Hearthstone Deathrattle Guide - Keyword Explanation & Card List

Deathrattle is one of the keywords in Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone. It was in the game ever since its original launch. Deathrattle is an extra effect that happens when a minion (or weapon) dies. For example, a minion with “Deathrattle: Draw a card.” will, as you have probably guessed, give the .

Deathrattle is an evergreen keyword, a keyword that is not tied to a specific expansion and has been used across multiple sets already. It means that there’s a very high chance that it will appear again in future expansions.

Deathrattle Extra Information

Deathrattle effects are most commonly seen on minions, although there are some weapons with Deathrattle too.
On minions, the effect happens after the minion has died – it’s already out of the board when its Deatrahttle triggers. On weapons, it happens after they lose the last point of durability or are straight-up destroyed (e.g. with Acidic Swamp Ooze).
Deathrattle is not activated when a card gets discarded or removed from the game in another way – e.g. if it’s eaten by Mutanus the Devourer. It needs to be on the board first for its Deathrattle effect to trigger.
Players can’t pick targets for Deathrattle effects. The target is usually specified, but if it isn’t, then it means that the effect is random.
Deathrattle effects are resolved in the order of play. The ones player earlier will trigger first. So, for example, if both players have Sylvanas Windrunner in play, if one gets traded into the other, the one played first will steal a minion first, and only after it’s fully resolved the second one will activate.
A minion can have more than a single Deathrattle. Those will resolve in order of play, with card’s text always being first. For example, if you play Soul of the Forest with Nerubian Egg in play, when it dies, it will summon a 4/4 first and then it will summon a 2/2 Treant. There’s no limit on how many Deathrattles a single

Deathrattle Strategy

The best counter to Deathrattles is Silence. When a minion is Silenced, it loses all its effects, including Deathrattle. Sometimes getting rid of a strong Deathrattle can be a big tempo win.
In other cases, you should consider simply not killing the Deathrattle minion – especially ones that summon extra minions for your opponent. By killing the first part, but not the summoned minion, you’re essentially giving it Charge, since it can now attack whatever target it can when you pass the turn. A good example would be Nerubian Egg – a 0/2 is harmless and your opponent might not have a good way to kill it off himself, so you should consider ignoring it. Even if your opponent kills it off, then the 4/4 still can’t attack for another turn, giving you more time to get rid of it. However, do it only when you play against a deck that can’t take extra advantage of Deathrattles on the board. For example, a Hunter might run Mok'Nathal Lion or Play Dead (in Wild)
Compared to Battlecries, Deathrattle effects are usually stronger, but slower. Battlecry happens immediately, but Deathrattle can take an extra turn or even a few turns. That’s why Deathrattle minions, in general, have better effects or come with some extra stats to compensate for that.
However, Deathrattles being delayed can also be advantageous at times. One of the best ways to use them is to make your board more resistant to AoE clears. If you already have a decent board presence, playing a regular minion makes your opponent’s potential board clear much more powerful. But if you play a Deathrattle minion that summons something on death, it’s the opposite – their AoE now gets less appealing, because even after it clears your board, you will still start with a minion.
As you already know, Deathrattle cards are rather slow – while their overall effect might be powerful, it’s often delayed. Because of that, timing is important. When you’re already behind on the board, you should consider playing a faster minion, e.g. something with Rush, in order to catch up. Deathrattles are best to play when you’re ahead on the board, or at least even.