Hi there!
in the past couple of months, I've been working on a major update for Lost For Swords! It's gonna be ready soon, and it will include an entirely new Hero: the Warlock!
Like the other three existing Heroes, the Warlock will bring his own 100+ card pool, with new card types, mechanics and just all around new ways to play the game! I can't wait for you to try it out! :)
As a small appetizer before the release, I wanted to introduce you to a few aspects that the Warlock brings to the game:
(spoilers ahead, stop reading if you want to experience it without knowing anything beforehand)
Warlock is the result of me exploring a darker, more malevolent side of a player character. I've always loved playing Necromancer in Diablo 2, and summoning minions that do your bidding is such a flavorful mechanic I've always wanted to explore. But the new hero is not defenseless on his own either, and uses a combination of spells and weapons, such as scythes, sickles and crossbows.
Warlock also takes the phrase "your health is a resource" seriously. Many of Warlock's cards cost HP, but are very powerful in return. Managing your health becomes a crucial aspect of playing this hero. As is adding the right amount of healing cards to your deck.
The biggest new addition: Minions are cards that you summon onto the battlefield. You can then command them around and they will fight for you!
Minions come in all kinds of shapes and sizes: big, small, sleepy, stealthy, rotten...?
But Minions don't come for free! As with all aspects of Warlock, you pay a price for their services. Each turn a Minion is active, it will demand an upkeep cost from your health pool. Minions are strong, but only if you manage them well!
I've always wanted to explore the minion design space within the Lost For Swords ruleset, but it was tough to design it in a way that fit my (self-imposed) constraints. The challenge was to allow you to have good control over your minions, while still keeping every action a single click. I believe I found a good balance that is compelling and strategic while keeping the simplicity... but you'll be the judge! :)
Reactions are a new card type in Lost For Swords! As their name implies, reactions are cards that trigger automatically when their condition is met. This opens the door for interesting new play patterns. Your Warlock can deflect and reroute attacks, heal right after taking damage and even cheat death!
Warlock brings his own new status effects that he applies to Monsters, Minions and even himself! Applying Mark to a card multiplies the damage it takes, but also multiplies all healing effects. Rot deals damage to cards that haven't moved this turn, adding a new strategic aspect to positioning and movement.
I can’t reveal the exact release date just yet, but it’s coming very soon!
Designing the Warlock has been an absolute blast, and I can’t wait for you to experience him for yourself. :)
See you in the next tower!
Max