World of Warcraft Trading Card Game

Infobox Game
subject_name= World of Warcraft Trading Card Game
image_link=
image_caption = WoW TCG card back design
designer= Mike Hummel,
Brian Kibler,
Danny Mandel
publisher= Upper Deck Entertainment
players= Two and up
ages= 13 and up
setup_time= < 3 minutes
playing_time= approximately 20 minutes
complexity= Moderate
strategy= Moderate
random_chance= High
skills= Card playing
ArithmeticThe "World of Warcraft Trading Card Game" is a collectible card game based on Blizzard Entertainment's MMORPG, "World of Warcraft". The game was announced by Upper Deck Entertainment on August 18 2005, and released on October 25 2006. Players can fight against each other one-on-one, or can join others in order to defeat raid bosses such as Onyxia, Ragnaros and Magtheridon.

Game details

In this trading card game (TCG), each player uses a hero card and a deck consisting of allies and other supporting cards. In booster and starter packs, gamers can find cards representing weapons, abilities, armor, items and quests. Some booster packs also contain legendary rares, or "loot cards" (i.e., special versions of normal cards) which contain a scratch-off code. This code can then be redeemed in the online game for a virtual prize. The prizes include special tabards, gimmick items and mounts.

During play, players start with a single hero, and then play additional cards to augment the hero's powers or add additional members to his or her party. As in games such as "", the goal is to reduce the remaining health of the opponent to zero. Unlike "Magic", combat attacks are always directed at individual heroes or allies, rather than simply declaring an attack with a number of creatures. Furthermore, damage done to allies accumulates between turns, making combat more expensive for both the attacker and defender.

Raid decks

In addition to standard two-player game play, the game also features "Raid Decks", representing struggles involving large numbers of players against epic foes (although far fewer players are involved in the card game). These need one "Raid Master" and 3 to 5 other players. The Raid Master controls all monsters and foes, while the other players control the characters participating in the raid. Players who are victorious may be able to win certain "loot" cards from a 10-card "treasure pack".

This "treasure pack" contains holofoils, and also contains a random insertion of the "loot" cards which trade aggressively due to their popularity with online Warcraft players. Upper Deck Entertainment also made treasure packs available from their UDE points store, although the cards in these packs are not holofoil.

The first raid deck, released in December 2006, features the dragon Onyxia (including stage 1, 2, and 3). The second, set within the Molten Core, was released May, 2007. The Molten Core game can be played in either "standard" version - where players compete against three random bosses and three set bosses, including Ragnaros - or "full" version, where players face all ten bosses. The Third raid deck is Magtheridon's Lair, which was released on January 16, 2008. The Fourth Raid Deck will be The Black Temple, which will be released on September 23, 2008. With the release of this Deck the second block (The Burning Crusade) will come to an end.

Artwork

As with many trading card games, the card art is drawn by a variety of different artists with different styles.

Some of the card art is being done by Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik ("Gabe"). In the May 26, 2006 update of the "Penny Arcade" site, Krahulik revealed his artwork for a card that was based on the exploits of Leeroy Jenkins.

Other artists include Doug Alexander, Julie Bell, Mauro Cascioli, Matt Dixon, Alex Horley, Todd McFarlane, Jeremy Mohler, Ariel Olivetti, Dan Scott, Greg Staples, Mike Sutfin, Samwise, Boris Vallejo and many more.

Card types

The following types of cards are featured in the game:

* Hero - The character which a given player is playing as. Each player starts with a hero, and it is the hero which determines what other cards can be utilized or included in the deck (e.g., Horde heroes can only have Horde allies). The hero card provides information about starting health, race, class, specializations, and professions. Lastly, each hero has a unique power which can be used once per game (after which, the hero card is turned face down).

* Ability - Cards played from the hand (often after paying a resource cost) to cause some immediate impact to the game. Abilities can either be of the standard type, able to played only during one's turn, or can be "instant abilities", able to be played at virtually any time. As with a number of the cards, many abilities include a "trait icon", which limits what classes can include the card in their decks.

* Armor - Defensive cards which protect the player from damage. Once played, by paying the appropriate resource cost, armor can be "exhausted" each turn in order to reduce damage dealt to a player's hero. Players are limited in how many different pieces of armor they may equip on any given body part, e.g., only one piece of chest armor at a time. Armor cards may also have additional effects above and beyond their defensive value.

* Weapon - Offensive cards which can augment a player's melee or ranged capabilities, as well as provide other benefits. As with armor cards, players are limited on how many weapons they may have equipped (in play) at once. In order to use a weapon card to increase attack power during combat, a player must pay a resource cost associated with the weapon (which also exhausts the weapon). Weapons can be used when either attacking or defending, but usually only one weapon can be used per combat (a new card in the Dark Portal edition - Dual Wield - enables striking with 2 melee weapons in a single combat).

* Quest - Special cards which act as resource cards, but with additional abilities. Quests can be completed by fulfilling a condition described on the card. When this is done, a reward is earned (e.g., drawing additional cards) and the quest is converted into a normal resource (by turning it face down).

* Ally - Other individuals and companions who assist and fight on behalf of the main hero. Most allies are affiliated with either the Horde or the Alliance (although neutral allies do exist), so only cards matching the hero's own affiliation are permitted in a deck. Once brought into play by paying the appropriate cost, allies remain until destroyed or removed from play. Allies can attack (or be attacked), and can also provide special powers or abilities.

* Location - They are similar to the quest cards (both of them are placed on the resource row face up), but you don't have to face down them to use their ability. You can control only one location at a time, even if the locations have different names.

* Loot - Loot cards are special versions of cards which can be used within the card game (e.g., as normal allies), but which also contain a scratch-off code. This code can be entered into the website for the online game, providing a unique in-game item, such as a pet, mount, or tabard.

Additionally, any card can be played as a "resource card" (with a limit of one per turn) by playing it face down to a designated area. All resources are equivalent and can be exhausted to pay any cost.

Products

The following products are available or have been announced:

*Starter deck - This UDEck box contains: A pre-constructed deck consisting of 33 fixed cards (one hero and 32 others) built around one of the nine classes; two booster packs; three oversized hero cards; and a rulebook. The oversized cards can be used in many play formats since hero cards are not shuffled into play decks. These decks contain one rare, six uncommons, and the rest are commons. Starter decks for each of the released Core Sets are available, as follows:
** Heroes of Azeroth Starter Deck - Contains cards solely from the first set, "Heroes of Azeroth". 9 different 33-card pre-constructed decks are available.
** Through the Dark Portal Starter Deck - Contains cards only from "Through the Dark Portal".
** March of the Legion Starter Deck - Contains cards only from "March of the Legion".
** Drums of War - Expected to be released on November 1, 2008. Will contain only cards from Drums of War.

*Booster pack - 15 random cards - 10 commons, 3 uncommons, 1 rare or epic, and 1 hero card or loot card. Booster packs also have one UDE point card redeemable online. cite web|url=http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/points/|work=UDE|title=UDE Points|date=9 January 2007|accessdate=2007-01-09] Boosters are available for all released card sets. Starting with March of the Legion, Booster packs will contain 19 random cards: 3 extra commons and 1 extra uncommon.cite web|url=http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/news/article.aspx?aid=3269|work=booster|title=Press Release: More Cards and More Loot!|date=16 October 2007|accessdate=2007-10-16]

*Raid Decks - Raid Decks are specially designed decks used for a cooperative experience. They combine elements from the World of Warcraft (the team-based questing), and Dungeons and Dragons (the Deck Master).
**Onyxia's Lair Raid Deck - 3 epic raid boss cards, a 60-card ability deck, a 30-card event deck, 20 Onyxia Whelp tokens, and a 10-card treasure pack, as well as special rules for the deck. Cards in the treasure pack are not available in boosters, and any other raid deck exclusive cards are not considered part of the base set. Some of the treasure cards include the Tier Two Headpieces for all nine classes.
**Molten Core Raid Deck - 10 epic boss cards, all from Lucifron to Ragnaros the Firelord. This deck includes a main deck for the first nine bosses, tokens to represent different Minions and a separate deck for the Firelord. It has a different ruleset than the Onyxia's Lair Raid Deck. It comes with a ten-card treasure pack. The treasure packs include cards from the MMO like the legendary "Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros" and the Tier Two leggings.
**Magtheridon's Lair - With an all new cube stacking gameplay, the third raid deck hit the shelves in January 2008. In it, there is the mighty pit lord Magtheridon, his shadow channelers, and the cubes required to interact with him.
**Black Temple Raid Deck -The fourth raid deck was released on September 23rd. A 10 hero raid set with heros such as Supremus and "The Betrayer". The treasure pack contains 12 cards including the 2 Warglaves and the Illidan Stormrage Master Hero card. Comes with cards you can use in a normal game such ad Tidal Wave for Mages and the nutural Illidri Blood Lord

*Bonus Card Sets - Bonus card sets are released independently to mark special events or dates.
**Burning Crusade Set - A released set of 3 cards to mark the WOW expansion of The Burning Crusade.
**Feast of Winter Veil - The holiday set which was released in November 2007 and which corresponds to the holiday in the online game. This set contains a booster pack from "Heroes of Azeroth, Dark Portal and Outland" and 10 Winter Veil themed cards, as well as two vanity pets - the Tiny Snowman and Father Winter's Helper. It comes in a presentation box, and also contains a deck box.

