Shadow Word: Death
- You might be looking for one of these cards: Shadow Word: Death (Classic), Shadow Word: Death (Core).
Shadow Word: Death is a free priest spell card, from the Legacy set.
Other versions
How to get
The Regular and Golden copies of Shadow Word: Death are uncraftable. They have special unlock requirements and cannot be crafted, disenchanted, or opened from card packs:| Type | Source | Quality | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy | Unlock Wild format | Regular, Golden | 2 |
Previous availability
Shadow Word: Death used to be obtainable through these means.
| Type | Source | Quality | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom | Level up priest to 43 until March 30, 2021. | Golden | 1 |
| Custom | Level up priest to 44 until March 30, 2021. | Golden | 1 |
| Custom | Level up priest to 8 until March 30, 2021. | Regular | 2 |
Lore
Shadow Word: Death is a priest spell from World of Warcraft. It is an instant attack that deals Shadow damage that can generally only be used when the target is below 20% health, as a kind of execute ability. Favoured by Shadow priests, the ability also grants these priests a Shadow Orb, a resource used to empower their other attacks.
However, the spell previously had a far wider range of uses. Prior to Mists of Pandaria the spell could be used on any target regardless of their health, but dealt equal damage to the priest as to the target unless the target was killed by it. Shadow priests' Masochism talent previously allowed the ability's self-harming effect to restore 10% of the priest's mana, making its regular use vital to maintaining the priest's mana pool. Its backlash damage also made it extremely useful for breaking crowd control effect such as 
Polymorph which broke on damage; the server delay between casting the spell and its dealing backlash damage allowing it to break the priest out of the effect if cast at just the right time.
Trivia
- The artwork for this card comes from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game "Icecrown" series, for the card Mind Sear.
- This explains the depiction of the spell as a beam of dark purple energy, radiating outward from its initial target to afflict the minds of several enemies; Mind Sear is a channeled AoE damage spell whose function and appearance matches this art precisely.
- The art depicts the spell being used on a group of ghouls.
- This card's flavor text appears to refer to Harry Potter, who survived the assault of a supposedly unsurvivable spell with only a lightning-shaped scar to show for it.
Gallery
Shadow Word: Death, full art
Patch changes
Patch 20.0.0.77662 (2021-03-25):
Patch 17.0.0.44222 (2020-03-26):
- Now costs 2 mana (Down from 3).
Patch 8.0.0.18336 (2017-04-04):
- Rarity is now Free (previously: Common).
Patch 7.0.0.15590 (2016-11-29):
- Now reads: Destroy a minion with 5 or more Attack. (previously: Destroy a minion with an Attack of 5 or more.)
Patch 1.0.0.4217 (Closed beta, 2013-12-10):
- Golden card unlock requirement is now: "Unlocked at Level 43." (previously: "Unlocked at Level 46.").
- Patch 1.0.0.3890 (Closed beta, 2013-10-02):
- Now reads: Destroy a minion with an Attack of 5 or more. (previously: Give your minions Taunt. Draw a card.)
- Name is now Shadow Word: Death (previously: Fade).
- Flavor text now reads: "If you miss, it leaves a lightning-bolt-shaped scar on your target." (previously: ""Where'd he go?" "Forget about him! Help me with this murloc!"").
- Now costs 3 (Up from 2).
- Artist is now Raymond Swanland (previously: Ittoku Seta).
- Unlock requirement is now: "Unlocked at Level 8." (previously: no special unlock requirement).
- Golden card unlock requirement is now: "Unlocked at Level 46." (previously: no special unlock requirement).
- Patch 1.0.0.3645 (Alpha, 2013-08-12):
- Flavor text now reads: ""Where'd he go?" "Forget about him! Help me with this murloc!"" (previously: no flavor text).
- Moved from the Classic set to the Basic set.
- Patch 1.0.0.3140 (Alpha, April or May 2013):
- Added.