by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

Sure, you can play that winning card and step away from your match the glorious victor. But where is the fun unless you can also drop some lore knowledge on your opponent and add insult to injury? In this column, we don’t worry about card values or strategy – all we care about is that sweet, sweet lore. Check back every Wednesday for a new installment of Card Smart!

I know what you’re thinking.

Yes, the Deathcharger is not a collectible minion card. This card is used by Naxxramas bosses like Anub’Rekhan and Grand Widow Faerlina, but you can’t have it. That’s okay, though. In this column, we’re talking about card lore, and the Deathcharger is a fun one.

Deathcharger is the general term for the riding mounts of Death Knights, and are said to “only serve those without remorse”. In the Death Knight starting zone for Wrath of the Lich King, players even have to fetch their own horse from a local farm, only to have the perfectly good (albeit rather skittish) live horse turned into a more obedient and fearsome undead horse.

Though very much associated with horses, Deathchargers can also be beasts or demons, whichever suits that particular Death Knight’s fancy.

Baron Rivendare’s mount was actually named “Deathcharger”, which may have inspired the naming of this category of riding mounts. By killing Rivendare in Stratholme, players have a chance to earn the Deathcharger’s Reigns drop.

Other named Deathchargers of note are Bloodmist of Koltira Deathweaver, Bloodsunder of Baelok, Dusk of Thassarian, Fury of Salanar the Horseman, Icefury of Sapph, Invincible of Arthas Menethil, Iydallus of Darion Mograine, and Plaguehoof of Rokir.