BattleForge

BattleForge is a new title being released by EA March 24th. The game is very unique in the fact that it incorporates RTS and MMORPG play styles. In the game you use cards to summon creatures to fight for you in your quest to dominate a typical RTS fashioned map. Each map has Monuments and Power Fountains where you will draw your energy, which is used to summon your creatures, buildings, and cast spells.

Different From Other Card Games - How?

The difference between this game and other online card games I've played in the past, like Magic The Gathering, is that the creatures interact in real time, and you're able to engage different creatures at different times or double team a larger creature to negate the advantage that creature would normally have had.

Cards are still very important, you don't draw them like you typically would in other games, but you have a list of them at the bottom of the screen (Twenty in total) that you are able to use in battle. Your cards are your troops, your spells and your battle constructs. You conjure them directly onto the battlefield - and the more energy you gather in the fight, the more powerful the cards you can play in the game. Believe me when I tell you some of the things you can summon in game are amazing. While writing this article I had a guy summon something on me that literally crushed half of my defenses and base before I was able to kill it....Very Exciting! I've included a picture below of the beast that laid siege to my base. (Very bottom)

Getting Started - MMORPG Aspects

When you first get into the game one of the first things you do is pick your own likeness. I, of course, picked the mostly handsomely devilish dashingly daring gentlemanly avatar I could find to most closely represent my own real life appearance, I suggest you do the same! This is your character and will basically be your in game holder of experience, battle forge points, gold, and other achievements you receive while doing battle. Each battle is a separate instance but the benefits, experience, and gold earned from each battle stays with your character.

After you pick your avatar there are several tutorials available to you that include everything from putting together a deck to actually engaging in combat. I played with the forge for a bit which lets you summon creatures and then call enemies into the arena to do battle. Fifteen minutes of that and I was good to go.

The video will give you a good taste of the amount of creatures, buildings, and spells available in the game; but lets take a look at real PVP and Scenario Missions.

Advancing - RTS Aspects

BattleForge offers several solo player options in the form of scenarios. For example, in the map below several of the green dot options are single player missions where you've got to take a tower, escort something, or slay a large enemy. There are also scenarios that require 2, 4, and up to 12 players! I have personally spent most of my time at the dueling grounds working on a suitable deck.  Here's the actual land mass, I don't have many of the scenario paths open to me as I haven't played that route yet:

The land of BattleForge!

Dueling Grounds

In each dueling match players fight for control of special sources of power, the battles can get pretty immense and normally last from 10 to 30 minutes from start to finish. Each player uses the 20 cards from his/her deck in order to obtain and maintain control of power sources and eventually eliminate the opponent. The duels are some of the most action packed, fast paced fun I've had in a long time. The ability to engage massive beasts on several fronts is as exciting as it is visually tantalizing, and the whole time you're strategizing strategizing strategizing!

If this game looks like something you'd enjoy we strong suggest you Download BattleForge now. If you decide to pre-order before the release date you can get a few special cards. The retail price of the game will be 49.95 and booster packs will be available for purchase in game if you find yourself needing extra cards from time to time.

P.S. Here's a picture of the monstrosity that destroyed my base: