Mana cost

The mana cost of a card or Hero Power determines how much mana is required to play that card from the hand or to use that Hero Power. The number is displayed inside a blue crystal in the upper left corner of each card, and at the top of each Hero Power. When a card is played or a Hero Power is used, its mana cost is deducted from the player's available mana for that turn.

All cards and Hero Powers have mana costs, even those not normally played from the hand (such as minions summoned by summon effects like Murloc Tidehunter's Battlecry or Unleash the Hounds). This is relevant when cards like Evolve affect minions based on their cost, or when minions are returned to the hand.

Most cards have mana costs in the 0-10 range, while all playable Hero Powers cost 2 mana. However, some effects can modify mana costs (even though not below 0).

Mana cost might be considered an attribute or statistic of a card, but does not affect the card in combat. The mana cost of a card determines how early or late in the game it may be played and is usually an indicator of the card's overall power. The distribution of mana costs in a deck is the mana curve, an important strategic consideration.

Modifying costs

Effects may reduce or increase the cost of cards and Hero Powers, or set them to a specific value. These effects either are ongoing effects or act by creating cost-modification enchantments (for a complete list see Cards below).

• Cards that modify their own mana cost (such as Dread Corsair) only work while in the player's hand: they have no effect while the card is anywhere else, such as in the player's deck or in the battlefield (see in-hand effects for details). Most of them are ongoing effects, while a few (Nerubian Prophet, Knight of the Wild) are triggered effects.
• Ongoing effects that modify the mana cost of other cards or Hero Powers (such as Mana Wraith and Maiden of the Lake) apply a modifier to all eligible cards currently in hand (but not to cards in play) and to eligible Hero Powers: removing or neutralising (for example by using Silence effects) the source of the effect will therefore immediately remove the modifier from any affected card or Hero Power.

Example: A Mechwarper would allow a Clockwork Gnome to be played for 0 mana, returned to the hand, and played for 0 mana again, but even with the Mechwarper in play a Recombobulator would cause the Clockwork Gnome to be transformed into a 1-Cost minion, not a 0-Cost one.

• Cost-modification enchantments may be created by spells (like Unstable Portal), triggered effects (like Emperor Thaurissan) or Battlecries (like Millhouse Manastorm and Saboteur).

• Cost-modification enchantments that are attached to a card in a player's deck (such as due to Renounce Darkness) are not removed when the modified card is drawn.
• Cost-modification enchantments that are attached to a card in hand are removed once the modified card is played: effects which depend on mana cost will then use the original mana cost of the card and, if it is returned to the hand, re-playing it will cost the original amount.

Example: A Bloodfen Raptor drawn with Call Pet costs 0 mana when first played, but would cost 2 mana to re-play if returned to the hand by Youthful Brewmaster, and would be transformed into a 2-Cost minion if targeted by Recombobulator.

• Some cost-modification enchantments (such as Preparation and Saboteur) are attached to a player instead of a card. Usually these enchantments have a limited duration and expire by themselves "the next time something happens" (which can be many turns later, such as for Dragon Consort and Fencing Coach) or "at the end of the turn". The only exception is Raza the Chained, whose effect lasts for the rest of the game.

When there are multiple cost-modification effects, they are applied in the order in which they have been generated (from oldest to newest; notice that cards that were in a player's deck at the beginning of the game still have that timestamp when drawn); the only exception is Summoning Portal, which is always applied first even if played last. Unlike Health/Attack enchantments and auras, cost-modification enchantments and auras have no special priority over one another.

Example: If Millhouse Manastorm is played followed by Loatheb, spell costs are first set to 0, then increased by 5 for a final cost of 5. In the opposite order, spell costs would first increase by 5, then be set to 0, for a final cost of 0.

Example: If Emperor Thaurissan's effect triggers, reducing the mana cost of an in-hand Wolfrider to 2, and Naga Sea Witch then comes into play, her effect immediately increases the Wolfrider card's cost to 5; at the end of that turn, Emperor Thaurissan triggers again, reducing the Wolfrider's mana cost to 4.

