Demon hunters, disciples of Illidan Stormrage, uphold a dark legacy, one that frightens their allies and enemies alike. The Illidari embrace fel and chaotic magics—energies that have long threatened the world of Azeroth—believing them necessary to challenge the Burning Legion. Wielding the powers of demons they’ve slain, they develop demonic features that incite revulsion and dread in fellow elves.  (source)

Table of Contents


    You are not prepared! There's a lot to learn when jumping in to Hearthstone, and the goal of this guide is to help you get a clearer understand of this class's basic cards. Demon Hunter's basic set is a bit different from that of the original classes. It was added with Ashes of Outland with 10 basic cards, and established with a unique set of 20 cards. The class and these 30 cards are all unlocked by completing the prologue solo adventure. It's identity involves weapons, demons, lifesteal, card draw, and aggression. Demon hunter features a unique keyword, Outcast, as well as a 1-cost hero power.


    The Basic Set

    When you acquire the Demon Hunter class, it comes with a set of 10 basic cards just as all other classes. These will always be available in Standard format.

    Shadowhoof Slayer Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 30

    Shadowhoof Slayer is a low-cost minion and means of increasing your Attack damage.

    • The Battlecry has the same effect as your Hero Power.
    • Can be played early in the game, but may be best utilized when you really need the Attack bonus.
    • Has Demon synergy with other cards.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Chaos Strike Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 34

    Chaos Strike is reliable card draw and aggression in the same card.

    • Cycles cards in your deck to more quickly find the ones you need and make your deck more consistent.
    • Buff your Attack damage a fair amount to destroy minions or damage your opponent.
    • Most valuable when you can utilize both effects when played.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Sightless Watcher Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 42

    Sightless Watcher lets you look at cards in your deck, and choose which you draw next.

    • Great card for finding the most applicable tools in any match.
    • Helps set up cards with the Outcast keyword.
    • Consider playing this before card draw when possible.
    • Has Demon synergy with other cards.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Aldrachi Warblades Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 28

    Aldrachi Warblades is a solid weapon and also a means of Health regeneration.

    • Lifesteal heals you for the same amount as the damage you deal when attacking.
    • Gives plenty of value with 3 Durability.
    • Excellent synergy with Demon Hunter's ability to increase their Attack damage.
    • Weapons can not be silence, but they can be destroyed by your opponent.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Coordinated Strike Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 22

    Coordinated Strike summons several small minions that you can attack with right away.

    • Works well with effects that trigger when minions die.
    • Rush allows the minions to immediately attack other minions on the same turn.
    • Often used as removal to trade in to threats on the board.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Satyr Overseer Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 54

    Satyr Overseer is a minion that your opponent is likely to remove as soon as possible.

    • Summons additional minions as you attack with your hero.
    • You can only attack once per turn, unless another card allows you to attack again.
    • High priority target because it gets more value the longer it is on the board.
    • Attack right after you play this to make sure you get value, unless you just need a minion or demon.
    • Has Demon synergy with other cards.

     

     

     

     


    Soul Cleave Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 46

    Soul Cleave help with removing enemy minions while also healing you.

    • Lifesteal heals your for the same amount as the damage dealt by the card.
    • Damage can be increased using Spell Damage.
    • Targets are chosen randomly, so consider destroying others to isolate the most ideal ones.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Chaos Nova Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 50

    Chaos Nova is a straightforward spell that does considerable damage to the entire board.

    • This spell will damage your minions as well as your opponents.
    • Most ideal to use when you have no minions yourself.
    • Reliable way to cleary many minions all at once.
    • Damage can be increased with spell damage.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Glaivebound Adept Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 38

    Glaivebound Adept packs a lot of damage and threat.

    • Try to play this only after you have attacked.
    • The damage of the Battlecry can be directed at any enemy, nless prevented by effects like Immune.
    • Can effectively swing the tempo of the match in your favor.
    • High Attack damage makes it a top priority for your opponent to remove before you can attack with it.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Inner Demon Card Image
    Golden Copies - Level 58

    Inner Demon temporarily increases your Attack a significant amount.

