https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/arcane-showdown/id1457905100 I found this today via ads from other games I have been playing. It seems like a Clash Royale type RTS but then map is much bigger, it has some base building around your mana generation along with defences if you chose to take them into battle. It has three lanes but they are much bigger than you would expect with me mentioning clash. Also the lanes are in a constant fog of war on your enemies side so you have no idea what is coming your way until it’s on your side or if you have troops over there to spot them. It seems pretty good so far I’ve spent a little bit with it, the usual chest unlocking and deck building collecting and upgrading cards and selecting what you want to take into battle with you. The pay model looks normal so far for a free game with purchases but so far I’m happy to say I don’t see any subscription or seasons etc just plan buying gold, gems and cards. Apparently it has events but I am not high enough level to participate in those yet and also has a 2v2 mode but I’m also not far enough for that yet but very nearly now. The maps also rotate on a timer so it’s not always the same one but they pretty similar but with some differences but I haven’t seen them all yet. I have messaged to ask if it’s a softlaunch or launched as the fb page only has 7 likes including me. They posted it’s on steam.
I’m still enjoying this one it’s actually more tactical than clash like games that I’ve played being that you have to build a kind of base by expending your territory and placing mines on crystals to farm them for energy you need to build troops. So every choice you make is tactical choosing where you will expand first and then choosing if you want to spend that energy on creating more mines or building troops early to attack with. There are also 3 tiers of troops so you need to balance your deck as you have to spend energy to unlock tier 2 and tier 3 during battle. You have statues which are like towers although to start with they do nothing you just enchant then to have them attack enemies that come close although even being enchanted they are pretty weak it’s a very troop and spell heavy game. Something the game didn’t tell me about is that you can enchant the statues, waypoints and mines more than ones. The mines give you more energy, the waypoints have more health and increase your size of the arena. I’m unsure if it’s a damage or health boost on the statues. I’ve been doing really well so far I haven’t lost a single game and in the event that was active a deck builder where you draw cards and pick between 2 and the opponent does the same you pick 4 each and the enemy gets what you didn’t pick. I had to win 6 and if I lost 2 I’m out but I won’t all of those too. But I imagine it’ll beg harder as I keep climbing the ranks and find people my skill level. I generally go for energy production and only build units early if I’m being attacked or have excess energy I need to spend. Although sometimes I will poke at the enemy mines to slow down their production. But my deck is very tier 3 heavy so once I have survived long enough to get there they have no hope so I primarily choose defensive troops early on.
