Gameforge and HEX Entertainment are expanding the beta of the digital TCG HEX: Shards of Fate with the first single-player content. The Frost Ring Arena will have players duelling against various AI opponents as part of an overarching storyline, with newly introduced PvE cards expanding the repertoire of playable effects, spells and troops to over 700.
Breaking the ice
The Frost Ring Arena is divided into four wings, each consisting of four regular opponents and one boss. To guarantee replayability, the adversaries are randomly chosen at each start from a pool of a total 30 normal AIs and 7 bosses. In addition, the duels against the AI opponents differ in their composition from the previously seen PvP bouts, in such that certain creatures make exclusive use of cards of a specific category, for instance, or draw heavily on countermagic.
If a player loses three rounds in the ring, the attempt to run the arena is a failure. Depending on how far the player has managed to progress, they will receive rewards in the form of rare items, cards and gold.
Challenges and new cards
During a tournament in the arena, there’s a certain random element which can crop up to add a little extra flavour. In this case Hogarth, Lord of the Arena, appears in person and lays down a specific challenge to the players, such as to win a duel without taking more than five points of damage. If the player manages to complete a challenge during a duel, they will earn themselves a bonus for the subsequent rounds, such as an extra unit or the ability to continue to the next level despite having already lost three rounds.
The new PvE cards are exclusive to bouts against the AI and differ in the way they work from the regular PvP troops and spells. Certain cards, for instance, earn a higher damage value with each victorious duel. To make it easier to manage decks, the interface now offers additional areas for players to put together their PvE and PvP decks.
A relic of the past
With the release of the Frost Ring Arena, the story surrounding the world of HEX: Shards of Fate enters the focus of events for the first time. The icy theatre is found in the northernmost reaches of the Hyperborean Mountains, an inhospitable, sparsely populated corner of the world of Entrath. After the Hex meteorite impact which rocked civilisation to its very foundations, this once flourishing land faded into obscurity. One thousand years later the renegade Hogarth managed to pin down the exact location of this long forgotten arena, which cast a spell over the curious and inquisitive, and surrounded him with arcane secrets of all kinds. To this very day, the wizard lives in this most hostile place, waiting for someone to challenge him and his minions in the Frost Ring Arena.
Frost Ring Arena features at a glance:
- First single-player campaign
- Over 30 different AI opponents
- Challenges with various additional objectives
- Introduction of PvE cards
- Expanded card interface for easier overview of different decks
About HEX: Shards of Fate
HEX: Shards of Fate combines the challenging and strategic planning of a trading card game (TCG) with the rich depth of a multiplayer online role-playing game (MMO), creating a whole new genre: the MMOTCG. Thanks to the fully digital nature of HEX: Shards of Fate, entirely new game dynamics are made available to TCG fans, making the experience even more varied and strategic. In addition, HEX: Shards of Fate offers the unique elements of an MMO, such as PvE campaigns, guilds and customisable Champions. The game breaks genre-boundaries and ensures extensive and tactical entertainment.
