Armor
Armor is a form of secondary Health available only to heroes, gained through certain spells, Hero Powers and minions. Damage taken will always be deducted from Armor before Health. Only when a character has 0 Armor will they lose Health from a damaging attack. Armor can effectively extend a hero's Health far beyond the 30 points otherwise allowed. All regular heroes enter play with 0 Armor, although bosses and Tavern Brawl heroes often start with some Armor.
Sources of Armor include the warrior Hero Power Armor Up!, the druid Hero Power Shapeshift, the mage Secret Ice Barrier and the warrior minion Armorsmith. Some cards have more novel relationships with Armor, such as Shield Slam, which uses a warrior's Armor to deal damage to a target minion.
When present, Armor is shown on the centre right of the hero, just above the Health icon, set against a silver, unbroken shield.
Armor is most strongly associated with the warrior class, followed by the druid class.
Contents
Notes[edit | edit source]
- Armor is persistent, and will last until removed through damage. Unlike Health, Armor cannot be affected by enchantments, and there are currently only two cards which set a hero's armor total, Reckless Flurry and Platebreaker, which both set a hero's armor total to 0.
- Like Health, Armor will not prevent or mitigate any effects other than damage.
- Like Health and Attack, Armor has a maximum value of 2,147,483,647. Effects that would cause the player to gain Armor past this maximum will reduce the player's Armor to 0 and the Armor icon will break, just as if the hero had been damaged enough to remove all Armor. Amounts as high as 2,080,472,162 Armor have been recorded in-game.[1] This can be done with Earthen Scales or Alley Armorsmith and Divine Spirit - Inner Fire combo, or use the Linecracker and Earthen Scales combo to achieve such a high amount of armor. Gahz'rilla can theoretically achieve the same goal, but it has yet been done.
- Damage taken while protected by Armor still counts as taking damage for game purposes. For example, a Water Elemental will Freeze any hero it damages even if the hero loses only Armor from the attack. Likewise, Floating Watcher's triggered effect will activate from the controlling hero taking damage on their turn even if they only lose Armor.
- Armor does not prevent a hero from dying if such hero also had zero or less health, this can be achieved through playing Crystallizer when the controlling hero is at 5 or less health, at the end of the Battlecry, the controlling hero would then receive a defeat despite being able to take 5 more points of damage.
- While damage dealt to a hero will always remove Armor before removing Health, spells or effects can set the Health to a specific, lower-than-current value even if the hero has Armor. Cards with such effects include Alexstrasza and High Priest Thekal.
Known bugs[edit | edit source]
- It was possible to have 0 Health but 12 Armor as a substitute.
Although it was hard to replicate, it made the player experiencing that in a glitched state where it cannot be interacted by any means of an effect.
Random effects denied the player, and minions couldn't be directed to attack the player in that glitched state, because they became unresponsive until they directed to attack a valid target like minions. [2]
This issue is hotfixed by now. [3] [4]
Sources of Armor[edit | edit source]
Name / Desc | Rarity | Type | Subtype | Class | Cost | Atk | HP | Description | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Armor Vendor | Rare | Minion | General | Any | 1 | 1 | 3 | Battlecry: Give 4 Armor to each hero. | |||||||||||
Claw | Free | Spell | Druid | 1 | Give your hero +2 Attack this turn and 2 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Sword and Board | Common | Spell | Warrior | 1 | Deal 2 damage to a minion. Gain 2 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Armor Up! | None | Hero Power | Warrior | 2 | Hero Power Gain 2 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Armorsmith | Rare | Minion | General | Warrior | 2 | 1 | 4 | Whenever a friendly minion takes damage, gain 1 Armor. | |||||||||||
Dire Shapeshift | Free | Hero Power | Druid | 2 | Hero Power +2 Attack this turn. +2 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Shapeshift | None | Hero Power | Druid | 2 | Hero Power +1 Attack this turn. +1 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Steel Beetle | Rare | Minion | Beast | Druid | 2 | 2 | 3 | Battlecry: If you're holding a spell that costs (5) or more, gain 5 Armor. | |||||||||||
