By Linda "Brasse" Carlson

Legends of Norrath is a new online-only card game from SOE. It is playable from within the EverQuest and EverQuest II game client, and now from its own standalone client as well!

The game has physical tie-ins to both EQ and EQII. You can win items to use in-game from the card game and pick up cards as loot from within both MMO games. However, the card game stands strongly on its own, which is why the standalone client was released – people outside of the game wanted to play!

For this reason, the creators of Legends of Norrath released a game client fully independent of EQ and EQII, for those who play neither online game.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Online card games take much of the drudgery and math out of gameplay, and leave the players to have more fun. No more will you need to remember which phase you are in, or how many points x adds to y. Ahhhhhhh… all the things I love about Magic The Gathering Online, and set in a familiar environment.

The artwork is top-notch as well, and well worth poring over. The playing field is likewise visually appealing and clean in design. Artistically speaking, this game is a winner.

It is really hard to come up with an original, innovative collectible card game, but the SoE Denver studio has managed it.
There are some similarities to the World of Warcraft CCG, and also bears a passing resemblance to Magic the Gathering's "Two Headed Giant" variant. Although evocative of the game-play offered by these and other games in this genre, Legends of Norrath has many striking differences.

The playfield is split into four quadrants, two for each player. On the left and right appear quest cards to be completed (one for each player). In gameplay, each player deploys units (creature cards) to one side or the other, or both, dependent on your tactics.

As with the WOW card game, your character is represented by an avatar card. There are many available, with their own statistics, health and special abilities.

The game also lets you make your very own avatar, which is a very enjoyable feature, although appearances are limited to one male and one female choice per race. Oh yes, the female Dwarf does not have a beard, darn it all! Therefore, my avatar "Brasse" is an incredibly defensively inclined MALE Dwarf. My husband Alluvian, ever the suicidal Ranger, created a rabid Wood Elf scout character.

It is easy to see that the devs at SoE Denver were very careful to remain true to EverQuest lore, and the results make for a richly immersive game. Droon behaves like the hellishly strong and clumsy Cyclops he is, while Fippy Darkpaw charges across the board at you every… single... turn.

The plan is to release expansions to the original Oathbound set four times a year. That allows me just enough time to gather change around the house for my purchases, hehe.

The starter decks are $9.99 each, with 15-card boosters running $2.99. The booster decks can contain random "loot" cards, redeemable for EQ or EQII in-game items; some of them are fun, some are useful, and some (like the gorgeous cloak that offers fae-fall) are absolutely amazing.

When you start playing LoN, you are prompted to select which game you'll assign loot cards to, such that an EQ player will never be stuck with EQII in-game loot. For the people who play solely thrugh the standalone client, I would imagine that loot cards would make excellent bargaining chips for card trades (the loot cards are tradable until claimed for an item in-game).

DECK TYPES

There are four basic starter decks with this release, called "Oathbound", comprised of a Mage, Priest, Scout and fighter style. These are the archetypes of the game.

Over time, through booster packs, trades and even tournaments, players can gain additional cards to customize decks further to their preferred style. Trades are handled through a secure in-game system, which is very easy to navigate.

Playing through the scenario section will grant you an additional card for each win, thematically tied to the game. If you beat Fippy Darkpaw's scout deck, for instance, you gain Fippy as a card. You can play through the scenarios with each of the four archetype decks, and so can collect four of each win card. Not all of the scenarios are easy though, and some are downright hair-pulling hard!

Additionally, the deck will gain either "light" or "shadow" bonuses depending on whether they use good or evil creatures. It is possible to have two mage decks, one which plays very much like a Wizard/Enchanter, and another that resembles a Warlock/Necromancer… and many variations in between. Do keep in mind that once you have played enough cards to evoke the light or dark bonus, switching "sides" will incur damage to your avatar. Such is the price of betrayal!

CARD TYPES

Creatures:

The decks have creature units (monsters, fighters, etc...). These cards are played on either the left or right side of the board and form two different battlefields. They defend your quests and your avatar in many cases.

Each card lists the four main stats of the game, as well as special abilities, some of which are very imaginative.

