Healing

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 and druids.

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 Lightwarden will not trigger).
• Healing effects with an area of effect (such as Circle of Healing) heal all affected targets before any on-heal triggered effect (such as Shadowboxer) triggers.
• Auchenai Soulpriest, Auchenai Phantasm, and Embrace the Shadow make your healing effects deal damage instead (for additional details see the Advanced rules section below).
• Prophet 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. Reno 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 Northshire Cleric. Priests have the widest range of healing options in general, as well as almost exclusive access to healing synergy cards. Lesser Heal works especially well to heal either themselves or their minions, while AoE heals like Circle of Healing and Holy Nova allow for powerful combos with cards like Northshire Cleric.

A few priest cards (Auchenai Soulpriest and Embrace the Shadow) have the effect of converting healing into damage, allowing for some very efficient plays especially when combined with cheap healing cards like Flash Heal and Circle of Healing.

Advanced rules

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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" (Binding 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 Light of the Naaru, Moonglade Portal and Lay on Hands) resolve the Healing Event before they query the target's condition (e.g., if the target of Light 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 Power Word: Glory, the source of the Healing Event is the enchantment created by the spell, not the spell itself), target and proposed healing:

• Most healing effects have as proposed healing a fixed number explicitly stated in their text (for example, Lesser Heal simply reads "Restore 2 Health");
• Some healing effects have a variable proposed healing which may depend on the damage dealt by a source (Mistress of Pain, Hallazeal the Ascended, Wickerflame Burnbristle), on the cost of a card (Ivory Knight), on available mana (Forbidden Healing) or on the number of enemy minions (Cult Apothecary);
• Stoneskin Gargoyle's proposed healing is equal to the difference between its maximum Helth and its current Health;
• All other effects that restore a character to full Health (like Ancestral Healing, Reno Jackson, Tree of Life and Hozen Healer) have a proposed healing equal to that character's maximum Health.

Then, if the controller of the source of the Healing Event also controlled an unsilenced Auchenai Soulpriest since the last Aura Update (Other) Step or controls the enchantment created by Embrace 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 Tree of Life all characters will suffer damage equal to their maximum Health, usually causing them all to die.
• Example: In combination with Auchenai Soulpriest, Mistress of Pain will instead deal damage to the controlling player; however, since that damage is counted as damage dealt by the Mistress of Pain herself, her effect will trigger again and again until the controlling hero is destroyed.

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 Power Word: Glory) and its controller also controlled an unsilenced Prophet 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, on-heal triggers (listed in the following table) queue and resolve in play order.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Northshire Cleric	Free	Minion	General	Priest	1	1	3	Whenever a minion is healed, draw a card. They help the downtrodden and distressed. Also they sell cookies.
Holy Champion	Common	Minion	General	Priest	4	3	5	Whenever a character is healed, gain +2 Attack. She really likes seeing people get better. That's why she hurts them in the first place.
Hooded Acolyte	Common	Minion	General	Priest	4	3	6	Whenever a character is healed, give your C'Thun +1/+1 (Wherever it is). Wait, what kind of acolyte doesn't wear a hood?
Lightwarden	Rare	Minion	General	Any	1	1	2	Whenever a character is healed, gain +2 Attack. She’s smaller than her sisters Mediumwarden and Heavywarden.
Nightscale Matriarch	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Priest	7	4	9	Whenever a friendly minion is healed, summon a 3/3 Whelp. Everywhelp, get in here!
Shadowboxer	Rare	Minion	Mech	Priest	2	2	3	Whenever a minion is healed, deal 1 damage to a random enemy. Punching is its primary function. Also, its secondary function.
Soup Vendor	Rare	Minion	General	Any	2	1	4	Whenever you restore 3 or more Health to your hero, draw a card. Fresh from the floor of the arena!
Mana Geode	Epic	Minion	Elemental	Priest	2	2	3	Whenever this minion is healed, summon a 2/2 Crystal. Gadgetzan, where even the pet rocks have pet rocks.
Showing all 8 cards

