STEEM MONSTERS
Been playing a bit of SteemMonsterslately. Gotta say that I'm actually quite impressed with how well this game has been done on our STEEM blockchain. Back in the day I used to collect Pokemon cards and battle the local kids with my lethal deck, but hadn't played any sort of collectable card game in well over a decade since then. However this has all changed with the new SteemMonsters game recently released!
The SteemMonsters Game Overview
The SteemMonsters game is set in a universe called the "Splinterlands" and features 6 different factions a collector can play with. These factions are Fire, Water, Earth, Life, Dragon and Undead respectively. Each with their own set of monster and summoner cards.
Summoner cards () are essentially the character you play as in this collectible card game, sometimes offering bonuses for your deployed monster cards applied at the start of a match.
Monster cards ( ) are the cards used in the battle card game and have many different abilities depending on the card, as well as what level the card is. Both monster cards as well as summoner cards can be leveled up by combining duplicate cards in your deck, which are procured by purchasing booster decks at a cost of $2.00 USD (payable in STEEM, SBD, via Paypal or credit card) allowing players to unlock new monster abilities.
Over 20+ different abilities have been granted to the monster cards, with some monster cards having 2 or more abilities after being fully leveled up. Higher leveled cards can be quite powerful, but require a summoner card of same or greater level in order for them to be used in the battle arena.
Monster card attacks come in 3 flavours: Melee, Ranged and Magic. Each attack type has it's advantages and disadvantages. For example melee type cards can only attack when they are tanking I believe, where as ranged and magic can inflict damage via attacking from behind the front lines of the battle arena, but ranged cannot attack if in the tanking position in front.
Battle Arena Gameplay
Players can choose to play in either practice or ranked matches against other players. After selecting the type of battle one wishes to partake in it is time to create your battle deck. Depending on what type of faction your selected summoner card resides in will change which factions cards you can create your deck from.
After picking your summoner card you'll then be allowed to pick which monster cards you'd like to use. Depending on the current rules used in the game you'll have to select monster cards under a certain amount of mana cost. The mana cost for each card can be seen circled in blue on the top left of each monster card. While I'm no expert yet at building teams it seems that a mix of both melee, ranged and/or magic seems to work best. Neutral faction cards also do exist that can be added to any deck under any summoner type.
Once you've picked your summoner and monster cards you can start the battle. Battle opponents are chosen according to your battle rankings to ensure you're not outclassed by players that have better developed decks than yourself. Upon clicking the battle button you'll be put into a queue which awaits a suitable opponent.
Once an opponent has been found the game commences, which is turn based and your decks speed stats decide which player gets to attack first. You'll also see what type of summoner card they are using right off the bat when the battle arena screen loads.
After hitting the rumble button the match begins, you don't have to actually have any input after this. The game will automatically play itself out with the winner and loser determined by what summoner and monster cards the players have picked. Their exists an option to skip directly to the results of the game as well for those on tight time schedules.
All attacks have a chance to miss as well based on the selected monster cards speed stat and their abilities, making it possible to win one game against a player then lose the next one with both of you playing the exact same cards as the previous game, which is kind of neat!
If you were lucky enough to assemble a winning combination of summoner and monsters cards against your opponent you're given rank points (in ranked matches) which drive you up the leaderboards. Their is prizes for top ranking players at the end of each ruleset change as well at daily quests that can be completed which earn you booster card packs which contain both summoner and monster cards for you to add to your deck or use to level up your existing cards if you happen to get duplicates.
I'll also briefly mention here that their is a market on the SteemMonsters site which allows you to buy and sell different cards. It's handy when you're looking to level up cards but aren't having luck with booster pack finds or if you wish to make a bit of extra money selling off cards you seldom use.
Final Thoughts on the SteemMonsters Game
Really quite stoked to see a game like SteemMonsters come onto the STEEM blockchain. The game is deceptively simple while maintaining a level of complexity with deck planning. It is certainly addictive as well I've found and has become one of my "go to" games for when I'd like to spend a bit of time gaming. The graphics are beautifully done, the GUI on the site is well made and even if you're not into card battling games initially it is quite likely that you'll end up enjoying yourself.
Overall this is a great addition to the STEEM ecosystem and will likely have a long and prosperous life here in our community.
Click Here to Check out SteemMonsters
( Various images on this post sourced from SteemMonsters.com )
VOTE @KLYE FOR WITNESS!
Every Single Vote Helps, Thanks for the Support!
●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●
Need to get in Contact with KLYE?
Join the Official #KLYE Channel on Steem.Chat