Unique: Transformers TCG Preview – Wave three Optimus Prime and Megatron
The Transformers Buying and selling Card Recreation is gearing up for its third wave, and for the primary time within the sport’s historical past, the TCG is aligned with the principle Transformers story from Hasbro’s line of toys. Which means followers of the property can double-dip when it comes to accumulating their favorites, however it additionally presents a singular alternative for the design workforce behind the TCG to essentially emphasize what’s occurring within the story by the TCG, with mechanics and paintings that replicate it.
For these unfamiliar with the Transformers TCG, it is a card sport that is meant to be fast-paced for 2 gamers. From a design standpoint, it is one thing like a cross between the Magic: The Gathering tabletop expertise that has captured the imaginations of hundreds of thousands and Hearthstone, the latter within the sense that the sport is a little more streamlined and simpler to pick-up for these searching for a brand new card sport to attempt. Make no mistake, although: there’s a depth to the sport that rewards gamers who actually need to discover its mechanics.
In any enlargement, probably the most thrilling playing cards are sometimes the flashiest, those that characterize characters followers love or hate. In Transformers Conflict for Cybertron: Siege 1, the sport’s third set, these two playing cards are Normal Optimus Prime and Normal Megatron. These two rivals have been combating with one another in numerous iterations for many years, and issues have not modified in that sense, though the battlefield is kind of a bit extra two-dimensional than within the movies or Hasbro’s line of toys. Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast had been sort sufficient to allow us to preview not one, however each of the celebs of the subsequent set, and right here they’re in all their glory:
First, we’ve got Normal Optimus Prime. Not solely is the paintings on the cardboard attractive, however it’s a robust Normal in its personal proper, with an emphasis on being lively on the battlefield. Gamers will need to place themselves in a means that sees them making exchanges profitably and constructing sources by motion, grinding an opponent out. Artistic Lead Matt Smith had this to say concerning the card:
“This iteration of Optimus takes his place as chief of the Autobots particularly critical. Whereas in his beginning Truck (alt) mode Optimus Prime’s capacity grants each Daring and Robust to his allies, permitting them to assault and defend extra profitably. After you have used your allies to assault, flip Optimus to bot mode, granting daring and hard to himself, together with the brand new Focus capacity. Optimus performs finest in a deck evenly cut up between Orange and Blue battle icons.”
The brand new Focus capacity is an thrilling one that ought to have followers of deep, methodical TCG play excited. Something that permits gamers to govern the extra random parts of a sport permits them to get an edge on their opponent, and Focus does simply that, permitting the method of flipping battle playing cards to be a extra worthwhile trade extra typically. That appears to be the principle theme with Optimus in Wave three, gritting it out by a number of exchanges identical to the Autobot chief sometimes does in any of the various heroic narratives that characteristic him.
What if gamers need to be a bit extra…evil?
Normal Megatron isn’t the selfless chief that Optimus is, and it reveals in his card design. Megatron desires gamers to slowly amass a stockpile of Weapon playing cards on the battlefield to finest benefit from his Alt Mode, and in his Bot Mode, he desires the entire playing cards to revolve round him. His selfishness will not depart gamers unrewarded, although — he’ll steadily put on down opponents by his passive capacity that sees him deal one injury to all enemies in the beginning of his controller’s flip. That leaves them extra vulnerable to different low-cost injury results, which is what Matt Smith believes will come to outline the cardboard’s play:
“Megatron is all about steadily constructing a bonus on this Conflict for Cybertron. Your essential focus over time is to construct up the upgrades on Megatron, the extra you amass, the extra direct injury you are able to do to your enemies. Use playing cards like New Designs and Assault Drones to rapidly construct up your arsenal and set off Megatron’s skills. Get three or extra upgrades onto Megatron, flip to bot mode then assault. Firstly of your subsequent flip Megatron will scattershot 1 injury to every enemy. Play a Weapon onto one other character, flip Megatron again to tank mode and use his capacity to choose off anybody low in well being.”
Megatron performs nearly just like the polar reverse of Optimus Prime, which is sensible. Whereas Optimus desires to realize an edge throughout battle, by attacking and defending, Megatron is all about guile and chipping away at an opponent with direct injury earlier than exploiting that benefit. It is a battle of the daring and the crafty, and each playstyles appear equally interesting.
Transformers Conflict for Cybertron Siege I’ll launch on June 28, 2019 in the US and sure different areas. The set will characteristic 48 Character Playing cards and 64 Battle Playing cards, together with a number of situations of brand-new artwork and the addition of some fan-favorite characters which were requested for since Wave 1. There’s loads of pleasure surrounding this subsequent wave, and now that it is synced up with Hasbro’s Transformers line, there won’t be a greater time to leap into the TCG for followers.