Example: If Emperor Thaurissan's effect triggers, reducing the mana cost of an in-hand War Golem to 6, and Aviana then comes into play, her effect immediately reduces the War Golem card's cost to 1; at the end of that turn, Emperor Thaurissan triggers again, reducing the War Golem's mana cost to 0.

Example: If you have a Naga Sea Witch in play and a Fiery War Axe equipped and draw a Dread Corsair from your deck, the Dread Corsair's final mana cost will be 5: the Dread Corsair card, being in your deck since the beginning of the game, is older than the Naga Sea Witch minion in play, and thus its effect is applied first, and then overwritten by the newer one by Naga Sea Witch. However, if you later return the Dread Corsair minion from the battlefield to your hand, it becomes a new Dread Corsair card, which is then newer than the Naga Sea Witch minion: thus, the Dread Corsair card's cost is first set to 5 by Naga Sea Witch and then, if you are still equipping the Fiery War Axe, it is reduced by 3, to a final mana cost of 2.

Example: If Knight of the Wild triggered twice before Aviana enters play, early cost-modification effects are overridden by the "newer" Aviana effect, for a final mana cost of 1; if you later summon another Beast, Knight of the Wild triggers again, reducing its mana cost to 0.

Example: If you play Naga Sea Witch and then Aviana, minion cards in your hand will cost 1; if you play Aviana and then Naga Sea Witch, minion cards in your hand will cost 5.

Example: Suppose you have Wilfred Fizzlebang on the battlefield. If you play Aviana and then use Life Tap, the minion card you draw will cost 0; if you use Life Tap and then play Aviana, the minion card you draw will cost 1.

Example: If Bright-Eyed Scout's Battlecry draws Mountain Giant, its cost will be set to 5 regardless of the number of cards in hand, and the cost will not change as the hand gains or loses cards: since the Mountain Giant card was created at the beginning of the game, its effect is always considered older than the Bright-Eyed Scout's Battlecry.

Example: If Bright-Eyed Scout's Battlecry draws Nerubian Prophet, its cost will be set to 5, and at the start of each subsequent turn its cost will drop to 4, 3, 2, and so on.

If a card's or Hero Power's modified cost would be negative, 0 is displayed and used instead (players can never gain mana from paying the cost of a card or Hero Power).

• This minimum of 0 is only enforced after all other cost modifications have been taken into account: this allows reductions like Far Sight to counteract subsequent increases such as Loatheb's.
• One may think of cards and Hero Powers as having two mana costs, an "actual" cost and a "hidden" cost. The hidden cost is simply the original mana cost with all subsequent modifications, and has no lower limit. The actual cost, which is displayed on the card or Hero Power and charged when the card is played or the Hero Power is used, is the greater of the hidden cost and 0.

Example: If Far Sight draws an Earth Shock, the Earth Shock has a hidden cost of -2 and an actual cost of 0; if the opponent then plays Loatheb the hidden cost increases by 5 and becomes -2 + 5 = 3, and the actual cost rises to 3 too. Thus, since only actual costs are displayed, apparently Far Sight reduced the cost of Earth Shock only by 1 (instead of 3) and Loatheb increased it only by 3 (instead of 5): however, even though Far Sight's reduction of -3 was temporarily, partially nullified by the lower limit of 0, it still remained in effect for later recalculation of the mana cost.

If a card's modified cost is different from its base cost, its mana cost will be displayed in a different colour:

• if the modified cost is lower than the base cost, it will be displayed in green;
• if the modified cost is higher than the base cost, it will be displayed in red;
• if a card's modified cost is equal to its base cost (for example because multiple cost modifying effects cancel each other out), the colour of its mana cost will not be altered.

Cho'gall's and Seadevil Stinger's Battlecry causes the next spell or Murloc the player plays that turn to deal to their hero an amount of damage equal to the card's mana cost, instead of expending mana.

