Shifter Zerus
Shifter Zerus is a 1 Mana Cost Legendary Neutral Minion card from the Whispers of the Old Gods set!
Card Text
Each turn this is in your hand, transform it into a random minion.
Flavor Text
It's like being able to play with THREE angry chickens!
- Type
- Minion
- Rarity
- Legendary
- Set
- Whispers of the Old Gods
- Class
- Neutral
- Cost
- 1
- Attack
- 1
- Health
- 1
- Minion Type
- Mechanics
- Transform
- Artist
- Daria Tuzova
- Collectible
- Yes
- Rating
- 3.9/5 (1261 votes)
Card Review & Interactions
View the Card RNG possibilities for Shifter Zerus in StandardView the Card RNG possibilities for Shifter Zerus in Wild
- "It changes every turn until you play it. It has a special glow on it and a tooltip if you mouse over it to remind you that it is Shifter Zerus." [Source]
- "It changes at the start of your turn. You can only play it as Zerus the turn that you draw it. So if you draw it on turn 1 and your opponent has a 2/1 out, you can play it as a 1/1 to contest if you want to, or hang on to it for the right time." [Source]
- "It cannot be silenced, once it's played, it becomes that minion." [Source]
- "Yes, it will stay as the transformed minion if returned to hand. It will no longer transform again once it's played." [Source]
- "If Mind Vision copies the transformed minion, it will not longer keep shifting. If it copies Zerus itself, it would." [Source]
82 Comments
Mario
This is an auto 5/5, clearly no discussion needed
Usurperlord
or it's garbage like alarm-o-bot and wisp and stays in your hand the whole game
Mario
It changes EVERY turn, doesn't stay the same.
Usurperlord
Right,but if you wanted that minion why not put it in your deck. This will see play but definitely not an auto include
Genieblood
You can get tirion out of this in any class. If that doesn't make this card good, I don't know what does. Sure you can't choose it, but you only play it when its good. So much versatility.
haha
good luck getting a tirion every 100 game and remember you need to get it after turn 8 otherwise you cant play it and can only watch it turn into something else. i'd love to see if u pull that off more than once every season.
Yakikorosu
So... this is strictly an Arena card, right? I mean in constructed, why not just put the minion you want in the deck? Aside from the extremely unlikely chance that it will let you have two of the same Legendaries in your deck this seems useless in constructed.
Foodbeard
I think most of the time it would be better to just pick the minion you want and put it in your deck. That being said, the benefit of this card is it could potentially be a wide range of things, meaning it could be useful in a wider range of situations than any one minion could. You would be trading consistency for versatility (albeit random).
Bling
So is the 1 mana cost kept on the new minion or is the mana set to what the new minions mana cost is.
Evident
No, once the card shifts it will be the cost of the card it shifted into.
Foodbeard
I assume it keeps that ability even after it transforms? Because otherwise it would be much worse, basically an Unstable Portal that you don't have to cast but also doesn't give you a discount. I guess even that isn't horrible.
Assuming it DOES keep its ability and will continue transforming on every turn to a new minion:
In constructed I think this will see some play in control decks. On any given turn, the chances of it transforming into something that is exactly right for your curve are on the low side. So I doubt it will be worth including for aggro or midrange. But once you hit the late game, you might have some room to wait until it transforms into something powerful and then craft a turn around it.
In arena, I think this would be a risky thing to draft but could outright win you some games. It's risky because playing on curve is super important, but on the other hand you have a better chance of it becoming something very strong relative to other arena minions, because the quality of minions in arena is lower. Again, probably more of a late-game card that will occasionally transform into something you can use on curve.
I voted 3/5. Probably not a super strong card, but very fun and might find a niche in some late-game decks.
Foodbeard
Cool, Blizzard answered that question. Got added to the page as I was writing my thoughts.
Foodbeard
I ran the numbers (based on the numbers of minions of each cost) and basically there's a 1 in 6 chance on any given turn that it will become an on-curve minion (lower than that once you hit turn 6 and above). If you started with it in your opening hand, on turn 6 there is a 44% chance that it was never an on-curve minion.
This becomes less of a problem in the late game. On any given turn, the chance of it transforming into a minion that costs 6 or more is about 25%. So over the course of 4 turns, there is a 70% chance that it will become a high-cost minion at least once.
These numbers were using the Wild card pool, as the card database I was using didn't have a filter for format. They probably won't be that different in Standard, but just sayin'.
cluelesspug
Seems pretty nice. Extremely flexible, even if it is completely random. I kinda hate it though because it nerfs Confessor Paletress, Sneed's Old Shredder, and The Golden Monkey. It always feelsbadman when you get a small legendary off of those cards. Although I guess in the case of the monkey it can still transform into something useful.
Nofood
Actually, getting this off of Golden Monkey would be fine, it would keep transforming!
Dallas
Ah yes. Just what we need...more rng
Fropps
No, true RNG with this card would be it becoming a random minion when you played it, but with this it's controlled RNG, you can hang onto it until you get something that's useful.
Foodbeard
That could be a bit of a wait. As I mentioned below, I ran the numbers and in early- and mid-game turns, the chances that it will be something useful on your curve are not great.
JimmJanker
If it gets discounted in hand does it keep the discount?
Evident
That's a good question, I'll see if I can find out.
cameldd
An effect like Thaurissan reduces the cost of cards in your hand by 1, and since this card remains being Shifter Zerus I think it makes sense if it does stack up the effect like it does with any other card.
Even in the scenario where you have a 2 cost card reduced by 3 at the end of that turn. At the start of your next one you, if you hypothetically get a 4 cost card, it will only cost 1.
CHUFIS
HOLY MOTHER FUCKER!
TacoRocco
I think this is a very interesting card. I think it has a lot of potential. For those of you that have played Binding of Isaac, I think of this like the D6; you just reroll the minion each turn until you get one that you want or that is useful in the given situation. All in all, it is an interesting and unique ability.
Time Out
Heh nice example :)
Captain Falcon
Do we know if it informs your opponent when played that it was a Shifter Zerus?
Foodbeard
It might actually be stronger if it didn't, since you could leave people thinking you still have a wild card in your hand.
TacoRocco
I hope not. It would be interesting if it didn't because it could be used to trick the opponent into thinking you already played a certain card or you are playing a certain type of deck. For example, if it transformed into Ysera and you played it, your opponent would think you already played Ysera, but then you play the real Ysera, which would throw your opponent off big time. When Faceless Manipulator becomes a minion, it doesn't say that it was ever a Faceless Manipulator. Most transformed minions don't tell you what they used to be, so I assume Zerus will do the same.
Foodbeard
Now you're thinking with portals! Bluffing FTW.
Oogla boogla
Probably not. I mean what would be your first thought if someone played jaraxxus as a mage with my portal played this game? Hacker?
Gameboyrob
Will the opponent be able to see that the minion played was shifter zerus? Like will it keep its name or have text at the bottom when its played, like with unstable portal, Nefarion, etc?
1292
If you want a more flexible deck why not just run discover minions/spells?
Genieblood
Because Discover can't give you minions from other classes, and those cards are generally limited (Beasts from tomb spider, 3-drops from jeweled, 1-drops from peddler, etc.)
lennon255
what the fuck even is this card.
darknes386
Dark Peddler!!!! Insane value
Xander Raidon
Indeed, this is like a straight up buff to Dark Peddler. Getting it in Arena out of the effect is absolutely SWEET!
Colin
Clearly Blizzard waited so long to spoil this because it's awesome. I can't wait to craft it. I like crazy cards that can do things you can only do in an online card game like this. I think it's fun to play class minions for the wrong class.
Antma
This is like a Kind of forbidden shapping for everyone.
Can it transform into Different class cards?
Bling
Yes it can
Genieblood
Ever wanted Tirion in Control Warrior? Fallen Hero in Hunter? Prophet Velen in Mage? This card is insane. Will there be points where it becomes a wisp? Of course! Just don't play it yet then.
Yakikorosu
That's like saying that you're going to play Sneed's in your Mage in hopes of getting Prophet Velen out of it. And your chances of getting Velen out of Sneed's are MUCH higher than getting it from this card. I still say this card is completely useless in constructed.
Genieblood
Yes but you only play the good transformations, whereas sneeds can give you a majordomo that you can't control that loses the game. Meanwhile this doesn't require 8 mana for the chance to get a good minion, it just has to be in your hand. And while sneed makes it so you don't pay for the legendary, there are lots of good battlecries amongst the legendaries. It has versatility in addition to
Lunie
Yes sure win the game with one card that randomly transforms into another. Seems like they aren't even trying anymore to make the competitive part of this game look any different then a joke.
SomePeoplePlayForFun
You guys need to relax a little. It's an online card game. The competitive meta will take care of itself as always and those of us who enjoy playing casual just to experiment with fun interactions will continue to enjoy ourselves rather than treating Hearthstone like a part time job. :-P
#itsjustagamedude
velvet
This card is awesome. You can run it simply because it can transform into any minion, including other class specific minion.
ben
Best looking card ever. LOVE ITTT!!!!!!!!
Captain Falcon
Is the pool of creatures it can transform into class dependent?
