March of the Lich King
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March of the Lich King is Hearthstone's 22nd expansion, featuring new 145 collectible cards released on December 6, 2022.[1] The expansion depicts the return of 
The Lich King, as he leads his Undead army to an all-out assault on the elven city of Silvermoon. The Blood Elves won’t go down easily; they are as thirsty for combat as they are for the magic of the Sunwell that they draw power from.
March of the Lich King introduces Hearthstone's 11th total and second-ever new class, the Death Knight.
The expansion also introduces a brand new permanent minion type - Undead. Undead minions trigger bonus effects if a friendly Undead minion died after the player's last turn. In addition to that, March of the Lich King introduces dual minion types, meaning some minions can have two different minion types. Both Undead and dual minion types are retroactively added to all cards from the past.
Manathirst is March of the Lich King's new keyword. Cards with Manathirst get more powerful once the player reaches a specified amount of mana. Mana isn't required to be spent to power up the cards, but that much mana must be in the player's control. In addition to Manathirst, Reborn from Saviors of Uldum returns as a permanent keyword going forward, and can be seen on Undead minions in March of the Lich King.
How to get[edit | edit source]
March of the Lich King craftable cards can be obtained by one of the following methods:
- Opening card packs with the usual prices and purchasing options
- Crafting for the usual amounts of Arcane Dust depending on the cards' rarity
- Uncraftable cards
These specific cards can be obtained through other means. For more information, see their respective articles.
Lor'themar Theron- The Sunwell
- Golden Arms Dealer
- Golden Banshee
- Golden Foul Egg
- Golden Coroner
- Golden Enchanter
- Golden Scourge Rager
- Golden Plaguespreader
- Golden Translocation Instructor
Signature Arcsplitter- Signature Infectious Ghoul
- Signature Shatterskin Gargoyle
- Pre-order
- Prior to the expansion's release and for one week after its release, players could purchase one or both of the following bundles:
- March of the Lich King Bundle costs $49.99 USD; it comes with 60 March of the Lich King card packs, two random Legendary cards, and the Lor'themar card back.
- March of the Lich King Mega Bundle costs $79.99 USD; it comes with the entire Path of Arthas set, 80 March of the Lich King card packs, 5 Signature Golden March of the Lich King card packs, two random Signature Legendary cards from March of the Lich King, the unique Lor'themar card back, the alternate hunter hero
Lor'themar.
Pre-purchase Mega Bundle
Pre-purchase Bundle
Cards[edit | edit source]
March of the Lich King card set features 145 collectible cards, which can be recognized with a special watermark (a horned skull) behind the card text, not found on other cards. The Mini-set, Return to Naxxramas, is also considered to be part of the March of the Lich King set, and all 38 cards are categorized as "New Cards" in Collection manager.
Neutral
Related cards
Death Knight
Related cards
Demon Hunter
Related cards
Druid
Related cards
Choice cards
Hunter
Related cards
Mage
Related cards
Paladin
Related cards
Priest
Related cards
Rogue
Related cards
Shaman
Related cards
Warlock
Warrior
Related cards
Themes[edit | edit source]
New Death Knight Class![edit | edit source]
- Main article: Death Knight
- The Death Knight is a new permanent addition to Hearthstone, coming with March of the Lich King. Death Knights command the Undead with their new hero power:
Ghoul Charge. For two mana, summon a 1/1 Ghoul with Charge that dies at the end of your turn! That Ghoul does double-duty, because Death Knights gain a Corpse whenever a friendly minion dies. They can then spend those Corpses to power up their cards!
- Death Knight is a powerful, flexible class, powered by three Runes: Blood, Frost, and Unholy. The Death Knight’s chosen devotion to those Runes determines which cards the Death Knight can put in their deck. You can learn all the details about this new class effects and special deckbuilding rules in the dedicated Death Knight introduction article.
New Signature Cards and Signature Golden Packs[edit | edit source]
- Signature is a new cosmetic quality that cards can have (like Golden or Diamond), with stylized full-art images, starting in Patch 25.0. For March of the Lich King, the Signature cards will all feature an icy sepia style, evoking the Lich King’s powers over Frost and the Undead. The art style of Signature cards within each expansion will match their respective expansion’s style and the card frame for future Signature cards might also change from time to time. That means Signature cards from future sets will look different from these ones, to evoke different tones and styles.