Cards with healing effects

For Wild format listings, see Healing/Wild format

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Death Coil	None	Spell		Death Knight	2			Deal 5 damage to an enemy, or restore 5 Health to a friendly character.
Grave Vengeance	None	Weapon		Paladin	5	5	3
Heal	None	Hero Power		Priest	2			Hero Power Restore 4 Health.
Lesser Heal	None	Hero Power		Priest	2			Hero Power Restore 2 Health.
Siphon Life	None	Hero Power		Warlock	2			Hero Power Lifesteal Deal 3 damage.
Ancestral Healing	Free	Spell		Shaman	0			Restore a minion to full Health and give it Taunt. I personally prefer some non-ancestral right-the-heck-now healing, but maybe that is just me.
Darkscale Healer	Free	Minion	General	Any	5	4	5	Battlecry: Restore 2 Health to all friendly characters. Healing is just something she does in her free time. It's more of a hobby really.
Drain Life	Free	Spell		Warlock	3			Deal 2 damage. Restore 2 Health to your hero. "I've just sucked one year of your life away."
Guardian of Kings	Free	Minion	General	Paladin	7	5	6	Battlecry: Restore 6 Health to your hero. Holy beings from the beyond are so cliché!
Healing Totem	Free	Minion	Totem	Shaman	1	0	2	At the end of your turn, restore 1 Health to all friendly minions.
Healing Touch	Free	Spell		Druid	3			Restore 8 Health. 8 Health, no waiting.
Holy Light	Free	Spell		Paladin	2			Restore 6 Health. If you are often bathed in Holy Light, you should consider wearing sunscreen.
Holy Nova	Free	Spell		Priest	5			Deal 2 damage to all enemies. Restore 2 Health to all friendly characters. If the Holy Light forsakes you, good luck casting this spell. Also, you're probably a jerk.
Sacrificial Pact	Free	Spell		Warlock	0			Destroy a Demon. Restore 5 Health to your hero. This is the reason that Demons never really become friends with Warlocks.
Truesilver Champion	Free	Weapon		Paladin	4	4	2	Whenever your hero attacks, restore 2 Health to it. It Slices, it Dices. You can cut a tin can with it. (But you wouldn't want to.)
Voodoo Doctor	Free	Minion	General	Any	1	2	1	Battlecry: Restore 2 Health. Voodoo is an oft-misunderstood art. But it is art.
Acolyte of Agony	Common	Minion	General	Priest	3	3	3	Lifesteal It takes many years of practiced study in order to fully master agony.
Aranasi Broodmother	Common	Minion	Demon	Warlock	6	4	6	Taunt When you draw this, restore 4 Health to your hero. She's got a big brood and a big mood.
Benevolent Djinn	Common	Minion	Elemental	Paladin	3	2	4	At the end of your turn, restore 3 Health to your hero. Wish #1: funnel cakes. Wish #2: funnel cakes. Wish #3: FUNNEL CAKES.
Binding Heal	Common	Spell		Priest	1			Restore 5 Health to a minion and your hero. By accepting this healing, you agree to the following terms…
Bloodworm	Common	Minion	Beast	Any	5	4	4	Lifesteal Queen Lana'thel insists on one of these, fried, every morning for breakfast.
Cheaty Anklebiter	Common	Minion	General	Any	2	2	1	Lifesteal Battlecry: Deal 1 damage. Famed hunter of the deadly Achilliosaur.
Chillblade Champion	Common	Minion	General	Paladin	4	3	2	Charge Lifesteal It slices, it dices, it vaporizes! The Chillblade will make a Champion out of even the lowliest gnome.
Circle of Healing	Common	Spell		Priest	0			Restore 4 Health to ALL minions. It isn't really a circle.
Dark Pact	Common	Spell		Warlock	1			Destroy a friendly minion. Restore 4 Health to your hero. "Don't worry about the fine print. Just sign here."
Deadscale Knight	Common	Minion	Murloc	Any	1	1	1	Lifesteal His favorite spell is Chum Explosion.
