Kel'Thuzad


 * For the adventure boss of the same name, see Kel'Thuzad (boss). For other appearances, see Kel'Thuzad (disambiguation).

Kel'Thuzad is a legendary neutral minion card, from the Naxxramas set.

Note

 * Kel'Thuzad's triggered effect activates during the end of turn phase, prior to the deaths of any minions killed during that phase (which will not occur until the end of the phase). This means that minions who die from other end of turn effects such as that of Ragnaros or Power Overwhelming will not be resurrected by Kel'Thuzad.
 * Eligible minions will be resurrected by Kel'Thuzad in the order in which they died. This is strategically significant if subsequent summons (including Deathrattles such as that of Sludge Belcher) cause the player to fill their side of the board, preventing all minions from being re-summoned.
 * When multiple copies of Kel'Thuzad are present on the board, each will trigger at the end of each turn (in the order in which they were summoned). This includes multiple Kel'Thuzads on the same side of the board; in this case, the combined effect will potentially produce more minions than died that turn - provided there is room on the board.
 * If a player Resurrects a Kel'Thuzad who died that turn, at the end of the turn Kel'Thuzad will resurrect his previous copy, resulting in 2 x Kel'Thuzads for the player.

Strategy
Kel'Thuzad's triggered effect activates at the end of the player's turn AND the opponent's turn, making him a potent presence on the board until neutralized.

It is very useful when in a position to trade minions with the enemy, allowing the player to effectively gain a free board clear that turn, or remove a powerful enemy without losing all their minions in the process. It can also be combined with Reincarnate to a get second Kel'Thuzad on turn 10 (Ancestral Spirit or possibly Redemption could also work).

One use of this card is to combo it with a Doomsayer played the previous turn. Since Doomsayer triggers at the start of the controlling player's turn, Kel'Thuzad can be played after the Doomsayer's effect has taken place, re-summoning any friendly minions destroyed that turn, along with the Doomsayer itself. Be aware though that the Doomsayer will be more than happy to destroy all minions once again at the start of the next turn.

However, running Doomsayer in a deck simply for the combo is not a good idea, since it can be killed without damaging your opponent's minions and will not be good as a standalone minion. Playing Kel'Thuzad in a Freeze Mage deck may similarly be ineffective since not many useful minions can be returned in Freeze Mage. On the other hand, playing this combo in a mill deck, with Dancing Swords (and Baron Rivendare) could be successful; a dedicated mill deck, particularly in mage, typically stalls in order to fatigue the opponent, and so the Doomsayer could be useful even without the full combo.

A friendly Kel'Thuzad can be copied by a Faceless Manipulator (or two) for an incredibly powerful late game combo. The opponent will be unable to permanently destroy any enemy minions without first neutralising both (or all three) Kel'Thuzads. Destroying any Kel'Thuzad will only lead to the others resurrecting him at the end of the turn. Because each resurrection happens for every surviving Kel'Thuzad, if three Kel'Thuzads are on one side and one dies, it will come back as two more Kel'Thuzads, and so on.

Using Kel'Thuzad with a corrupt card such as Strongman is another powerful combo, allowing you to cheat mana and protect Kel'Thuzad himself with a devastating burst of tempo.

Known bugs
Also as of August 2014, Kel'Thuzad may fail to resurrect minions which have died during the "Start of Turn" phase. This has also been acknowledged as a bug.

Quotes

 * Summon
 * Minions, servants, soldiers of the cold dark! Obey the call...of Kel'Thuzad!


 * Alternative summon (when the enemy hero is The Lich King)
 * Glory to the Lich King!


 * Attack
 * Pray for mercy!


 * Death
 * I shall return...

Lore


is the final and main boss in the raid. As an undead lich and a powerful necromancer, Kel'thuzad has the ability to bring creatures back from the dead.

In life he was a Human Mage who once served the Kirin Tor, but was cast out for his interest in forbidden necromancy. He joined The Scourge, pledging fealty to The Lich King and starting the Cult of the Damned. He was granted the floating Nerubian citadel Naxxramas for his fealty, and also struck a corrupt deal with Lord and Lady Barov to establish the Scholomance Academy as a further cover for the activities of the cult.

He was eventually struck down by Prince Arthas. Then, after Arthas' own fall from grace and corruption into the next iteration of The Lich King, Kel'thuzad was resurrected to serve the Scourge once again, this time as a powerful archlich tasked with summoning the demon Archimonde into Azeroth.

In Curse of Naxxramas

 * The archlich known as sits at the seat of power within, coordinating the normally mindless  into a fighting force for the Lich King. In his mortal days, Kel’Thuzad was once a powerful human mage and high-ranking member of the , working under the great Archmage Antonidas, leader of the Kirin Tor at the time. The Kirin Tor had a wealth of secrets and knowledge at their disposal, and Kel’Thuzad spent countless hours devouring every bit of knowledge he could get his hands on—even the darkest and most unthinkable of arcane arts, such as necromancy. He became increasingly more reclusive and shunned by his peers the further he delved into forbidden magic.


 * ''The Lich King sought out most powerful and ambitious individuals to bend to his will, sending out a mental summons to those he thought could easily be swayed by the promise of power. Kel’Thuzad was the first to answer the Lich King’s call. He saw the power the Lich King held over the undead and desired such power for his own, so he offered his services as a mage to the Lich King in whatever manner he desired. After a long, tortured journey to the frozen wastes of Northrend, Kel’Thuzad knelt at the feet of the Lich King and offered him not just his loyalty, but his soul as well.


 * ''"As my lieutenant, you will gain knowledge and magic to surpass your most ambitious dreams. But in return, living or dead, you will serve me for the rest of your days. If you betray me, I shall make you into one of my mindless ones, and you will serve me still.”


 * The Lich King’s words were both a threat and a promise. Kel’Thuzad would become his lieutenant, carrying out the Lich King’s whims, but in return he would gain power beyond his wildest dreams. Kel’Thuzad accepted these terms… as if he had much of a choice in the matter.

In World of Warcraft

 *  was once a human mage of the . He went on to become the founder of the and one of the principal agents of the  responsible for the spreading of the  across . After bringing the plague to Lordaeron, he was slain by the paladin . When Arthas became a, he resurrected Kel'Thuzad as a lich so he could summon  into Azeroth. Following Arthas' departure for , Kel'Thuzad was left to command the  of Lordaeron from his necropolis, . Following his first defeat, he and his necropolis moved to Northrend.

Patch changes

 * Will no longer trigger a second time if his first activation revives Drakkari Enchanter.
 * Bug fix: Kel’thuzad’s mastery of undeath has been tempered and it will no longer resurrect itself after perishing at the hands of Ragnaros the Firelord.
 * Added.