cryptozoic
Latest
Patch 5.2 PTR: New pets, mounts, potential TCG items
An early build of patch 5.2 is hitting the PTRs early tonight, though it isn't yet available for play. A small selection of new mounts, pets, and flavor items are among the datamined additions. The Gusting Grimoire, Living Sandling, and Red Panda are the three new companions. The new mounts are the Ghastly Charger, Armored Riding Pterodactyl, and the Spawn of Horridon. The latter of those we assume to be a drop from the new raid (or dungeons?) in patch 5.2. Set 20 of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game was announced earlier today, entitled Betrayal of the Guardian. The set is themed around Medivh and Karazhan. Given that information, it seems very likely that the upcoming set of TCG loot has been included in this PTR patch. The Ghastly Charger is likely the rare mount of the set, while the Gusting Grimoire is likely to be the relatively common pet. As for the uncommon vanity item? There's a miniature Dark Portal amongst the datamined. Fitting, we think.
Cryptozoic reveals World of Warcraft TCG Set 20: Betrayal of the Guardian
Return to the days of the first and second war, when Orcs first came to Azeroth with Betrayal of the Guardian, the second set in the epic Timewalkers Block! Medivh, the last guardian of Tirisfal, first orchestrated the eventual wars that pitted humans versus orcs by bringing the bloodthirsty orcs and Gul'dan to Azeroth through the Dark Portal. Relive the first moments of the original Warcraft games with cards that harken back to this time. Will you be part of the stalwart humans, the bloodthirsty orcs, or will you be tempted to support the Monsters that have been left to lurk in Karazhan after Medivh's corruption? Cryptozoic, the company who brings us the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, has revealed the latest set. Betrayal of the Guardian, as the set is titled, is set 2 of 3 in the Timewalkers block, with 232 cards including 30 hero, 60 rare and 30 12 epic. Players can ally themselves with the Timewalkers, who become more powerful if you control multiple copies of a Horde or Alliance race. You can choose to aid the Alliance, help the Horde, or become a Monster and fight against both factions! Cryptozoic has a selection of sample artwork from the set, along with further information. The set will be available for purchase in early 2013, retailing at $3.99 per booster pack. A few WoW Insider writers were lucky enough to have their characters included in the set, so we'll all be rushing out once it's released to obtain a copy of our cards and those of our colleagues!
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway: World of Warcraft TCG Feast of Winter Veil Collector's Tin
12 Days of Winter Veil is under way here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, 12 chances for you to win some of the awesome swag we've accumulated over the year. Whether you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. Today we're giving away a Feast of Winter Veil Collector's Tin from the World of Warcraft TCG, courtesy of Cryptozoic Entertainment. The delightfully festive collectible tin includes: 1 Card Set (9 Rares) 2 Mini-Pet Cards 3 Packs of War of the Ancients 1 Deck Box To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, December 28, 2012. You must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). You may only enter once. One winner will be chosen at random and we will contact you via whichever method you've used to comment. Official rules here.
Final Penny Arcade 3 DLC on Steam this week, card game coming to iOS
"The Beginning of the End" is the final set of free DLC coming to Penny Arcade's On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, and Zeboyd Games has announced that it's arriving on PC and the Xbox this Thursday, December 20. The DLC, which aims to fill in the story between the first three episodes, will bring a new playable character to the series, along with new enemies and new spells to fight them with.As you can probably tell by the title, the DLC will set up the final game in the franchise, which is due sometime in 2013. This week, "The Beginning of the End" will only arrive on Steam and Xbox Live Indie Games, but Zeboyd says it'll be out for iOS, Android and Mac very soon.And elsewhere in interactive Penny Arcade news, Playdek and Cryptozoic have created a digital version of the Penny Arcade deck-building card game – it's coming to iOS this week as well. Penny Arcade: The Game: Gamers vs. Evil will be out on Apple's platform tomorrow for $4.99. There are so many different options out there to play with the Penny Arcade license that they should probably upgrade it to a nickel at some point.