Deranged Doctor	Common	Minion	General	Any	8	8	8	Deathrattle: Restore 8 Health to your hero. Unfortunately, his doctorate is in Murloc Literature.
Divine Hymn	Common	Spell		Priest	2			Restore 6 Health to all friendly characters. Taken up an octave, it's highly effective against stained glass golems.
Drain Soul	Common	Spell		Warlock	2			Lifesteal Deal 2 damage to a minion. Cleans even the toughest clogs with just a flick of the wrist!
Earthen Ring Farseer	Common	Minion	General	Any	3	3	3	Battlecry: Restore 3 Health. He can see really far, and he doesn't use a telescope like those filthy pirates.
Felsoul Inquisitor	Common	Minion	Demon	Any	4	1	6	Lifesteal Taunt Everyone expects an inquisition reference.
Flash of Light	Common	Spell		Paladin	2			Restore 4 health. Draw a card. Hey! No cameras allowed!
Fungal Enchanter	Common	Minion	General	Any	3	3	3	Battlecry: Restore 2 Health to all friendly characters. Qualifications: Born with pointy hat.
Healing Rain	Common	Spell		Shaman	3			Restore 12 Health divided randomly among all friendly characters. It's filled with electrolytes!
Hench-Clan Shadequill	Common	Minion	General	Priest	4	4	7	Deathrattle: Restore 5 Health to the enemy hero. The Hench-Clan has a point.
Hot Spring Guardian	Common	Minion	Elemental	Shaman	3	2	4	Taunt Battlecry: Restore 3 Health. NONE SHALL PASS until at least an hour after eating.
Potion Vendor	Common	Minion	General	Any	1	1	1	Battlecry: Restore 2 Health to all friendly characters. Everyone gets two because that's all she can hold.
Priestess of Elune	Common	Minion	General	Any	6	5	4	Battlecry: Restore 4 Health to your hero. If she threatens to "moon" you, it's not what you think.
Pumpkin Peasant	Common	Minion	General	Any	3	2	4	Lifesteal Each turn this is in your hand, swap its Attack and Health. Time to squash your opponent.
Pumpkin Peasant	Common	Minion	General	Any	3	4	2	Lifesteal Each turn this is in your hand, swap its Attack and Health.
Regenerate	Common	Spell		Priest	0			Restore 3 Health. Finally a cure for degenerates.
Regeneratin' Thug	Common	Minion	General	Any	4	3	5	At the start of your turn, restore 2 Health to this minion. Regenerates any injury except heartbreak.
Rotten Applebaum	Common	Minion	General	Any	5	4	5	Taunt Deathrattle: Restore 4 Health to your hero. Key ingredient in Gilnean applesauce.
Rusty Recycler	Common	Minion	Mech	Any	5	2	6	Taunt Lifesteal Ironic. It could recycle others, but not itself.
Shroom Brewer	Common	Minion	General	Any	4	4	4	Battlecry: Restore 4 Health. Side effects guaranteed!
Spirit Lash	Common	Spell		Priest	2			Lifesteal Deal 1 damage to all minions. We've got spirit, yes we do! We've got spirit, stolen from you!
Squashling	Common	Minion	General	Priest	2	2	1	Echo Battlecry: Restore 2 Health. Everyone hail to the squashling song!
Swamp Leech	Common	Minion	Beast	Any	1	2	1	Lifesteal A face only a druid could love.
Tidal Surge	Common	Spell		Shaman	4			Deal 4 damage to a minion. Restore 4 Health to your hero. Also good for removing pesky stains.
Vicious Scalehide	Common	Minion	Beast	Any	2	1	3	Lifesteal Rush They make wonderful pets if you're not allergic to blood loss.
Walking Fountain	Common	Minion	Elemental	Shaman	8	4	8	Lifesteal, Rush, Windfury The weirdest part is that it doesn't have legs.
Amethyst Spellstone	Rare	Spell		Warlock	4			Lifesteal. Deal 5 damage to a minion. (Take damage from your cards to upgrade.)
Greater Amethyst Spellstone	Rare	Spell		Warlock	4			Lifesteal. Deal 7 damage to a minion.
