4/30/2015

Descent into Darkness is Here! - Release Notes

We're proud to announce the release of Descent into Darkness, available in the shop now!



All of the new cards can be viewed in your collection, and of course are legal to play as soon as you have them.

There are no new abilities in this set, though you will see our first creature that has Indestructible inherently: Realm Champion.

Special thanks goes out to the Beta team that tested and hotly debated many of the cards in the set. Numerous cards were adjusted based on their feedback, making for a better, more playable set.

Along with the release of this new set we have two additional changes to Kingdoms:

Tournament Prize Packs


All paid tournaments now pay out Tournament Prize Packs instead of regular boosters. Prize Packs contain all booster expansion cards from Eve to Descent into Darkness. So whether you're new to the game or an old pro, there will be the potential for cards you need in every pack. And yes, this does mean that you can win Descent cards starting today.

While we recognize that some older players with large collection may prefer to just get the new cards, we want Tournaments to be a great source of cards for everyone.

The New PVP Arena

While the Arena doesn't look very different, it will now provide a whole new way to play Kingdoms. Starting today anyone who plays in the Arena will be part of our new PVP Ladder Season Play.

Seasons are currently set to 25 days, with prizes awarded at the end of the season for both the Limited Ladder and the Standard Ladder. To prepare for this new season, all ladders have been reset. You will be starting at 1500.

The prizes are, based on your final Ladder rank:

1st: 10-Pack of Descent, 100 Gems, Monthly Premium Card x 4
2nd:10-Pack of Descent, 80 Gems, Monthly Premium Card x2
3rd-20th: 5 Packs of Descent, 50 Gems, Monthly Premium Card
21st-50th: 3 Packs of Descent, 30 Gems
51st-100th:2 Packs of Descent, 20 Gems
101+: 1 Pack of Descent, 10 Gems

To be eligible for prizes you must have played a minimum of 20 Live PVP battles during the Season.

As a reminder, here is this season's Premium Card:



Note that only Live PVP battles will affect your Ladder score in these two arenas. You can still play the AI to complete your daily quests, but your Ladder score will not be affected.

We hope that this will usher in a new era of Live PVP play in Kingdoms - the best way to play!

Balance Changes

We have made one balance change in this release.

Dreadful Return has had its mana cost raised from 2 to 3.

This has been a ferociously debated card, and many players have argued that it does far too much for its low cost. We agree, but instead of harshly limiting the card's function, we've decided to simply give it a bump up, and most importantly take it out of Scroll Maker range

Waiting in the wings we have Buffs to TWO underused Heroes, which we will announce soon.

Finally, Frost Wielder is now officially on the watch list. We are actively discussing the card in the Beta forums right now.

Known Issues

A few minor copy glitches are appearing on live.

1) "Tournament" is showing up as an Expansion in Collections and the Deck Builder. We can assure you that this is not a new expansion.
2) Deepwood Druid has the new subtype "Druid" which is not appearing correctly.
3) We missed the titles for the packs in the Guaranteed Epic Descent 10-Pack.

We'll be fixing all of these issues shortly.


4/29/2015

The Ender is Nigh

Legendary creatures are, by design, some of the most powerful cards in the game. They are balanced by the fact that you can only play one of each, and a maximum of four in a standard deck. For the longest time, the "top" Legendaries were pretty set in store: Diryam, Archmage Vul'Grath and Army of the Abyss. With the launch of Light Ascending, we were introduced to Elara, the mighty angel summoned by the Light Alliance to help drive back the forces of Dark. In game terms she was pretty mighty as well, granting 5 life and being impossible to simply destroy out of the way.

In Descent of the Darkness, we meet the Demon that was raised by the Dark Alliance to fight Elara head on, and finally the decision of which Legendaries to use in your four slots just got a lot harder.

Meet, T'rror, Ender of Days.


We'll let that sink in a bit first.

Off the floor? Good.

Upon entering play, T'rror rips 3 life out of every other creature on the board, including your own. In many situations this will clear the board, leaving T'rror as the only threat - and what a threat he is.

When seeing T'rror, you will want to kill him. Now. Never before has there been a creature worse to leave standing. Every turn T'rror puts a 3/3 Flying Demon into play - and for the first time, these creatures will happily drop into corpse filled slots (perhaps Corpsecraft has its benefits after all). 

So killing T'rror is a must Thankfully T'rror is not as resilient as his Holy nemesis, and can be removed with Echo Blast, Smother, Kindle the Fury and other cards. Hopefully you're not relying on that Lightning Bolt is hand though, as both Magical and Physical damage are reduced by 1.

So how did the battle between Elara and T'rror end? Elara did manage to fight back the demon armies and send T'rror back to the netherworld, but she took a heavy toll of damage, and in the end, she too fell:


Now both Light and Dark are without their champions and both Alliances are left to lick their wounds and plot their next moves.

The great battle though, did not go unnoticed, and now there is a rumbling, of something very old, and from lands undiscovered...

Who likes prizes?