WoW TCG Timewalkers: War of the Ancients previews have begun
It's all a matter of time - time, and those walking in it, that is. Welcome to the Timewalkers: War of the Ancients preview up on the official WoW TCG site. Even if you don't play the TCG, just as a lore nerd or art loved these cards have a treasure trove of neat new things for you. I honestly plan on collecting several of them just for the art alone, like our old friend Broxigar the Red up there in all his wooden axe wielding glory. Have you ever seen a tree that could chop down another tree? Now you have. But for players of the game, there's a lot more than pretty art and cool characters in store. (Although those are definitely part and parcel of the experience.) The new keywords in the set allow for themed decks built around various races (in this case, humans, orcs, tauren and night elves) to be constructed and to gain synergy and benefits from doing so. If you remember our preview of Malorne, that's just one of many awesome cards available in this set. The Ancients, heroes of legend, and even the mysterious Timewalkers faction await your discovery. Remember, the Timewalkers: War of the Ancients officially releases October 2nd, but there will be sneak previews at various game and hobby shops September 22nd and 23rd, so keep an eye out for your chance to play it early. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Blizzard's schedule for Comic-Con 2012
Are you headed to the magic, the wonder, the majesty of Comic-Con 2012? The San Diego Comic-Con has evolved into something far more than just comics -- it's now about all kinds of geek entertainment, including video games. While Blizzard won't have a booth at Comic-Con, they'll still have a presence and even a panel for attendees. If you're lucky enough to be headed to geek mecca this weekend, take some time to check out the following. Blizzard Entertainment product showcase Thursday, July 12 Room 6BCF If you've never been to this panel, it's worth attending. While the panel doesn't discuss game development or release dates, it does talk about the other side of Blizzard's products -- the comics, books, action figures, toys and other material they release in conjunction with their games. There is a Q&A at the end of the panel, which will include Chris Metzen and be moderated by Kat Hunter. Add it to your schedule if you're wondering what's going on in the world of Blizzard merchandise! Blizzard Entertainment autograph signings Insight Editions Booth #1035 Want to get your favorite Blizzard stuff autographed? Here's your chance. Friday morning from 10-11:30 a.m., you'll find Micky Neilson, Flint Dille and Matt Burns happily scrawling their signature for you, and from 4-5 p.m. on Friday, Chris Metzen and Samwise Didier will be signing. The Insight Editions booth will also have a sneak peek at the upcoming The Art of Blizzard book, so stopping by is advised! Christie Golden autograph signings Christie Golden has written a ton for Blizzard, and if you've got one of her books, getting it signed is a great idea. Christie will be at the Cryptozoic Store on Thursday between 7-8 p.m. and at the Mysterious Galaxy booth, #1119, from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday. Please note that the Cryptozoic Store is not at the convention, but it's a just a few blocks away; the address is 411 Market Street, downtown. Having gone to Comic-Con a few years, I can tell you that the best way to make sure you get into a panel or an autograph section is to get there early. I can't stress this enough. If you have something to sign, make sure it's not buried in a backpack -- and it's helpful to put a bookmark in the page you want signed, too, if you're bringing a book! Blizzard also has a host of licensing partners showing off all kinds of products from sculptures to books to the WoW TCG. Check out the full post on the official website for more information.
Cryptozoic announces Battle of the Aspects raid deck
The WoW Trading Card Game just got a whole lot more epic with Battle of the Aspects, the newest raid deck that pits three or more players against an automated Deathwing, complete with heroic modes. Yes, you heard that right -- Deathwing in the Battle of the Aspects raid deck has varied levels of difficulty. Raid decks allow players to take on the role of one of the four dragon aspects fighting against Deathwing. Each character has unique abilities and are displayed on oversized hero cards with (presumably) beautiful-as-always Cryptozoic art. The coolest feature, in my opinion, is that Deathwing himself has different tentacles that you can add to the game that increase his power and the game's overall challenge. Cryptozoic promises that even veteran players will be up against the wall if they play on the hardest setting. There are even achievement cards that force you to change the rules or play the game differently in order to meet a new goal and still come out victorious. Suffice it to say, there's a lot of replayability. Battle of the Aspects is part of the Aftermath block of the WoW TCG and will be launching in August for an MSRP of $30, with nine-card treasure packs for $6 each.
