What Is Manathirst In Hearthstone? - March Of The Lich King New Keyword

March of the Lich King is probably the biggest expansion ever to hit Hearthstone. Not only did it drop a ton of new cards, not only did it drop the Death Knight Hero Class, but it also released several new mechanics as well! One of the new mechanics released in March of the Lich King is the brand-new keyword, Manathirst.

If you've avoided pre-release footage of March of the Lich King, you may be confused as to what this keyword actually does. The in-game tooltip can also be a little difficult to understand. That's where we come in! This article will cover everything you need to know about the new keyword Manathirst in Hearthstone March of the Lich King!

What Is Manathirst in Hearthstone

Manathirst gives your minion bonus effects or abilities depending on the current number of Mana Crystals you have reached in the game. Most cards with Manathirst will have a standard ability, and this ability will be upgraded once you have reached a certain Mana threshold. This makes Manathirst cards very versatile, as you can either hold off and play them when you will receive the bonus effect, or you can play them early either for tempo or to swing the game back in your favor.

Here are a few extra things you should know about Manathirst:

• Manathirst cards only consider the Mana Crystals you have reached. For example, Astalor Bloodsworn costs 2 Mana and has a Manathirst cost of 4 Mana to receive his additional effect. Should you play Astalor on 4 Mana after you have already played a 2 Mana card, you will still receive the bonus effect.
• Manathirst cards are different from Battlecry cards, but not entirely. The trick is to look for the word "instead" in the card text. For example, Astalor Bloodsworn has a Battlecry, which adds another card to your hand, and a Manathirst that deals two damage. Because the word "instead" is not here, cards like Brann Bronzebeard will not activate this effect twice. However, if a card does have the word "instead" in its Manathirst description, cards like Brann will double the effect. 
• Manathirst Cards will not trigger if you gain temporary Mana Crystals. For example, if, on three Mana, you use the coin and play Astalor Bloodsworn (who has a Manathirst cost of 4), the Manathirst effect will not trigger.
• Manathirst effects will only work if the card is played directly from your hand. 

And that's everything you need to know about Manathirst in Hearthstone!