Blizzard has introduced a Battle Chess mode for Hearthstone with the new expansion “Legacy of the Dragons.” We explain how it works and what you need to pay attention to.
This is the new game mode: A leak shortly before BlizzCon mentioned a new game mode, and now Blizzard has officially announced it: The game mode is called Battlegrounds. Here is the official trailer for the game mode:
What exactly is Battlegrounds? Battlegrounds is a game mode for 8 players. Each player chooses a hero. They then recruit minions in the tavern and choose a formation. The minions then fight against each other automatically. In the end, the player who is still alive wins.
When can I play “Battlegrounds”?
- On November 5th at 7:00 PM CET, everyone who purchased a pre-sale package for “Legacy of the Dragons,” attended BlizzCon, or bought a virtual BlizzCon ticket can start.
- On November 12th at 7:00 PM CET, the open beta begins, where all players can start.
- The game mode is completely free and does not require a ticket like for the arena.
This is how the Battlegrounds mode works
In the following, we explain how the new Battlegrounds mode works in Hearthstone.
Choose heroes
First, you choose one of 24 heroes, each with a unique ability. At the beginning, you can choose from 2 heroes, later also from 3 heroes.
Recruitment phase
- Recruit minions in the tavern – Costs 3 coins. Take a minion into your hand from the tavern. Playing a minion costs nothing.
- Fire minions – get back one coin. A minion is discarded from the bench.
- Refresh tavern – Costs 1 coin. New minions are laid out in the tavern.
- Freeze selection – Free, the minions remain for the next round.
- Upgrade tavern: The higher the tavern level, the better the minions available. With each upgrade, the costs increase. If you do not upgrade, the upgrade costs decrease again.
Special feature of recruitment: If you recruit three identical minions, they automatically upgrade to a more powerful golden version. These improved minions retain all effects you previously granted them.
Minion formation
Next, the minions must be arranged as usual in Hearthstone. During a fight, the minion on the left side attacks first.
Which opponent is attacked is determined randomly, unless the opponent has a minion with taunt.
Combat phase
During the combat phase, the minions attack automatically. The left minion attacks first. Its target is determined randomly.
The minions fight until they die. The player with minions remaining on the field at the end wins. The surviving minions are converted to attack points that are then dealt to the enemy hero.
All usual Hearthstone rules apply, such as taunt, deathrattle, or divine shield. It is important to arrange the minions wisely so that the synergies work.
After the battle, it goes back to the tavern. All your minions remain with you. Even dead minions return. In the tavern, you can rearrange the battleground, swap minions, or upgrade minions.
The game ends when all players are eliminated except for one.
If you want to know what the new expansion offers besides the new game mode, check out this article. Here we have summarized all important information about the “Legacy of the Dragons” expansion:
