Hello steemians. I am by no means an expert in this game, so if you would like to correct or add anything please leave a comment.
Have you yet to jump into this game? I can understand why. The gameplay is far different then most of the other trading card games out there. So allow me to break it down as best I can.
Splinters and Summoners
The first thing that should be known is that there are seven colors of cards in this game. Six of which are known as splinters. The seventh colored card is neutral.
Except for dragon, all splinters operate the same. You can only choose monsters who are of the same splinter as your chosen summoner, or neutral. Where dragon diverges is that they can lead monsters of any splinter, but all monsters must either be the chosen splinter, dragon, or neutral.
They're Called Teams Not Decks.
The difference is quite significant here. Steemmonsters isn't about building decks and drawing cards. Instead you build a team of up to 6 monsters who then go head to head. At the beginning of the match you are given a mana limit and a rule set (more on this later.) You must then build the most optimum team for the job.
Better monsters cost more mana, and limits can be as low as 15 mana, so there may be times when you go in with only 2 monsters. The bright side is that your opponent is bound to the same limits you are. This feature adds a lot of depth to the game, since you must plan wisely with many possible special rules and mana limits.
It's Time for Battle
This is where you find out whose team put up a better fight. Steem monsters has interesting mechanics here. It is an auto battle game like hearthstone, but that is where the similarities end.
When the battle starts you will be presented with three rows of monsters. The center row consists of two monsters. One of these belongs to your enemy, the other belongs to you. These cards represent the front line of your team. You can think of them like tanks.
In the top and bottom row, you and your enemies monsters will be lined up in the order you chose, and ready to take the front position if their comrade falls.
Ranged units attack the enemy from behind the front lines. Mele monsters without sneak can only attack from the front. Magic users are capable of attacking from any position. The game is over when one team has been defeated.
Stats and Abilities
These are pretty similar to other card games out there. All monsters have stats of some kind. They are the type of attack and damage if any, as well as health, armor, and speed. Not every monster has all of these stats, but you can expect at least a health stat.
Abilities will be much more difficult to explain. There are many different ones, from healing to flying, and they all make monsters so much more interesting. Monsters with abilities typically don't have the best stats but successfully utilizing them can make or break a team. I will be going more in depth on parings and things like that in the next post.
Match Rules
Unlike most other card games, matches in steem monsters can have many possible variations in the rules of standard games. When a match is made a random rule will exist, this can do many things to change the game, and is one of my favorite features.
There are rules that punish or enhance an attack type. And ones that limit teams to only common and rare cards. There is even times where you won't be able to play your favorite splinter. These extra rules make it important to not just consider one ultimate team, but how you can deal with the many different situations you will find yourself in.
Potential Earnings?
It is possible. I don't want to fill you with false hope though. If you are looking at this game as a possible investment you should be aware of the risks involved. There is money to be made in this game, but the majority are not going to do it. You might enjoy participating in some of the tournaments that are hosted almost daily. The prize is usually small but just today there was a thousand steem tournament going on.
Unlike most digital card games, steem monsters actually features real trading, as well as a marketplace where you can buy and sell your cards. If you are market savvy then there is certainly money to be made.
The last possibility is a built in feature to wager booster packs on individual games. Which can then be either sold as is, or opened and the cards sold on the market.
Final Words
If you enjoyed this write up, then please consider leaving a follow. If you are already a player of steem monsters by next blogs in this series will be more in depth looks into the many strategies of the game.
If you have yet to get into steem monster and interested in joining up you can do so at the links on the bottom of the post. The game is in beta atm so they do require you purchase the starter pack for $10 before you can purchase boosters.
However, the purchase of a starter pack will net you a free steem account, and 10% of the price paid for starter and booster packs are returned to you in the form of steem power. If you have a friend who needs a steem account, or you want to make an account without giving out your phone number, then this is a great oppertunity.
If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will answer to the best of my ability.