As a special bonus reveal, we are proud to announce that with the release of Descent into Darkness we will be launching our first Arena PVP Season! Both the Limited and Standard ladders will be reset and it will be a race to the top for serious prizes. We'll be announcing the full details with the release, but here is the card that top players will be receiving for their effort:


Note that doesn't say "from your deck". FUN!




Feel the Fury: Key Cards in Descent into Darkness

With the release of Descent into Darkness fast approaching, it's time to preview some of the cards that could have a major impact in the post-release meta.

For this set, it was important to me to design cards that interacted with the game in new and exciting ways, and created new design decisions for deck builders. Our first card exemplifies that idea perfectly:

Kindle the Fury



Gaining control of an opposing creature has so far only appeared on one card - Fae Charm - which remains a tournament and Guild War staple. The Elemental Kingdom isn't as subtle as Mystical though. They steal your creature, have it smash you in the face and then blow it up.

Where Kindle The Fury really shines is stealing creatures with "On Attack" and "When this deals damage" creatures, where you can immediately have that creature attack back, trigger their ability and then have that creature destroyed. Fire bolt on a Scavenging Goblin may be cheaper, but using Kindle the Fury is far more rewarding.

Note that have the creature destroyed on your side has added benefits. Steal a Maelstrom Phoenix, and not only will you be denying your opponent the chance to resurrect it, you will be able to resurrect it yourself on your next turn for additional damage.

Power Conduit


Arguably the most powerful card in the game that does nothing on its own. Originally designed with a mana cost of 3, this relic was debated long and hard amongst the Beta team. It was redesigned, retested, and then ended back with its original text but an added mana.

Power Conduit creates a difficult mental challenge for your opponent. Unlike Diryam, your opponent can use their abilities all they want. But if they do, you will gain up to SIX charges - an effect that can quickly get out of hand if not respected.

Of course a smart opponent does have options to playing around this powerful effect. If your charges are all one off full, giving you the extra charges is no different than just passing the turn. And there are times where using an ultimate or other powerful ability is just too critical to use, and triggering the conduit is a risk worth taking. But in the long run, forcing your opponent to play these mind games can give you a significant benefit in a hard fought game.

Note that from a timing perspective, the ability resolves first, so Ravinova and Bahamut can destroy the Conduit with their middle abilities and you will receive no charges.

Deepwood Druid


Yes, that says what you think it says. Any "On Your Turn", "On Enemy Turn" or "On Each Turn" effect simply will not trigger. Now this can be used to turn off opposing Lava Blades, or turn off the negative effects of your own Spiteful Demon or get all of the gain, and none of the pain, from Tainted Amulet.

And this never-before-seen ability comes of a solid little body - a 2/2 for 2 with a touch of Resist to keep him from being Disintegrated away.

Eye for an Eye


Finally we have Eye for an Eye, a personal favourite, that gives new life to those creatures with high HP. Again, Eye for an Eye does nothing on an empty board, but can make decisions for your opponent very difficult. Say that you and I have Dwarven Battle Rigs in a stand off. One tactic is to use a Disintegrate to knock your Rig down to a 2/2, so that if you attack, you'll lose your rig, while mine will still be on the board. With Eye to Eye in the game, this becomes a risky play. I can play Eye for an Eye and deal 4 damage back (my Rig's maximum HP) and attack through unopposed.

And damaged creatures can be used to kill any creature on the board simply by moving it over first. In a recent game on the Beta, I had a Drillspiker in play (a new 1/5 unblockable construct) that had been weakened and damaged down to a 0/2. My opponent, playing a Bahamut Fae deck, dropped a Fae Paragon and pumped it with Dragon Form, making a 4/4 Flying, Resist, Intimidating monster. With one mana and an Eye for an Eye, my damaged Drillspiker dealt 5 damage to the Paragon sending it crashing out of the sky.

So there you go with a few of the new effects found in Descent into Darkness. In our next blog post we'll finally reveal the new Legendary creature, a demon who will end more than a few games all by himself.

4/22/2015

Charmed I'm Sure

When designing Light Ascending, I had a simple idea: make a cycle of low mana spells that got better if you played them using a hero from the same Kingdom. I designed all six, but chose to put only three in LA and saved the others for Descent into Darkness.

To my delight, all three of the Light Ascending charms have found homes in competitive decks. Holy Charm has arguably been the strongest, giving Akatril and Belnir a much needed boost and made Justice-based decks a Limited-format wrecking ball.

Ancient Charm had a similar impact, sending Bahamut soaring, particularly in Limited. With Ancient  heroes locked out of the Rejuve Potion parade, Ancient Charm filled in that slot nicely.

Elemental Charm appeared in fewer decks, but as a 1 mana spell capable of taking out two small creatures in one shot, it remains a solid option.

We can now reveal the new Charms - three new commons that could have just as much impact as the rares in the new meta!

Alchemy Charm


Masters of abilities and purveyors of poison, the Alchemy Kingdom's charm is a potent removal spell for creatures of all sizes. Does the opposing creature have Regen? Puresoul? This charm removes the ability first, then applies Poison to wear them down. While the death may not be immediate, its the only Charm that can take down a Skybreaker Giant.