Tank Up! | None | Hero Power | Warrior | 2 | Hero Power Gain 4 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Vicious Scraphound | Common | Minion | Mech | Warrior | 2 | 2 | 3 | Whenever this minion deals damage, gain that much Armor. | |||||||||||
EVIL Quartermaster | Common | Minion | General | Warrior | 3 | 2 | 3 | Battlecry: Add a Lackey to your hand. Gain 3 Armor. | |||||||||||
Ice Barrier | Common | Spell | Mage | 3 | Secret: When your hero is attacked, gain 8 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Moontouched Amulet | Rare | Spell | Druid | 3 | Corrupted Give your hero +4 Attack this turn. Gain 6 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Shield Block | Free | Spell | Warrior | 3 | Gain 5 Armor. Draw a card. | ||||||||||||||
Bite | Rare | Spell | Druid | 4 | Give your hero +4 Attack this turn. Gain 4 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Dr. Boom's Scheme | Common | Spell | Warrior | 4 | Gain 1 Armor. (Upgrades each turn!) | ||||||||||||||
Molten Breath | Rare | Spell | Warrior | 4 | Deal 5 damage to a minion. If you're holding a Dragon, gain 5 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Scrap Golem | Rare | Minion | Mech | Warrior | 5 | 4 | 5 | Taunt. Deathrattle: Gain Armor equal to this minion's Attack. | |||||||||||
Armored Goon | Common | Minion | General | Warrior | 6 | 6 | 7 | Whenever your hero attacks, gain 5 Armor. | |||||||||||
Galakrond, Azeroth's End | Legendary | Hero card | Rogue | 7 | Battlecry: Draw 4 cards. They cost (1). Equip a 5/2 Claw. | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, Azeroth's End | Legendary | Hero card | Priest | 7 | Battlecry: Destroy 4 random enemy minions. Equip a 5/2 Claw. | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, Azeroth's End | Legendary | Hero card | Shaman | 7 | Battlecry: Summon two 8/8 Storms with Rush. Equip a 5/2 Claw. | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, Azeroth's End | Legendary | Hero card | Warlock | 7 | Battlecry: Summon 4 random Demons. Equip a 5/2 Claw. | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, Azeroth's End | Legendary | Hero card | Warrior | 7 | Battlecry: Draw 4 minions. Give them +4/+4. Equip a 5/2 Claw. | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Apocalypse | Legendary | Hero card | Rogue | 7 | Battlecry: Draw 2 card. They costs (1). (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Apocalypse | Legendary | Hero card | Priest | 7 | Battlecry: Destroy 2 random enemy minions. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Apocalypse | Legendary | Hero card | Shaman | 7 | Battlecry: Summon two 4/4 Storms with Rush. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Apocalypse | Legendary | Hero card | Warlock | 7 | Battlecry: Summon 2 random Demons. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Apocalypse | Legendary | Hero card | Warrior | 7 | Battlecry: Draw 2 minions. Give them +4/+4. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Nightmare | Legendary | Hero card | Rogue | 7 | Battlecry: Draw 1 card. It costs (1). (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Tempest | Legendary | Hero card | Shaman | 7 | Battlecry: Summon two 2/2 Storms with Rush. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Unbreakable | Legendary | Hero card | Warrior | 7 | Battlecry: Draw 1 minion. Give it +4/+4. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Unspeakable | Legendary | Hero card | Priest | 7 | Battlecry: Destroy 1 random enemy minion. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Galakrond, the Wretched | Legendary | Hero card | Warlock | 7 | Battlecry: Summon 1 random Demon. (Invoke twice to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Cenarion Ward | Epic | Spell | Druid | 8 | Gain 8 Armor. Summon a random 8-Cost minion. | ||||||||||||||
Kargath Prime | None | Minion | General | Warrior | 8 | 10 | 10 | Rush. Whenever this attacks and kills a minion, gain 10 Armor. | |||||||||||
The Amazing Reno | Legendary | Hero card | Mage | 10 | Battlecry: Make all minions disappear. *Poof!* | ||||||||||||||
Showing all 37 cards |
Wild format
This section contains information exclusive to Wild format.
