At its core, Skyweaver is most similar to the genre defining DTCG Hearthstone. In fact, Skyweaver's core mechanics are largely identical. For those of you already familiar with these mechanics it may be useful to highlight the differences between the two games.
As a quick recap, Hearthstone and Skyweaver share several core mechanics. You have two heros with a set amount of life, 30 in Hearthstone 32 in Skyweaver, and the goal of the game is to bring your opponents lifetotal to 0 through summoning minions that have a set power and health, or through using spells that damage your opponent in some way. Turns are taken seperately rather than simultaneously, and players get one mana added to their total mana pool per turn. Aside from these similarities, there are some glaring differences. Let's dive in!
#1 - Your hero takes up a slot on the battlefield and always has a ‘weapon’ equipped
Hero’s always having the option to attack adds a huge element to the game to keep in mind; 1 health minions are always vulnerable to getting ‘pinged’ so they better have a powerful effect to include in your deck. Hero’s also take more damage in general, so cards that gain life are much more impactful. Taking a slot on the battlefield means that cards interacting with the field take your hero’s position into account.
#2 - Heros do not have 'Hero Abilities'
You might be wondering where to spend your excess mana in this game - it comes in the form of attachments. Many minions come with attached spells and enchantments you can - We’ll explore this mechanic more heavily in a future post, as it is perhaps the most iconic and core mechanic of Skyweaver. Have faith at this point that you will have PLENTY of places to use your mana every turn.
#3 - Both players start with a ‘coin’ or mana crystal in Skyweavers case.
The player going second starts their first turn with two mana, so to offset this advantage the first player starts with two mana crystals. This can lead to some very accelerated starts with the first player capable of playing a 5 mana card as early as turn 3.
#4 - Hero’s are restricted to cards within their ‘prisms’
There are no neutral cards - hero’s can use cards from their assigned prisms and each hero is a mix/match of up to two of five possible prisms. Like hearthstone, each prism has a core identity. We'll explore these prisms in detail in a future post.
#5 - Some minion traits work slightly different
Guard, Skyweavers version of ‘Taunt’ protects just your hero from attack, not your other minions.
Stealth is permanent - minions lose stealth when your hero takes damage. Combining stealth and guard protects key minions from attack
Silence turns off a minions abilities but not it’s traits; Chains, a new status effect, turns off minion’s traits but not their abilities.
#6 - Deck fatigue doesn’t exist
Instead, if your deck is empty you ‘conjure’ a card randomly into your hand and you lose 1 life. This also applies to affects that add cards to your hand when there isn’t a possible option currently in your deck.
Last but not least - Skyweaver is more complex
And will only get more complex as more cards release on. The attachment system adds a new, entirely unique gameplay patterns that truly differentiate Skyweaver from the core mechanics popularized by Hearthstone. Hop in and start playing today!
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