Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge Game Review
In early October, Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge came out of early access in Steam, becoming another notable collectible card game on the market. Another thing is that one big name is not enough when this very market already has Hearthstone, Gwint and Marvel Snap. What does Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge have to offer besides the fact that it is a KKI for the "forty-thousandth man"?
About gameplay
Collectible card games (CCGs) are one of the most popular genres in computer games today. And it is easily explainable. Such games work on the principle of "easy to learn - hard to fight" and are ideal time killers. On the other hand, on the contrary, they can save time - many people prefer to play a couple of games a day, get their dose of fun and do other things, rather than sit for hours playing games.
One of the first on the market was Hearthstone, which largely worked on the principles of Magic: The Gathering, but offered a much more convenient, understandable, but at the same time quite tactical gameplay - in addition, based on the super-popular universe of World of Warcraft. Working on the principles of the conditionally free distribution model Hearthstone won a huge audience, brought a lot of money and provoked the fashion for computer freetupley KKI. In addition to a bunch of all sorts of card-based indie games, there were expensive KKIs based on famous franchises - Gwint based on The Witcher, The Elder Scrolls: Legends based on TES, Marvel Snap based on the Marvel Comics Multiverse, and others.
One of the first on the market was Hearthstone, which largely worked on the principles of Magic: The Gathering, but offered a much more convenient, understandable, but at the same time quite tactical gameplay - in addition, based on the super-popular universe of World of Warcraft. Working on the principles of the conditionally free distribution model Hearthstone won a huge audience, brought a lot of money and provoked the fashion for computer freetupley KKI. In addition to a bunch of all sorts of card-based indie games, there were expensive KKIs based on famous franchises - Gwint based on The Witcher, The Elder Scrolls: Legends based on TES, Marvel Snap based on the Marvel Comics Multiverse, and others.
Under these circumstances, the appearance of a collectible card game based on such a popular franchise as Warhammer 40,000 was a matter of time. The first to be released in 2019 was Warhammer The Horus Heresy: Legions from Everguild Ltd studio. This game offered a lot of warlord heroes and a bunch of factions with their unique mechanics and tactics, but it didn't gain much popularity. A couple of years later, the same studio released Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge in Early Access, which has now reached the release, becoming, in fact, a supplemented and improved version of Horus Heresy Legions.
Warpforge is a lot like Hearthstone. Here, two players duel using decks of 30 cards each. The latter are unit cards with attack, health, and various features, such as the ability to put useful buffs on allies and anti-buffs on enemies, as well as spell cards (only in Warpforge they are called stigmata). Each card has its own energy cost, which in turn is generated and increases by one every turn. The player who first removes all the health from an enemy warlord hero wins.
Warpforge is a lot like Hearthstone. Here, two players duel using decks of 30 cards each. The latter are unit cards with attack, health, and various features, such as the ability to put useful buffs on allies and anti-buffs on enemies, as well as spell cards (only in Warpforge they are called stigmata). Each card has its own energy cost, which in turn is generated and increases by one every turn. The player who first removes all the health from an enemy warlord hero wins.
Many of the maps in Warpforge actually repeat mechanics from Hearthstone, only here they are called differently. Units with "provocation", which protect the hero and do not allow him to attack directly, here turned into "Vanguard" fighters. "Battle Cry" - the effect that triggers when a card is played from your hand - is called "Ram" in Warpforge, "Cloak", which hides a fighter from attack until his first turn, is called "Camouflage", and "Onslaught", which allows you to attack immediately after being played, is called "Flank Strike", and so on.
But local cards also have many unique abilities of their own. For example, the "Codex" ability allows you to use an action after you've used up all your energy on your turn, units with the "Synapse" ability spread the effects of spells to your allies, and "Wave" allows you to play a card over and over again as long as you have enough mana.
But local cards also have many unique abilities of their own. For example, the "Codex" ability allows you to use an action after you've used up all your energy on your turn, units with the "Synapse" ability spread the effects of spells to your allies, and "Wave" allows you to play a card over and over again as long as you have enough mana.
But almost the most important difference is that in Warpforge, units have two types of attacks, melee and ranged, and they can differ in damage level. Imagine that there is an enemy with a ranged attack level of 7 and a melee attack level of 3. If you attack him from afar, you will receive 7 damage in return, but if you attack him in melee, you will receive only 3. This simple and straightforward rule actually makes a major adjustment to gameplay and gives it even more tactical depth and variety. For example, cards with the ranged attack ability do not take damage in return.
As in all KKIs, Warpforge has a deck editor - you can add cards you've bought or received as rewards, remove and improve them. The latter is only possible if you have enough resources and the same copies of the same card. Improvement affects only the appearance of the card - in fact, we are talking about the analog of gold in Hearthstone and animated cards from Marvel Snap. But Warpforge has an important nuance. The more often we improve the cards of one faction in this way, the higher our reputation in the "Forge" of this very faction - and this gradually opens its special offense and defense cards, which directly affect gameplay in matches.
As in all KKIs, Warpforge has a deck editor - you can add cards you've bought or received as rewards, remove and improve them. The latter is only possible if you have enough resources and the same copies of the same card. Improvement affects only the appearance of the card - in fact, we are talking about the analog of gold in Hearthstone and animated cards from Marvel Snap. But Warpforge has an important nuance. The more often we improve the cards of one faction in this way, the higher our reputation in the "Forge" of this very faction - and this gradually opens its special offense and defense cards, which directly affect gameplay in matches.