- Signature cards can’t be crafted or disenchanted; they can only be opened in packs or earned through special means. There are a total of 18 Signature cards coming with the launch of March of the Lich King, including 15 Legendary cards. Two of the Legendary cards will be available on the Tavern Pass, and the three non-Legendary cards will be earnable for free as part of an event with expansion launch. After the launch of March of the Lich King, the other 13 Legendary Signature cards can be opened in Standard Packs, class packs, March of the Lich King Packs, and new March of the Lich King Signature Golden Packs. Signature Golden Packs are like current Golden Packs, but they have a chance to include Signature cards instead of only Golden cards, and they have much better overall odds of opening a Legendary card!
New Minion Type: Undead[edit | edit source]
- The Lich King commands the Undead Scourge, and these unholy masses will be Hearthstone’s next new minion type: Undead! In March of the Lich King, Undead minions will appear in Neutral and in the classes that have aligned with the Lich King. Many cards synergize with Undead, triggering bonus effects “if a friendly Undead died after your last turn,” meaning either on your opponent’s last turn, or earlier on your current turn.
Rimescale Siren- Alexandros Mograine
- Boneguard Commander
- Soulstealer
Shambling Chow
Lingering Zombie- Nerubian Flyer
- Elder Nadox
- Death Beetle
- Underking
- Anub'Rekhan
- Crypt Keeper
Scourge Tamer- Trinket Tracker
- Spectral Trainee
Knight of the Dead
Mind Eater- Haunting Nightmare
- Rotting Necromancer
- Sister Svalna
Ghoulish Alchemist- Potionmaster Putricide
- Rotten Rodent
- Stitched Creation
- Vile Apothecary
- Scourge Illusionist
Scourge Troll- Unliving Champion
- Harkener of Dread
- Rotgill
- Blightblood Berserker
Devourer of Souls- Suspicious Peddler
- Walking Dead
- Savage Ymirjar
- Dar'Khan Drathir
Fleshshaper- Arms Dealer
- Banshee
- Foul Egg
- Bone Flinger
- Incorporeal Corporal
- Umbral Geist
- Vrykul Necrolyte
- Brittleskin Zombie
- Darkfallen Shadow
- Drakkari Embalmer
- Nerubian Vizier
- Scourge Rager
- Lost Exarch
- Plaguespreader
- Infectious Ghoul
- Tenacious San'layn
- Bonelord Frostwhisper
- Rivendare, Warrider
- Shatterskin Gargoyle
- Invincible
- Flesh Behemoth
- Thaddius, Monstrosity
Dual-Type Minions[edit | edit source]
- In March of the Lich King, some minions will have two minion types! For Undead minions, this might be a second type to represent what they were before they became Undead. These will be retroactive additions, with both Undead and second minion types being added to many older minions as well as those in this expansion.
Returning Keyword: Reborn[edit | edit source]
- Some Undead have Reborn, a returning keyword mechanic that will now be a regular part of the game going forward. The first time a Reborn minion dies, it is resummoned with 1 Health remaining—the perfect keyword for representing pesky Undead minions, and for pumping up your Corpse counter!
- Undying Allies
- Harkener of Dread
- Blightblood Berserker
- Infantry Reanimator
- Darkfallen Shadow
- Drakkari Embalmer
- Scourge Rager
- Invincible
New Keyword: Manathirst[edit | edit source]
- The Blood Elves draw more power from the Sunwell the longer they hold off the Scourge advance. Cards with Manathirst get more powerful once you reach a specified amount of mana. You don’t have to spend that mana to power up the cards, you just need access to it.
- Unleash Fel
- Death Beetle
- Conjured Arrow
- Faithful Companions
- Arcane Bolt
- Feast and Famine
- Flight of the Bronze
- Knight of the Dead
- Stitched Creation
- Last Stand
- Embers of Strength
- Astalor Bloodsworn
- Coroner
- Crystal Broker
- Darkfallen Shadow
- Silvermoon Sentinel
- Sunfury Clergy
- Silvermoon Armorer
Blood elves[edit | edit source]
As the events of March of the Lich King take place in Silvermoon, the Blood elves stand strong against the Undead.
- Fierce Outsider
- Wretched Exile
- Felerin, the Forgotten
- Vengeful Walloper
- Silvermoon Farstrider
- Halduron Brightwing
- Keeneye Spotter
- Magister's Apprentice
- Energy Shaper
- Grand Magister Rommath
- Sanguine Soldier
- Blood Matriarch Liadrin
- Blood Crusader
- Sunfury Champion
- Asvedon, the Grandshield
- Disruptive Spellbreaker
- Silverfury Stalwart
- Astalor Bloodsworn
- Coroner
- Bloodied Knight
- Crystal Broker
- Darkfallen Shadow
- Enchanter
- Hawkstrider Rancher
- Silvermoon Arcanist
- Silvermoon Sentinel
- Sunfury Clergy
- Sanctum Spellbender
- Silvermoon Armorer
- Translocation Instructor
- Lor'themar Theron
Deathrattle[edit | edit source]
Deathrattle comes naturally with the Undead Scourge, as was seen in Knights of the Frozen Throne.
- Calamity's Grasp
- Shambling Chow
- Lingering Zombie
- Underking
- Arcsplitter
- Mind Eater
- Haunting Nightmare
- Bonecaller
- Scourge Illusionist
- Harkener of Dread
- Blightblood Berserker
- Amorphous Slime
- Thori'belore
- Banshee
- Foul Egg
- Infected Peasant
- Umbral Geist
- Brittleskin Zombie
- Lost Exarch
- Plaguespreader
- Infectious Ghoul
- Bonelord Frostwhisper
- Rivendare, Warrider
- Shatterskin Gargoyle
- Invincible
- Flesh Behemoth
Granting Deathrattles[edit | edit source]
Cards that specifically grant Deathrattles to other minions are also a recurring theme.
- Blightfang
- Deathweaver Aura
- Shadow Suffusion
- Rotgill
- Devourer of Souls
- Nofin's Imp-ossible
- Vrykul Necrolyte
- Hawkstrider Rancher
- Infectious Ghoul
Resurrection[edit | edit source]
The Undead are persistent, as they can be reanimated with ease.
Lore[edit | edit source]
This section uses content from the Warcraft Wiki.Silvermoon[edit | edit source]
Silvermoon City (or the City of Silvermoon and just Silvermoon) is the crown jewel of the blood elves and their capital city. It is nestled in the northern reaches of the Eversong Woods (at the northernmost tip of the Eastern Kingdoms) in their ancestral homeland of Quel'Thalas. The beauty of the spires and thoroughfares of Silvermoon stand in stark contrast to the Dead Scar, the tainted path that Arthas Menethil tore through the city in his quest for power. Though nearly destroyed by Arthas' attack on the Sunwell, Silvermoon is once again a thriving city. Most recently, the rebirth of the Sunwell has lifted spirits among the elves, and they have continued to heal Silvermoon's scars in the hopes of returning their beloved capital to its former glory, the western half of it still being in ruins since the Third War.
The second Scourge Invasion[edit | edit source]
- The second Scourge Invasion began partway through the Zombie Infestation world event, shortly after patch 3.0.2, immediately preceding the release of Wrath of the Lich King.
- The second Invasion largely mirrored the first Invasion, albeit with the addition of Tenris Mirkblood and numerous changes to the available quests and rewards. However, the second Invasion also featured additional events beginning November 10, 2008. Special events, described below, began to play out in each faction's capital, while the forces of the scourge began attacking Stormwind Harbor and Orgrimmar's Valley of Honor every thirty minutes, with actively hostile 72 elite Frost Wyrm Raptors and 71 elite Towering Horror abominations.
Ruins of Silvermoon
In Hearthstone[edit | edit source]
March of the Lich King takes place during the second Scourge Invasion. A precursor to the events in Wrath of the Lich King. The focus of the expansion is the battle between the Scourge and the defenders of Silvermoon.
The Scourge forces consist of warlock's using soul magic, necromantic priests, shamans calling forth the ancient spirits of the Drakkari tribe, concoction wielding rogues, and druids utilizing death magic.
Silvermoon's forces consist of mages led by 
Grand Magister Rommath, the Farstriders led by Halduron Brightwing, Blood Knights commanded by Blood Matriarch Liadrin, Spellbreakers led by Asvedon, the Grandshield, and the Felblood elves under the leadership of Felerin, the Forgotten.