Holy Fire	Rare	Spell		Priest	6			Deal 5 damage. Restore 5 Health to your hero. Often followed by Holy Smokes!
Lesser Amethyst Spellstone	Rare	Spell		Warlock	4			Lifesteal. Deal 3 damage to a minion. (Take damage from your cards to upgrade.) A purple stone Azari carved For dark hearts, craving, power-starved. The first to bow, the warlock Rin, Embraced the darkness, slew her kin.
Lifedrinker	Rare	Minion	Beast	Any	4	3	3	Battlecry: Deal 3 damage to the enemy hero. Restore 3 Health to your hero. In a pinch, he'll also settle for Holy Water: Zero.
Lightwell	Rare	Minion	General	Priest	2	0	5	At the start of your turn, restore 3 Health to a damaged friendly character. It isn't clear if people ignore the Lightwell, or if it is just invisible.
Omega Medic	Rare	Minion	General	Priest	3	3	4	Battlecry: If you have 10 Mana Crystals, restore 10 Health to your hero. She feels waiting for healing makes you appreciate it more.
Paragon of Light	Rare	Minion	General	Paladin	3	2	5	While this minion has 3 or more Attack, it has Taunt and Lifesteal. She’s all fun and games until someone rings that stupid bell.
Siphon Soul	Rare	Spell		Warlock	6			Destroy a minion. Restore 3 Health to your hero. You probably should avoid siphoning your own soul. You might create some kind of weird infinite loop.
Ancient of Lore	Epic	Minion	General	Druid	7	5	5	Choose One - Draw a card; or Restore 5 Health. Go ahead, carve your initials in him.
Deathweb Spider	Epic	Minion	Beast	Warlock	5	4	6	Battlecry: If your hero took damage this turn, gain Lifesteal. The itsy bitsy spiders climbed up the village wall. Then came the witch and the spiders ate them all.
Lay on Hands	Epic	Spell		Paladin	8			Restore 8 Health. Draw 3 cards. A grammatically awkward life saver.
Obsidian Statue	Epic	Minion	General	Priest	9	4	8	Taunt. Lifesteal. Deathrattle: Destroy a random enemy minion. The original artist spent many hours with a fine chisel perfecting the facial expression for maximum tauntiness.
Spectral Cutlass	Epic	Weapon		Rogue	4	2	2	Lifesteal Whenever you play a card from another class, gain +1 Durability. So sharp it can cut through a spectral tomato!
Blood-Queen Lana'thel	Legendary	Minion	General	Warlock	5	1	6	Lifesteal Has +1 Attack for each card you've discarded this game. As a young blood-princess she learned the proper way for a lady to curtsy, how to address fellow members of royalty, and how to bite them.
Crystalsmith Kangor	Legendary	Minion	General	Paladin	2	1	2	Divine Shield, Lifesteal Your healing is doubled. He wants to tank, but Boom always makes him play support.
High Priestess Jeklik	Legendary	Minion	General	Warlock	4	3	4	Taunt, Lifesteal When you discard this, add 2 copies of it to your hand. If you love Jeklik, set her free. YOU CAN'T GET RID OF HER.
Kalimos, Primal Lord	Legendary	Minion	Elemental	Shaman	8	7	7	Battlecry: If you played an Elemental last turn, cast an Elemental Invocation. All that's missing is a little heart.
Prince Valanar	Legendary	Minion	General	Any	4	4	4	Battlecry: If your deck has no 4-Cost cards, gain Lifesteal and Taunt. Three Princes stand before you. This one devours one after another.
Shirvallah, the Tiger	Legendary	Minion	Beast	Paladin	25	7	5	Divine Shield, Rush, Lifesteal Costs (1) less for each Mana you've spent on spells. On bended knee Thekal placed his weapon upon Shirvallah’s altar, whereupon she slowly knocked it off with her paw.
Zilliax	Legendary	Minion	Mech	Any	5	3	2	Magnetic Divine Shield, Taunt, Lifesteal, Rush Everything but the kitchen sink. Oh wait, there's one on his back.
Showing all 72 cards

