Fireblast is the Hero Power for the Mage class. At the cost of 2 mana, Jaina Proudmoore can launch a fiery projectile that deals 1 point of damage at a target of her choosing. While the damage is low, the flexibility of the spell is very high, allowing her to weaken minions, eliminate those with low HP, target her opponent directly, or even attack her own minions to activate specific abilities. There is always a situation in which Fireblast can be effective and shouldn't be forgotten.
The most important aspect of Fireblast to be remembered is that it is not meant for direct combat, rather it is very useful to clean up or set-up different types of plays. It is not as cost efficient as Steady Shot is for power, but it does have the added bonus of letting you choose your target. Playing to this strength is the key to making the most our power. Four areas of discussion for this Hero Power will be the enemy minions, minions under your control, the enemy heroes specifically, and in combination with your spells.
Dealing damage consistently is key to victory and eliminating enemy threats is important in keeping yourself from being overwhelmed. Certain minions have only a single point of health in exchange for attack power or other abilities. Take for example the Stonetusk Boar and Wolfrider minions. These creatures possess the ability Charge, which allows them to attack the turn they are summoned. Their downside is that they have only one HP, making them perfect candidates for your Fireblast.
Another strong target for your Hero Power are minions that have Divine Shields placed over them. These shields can absorb any amount of damage but break after a single attack. Your Fireblast can be the tick of damage that cracks the shield, leaving your target vulnerable. This is very useful to keep in mind playing against enemy Paladins.
EditYour Own Minions
While it may appear to be counter-intuitive to deal damage to your own minions, there are some benefits to certain minions when they take damage. Take for example the Gurubashi Berserker card. This minion seems defensive with 2/7 stats with a mana cost of 5, but is actually quiet the attack due to its ability. Whenever this minion takes damage its attack increases by three points. Playing this card and attacking it with your Fireblast will bump it up to 5/6 right off the bat. Pair this card with a minion with the Taunt ability can allow you to boost it the next turn to 8/5 before it even attacks!
Another card that improves as it takes damage is the Raging Worgen. This 3/3 minion with a cost of 3 mana possess the Enrage ability. When it takes any damage its ability activates, granting it Windfury, an ability which allows it to attack twice per turn, and gains +1 to its attack. It can deal 4 damage to to different sources, even 8 damage total to the enemy hero, in the single turn. Pair this with your Mirror Images to keep your enemy's minions from attacking it, and you've got yourself a mighty dangerous creature for the mid-game all thanks to your Hero Power!
EditWith Your Spells
- Polymorph: Polymorph is one of the best spells in combination with your Fireblast. Turning any enemy minion into a 1/1 Sheep will make them susceptible to a single cast every time. Be sure to save your Polymorphs for only the most dangerous threats; these can be minions you must eliminate as soon as possible or very strong attackers such as enemy Core Hounds.
- Arcane Explosion: Arcane Explosion deals a single point of damage to all enemy minions. Using Fireblast in combination can help pick off any minions barely hanging on or to help to soften them up. Remember to boost Arcane Explosion with bonus spell damage minions in order to make this combo more effective.
EditAgainst Enemy Druids
Enemy Druids' Hero Power Shapeshift grants them 1 attack for the duration of their turn and 1 point in Armor that lasts until it is attacked away. Use any remaining mana to Fireblast the him to keep the Armor from stacking too high.
EditAgainst Enemy Hunters
Enemy Hunters have many Beast minions who have low health pools and are perfect targets for Fireblasts. These minions include Timber Wolves, Starving Buzzards, and the hounds summoned from his Unleash the Hounds spell. Destroying those buzzards are key too keeping the Hunter's hand from being full through the match while targeting the wolves will keep his Beasts' stats lower.
EditAgainst Enemy Mages
Enemy Mages will have Polymorphs at their disposal and will be performing the same combo in order to eliminate your minions. Try to bait out Polymorphs early on in the match to keep your stronger monsters alive in the late game. Fireblast can also activate the secret spell Ice Block. Triggering this will remove the secret from play and prevent their Ethereal Arcanist from gaining attack and health if you are unable to deal damage to the enemy.
EditAgainst Enemy Paladins
Enemy Paladins' spell Hand of Protection gives a minion of his choosing a Divine Shield. Use your Fireblast to take out the shield before he can make use of the damage block. You can also use it to take out the minions he summons through his Hero Power Reinforce. His 1/1 Silver Hand Recruits should be taken out before he gets a chance to buff them through various means. His secret spell card Eye for an Eye activates once he takes damage. Any damage that he takes during its activation is also dealt back to you. Attack him with a Fireblast to bait out the secret and make the backlash damage only a single point.
EditAgainst Enemy Priests
Enemy Priests possess the Hero Power Lesser Heal that allows them to heal a target of their choosing by 2 points. This makes Fireblast ineffective as a chipping attack against their HP. Their minion card Northshire Cleric allows them to draw a card any time a minion from either side is healed, meaning softening up his minions while the Cleric is in play is begging for him to draw a card. The minion Lightspawn is a Expert Priest card whose attack is always the same as its HP. Attacking it for 1 point of damage means its attack will be lowered as well. This precision can be the deciding factor in many battles.
EditAgainst Enemy Rogues
Enemy Rogues don't have many cards that are susceptible to single points of damage. One example, however, is their Defias Ringleader card. This minion can summon a fellow minion if it is played in Combo during the turn. The fellow minion, a Defias Bandit, can be 1-shotted with your Fireblast. You can also use it to chip at her HP as Rogues do not have healing spells of their own.
EditAgainst Enemy Shamans
Enemy Shamans have the Hero Power Totemic Call, which can summon one of four different kinds of totems to the field. These totems have different abilities and it is imperative that you eliminate them as soon as possible as Shamans can buff their minions to extraordinary levels. One totem in particular, the Searing Totem, has only 1 HP and can be taken out with one Fireblast. The others have 2 HP but are still worth using this power against them to keep their numbers down. Another minion to look out for are Dust Devils. These 3/1 minions possess the ability Windfury and can deal high damage if left unchecked. Fireblast these at the first chance you get in order to keep them from dwindling your health.
EditAgainst Enemy Warlocks
Enemy Warlocks have minions with stronger stats at the cost of negative abilities or lower HP. While none of these minions have 1 HP, they can be taken out with combinations of minion damage alongside your other spells. Their Hero Power Life Tap allows them to draw cards at the cost of 2 HP. This can be used to your advantage by attacking them directly in order to keep their eyes focused on their health and preventing them from drawing as many card. A great tactic against them is to eliminate your own 1 HP minions with Fireblast in order to prevent them from doing the same with their Mortal Coil spell. If Death Coil is the finishing blow on a minion, the Warlock will draw a card. Doing this can limit his opportunities to draw.
EditAgainst Enemy Warriors
Enemy Warriors have the Hero Power Armor Up! which allows them to equip 2 points of Armor per use. This armor can stack indefinitely and will prevent Fireblast from chipping them down. Warriors, however, like to empower their minions through damage from spells and other minion abilities. This can be used to your advantage by keeping them low before the buffs are in place or by helping to take them down once they've received the buff damage.
For information on the powers of other Heroes, click Hero Powers for a complete list of information.
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