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Upper Deck previews MotL (and more loot card speculation)
Upper Deck has dropped three nice previews of their upcoming card set for the WoW TCG, entitled March of the Legion, set to hit store shelves in late November. The first preview is a look at how they're finally going to use those damage attributes on each card-- playing certain damage types will help open up new abilities on some card. The second preview looks at staff and dagger weapons for casters, and how UDE is bringing more of the online game abilities into the card game. And finally, the last preview looks at the addition of the Aldor and Scryer factions to the card game, as well as how Demons will enter into play. If you're a TCG player, are a must-read to find out how the new set is going to change the game.And Boubouille at MMO Champion has even more word on the three loot cards that will be released with the set. UD hasn't officially announced what they are (though not for lacking of trying on our part-- WoW Insider is doing our best to get an official announcement on what loot cards will be available), but it looks like, according to code in the game client, that those items we originally thought were more toys for engineers are actually the loot items-- a dragon kite, a robot chicken, and a paper gyrocopter. Bou even discovered a spell for the dragon kite that says "Upper Deck" right there on it, so this is about as sure a confirmation as they come. March of the Legion, and the new loot cards, all drop on November 17th.Update: Well there you go. Upper Deck apparently didn't like the leaks, and went ahead and confirmed all three loot cards. Look for a dragon kite, a paper airplane card, and a robotic homing chicken in a new deck near you.
Upper Deck giving $100,000 to winner of WoW TCG World Championship
Upper Deck has announced that their final WoW TCG tournament this year, the World Championship, will offer a whopping $100,000 prize. Yes, you read that right-- the top winner will take home a hundred grand. There's already a long list of people invited to the tournament, mostly from previous Nationals and qualifying tournaments, but there is still one chance left to get into the tournament, which starts on November 29th at the San Diego Convention Center. If you can come up with an Honor Ranking of 4 by then, you could enter the Honor Grind tournament on November 29th, and the top four winners of that will be invited to compete in the World Championships. So if you really want that $100,000 prize, and have never played the TCG in your life, better get playing.But even if you don't plan on winning, the World Championship sounds like a lot of fun-- TCG artists (including Blizzard's Samwise Didier) will be there to sign cards and meet players, and there will be lots of other events and tournaments. The Crafting Redemption metagame will also be happening for the first time-- players will be able to turn in "extra" material cards to "make" special exclusive item cards for the game. And this "Thunderfury" card is an exclusive participation card for the tournament, too. Very nice.And Upper Deck also reminds us that November is release month for the upcoming March of the Legion expansion, and they're going to hold a sneak preview of all the new cards on November 17th at a store near you. Supposedly there's a list of stores hosting the events over on their site, but I don't see it yet, so hopefully it'll be up soon. And keep your eyes open-- we've already been told the new set will have three brand new loot cards, and we've got our ears to the tracks on just what they might be.
New loot cards?
A couple of different sites around the net are claiming that the recently leaked photos of the rocket chicken, paper toys and the dragon kite are attached to the latest loot cards from the WoW card game. Previous speculation had linked them to the engineering profession, which wasn't a bad guess considering the new schematics that are already being added to that profession in the next patch.Now, Dyrk at the Gutterspeak blog claims to have some new information about the rocket chicken, which will apparently be the second rarest item of the three new cards. He claims that it's a small, non-combat pet that launches itself into the air (or accidentally blows itself up) as its idle animation.
New cards and big tourneys at Darkmoon Faire Philly
We didn't have anyone on hand to head out to the WoW TCG Darkmoon Faire in Philly this past weekend (although I was able to make the Chicago stop earlier this year), but worry not if you didn't make it, because the web guys over at Upper Deck's official site did a bang up job of covering all the activities over the weekend. From player tournaments to all the different decks that were played with, they've got the whole thing online, top to bottom. This was apparently the first event where the Fires of Outland set was playable, so they have a good piece up about that. And they even showed off some new cards, including a Dreamstate card from the March of the Legion set due in November.Upper Deck has also posted a preview of the cards coming in the special Feast of Winter's Veil giftset, and it is kind of funny to see that the (once-)dreaded AV snowball has received a card of its own. And Mistletoe is in the game as well, taking two player heroes out of their turns for a little "let it snow" action (while giving them both a new card to play with). Fun stuff from the TCG, whether you're a diehard collector or not.
