Hearthstone Hero guide: Priest
Our beginner's guide to this control-orientated Hero class.
The Priest is a natural choice of Hero if you enjoy a controlling style of play. There are plenty of removal options for creatures great and small, some fantastically stubborn minions, and more than a few methods for stealing the opponent's own fighting forces.
Like the other Heroes in Hearthstone, the Priest has access to its own unique Hero Power, as well as a selection of class-specific cards. For the cost of two Mana, you can apply two points of healing each turn to either yourself or to a minion in need of repair.
You'll find it very tough to go a long way with the Priest in Arena, as you can't rely on the Hero Power to sustain you through a bad early game, but in Ranked and Casual mode the controlling Priest can truly dominate a match. If your opponent is struggling to clear your minions outright, you have the option to put them to work, then heal them back out of removal range.
The best Priest cards to craft in Hearthstone
Many of the cards you'll need to shine as a Priest are dependent on the exact deck you're playing, but there are a handful of cards and combos that will always stand you in good stead. Invest your crafting dust in these goodies, and you'll have a powerful set of tools in your armoury.
Auchenai Soulpriest / Circle of Healing
You really need both of these cards in your collection to get the most benefit from each one. These two cards are often used in the standard Priest control deck for a devastating board clearance. Simply pop the Soulpriest out on the board, activate Circle of Healing, and then watch anything with four or less health melt away.
If you have the Mana spare, you can even use your Hero Power to chip another two points of health off something. Just don't try to use it to heal the Soulpriest back up...
Thoughtsteal
It goes without saying that Thoughtsteal can be a bit of a crapshoot, but it's a common card found in the most popular Priest decks, and can really put your opponent under pressure as they attempt to calculate the likelihood of you stealing their secret weapons.
Temple Enforcer
The Temple Enforcer's a pretty tasty minion in its own right, but the ability to boost the health of another minion often grants you a severe tempo advantage, and pushes this card firmly into the must-have category.
Dark Cultist
The Dark Cultist forces your opponent into all kinds of inefficient plays. They won't want to remove it if you have one or more minions remaining on the board, and they might not have the means to clean up the other minions before taking down the ultimate target. Get the Cultist out nice and early and be prepared to trade it off proactively if it can be used to boost a fellow fighter out of the danger-zone.
Cabal Shadow Priest
As a six-Mana, 4/5 minion, the Cabal Shadow Priest may not be the strongest minion on the board, but the ability to pinch a minion from the enemy as it's played can really throw the opponent's strategy into disarray.
Lightspawn
If your opponent can't kill or remove this minion outright, you have a great opportunity to clear out a whole host of enemy creatures. By healing this character back up to health after each attack, you restore both its attacking power and its longevity. Make sure you do your maths carefully before making your moves with the Lightspawn, and always make sure you're getting the most value from it.
Mind Control
There are few better cards to find in your hand if you've entered a late-game topdecking war with your opponent. Simply wait for them to pull out their potential match-winner, pinch it from right underneath their nose, then use it to drive the game over the finishing line when the turn is yours once more.