    • Dealing 8 damage at once can be devestating, especially if your opponent has 8 or less Health.
    • Due to it's equally high cost, it is best saved for a crucial moment or lethal damage.
    • Fantastic synergy with Lifesteal to heal yoursef, and/or cards that allow you to attack multiple times.

     

     

     

     

     


    The Initiate Set

    After completing the prologue from Ashes of Outland (under Solo Adventures) and unlocking the Demon Hunter class, you also unlock the Initiate set. This set of cards is considered part of the 'Year of the Dragon', and eventually becomes Wild only. You can learn more about how these rotations work here, also found in the guides section of the site.

    This Initiate set a special set of 20 cards released with the class to give it a head start among the other classes.

    On a couple of these cards you will find a keyword unique to this class, Outcast. Here's how it works:

    • Cards with this keyword will have an additional effect that can be triggered by their position in your hand.
    • To trigger Outcast a card must be either the right or left-most card in your hand.
    • Keep this in mind during the mulligan phase if you draw an Outcast card on the left.
    • If you draw a card with Outcast the effect will be usable, as it will now be the right-most card in your hand.
    • Play your cards strategically and pay attention to their position to get the most value.
    • When the condition is met the card will have a yellow outline.

    Minions

    Battlefiend Card Image

    Battlefiend has a lot of value for it's cost.

    • Great option for your first turn.
    • Has Demon synergy with other cards.
    • Can become more threatening each time you attack.

     

     

     

     

     


    Ur'zul Horror Card Image

    Ur'zul Horror is a simple yet flexible card that will add another minion to your hand when it dies.

    • Great turn 1 option.
    • Has demon synergy with other cards.
    • It's Deathrattle gives you an additional Lost Soul minion to play.
    • Helps maintain a board presence.

     

     

     

     

     


    Altruis the Outcast Card Image

    Altruis the Outcast is a strong but situational board clearing tool.

    • Though it does not have the Outcast keyword itself, it's effect functions in the same way.
    • Each time you play a card from the ends of your hand, all enemies are dealt 1 damage.
    • This minion must be in play for it's effect to trigger.
    • Affects the enemy hero as well as minions.

     

     

     

     

     


    Wrathscale Naga Card Image

    Wrathscale Naga can deal a lot of damage when your minions die.

    • The target is random each time damage is dealt by it's effect.
    • Affects the enemy hero as well as minions.
    • Must be in play for it's affect to trigger.
    • Easy to kill, so you want to set up a way to trigger it before you play it.

     

     

     

     

     


    Illidari Felblade Card Image

    Illidari Felblade is a great tool for trading with other minions.

    • Rush allows you to attack only minions on the turn it is played.
    • If you trigger Outcast the minion will be immune from all damage and effects on turn it is played
    • Use this to remove enemy minions from the board quickly, often leaving one on it as well for a tempo swing.

     

     

     

     

     


    Raging Felscreamer Card Image

    Raging Felscreamer allows you to invest in playing future demons.

    • After this is played, the next Demon you play will cost (2) less mana.
    • This discount persists through the whole match, until it is used.
    • Minions can not cost less than 0.
    • Playing additional copies before a Demon will further reduce the cost.

     

     

     

     

     


    Wrathspike Brute Card Image

    Wrathspike Brute gives you an excellent defensive option.

    • Enemy minions will have to get through Taunt to attack anything else.
    • Having 6 Health means it may often take multiple minions to trade.
    • Only triggers when targeted by minions or weapons; spells do not count as an attack.
    • Minions that attack automatically can trigger this effect.
    • Has Demon synergy with other cards.

     

     

     

     


    Hulking Overfiend Card Image

    Hulking Overfiend excels at removing multiple enemy minions.

