Legends of Runeterra: Exploring Riot Games‘ latest collectible card game and comparing it to its primary rivals.
When the makers of League of Legends introduce a new game, it always makes a huge splash. Riot Games’ entry into the collectible card game market is a risky move, given the field is already dominated by profitable games legends of runeterra reddit.
What have you done to make it stand out from the crowd?
To investigate this, I selected to compare the game to the two most popular CCG games now available, Hearthstone and Magic the Gathering Arena (the most recent video game adaptation of the massively popular physical TCG).
Legends of Runeterra (LoR) may be seen of as a cross between the two games legends of runeterra reddit, incorporating some of the greatest elements from both to create a unique experience.
Here are some of the similarities and differences legends of runeterra decks.
1. Attacking and defending
The method of attacking your opponent in LoR is similar to a condensed form of Magic attacks. In both cases, you attack by declaring your attacking cards. It is then up to your opponent to choose whether to block each attacker or let the attack pass, reducing their life points straight.
Three minions attacking, one opposing minion blocking.
The primary distinction is that in LoR, only one minion may block each attacker. Magic allows you to block with many minions and combine their attack strength to overwhelm an attacker. In LoR, if you do not have a minion with adequate attack power, you will be unable to kill the attacker this turn until you use more spells or abilities.
In contrast, in Hearthstone, any minion (or hero with attack power) may target any opponent minion or hero. The opponent can only control who blocks by deploying minions with the Taunt keyword, which stops any other target from being assaulted unless all Taunt minions are slain first. There is no similar keyword in Magic or LoR since most minions can block attacks.
2. Minion health
Legends of Runeterra’s handling of minion health and the attacking method exemplifies the game’s mixed character. As we have seen, attacking works similarly to Magic; however, unlike Magic and more like Hearthstone, damage done to minions is permanent.
Minions who were harmed but did not kill themselves completely heal at the end of each Magic turn. Toa minion, you must deal a deadly amount of damage in one turn.
Minions with the Regeneration keyword are an exception to this rule, since they completely heal at the end of each round.
In LoR, you may block with one minion for one turn, weaken the opponent minion, and then block them again. Alternatively, damage the minion to the point that it can no longer block without dying. There is a lot of strategic possibilities in deciding when and how to do damage that Magic does not have, which is an intriguing new component of LoR.
3. Mana
The mana system in LoR is almost similar to the one in Hearthstone. Each player has a fixed quantity of mana that rises by one every turn up to a maximum of 10. This guarantees that the increase in mana is continuous and consistent throughout the game legends of runeterra meta. There are no colored or land cards to draw to increase your mana pool, as in Magic.
LoR does offer one extra feature that helps players spend their mana more effectively. Excess mana from a turn (up to a maximum of three) is saved in a separate mana pool and may only be used for spells. This concept means that there is less pressure to use all of your mana in one turn effectively, and it might be advantageous to reserve mana for strong spells early.
4. A limited amount of minions.
LoR, like Hearthstone, has a limit on the amount of minions that may be played at any one time, with 6 in LoR and 7 in Hearthstone. This means that it may be a wise tactic to sacrifice your minions during losing assaults in order to free up room for stronger ones.
Another reason for the limit is that the games must be mobile-friendly. Hearthstone is now accessible on iOS and Android smartphones, and LoR has stated that it will be added to both of these platforms. Both games are intended to function well with smaller screen sizes and touch controls, and reducing the number of games in play to a minimum simplifies the experience for a more enjoyable mobile gaming experience.
Magic has no such limitations. Games may include 20 or more players with associated equipment, Planeswalker characters, and active spell effect cards. Because it was designed as a physical card game, little attention was given to how it might be played on a smartphone, owing mostly to the fact that smartphones did not exist in 1993. Magic has been available on PC for almost a year, but there is still no mobile version for some reason. The experience cannot be readily customized for mobile.
5. Classes
In all of the games we’ve looked at, cards are classified into classes that include cards that work well together and allow for certain tactics.
Legends of Runeterra’s classes (known as Regions) function similarly to Colors in Magic in that you may mix numerous classes (limited to two in LoR) in your decks. Hearthstone decks are limited to one class each.
This means that combining the six areas in LoR yields 21 different wide deck types. In contrast, Hearthstone has nine class-type decks, while Magic has many more since decks may be created with three or even four distinct colors.
6. Familiar, but it’s a beast
While Legends of Runeterra is influenced by previous games and incorporates many of their major elements, such as Hearthstone’s streamlined mana pool and Magic’s attack model, it goes beyond them. Modifying and expanding on current concepts about what a CCG should be to create an experience that is familiar yet unique enough in key places to feel new and exciting. Players of Hearthstone and Magic, as well as other comparable games, will find a lot to recognize in this new game, but there should also be plenty that feels new and distinct.
7. Turn order and counterplay
This is the one feature where Legends of Runeterra stands out from the competitors. Its strategy of determining when and how to counter your opponent’s movements is absolutely unique.
The game is divided into brief turns in which each player may play a card and/or announce an assault. Turns are divided into rounds, and activities that would typically occur each turn, like as drawing a card and refreshing and expanding your mana pool, are only performed at the conclusion of a round. Each round, one player alternates between attacking and defending.
This means that almost every time you make a move, your opponent can counter it. Compare this to Magic, where only Instant cards may be played outside of your turn, and Hearthstone, where Secrets are your only means of countering on your opponent’s turn. This gives the impression of a game in which there is a continual push and pull, play and counter strategy, and the goal is not simply to execute your strategy, but to act at the correct time so as not to be countered. For example, the opponent’s spell is cast before your card’s effect occurs.
This results in a game in which strategy and how you play are just as essential, if not more so, than the cards you pick or the size of your collection. Being paid to win is a complaint that has been levelled at Hearthstone in the past; it is refreshing to see a CCG where you are not penalized for refusing to pay for a free game.
