Combo

Combo
A bonus if you already played a card this turn.

Combo is an ability where the stated effect occurs if the card is not the first one played from the hand during the turn. Cards with this ability are limited to the rogue class.

The term "combo" is also often used to refer to a sequence of cards or actions which are unleashed in quick succession, with or without Combo effects.

Notes

• If the player has already played a card that turn, any cards in the player's hand with Combo effects will be highlighted orange, to indicate that playing those cards will also trigger their Combo effects.
• While similar to Battlecries, Combo effects function separately, and are not affected by related effects such as Nerub'ar Weblord.
• As of Patch 9.0.0.20457, using Plague Lord (Malfurion the Pestilent's Hero Power) counts as an activator for combo effects. This is probably a bug.

Strategy

If you use a deck with a lot of cards with Combo effects, cheap cards work really great since they can allow you to use a Combo effect easily. Backstab, for example, can be used to kill a weak minion, while you don't lose any mana playing it, which allows you to use a Combo effect for your whole mana pool. If you have too many Combo cards, you might have to waste a Combo effect to then be able to use other Combo effects.

The Coin can be used as a card to build up for a potential use of a card with a Combo effect. A classic tactic is to use The Coin on your first round, and then play Defias Ringleader. This will most likely give you a strong board advantage on your first turn since its Combo effect summons a Defias Bandit, a 2/1 minion. To improve this play, you can then use Shadowstep on your Defias Ringleader, and play it again, which gives you another Defias Bandit, therefore giving you two 2/1 minions and one 2/2 minion on your first turn. This play is one reason why playing second as the rogue is often considered an advantage. Similar plays utilizing combo effects can be enabled with cards that generate Coins or cheap spells, like Xaril, Poisoned Mind's Toxins or Razorpetal Lasher's Petals.

Headcrack is the only card that can be used to combo continuously. Because it returns to your hand and you draw a card each turn, you will always have at least two cards in hand.

The Youthful Brewmaster has a great amount of synergy in Combo decks. It can return a Defias Ringleader or a SI:7 Agent before or after it has attacked, allowing you to re-summon it immediately for another Combo. Even returning a Defias Bandit can be useful to start a Combo on a further turn.

Cards with Combo

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Cold Blood	Common	Spell		Rogue	1			Give a minion +2 Attack. Combo: +4 Attack instead. "I'm cold blooded, check it and see!"
Crazed Chemist	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	5	4	4	Combo: Give a friendly minion +4 Attack. You don't have to be crazy to work here, but it helps.
Cutthroat Buccaneer	Common	Minion	Pirate	Rogue	3	2	4	Combo: Give your weapon +1 Attack. In life he worked as a sword swallower.
Defias Ringleader	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	2	2	2	Combo: Summon a 2/1 Defias Bandit. He stole the deed to town years ago, so technically the town is his. He just calls people Scrub to be mean.
Eviscerate	Common	Spell		Rogue	2			Deal 2 damage. Combo: Deal 4 damage instead. There is a high cost to Eviscerating your opponent: It takes a long time to get blood stains out of leather armor.
Plague Scientist	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	3	2	3	Combo: Give a friendly minion Poisonous. The excruciating pain means it's working!
Violet Haze	Common	Spell		Rogue	3			Add 2 random Deathrattle cards to your hand. Elite Tauren Chieftain's next hit single.
Elven Minstrel	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	4	3	2	Combo: Draw 2 minions from your deck. "After that gig in Hamlin went south, I swore off rats."
Headcrack	Rare	Spell		Rogue	3			Deal 2 damage to the enemy hero. Combo: Return this to your hand next turn. When all else fails, nothing beats a swift whack upside the head.
Perdition's Blade	Rare	Weapon		Rogue	3	2	2	Battlecry: Deal 1 damage. Combo: Deal 2 instead. Perdition's Blade is Ragnaros's back-up weapon while Sulfuras is in the shop.
SI:7 Agent	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	3	3	3	Combo: Deal 2 damage. The agents of SI:7 are responsible for Stormwind's covert activities. Their duties include espionage, assassination, and throwing surprise birthday parties for the royal family.
Biteweed	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	2	1	1	Combo: Gain +1/+1 for each other card you've played this turn. AKA Edwin VanLeaf.
Kidnapper	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	6	5	3	Combo: Return a minion to its owner's hand. He just wants people to see his vacation photos.
Spectral Pillager	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	6	5	5	Combo: Deal damage equal to the number of other cards you've played this turn. It turns out you CAN take it with you.
Vilespine Slayer	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	5	3	4	Combo: Destroy a minion. 'Cause slayers gonna slay, slay, slay, slay, slay.
Edwin VanCleef	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	3	2	2	Combo: Gain +2/+2 for each other card you've played this turn. He led the Stonemasons in the reconstruction of Stormwind, and when the nobles refused to pay, he founded the Defias Brotherhood to, well, deconstruct Stormwind.
Showing all 16 cards