Mystical Charm


This charm was redesigned a few times, but the final design is definitely the best. Subtle in its ability, this may be the best Charm to be played by any Kingdom, as making a two point attack swing is a strong move for a single mana. Mystical heroes simply get the added benefit of getting that mana back for the result of a free targeted Dwindle.

Undead Charm


This spell was originally a simple targeted "creature loses 1 HP, your hero gains 1 HP". Our beta testers were not impressed and this design was suggested and tested in its place. The new design it very powerful, particularly in multiples. Hit with two on a sacrificial lamb and you have a 4/4 for 2 mana. Not to mention that Descent into Darkness also includes the best Reassemble creature ever released for you to feed the charms to. Perhaps Ardent Purifier will find a home after all.

Stay tuned for more previews coming soon!

4/17/2015

Announcing...

We are excited to be able to finally announce the follow up to Light Ascending...

DESCENT INTO DARKNESS


Descent includes 55 all new cards, skewed heavily towards the Dark Alliance - Undead, Alchemy and Elemental.

Surprised by appearance of Elara and the armies of Knights, Giants and Fae that she inspired, the Kingdoms of the Dark were forced to call upon their own champion - a demon of such unyielding power that it threatens not just the forces of Light, but the very existence of Euna.

In designing Descent into Darkness we again set out to address key holes in the environment. Every strategy needs a counter strategy and since the release of Rise of the Demigods, players have known the threat of this:


Untargetable, and effectively unblockable, "GooG" has been killing players for years. His limitation text ignored using cards like Swap and Dreadful Return, a lucky player could have a GooG bearing down for the kill as early as the first turn.

With the release of Descent, the angry masses have a new message to give to our dear friend GooG:


Final Verdict is the untargeted solution to the most powerful threats in the game, today and in the future. Yet while it can clear the board of a Skullcrusher Giant or Bruiser from Beyond with ease, it is balanced by the fact that a buffed and empowered Swiftshot Ranger will ignore it fully, and that while you may need to kill that Diryam right now, if your opponent also has out a Dwarven Battle Rig, Final Verdict won't help you.

Stay tuned to the blog for more card previews. Descent into Darkness will be hitting the shop in just two weeks time!



4/15/2015

Release Notes - April 15, 2015

1) Our new dynamic market code is up. Card prices will no longer be subject to wild fluctuations and will more accurately reflect the impact of the card on the current metagame.

2) Epic Cards now have a dynamic price range.

3) Tribes cards have been moved to the same price range as Eve and Rise.

4) Light Ascending singles have been added to the Dynamic Market for the first time. If you're looking for those last few cards to complete your set, now is your chance.

5) Bug Fix: Token creatures that gain Reassemble will no longer go to the discard pile.

6) Bug Fix: When a Corpse is destroyed by a creature with Corpsecraft coming into play, it will go to the discard pile instead of being banished.

7) Bug Fix: Warrior Remnants now works properly when destroyed by an ability like Uunys'.

8) Bug Fix: A Rotfeeder that has been granted Reassemble 4 by his ability, will now properly become a 4/4 Skeleton when destroyed by an ability like Uunys'.

9) Bug Fix: Mind over Body is now working properly.

10) Mind Fly and Plague Beetle now have the subtype Vermin in addition to Insect for nefarious reasons.

And for another teaser...


4/13/2015

Upcoming Game Changes and Next Set News

Today we have some exciting news. This Wednesday we will be finally releasing our new, recoded Dynamic Singles market system.

This new system accurately reflects the Kingdoms CCG metagame and will no longer be subject to wild fluctuations in prices. With this new system in place, we are proud to announce that:

1) Epic Cards will no longer be fixed cost. They will have a range of prices just like the other rarities.
2) Tribes singles are being moved to the same pricing model as Eve and Rise.
3) Light Ascending will be added to the Dynamic Singles market.

You read that last one right. For the first time, Light Ascending will be available for purchase outside of booster packs. 

Next Set News

Later this week we will be making the official announcement for the new set, with its final name and our first few preview cards.

Recently on Facebook we hinted at some of the cards included, so we want to share these hints here as well:
  • a 3 mana rare that will destroy a GooG directly, no sheep required
  • a 6 mana Epic that will put up an immediate defense in all three lanes against Jorma and Devroth
  • a card that benefits you when the opponent uses their abilities
  • an Uncommon with the text "Opposing creature cannot attack"
  • a spell that might make players think twice about playing Scavenging Goblin and Skullcrusher
As you can see, we are watching the meta and continuing to make cards that directly address holes in players' arsenals.

And finally...

Arena Changes Coming

We are currently in development on some exciting changes to the Arena. We have been reading the forums on how to improve the game and many of you have come to the same realization that we have: to make the game better, we need to have a really great PVP arena.

While we won't go into too much detail now, we'll say this: our focus for the Arena are two fold:

1) Encouraging you to play LIVE PVP games. To prove that you're the best Kingdoms player, you should have to beat other actual players, not an AI playing another player's deck.

2) Rewarding you for playing those PVP games. The Challenges are a nice start, but driving up the PVP ladders need actual rewards as well, and soon they will.

Spring is here and as the weather warms, things will start to heat up in Kingdoms CCG!