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Healing is the restoration of Health to a damaged character. Healing a character will increase their Health by the stated amount, up to but not beyond their current maximum Health.

Healing effects or Restore Health effects are effects which restore Health. These may be Hero Powers, spells or abilities such as Battlecries or Deathrattles. Most healing effects affect a single character (these effects can be targetable or select the target automatically or at random), while some others have an area of effect.

Healing is distinct from granting a minion increased Health, which increases both the current and maximum Health for the target. Increasing a minion's Health is usually achieved through enchantments (or removing them through Silences), while healing is usually achieved through effects.

Healing is available to all classes through neutral cards, but is most strongly associated with the priest class, and to a lesser extent paladins, shamans, druids and demon hunters.

Notes[]

  • Although healing effects (including targetable ones) can target undamaged characters, attempting to restore Health to a character already at their current maximum Health will have no effect and will not count as healing for game purposes (for example, on-heal triggers such as LegacyLightwarden will not trigger).
  • Healing effects with an area of effect (such as LegacyCircle of Healing) heal all affected targets before any on-heal triggered effect (such as Goblins vs GnomesShadowboxer) triggers.[1]
  • LegacyAuchenai Soulpriest, Rastakhan's RumbleAuchenai Phantasm, and Whispers of the Old GodsEmbrace the Shadow make your healing effects deal damage instead (for additional details see the Advanced rules section below).
  • LegacyProphet Velen doubles the healing of your healing spells and Hero Powers (for additional details see the Advanced rules section below). Note that Prophet Velen will NOT double the healing recieved by minions with Lifesteal.
  • Healing a character to full Health will remove its damaged status and thus any Enrage effect currently active, which can be very useful for denying enemy minions' Enrage effects.

Strategy[]

Healing can be very useful for sustaining friendly minions, allowing them to survive another round, or trade favourably with enemy minions. It can also be used to restore Health to the hero, preventing defeat and moving the hero out of lethal range. Healing is often used as a counter to aggro decks, which focus on quickly reducing an opponent's Health before they have time to counter.

Healing works best in control-based strategies, especially hero healing, which can allow the player to outlast their opponent. The League of ExplorersReno Jackson is an especially powerful neutral healing option, single-handedly forming the basis of many control deck types. Minion healing can allow for superior trades and card efficiency, but works best with synergy cards like LegacyNorthshire Cleric. Priests have the widest range of healing options in general, as well as almost exclusive access to healing synergy cards. LegacyLesser Heal works especially well to heal either themselves or their minions, while AoE heals like LegacyCircle of Healing and LegacyHoly Nova allow for powerful combos with cards like Northshire Cleric.

A few priest cards (LegacyAuchenai Soulpriest, Whispers of the Old GodsEmbrace the Shadow) and ((Auchenai Phantasm)) have the effect of converting healing into damage, allowing for some very efficient plays especially when combined with cheap healing cards like The Grand TournamentFlash Heal and LegacyCircle of Healing.

Advanced rules[]

Click 'Expand' to view section
Healing Events

Healing effects work by creating and resolving Healing Events:

  • Healing effects that affect a single target create one Healing Event, and then immediately resolve it;
  • Healing effects that affect "multiple targets" (Journey to Un'GoroBinding Heal) creates and resolves the Healing Event of each target before moving to the next one;
  • Healing effects with an area of effect first create all Healing Events (one for each affected character, in play order), and then resolve all Healing Events (queuing and resolving triggers) in play order.

Spells and effects with two steps (like Goblins vs GnomesLight of the Naaru, One Night in KarazhanMoonglade Portal and LegacyLay on Hands) resolve the Healing Event before they query the target's condition (e.g., if the target of Goblins vs GnomesLight of the Naaru is damaged) or move to their next step.


Creating a Healing Event

Each Healing Event has its own source (usually, the healing effect that created the Event; notice that, in the case of The Grand TournamentPower Word: Glory, the source of the Healing Event is the enchantment created by the spell, not the spell itself), target and proposed healing:

Then, if the controller of the source of the Healing Event also controlled an unsilenced LegacyAuchenai Soulpriest since the last Aura Update (Other) Step or controls the enchantment created by Whispers of the Old GodsEmbrace the Shadow, the Healing Event is prevented and replaced with a Damage Event: this Damage Event has the same source and target of the Healing Event and has a proposed damage equal to its proposed healing (for additional details, see Damage#Advanced rules).

