Hand

A typical hand. The green highlighted cards can be played, while the yellow highlighted card has a special effect enabled by the current state of the game.

The hand is where each player keeps the cards currently available to them. The player can see their hand face-up at the bottom of the screen, while the opponent's hand is shown face-down at the top of the screen.

Mechanics

The player can only play cards that are currently in their hand. Players place cards into their hand through drawing cards from their deck. A few other methods such as return effects and generate effects can also add cards to the player's hand.

Players can have a maximum of 10 cards in their hand at any time. Attempting to add a card to the hand when it is already full will cause that card to be destroyed, sometimes referred to as overdraw. Cards destroyed in this way are revealed to both players.

Playing a card removes it from the player's hand, and puts it into play. This is the main way for players to empty their hand. The only other way is through discard effects, which force the player to discard cards from their hand without playing them. Like overdraw, discard effects reveal the discarded cards to both players.

Hand size has some synergy with specific cards, such as Mountain Giant, Midnight Drake and Twilight Drake. It can also have strategic impact on the use of discard effects, and card draw mechanics such as Northshire Cleric.

Strategy

For tips related to drawing cards and the size of your hand, see Card draw.

Related cards

Certain cards have effects specifically related to the size or contents of the player's hand; these are listed below.

For cards with effect that activate while in the player's hand, see In-hand effect.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Elder Longneck	Common	Minion	Beast	Druid	3	5	1	Battlecry: If you're holding a minion with 5 or more Attack, Adapt. And so the bartender says, “Why the long neck?”
Ferocious Howl	Common	Spell		Druid	3			Draw a card. Gain +1 Armor for each card in your hand. Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?
Wyrmguard	Common	Minion	General	Any	7	3	11	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain +1 Attack and Taunt. They think they're trusted guardians. Dragons think they're convenient snacks.
Bewitched Guardian	Rare	Minion	General	Druid	5	4	1	Taunt Battlecry: Gain +1 Health for each card in your hand. Amwitched. Beingwitched. Beenwitched.
Divine Favor	Rare	Spell		Paladin	3			Draw cards until you have as many in hand as your opponent. This is not just a favor, but a divine one, like helping someone move a couch with a fold out bed!
Duskbreaker	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Priest	4	3	3	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, deal 3 damage to all other minions. Waking up at the break of dusk is just not as impressive.
Scaleworm	Rare	Minion	Beast	Any	4	4	4	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain +1 Attack and Rush. A popular local alternative to bananas.
Twilight Drake	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Any	4	4	1	Battlecry: Gain +1 Health for each card in your hand. Twilight drakes feed on Mystical Energy. And Tacos.
Witchwood Grizzly	Rare	Minion	Beast	Any	5	3	12	Taunt Battlecry: Lose 1 Health for each card in your opponent's hand. You know what they say about people with big hands? Small bears.
Cathedral Gargoyle	Epic	Minion	General	Paladin	2	2	2	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain Taunt and Divine Shield. Fly like an eagle, drop like a rock.
Dead Man's Hand	Epic	Spell		Warrior	2			Shuffle a copy of your hand into your deck. I got two pair, Rags and Armorsmiths. What you got?
Mountain Giant	Epic	Minion	General	Any	12	8	8	Costs (1) less for each other card in your hand. His mother said that he was just big boned.
Twilight Acolyte	Epic	Minion	General	Priest	3	2	4	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, swap this minion's Attack with another minion's. The dragons mostly keep him around as a snack.
Wispering Woods	Epic	Spell		Druid	4			Summon a 1/1 Wisp for each card in your hand. We didn't actually fire the guy who named Dark Wispers.
Chameleos	Legendary	Minion	Beast	Priest	1	1	1	Each turn this is in your hand, transform it into a card your opponent is holding. He's everyone you want to be.
Emeriss	Legendary	Minion	Dragon	Hunter	10	8	8	Battlecry: Double the Attack and Health of all minions in your hand. Taste your world's corruption! It tastes like chicken.
Glinda Crowskin	Legendary	Minion	General	Warlock	6	3	7	Minions in your hand have Echo. Summon an unlimited* number of minions!** *Six **Wisps
Showing all 17 cards