More bang for the buck on the TCG
We just received word from Upper Deck this afternoon that there's good news for TCG players. With the upcoming expansion March of the Legion booster packs (set to be released on November 21st), players will get not 15 cards in their booster packs, but a whopping 19-- for the exact same price, packs will have three extra common cards, and one extra uncommon cards in them.And even people who don't regularly play the TCG might like this other change: Loot cards are getting a booster pack boost as well, as Upper Deck is going to be putting three brand new loot cards in the set, and releasing more cards randomly into the set as well. There's no word yet on exactly what the loot cards will be (although it'll be tough to beat that Spectral Tiger), but we're keeping our ears open so wide it hurts to figure out what they are for you.The new set also has some cool stuff in terms of gameplay as well, if you're a TCG player (I like playing it, but none of my friends are quite as interested in the card game as I am). Aldor and Scryer sub-factions will make an appearance, as will new keywords (like "Ferocity" or "Protector"), and new demonic allies. And don't forget that the WoW TCG is rolling right along towards a World Championship, too-- nationals are wrapping up, and the event is set to go down the last weekend of November at the San Diego Convention Center.
The road to $100,000 continues in Indiana
When I was but a wee lad of five, my grandmother taught me how to play poker. What can I say, she knew how to have fun. As I grew up, my love for card games extended to board games and video games. Then came trading card games which took up a good deal of my teen years and I played for the enjoyment of competition. Others apparently play to win enough cold hard cash to buy an BMW M6 Convertible.The US Nationals of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game tournament is this weekend at Gen Con Indy in Indiana. The first and second place winner of the national tournament will get flown to San Diego, California over Thanksgiving weekend to compete in the World Championship tournament and get their shot at the $100,000 grand prize.Upper Deck, the makers of the card game, will be covering the three day national tournament live on their site. There are elimination rounds through Sunday when the final winners will be crowned. Now, if we can just get paid to play WoW itself.
Around Azeroth: The elusive turtle mount
Reader Steve sends in this lovely shot of the rare turtle mount, which you too may be able to find if you buy enough packs of WoW TCG cards. It's slightly Photoshoped to give it that proper photorealistic effect. Not half bad, if I do say so myself.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part.
WoW TCG: Prizes, fabulous prizes!
As you may have heard, there are two ways to receive in-game rewards from World of Warcraft's trading card game: special "loot" cards giving specific prizes and by collecting UDE points, which come with each pack of cards. You get 100 points per booster pack (which gives 200 points per starter deck, as it contains two boosters) via codes you enter on Upper Deck's website. And there are some fun rewards here, too! Beyond special wallpapers with unique artwork, there's a funky blue tabard, a trinket that sets off a unique fireworks display, and a trinket that turns you into an Ogre. The problem, however, is cost. The tabard costs 2,000 points, the fireworks trinket costs 10,000 points, and the Ogre trinket 25,000 points. So 20 booster packs, 100 booster packs, and 250 booster packs, respectively. Paying about $4.50 per booster, that's $90 for the tabard, $450 for the fireworks trinket, and $1,125 for the Ogre trinket. Yikes -- that's a heck of a financial investment for a pretty bauble.
From MMO to TCG
The TCG launch date is not far off -- you should plan on hitting up your local gaming store on October 25th if you want to pick up your cards immediately -- and with all previews thus far suggesting that playing is a blast, I'm certainly going to be there. But for those of us who haven't had a chance to play yet, the question is how, exactly, a card game could replicate the fun gameplay experience of the online game. Well, in search of that answer, the Escapist interviews Brian Kibler and Danny Mandell, lead developer and lead designer of the TCG.[Thanks, Dan]
WoW TCG preview: Stealth
The TCG's Stealth ability is just what you'd think it is -- if you're a rogue, it allows you to fade into the shadows and quietly sneak up on your opponents unseen. In the TCG, it's similar to Bear Form, in that when it is destroyed, you can pay two resources to return it to your hand. Stealth in the TCG allows you to avoid your opponent attempting to direct damage done to a strong tank character (one with the protector ability, that is) and strike any target your enemy may have in play. Just like a rogue...!
WoW TCG preview: Bear Form
Druids -- so versatile! Jumping from one form to another, tanking, dealing melee DPS, casting damage spells from afar, and even healing in the blink of an eye. The TCG seems to mimic the online game's playstyle well in this regard. Bear Form is instant cast, costs a single resource, grants you the "protector" ability (think of it as an anytime taunt), and whenever it is removed from play you can pay two more resources to put it back in your hand -- allowing you to shapeshift back later. And being in an animal form allows you access to numerous unique feral abilities -- like the also-previewed Predatory Strikes, which gives your hero +2 ATK while in cat or bear form.
