List of powercreeped cards

This is a silly article. While related to a real Hearthstone topic, it should not be taken too seriously.

This is a list about cards which are powercreeps, or cards which are effectively better than other cards in every way.

Some may believe that these cards listed do not constitute as powercreep, however, they will still be listed as such due to the lack of a better term for them. Powercreep may be defined differently from what is defined in this article, if any confusion is caused from the name, this article is listing all cards which are objectively better than other cards. A name change can be considered if anyone is still confused.

This article will list cards which have been powercreeped, and list below them the cards which are better than them.

Class cards are designed to be more powerful than neutral cards, however they will be listed. Cards from different classes will also be compared with each other. Only collectible cards will be listed.

This is a work-in-progress list, feel free to expand it.

A powercreep defined here would have to fulfill one or more of the following criteria when compared to another card:

It has exactly the same card text, and more attack or health
It has exactly the same card text, and costs less mana
It has exactly the same mana cost and stats, but has more beneficial card text
It has exactly the same mana cost and stats, but has less counteractive card text

For the sake of this article, the actions listed below are beneficial:

Restoring health to a friendly character, such as Shroom Brewer and Reno Jackson
Gaining armor, such as Plated Beetle and Drywhisker Armorer
Dealing damage to an enemy, such as Leper Gnome and Spring Rocket
Summoning minions for you, such as Violet Wurm and Giggling Inventor
Destroying an enemy minion, such as Assassinate and Demonbolt
Destroying the enemy hero, such as Mecha'thun
Adding cards to your hand, such as Kazakus and Ravencaller
Discovering, such as Stonehill Defender and Arch-Thief Rafaam
Drawing cards, such as Loot Hoarder and Bonfire Elemental
Putting minions from hand into the battlefield, such as Voidcaller and Deathwing, Dragonlord
Recruiting or putting minions from deck into the battlefield, such as Master Oakheart and Y'Shaarj, Rage Unbound
Putting secrets into the battlefield, such as Arcane Keysmith and Mad Scientist
Taking control of enemy minions, such as Cabal Shadow Priest and Sylvanas Windrunner
Gaining attack, such as Bloodsail Raider and Frothing Berserker
Gaining health or durability, such as Twilight Drake and King's Defender
Gaining other positive effects, such as Corpsetaker and Coppertail Imposter
Giving a friendly minion beneficial effects, such as those given by Corpse Raiser and Acherus Veteran
Providing friendly minions with beneficial effects, such as those given by Stormwind Champion
Providing your hero with beneficial effects, such as those given by Violet Illusionist and Kobold Monk
Having divine shield, such as Argent Squire and Lone Champion
Having lifesteal, such as Bloodworm and Crystalsmith Kangor
Having windfury, such as Al'Akir the Windlord and Dragonhawk Rider
Having taunt, such as Silverback Patriarch and Paragon of Light
Having poisonous, such as Patient Assassin and Carrion Drake
Having charge, such as Leeroy Jenkins and Armored Warhorse
Having rush, such as Scaleworm and Zilliax
Having echo, such as Hunting Mastiff and Phantom Militia
Having overkill, such as Sul'thraze and Baited Arrow
Having twinspell, such as The Forest's Aid
Having magnetic, such as Bronze Gatekeeper and Annoy-o-Module
Having Reborn, such as Restless Mummy and Murmy
Having Invoke, such as Fiendish Rites and Shield of Galakrond
Freezing enemy minions, such as Glacial Shard, and Frost Nova
Adapting, such as Volcanosaur and Vicious Fledgling
Elusive, or not being targetable by spells or hero powers, such as Air Elemental and Bearshark
Stealth, such as Stranglethorn Tiger and Cloakscale Chemist
Stealth for one turn, such as Spirit of the Rhino
Providing spell damage, such as Celestial Emissary and Malygos
Shuffling beneficial cards into your deck, such as Fal'dorei Strider
Shuffling harmful cards into opponent's deck, such as Seaforium Bomber and Beneath the Grounds
Reducing the cost of your cards, such as Galvanizer and Radiant Elemental
Increasing the cost of your opponent's cards, such as Doomed Apprentice
Silencing enemy minions, such as Ironbeak Owl and Spellbreaker
Gaining mana crystals, such as Innervate and Nourish
Refreshing your hero power, such as Garrison Commander and Blackwald Pixie

Any card needs to have the ability to always do one of the above for it to fulfill that criteria. Avenging Wrath will always deal damage to an enemy, but having a possibility to gain an effect listed above is always better than not having any effect or have effects listed below. Having the chances to be both good and bad effectively cancels out its effectiveness over cards with the same stats, cost and no card text at all.

Listed below are counteractive, or negative effects:

Discarding, such as Doomguard and Howlfiend
Overloading, such as Stormforged Axe and Volcano
Removing cards off your deck, such as Keening Banshee and Fel Reaver
Destroying your own mana crystals, such as Blastcrystal Potion and Felguard
Increasing the mana cost of your cards, such as Venture Co. Mercenary
Doing damage to friendly characters, such as Ornery Tortoise and Ticking Abomination
Healing enemy characters, such as Zombie Chow and Corrupted Healbot
Summoning minions for your opponent, such as Gravelsnout Knight and Marsh Drake
Giving your opponent other positive effects, such as Arcane Golem and Naturalize

Listed below are ignored:

Having Tribes, such as Murloc Tinyfin and Deathwing
Being of a high rarity, such as Legendaries and Epics
Belonging to different classes
Being an only wild format card

Onto the main part of this article, the list.