  • Example: If a player with an Auchenai Soulpriest active casts Goblins vs GnomesTree of Life all characters will suffer damage equal to their maximum Health, usually causing them all to die.
  • Example: In combination with Auchenai Soulpriest, Goblins vs GnomesQueen of Pain will instead deal damage to the controlling player;[2] however, since that damage is counted as damage dealt by the Queen of Pain herself, her effect will trigger again and again until the controlling hero is destroyed.[2]

Then, if the the source of the Healing Event is a Hero Power or a spell (notice that this does not include the enchantment created by The Grand TournamentPower Word: Glory) and its controller also controlled an unsilenced LegacyProphet Velen since the last Aura Update (Other) Step, double the proposed healing of the Healing Event. Multiple Prophet Velens stack, each one doubling the proposed healing.

Finally, the character's current Health is increased by the Healing Event's proposed healing, up to but not beyond its current maximum Health.


Resolving a Healing Event

If the Healing Event was prevented or if it did not change the character's current Health, it will not run any triggers.

Otherwise, Triggered effect#Healing (listed in the following table) queue and resolve in play order.

NameClassTypeRarityCostAtkHP/Dur.ArmorDescription
Lightwarden Neutral Minion Rare 112Whenever a character is healed, gain +2 Attack.
Northshire Cleric Priest Minion Common 113Whenever a minion is healed, draw a card.
Luminous Geode Priest Minion - Elemental Common 214After a friendly minion is healed, give it +2 Attack.
Shadowboxer Priest Minion - Mech Rare 223Whenever a minion is healed, deal 1 damage to a random enemy.
Lifeweaver Druid Minion Rare 325Whenever you restore Health, add a random Druid spell to your hand.
Hooded Acolyte Priest Minion Common 436
Hooded Acolyte Priest Minion Common 436Whenever a character is healed, give your C'Thun +1/+1 (wherever it is).
The Glass Knight Paladin Minion Legendary 443Divine Shield Whenever you restore Health, gain Divine Shield.
Spirit of Lucentbark Druid Minion 111Dormant When you restore 5 Health, awaken this minion. (5 left!)

Cards with healing effects[]

For Wild format listings, see Healing/Wild format

Collectible[]


Swipe left or right to see the cards.
ETC 449
CORE AT 055
JAM 025
TSC 952
CORE EX1 011
CORE ICC 055
ETC 332
ETC 084
CORE TRL 307
TTN 456
CORE BT 921
CORE DRG 229
ETC 369
CORE BT 801
TTN 745
TID 706
TID 085
CORE CS1 112
NX2 021
TTN 460
TTN 733
RLK 219
NX2 020
RLK 024
CORE GIL 622
REV 957
CORE EX1 309
CORE CS2 097
ETC 356
CORE DRG 226
RLK 730
ETC 329
CORE GIL 667
ETC 522
RLK 220
TSC 959
CORE BOT 548
RLK 067
RLK 720
TTN 800
JAM 004
JAM 016
CORE NEW1 008
TSC 216
RLK 539
TTN 866
RLK 551
CS3 031
ETC 210
TTN 903
REV 906
JAM 030

Uncollectible[]


Swipe left or right to see the cards.
TTN 903t2
REV 957t
TTN 800t
ETC 423t
TTN 450t
NEW1 009
TTN 719t7
HERO 09bp
TTN 039t
RLK 211t
ETC 085t6
JAM 033t3
TTN 480t6
BT 304t
TSC 919t
TTN 458t
NX2 034t
NEW1 008b
REV 906t

Related cards[]

For Wild format listings, see Healing/Wild format

Swipe left or right to see the cards.
ETC 423
ETC 523
TTN 745
RLK 115
ETC 522

See also[]

References[]

 
  1. http://imgur.com/a/ZmOKA Tested in Patch 3.0.0.9786 (TGT patch)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Yong Woo on Twitter. (2014-12-02). 
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