Cryptozoic shows off new cards and artwork from Crown of the Heavens
Cryptozoic, makers of the WoW TCG, is showing off new cards, artwork, and game systems from the newest TCG expansion, Crown of the Heavens. This set prominently features Hyjal and its guardians, meaning lots of dryads, ogres, and satyrs and more demons than you can shake a stick at. A demon stick. Monsters are still the name of the game, however, since we're in the monster block. Since Crown of the Heavens is a set based on Hyjal, there are bound to be a ton of familiar friendly (and not-so-friendly) faces showing up. What does that mean, you ask? It means awesome artwork done by Cryptozoic's amazing art team of some of your favorite characters. First, you should see some of the awesome new demon and satyr cards coming with Crown of the Heavens. Cryptozoic had a really cool writeup about the new monster heroes coming in the new set, including a Daughter of Cenarius named Arisella and Iso'rath, servant of the Old Gods. How cool is that? You can play with Iso'rath as your monster hero. %Gallery-144937%
Cryptozoic's giving away mounts for the holidays
Are you a fan of awesome in-game mounts from WoW TCG? Well, you should be, because it's awesome, and Cryptozoic is giving you a chance to win three different mounts from its new Facebook contest. Between now and Jan. 2, 2012, you can go to Cryptozoic's Facebook page, become a fan, and then Like, comment, and share the loot giveaway picture for your chance to win. Up for grabs are the coveted Spectral Tiger mount, a Wooly White Rhino mount card, and the new Wasteland Tallstrider, one of the first new tallstrider mounts to be introduced to the game. Remember, you must become a fan of the WoW TCG on Facebook in order to be entered, as well as sharing, Liking, and commenting on the promotional picture. Good luck!
12 Days of Winter Veil Day Giveaway: Assault on Icecrown Citadel Raid Decks
12 Days of Winter Veil is under way here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, from loot codes to gaming mice to decor and apparel. Whether you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. Today we're giving away the second batch of Assault on Icecrown Citadel raid decks donated to our holiday celebrations by Cryptozoic Entertainment. The Assault on Icecrown Citadel raid decks are a four-player, full-game experience where you play as Jaina Proudmoore, Tirion Fordring, Sylvanas Windrunner, or the Lich King himself. The Assault on Icecrown Citadel includes: Lich King raid deck Highlord Tirion Fordring deck Lady Jaina Proudmoore deck Lady Sylvanas Windrunner deck 4 oversized hero cards 9-card treasure pack Rulebook (naturally) To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. You must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). You can only enter once. Make sure the email address you use to post your entry comments is one you check regularly, because that's how we'll contact our winners. We will pick six winners randomly. Official rules here.
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway: Assault on Icecrown Citadel Raid Decks
12 Days of Winter Veil is under way here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, from loot codes to gaming mice to decor and apparel. Whether you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. Today we're giving away six of the 12 Assault on Icecrown Citadel raid decks donated to our holiday celebrations by Cryptozoic Entertainment -- your chance to win the other half of its contributions will come next week. The Assault on Icecrown Citadel raid decks are a four-player, full-game experience where you play as Jaina Proudmoore, Tirion Fordring, Sylvanas Windrunner, or the Lich King himself. The Assault on Icecrown Citadel includes: Lich King raid deck Highlord Tirion Fordring deck Lady Jaina Proudmoore deck Lady Sylvanas Windrunner deck 4 oversized hero cards 9-card treasure pack Rulebook (naturally) To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. You must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). You can only enter once. Make sure the email address you use to post entry comments is one you check regularly, because that's how we'll contact our winners. We will pick six winners randomly. Official rules here.
