Area of effect

Area of effect (AoE) is the term for an effect which affects all characters of the specified type. Common targets for AoEs include all enemy minions, all minions, and all characters.

AoE is defined in contrast to 'single-target' and 'multiple target'. While AoEs may affect multiple targets, they have no limit to the number of targets affected, and their targets are determined by the nature of the AoE (e.g., "all minions") rather than by selecting a set number of individual targets. Positional effects function as limited-area AoEs, but in game terms are multiple target effects. AoEs are distinguished from multi-targets spells such as Arcane Missiles and Cleave, which are essentially multiple single-target effects.

The term AoE refers solely to the effect's target and does not describe its actual outcome. The most common types of AoE are healing and damage-dealing spells.

Notes

• AoEs affect all valid targets simultaneously. However, triggers resulting from each character affected are still applied one at a time, in the order the minions were played.
• AoEs affect all targets before any related triggers are activated. For example a Circle of Healing will heal all minions before any Northshire Clerics will begin to activate.

Strategy

The effect of an AoE on a given target is not diminished by the presence of more targets. This means that AoEs are generally more valuable the more valid targets are in play, since the AoE takes full effect on all of them. Damage-dealing AoEs can be very effective for tackling large groups of minions. AoEs tend to be most effective against large groups of weak minions, and least effective against small numbers of powerful minions.

AoEs can be very useful for dealing damage to targets with Stealth. Although stealthed minions cannot be targeted directly, AoEs will still affect them. Mage is a class with strong AoE damage abilities, but all classes have some form of AoE available.

Examples

Below are examples of commonly used types of AoE:

• AoE damage
  • Damage all characters
    • Hellfire, Abomination, Baron Geddon
  • Damage all minions
    • Chaos Nova, Arcanosaur, Risky Skipper
  • Damage all enemies
    • Wrathspike Brute, Altruis the Outcast, Consecration
  • Damage all enemy minions
    • Arcane Explosion, Arcane Flakmage, Chronobreaker
  • Damage all friendly minions
    • Sea Reaver, Ticking Abomination
• AoE healing
  • Heal all characters
    • Tree of Life, Overflow
  • Heal all minions
    • Circle of Healing
  • Heal both heroes
    • Refreshment Vendor, Mistress of Mixtures, Nozari
  • Heal all friendly characters
    • Darkscale Healer, Holy Nova, Fungal Enchanter
  • Heal all friendly minions
    • Healing Totem

• AoE destroy
  • Destroy all minions
    • Doomsayer, Deathwing, Brawl
  • Destroy all friendly minions
    • Darkest Hour, Plague of Flames, Teron Gorefiend

• AoE Transform
  • Transform all minions
    • Kazakus Potion, Plague of Murlocs
  • Transform all enemy minions
    • Devolve
  • Transform all friendly minions
    • Evolve, Thrall, Deathseer, The Storm Bringer

• AoE Enchantments
  • Targets all minions
    • Equality, Confuse, Corrupting Mist
  • Targets all enemy minions
    • Eadric the Pure, Pint-Size Potion, Curse of Weakness
  • Targets all friendly characters
    • Savage Roar
  • Targets all friendly minions
    • Conceal, Bloodlust, Power of the Wild
  • Targets all friendly minions of a specific type
    • Totemic Might, Coldlight Seer, Quartermaster

• Ongoing effects
  • Targets all friendly minions
    • Raid Leader*, Stormwind Champion, Leokk
  • Targets all friendly minions of a specific type
    • Southsea Captain, Timber Wolf, Tundra Rhino

Cards

For Wild format listings, see Area of effect/Wild format.

Collectible

Swipe left or right to see the cards.

Uncollectible

Swipe left or right to see the cards.