The Death Knight Showmatch is happening soon! Read on for the teams, how to get free March of the Lich King card packs and more!

Hearthstone has announced the players who will duke it out in an icy March of the Lich King Death Knight Showmatch! The action takes place between November 16th and 17th, all the while featuring a glorious prize pool of $100,000. Read on for details, how to get two free card packs and how Runes work in Hearthstone!

Join us for an epic debut of Hearthstone's new class in action, as 12 creators team up in Blood, Frost, and Unholy squads to face off for Death Knight glory and a $100,000 prize pool!

March of the Lich King theorycrafting in Death Knight Showmatch

A total of 12 Hearthstone content creators are teaming up to showcase just what Blood, Frost and Unholy Runes can do for the new Death Knight class.

The 12 players in the March of the Lich King Death Knight Showmatch. Image via Blizzard Entertainment.
The 12 players in the March of the Lich King Death Knight Showmatch. Image via Blizzard Entertainment.

These 12 individuals are divided into three teams of four players, and each team has a member who's deep into their select Rune. Meanwhile, two other members get to deal with two types of Runes. The final player is a wild card, meaning they can choose any combination of Runes in the Death Knight Showmatch. As an example, the roster with Frost Runes looks like this:

  • Player 1: Frost, Frost, Frost
  • Player 2: Frost, Frost, Blood
  • Player 3: Frost, Frost, Unholy
  • Player 4: Wild Card
Blood, Frost and Unholy Runes in Hearthstone. Image via Blizzard Entertainment.
Blood, Frost and Unholy Runes in Hearthstone. Image via Blizzard Entertainment.

As for the format, it's round-robin style, with the prizing and team placement being determined by combined team scores. Below is an overview of the three teams:

  • Team Blood: Thijs, Avelline, Nohandsgamer and Cantelope
  • Team Frost: Alliestrasza, Bunnyhoppor, Regis Killbin and Meati
  • Team Unholy: Feno, Hunterace, DogDog and Disguised Toast

Hearthstone fans can tune in on Twitch and YouTube on November 16th and 17th beginning at 9 a.m. PT each day.

How to get Hearthstone card packs

For Twitch viewers, they can earn up to two Hearthstone card packs ahead of the expansion's release date. Getting the first card pack requires watching one hour of content on the first day. The second one can be earned by watching for another hour on the second day. The Hearthstone team made a correction on the type of card packs and the requirements to earn them on November 16th. Previously, they were two March of the Lich King card packs.

Viewers should also connect their Battle.net and Twitch accounts to be eligible for these drops. Simply log in to Battle.net and go to the "Connections" section. Then, press the "Connect" button that's located right next to the Twitch section. Follow the simple prompts to finish linking the accounts.

How do Runes work in Hearthstone?

Blood Runes typically involve life total manipulation, big minions and board control. Meanwhile, Frost Runes are known for burst potential, mana manipulation, spell synergies, Freeze effects and card draw. As for Unholy Runes, they can help flood the board with minions and take advantage of the Death Knight's Corpse resource mechanic.

Some Death Knight cards feature Runes, which are located around the mana cost area of those cards. When creating a deck, a player must select a combination of three Runes to determine which cards can be used—hence the team composition for the March of the Lich King Death Knight Showmatch event.

How Runes work in Hearthstone. Image via Blizzard Entertainment.
How Runes work in Hearthstone. Image via Blizzard Entertainment.

Let's say a player wants to have the Blood Boil card in their deck. This requires two slots in the Death Knight Runes deckbuilding system. If the player wants to add a card with two or three Frost Runes or Unholy Runes to that deck, then they can't do that since those slots are filled up. Instead, the player can add Frost or Unholy cards that occupy the remaining slot.

Who will take the March of the Lich King Death Knight Showmatch crown? Find out alongside casters Slysssa and Garrett on November 16th and 17th!

That's all for now. Tune in on Esports.gg for more Hearthstone news and updates!