Cryptozoic announces World of Warcraft: Clash of Champions deckbuilding game
Cryptozoic, the creative minds behind the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, have just announced a brand new WoW project called World of Warcraft: Clash of Champions. This stand-alone deck building card game pits players against famous raid bosses from WoW's history such as Ragnaros, Onyxia, and the Lich King while playing as some of Azeroth's greatest heroes. Thrall, Jaina, Varian, Garrosh, Sylvanas, and Magni Bronzebeard are all available for players to choose. If you've never played a deck building card game, the general goal is to accumulate cards to build yourself a larger and more powerful deck of cards, allowing you more levels of control and strategy to defeat challenges that the game throws at you and to compete against your fellow players. You start off with a few cards and through various means purchase or earn cards to build your deck based on the decisions you make. Fans of the wonderful deck building game Dominion know the drill. Cryptozoic is adding a twist to the genre with the new ability for your hero to level up after a boss is defeated, granting new powers and abilities for your deck. One of the best parts about deck building games is how easy it is to incorporate expansion packs, new factions, and heroes. Clash of Champions looks promising enough to become its own universe, infinitely expandable for all different types of playstyles. World of Warcraft: Clash of Champions is coming in early 2012 and will retail for $44.99. Look for it soon.
WoW TCG: Fall 2011 Class Starter Decks available Dec. 6
Cryptozoic has announced the release date for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Fall 2011 Starter Decks. These decks will feature 10 unique heroes (five Horde and five Alliance) for players to collect and will be specially designed so that a new player can purchase a single deck and be ready to play. Each deck will also contain a World of Warcraft in-game item (such as the Party G.R.E.N.A.D.E., the Spectral Kitten/Spectral Tiger Cub, or the Dragon Kite), a War of the Elements booster pack, and a reprint of a previous fan favorite card. The decks are are projected to be available on Dec. 6, 2011, and will retail for around $10.99. For more information, visit Cryptozoic's website.
New Dungeon Decks for the WoW TCG
Coming to a store near you this Nov. 15, Dungeon Decks will allow players of the WoW Trading Card Game to explore Shadowfang Keep, Scarlet Monastery, and The Deadmines and claim loot both in the form of loot cards and various items to use in the TCG as well. You'll get to fight enemies like Lord Godfrey above, practicing his gun kata, or Scarlet Commander Mograine or even Vanessa VanCleef. Her father Edwin even makes an appearance, it seems. Check out the artwork gallery and read all about what's coming next month at the official WoWTCG site.
Cryptozoic announces new WoW card game Clash of Champions
Cryptozoic Entertainment, which puts out the WoW Trading Card Game, has announced a new way for you to enjoy the Warcraft universe with Clash of Champions, a new deck-building card game. This game allows you to take on the role of a major hero of the Warcraft universe such as Thrall, Jaina, King Magni, Garrosh, or Varian Wrynn and fight monsters and epic bosses. As you fight, you level up, and you can add new abilities and loot to your card deck. As you may expect from the basic outline of the rules, this will be a separate game from the TCG, with new rules and new ways to play, but it sounds like an epic playing experience and a fun way to battle with your favorite characters from the Warcraft mythos. The new game is expected in spring 2012.
Win a trip to BlizzCon from Steelseries
Steelseries, makers of World of Warcraft-licensed peripherals and gaming hardware, has just announced a contest to send two lucky winners to BlizzCon in October. The grand prize includes two tickets to BlizzCon, airfare to get there, accommodations, $200 in spending money, $200 at Morton's Steak House, and front-of-the-line access to sponsors' events at the convention. What have you got to lose? Even if you don't win the grand prize trip, there is still over $2,500 in prizes up for grabs, including gift certificates to Jinx, WoW Legendary gaming mice from Steelseries, game guides, a WoW atlas, and WoW TCG class starter decks from Cryptozoic. Free prizes! Who doesn't love potential free stuff? Check out the contest over at Steelseries. The contest ends on Sept. 30, 2011, so get your entries in soon.
