On-discard effect

On-discard effects are card effects which activate when that card is discarded from the player's hand. These effects are not activated if the card is overdrawn, due to attempting to draw the card while having a full hand; discarded from the deck by effects such as Fel Reaver; or destroyed through any other means.

On-discard effects are comparable to Deathrattles in that they activate when the card itself is removed from the game. They are distinguished from other discard-related effects such as Malchezaar's Imp which activate when another card is discarded.

There are currently only four cards with on-discard effects: the warlock spell Fist of Jaraxxus, and the warlock minions Silverware Golem, Clutchmother Zavas, and High Priestess Jeklik. The mechanic fits well with the warlock class, which has a strong relationship with discard effects.

Strategy
On-discard effects act to mitigate the downside of discarding cards, giving the player a significant advantage when they discard these specific cards. This rewards discard effects such as Succubus, Doomguard and Deathwing, saving the player mana, improving tempo, and potentially saving other cards from being discarded.

Patch changes

 * Added, with Fist of Jaraxxus.