Legends of Norrath Preview: Unit Card Type

by Paul Dennen, Sr. Game Designer

The last two preview articles described quests, the cards that form the landscape of the game, and then abilities that are used to complete quests. Today, we cover the type of card that essentially lives at quests: a unit card.

Let's take a look at a unit:

If you've been following along with Card Type Week, you already know what the numbers on Savage Dire Wolf mean. As a quick recap, the "2" on the unit icon in the upper-left corner is the cost, the "2" on the sword icon is its attack attribute, the "2" on the shield icon is its defense attribute, and the "2" on the heart icon represents its health. Wow, for some reason Savage Dire Wolves like the number 2!

Unlike all the other cards that you'll play from your deck, you have a placement decision to make when you play a unit. You can place your unit at the left quest or the right quest.

Wolf Trap

One thing that units can do is make questing difficult for your opponent. By placing a unit at a quest that your opponent wants to complete, your opponent must face a dangerous situation every time he approaches that quest. Make your opponent pay health points for his foolish questing habit! Savage Dire Wolf is not the best unit for this tactic, but with a 2 defense he's no slouch either.

Hounding the Enemy

Setting up defensive ambushes for your opponent's quest phase isn't the only use for units. During your main phase, you can attack with your units - once per quest per turn. When you do initiate this attack, which in technical game terms is called a raid, you check if your opponent has units at the same quest. If he does, your units fight those units. If there are no opposing units at the same quest, then your units fight against your opponent's avatar. It is in these fights that Savage Dire Wolf's ability shines, as it gets +1 attack for each ability on the defending avatar.

Of Mice and Dragons

Units come from all over the world of Norrath. Low-cost units can be simple creatures such as a lowly Giant Field Rat, while high-cost units are powerful bosses with game text that can strike fear into mere mortals. And then there are also personalities (which is really why the card type is called "unit" as opposed to something like "monster" or "creature") such as Firiona Vie and Lucan D'Lere. We'll certainly be taking a look at some more powerful units in the weeks to come, but today is a simple wolf's day to shine.

We'll finish up Card Type Week on Monday. Have a great weekend!

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