[2]
Expansion overview[edit | edit source]
Warriors of the frozen wastes, rise and hear the Lich King’s call. The Lich King is returning to Hearthstone, and he’s bringing with him Hearthstone’s next class: Death Knight! He’s leading his Undead army in a siege on the Blood Elf city of Silvermoon. Will you join the Undead masses, or will you stand with the Blood Elves to stop their advance?
Blog overview[edit | edit source]
The Lich King returns to Hearthstone, leading his Undead army and the new Death Knight class in an all-out assault on the elven city of Silvermoon! The Blood Elves won’t go down easily; they are as thirsty for combat as they are for the magic of the Sunwell that they draw power from. As the Corpses pile up, the Death Knights’ army swells, and so begins the March of the Lich King.
Solo Adventure[edit | edit source]
Play through the iconic story of the haughty prince Arthas Menethil as he forsakes the Light and becomes The Lich King, Hearthstone’s first Death Knight! The prologue will show you the strength of the Death Knight as you explore its new Hero Power and three Runes: Blood, Frost, and Unholy.[3]
Death Knight Prologue[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Death Knight Prologue
- A tutorial, serving as a instructional manual for the new class.
The Death Knight Hunter Prologue has the player take control of Arthas Menethil during his rise to the Lich King, and learn about his deeds during that time, including how he became a death knight. It features four bosses. Prior to Patch 28.2, completing it awarded the Death Knight class and Death Knight core cards, but after that patch there is no reward for completing it.
Summary[edit | edit source]
| Boss | Reward |
|---|---|
| Mal'Ganis | |
| Uther Lightbringer | |
| Sylvanas Windrunner | |
| Illidan Stormrage | Death Knight Core cards |
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- March of the Lich King is the second expansion to center around The Lich King, after Knights of the Frozen Throne.
- When March of the Lich King released, it was the largest expansion in Hearthstone at 145 collectible cards.
- March of the Lich King is the first expansion to receive a fully animated 3D cinematic trailer.
History[edit | edit source]
[edit | edit source]
March of the Lich King, Undead, the death knights, and other features of this expansion have been teased in a variety of ways throughout 2021 and 2022. Some teasers include:
- The Lor'themar Theron boss battle in
Varden Dawngrasp's Book of Mercenaries had the dialogue: "My great fear is that the Lich King will return to Silvermoon to finish the job." Developer Matt London said that he teased a future expansion in Book of Mercenaries but no one had found it.[4] This dialogue was then brought up as the potential teaser mentioned by Matt London. - A new class has always been a matter of 'when' rather than 'if'.[5]
- This expansion was teased to be larger than normal.[6]
- Developers have wanted to reintroduce the Lich King, as he is such a major character.[7][8]
- The return of a non-evergreen keyword (Reborn).[9]
- A location frame for death knights was added to the game in Patch 23.0.0.135540.
- There are many other hints, but these are just some of them.
Announcement[edit | edit source]
On October 27, 2022, the a blog post[10] previewing Patch 24.6 was posted, announcing a 30-minute reveal stream on November 1.
On October 31, 2022, the PlayHearthstone Twitter account posted a teaser[11] where a group of trick-or-treaters entering an inn suddenly experienced snowfall, teasing at the theme of a cold expansion.
On November 1, 2022, the expansion and death knight class were revealed, along with new cards.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
- Battlefield
March of the Lich King, battlefield
- Banners
Key art
- Concept art
Blood death knight concept art
Unholy death knight concept art
Videos[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Blizzard Entertainment (2022-11-1). Announcing March of the Lich King, Hearthstone’s Next Expansion!. PlayHearthstone. Retrieved on 2022-11-1.
- ↑ Blizzard Entertainment (2022-11-01). Everything You Need to Know About March of the Lich King's Story.
- ↑ 25.0 Patch Notes. (2022-11-28).
- ↑ Matt London on Twitter. (2022-07-28).
- ↑ Ozzie Mejia (2021-03-05). Hearthstone interview: Unused mechanics, new classes & Battlegrounds.
- ↑ IksarHS on Twitter. (2021-10-02).
- ↑ IksarHS on Twitter. (2021-05-01).
- ↑ IksarHS on Twitter. (2021-10-16).
- ↑ Celestalon on Twitter. (2021-12-02).
- ↑ Patch 24.6 Preview!. (2022-10-27).
- ↑ PlayHearthstone on Twitter. (2022-10-31).