Wild format

 This section contains information exclusive to Wild format.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Blackwing Corruptor	Common	Minion	General	Any	5	5	4	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, deal 3 damage. He got his name when he gave Blackwing some comic books and rock & roll records.
Blackwing Technician	Common	Minion	General	Any	3	2	4	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain +1/+1. This is who you go to when your Blackwing needs a tune up. Don't go to a cut rate Blackwing tune up shop!
Brave Archer	Common	Minion	General	Hunter	1	2	1	Inspire: If your hand is empty, deal 2 damage to the enemy hero. This is a "bearly" concealed reference.
Netherspite Historian	Common	Minion	General	Any	2	1	3	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, Discover a Dragon. She can tell you all about the history of people not STANDING IN THE GREEN BEAM!
Nightbane Templar	Common	Minion	General	Paladin	3	2	3	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, summon two 1/1 Whelps. Originally joined to be Arcanagos’ Templar, but has to admit that ordering pizza has become waaaay easier.
Quick Shot	Common	Spell		Hunter	2			Deal 3 damage. If your hand is empty, draw a card. Han shot first.
Tanaris Hogchopper	Common	Minion	General	Any	4	4	4	Battlecry: If your opponent's hand is empty, gain Charge. The Hogchoppers are well-known throughout Kalimdor for being a real, actual group.
Twilight Whelp	Common	Minion	Dragon	Priest	1	2	1	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain +2 Health. The twilight whelps are basically magic-vampires. Despite this, they are not a reference to any popular series of novels.
Alexstrasza's Champion	Rare	Minion	General	Warrior	2	2	3	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain +1 Attack and Charge. "Put more spikes on her. No, more spikes. What part of 'more spikes' do you not understand? MORE SPIKES!" - Alexstrasza
Book Wyrm	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Any	6	3	6	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, destroy an enemy minion with 3 Attack or less. His favorites are classic tragedies like "The Hobbit" and "Grendel".
Core Rager	Rare	Minion	Beast	Hunter	4	4	4	Battlecry: If your hand is empty, gain +3/+3. It takes a special kind of hunter to venture deep into a firey lava pit and convince a monster who lives there to come home and be a cuddly housepet.
Drakonid Operative	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Priest	5	5	6	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, Discover a card in your opponent's deck. His job is to spy on the Goons and the Jade Lotus, but he's OBVIOUSLY a dragon so it's pretty hard work.
Goblin Sapper	Rare	Minion	General	Any	3	2	4	Has +4 Attack while your opponent has 6 or more cards in hand. He’s not such a binge exploder anymore. These days, he only explodes socially.
Midnight Drake	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Any	4	1	4	Battlecry: Gain +1 Attack for each other card in your hand. Still fearsome in the daytime.
Wyrmrest Agent	Rare	Minion	General	Priest	2	1	4	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain +1 Attack and Taunt. Keeping tabs on the Grand Tournament is priority #1 for the five mighty Dragonflights!
Clockwork Giant	Epic	Minion	Mech	Any	12	8	8	Costs (1) less for each card in your opponent's hand. He and Mountain Giant don't get along.
Leatherclad Hogleader	Epic	Minion	General	Any	6	6	6	Battlecry: If your opponent has 6 or more cards in hand, gain Charge. The Hogchoppers, the terrors of Tanaris, can always be found at one tavern or another in Gadgetzan, refueling for totally real and legit adventures that they go on.
Twilight Guardian	Epic	Minion	Dragon	Any	4	2	6	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, gain +1 Attack and Taunt. A result of magical experiments carried out by the Black Dragonflight, it's not his fault that he's a vicious killer.
Chillmaw	Legendary	Minion	Dragon	Any	7	6	6	Taunt Deathrattle: If you're holding a Dragon, deal 3 damage to all minions. Chillmaw keeps trying to ruin the Grand Tournament, and she would've done it too, if it weren't for those dang kids!
Rend Blackhand	Legendary	Minion	General	Any	7	8	4	Battlecry: If you're holding a Dragon, destroy a Legendary minion. Rend believes he is the True Warchief of the Horde and he keeps editing the wikipedia page for "Warchief of the Horde" to include his picture.
Showing all 20 cards