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Legends of Norrath: A Ten Ton Hammer Close Look

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 MMORPG’s 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

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.

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. That’s right – that means with enough luck and enough hunting, you’ll be able to build a deck, playable for no additional fee – for free.

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.

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) you’ll be able to build an in-game avatar via an in-game wizard that helps create a virtual “you” by asking game related questions.

Once your race and class are created, and your Avatar is brought to life, you’ll 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 unit’s 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 opponent’s 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.

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, you’ll 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 you’ve built a deck, created an avatar and are ready to play. But which path will you take? Will you try to defeat your opponent’s avatar directly, or will you make a mad dash towards quests and sweep a quick victory?

Playing The Game

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 avatar’s 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.

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;

I have readied this ability card as pictured below.

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