Legends of Norrath: A Ten
Ton Hammer Close Look
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You may have heard of it in passing,
stumbled upon it while scouring fan sites, or you may be one of the lucky few in
the beta. Regardless of how you know its name, the same question still
remains;
What IS Legends of Norrath
Legends of Norrath (Here on out known as
LoN) is a digital card game based on the many worlds of EverQuest and EverQuest
II, the popular MMORPGs hosted by Sony Online Entertainment.
The game, while digital, is a true
representation of the many physical card games on the market today. Closely
resembling Magic The Gathering in many ways, it manages to break free of the
usual card game mold by offering a few surprises that make this game a unique
experience.
The Game
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After purchasing one of the above starter
decks for $9.99. Each deck represents a style of playing based on the four well
known RPG Archetypes (Mage, Priest, Scout and Fighter), you will be able to
build a deck based on card strength and playing style.
Decks can also be built by buying
Booster packs, that contain a random assortment of cards across all four
styles of play.
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But here is where Legends of Norrath
begins to stick out among the other card games you may have seen.
The booster packs which can be bought for
$2.99 each (for 15 random cards) can also be found IN GAME. Thats right that
means with enough luck and enough hunting, youll be able to build a deck,
playable for no additional fee for free.
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These packs can also be traded in game
for other items or goods to players who are interested in the card game, by
those who are not.
And aside from finding free booster
packs in game? Each pack contains a chance to win a rare in-game item that can
only be found in the card game.
For example.
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The Lamp of The Djinn pictured above has
been claimed in game, and is now a real in-game item that offers a small spell
buff for the player who claimed it. Other rare items include potions, spells,
crafting items, ultra rare armor and weapons, and even unique mounts! But how do
you play?
Game Play
After buying or finding enough cards to
initiate game play, (each deck of cards consists of a play set of fifty) youll
be able to build an in-game avatar via an in-game wizard that helps create a
virtual you by asking game related questions.
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Once your race and class are created, and
your Avatar is brought to life, youll be able to either play the game with your
starter deck, or create a custom deck based on all of the cards that you have in
your collection.
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Once you have browsed through your cards
and made mental note of your gathered strengths and weaknesses, you can use the
deck building wizard to assist you on building the strongest play deck
possible.
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With your Avatar created and your deck
stacked for battle, you are now ready to step into the game and try your hand at
combat.
Your deck is shuffled and your cards are
randomly dealt to you at the start of your initial hand. Each card represents
either an item, a tactic, a unit, or an ability card.
The Item Card
An item card is an equipable card that
will help give your Avatar stat boosts that can help in combat. You can have up
to three items equipped at once, however each item costs mana to equip.
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At the beginning of the first round you
are given three mana. This can be used to summon minions, ready some items, or
equip abilities. However, three mana is not enough to equip stronger items like
the above shield.
At the beginning of every new round, you
are given one additional mana. So on the first round you have three, the second,
four, and on the third round you would have five mana enough to equip this
item.
Mana usage plays heavily into combat and
what cards, items, or abilities you should bring into play.
Tactic cards
Tactic cards can be used to perform a
direct or defensive move by spending mana.
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For example, by playing this ability card
you may deal one damage directly to a unit card in play, or an unprotected
avatar.
Ability cards can also be used to dodge
incoming attacks, add to parries and strikes, to simply strengthen your units.
These cards have one use and are considered out of play after that use.
Unit Cards
Unit cards represent the virtual army at
your command and make up the bulk of your attacks. Your troops will vary in
strength, stamina, and ability, and like all other cards, will take mana to use
or place.
Unit cards are unique as they may contain
damage bonuses, defense bonuses for other cards, or special abilities that can
strengthen your army or weaken your enemy. The card below is an example of a
unit card.
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Note the symbols to the left.
The sword represents the damage this unit
can do. To an attacker, this unit can dish out two points of damage, requiring
that your attacker has a defense of two or higher to not receive damage.
The shield symbol shows that it has a
defense of one, requiring all attackers to do two or more points of damage in
order to damage this card.
