In Episode 122, Kenny, Botticus, Appa, and Andrew talk about the extensive news announced this week. News covers Ranked Play Updates, Upcoming Balance Changes, A Grand Prize Pack Giveaway, a new card back, Blizzards “Openeing Moves” Week Series, and Blizzard’s “Off-Meta” Deck Spotlight #2. No real tournaments to cover except the drama with a player in the Hearthstone Sydney Stop qualifier. Decksplanations this week is about how to determine what to play after the nerfs.

News

* Ranked Play Updates (VOD)

* Card backs will be earned 5 wins each month

* All ranks have 5 stars

* When a new season starts you will reset back exactly 4 ranks from your highest ranking for the month (including stars) (Brode’s Tweet)

* Ranked rewards go by your highest rank during the season

* Rank inflation? 

* No changes to win streak mechanic

* Ranked floors are still in place

* Brode’s response on why so long 

* Upcoming Balance Changes

* Bonemare now costs 8 mana, up from 7

* Corridor Creeper now has 2 attack, down from 5

* Patches the Pirate no longer has charge, and his voice will be changing

* Raza the Chained’s effect now sets your Hero Power to 1 mana, up from 0

* A 183 Thousand Hearthstone Pack Giveaway

* Grand Prize – one winner

* 3000 card packs – 1k for each set released during Year of the Mammoth

* The Lich King’s Helm – his actual helm from the youtube series here

* Hearthstone Apparel Gift Pack – t-shirt, cap, and pin set

* Mammoth Card Bundle – 1k players will receive 10 card packs from each expansion released during Year of the Mammoth

* Mammoth Pack – 50k players will be receiving 3 card packs from each expansion released during Year of the Mammoth

* Mammoth Card Bundle avail on the shop. (one purchase per account, avail in 10.2 patch)

* Limited to 14 entries per account

* tarting 17:00-GMT/9:00-PST of Feb 1st until 17:00-GMT/9:00-PST Feb 14th

* Khadgar is Available in China HOTS Promo, Again…

* Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is available for pre-order

* Deluxe version gets you an awesome Hearthstone cardback

* Blizzard “Opening Moves” Week Series

* Blizzard “Off-Meta”...