• The mana costs of those cards are affected as usual by cost-modification effects, and thus their "Health cost" is modified accordingly.
• Despite the card's ambiguous wording, Cho'gall's and Seadevil Stinger's effect deal damage to the controlling hero, thus affecting Armor (if any) before reducing the hero's Health.
• Playing an affected card will cost no mana. However, card text effects which consume mana (such as Forbidden Ritual) are not altered.
• The player must be Immune or have a combined Health and Armor total greater than the final mana cost of an affected card in order to be allowed to play it (regardless of their currently available mana). Trying to play an affected card will otherwise result in an error message.
• Cards in hand that can be played using Cho'gall's or Seadevil Stinger's effect will have their mana cost highlighted by red bubbles.

Strategy

Main article: Mana curve

The mana cost of a card determines which round it will become available to play, as well as which cards it can be used in combination with. The mana curve of a deck describes how many cards are present at each mana cost, and is an important factor determining options available to a player based on the amount of mana available on each turn. When building a deck, it is wise to consider whether mana costs of cards and combinations follow the desired curve.

Expert players can also use this knowledge to predict which cards may be played on certain rounds. Mind Control, for instance, generally only becomes playable from round 10 onwards, while a Leeroy Jenkins + Power Overwhelming combo is available once the warlock has 6 mana.