Rise of Shadows

The below cards are planned for release with Rise of Shadows, coming April 9, 2019.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Crystal Power	Common	Spell		Druid	1			Choose One: Deal 2 damage to a minion; or Restore 5 Health. Often used as healing crystals, but also good for throwing at people.
Travelling Healer	Common	Minion	General	Any	4	3	2	Divine Shield Battlecry: Restore 3 Health. Some heroes have soft hearts and hard shells.
Witch's Brew	Epic	Spell		Shaman	2			Restore 4 Health. Repeatable this turn. The swill has eyes!
Nozari	Legendary	Minion	Dragon	Paladin	10	4	12	Battlecry: Restore both heroes to full Health. In another timeline, she was called Yeszari.
Showing all 4 cards

Related cards

For Wild format listings, see Healing/Wild format

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Northshire Cleric	Free	Minion	General	Priest	1	1	3	Whenever a minion is healed, draw a card. They help the downtrodden and distressed. Also they sell cookies.
Clockwork Automaton	Common	Minion	Mech	Any	5	4	4	Double the damage and healing of your Hero Power. Most mechs are pretty chill, but this one is all wound up.
Auchenai Soulpriest	Rare	Minion	General	Priest	4	3	5	Your cards and powers that restore Health now deal damage instead. The Auchenai know the end is coming, but they're not sure when.
Happy Ghoul	Rare	Minion	General	Any	3	3	3	Costs (0) if your hero was healed this turn. When life gives you snow…
Lesser Pearl Spellstone	Rare	Spell		Paladin	2			Summon a 2/2 Spirit with Taunt. (Restore 3 Health to upgrade.) In ages old, when Ancients broke Azari of the Legion spoke To tempt the mortals: gems of power The weak succumbed, their souls devoured.
Lightwarden	Rare	Minion	General	Any	1	1	2	Whenever a character is healed, gain +2 Attack. She’s smaller than her sisters Mediumwarden and Heavywarden.
Nightscale Matriarch	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Priest	7	4	9	Whenever a friendly minion is healed, summon a 3/3 Whelp. Everywhelp, get in here!
Pearl Spellstone	Rare	Spell		Paladin	2			Summon a 4/4 Spirit with Taunt. (Restore 3 Health to upgrade.)
Soup Vendor	Rare	Minion	General	Any	2	1	4	Whenever you restore 3 or more Health to your hero, draw a card. Fresh from the floor of the arena!
Zandalari Templar	Rare	Minion	General	Paladin	4	4	4	Battlecry: If you've restored 10 Health this game, gain +4/+4 and Taunt. YOU WERE A TEMPLAR, JONDAR!
Auchenai Phantasm	Epic	Minion	General	Priest	2	3	2	Battlecry: This turn, your healing effects deal damage instead. “Okay kids did everyone remember to heal before we left?”
Blackguard	Epic	Minion	General	Paladin	6	3	9	Whenever your hero is healed, deal that much damage to a random enemy minion. "Did I ever tell you the story of when I single-handedly took down a 29/29 C'thun?" - Reno Jackson
Crystal Stag	Epic	Minion	Beast	Druid	5	4	4	Rush. Battlecry: If you've restored 5 Health this game, summon a copy of this. Arrives alone, but usually leaves with a friend just like him.
Crystalsmith Kangor	Legendary	Minion	General	Paladin	2	1	2	Divine Shield, Lifesteal Your healing is doubled. He wants to tank, but Boom always makes him play support.
Prophet Velen	Legendary	Minion	General	Priest	7	7	7	Double the damage and healing of your spells and Hero Power. He's been exiled from his home, and all his brothers turned evil, but otherwise he doesn't have a lot to complain about.
The Glass Knight	Legendary	Minion	General	Paladin	4	4	3	Divine Shield Whenever you restore Health, gain Divine Shield. She seems scary, but she's got a glass jaw.
Showing all 16 cards

See also

• Damage

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 Casts When Drawn 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 Overkill Overload Permanent Poisonous Put into battlefield Put into hand Quest Recruit Refresh Mana Remove from deck Replace Rush Restore Health Return to hand Secret Shrine Shuffle into deck Silence Spell Damage Spend mana Start of Game Stealth Summon Taunt Take control Transform Twinspell 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	Standard	Basic Classic The Witchwood The Boomsday Project Rastakhan's Rumble Rise of Shadows
	Wild	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 Journey to Un'Goro Knights of the Frozen Throne Kobolds & Catacombs
By rarity	Free Common Rare Epic Legendary