WoW TCG: Throne of the Tides monster preview
The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game is getting a monstrous new expansion set on Oct. 11, bringing new creatures such as the ogres, murlocs, and naga into the game as playable characters. Aftermath: Throne of the Tides is the first set in the Aftermath series, set after the Cataclysm and Deathwing's rage-fueled destruction across Azeroth. Matt Place, the head designer of WoW TCG and lead designer on Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, wrote up a comprehensive preview of the new mechanics and many new heroes coming with the newest set. New monster heroes and allies will be given brand new rule sets that make them unique and fun, providing lots of flexibility for deck builders and new game play experiences. Monster allies, for instance, have no restrictions based on the hero that the deck is built around, giving them added flexibility. On the flipside, a monster hero deck featuring only monsters gets some cool benefits as well. Monster heroes each have a permanent power on the back of their cards. The murlocs run in packs, granting each other bonuses that the others possess. I immediately thought back to my Magic: The Gathering days with the Slivers and was instantly excited, since the Slivers were some of the coolest creations in TCG history. The murlocs sound like they are going to be a numerous force at all times, swarming your opponent and building up lots of cool bonuses.
WoW TCG: Aftermath: Throne of the Tides adds monsters to the mix
As the Worldbreaker series comes to an end, we now turn to the aftermath of Deathwing's destructive awakening into Azeroth and the continued battle against the elements and the Twilight Hammer Cult. The newest WoW TCG expansion, Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, puts players in control of murloc, naga, and ogre heroes as exciting new additions to the WoW TCG hero lineup. Playing as some of the more monstrous races in the World of Warcraft universe is pretty cool, with all new keywords and abilities to take advantage of during gameplay. In addition, Throne of the Tides has been built from the ground up to be a smoother draft and sealed play experience, preparing even the newest players for fun, engaging tournament play. Read on to learn about the Epic Collection and the new in-game goodies that await TCG fans.
Cryptozoic and the WoW TCG at Gen Con 2011
From Aug. 4 through Aug. 7, Cryptozoic Entertainment will be hosting the Darkmoon Faire Indianapolis at Gen Con Indianapolis 2011. Players can check out the newest WoW TCG sets, learn from the Cryptozoic pros, compete in a beginner's tournament, and challenge Alexstrasza to become a Dragonslayer. Class starter decks for the WoW TCG will also be on sale at a discount at Gen Con and you can check out board game demos as well. If you're going to be at Gen Con Indianapolis 2011, check out Cryptozoic and the WoW TCG at booth #1749. Cryptozoic loves to teach the WoW TCG to new players and is really welcoming when it comes to learning about the game. You'll have a blast. See if you can try out the Assault on Icecrown Citadel four-player game while you're there. Our own Mike Sacco loved it.
Cryptozoic's Digital Manga releases for July
A couple of months ago, it was announced that Cryptozoic Entertainment, publisher of the WoW Trading Card Game, would be publishing the Warcraft and Starcraft manga exclusively through its comics reader app. The initial release included Warcraft Legends Vol. 1 and 2, World of Warcraft: Death Knight, and The Sunwell Trilogy Vol. 1: Dragon Hunt. It was also announced that other manga titles would be released over time via the app. Apparently, the time for more manga is now, as two new Warcraft titles have just been released to the comics app. Warcraft Legends Vol. III is a collection of short tales, including the continuing story of Trag Highmountain, first seen in the Sunwell trilogy. Also included is the story I Got What Yule Need, written by New York Times bestselling author Christie Golden, and The Thrill of the Hunt, a story involving Hemet Nesingwary, one of the better known NPCs in game. The Legends series is one of the better ones out there, and at $5.99 for 160 pages worth of manga, it's a good deal. Also released this month is the second book in the class series, World of Warcraft: Mage. This stand-alone story tells the tale of Aodhan, an apprentice mage whose dreams of making it big as a spellcaster are suddenly and violently interrupted. This volume delves into the story of Aodhan, but it also sheds a little light on the conflict between the Blue Dragonflight and the Kirin Tor highlighted back in Wrath of the Lich King. Like the other manga available on the app, Warcraft: Mage is also a steal at $5.99. All titles are available for purchase through the Cryptozoic Comics App, and the app itself is free for download via iTunes. If you missed any of the manga releases, this is an excellent way to pick them up.