Cards that modify mana cost

For Wild format listings, see Mana cost/Wild format

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Barnabus the Stomper	None	Minion	Beast	Druid	5	8	8	Battlecry: Reduce the Cost of your minions in your deck to (0).
Wondrous Wand	None	Spell		Any	3			Draw 3 cards. Reduce their Costs to (0).
Cheat Death	Common	Spell		Rogue	2			Secret: When a friendly minion dies, return it to your hand. It costs (2) less. Reported.
Dread Corsair	Common	Minion	Pirate	Any	4	3	3	Taunt. Costs (1) less per Attack of your weapon. "Yarrrr" is a pirate word that means "Greetings, milord."
Freezing Trap	Common	Spell		Hunter	2			Secret: When an enemy minion attacks, return it to its owner's hand and it costs (2) more. "Dang, that's cold." - appropriate response to Freezing Trap, or a mean joke.
Radiant Elemental	Common	Minion	Elemental	Priest	2	2	3	Your spells cost (1) less. It's a literal lava lamp!
Rebuke	Common	Spell		Paladin	2			Enemy spells cost (5) more next turn. When one buke just isn’t enough.
Shadowstep	Common	Spell		Rogue	0			Return a friendly minion to your hand. It costs (2) less. Rogue dance troops will sometimes Shadowstep away at the end of a performance. Crowds love it.
Sorcerer's Apprentice	Common	Minion	General	Mage	2	3	2	Your spells cost (1) less. Apprentices are great for bossing around. "Conjure me some mana buns! And a coffee! Make that a mana coffee!"
Summoning Portal	Common	Minion	General	Warlock	4	0	4	Your minions cost (2) less, but not less than (1). NOT LESS THAN 1! Don't get any ideas!
Venture Co. Mercenary	Common	Minion	General	Any	5	7	6	Your minions cost (3) more. No Job is too big. No fee is too big.
Corpse Widow	Rare	Minion	Beast	Hunter	5	4	6	Your Deathrattle cards cost (2) less. Her marriage survived death, but it decayed pretty quickly after that.
Crystal Lion	Rare	Minion	General	Paladin	6	5	5	Divine Shield Costs (1) less for each Silver Hand Recruit you control. Standard issue recruit gear: 1 silver sword, 1 Lordaeron insignia, 2 bags of crystal kibble.
Doomed Apprentice	Rare	Minion	General	Mage	3	3	2	Your opponent's spells cost (1) more. Jaina was never good at keeping up apprentices.
Ebon Dragonsmith	Rare	Minion	Dragon	Any	4	3	4	Battlecry: Reduce the Cost of a random weapon in your hand by (2). Having a furnace-mouth is really handy for a blacksmith.
Fire Plume Harbinger	Rare	Minion	Elemental	Shaman	2	1	1	Battlecry: Reduce the Cost of Elementals in your hand by (1). Good for summoning elementals. Great for making s'mores.
Galvanizer	Rare	Minion	Mech	Any	2	1	2	Battlecry: Reduce the Cost of Mechs in your hand by (1). Also known as a power zinc.
Happy Ghoul	Rare	Minion	General	Any	3	3	3	Costs (0) if your hero was healed this turn. When life gives you snow…
Kirin Tor Mage	Rare	Minion	General	Mage	3	4	3	Battlecry: The next Secret you play this turn costs (0). The Kirin Tor reside in the floating city of Dalaran. How do you make a Dalaran float? Two scoops of ice cream, one scoop of Dalaran.
Leyline Manipulator	Rare	Minion	Elemental	Mage	4	4	5	Battlecry: If you're holding any cards that didn't start in your deck, reduce their Cost by (2). The shortest distance between two points is a leyline.
Mana Bind	Rare	Spell		Mage	3			Secret: When your opponent cast a spell, add a copy to your hand that costs (0). Nice spell. YOINK!
Mana Wraith	Rare	Minion	General	Any	2	2	2	ALL minions cost (1) more. They come out at night to eat leftover mana crystals. "Mmmmmm," they say.
Mulchmuncher	Rare	Minion	Mech	Druid	10	8	8	Rush. Costs (1) less for each friendly Treant that died this game. The latest advancement in hippo-botany.
Obsidian Shard	Rare	Weapon		Rogue	4	3	3	Costs (1) less for each card you've played from another class. You know you’re a Rogue when a sharp rock makes you go “Ooh! Dagger!”
Pint-Sized Summoner	Rare	Minion	General	Any	2	2	2	The first minion you play each turn costs (1) less. She's quite jealous of the Gallon-Sized Summoner.
Wing Blast	Rare	Spell		Hunter	4			Deal 4 damage to a minion. If a minion died this turn, this costs (1). Emeriss uses Wing Blast. It's super effective!
