Shifter Zerus

Shifter Zerus

Regular

Gold

Set:	Whispers of the Old Gods
Type:	Minion
Class:	Neutral
Rarity:	Legendary
Cost:	1
Attack:	1
Health:	1
Abilities:	Transform in hand
Wiki tags:	In-hand effect, Random, Triggered effect
Artist:	Daria Tuzova

Each turn this is in your hand, transform it into a different minion.

Flavor text

It's like being able to play with THREE angry chickens!

External links

Data page • Hearthpwn

For the Battlegrounds version, see Shifter Zerus (Battlegrounds).

Shifter Zerus is a legendary neutral minion card, from the Whispers of the Old Gods set.

How to get

Shifter Zerus can be obtained through Whispers of the Old Gods card packs, or through crafting.

Card	Crafting cost	Disenchanting
Shifter Zerus	1600	400
Golden Shifter Zerus	3200	1600

Notes

A transformed Shifter Zerus, featuring the card's special visual effect

• This card may transform into any collectible minion, but not uncollectible minions. This includes the possibility of transforming into a Shifter Zerus.
• Even though the card text reads "Each turn", Shifter Zerus transforms only at the start of the possessing player's turn. When drawn, it does not transform immediately but remains as Shifter Zerus until the start of the player's next turn, at which point it begins shifting.
• Shifter Zerus' transformation effect is unusual, in that while transforming into other minions, it retains the original card's ability to transform again the next turn. This ability is retained until the card is removed from the hand, at which point it is lost. Returning the minion into which Zerus transformed to the hand will not cause it to start transforming again. However, if the untransformed Zerus minion itself is in the battlefield and then returned to the hand, it will begin transforming again.
• A special visual display highlights Shifter Zerus, making it clear which minion it is, and reminding the player that it will transform again next turn.
• Shifter Zerus' transform effect does not depend on being played from the hand; put into battlefield effects will also see the resulting minion enter play, and the transformation ability lost.
• The transformation includes mana cost. For example, if a Shifter Zerus changes into a Deathwing, it will cost 10 to play.
• If Simulacrum or Elise the Enlightened are used on a transformed Shifter Zerus in the player's hand, the player will receive a copy of the minion Zerus is currently transformed as. This copy will not transform into other minions.
• If Mind Vision copies an untransformed Shifter Zerus minion into the player's hand, the copy will continue to transform as usual. If Mind Vision copies a Shifter Zerus that has already transformed into another minion (even if it has not yet been played from the hand), it will not transform.
• Even when in the hand, Shifter Zerus is considered to be of the class of the card into which it is currently transformed, for the purposes of cards like Ethereal Peddler.
• Buffs from cards like The Mistcaller, Grimestreet Outfitter, Smuggler's Run, and any other card that provides attached enchantments to Zerus will not be removed by Zerus' transformation effect. This also includes cost reduction from Emperor Thaurissan and Unstable Portal. Additionally, if he is temporarily C'Thun or Bolvar Fordragon, he can gain relevant buffs and keep them even after transforming further.
  • Shifter Zerus will retain any buffs it receives from the card it transformed into, such as Blubber Baron and Clutchmother Zavas.
  • If there is already a buffed C'Thun in the deck, hand, field, or "graveyard", and Shifter Zerus becomes a C'Thun, the C'Thun that Shifter becomes does not become pre-buffed (i.e. a normal 6/6, without any other buffs like from The Mistcaller).
• If Shifter Zerus transforms into a warlock minion, Renounce Darkness will turn Shifter Zerus into a different card, losing its ongoing transformation ability.

Advanced

• Shifter Zerus's transformation is a trigger in the Start of Turn Phase.
  • Because this is before the Draw Phase at the start of each turn, a normally drawn Shifter Zerus will not transform until your next turn begins.
  • Because of the Quad Queue Model, Shifter Zerus's first transformation will queue and resolve after in-play Start of Turn Phase triggers (for example, a Shifter Zerus drawn by Nat Pagle immediately transforms), and Shifter Zerus's later transformations (which occur due to an attached enchantment, which is considered in play) will queue and resolve during in-play Start of Turn Phase triggers and before in-hand Start of Turn Phase triggers (such as Nerubian Prophet).

Strategy

The random and unpredictable nature of Shifter Zerus means there is almost always a better card to choose for any given deck. Zerus can help with flexibility, providing an early game minion if drawn early or a late game minion if drawn late, but even then the resulting minion will likely lack desired synergies and be a poorer choice than cards the player might have included in its place.

Shifter Zerus can be a good pick for Zoolocks from Dark Peddler - especially in the late game, where Shifter Zerus can provide a large minion such as Boulderfist Ogre in place of the 1 mana cards normally produced by the Dark Peddler's Discover effect.

Lore

Shifter Zerus is original to Hearthstone.

This section uses content from Wowpedia.

The n'raqi, commonly known as the faceless ones or the faceless, are a monstrous race that arose from the organic matter that seeped from the Old Gods' blighted forms during the primordial era of Azeroth. Cunning and intelligent, they serve their eldritch masters with fanatical loyalty.

Gallery

Shifter Zerus, full art

Patch changes

• Patch 5.0.0.12574 (2016-04-24): Added.