What is Artifact and how do I play it?
Artifact is a card game that pits players against each other in a classic 1-on-1 scenario. Players build decks of items, heroes, and spells to battle across three unique boards, or lanes. Each player has a tower on each lane with 40 health and a starting mana pool of 3, which is used to play cards on that particular lane.
The game features four different hero and card colors: Blue, Green, Black, and Red. You can use any color combination you like, but you can only play cards of a specific color if there’s a hero of the same color on that board. Here are some basic gameplay stats about Artifact:
Gameplay Stats
- There are over 280 cards in the launch version of Artifact.
- Every deck includes 40 cards and 5 heroes.
- The total number of heroes in the game is 44.
Action across the three lanes takes place simultaneously. The three boards are cycled continuously, starting from the top, moving to the middle, and then to the bottom. Although each board has its unique battle arena, there are some effects that can be used between different boards.
Combat mechanics are fully automated. All heroes and minions fight each other using several distinct attack patterns:
Attack Patterns
- Frontal – attacks an enemy in front of it.
- Left – attacks an enemy diagonally left of it.
- Right – attacks an enemy diagonally right of it.
- Random – attacks a randomly designated enemy target.
If a card has no enemies to attack, it will attack the opposing tower instead. Defeated hero cards are out of play for one turn before returning, while destroyed creeps are permanently removed. However, a larger number of creeps will eventually replace them.
Artifact has no limits on the number of cards in your hand or the number of units on a single lane. This means that the gameplay has unlimited potential, as you and your opponent could have dozens of units in a real skirmish.
How do I win in Artifact?
Players win by either destroying two enemy towers or destroying an Ancient before their opponent does the same to them. Ancients are more powerful versions of regular towers, with 80 health (twice as much as towers), and they appear after a tower is destroyed.
Even if you lose a tower on one of your boards, the board will remain active, including all of the cards and units. The only difference is that one of your Ancients is exposed, bringing you closer to losing the game.
When can we expect Steams’ brand new card game to hit the market?
In early August 2018, the official release date for Artifact was confirmed as November 28, 2018. At the time, it was announced that the game would be available for $19.99, with 228 cards included (out of 280 unique cards available at launch). Booster packs would also be available for $2 each.
The release date mentioned above is for the PC version of Artifact. A mobile version is planned for 2019, available for iOS and Android users. This will be the first game with the Source 2 engine to be playable on iOS devices.
Conclusion
Artifact’s gameplay is exciting and it’s clear that Steam knows what they’re doing. They recruited Richard Garfield for the project and used Dota 2, one of the most popular and successful MOBAs, as the foundation. By incorporating Dota characters, abilities, spells, and sound effects, they’ve captured the attention of the Dota 2 community.
Artifact has the potential to be a real competitor to Hearthstone for the digital card game crown. Do you think Artifact can overthrow Hearthstone and become more successful? Let us know in the comments below.
Leave a Reply