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Comment by HelloKitty

I've seen this minion used in conjunction with PW:S and Inner Fire, making it a simple 5/5 minion with a draw power: a good balance that will force your opponent to question whether they should use their spot removal or not.

I've also seen this used with the +4 Health and Taunt version of Mark of Nature for Druids -- this is especially powerful, since a lot of Druids spam through several cards simply to increase their mana crystals early (innervate innervate nourish // wild growth x2), only to have high mana with no cards to play. A druid with draw power is incredibly strong, and the card could then be further buffed/healed by the Druid after that point.

Overall, though, I wouldn't really recommend this card in EVERY deck. Its attack is incredibly low for its mana cost, and in 1 mere turn people will start playing cards that will 1-shot it. What's the point of drawing 1 card at the expense of losing this card? Sure, you could say "deck thinning" but that doesn't even hold weight since you might not get this card until late-game anyway, not to mention the vulnerability to silence.

I should add, though, that I would definitely take this card for any deck that can buff it. Kings, mark, etc. It has some good options once it has more than 3 life and 1 attack!

Even if you do choose to buff it, you need it to get you at least 2 cards to be breaking even. It's a tough sell, when Gurubashi Berserker might be a wiser investment with the same babysitting requirement (buff it, get it hit, heal it) with perhaps a bigger payoff.

If you have a decent amount of buff cards in your deck, both are pretty good choices. If you have no buff cards, I wouldn't intend to play this for just 1 card in return: either Engineer card is a better option.

Comment by felhunter

also a good way too make use of this minion, is too deal damage too it yourself with simple Deal 1 damage effects.
like the mage hero power or battlecries from http://www.wowhead.com/hearthstone/card=389.

also if you got it in a warrior deck and you could consider using using Cruel Taskmaster on it so it takes 1 damage, allowing you too draw a card. then attack something (preferable with 1 attack and up too 3 HP) for another card.
and then either your opponent kills it in his turn or you keep using it too either damage his hero or let it die for a 3rd card.

Comment by Fowb

it kinda looks like Dave Grohl. Anyway, great card combined with any buff early game

Comment by skanderp

Much like with Gurubashi Berserker, the best way to utilize this is to ding it and heal it yourself, getting that extra effect. Playing a Mage is a very effective way of doing it, as you can hit it without using up a card (or risking too much damage).

Comment by HelloKitty

I don't personally think that pinging this card as a mage is a great idea unless you desperately need the draw power or have nothing else to do (ie, you're already winning).

Each time you ping this card for a draw, you are spending 2 mana for that draw. That is "meh." I think that generally 2-mana-for-a-card is only mediocre.

Sprint: 7 mana, 4 cards.
Nourish: 5 mana, 3 cards.
AI: 3 mana, 2 cards

Fact of the matter is that if you played this card and pinged it three times, this is what you'd get:

3 mana to play card
2 mana to ping +1 card, 1 damage
2 mana to ping +1 card, 1 damage
2 mana to kill +1 card, 1 damage

total: 9 mana, draw 3 cards, deal 3 damage

3 damage is worth 1-2 mana (let's say 1.5) and "draw 3 cards" is worth 5 mana (eg, nourish), so the net worth of this card in that scenario is about 6.5 mana, but you spent 9 mana to pull it off!

So I don't think that's a very good plan (again, unless you're already winning, in which case there are better draw engines to choose from, like the auctioneer).

This card is happiest when it's buffed, alongside other/stronger minions, and he's dealing lots of damage and drawing lots of cards. If you can't buff him, then killing off stuff like Searing Totem or the Paladin recruits is ideal.

EDIT: I should add, there are situations that I'd ping it when not necessarily "winning" (eg, at-or-near topdeck scenario in late game). I was implying a scenario where you have other cards to play. If you're playing well, topdecking shouldn't come up.

Comment by 7Loki

A decent card for use in decks that don't have a lot of Draw options built in.
That, and the armor closely resembles that of the Diablo II Necromancer. :D

Comment by envelope91

This has to be the most kinky card in the entire game.

Comment by Codiax

While the acolyte is under the effect of Shadow Madness, card draws go for the priest, not the original owner.

Comment by yanglifu90

I think he met Secretkeeper last night

Comment by AztekCro

It seems this card was designed for mages. :)

Comment by ikill4cookies

If this card is on the board, and is hit by an effect like:
Arcane Missiles
Mad Bomber
Each tick of damage, individually will grant you a card draw.

Comment by wulfmojo

Be aware that this minion can be used against you in a high draw deck (e.g. Warlock SoulBane). In such a deck you may often have a hand of 7 or more cards, and a clever opponent can ping the Acolyte to max your hand out and force you to destroy your own cards. Only applies to a specific kind of deck, but after losing both my Jaraxxus and Malygos in one turn thanks to this guy I thought it was worth flagging up.

Comment by jasonyck

Read carefully about the description of this card "Whenever this minion takes damage, draw a card."

Some cards with mechanic - can remove Acolyte of Pain from the board and not let player draw any card.

Example of cards can do this:
1. Assassinate
2. Brawl
3. Corruption
4. Deadly Shot
5. Deathwing
6. Doomsayer
8. Execute
9. Naturalize
10. Shadow Word: Pain
11. Shadow Word: Death (if someone buff his damage)
12. Siphon Soul
13. The Black Knight (if Sunfury Protector or Defender of Argus on him)
14. Void Terror
15. Stampeding Kodo
16. Vaporize
17. Big Game Hunter (if someone buff his damage)

In other word, any cards can destroy a minion without dealing any damage can counter him

Comment by Darkaara

Freakin' dude sounds constipated!

Comment by Darkaara

Uses the art of Mor'zul Bloodbringer from the TCG:
http://wowpedia.org/File:Mor%27zul_Bloodbringer_TCG.jpg

Comment by Demonrider363

This card behaves a little odd when combined with the warrior card Commanding Shout. If you were to keep doing damage to the Acolyte for card draw through cards like Whirlwind, using spells while Wild Pyromancer is on your side of the field, etc., the most cards you can draw is (CURRENT HEALTH - 1) + (HEALING).

What does this mean?

Example 1
Summon Warsong Commander, Acolyte of Pain, Wild Pyromancer, and then use 2x Inner Rage on enemy minions. Acolyte has 1 health left. I then attack an enemy minion (or use another spell, like Whirlwind), but because his health was not lowered, I draw no more cards.
Max Card Draw For This Turn = 2
Now, using the formula above, you would get : Current Health = 3, Healing = 0 ... 3 - 1 = 2, 2 + 0 = 2

Example 2
Summon Warsong Commander, Acolyte of Pain, use 1x Inner Rage, then use Rampage. Acolyte is now 6/5. I then use a bunch of low cost spells, and use the Acolyte to attack an enemy minion.
Max Card Draw For This Turn = 5
Current Health = 3, Healing = 3 ... 3 - 1 = 2, 2 + 3 = 5