Evident
No, it's any class.
Gio
This is the coolest card in this expansion, so excited !!!!!!
Nofood
My only question for this card is this: say you draw this, he is sitting in your hand. You play Mistcaller as a shaman. Do all his transformations have this +1/+1 buff or does he lose this as he transforms?
Oogla boogla
I assume no. The 1 mana 1/1 version would probably get the +1 buff, but lose it as he transforms when you play him.
jordon carmen
Golden monkey keeps mistcaller buffs so it might
Porgem
when you draw a card, then the Mistcaller buff is given (if, somehow, you get Varian Wrynn as shaman, the cards it summons directly onto the board do not get the +1/+1 buff (i believe), so the minions Zerus transforms into is not drawn so would not get the buff.
DatMageDoe
I see some Trolden worthy moments with this card when nearing death, and Shifter becoming Deathwing to win the game.
Captain Falcon
This is a horrible top deck so I doubt it will see much competitive play. It is definitely playable though.
Cyberdave86
This card is trash, in the first 3 turn trasform in minion that cost 5+ and you will not play it, at turn 5 trasform in 1/2 cost minion and you can't play it....Very very random card but....I LOVE random card
iron
at topdeck war it transforms into deathwing and wins the game for you >_>
Fiergangster
Antonidas or hallazeal in rogue! Tirion in warrior! More legendaries!
ZekeHyle
What a fun card, in another word - useless.
jjman123
I can't wait to keep my Shifter nerus in my hand for the perfect Time to play it only to relise that when I need to play it, it turns into another Shifter nerus. FeelsBadMan.
killyridols
Renolock loves this card.
lol
Mages are running unstable portals, so this card should see play. This is arguably better than portal without the mana reduction and spell synergy.
Foodbeard
The problem is that those are the only two reasons mages run Unstable Portal. :-) It synergizes with Flamewaker and Mana Wyrm, and the mana reduction means they can sometimes make huge tempo plays. It's rare to see Portal played outside of tempo mage.
I think Zerus could be pretty decent in a control deck, where you can afford to wait until he becomes something amazing. But I don't think this will be seeing a ton of play.
Nightfall
the power that unstable portal has (and also the reason why the card is to good and a horrible design) is that on turn 2 it can be played and on turn 3 you can already play a 6 mana minion you got from it. the card isn't balanced because it is to good in to many ways
simpire321
on turn 9 it's normal deathwing. on turn 10 your oponent floods the board and it transforms into the new deathwing. salt will be spilled.
ZaetsVTanke
It's kinda ok-card if we speaking about arena.
But nothing spectacular in constructed... I preffer to use this deck-slot to put card i want instead of something that possibly never help me...
I see this one in play only for first few months when people will explore all this new stuff but then this card will disapear from constructed and will be rarely seen on rank 15 or below games...
ZaetsVTanke
Definitely its not worth manual crafting.
divinespirit
Its very cool.
Ragnaroose the Firemoose
Compared to unstable portal:
Positive:
1. Neutral
2. You can leave it in your hand until you get what you want, if unstable portal gives you a bad minion then you're stuck with it.
Negative:
1. No spell synergy
2. No cost reduction
3. No mana investment: you can play unstable portal on turn 2 then play a 6-cost on turn 3
All in all this is worse than unstable portal, but might still find play in control decks that can wait until this gives them the right minion.
Nightfall
I like how on turn one its this super cute tentacle monster that just wants to hug and the next turn all he does is say I AM DEATHWING
sober667
Looks kinda cool one combo fits me with him if u play him firts time u got him into the hand with gank up so u toss 3 copies into the deck :P - is u need first got gankup and after u got him go for combo whenever it will be
Tommathy
Would have been good if he was 2/2 so that he would be of value on turn 1 or the turn hes drawn as well
Nightfall
2/2 for 1 mana is to good I would say 2/1
Emin Mahmutovic
Does the mana cost depend on what card it transforma into or is it going to stay at its original mana cost of 1?
Evident
It depends on what the card it transforms costs.
Rainbowpanda
NEW NAME: RNGjesus of the old gods
kbj93
would be cool if it said "At the beginning of your turn, transform this minion to the amount of your current mana." Would that be overpowered or nah?
kbj93
EDIT: Would be cool if it said "At the beginning of your turn, transform this minion into a random minion that equals your current mana."
ariel
Zerus - isn't that the homeworld of the Zerg?
Alias
Buff to the all-legendary deck! Finally!
alex
does the mana stay the same
Evident
Nope.
CD001
Just had this little guy transform into Ragnaros Lightlord when playing against a Paladin... Trololololol lol lol - so worth it just for that.
Comments are closed.