ATTACK: A unit with an attack score can exert itself in a combat to add its attack value to your total when you are the aggressor.
DEFENCE: The opposite applies here; when your units are attacked, they can exert themselves to add their defense to your defense total.
DAMAGE: This stat can be exerted to deal extra damage to the opponent. Damage is only dealt by your side if you win or tie the battle.
HEALTH: Simply put, the amount of damage a unit can take before it dies. Creatures do not regain health over time, although they can be healed by certain ability cards.

Items:

Items are used like equipment to boost your avatar. You may only equip one shield, for instance. When played, they are placed to the left of your avatar. Most can be exerted in combat for bonuses to fights that your avatar is involved in. Many can also be used for special abilities that have nothing to do with combat at all. Some can revive units, some can destroy units, some help in quest completion, other can give you mana or let you draw cards. They are like re-usable tactics of a sort, but they can have out of combat abilities as well.

Abilities:

This type is the hardest one to explain. There are three ability slots to the right of your avatar that can be filled with these types of cards as you play the game. Some of the abilities are one time use, others are re-usable, some are 'always on' type abilities. The closest thing to compare them with would be enchantments and sorceries in Magic the Gathering, but it is impossible to directly compare the two.

Abilities provide modifiers to attack, defense or damage. They can also work like direct damage spells or enchantments.

Tactics are instant abilities that can be used in combat. Some are offensive only, some are defensive only, some work on either side. Their effects range from simply boosting attack or defense, to exerting opponents, dealing damage, healing and so on.

The defining power of abilities is their role in completing quests within Legends of Norrath. When the quest phase of the game arrives, and you have an ability on the board, you must use your avatar to fight any opponent units at one of the quest battlefields to advance a quest. Each quest has a certain amount of quest points needed to complete, and each ability has a number of quest points associated with it.

Quests:

Each deck has exactly four quests in it. One each of a 2 point quest, 4 point, 5 and 6 points. At the start of a game, the 2 point quest is automatically placed on the board for each player. Either player may vie for their own or their opponent's quest. When any player completes a quest, the next one in the sequence immediately appears.

There is a lot of variation within the quests. The benefits range from boosting units stationed near them, to giving rewards for completing them, to giving rewards for leaving them partially finished, or giving rewards for advancing, but not completing them. There are even some quests where the 'reward' for beating them may not be in your best interest. It can be a tactical move to leave a quest battlefield empty if you want your opponent to complete it instead, because their 'reward' would work in your best interests.

In a game this complex, it is important to READ the cards. I cannot stress this enough. Using an ability is not always wise. For instance, do not pump up your offense unless it actually lets you beat the opponent's creature or avatar. Sometimes it is better to take a point or two of damage instead of exerting your entire field, if it means that you can do 6 points of damage to the opponent on your turn instead. Read the cards.

WINNING THE GAME

You can win the game in one of three ways:
- Defeat the enemy avatar.
- Complete four quests (either yours or theirs).
- Run your opponent out of cards.
Some of the scenario games have special requirements, such as "save Firiona Vie", where she appears as a card that the enemy is very fond of attacking, or one where you must subdue but not beat the opposing avatar, while he launches continued foolish attacks.

GRAB A DECK, ALREADY!

This is not an average card game. Legends of Norrath is extremely well designed, and plays brilliantly. Strategy can be very complex, and therefore engaging. The learning curve is a little steep if you are completely new to collectible card games, but the tutorial and scenarios are exceptionally well designed to teach you the basics as well as how to employ more cunning strategy.

Legends of Norrath also offers computer AI opponents that you can practice against before you take on humans. It is a good way to get a feel for a new deck that you have built.

You get a FREE starter pack for just being an EverQuest or EverQuest II subscriber. Remember that the game client can be run outside of the MMOs as well, so that if you don't play these excellent games, you can still enjoy Legends of Norrath! If you do play EQ, then the out-of-game client may enable you to avoid those pesky group and raid invites from your guild while you play.

Yeah, it's that good.

For more information please vist http://www.legendsofnorrath.com.