Wild format

 This section contains information exclusive to Wild format.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Bladed Cultist	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	1	1	2	Combo: Gain +1/+1. He has a poor understanding of the law of diminishing returns.
Jade Shuriken	Common	Spell		Rogue	2			Deal 2 damage. Combo: Summon a Jade Golem. Good news is, after you remove it from your wound, you can use it to pay your medical bills!
Shado-Pan Rider	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	5	3	7	Combo: Gain +3 Attack. He needed a break after that business in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Naturally, he chose to spend his vacation in an icy snowscape killing monsters.
Tinker's Sharpsword Oil	Common	Spell		Rogue	4			Give your weapon +3 Attack. Combo: Give a random friendly minion +3 Attack. "Get ready to strike oil!" - Super-cheesy battle cry
Undercity Valiant	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	2	3	2	Combo: Deal 1 damage. Almost went to play for Stormwind before signing with Undercity.
Gadgetzan Ferryman	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	2	2	3	Combo: Return a friendly minion to your hand. Is it just me, or is there something fishy about that ferryman?
Sabotage	Epic	Spell		Rogue	4			Destroy a random enemy minion. Combo: And your opponent's weapon. Rogues can't stand it. They know you planned it! They are going to set you straight!
Showing all 7 cards

Related cards

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Cursed Castaway	Rare	Minion	Pirate	Rogue	6	5	3	Rush Deathrattle: Draw a Combo card from your deck. She was an ordinary castaway... until she found that cursed volleyball.
Showing the only card

References

	Cards
By type	Hero card Minion Spell Weapon
By class	Druid Hunter Mage Paladin Priest Rogue Shaman Warlock Warrior
By minion type	All Beast Demon Dragon Elemental Mech Murloc Pirate Totem General
By ability	Adapt Auto-Attack Auto-cast Battlecry Can't attack Cast spell Charge Choose One Choose Twice Combo Copy Deal damage Deathrattle Destroy Discard Discover Divine Shield Draw cards Echo Elusive Enrage Equip Forgetful Freeze Gain Armor Generate Immune Inspire Joust Lifesteal Magnetic Mega-Windfury Modify cost Overload Permanent Poisonous Put into battlefield Put into hand Quest Recruit Refresh Mana Remove from deck Replace Rush Restore Health Return to hand Secret Shuffle into deck Silence Spell Damage Spend mana Start of Game Stealth Summon Taunt Take control Transform Unlimited attacks Upgradable Windfury
By effect type	Area of effect In-deck effect In-hand effect On-discard effect On-draw effect Ongoing effect Positional effect Random effect Resurrection effect Triggered effect
By card set	Basic Classic Journey to Un'Goro Knights of the Frozen Throne Kobolds & Catacombs The Witchwood
	Hall of Fame Naxxramas Goblins vs Gnomes Blackrock Mountain Grand Tournament The League of Explorers Whispers of the Old Gods One Night in Karazhan Mean Streets of Gadgetzan
By rarity	Free Common Rare Epic Legendary