Loatheb


 * ''For the boss of the same name, see Loatheb (boss)

Loatheb is a legendary neutral minion card, from the Naxxramas set.

Strategy
Loatheb is useful for protecting the minions on your board from being removed by spells, like Flamestrike or Starfall. At the very least, it makes spells a costly option for your opponent to use and limits their ability to play other cards after spending extra mana on a single spell.

If you can anticipate your opponent's plan to win next turn, Loatheb can be used to halt finishing combos that are spell dependent, such as Savage Roar, Pyroblast, or Power Overwhelming. This will allow you to live at least one turn longer in an attempt to turn things around as well as providing a decent-sized 5/5 body to your side of the board.

With its powerful effect and threatening stats, Loatheb is a natural fit in most decks based around Baku the Mooneater.

Lore


was a raid boss in the raid. Every 20 seconds he would use the Necrotic Aura ability to reduce all healing received by 100% for 17 seconds, presenting healers with a 3-second window every 20 seconds in which to heal the party. This dynamic is reflected in his Hearthstone incarnation's Battlecry, inhibiting enemy spell-casting of all kinds.

In Curse of Naxxramas

 * A prime example of how the plague manifested in the local flora and fauna is the twisted Fen Creeper Loatheb. In a twisted mockery of the plant kingdom’s natural ability to regenerate, Loatheb can summon deadly spores that quickly spread a sickening miasma that turns magical healing arts against those who wield them.

In World of Warcraft

 * ". The hideous result of fusing the living plague of the with the s of Azeroth, Loatheb is said to control the power of healing itself."

History
Loatheb was originally designed as a 6 Mana 4/8 minion with the effect "Health can't be restored."

Trivia

 * Senior Game Designer Ben Brode's pitch for this card's flavor text was "Loatheb used to be a normal bog beast. Thanks, ."
 * Loatheb is an anagram for Healbot.

Patch changes

 * Added.