Snipe

Snipe

Regular

Scroll rightSwipe left to see other versions

Gold

Set:	EXPERT1
Type:	Spell
Class:	Hunter
Rarity:	Common
Cost:	2
Abilities:	Deal damage, Secret
Tags:	Summoning-related, Triggered effect
Artist:	Lorenzo Minaca

Secret: After your opponent plays a minion, deal 4 damage to it.

A great sniper hits the spot. Just like a delicious flank of boar. Mmmmm.

See this card on PlayHearthstone

See this card on Hearthpwn

[data page]

Snipe is a common hunter spell card, inducted into the Legacy set, formerly from the Classic set.

Other versions

Classic

How to get

Snipe can be obtained through Classic card packs, or through crafting.

Card	Crafting cost	Disenchanting
Snipe	40	5
Golden Snipe	400	50

Notes

• Like the other Secrets that trigger when your opponent plays a minion from their hand (Mirror Entity, Sacred Trial, Repentance), Snipe triggers in the After Play Phase following the Battlecry Phase. This means that all effects and death processing related to the minion's Battlecry resolve before the game queues and resolves Secrets such as Snipe. For example, if you play a Twilight Drake into Snipe, it will gain Health from its Battlecry before Snipe triggers and deals 4 damage.
  • Snipe, Sacred Trial, Mirror Entity, Repentance and Potion of Polymorph all trigger in order of play.
  • Snipe does not trigger if the minion is mortally wounded/pending destroy, such as from Sacred Trial or Mirror Entity + Knife Juggler.
  • Repentance still triggers if Snipe mortally wounds the minion before it.
  • Mirror Entity does not trigger if Snipe mortally wounds the minion before it.
  • Sacred Trial still triggers if Snipe mortally wounds the minion before it. (This is probably a bug.)
  • Snipe will trigger on the sheep made by Potion of Polymorph if Snipe was played second. Conversely, Potion of Polymorph will not trigger if Snipe mortally wounded the minion first.
• Snipe, like all other Secrets that directly deal damage, is affected by Spell Damage and Prophet Velen.

Fixed bugs

• Before Patch 7.1, Snipe triggered if the minion was mortally wounded/pending destroy, such as from Sacred Trial or Mirror Entity + Knife Juggler.

Strategy

Snipe is a useful early-mid game Secret. The amount of damage it deals for its cost lets it take out most 3-mana or less minions as soon as they're played. It is best played in the early-mid game due to the fact that it essentially allows your opponent to react to it so cannot be used with a follow-up for a guaranteed kill on one of their big minions (anything with more than 4 Health). A downside is that its power scales off late game because it won't be able to one-shot stronger minions.

Arguably Snipe's greatest asset is its ability to remove minions that rely on end-of-turn triggered effects and stop combos that rely on playing a minion first, such as Ethereal Arcanist, Cloaked Huntress, and Quest Rogues that need to play a minion before returning it to their hand.

Trivia

• The artwork for this card comes from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game "War of the Ancients" series, for the card Delinar Silvershot.
• Snipe was removed for selection in Arena on September 15, 2016 but was reinstated on December 9, 2018.

Gallery

Snipe, full art

Patch changes

• Year of the Gryphon rotation (2021-03-30): Moved from Classic to Legacy set.
• Patch 7.1.0.17720 (2017-02-28): Now correctly triggers after Potion of Polymorph.
• Patch 4.2.0.12051 (2016-03-14): Now reads "After your opponent" instead of "When your opponent".