How Hearthstone Outplayed My Addiction to Dota 2 ... Overthrow

Halfway through last year, I determined the criteria for evaluating games: would I rather be playing Dota 2? Though Dota perpetually frustrates with its petulant player base, the variety, the depth, and the exhilaration of a perfect teamfight, crafts an experience unsurpassable. Valve has mastered polishing concepts into tense exuberant affairs, and it's why they dominate esports. But they have a competitor, a company able to rival Valve's ability to release flawlessly designed games: Blizzard Entertainment. Since BE's birth in 1991 as Silicon & Synapse, (later renaming as Blizzard) they've released thirty-three products. Of those, eighteen are solo titles, and an incredible fifteen are expansions. Anyone whose at least thirty, and been playing games since their youth will recognize nearly every product since 1994. That year Blizzard released Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, their breakout game. All their significant series followed: Diablo, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft, complimented by their recent releases: Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch. Developing any of these games would earn a company a star in gaming history, developing all is like fashioning a new constellation.

And it was with this thought this blog risked a dip into swirling, grasping maw of Hearthstone. Having accumulated a catalog of a few thousand Magic the Gathering cards in my youth, is unclear how Wizards of the Coast's Magic Duels, free-to-play, passed by glimpsed, but glancing back Magic's reviews report mediocrity, while Blizzard invokes its magic selling Hearthstone. Not that its selling me anything. Hearthstone, like all most the contenders for esports fans, is a free to play game like Dota 2. But unlike Dota 2, money matters. In Defense of the Ancients, players purchase skins, cosmetics which alter the appearance of their hero, but Hearthstone allows players to buy cards and cards are the game.

Everyone who begins Hearthstone is provided cards to play, prepared into nine decks. Each deck corresponds to one of Hearthstones classes. Each class has a collection of cards (minions, spells, and weapons) which are for their use only. There is also a larger reservoir of cards from which every class can draw, but this pool only contains minions. While the developers claim no one has to spend money to win (because one can win with the base cards and its possible to unlock all the cards through playing) the time required to accumulate a deck able to climb the ranked ladder is more than most beginners dare to contemplate. While players who invest a year of effort will find their footing, new players will discover climbing the mountain requires paying for a better pair of boots and backpack.

The number of cards, the ultimate variety will daunt the newbie. Hearthstone includes 1325 unique cards, and after a week I've acquired 105 split between nine classes (12 on average) and 68 common cards. Of those 173 cards, the each new account starts with ninety percent. So while progress has occurred, its an insignificant effort compared to the absolute amount available. And like a canny fisherman attempting to reel in a fish, Hearthstone offers enticing advancement early on, but this ceases once the customer is hooked. Cards can be purchased with money, or gold earned in game. They can also be awarded as heroes level up, put each level requires more games than the last. Card packs provide 5 cards, and the gold required will take about nine wins. In the first week packs are offered as a reward to new players, and a limited number of achievements generate a single time boost in gold.

The most frustrating experience, is matching up against someone whose spent either serious money or time on the game. They're easy to recognize, they won't play a single card in the starting 150 given to new players. It's beneficial to learning the game, seeing the combinations and categories available, but it isn't enjoyable. Staying in causal will help avoid these people (at least for awhile). To tell the truth, I'm crushing players in unranked play. Entering Ranked is where one meets the many kings of cards. Ranked begins players at level 25. Two wins are needed to advance to level 24. Up until level 20 losses don't reduce rank. Some say, at level 20 ranked truly begins, because losses count, and level 20 is dangerous and deadly for new players. I suffered one defeat in the eleven games it took to get to 20. Since then I've suffered a reversal, with roughly the opposite result. Its not the play difference, its the card variety everyone has. Continuing from 20 upward (or downward) three victories are needed to advance. Anyone who wins four victories at level one becomes a Legend: about one percent of the playerbase. Between levels 20 and 1 a player can fluctuate up and down, depending on losses and victories, but reaching Legend protects against backsliding. At the end of each month all players soft reset, with the majority reset to level 25, Legend players return to level 16, and everyone spread out between those two ranks. For new players, impatient and determined to conquer ranked, it wouldn't be surprising if they purchase packs in their first two weeks, or quit. Ranked really is pay-to-win.

Enough about the detriments to joining, let's answer how is Hearthstone played?

A player chooses one of his hero decks and queues in either casual or ranked. After less than a minute an opponent will be located, and the match will begin. The system is efficient, and the speed, astonishingly reliable.

Both players bring a deck of 30 cards, with no deck containing more than two of any card. Both players have 30 health. A random flip of a coin determines the first player. First player draws three cards, while second player draws four. Both players decide to redraw any of the cards, play starts. To start their turn, first player draws a card (now has four), and receives one filled mana crystal. Each card has a mana cost, and he will use mana crystals to summon minions, weapons, or cast spells. If he has nothing to do, he ends the turn.

Player two draws a card (has five), and also gets a bonus card (sixth) called The Coin. The Coin can be used one time as a bonus mana. The player receives his regular mana crystal and can play a card or not. Play proceeds with players taking turns, and through their cards, reducing the foe's health. When one player has no health they lose. Not sure what happens if both players drop beneath 1 at the same time. Personally, player two is preferable. Player one must play stronger options to keep the initiative: the pressure is on him to stay ahead. Player two, while a half turn behind, can swing the tempo in has favor, and if he does the advantage is enormous.

In addition fielding different minions and spells, each hero wields a special ability to be used once per turn. Every ability costs two mana. The mage can deal one damage to any target, while the priest can heal any target two health (up to its maximum, and player max is 30). Each ability is different, and while seem stronger, this is balanced (one would hope) by the strength of their unique cards.

Time for the mandatory comparisons to Dota 2 and Magic. In Magic, players begin with less health, so one might assume Hearthstone games are longer, but this isn't so. The size of a Magic deck is larger (40 min – 60 max), but the significant difference is in defense. In Magic, minions can be in one of two positions: untapped or tapped (upright or turned sideways). A minion must tap to attack. Untapped minions can block attacking minions (unless the attacker has an ability to dodge a blocker; flying, shadow, unblockable, etc). Also, some minions tap to use special abilities.

In Hearthstone minions never tap (or knock), but only minions with the ability “taunt” can block. A player can choose to have minions attack his opponent's minions, but one can't choose to block, an attack against a hero. To ward off a horde of deadly minions, each deck needs to be able to either clear the field with spells, or contain a few minions with taunt. In fact, Hearthstone minions have no activated abilities, though they do have some passive skills; taunt, charge, battlecry, stealth, etc. Because of this inability to block, Hearthstone is a fast-paced game of exchanges. Players commonly attack minions (even though they don't have to) to eliminate threats, in the hope they will build an army advantage and overwhelm the opponent. Games do not take long, ten minutes maximum at this level. While Hearthstone is fun, it's not as complex (and fiddly) as Magic the Gathering.

Now, Hearthstone hasn't hindered a daily game of Dota 2, nor does it implant a desire to quit. But a ranked game of Dota requires an hour and a half; logging in, drafting, and playing. It's a extended commitment. And with fifteen minutes, I'd end up playing Dota Overthrow: a custom map. Hearthstone has replaced Otherthrow. It's more engaging, and has greater weight. Not that I won't occasionally play Overthrow, but for now...

I'd rather be playing Hearthstone... it's a enjoyable break from Dota 2.