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Four "quest" cards will be included in your deck, each one requiring a certain number of quests "levels" to complete. Each quest you play will have between 2-6 levels, and will be completed via the "levels" on your ability cards. Like all the other cards you play with, quests also have particular pieces of game text associated with them that give varying bonuses for your quests. Some quests are particularly nasty, especially those that say "If completed, destroy opposing combat units at same quest" or gives particular bonuses to certain alignments (both the dark and the light receive bonuses).  

Next are your items, which can do anything from increasing the power of your character to bestowing damage or defense bonuses. Items are particularly useful if you want to give your character an upper hand in certain combat situations. For instance, in the mage deck I'm currently constructing I've included a Greatstaff of Power, which gives me a bonus to attack, damage, and increases my power every turn! A pretty powerful item, although it comes at a hefty cost, 7 power from the user.

To win the game, you'll typically play unit cards, which are like your characters army of minions that he controls. Units come in a variety of flavors and are typically represented by the particular monsters you might see in either of the two Everquest games. Some of my favorite cards include the Gnoll Soothsayer and the Windmaiden, to cards from the two different factions that are extremely helpful in my play decks. As the game progresses and players complete quests (accomplished through the quest phase) they'll gradually increase in power to the point where they'll be able to deploy units as powerful as Lucan D'lere, Emperor Crush, and Firona Vie.

This Greater Sphinx is a rare card and has some unique abilities that make it invaluable.

And finally, tactics are abilities that come in handy if you're ever in a tight spot. These cards can be played at any time as long as you can pay for them or if its the appropriate time of the characters turn. Some tactics can only be played during battle, while others allow the player to use them at any time they wish. Tactics are also useful to fool overconfident opponents. You'll quickly turn the tide of a battle when you spring a "Wind Walk" or a "Intellectual Superiority" from your hand.

Once you've played all the cards you need to in your main phase, you can opt to "raid" an opponent's quest (initiating combat with the opposing units or avatar). Combat is pretty simple, with the players both attacking or defending with their units until the winner has been decided. Once that finishes, players then take any damage they receive and the combat is over. Usually this is the last portion of the main phase, although it can occur at any time during that phase.

Now that the main phase covered, we will backtrack to the quest phase. This is where you apply any ability levels to complete the quests that are on the table. In order to apply your quest, you often have to fight opposing combatants with your avatar, which means that you'll be in some fairly serious danger if you're not careful. It's often wise to plan ahead and destroy the enemies combatants before initiating quests if at all possible. If it isn't possible, try not to die. Don't say I didn't warn you.

With those phases and goals in mind, the meta-game for Legends of Norrath starts to take shape. I've seen players construct decks simply to stall, including massive amounts of units with very few abilities. It's a strange combination, but it often works. On the other side, I've encountered players that use the "rush" technique that forces other players to defend themselves or die, a rather quick solution to a game. Still others play a "quest rush" deck that keeps other players from deploying abilities but has them rushing to the end goal with almost no stoppage by the opposing player. Simply strap those Journeyman Boots on your feet and away you go!

While I was reviewing Legends of Norrath, I was lucky enough to enter several tournaments and play against some very strategically minded individuals. These card sharks have created decks that are so perfect, you'll often find yourself wincing in pain as he or she uncovers yet another card that's specifically designed to obliterate you. Despite these great players, the tournaments are still only in their "testing" phase, which means there have been a few interesting bugs cropping up for players, along with a lack of communication in certain tournament ladders. For example, I was playing through one tournament when my computer suffered a power surge. I rebooted and was able to jump back in, but when I went to play the game later, I found that some of my cards were missing. In fact, my entire tournament deck was missing! Luckily, I started the game again the next day, and all the cards had returned. I'm surprised the SOE Denver developers didn't wait to test the tournament system a bit more, but it still is a fun experience.

On top of all that, the game has an extremely memorable feel to it. All of my cards held pieces of Everquest lore, and the minute I saw the Fippy Darkpaw card I wanted to go back in EQ and watch him take his suicide dive to the guards. Other cards include Lord Nagafen, Mayong Mistmoore, the Flowing Black Silk Sash, and the Stein of Moggok. You'll also have the opportunity to grab "loot cards" that let you redeem them for actual in-game EQ or EQ2 gear. As a side note, I also found that when you take damage, you'll hear the recognizable "Agh!" that many EQ players will remember as the "Oh shit! I'm taking damage!" sound that they hear when they're playing the game. All they need now is a few more instances of EQ music, and it'll all be gold.

Loot cards can be redeemed for actual in-game EQ and EQ2 merchandise.

My complaints about the game are few, but they are worth noting. To begin with, Legends of Norrath is not an easy game to absorb right away. In fact, it can be downright complicated in places. While the tutorials are helpful, I've heard many players voice their complaints about the complexity of combat and how they're not quite sure when combat between avatars takes place. Though I figured it out, it did take a few practice trips before I deduced the solution.

Creating a deck can be a daunting process for the newcomer. While there's an interesting "Deckbuilding Wizard" in the game, it doesn't go into all the different meta-gaming options that are out there. The card database doesn't help much more, as it has a search option, but that search function leaves a lot to be desired. A few more filters along with a friendlier database format would do a lot for the deck-building portion of the game.

Without a full set of cards, players can often be at a strategic disadvantage when they're facing other opponents, but this is a problem in any trading card game.

Finally, I've heard a number of people taking issue with the fact that, although you can play the game in EQ or EQ2, it fills your entire screen. If you're waiting for other players to arrive, you could be caught unawares if they arrive earlier that you suspect. Hence the "Tap, Tap" comic that's referenced on the popular GU Comics site.

Despite these flaws, I must admit that Legends of Norrath has caught me by the short-hairs and refuses to let go. I've been playing the game nearly every day since I grabbed it, and SOE Denver has created a terrific way for players to relive their old EQ days. Even though I don't intend to go back into EQ or EQ2 anytime soon, if I do happen to find a loot card in LoN, I'll be hard-pressed not to try it out. Now if only SOE Denver publishes these cards in a physical format, my EQ life would be complete.

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