Silverback Patriarch

This is likely the first card people think about when they hear the word powercreep, this card is powercreeped so many times even cards which powercreep this card are getting powercreeped. This card even has its own article talking about the list of cards which powercreep it. Find it here. This, however, will not be the card with the most powercreeps.

Squirming Tentacle

This is the powercreep which was power creeped, still better than Silverback Patriarch though.

Magma Rager

This card is known for being one of the worst cards in hearthstone, however, unlike Silverback Patriarch, Magma Rager is not powercreeped that often. The one upside Magma Rager does get is that it is in Standard Format and will be forever in Standard.

Murloc Raider

Everyone has used this card a couple of times, at least in the tutorial. The list of cards which are powercreeped here is quite long, even longer than the one for Silverback Patriarch:

Enchanted Raven

Blizzard needed more things to power creep for this expansion.

Am'gam Rager

The less known Rager in the family of Ragers, this one somehow becomes even worse than the original Magma Rager. This is the list:

River Crocolisk and Arcane Servant

This is another underwhelming basic card, and is in fact not bad in arena, unfortunately too many cards compete with it. Transmogrifier doesn't count because it might transform your board clear or combo piece.

War Golem

This is another example of the basic set being to simple; ironically it's outclassed even among Basic set.

Faceless Behemoth

This card is basically the amplified version of War Golem.

Bloodfen Raptor and Puddlestomper

Bloodfen Raptor was good enough that Blizzard printed what is effectively the same card, but definitely not good enough for the following, at least Fishflinger, Wild Pyromancer and Wyrmrest Purifier technically doesn't powercreep the two.

Booty Bay Bodyguard

This is straight up powercreep by design for being too weak.

Ancient of Blossoms

Slap a dragon on anything, and it becomes better.

Lost Tallstrider

This card is very similar to Booty Bay Bodyguard, but it has many more cards which powercreep it.

Argent Squire

This is in fact a very popular card used in Odd Rogue, Quest Hunter, Odd Paladin, but it still manages to be beaten by this one card.

Fossilized Devilsaur

This might be a more straightforward chain of powercreeps than Silverback Patriarch.

Spider Tank and Nightmare Amalgam

This is another case of being too simple, and Fierce Monkey is on top again. Although Nightmare Amalgam has way more tribes than Spider Tank, it is more vulnerable to Hungry Crab, Golakka Crawler, Dragonslayer, Hemet Nesingwary, etc.

Kobold Geomancer

There were many similar cards which were better than Kobold Geomancer, but only one was a powercreep.

Dalaran Mage

Having 1 Attack really kills its viability.

Evolved Kobold

Even after evolving, Evolved Kobold did not escape the fate of being powercreeped.

Pit Fighter

At least this is still a good pick in the Arena.

Captured Jormungar

It wasn't really that good to begin with.

Furious Ettin

Now they have even more reasons to be furious.

Blowgill Sniper

Both of these cards are as unremarkable as it can get, but one is still better than the other.

Stegodon

Stegodon is the minion one would know as "the thing that's summoned from Spikeridged Steed." Being powercreeped the expansion it is released.

Darkshire Alchemist

They've got potions, you've got dragons. The victor should be obvious. C'mon, who doesn't like dragons?

Antique Healbot

Speaking of Amber Watcher, it's literally better than the former "best healing card". You think Blizzard was trying to push Control Paladin?

Sen'jin Shieldmasta

Everyone should remember this guy from their Hearthstone beginning; yeah it's powercreeped, but it is still a very good budget option.

Fen Creeper

Fen Creeper was outdone by Sen'jin Shieldmasta in usefulness, as he does the same job better for 1 mana less.

Toxicologist

This card was powercreeped when released.

Frostwolf Grunt

There was no good reason for Blizzard to release a card like this.

Ironfur Grizzly

Another card for Fierce Monkey to shine!

Goldshire Footman

Some Control Warlocks are actually willing to play Wax Elemental and Goldshire Footman rather than a small demon because of Bloodreaver Gul'dan although what this might show.

Stranglethorn Tiger

The beasts of Stranglethorn Vale aren't as much "strangle" as they are "thorn".

Deadscale Knight

Very insignificant.

Duskboar

This is a smaller Magma Rager, but better.

Dire Mole

This is comparable to Enchanted Raven, but neutral. Even then, Dire Mole was still used frequently, which goes to show how good the 1-mana 1/3 statline is.

Salty Dog

Pirate decks would take a pirate, even if it was powercreeped.

Chillwind Yeti

Basic cards just have to be powercreeped, no matter how good they are.

Silvermoon Guardian

Once the only 4-drop with Divine Shield is now powercreeped; it looks like guardians were not enough for Alliance.

Twisted Worgen

This abomination was powercreeped the expansion it's released.

Upgradeable Framebot

At least Upgradeable Framebot powercreeps Am'gam Rager.

Emperor Cobra

Emperor or not, Beast decks would take a Beast.

Spring Rocket

There are a number of players in Wild who heavily rely on C'Thun to have any chance of winning. If you are one of these players, you're better off using this card...

Fearsome Doomguard

Rather weak for its cost, it has been overshadowed by many new cards, just like other cards of its generation.

Bog Creeper

It feels as though Rafaam was intentionally designed to be overpowered. At least Bog Creeper powercreeps Fearsome Doomguard.

Murloc Tidehunter

With the release of Whispers of the Old Gods, what was once a trivial Basic minion is now slightly more powerful.

Desert Hare

Microtech Controller was already decent for token decks, so Blizzard decided to print a statically worse version of it for the next Standard year. One redeeming factor is its synergy with Evolve Shaman, though.