Academic Espionage	Epic	Spell		Rogue	4			Shuffle 10 cards from your opponent's class into your deck. They cost (1). The tenth Pyroblast really felt like overkill.
Arcane Tyrant	Epic	Minion	Elemental	Any	5	4	4	Costs (0) if you've cast a spell that costs (5) or more this turn. Tyrant is such a strong word.
Bloodbloom	Epic	Spell		Warlock	2			The next spell you cast this turn costs Health instead of Mana. Help save mana. Donate blood today!
Bright-Eyed Scout	Epic	Minion	General	Any	4	3	4	Battlecry: Draw a card. Change its Cost to (5). Also inordinately excited for cupcakes.
Bring It On!	Epic	Spell		Warrior	2			Gain 10 Armor. Reduce the Cost of minions in your opponent's hand by (2). Brrr, it's cold in here. Let's hope she doesn't have an Auctioneer!
Corridor Creeper	Epic	Minion	Beast	Any	7	2	5	Costs (1) less whenever a minion dies while this is in your hand. It likes the smell of dead things, which is curious, as it has no visible nose.
Dreampetal Florist	Epic	Minion	General	Druid	7	4	4	At the end of your turn, reduce the Cost of a random minion in your hand by (7). Unlike gnomes, dreampetals grow more than 3 feet tall.
Emerald Hive Queen	Epic	Minion	Beast	Any	1	2	3	Your minions cost (2) more. She rules the emerald hive at the end of the yellow brick trail.
Far Sight	Epic	Spell		Shaman	3			Draw a card. That card costs (3) less. Drek'thar can't see, but he can see. You know what I mean? It's ok if you don't.
Mountain Giant	Epic	Minion	Elemental	Any	12	8	8	Costs (1) less for each other card in your hand. His mother said that he was just big boned.
Nerubian Unraveler	Epic	Minion	General	Any	6	5	5	Spells cost (2) more. He loves a good yarn.
Preparation	Epic	Spell		Rogue	0			The next spell you cast this turn costs (3) less. "Be Prepared" - Rogue Motto
Primordial Glyph	Epic	Spell		Mage	2			Discover a spell. Reduce its Cost by (2). It's the Ancient Tol'vir symbol for "Whoops!"
Prismatic Lens	Epic	Spell		Paladin	4			Draw a minion and a spell from your deck. Swap their Costs. Mined exclusively from the dark side of the moon.
Reckless Experimenter	Epic	Minion	General	Priest	5	4	6	Deathrattle minions you play cost (3) less, but die at the end of the turn. It's hard to call her reckless when it's clear she knows what she's doing.
Sea Giant	Epic	Minion	General	Any	10	8	8	Costs (1) less for each other minion on the battlefield. See? Giant.
Snowfury Giant	Epic	Minion	Elemental	Shaman	11	8	8	Costs (1) less for each mana crystal you've Overloaded this game. This minion goes all the way to 11!
Duskfallen Aviana	Legendary	Minion	General	Druid	5	3	7	The first card each player plays each turn costs (0). Someone called her "Tweety". She didn't take it well.
Flobbidinous Floop	Legendary	Minion	General	Druid	4	3	4	While in your hand, this is a 3/4 copy of the last minion you played. Of all the scientists, he has the most knowledge (when measured in volume).
Genn Greymane	Legendary	Minion	General	Any	6	6	5	Start of Game: If your deck has only even-Cost cards, your starting Hero Power costs (1). Ever since Sylvanas killed his son, he's dreamed of getting… even.
Grumble, Worldshaker	Legendary	Minion	Elemental	Shaman	6	7	7	Battlecry: Return your other minions to your hand. They cost (1). The grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling, and out of the caverns the kobolds came tumbling.
Luna's Pocket Galaxy	Legendary	Spell		Mage	7			Change the Cost of minions in your deck to (1). Luna became head of the astronomy department when her boss invented the Pocket Black Hole.
Millhouse Manastorm	Legendary	Minion	General	Any	2	4	4	Battlecry: Enemy spells cost (0) next turn. "I'm gonna light you up, sweetcheeks!"
Sonya Shadowdancer	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	3	2	2	Whenever a friendly minion dies, add a 1/1 copy of it to your hand. It costs (1). Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like a 1/1 is watching.
Splintergraft	Legendary	Minion	General	Druid	8	8	8	Battlecry: Choose a friendly minion. Add a 10/10 copy to your hand that costs (10). We're going to need some bigger tweezers.
Showing all 51 cards

