The Darkness


 * For the boss of the same name, see The Darkness (boss).

The Darkness is a legendary neutral minion card, from the Kobolds & Catacombs set.

Strategy
The Darkness is a card that works best in a control deck aiming for long matches, where the chance of drawing all three candles increases. Mill decks are also an option for drawing out the candles as fast as possible, but is very bad if you are aiming to overdraw your opponent. If even one candle gets overdrawn, The Darkness will be completely useless for the rest of the game.

While this minion is extremely overstatted, the biggest problem with The Darkness is that it forces you to waste 4 mana first, making it very bad for tempo. The best time to play it would be as early as possible to increase the chances of your opponent drawing the Darkness Candles. Alternatively, it can be played during the late game as a finisher after players' decks and removal options have been largely depleted, as the opponent will have a larger chance to draw multiple Candles in a few turns and thus awaken The Darkness more quickly after its summon.

The Darkness also presents a great advantage/disadvantage as your opponent might be saving a removal for it, allowing you to play powerful minions and buff them with less risk.

It also counters cards that require no duplicate cards in the deck like Raza the Chained. It can also work very well against Jade Druid, as these decks tend to burn fast through their own deck to get out as many Idols as possible. This makes it easier for The Darkness to be activated.

Lore
The Darkness may be intended to represent the.


 * ''Despite living underground, s do not have keen nocturnal sight, and rely on candles to traverse the mines they call home. However, kobold legends also speak of a dark, devouring presence deep in the caverns of, which is the reason that the kobolds fear the dark. The of  frequently mention that if a kobold's candle goes out, or if they lack a candle altogether, "the darkness" will "eat them". The Bluewax historian  tells how the Bluewax were once forced out of their home by a group of  who claimed the cave as their own. However, the drogbar did not have candles, and so "the darkness" began to follow them, until it finally "swallowed them whole", allowing the kobolds — safe with their candles — to move back in. Additionally, a  can be found in the eastern part of Candle Rock. If an adventurer extinguishes the flames of all six candles, a large  called "Devouring Darkness" will appear and attack them.

Patch changes

 * Now automatically gets an enchantment that makes this minion Dormant instead of transforming into another minion with same name but different art.
 * Now reads "Starts Dormant. Battlecry: Shuffle 3 Candles into the enemy deck. When drawn, this awakens."
 * Exempt from random summon or transform effects.
 * Previously: Transforms into another minion with same name but different art. "Starts dormant. Battlecry: Shuffle 3 Candles into the enemy deck. When drawn, this awakens."
 * Added.
 * Added.