About the factions
Unlike Warhammer The Horus Heresy: Legions, where we were shown the civil war of the Imperium and the showdown of some legions of space troopers against other legions of space troopers, in Warpforge there are much more factions - as many as 10. Almost all significant factions from the universe of "forty-thousand" are represented here - there are Ultramarines, Chaos Space Troopers from the "Black Legion", Eldar from the House of Sime-Hann, Necrons from the Sautekh Dynasty, orcs from the Goffa Clan, the Leviathan Hive Fleet, the Tau Empire, the Genocrad Cult, the Adepta Sororitas (these are the Sisters of Battle, battle nuns of the Imperium of Men), and the Astra Militarum, which is the regular army of the Imperium.
In fact, this is the analog of classes from Hearthstone and other card games. Only here, as you can see, there are a lot of them. Each faction has its own peculiarities of combat. Ultramarines rely on the "Codex" - it allows you to perform additional actions after consuming all the energy on your turn. Chaos Space Troopers from the "Black Legion" impose special buffs with the help of "Dark Pacts", received one for each Chaos God.
In fact, this is the analog of classes from Hearthstone and other card games. Only here, as you can see, there are a lot of them. Each faction has its own peculiarities of combat. Ultramarines rely on the "Codex" - it allows you to perform additional actions after consuming all the energy on your turn. Chaos Space Troopers from the "Black Legion" impose special buffs with the help of "Dark Pacts", received one for each Chaos God.
The Eldar's specialty is the use of shurikens, which deal additional damage to enemies. In addition, their units leave "soul stones" after death - they are used to activate some cards and skills. Necrons are expectedly able to resurrect their fighters. Tyranids or space bugs from the Leviathan hive fleet often use the "Swarm" ability - it allows you to combine similar cards and strengthen them. Allies of Tyranids from the Cult of Genocraids (these are such mutant people) love to spoil the opponent's life by mixing "Sabotage" cards into their hand - they impose various negative effects on allies, increase the cost of cards and so on.
Orcs try to play as many cheap cards with the "Waves" effect as possible, which allows them to summon copies of units many times in a row on the same turn. And thanks to the "Gang" ability, some cards activate additional effects immediately after allies attack.
Orcs try to play as many cheap cards with the "Waves" effect as possible, which allows them to summon copies of units many times in a row on the same turn. And thanks to the "Gang" ability, some cards activate additional effects immediately after allies attack.
Battle Nuns from Adeptus Sororitas have a unique resource, Faith, that gives bonuses to cards. And the higher the Faith, the stronger the effect. And it is built up with the help of "Prayers". Finally, Astra Militarum units have the ability "Duty", which can be used once instead of attacking. Many units are also part of the "Regiment" and automatically activate one or another ability if allies use a ranged attack.
Moreover, each faction has several other warlords with their own unique talents (called "Hero Power" in Hearthstone) that directly affect gameplay. Almost all warlords create a new card at the beginning of each turn, but they are fundamentally different cards. As a result, Warpforge probably has the most truly unique decks in the genre today.
Moreover, each faction has several other warlords with their own unique talents (called "Hero Power" in Hearthstone) that directly affect gameplay. Almost all warlords create a new card at the beginning of each turn, but they are fundamentally different cards. As a result, Warpforge probably has the most truly unique decks in the genre today.
About modes and donation
But the game modes in Warpforge aren't quite the same. There is no story campaign, but there is training, where you can choose any deck and play with computer bots, as well as multiplayer battles - both ranked and regular. In addition, in the "Draft" mode we choose a warlord and cards from randomly offered, make a deck and participate in a tournament, which lasts until 3 defeats - the longer you last, the better the rewards.
Also in the game there are constantly present different daily tasks - take part in 5 matches, play so many cards of a certain faction and so on. For their fulfillment and participation in different modes we get resources - some allow you to create and buy cards, others - to improve them. It is especially important to earn faction points by playing for a faction - this allows you to get cards and sets of that particular faction.
Also in the game there are constantly present different daily tasks - take part in 5 matches, play so many cards of a certain faction and so on. For their fulfillment and participation in different modes we get resources - some allow you to create and buy cards, others - to improve them. It is especially important to earn faction points by playing for a faction - this allows you to get cards and sets of that particular faction.
There is also gold, which can only be bought with live money, and a built-in store, where you are free to spend this money directly on various sets, cosmetics and other bonuses. Here everything is like everywhere else - you can spend your blood money or sit on free rewards, which in principle are also quite a lot. In addition, the developers almost every day give codes for free sets of cards.
Conclusion
Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge was released only recently, and there is not much content and modes in it yet. It has a higher entry threshold than Hearthstone, the game seems more complicated at first - you will need more time to understand everything. But having spent it, you will get 10 unique factions and quite working interesting card mechanics with their unique features as a reward. Besides, the game looks great and quite conveys the spirit of Warhammer 40,000 - including thanks to the fact that each warlord is expressively and brutally voiced. As for the modes, we hope it will be a matter of time.
Zarium. December 2024
Zarium. December 2024