Name / Desc | Rarity | Type | Subtype | Class | Cost | Atk | HP | Description | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arcane Artificer | Common | Minion | Elemental | Mage | 1 | 1 | 2 | Whenever you cast a spell, gain Armor equal to its Cost. | |||||||||||
Barkskin | Common | Spell | Druid | 1 | Give a minion +3 Health. Gain 3 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Crystallizer | Epic | Minion | General | Any | 1 | 1 | 3 | Battlecry: Deal 5 damage to your hero. Gain 5 Armor. | |||||||||||
Earthen Scales | Rare | Spell | Druid | 1 | Give a friendly minion +1/+1, then gain Armor equal to its Attack. | ||||||||||||||
Eternium Rover | Common | Minion | Mech | Warrior | 1 | 1 | 3 | Whenever this minion takes damage, gain 2 Armor. | |||||||||||
Gurubashi Offering | Epic | Minion | General | Any | 1 | 0 | 2 | At the start of your turn, destroy this and gain 8 Armor. | |||||||||||
Iron Hide | Common | Spell | Warrior | 1 | Gain 5 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Kazakus Potion | None | Spell | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Blast Shield | None | Hero Power | Warrior | 2 | Hero Power Gain 7 Armor. Swaps each turn. | ||||||||||||||
Bring It On! | Epic | Spell | Warrior | 2 | Gain 10 Armor. Reduce the Cost of minions in your opponent's hand by (2). | ||||||||||||||
Drywhisker Armorer | Common | Minion | General | Warrior | 2 | 2 | 2 | Battlecry: For each enemy minion, gain 2 Armor. | |||||||||||
Plague Lord | None | Hero Power | Druid | 2 | Hero Power Choose One - +3 Attack this turn; or Gain 3 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Plated Beetle | Common | Minion | Beast | Any | 2 | 2 | 3 | Deathrattle: Gain 3 Armor. | |||||||||||
Weapons Project | Common | Spell | Warrior | 2 | Each player equips a 2/3 Weapon and gains 6 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Bash | Common | Spell | Warrior | 3 | Deal 3 damage. Gain 3 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Feral Rage | Common | Spell | Druid | 3 | Choose One - Give your hero +4 Attack this turn; or Gain 8 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Ferocious Howl | Common | Spell | Druid | 3 | Draw a card. Gain +1 Armor for each card in your hand. | ||||||||||||||
Gluttonous Ooze | Epic | Minion | General | Any | 3 | 3 | 3 | Battlecry: Destroy your opponent's weapon and gain Armor equal to its Attack. | |||||||||||
Gnash | Common | Spell | Druid | 3 | Give your hero +3 Attack this turn. Gain 3 Armor. | ||||||||||||||
High Priest Thekal | Legendary | Minion | General | Paladin | 3 | 3 | 4 | Battlecry: Convert all but 1 of your hero's Health into Armor. | |||||||||||
Mountainfire Armor | Rare | Minion | General | Warrior | 3 | 4 | 3 | Deathrattle: If it's your opponent's turn, gain 6 Armor. | |||||||||||
Branching Paths | Epic | Spell | Druid | 4 | Choose Twice - Draw a card; Give your minions +1 Attack; Gain 6 armor. | ||||||||||||||
Half-Time Scavenger | Common | Minion | General | Any | 4 | 3 | 5 | Stealth Overkill: Gain 3 Armor. | |||||||||||
Ice Cream Peddler | Epic | Minion | General | Any | 4 | 3 | 5 | Battlecry: If you control a Frozen minion, gain 8 Armor. | |||||||||||
Oaken Summons | Common | Spell | Druid | 4 | Gain 6 Armor. Recruit a minion that costs (4) or less. | ||||||||||||||
Alley Armorsmith | Rare | Minion | General | Warrior | 5 | 2 | 7 | Taunt Whenever this minion deal damage, gain that much Armor. | |||||||||||
Emberscale Drake | Rare | Minion | Dragon | Warrior | 5 | 5 | 5 | Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain 5 Armor. | |||||||||||
Ironforge Portal | Common | Spell | Warrior | 5 | Gain 4 Armor. Summon a random 4-Cost minion. | ||||||||||||||
Kazakus Potion | None | Spell | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
Thrall, Deathseer | Legendary | Hero card | Shaman | 5 | Battlecry: Transform your minions into random ones that cost (2) more. | ||||||||||||||
Deathstalker Rexxar | Legendary | Hero card | Hunter | 6 | Battlecry: Deal 2 damage to all enemy minions. | ||||||||||||||
Runed Shield | Common | Spell | Warrior | 6 | Gain 5 Armor. Summon a 5/5 Golem. | ||||||||||||||
Serrated Shield | Common | Spell | Warrior | 6 | Gain 5 Armor. Deal 5 damage. | ||||||||||||||
Shieldmaiden | Rare | Minion | General | Warrior | 6 | 5 | 5 | Battlecry: Gain 5 Armor. | |||||||||||
Spiked Shield | Common | Spell | Warrior | 6 | Gain 5 Armor. Equip a 5/2 weapon. | ||||||||||||||
Tower Shield +10 | Common | Spell | Warrior | 6 | Gain 5 Armor. Gain 10 more Armor. | ||||||||||||||
Unidentified Shield | Common | Spell | Warrior | 6 | Gain 5 Armor. Gains a bonus effect in your hand. | ||||||||||||||
