Gothik the Harvester

Gothik the Harvester is a boss found in the Curse of Naxxramas adventure. He is the second boss in the adventure's third wing, the Military Quarter.

Decks
The below classes are listed purely for reference, and have no effect on the boss' use of the cards during the battle.

Note that in Heroic mode, Gothik's deck features fewer of his less useful or synergistic cards, as well as fewer Unrelenting minions. In exchange the deck gains Undertakers and Deathchargers for a vastly improved early game, as well as more Abominations and Corruptions.

Strategy
Fill up the board with minions so Gothik cannot summon one for you that does damage to you. Heroic Gothic's hero power is auto-casting so he fatigues quickly. Use this to your advantage and try to outlast him.

Heroic
The most significant threats that you will face in this encounter take the form of out-of-control Undertakers, and the spurious Spectral army. All of these problems may be overcome by power-increasing effects and spot-removal, so in theory priest, shaman, or a focused warlock Zoo should do well.

Priest
Include the maximum amount of these cards in your deck: Holy Smite, Inner Fire, Abusive Sergeant, Northshire Cleric, Shadow Word: Pain, Sunfury Protector, Shadow Word: Death, Defender of Argus, Holy Nova, and Holy Fire.

The early game often presents a mishmash of Gothik's favorite 1-drops: Undertaker, Deathcharger, and Unrelenting Trainee. Gothik may also coin an Unstable Ghoul if he feels you are being too aggressive. The best starting hand therefore includes a Shadow Word: Pain or Holy Smite, or the dynamic duo of Northshire Cleric and Abusive Sergeant. It is not a bad idea to butt a Cleric against a Ghoul or Trainee in order to enable her heal-triggered card draw; if you've also included Circle of Healing with Auchenai Soulpriest, weigh the big draw against a one-time board clear.

Starting at Gothik's Turn 3, you might see a single Abomination (or in the rare case, a coined Unrelenting Rider). The mid-game strategy is to turn Gothik's tricks against him by stealing cards or minions via Thoughtsteal, Shadow Madness, or Mind Control Tech. If stealing isn't an option, use targeted removal to obtain Spectrals and 'taunt up' with either Sunfury Protector or Defender of Argus.

As you start to run low on cards and hit-points, it becomes imperative to get rid of the ghosts that are leeching from you. Increase their attack power via Sergeants, Dark Iron Dwarves, or the spectacular Inner Fire, then hurl them into the Abominations! Chained Abom and Ghoul explosions will clear the board for low personal cost. Alternatively, the addition of Youthful or Ancient Brewmasters to the deck will give you the options of replaying Sunfuries and Arguses - or stuffing the ghosts into your hand, where they can do no harm.

The final spaces of the deck can be padded with whatever you enjoy most. Cabal Shadow Priests can turn 14 of Gothik's creatures over to your side, but tend to compete with Holy Fire on the critical Turn 6. A good substitute may be Big Game Hunter, who has no natural targets, but can combo with the power-boosting minions you are already using. Also, four attack tends to be just the right amount in most circumstances.

Thanks to his reckless card drawing, Gothik gets out of cards quickly. After surviving his attacks, you can wait at ease for him to die from fatigue. Another way to win would be to get a Spectral Warrior or Spectral Rider on your board, then use Divine Spirits and Inner Fires to damage Gothik.

Druid
Since the release of Goblins vs Gnomes, an alternative strategy is to play a Mill Druid, to get the boss to draw his whole deck and die from fatigue even more quickly. Naturalize, Coldlight Oracle, Dancing Swords and Grove Tender will provide the draws, while Healing Touch, Lil' Exorcist (a very powerful card in this fight, given the number of Deathrattle minions in the boss' deck) and Tree of Life will help survivability. Goblin Sapper has a great chance to activate most of the time, which makes it able to kill any of Gothik's minions or add some face damage. Finally, Poison Seeds can reset the board and get rid of Spectral minions.

Decklists

 * Hearthpwn.com - The Military Quarter Heroic Boss Deck Guides
 * Hearthhead.com - Decks for defeating Heroic Gothik the Harvester

Dialogue
Before match
 * Kel'Thuzad
 * ''Look, if you give up now, I will tell Gothik not to turn you into a disembodied soul.

Introduction
 * Gothik the Harvester
 * ''My minions never truly die.

Emote Response
 * Gothik the Harvester
 * ''Foolishly you have sought your own demise.
 * ''Brazenly you have disregarded powers beyond your understanding.
 * ''You have fought hard to invade the realm of the Harvester.
 * ''Now there is only one way out...
 * ''... going into the options menu and hitting CONCEDE.

Hero Power
 * Gothik the Harvester
 * ''Hahaha! Fool! I am the Harvester of Souls!

Playing the first Unreleting Trainee, Warrior or Rider
 * Gothik the Harvester
 * ''Kill my minions if you like... Their souls will pay you a visit.

Summoning the first Spectral Trainee, Warrior or Rider
 * Gothik the Harvester
 * ''The dead return!

Death
 * Gothik the Harvester
 * ''I am undone!
 * Kel'Thuzad
 * ''Why doesn't Gothik come back as Spectral Gothik? C'mon!!

Curse of Naxxramas
''Gothik the Harvester, master of necromancy, teaches young Death Knights the power of summoning the undead to their aid. Even the most novice Death Knight can call the lifeless from their graves, thanks to Gothik’s dark and sinister techniques. Ghosts, ghouls, skeletons—none are safe from Gothik’s influence.''

In World of Warcraft

 * ". A master of necromancy and conjuration, Gothik is said to be able to beckon forth legions of the undead at a moment's notice. It is with his guidance that even the weakest of s can raise the dead."

Trivia
Senior UI Designer Derek Sakamoto shared the following unused flavor text for Gothik the Harvester:
 * "Gothik the Harvester: He works overtime creating undead armies, all that beard conditioner doesn't pay for itself."

Patch changes

 * Added.