I played all three regions to about 2k gold/packs, that is a solid foundation and experience.
Additionally, I bought the starting 10 packs in EU, that though did not add much anything anymore (expecting to get 3 better standard cards per 10 packs at this point), but possibly dusting the legendary (400 dust, that gets me one epic card) might be enough value for 5 euros, though one might buy packs with a similar cost using Amazon?
Other than that legendary, that is sure to be there in that 5 euros thing (old gods or so C'Thun also at least used to be there in the 1st deck so one would get it, legendary, with like 2,66 euros, that one can dust as useless even with two connected lesser cheat cards that are also possibly there, though maybe not anymore), I got one useless random ledendary (will dust it also) buy opening some 70 decks total.
Played all regions to rated level 20 twice, except one that stopped winning at level 21, losing some 15 times straight. The best win streak rated was 8 games straight that got me from 25 to 19, but I was somewhat a beginner then.
They put me back to level 23 next month, so not sure if I will be playing them much again, but will play only one region now and see if they drop me again after MORE play and if the games are easier at level 20, that is the highest I get with my about expert but below pro decks.
Sometimes there are only top decks and potential professionals at levels 25-21, or it was early this month, and I went normally to level 20 at two regions and to level 21 at one where I am rated as a professional now it seems, so I gave up there.
Will deside later if it is worth playing at level 20, seeing if they drop me back even if I play more. The competition might be more reasonable there, at 20 exactly?
I have the best book and sites clear and my decks are good; better than in the book and on sites, having personally figured out more things. But there is still too much power that I play against, because of their expansions and better cheat cards.
After my level 20 play experience, I will see what to do, but I am expecting I will need to stop and see if they make it more chess ratings like, though I will be getting more packs, if I don't mostly stop playing, but still, getting even to level 18 with expert cards is beyond me, and there is a long way to get a better cheat deck, and then I would need to see how far it will get me. So, a pretty negative experience so far.
Playing gold, I built all kinds of decks, from class cards mostly decks to taunts like only deck to get the gold faster. Funny that I did even better with the class semi-crap decks that I played just to play more class cards per deck. And I suspect they know how many expert cards I have in my decks, or it is just variance.
But all the gold I make, though faster now, is still not going to give me much anything per 1k gold, and not too motivated to grind 10 to 20k gold, being up to years long part time playing (at best some 50 gold anytime playing class cards or so, one or less per day; 300x is 15k gold per year) and only when I don't need to win any games, as one might play all day without winning a game.
After having got my 150 packs more, the next is to dust all useless cards (additionally to triples) and craft some better cheat cards. C'Thun is dead in about 2018, and the latest expansion is still around one more year, after I will lose those cards and any that I have crafted as so, or can't use them in standard games.
And there will be new expansion packs, that one will need to buy (200 random packs?) and then dust about all of them and craft the rest (if having enough dust), when, or more likely if, one is more competitive already.
Lots of "cups" tournaments and more to play also, but also need a top level deck, and then with lots of luck one can end up playing live for money that seems to increase every year now.
But as far as my situation is now, I am pretty much stuck at level 20 rated with my average level cheat cards and well constructed decks. Needing better cheat cards and many of them one needs to craft, in the future, and one might need to do that again every two years or so, plus buy the latest expansion packs (60 decks cost 60 dollars/euros, maybe less using Amazon, and 300 decks latest should give at least some dust) and craft the rest.
Arena, I opted not to play, not being of enough value and not being "real" Hearthstone, if playing for money. Many recommend it, some recommend against it, and I opted not to play it (1st game free and gets a free pack, though worth practically zero, so I didn't bother even that), as not real and there isn't enough value actually, and I have better things to do.
If you start, you can foundate all regions, just to get experience and see if something changes in the future. Not what I recommend to do, but if one does it, the time is in the beginning, to get the experience, again, and one should play it by the book so getting all the packs and gold the easiest, though probably one gets them anyway.
The card backs suck, that one wins per month and so, and almost everyone has a superior card back to those, and still paying casual, rated 25 to 20, even with all gold cards (that one might dust or not, depending on one's personal calculations) and up to many legendaries, that is like the joke that asks, "mind if I take 6," that pretty much describes the Hearthstone situation from that part, and one main reason why I will likely also give up, having better things to do than being a victim of Hearthstone.
Will be looking the videos of other esports and making my mind if I should buy a gaming laptop (can't update it but I think it is more practical) and start playing them and see how it goes, already being a top video gamer, and then there is poker, where everyone uses the same 52 cards and gets the same number of starting cards (no additional legendaries), and I am already up to expert level there, just needing to grind my way up, that also takes time like Hearthstone does, if grinding one's way up, instead of buying oneself up. Esports all needs to experience similarly, but at least it will be the skill and not luck that will mostly deside who will win.
Hearthstone needs the decks (3-4 of them) and a lot of play (too much I suppose currently, being yet another problem) to get enough points, then luck to get to money tourneys, and preferably still more luck there. I opted to give HS a shot but I didn't really know about the points 1 and 2, but was willing to give this "freeroll" and chance, but it is now much a worse deal than I thought.
Other esports have some boloney and fuzzy stuffs about getting to good teams, even if one is a good player, so nothing sure about there either, plus many have played a lot and have got nothing at all, and I would not even try if I wouldn't know how good I am already.
At least much esport money is currently good, while in a poker world, it can suck even when getting to live tourneys through online tourneys (bad value at some sites, up to like 50% juice even! Instead of the expected sponsored money part), though using satellites it is a similarly long grind, when not using your money to get higher faster.
That is why I prefer cash games at this time, though live in aim mainly, but it is no "free" run, there being a ridiculous rake, instead of "sponsored" prize money.