Ancient Shieldbearer | Rare | Minion | General | Warrior | 7 | 6 | 6 | Battlecry: If your C'Thun has at least 10 Attack, gain 10 Armor. | |||||||||||
Dr. Boom, Mad Genius | Legendary | Hero card | Warrior | 7 | Battlecry: For the rest of the game, your Mechs have Rush. | ||||||||||||||
Malfurion the Pestilent | Legendary | Hero card | Druid | 7 | Choose One - Summon 2 Poisonous Spiders; or 2 Scarabs with Taunt. | ||||||||||||||
Hagatha the Witch | Legendary | Hero card | Shaman | 8 | Battlecry: Deal 3 damage to all minions. | ||||||||||||||
Scourgelord Garrosh | Legendary | Hero card | Warrior | 8 | Battlecry: Equip a 4/3 Shadowmourne that also damages adjacent minions. | ||||||||||||||
Shadowreaper Anduin | Legendary | Hero card | Priest | 8 | Battlecry: Destroy all minions with 5 or more Attack. | ||||||||||||||
Frost Lich Jaina | Legendary | Hero card | Mage | 9 | Battlecry: Summon a 3/6 Water Elemental. Your Elementals have Lifesteal for the rest of the game. | ||||||||||||||
Uther of the Ebon Blade | Legendary | Hero card | Paladin | 9 | Battlecry: Equip a 5/3 Lifesteal weapon. | ||||||||||||||
Valeera the Hollow | Legendary | Hero card | Rogue | 9 | Battlecry: Gain Stealth until your next turn. | ||||||||||||||
Bloodreaver Gul'dan | Legendary | Hero card | Warlock | 10 | Battlecry: Summon all friendly Demons that died this game. | ||||||||||||||
Kazakus Potion | None | Spell | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
Kun the Forgotten King | Legendary | Minion | General | Druid | 10 | 7 | 7 | Choose One - Gain 10 Armor; or Refresh your Mana Crystals. | |||||||||||
Ultimate Infestation | Epic | Spell | Druid | 10 | Deal 5 damage. Draw 5 cards. Gain 5 Armor. Summon a 5/5 Ghoul. | ||||||||||||||
Zul'jin | Legendary | Hero card | Hunter | 10 | Battlecry: Cast all spells you've played this game (targets chosen randomly). | ||||||||||||||
Showing all 51 cards |
Related cards[edit | edit source]
Name / Desc | Rarity | Type | Subtype | Class | Cost | Atk | HP | Description | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shield Slam | Epic | Spell | Warrior | 1 | Deal 1 damage to a minion for each Armor you have. | ||||||||||||||
Spiked Wheel | Common | Weapon | Warrior | 1 | 0 | 2 | Has +3 Attack while your hero has Armor. | ||||||||||||
Ironclad | Common | Minion | Mech | Warrior | 3 | 2 | 4 | Battlecry: If your hero has Armor, gain +2/+2. | |||||||||||
Platebreaker | Common | Minion | General | Any | 5 | 5 | 5 | Battlecry: Destroy your opponent's Armor. | |||||||||||
Showing all 4 cards |
Wild format
This section contains information exclusive to Wild format.
Name / Desc | Rarity | Type | Subtype | Class | Cost | Atk | HP | Description | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jasper Spellstone | Rare | Spell | Druid | 1 | Deal 4 damage to a minion. (Gain 3 Armor to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Lesser Jasper Spellstone | Rare | Spell | Druid | 1 | Deal 2 damage to a minion. (Gain 3 Armor to upgrade.) | ||||||||||||||
Bladed Gauntlet | Epic | Weapon | Warrior | 2 | 0 | 2 | Has Attack equal to your Armor. Can't attack heroes. | ||||||||||||
Reckless Flurry | Epic | Spell | Warrior | 3 | Spend all your Armor. Deal that much damage to all minions. | ||||||||||||||
Ironwood Golem | Common | Minion | General | Druid | 4 | 3 | 6 | Taunt Can only attack if you have 3 or more Armor. | |||||||||||
Siege Engine | Rare | Minion | Mech | Warrior | 5 | 5 | 5 | Whenever you gain Armor, give this minion +1 Attack. | |||||||||||
Gemstudded Golem | Common | Minion | General | Warrior | 6 | 5 | 9 | Taunt. Can only attack if you have 5 or more Armor. | |||||||||||
Heavy Metal! | Rare | Spell | Warrior | 6 | Summon a random minion with Cost equal to your Armor (up to 10). | ||||||||||||||
Geosculptor Yip | Legendary | Minion | General | Warrior | 8 | 4 | 8 | At the end of your turn, summon a random minion with Cost equal to your Armor (up to 10). | |||||||||||
Showing all 9 cards |
Strategy[edit | edit source]
While Armor serves as a substitute for Health, loss of Armor will not reduce the summoning cost of Molten Giant. Warriors with Shield Slam can likewise benefit from Armor more than from Health, and Armor is not affected by Alexstrasza's Battlecry, making it an effective defence against this card. A low Health or damaged status can also be useful for cards like Battle Rage and Mortal Strike.
For these reasons, Armor is generally considered to be superior to Health. Where possible, it is usually therefore preferable to take any damage before gaining armor, such as by attacking with your hero before then using Armor Up!. This way the player can benefit from Zombie Chow's Deathrattle, having its hero's health restored and keeping the previously gained armor.