Cost-modifying effects can be categorized by which entities they affect.

Hero Powers

Cards

The following cards have effects that modify the cost of other cards.

Self

The following cards modify their own mana cost while in hand. Most act on an ongoing basis based on current game conditions or history, but Nerubian Prophet and Knight of the Wild accumulate enchantments on themselves in response to game events that occur while in hand.

Related cards

For Wild format listings, see Mana cost/Wild format

Cost-affected cards

The following cards consider the mana cost of other existing cards to determine their effects.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Transmute Spirit	None	Hero Power		Shaman	2			Hero Power: Transform a friendly minion into a random one that costs (1) more.
Raven Familiar	Common	Minion	Beast	Mage	2	2	2	Battlecry: Reveal a spell in each deck. If yours costs more, draw it. Quoth the raven, 'Does yours cost more?'
Holy Wrath	Rare	Spell		Paladin	5			Draw a card and deal damage equal to its cost. C'mon Molten Giant!!
Chittering Tunneler	Epic	Minion	Beast	Warlock	3	3	3	Battlecry: Discover a spell. Deal damage to your hero equal to its Cost. Ear to the ground, he carefully interpreted the chittering noises: “You wanna cast a spell? I wanna cast a spell!”
Dragon's Fury	Epic	Spell		Mage	5			Reveal a spell from your deck. Deal damage equal to its Cost to all minions. "C'mon Hucklemuck. She'll never notice if we take just one little coin."
Unstable Evolution	Epic	Spell		Shaman	1			Transform a friendly minion into one that costs (1) more. Repeatable this turn. They grow up so fast.
Prince Keleseth	Legendary	Minion	General	Any	2	2	2	Battlecry: If your deck has no 2-cost cards, give all minions in your deck +1/+1. Three Princes stand before you. This one wants to buff his brothers.
Prince Taldaram	Legendary	Minion	General	Any	3	3	3	Battlecry: If your deck has no 3-Cost cards, transform into a 3/3 copy of a minion. Three Princes stand before you. This one wants to copy others.
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.
The Marsh Queen	Legendary	Spell		Hunter	1			Quest: Play seven 1-Cost minions. Reward: Queen Carnassa. Question: What's scarier, one giant angry dinosaur or 15 smaller vicious ones? Answer: AHHHHHHH THEY FOUND MEEEEEE
Thrall, Deathseer	Legendary	Hero card		Shaman	5			Battlecry: Transform your minions into random ones that cost (2) more. "Do not be afraid. Approach. The dead will sleep… for now."
Showing all 11 cards

Cost-specifying cards

The following cards only affect those existing cards which meet a specified cost-based criteria.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Shrieking Shroom	Rare	Minion	General	Any	3	1	2	At the end of your turn, summon a random 1-Cost minion. Auditioning for the next Fungal Idol.
Tol'vir Warden	Rare	Minion	General	Hunter	5	3	5	Battlecry: Draw two 1-Cost minions from your deck. Ferocious in combat… and even more terrifying in pet battles.
Juicy Psychmelon	Epic	Spell		Druid	4			Draw a 7, 8, 9, and 10-Cost minion from your deck. It's not juicy at all. IT'S JUST MESSING WITH YOUR HEAD.
Skulking Geist	Epic	Minion	General	Any	6	4	6	Battlecry: Destroy all 1-Cost spells in both hands and decks. It's as though a million Jade Idols cried out, and were suddenly silenced.
Hemet, Jungle Hunter	Legendary	Minion	General	Any	6	6	6	Battlecry: Destroy all cards in your deck that cost (3) or less. The goblin travel agency lost his luggage, but he's still having a great vacation!
Showing all 5 cards

Cost-listing cards

The following cards generate their random outcomes by considering all collectible cards that meet a specified cost-based criteria.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Guild Recruiter	Common	Minion	General	Any	5	2	4	Battlecry: Recruit a minion that costs (4) or less. The original telemarketer.
Ravencaller	Common	Minion	General	Any	3	2	1	Battlecry: Add two random 1-Cost minions to your hand. That Friends and Familiars Plan is really paying off!
Vex Crow	Common	Minion	Beast	Mage	4	3	3	Whenever you cast a spell, summon a random 2-Cost minion. As birds of ill omen, these crows often summon Doomsayers.
Free From Amber	Rare	Spell		Priest	8			Discover a minion that costs (8) or more. Summon it. Bingo! Minion DNA!
Gravelsnout Knight	Rare	Minion	General	Any	1	2	3	Battlecry: Summon a random 1-Cost minion for your opponent. The mole of La Mancha rides again!
Hungry Ettin	Rare	Minion	General	Any	6	4	10	Taunt Battlecry: Summon a random 2-Cost minion for your opponent. How can he be hungry… if he's Ettin!?
Wandering Monster	Rare	Spell		Hunter	2			Secret: When an enemy attacks your hero, summon a 3-Cost minion as the new target. Not all who wander are lost. This one is lost though, for sure.
Showing all 7 cards

See also

• Mana
• Mana curve
• In-hand effect
• Joust