WoW TCG preview: Chain Lightning
My shaman is only level 20, and doesn't yet have access to the Chain Lightning spell yet -- but I can only imagine the fun I'll have when I get it. (I get giddy just thinking of all the sheeps I could break!) The version of the spell included in the TCG is just what you would expect after having played the online game -- for the cost of five resources, it deals 3 damage to your primary target, 2 damage to the next target, and finally 1 damage to the last target. A great way to wipe out a whole party of enemies!
WoW TCG preview: Starfire
I admit -- I had to log on to my druid to remind myself what Starfire was in the online game. Moonfire, sure, everyone knows about that, but Starfire? It's an arcane damage spell with a long cast time and high damage -- but the lengthy cast time tends to mean that I tend to use Wrath (a shorter cast time, but lower damage) whenever I'm in caster form. However, the version of Starfire that finds itself in the TCG is a bit more interesting. Mimicking the in-game ability, it costs a lot of resources (6 resources probably compares equitably to the 3.5 second cast time the spell has online) and does a good amount of damage (5). But there's an added bonus -- after casting Starfire you get a chance to draw a card. And when cards represent all the damage you can do, the resources you can draw upon, and the quests you can complete, this is nothing but a good thing.
WoW TCG preview: Mind Blast
This preview highlights the shadow priest ability Mind Blast. In the online game, we know that Mind Blast provides a burst of direct damage at the cost of increased threat -- but in the TCG the spell is a bit different. Mind Blast costs a high amount of resources (5) in exchange for its scant 2 damage, but it also forces your opponent to discard a card for each damage dealt. And, with the right timing, this sort of forced discard could be devastating -- causing your opponent to get rid of his best cards.
WoW TCG Preview: Smite
As far as priest abilities go, smite used to be a joke -- and the punchline was usually "lol." However, since the priest changes came through a few patches back, smite has become a decent way of dishing out holy damage on your unsuspecting foes (who probably mistakenly think that a holy priest is nothing but sweetness and light!). The trading card version of Smite dishes out 4 damage to your target at the cost of 5 resources -- and while this may seem like a high price to pay, be aware that the damage caused by smite cannot be avoided or negated. Now that's not a bad deal.
WoW TCG Preview: Frost Shock
The shaman's shock spells must be some of the most entertaining spells in the game. Dealing with a spellcaster? Earth shock! Trying to cope with runners? Frost shock! And the trading card game's version of Frost Shock is no different. For the cost of only 2 resources, you deal 2 damage to your target and prevent them from being used to attack or protect this turn -- allowing you to control whom your opponent may use in combat. Certainly makes you want to be sure to always have a shaman on your side...!
WoW TCG Preview: Fireball
This preview shows off the damage potential of the mage class -- the mage ability Fireball. A fireball in the trading card game is similar to what you would expect from a fireball in the online game. It provides high burst damage and causes the target to burn for a while after the initial impact. For the cost of 4 resources, Fireball deals 4 damage to your target, and causes an additional point of fire damage to the same target at the start of your subsequent turns. And if burning your enemies into a toasty crisp isn't fun, I don't know what is!
WoW TCG Preview: Barman Shanker
This preview presents us with the rogue's friend -- the Barman Shanker dagger. What makes this dagger so special, besides its unique appearance? Well, it hits exhausted targets harder than normal targets, and because you must exhaust any of your ally cards in order to utilize their special abilities, it make make your opponents think twice about using their own skills. And in case they wise up and start holding back? Well, fortunately a rogue can exhaust any card by using the gouge ability.
WoW TCG Preview: The Battle of Darrowshire
I think I've done the in-game Battle of Darrowshire quest once. It was a blast, but since that first time, I've found it difficult to get a group together to complete the quest on other characters. Fortunately for me, completing the trading card game's version of this quest won't require a dozen players' time and attention -- instead, you pay one resource and discard three allies from your graveyard, in your own little reenactment of the battle. For your tireless efforts, you're allowed to draw an additional card.
WoW TCG Preview: Boris Brightbeard
This preview focuses on a hero card - Boris Brightbeard, a Dwarf priest with a holy spec and -- unsurprisingly! -- a healing ability. The ability itself is straightforward -- Boris is able to heal damage equal to the amount of resources you spend on the heal. And, while this card doesn't tell us anything new or interesting in terms of gameplay ability, it presents some nice artwork and, of course, amusing flavor text. (Be careful, making troll jokes can get you on my do-not -heal list, too!)