    • Rush allows you to attack only minions on the turn it is played.
    • The minion it attacks must take lethal damage for it's effect to be triggered.
    • When it kills a minion, you may once more attack any valid enemy.
    • Able to efficiently destroy many smaller minions.
    • Has Demon synergy with other cards.

     

     

     

     


    Nethrandamus Card Image

    Nethrandamus gains more power as the match goes on.

    • The effect only upgrades while the card is in your hand.
    • Each time a minion dies while this is in your hand, the cost of the minions summoned increases by 1.
    • Be mindful which minions might be available to summon of a certain cost when playing.
    • Has Dragon synergy with other cards.

     

     

     

     


    Spells

    Blur Card Image

    Blur can negate any damage dealt to you on your own turn.

    • Applies to all sources of damage.
    • Allows you to remove high Attack minions without much risk.
    • Cards without cost can be played at any time which has some synergy with Outcast effects.

     

     

     

     

     


    Twin Slice Card Image

    Twin Slice is like a single slice but twice as nice.

    • Allows you to increase your hero's damage by up to 2, individually.
    • Playing the card adds a new card with the same effect to your hand.
    • You may play both in the same turn if you desire.
    • Cards without cost can be played at any time which has some synergy with Outcast effects.

     

     

     

     

     


    Consume Magic Card Image

    Consume Magic is a good utility spell with a potential bonus.

    • Removes all effects and buffs of any kind from a minion leaving only stats no greater than those of the original card.
    • When the Outcast effect is triggered you may also use this to draw a card.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Mana Burn Card Image

    Mana Burn is straightforward and limits your opponent's resources temporarily.

    • Only applies to a single turn.
    • Multiple copies can stack the effect.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Blade Dance Card Image

    Blade Dance uses your hero's Attack value to damage 3 random minions.

    • Increasing your attack through weapons and buffs increases the power of this card.
    • Best used when your opponent's board is about half full.
    • Attack and remove minions strategically before playing to have more control over random minion selection.
    • Will not trigger any effects of weapons, as you are not actually attacking.

     

     

     

     


    Feast of Souls Card Image

    Feast of Souls could potentially draw you a lot of cards.

    • Minions must have died on the same turn before playing, and only friendlies count.
    • You can destroy and summon as many minions as you like prior to playing.
    • Remember that you can only hold 10 cards and avoid over-drawing.
    • Synergies well with smaller minions and Deathrattles.

     

     

     

     

     


    Eye Beam Card Image

    Eye Beam is a very strong combination of damage and healing.

    • Damage dealt can be increased by Spell Damage.
    • Lifesteal will heal you for the same amount of damage dealt.
    • When the Outcast effect is triggered the card becomes free.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Soul Split Card Image

    Soul Split is a situational card that only works with Demons.

    • You must have a Demon on your board to play this card.
    • Summons an exact copy of the target Demon.
    • Best used on big minions or those with powerful effects.

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Command the Illidari Card Image

    Command the Illidari puts up to 6 minions at your disposal for trading or other purposes.

    • Be sure you have no more than one minion on the board before playing if you require all 6 tokens.
    • Rush allows you to attack only minions on the turn it is played.
    • Multiple small minions can be useful for receiving buffs or triggering effects of other cards.
    • Numerous minions are also handy for mitigating some negative effects of your opponent's cards.

     

     

     

     


    Weapons

    Umberwing Card Image

    Umberwing is a simple weapon that is most useful early.

    • Puts some chip damage and small minions at your disposal.
    • Decent value in your first few turns but less as the match goes on.
    • Could have some synergy with cards that require multiple minions on your board.

     

     

     

     

     


    Flamereaper Card Image

    Flamereaper serves as a tool for attacking and removing multiple minions.

    • Deals damage to minions adjacent to your target.
    • Can be improved by buffing your Attack damage.
    • Where possible, target a minion with the lowest Attack to avoid unnecessary damage.

     

     

     

     

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