Kazakus

Kazakus is a legendary tri-class minion card, from the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan set.

Choice cards
The following choice cards are chosen from Kazakus's Battlecry in order to create a custom spell for the player. The cost chosen determines the cost of the spell produced, as well as the power and/or availability of the subsequent effect choices.

Effect choice
All effect choices have varying strength depending on the cost chosen in the first choice, the higher cost spells having more powerful effects. The player chooses two effects out of several possible choices, corresponding to their chosen cost.


 * Felbloom


 * Goldthorn


 * Heart of Fire


 * Icecap


 * Ichor of Undeath


 * Kingsblood

No 1 mana option
 * Mystic Wool


 * Netherbloom


 * Shadow Oil


 * Stonescale Oil

Spells generated
The base spell card is determined by the choice of cost, each version having its own card art. Card text is determined dynamically by the effects chosen by the player.

Fixed bugs

 * Prior to a hotfix on 2016-12-06, Icecap was capable of targeting mortally wounded minions.

Strategy
The different spell costs provide three basic options for urgency and available mana: the 1 mana spells' low cost makes them highly versatile; the 5 mana spells fit perfectly on curve the turn after playing a turn 4 Kazakus; while the 10 mana option is ideal for late game, or those gearing toward late game strategies. The crafted spell is available to use on the same turn.

It is worth noting that Kazakus combines devastatingly well with Inkmaster Solia; if you have Solia in hand, you can give much greater consideration to choosing a 10-mana spell, which usually has the problem of being extremely slow, even in slow matchups. Nevertheless, you should still consider the potential gains of being able to cast a cheaper-cost spell sooner, before you are able play Solia (unless, of course, thanks to cards like Emperor Thaurissan, you are able to play Kazakus and Solia in the same turn).

When choosing effects it is better to take into account what your opponent is playing.

Lore
Kazakus is a troll and the sinister and mysterious leader of the Kabal. No one really knows his true origins, but nor does anyone really care; instead, what they care about are the corrupted mana potions he sells. His motto is "Power should be attainable for anyone, at a price". Kazakus' tusks have become contorted and twisted due to the corrupted mana he uses, and the large red circle on the center of his stomach is a portal that goes right through his body to an unknown destination, possibly another dimension.

In addition to his grander machinations, Kazakus also brews Kaza-kola, a refreshing drink enjoyed by the entire Kabal as well as many other residents of Gadgetzan. However, even this apparently mundane act has a darker purpose: the so-called Kaza-kola is more accurately named the Potion of Madness, and as well as being a delicious thirst-quencher also acts to slowly erode the drinker's will and sense of self.


 * "Little is known about our esteemed leader, the master alchemist Kazakus. WHO CARES? What matters is his vast knowledge of alchemy and the arcane, and the delicious power he offers binds us to him. . . TOGETHER! It binds us together'', yes. Some claim that a back alley potion brewer couldn’t possibly have such knowledge, and some are foolish enough to spread rumors that he’s secretly a dragon, demon, or some other powerful entity in disguise.
 * ''LIES! SLANDER! DEFAMATION!
 * ''MAYBE IT’S ALL TRUE!
 * ''NO ONE KNOWS!
 * ''WHAT?"

Rumours abound about Kazakus' true nature, and certain sightings (see below) suggests the enigmatic alchemist may be hiding a scaly secret. The Gadgetzan Gazette Volume 32 #8 mentions rumors about "secret dragon people" infiltrating Gadgetzan in disguise. The Kabal itself also includes a number of dragonkin members, and some of the gang's potions have a suspiciously pro-dragon agenda.

Potion ingredients
The effects of Kazakus's potions are determined by the choice of ingredients included, each of which appears to be a potion in its own right.


 * Felbloom

is a herb with a close connection to the energy of the. Discovered only recently during the 's, where they were seen around the Legion's landing structures, Felblooms may represent a corruption of the natural plant life of the area, and are often found near other fel-touched life such as the and s. Like these, Felblooms have a potent but short-duration effect if consumed, increasing the power of the imbiber while reducing their overall health. When brewed into a potion its effects seem to be compressed into a powerful but hard to control burst of damage, affecting everyone in the area.

is a herb found in low to middle-level zones across and the. It is used in a range of recipes, mostly providing buffs to stats, with an emphasis on health, armor and restorative effects. It can also be drank directly as, although this does not appear to serve any special function beyond that of most refreshing beverages.
 * Goldthorn


 * ''Goldthorn can be found on top of small hills. It spawns in the following regions -, , , , , , , and.

is a fragment of the essence of a Fire Elemental. As an ingredient it is used in a range of recipes for creating gear or items, chiefly involving, but this appears to be its first use in Alchemy beyond simple. Kazakus appears to have found a way to harness the elemental spark into a source of directed damage.
 * Heart of Fire

is a herb found only in the snow-laden zone of, in north-eastern Kalimdor. While those trained in and  have found ways to exploit its capacity for Frost magic, Alchemists have not been able to find a use for it outside of a few miscellaneous potions - until now. Kazakus seems to have found a way to realise its Ice-inducing potential in a more powerful (if somewhat hard to control) form than ever before, freezing the unlucky targets in place.
 * Icecap

is a rare crafting ingredient that drops only from low-medium level undead mobs in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, specifically found in and, as well as to a lesser extent in  and. The most spectacular use known prior to Kazakus was in creating the, which drains the life force of the bearer to direct a damaging burst of energy at the target. Kazakus appears to have realised the power of the Ichor to a far greater degree in his potions, which are capable of returning the dead to life... or at least undeath.
 * Ichor of Undeath


 * Kingsblood

can be found in low to middle-level zones across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. It features in an eclectic range of recipes, from healing and stat boosts to absorbing Shadow damage. Its function in Kazakus' potion appears to add yet another use to this versatile herb, and matches the effect of Xaril's Kingsblood Toxin.