The damage symbol shows that if this unit
is added to combat at the end of a combat phase, it can do an additional 2
points of damage on an attack.
The heart is the units health. This unit
can take up to four points of damage before it is destroyed.
Frenzy Rarely, a unit will have an
ability that allows them to add to combat without attacking. Using this
ability costs nothing, however the unit is now out of play and cannot attack or
defend itself if attacked.
Attacking with a card can ensure a quick
kill, but it also leaves that card defenseless. Units that have attacked in the
beginning of a round cannot defend or be used again until the next round. If
they are attacked they get no damage or defense bonuses and will be damaged
freely.
Ability Cards
Ability cards can be used to protect your
avatar, boost your troops, add to your attack, or to damage an opponents army
or avatar.
Unlike a tactic card the ability card can
be used once per round without being destroyed. However, when this card becomes
tapped by use, it loses its second function.
In addition to being an ability card, it
is used to complete quests in the game. There are two quests at a time
available in game, as the game can be won by either damaging and defeating the
opponent avatar, or by completing four side quests.
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The above card offers a two to defense,
and an ability if tapped. However, if used, at the beginning of the Quest
phase of each turn, youll not be able to use this card to attempt to complete a
quest.
Turns and Rounds
Turns are broken down into four phases;
draw, quest, ready, main.
Draw During the draw phase you draw a
new card to replace any cards used in the previous round. If you have too many
cards you will be forced to discard back to the in play number.
Quest During the quest phase, the game
will look at your equipped abilities and determine if you have any left unused
for Questing. If you do, you will be given a chance to complete, or start a
quest. Completing four quests before you opponent will win you the game. If you
do not have any cards available, you will skip this phase and lose this chance
this turn.
Ready All cards played in the previous
round that were tapped now become untapped and ready.
Main phase This is the phase in which
you spend your mana, use items or place units to attack.
So youve built a deck, created an avatar
and are ready to play. But which path will you take? Will you try to defeat your
opponents avatar directly, or will you make a mad dash towards quests and sweep
a quick victory?
Playing The Game
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The board is broken down into four
sections, and two halves.
The top half of the board represents
your opponent. In the top two sections he will place his cards and attempt to
either win the quests (pictured left and right center), or engage in direct
combat with you.
The bottom half of the board represents
your own Avatar, the cards that have been randomly chosen for you, and the two
sections of board in which you will play.
Combat is as simple as placing unit cards
and attempting to damage an opponent avatar. If you enemy has cards on a
section, and you do not those units may attack you freely, doing damage to you
and winning the game.
If you DO have cards on your
sections, the units will do combat amongst themselves as they try to open that
hole for attack.
Once your avatar loses all health
(represented by the red dots lined beside your avatars picture), you have been
defeated in combat and have lost the match.
Quest victories however can be very fast
paced and require a bit more guile than brawn.
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Please note the quests. Both of these
quests require 2 points of ability in order to win them. If you have an ability
card readied as the Quest phase of your turn comes around, you will be given a
chance to use that card in order to win or begin a quest.
However, if your opponent has units in
those quest sections, your avatar must do battle with those units in order to
win the right to use the ability card.
For example;
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I have readied this ability card as
pictured below.
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My opponent has no units protecting the
quest. When the quest phase readies, I would be able to destroy this card for
its quest value of two, and fulfill the quest at the side.
Once I have won the quest, a light
(pictured center) is added to my quest count bar, and I now have to win three
more quests in order to win this match.
As quests are won by both sides, they get
harder and require more ability points spent. They initially start out as two
points per quest, but then quickly double to four, moving to five, then six
points per quest making this route a bit more challenging as the match
progresses.
Winning or Losing
When you or your opponent have lost all
health, or reached four completed quest cards, the match is over.
The victor has another successful kill
added to his tally, and the loser is forced to slink away and perhaps
re-evaluate his deck and strategy.
A game of twists, turns, and luck of the
draw, Legends of Norrath promises to only add fun and excitement to the worlds
of EverQuest and EverQuest II.
-End
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our EverQuest II Game Page.
