Sometime on Friday I was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of a Hearthstone beta key. I posted up a comment on twitter about receiving the key. Pretty quickly I got some interesting offers to 'buy' they key from me. But I had already decided to give the game a try and see what I thought.
First a little history. I've played some collectible card games before. Notice I did not say I was very good at them. Playing one CCG that was based off of the Dragon Ball Z universe and another that was a relative copy of Magic the Gathering. Seeing the basic strategy I could see the enjoyment of the game but at the time I didn't have the money it would require to be able to become good at it. I still have the cards somewhere in my treasures.
After loading up the game onto the computer (including the new combined launcher for all Blizzard games) I watched the opening intro and graphics. Since there really is no storyline of sorts to get you involved in from the start it was just a basic mini movie of the classes and cards available.
Once I got into the game I took a look at the starter deck (mage). It had some powerful cards from the start but it was again obvious that to become very good at the game there would need to be some argumentation to the deck. Win or lose (and there has been a lot of losing in regards to my playing style) you end up gaining levels for points. At some point you obtain your first add-on pack for free. Also as you level you unlock other cards to interchange in your deck. Overall you get a good experience to learn how the game is played and can get in there from the start.
There are a definitely a couple of things that any new player will want to do as they continue on their Hearthstone search. Looking up suggested decks for different classes can help with keeping the pain of losing continually. You have the option of purchasing packs from Blizzard at 1.99 average. You end up getting 5 cards per deck with some guarantees of rare and even epic cards. But finding good suggested decks will help a lot even from the start to get your goals finished.
This is going to be one of those games that players will either love or they will hate. I can't see where it will meet the crazed fanbase of the original World of Warcraft franchise. Especially with the lack of storyline and even customization of your name from whatever class you choose. But it's an interesting pickup to play a few hands with friends or just to check out and see if you will enjoy it.
Good Luck and Good Hunting
Want to get in contact with me? . Email me at Dragonbear @ gmail. dOT com or find me on twitter at "@JMTCMommar" You can find me hanging out on the Shandris Server, chat me up, and I will buy you a glass of juice.
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