re being contested for Murlocs and have a Young Murk-Eye in play, you can get him to trigger Toxfin’s Battlecry and get your Murlocs Poisonous that way instead. In the end, Murlocs wouldn't be nearly as powerful as they are without Poisonous, and they have their dear friend Toxfin to thank for that. Mrglmrglmrgl!
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