Xavius


 * For the boss in Demon Hunter Prologue, see Xavius (boss).

Xavius is a legendary neutral minion card, inducted into the Legacy set, formerly from the Classic set.

Previous availability

 * Regular Xavius could also be obtained as a first-time reward for first time reaching Legend in Ranked mode from April 1, 2020 to March 25, 2021 (or as a reward of Climbing the Ranks (10/10) achievement).

Strategy
Xavius is a 6 mana, 7/5 minion which summons a 2/1 Xavian Satyr whenever you play a card. This can be used with a combination of cheap cards to fill your board with minions. In opposition, Xavius is a priority target, and should be silenced or destroyed as soon as possible to prevent him from becoming a lingering threat. However, these minions will be unable to act until the next turn, leaving them vulnerable to attack from the opponent. Combined with their 1 Health and Xavius' low Health, it makes him and his minions easily defeated by AoE attacks.

Ideally, you should play multiple cards immediately after playing Xavius to make use of his ability before the opponent has a chance to remove him. This becomes easier if Xavius can be summoned into the battlefield for free, such as through Skull of the Man'ari or Possessed Lackey. If possible, use AoE buffs such as Power of the Wild to bolster the survivability of the Satyr minions, reducing the likelihood of the opponent removing them before they have time to act.

Lore
, the Nightmare Lord, is the first of the s.


 * ''Lord Xavius was one of the 's most powerful sorcerers and the high councilor to during the time of the . Since Azshara concealed her magical prowess, Xavius was considered the most powerful Highborne to whom the rest measured their skills. He was later transformed into the first satyr by, before ultimately being transformed into the dreaded.


 * He makes his first appearance in World of Warcraft as an antagonist in , where he once again helps the —while remaining first and foremost a loyal servant of the . Xavius serves as the main antagonist of the storyline, corrupting the  and battling his old nemesis, Malfurion, and his allies. He also serves as the final boss of the  raid, where the Nightmare Lord ultimately meets his end for the time being.

History
Xavius was added to the Classic set in Patch 17.0.0.44222, replacing the original Illidan Stormrage card, with Illidan becoming the base hero of the Demon Hunter class. Notably, the card received some minor mechanical changes as well: it now summons 2/1 Demons instead of 2/1 Elementals, and it summons them after a card is played instead of whenever a card is played, removing a number buggy interactions that can occur with it.

Patch changes

 * Moved from Classic to Legacy set.
 * (Undocumented) Added, replacing Illidan Stormrage.