Ancient Brewmaster


 * ''For the uncollectible card in Book of Heroes, see Ancient Brewmaster (boss).

Ancient Brewmaster is a common neutral minion card, inducted into the Legacy set, formerly from the Classic set.

Strategy
Ancient Brewmaster has decent stats for its cost, but also offers a return effect Battlecry, returning a target friendly minion to the owner's hand. Note that the Battlecry must be used if possible, which can be inconvenient at times. However, the Battlecry effect cannot target the Brewmaster itself, so the Brewmaster can be safely played when no other friendly minions are on the field, effectively negating its Battlecry.

There are two main strategic uses for return effects. The first is when used in conjunction with a minion with a useful Battlecry, such as Nightblade, to make use of the Battlecry more than once. Play the Battlecry minion, play Ancient Brewmaster, then play the Battlecry minion again.

The second is to return a minion to its original stats, and remove any enchantments. Ideally, use the minion to attack, allowing it to deal and take damage, then return it to your hand allowing you to play it again at full health.

Return effects are also useful when used in combination with a minion with Charge, effectively granting it Windfury for that turn, and removing any damage incurred from its first attack.

When combined with temporary mind control effects such as Potion of Madness and Shadow Madness, a return effect allows you to permanently steal an enemy minion that would otherwise return to the opponent at the end of your turn.

Quotes

 * Summon
 * I'll put it on your tab!


 * Attack
 * Another round?

Lore

 * Hailing from the secretive Empire, the mighty  travel the world in search of exotic ales and the finest brewed spirits. These affable warriors rarely seek out danger or trouble, preferring instead to spend their time concocting new and tasty beverages for any brave enough to imbibe them. However, if attacked, the laughing brewmasters bring all of their pandaren agility and ferocity to bear! They even bring their beer to war! They are peerless warriors and world class drinkers all in one!


 * A rare few pandaren walk outside of their culture's normal ways. Brewmasters are those pandaren given to a fondness for drink. Rather than them being relegated to some outcast place in society, however, pandaren highly regard those who show such a propensity. These pandaren, like all their kind, master a craft: theirs is the creation of ales, wines and other spirits.


 * Yet the term "spirits" is not used facetiously among these folk, for those who would become brewmasters learn which plants, berries, and fungi harbor the most powerful spirits. They harvest these spirits and awaken them, allowing the one fortunate enough to drink one of these Master Brews to actually see and commune with the spirit.


 * The brewmasters learn their strange, drunken wardance from these spirits. Brewmasters are the only pandaren who are exempt from the strictures regarding the ability to create and destroy — in all things, the brewmasters are too busy listening to the spirits that swirl about within their heads to care what their peers think.


 * A warrior Hero, the brewmasters of Pandaria have emerged from the bamboo forests of their ancestors to bring their unique fighting style (and robust ales) to the highest bidder.

Trivia

 * This card is the "oldest" form of the three Brewmaster cards. Only the youngest and oldest have the return to hand ability.
 * Young - Youthful Brewmaster
 * Grown up - Brewmaster (a non-playable boss card from the tutorial)
 * Old - Ancient Brewmaster

Patch changes

 * Moved from Classic to Legacy set.