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You might be looking for one of these cards: Mercenaries/Starving Buzzard, Starving Buzzard (Classic).

Starving Buzzard is a free hunter minion card, from the Legacy set.

Other versions

How to get

The Regular and Golden copies of Starving Buzzard are uncraftable and cannot be crafted, disenchanted, or opened from card packs.
TypeSourceQualityCount

Previous availability

Starving Buzzard used to be obtainable through these means.

TypeSourceQualityCount
Custom Level up hunter to 47 until March 30, 2021. Golden 1
Custom Level up hunter to 48 until March 30, 2021. Golden 1
Custom Level up hunter to 4 until March 30, 2021. Regular 2

Notes

To edit these notes, go to Template:Starving Buzzard notes.

  • The sequence of events for Starving Buzzard's triggered effect is that it activates following the application of any auras, but prior to the activation of any Battlecries.[1][2]
  • Goblins vs GnomesDruid of the Fang's Battlecry, if activated, will cause its summoning to trigger Starving Buzzard.[3] The Buzzard will not be activated during its normal phase, but instead after the minion's summoning has resolved.[4]


Sounds

Play
  • ▶️ SFX_CS2_237_EnterPlay.wav <summon sound>
Attack
Death

History

Long a key card in hunter combos, especially involving LegacyUnleash the Hounds, both Starving Buzzard and Unleash the Hounds have seen an unusually large number of changes in order to balance their importance in play.

During the game's alpha, Starving Buzzard only triggered from Beasts played from the hand, but was changed to trigger from any Beast summon,[5] due to a preference to keep the function of basic cards relatively simple.[6] This significantly increased the range of combination plays, helping the Buzzard to become a key card in the hunter's arsenal. However, it also had the effect of restricting future design space.[7] Because the Buzzard now triggered from any Beast summoned, the designers had to consider carefully the ramifications of introducing cards which summoned multiple Beasts, even 1/1s.[8]

Due in part to this change, Starving Buzzard became a very powerful card, especially in combination with Unleash the Hounds. During mid-beta, the card was changed from its previous stats of 2/2 to a 2/1. This was explained as being in order to make the minion more easily removed by the hero powers of druids, mages and rogues, balancing the match-ups between these classes and hunters, but also served to make the minion more vulnerable in general.

In September 2014, the card saw its most drastic changes yet - from a 2 cost 2/1, up to a 5 cost 3/2. The change was made after a short but pronounced period of hunter dominance, following the full release of Curse of Naxxramas and the availability of cards such as NaxxramasMad Scientist and NaxxramasWebspinner. While the developers generally prefer to solve balance issues through allowing the meta to right itself, or introducing new cards, in this case it was stated that the "back-end stats" justified direct changes to the card.[9] In an official announcement,[10] it was stated that the changes were intended to allow the opponent "more time to react to both the Starving Buzzard and the cards drawn by its power."

Lore

Buzzards are large scavenger birds found throughout Azeroth. Starving Buzzards are tameable level 44-45 mobs found in the Badlands.

Trivia

  • The artwork for this card comes from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game "March of the Legion" series, for the card Scraps.
  • Starving Buzzard was removed for selection in Arena on September 15, 2016[11] but was reinstated on December 9, 2018.[12]
  • Gallery

    Patch changes

    • Forged in the Barrens logoPatch 20.0.0.77662 (2021-03-25):
      • 2021-03-30: Moved from Basic to Legacy set.
      • Now costs 2 mana (Down from 5). Now has 2 Attack (Down from 3). Now has 1 Health (Down from 2).
    • Rastakhan's Rumble logo Patch 13.0.3.28329 (2018-12-19):
      • No longer banned from Arena drafting.
    • Journey to Un'Goro logo Patch 8.0.0.18336 (2017-04-04):
      • Rarity is now Free (previously: Common).
    • One Night in Karazhan logo full2 Patch 6.1.1.14366 (2016-09-15):
      • Banned from Arena drafting.
    • Curse of Naxxramas logo Patch 1.2.0.6485 (2014-09-22):
      • Now costs 5 (Up from 2).
      • Now has 3 attack (Up from 2).
      • Now has 2 health (Up from 1).
    • Hearthstone logo Patch 1.0.0.4217 (Closed beta, 2013-12-10):
      • Now has 1 health (Down from 2).
      • Golden card unlock requirement is now: "Unlocked at Level 47." (previously: "Unlocked at Level 42.").
    • Hearthstone logo Patch 1.0.0.3890 (Closed beta, 2013-10-02):
      • Unlock requirement is now: "Unlocked at Level 4." (previously: no special unlock requirement).
      • Golden card unlock requirement is now: "Unlocked at Level 42." (previously: no special unlock requirement).
    • Hearthstone logo Patch 1.0.0.3388 (Alpha, 2013-06-22):
      • Now reads: Whenever you summon a Beast, draw a card. (previously: Whenever you play a Beast, draw a card.)
    • Hearthstone logo Patch 1.0.0.3140 (Alpha, April or May 2013):
      • Added.

    External links

  • PlayHearthstone
  • HSReplay.net
  • Hearthpwn
  • OutOf.Cards
  • References[]

     
    1. Tested by User:Taohinton, 2014-02-19. Various scenarios. Starving Buzzard always triggers after any Battlecries. For example, playing Buzzard then LegacyIronbeak Owl will result in the Buzzard drawing a card, then the Owl silencing the Buzzard. Other tested minions include LegacyHungry Crab and LegacyCaptain's Parrot.
    2. Tested by User:Taohinton 2015-02-12
    3. http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/forum/topic/16202910718#4
    4. Tested by User:Taohinton and User:Xinhuan, 2015-02-02
    5. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12). 
    6. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-14). 
    7. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12). 
    8. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12). 
    9. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12). 
    10. Upcoming Balance Changes for 9/22. (2014-09-11). 
    11. Dean Ayala (2016-09-08). Hearthside Chat: Upcoming Arena Changes with Dean Ayala. Retrieved on 2019-03-26.
    12. Blizzard Entertainment (2018-12-19). Arena Updates – December 19 2018. Retrieved on 2019-03-26.
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