Starving Buzzard
- You might be looking for one of these cards: Mercenaries/Starving Buzzard, Starving Buzzard (Classic).
Starving Buzzard is a free hunter minion card.
Other versions
How to get
The Regular and Golden copies of Starving Buzzard are uncraftable. They have special unlock requirements and cannot be crafted, disenchanted, or opened from card packs:| Type | Source | Quality | Count |
|---|
Previous availability
Starving Buzzard used to be obtainable through these means.
| Type | Source | Quality | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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]
Druid 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
- ▶️
SFX_CS2_237_Attack.wav<attack sound>
- Death
- ▶️
SFX_CS2_237_Death.wav<death sound>
History
Long a key card in hunter combos, especially involving 
Unleash 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 
Mad Scientist and Webspinner. 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
Starving Buzzard, full art
Patch changes
Patch 20.0.0.77662 (2021-03-25):
Patch 13.0.3.28329 (2018-12-19):
- No longer banned from Arena drafting.
Patch 8.0.0.18336 (2017-04-04):
- Rarity is now Free (previously: Common).
Patch 6.1.1.14366 (2016-09-15):
- Banned from Arena drafting.
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).
- Dev comment: The amount of cards Starving Buzzard allowed Hunter players to draw ultimately ended up being too excessive for its low cost. This change will allow the Hunter's opponent more time to react to both the Starving Buzzard and the cards drawn by its power.
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.").
- 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).
- 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.)
- Patch 1.0.0.3140 (Alpha, April or May 2013):
- Added.
External links
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Tested by User:Taohinton, 2014-02-19. Various scenarios. Starving Buzzard always triggers after any Battlecries. For example, playing Buzzard then Ironbeak Owl will result in the Buzzard drawing a card, then the Owl silencing the Buzzard. Other tested minions include Hungry Crab and Captain's Parrot.
- ↑ Tested by User:Taohinton 2015-02-12
- ↑ http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/forum/topic/16202910718#4
- ↑ Tested by User:Taohinton and User:Xinhuan, 2015-02-02
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12).
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-14).
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12).
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12).
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-09-12).
- ↑ Upcoming Balance Changes for 9/22. (2014-09-11).
- ↑ Dean Ayala (2016-09-08). Hearthside Chat: Upcoming Arena Changes with Dean Ayala. Retrieved on 2019-03-26.
- ↑ Blizzard Entertainment (2018-12-19). Arena Updates – December 19 2018. Retrieved on 2019-03-26.