Death Knight

Introduction

Hey guys, it’s Amaz! You might be wondering why I would be doing a Death Knight concept for Hearthstone. Well, I basically love card games and being creative with ideas, and I naturally think of stuff whenever I am interested in a particular topic. Since I love Hearthstone and the Warcraft universe so much, it just made sense for me to try and make a Death Knight set.

In this article, I will comment on the ideas I have for this class, and maybe point out some things which are subtle (like practicality and combos). Hopefully you enjoy my creation!

Quick Notes

- All artwork is from Blizzard and WoW TCG, to my knowledge.
- All cards were made on the hearthcards.net site, a big shoutout to them!
- Special thanks to Kheba and Backspace for feedback and card balance.
- And of course, Blizzard, for making Hearthstone.

Theme

Arthas is the choice to represent the Death Knight class. Why? Because he’s a badass! Remorseless, efficient, and downright evil, why wouldn’t you want to play him in Hearthstone.

The Dead Embrace You

I introduced a new keyword into the game called Requiem. This keyword is actually already in the game, as this effect activates whenever a friendly minion dies. Think of the Flesheating Ghoul’s effect as “Requiem: Gain +1 Attack,” and Cult Master’s “Requiem: Draw a card.”, and you are good to go! The Lich King shows no mercy in killing anything that stands in his way, and his minions are merely tools for his quest for conquest.

Fear the Ghouls

At first glance, the hero power Raise Dead might seem a bit underwhelming, but it actually synergizes a lot with the Death Knight class, especially those with the Requiem effect. It also is a good way to activate spells like Death Pact and Blood Boil, not to mention you could use minions with aura effects and deal more damage with the Ghoul.

Shadow Ghoul is a strong 1-mana minion, but requires you to activate it – the easiest way is to use the hero power and this minion on turn 3, but you can find extra value if you activate another Requiem.

Finally, Army of the Dead is quite a strong finisher, and can be used as removal in emergencies. With all the tokens you will be controlling along with Scourge Keeper and Dark Subjugator, maybe the Raid Leader is a good include in a deck?

Even Your Minions Serve Me

Your opponent’s board is actually a valuable resource for you, an idea not currently found in Hearthstone at the moment. Minions like Ebon Champion and Rotting Frost Giant gain additional power in these situations, while Skeletal Betrayer, Iceborn Lich, and Blood Cavalier “replenishes” this resource. You can also use the signature spell Defile to remove a strong minion on your opponent’s board, and other spells like Kingslayer and Horn of Winter benefit immensely depending on your opponent’s board as well. Sometimes though, it feels a bit more satisfying (and evil) to neutralize your opponent’s minion with Asphyxiate and make your own “token”.

An Arsenal of Death and Destruction

To finish the set, we have the weapons Soul Cleaver, a weapon that gives card draw which you could use on your own “tokens” in emergencies, and the ultimate Frostmourne, which becomes more powerful the more souls it feeds on. Dark Simulacrum extends the range of spells a Death Knight can cast, while Outbreak and Remorseless Winter can stop even the strongest minions in the game. Finally, Teron Gorefiend is the legendary card, and uses the signature “Death Grip” to transfer a minion on the battlefield directly into your deck.

Conclusion

I hope you guys enjoyed this set. Hearthstone is a very well made game as the basic mechanics are very well thought out. I tried really hard to make card effects “elegant” and to the point, much like the other Hearthstone cards that exist currently.

Thanks for watching and may your creativity be with you too! Follow me @LiquidAmaz, my channel over at twitch.tv/amazhs, and catch some of my highlights on youtube.com/amazhs !