The more you win in Arena, the more in-game currency and cards you earn. You’ll compete against other players who have similarly drafted decks, insuring that no one is too familiar with the cards and offers a welcome break from a ladder system. Games modes beyond random duels: The aforementioned Arena is one of Hearthstone’s better selling points: Players choose between three random heroes and then draft a deck from randomly generated choices.

Running through the tutorial will get you playing opening a few packs and playing in the Arena for the first time will get you hooked. An innkeeper greets you when you start up the game, characters emote and threaten you as you play cards, and quirky, sometimes humorous animations play after certain actions. More importantly, comparatively Hearthstone seems far simpler and more approachable to new players. Blizzard is able to update overpowered cards, release new ones (in seemingly quarterly expansions) and offer a variety of game modes that shows a real understanding of the unique benefits of the mobile and computer platforms.

Hearthstone is sometimes called “Magic for Morons,” and on the surface, you see a lot of similarities-players summon spells or minions limited by a player’s mana pool, both games utilize fantasy lore to inform their world, and many of the cards have similar mechanics involving attack, defense, interrupts, etc.ĭaily quests incentivize you to return to the game and improve your decks.īut while Magic was built for the tabletop, Blizzard has always designed its product for digital platforms. If you grew up playing Magic: The Gathering, then you’ll understand the appeal of collecting cards to build decks and battle your friends.

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