"The Battlegrounds Keywords Cheat Sheet: Every Keyword Explained"
Meta note: these keywords are core to the mode and their behavior is evergreen, even as the minions carrying them rotate.
Battlegrounds combat is decided as much by keywords as by raw stats. A small minion with the right keyword can beat a giant one. This is a single-page reference to every important combat keyword — what it does, why it matters, and how it interacts with the others. Bookmark it.
The big two (they break the stats math)
Divine Shield
Blocks the first instance of damage the minion takes, then disappears. Incredibly efficient on attackers (survive the counter) and defenders (absorb the biggest hit). Crucially, a Divine Shield can absorb a poison hit — the shield pops, but the minion lives. Counter it with multiple small attacks to pop shields cheaply.
Poison / Venomous
Destroys any minion it damages, regardless of that minion's health. The great equalizer against big bodies — a 1/1 poison kills a 50/50. It's why you can lose with more total stats. Counter it with Divine Shield (absorbs the hit) or by not putting all your value on one body.
Survival and defense keywords
Reborn
When the minion dies, it returns once at 1 health (keeping its other effects). Effectively doubles your number of bodies and attacks — central to Undead. Forces opponents (even poison) to "kill it twice."
Taunt
Forces enemy minions to attack this minion first, protecting your more important bodies behind it. Useful for shielding a carry or controlling which of your minions takes damage.
Attack-modifying keywords
Windfury
Lets the minion attack twice each time it attacks (Mega-Windfury: four times). Multiplies a carry's output — devastating with big attack, poison (multi-kills), or cleave (board clears). Protect it so it survives to use all its swings.
Cleave
The attacker damages the defending minion and the minions adjacent to it. Punishes clumped, fragile boards — one swing can hit two or three minions. Counter it by spreading your valuable minions so a single cleave can't catch two.
How the keywords interact (the core triangle)
Keywords form a rock-paper-scissors that decides high-level fights:
- Big carry (lots of stats) → beaten by poison.
- Poison → beaten by Divine Shield (absorbs the poison hit).
- Divine Shields → beaten by width (many attacks pop shields, then your hitters land).
Layering keywords compounds them: a windfury + poison + Divine Shield carry can survive, attack multiple times, and destroy several enemies per fight.
Quick reference table
| Keyword | Effect | Key interaction |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Shield | Blocks first damage instance | Absorbs a poison hit; popped by many attacks |
| Poison/Venomous | Destroys anything it damages | Beats big bodies; blocked by Divine Shield |
| Reborn | Returns once at 1 health | Doubles attacks; makes poison "kill twice" |
| Taunt | Must be attacked first | Protects your carry/key minions |
| Windfury | Attacks twice (Mega: 4×) | Multiplies buffs, poison, cleave |
| Cleave | Hits target + adjacent | Punishes clumping; spread to counter |
Takeaway
Keywords matter more than raw stats in Battlegrounds. Divine Shield and poison break the math (and Divine Shield beats poison); reborn and taunt add resilience and protection; windfury multiplies attacks and cleave punishes clumping. Learn the rock-paper-scissors — carry beats nothing, poison beats carry, shield beats poison, width beats shields — and layer keywords on your carry to win fights that the stat sheet says you shouldn't.