 * ''Kingsblood can be found in flat areas of fields or plains. It can found in the following zones -, , , , , , , , , , , , and.

Mystic Wool is original to Hearthstone, but is obviously related to the mage's Polymorph spell.
 * Mystic Wool

is a herb found only in the, a region in consisting of several large land fragments floating amid the Twisting Nether itself. It is used in a variety of Alchemical recipes, serving variously to increase the imbiber's stats or restore their resources, and simply absorbing the pollen of the plant serves to enhance the gatherer's abilities. Kazakus appears to have found an altogether darker use for the herb, perhaps using its close connection to the Twisting Nether to summon forth a demon from that very realm.
 * Netherbloom

is a special oil made from that can be applied to weapons, granting them a chance to spawn Shadow Bolts when they strike enemies. The oil is itself an ingredient in a handful of recipes, the most notable being the, protecting the imbiber from a moderate amount of Shadow damage. Kazakus once again seems to have found a way to enhance the effect of the oil (perhaps with a touch of Netherbloom), using its shadowy powers to conscript demons to the user's service.
 * Shadow Oil

is squeezed from the nocturnal, elusive prey found in the higher level areas of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms only between the hours of 12 am and 6 am. The oil is used in a handful of potent recipes to enhance the imbiber's armor and health, as well as somewhat more comically in the, where it very effectively protects the user from all harm... at the price of turning them to stone.
 * Stonescale Oil

Trivia

 * According to Matt Place, Kazakus was conceived when a designer asked "what if players could make their own card". The details for Kazakus' effect were designed by Peter Whalen.
 * Kazakus was originally designed as a troll with the characteristic hunched over posture seen in most male trolls, but he was later redesigned as a  troll as their upright pose made him look stronger and more intimidating.
 * As the head of the Kabal, Kazakus is intended to embody the three Kabal classes, with the arcane intellect of the mage, the manipulative magics of the priest, and the dark, hidden agenda of the warlock all combined in his design.
 * Kazakus' effect was originally assigned to Inkmaster Solia, who, as a tattoo artist, would have the theme of writing a magical scroll as part of her effect. Since the design of creating a custom spell was so well liked by the Hearthstone team, her ability was later transferred to the leader of the Kabal. When the decision later came to make the Kabal themed around potion spells, Kazakus' effect was changed to have him craft a potion instead of writing a scroll with tattoo ink.
 * The original design for Kazakus, two months before Kazakus himself was created, was a tri-class legendary named "Khajakus the Banished", a 7-mana 7/7 minion with "Battlecry: If you have cast 10 unique spells this game, become Khajakus, Dragon Form". The effect was deemed too close to the "if you have no duplicates" mechanic that he was later changed to just that. The name "Khajakus" was later simplified to "Kazakus" to make it easier to read. When asked what "Khajakus, Dragon Form" was going to be, Mike Donais replied that he couldn't really remember it off the top of his head but that it was "probably something really cool, though, like Ragnaros or something".
 * The design of Kazakus' potions changed very little between his initial conception and his final release. According to Mike Donais, within about five minutes of him and Peter Whalen coming up with the idea of the card, Donais sat down and typed out exactly what all the potions were going to be in a document. They changed "about 5%" after that, mainly in the form of number tweaking.
 * The Mystic Wool effect (transform minions into 1/1 Sheep) changed significantly during development. There were originally planned to be three options: transform 1 minion into a Sheep, transform 2 minions, and transform all minions. The first option was later changed to transform a random minion and the second to transform a random enemy minion, while the third option stayed the same. However, the first option was eventually removed as it was deemed too powerful if the enemy player only had a single powerful minion, such as Ragnaros, and too bad if the RNG backfired and hit one of the player's own minions. Mystic Wool is therefore the only one of Kazakus' potion effects that lacks a 1-mana option.
 * There was originally another effect called Powerful Mojo (Copy 1/2/3 cards from your opponent's deck and put them into your hand) but it was removed because the designers felt 3 card draw-like options (Kingsblood, Shadow Oil) was too much.
 * The team wanted to capture the themes of Mages, Priests and Warlocks in Kazakus' different effects. Summoning a demon fit with Warlock, doing AoE damage fit with Mage and Resurrect effects and buffing your minions' health fit with Priest. The option that felt the most out of place was Stonescale Oil, but the team thought it was important to include because it created a really good option to use in desperate situations.
 * The text for Kazakus Potion is generated dynamically in response to the choices made by the player. As such it is the source of some of the first dynamic card text in Hearthstone, the other being Jade Golem from the same set.
 * The Kingsblood spells have the same name and effect as the Kingsblood Toxin generated by Xaril, Poisoned Mind.
 * The visual effect of Felbloom is the same as Hellfire's visual effect, but it only damages minions on the board.

Gallery

 * Concept art

Patch changes

 * Added.