The initial base card set is named "Heroes of Azeroth", which includes 361 different cards. The color of the set number on the card indicates its rarity, using a rarity system similar to that of the online game; white for common, green for uncommon, blue for rare, purple for epic, and orange for legendary. The only "legendary" cards in the base set are the three "loot" cards, which are variants of rare cards that have a scratch-off code. There are 22 "epic" cards, which are about twice as rare as the 110 "rare" (blue) cards. 99 "uncommon", 114 "common", and 16 "hero" cards complete the set. cite web|url=http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/products/FAQ/|work=UDE|title=World of Warcraft TCG Products FAQ|accessdate=2007-02-12] Future set expansions (not counting additional raid decks) are planned at a rate of 3 per year. The first such expansion, "Through the Dark Portal", was released on April 11, 2007, and features 319 cards; 120 commons, 85 uncommons, 80 rares, 16 epics and 18 new heroes. The set also features three new loot cards redeemable for online items.cite web|url=http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/news/article.aspx?aid=1898|work=UDE|title=Through the Dark Portal Sneak Previews on March 31st, 2007!|date=2006-12-12|accessdate=2006-12-30]

The second expansion, "Fires of Outland", was released on August 22, 2007, and features 246 cards; 80 commons, 78 uncommons, 73 rares, 15 epics and 18 new heroes. This expansion contains three new loot cards, one of which is the Spectral Tiger mount which sells up to $1000USD on eBay. This is the first expansion that did not come with starter decks.

The third expansion, "March of The Legion" includes subfactions, demonic allies and new types of hero powers and was released on December 1, 2007.

The fourth expansion titled "Servants of the Betrayer" was released on April 1, 2008, and includes new uncommon and common loot cards as well as a rare loot card unlocking a new flying mount in "World of Warcraft". A new hero type called "Traitor heroes" do not have talents, but have powerful spells and allies available to them.

The fifth expansion titled "The Hunt for Illidan" was released July 1, 2008. This new set contains a new type of hero and contains demon heroes that are neither Alliance nor Horde but serve the Legion directly. New options are now open to players because of this. Resistances are implemented by having different races immune to specific types of damage.

Events

Along with weekly battleground tournaments at local hobby stores, Upper Deck Entertainment hosts "Darkmoon Faires" across North America and Europe.

Darkmoon Faires are a weekend event from Friday through Sunday in cities all across the world. The most notable competition featured is the Dream Machine Championship, which the winner receives a custom built computer.

Dream Machine Championship winners:

2007:
*Darkmoon Faire Los Angeles - Oliver Schmid
*Darkmoon Faire Austin - Tim Batow
*Darkmoon Faire Frankfurt - Pierre Malherbaud
*Darkmoon Faire Chicago - Brad Watson
*Darkmoon Faire Milan - Erik Van der Laan
*Darkmoon Faire London - Stuart Wright
*Darkmoon Faire Philadelphia - Brian Durkin
*Darkmoon Faire Lille - Jonas Skali Lami
*Darkmoon Faire San Diego - Tomas Kuchda2008:
*Darkmoon Faire Orlando - Brad Watson (Two-time winner now)
*Darkmoon Faire Columbus - William Postlethwait
*Darkmoon Faire Stuttgart - Laurent Pagorek
*Darkmoon Faire Lyon - Bernd Reinartz
*Darkmoon Faire Seattle - Morgan Findlay

The next Darkmoon Faire will be held at July 19th 2008 in Antwerp, Belgium.

WoW Nationals

The U.S. nationals took place August 16-August 19, 2007 at Gen Con, a gaming convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. After the first day of constructed play, any player with a record of 5-3 or better advanced to day two. Two sets of draft were played on the second day, each set with three rounds. Players sat in draft pods based on their records from day one. They drafted two packs of Heroes of Azeroth, and two packs of Through the Dark Portal. The finals were held on the third day, played between the top eight selected after draft play concluded. Brad Watson was declared the U.S. Nationals Champion after his victory in the finals.

World Championships

The first World Championship took place November 30-December 2, 2007 in San Diego, California. The winner, French player Guillaume Matignon, became the inaugural World of Warcraft TCG World Champion and received $100,000, the largest prize in TCG history.

The second World Championship (World Championship 2008) will take place in Paris, France from October 16 till October 19.

References

External links

* [http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/ The official World of Warcraft Trading Card Game website]
* [http://www.cardarena.net/ CardArena.net] - Online league for World of Warcraft TCG
* [http://www.wowtcgame.com/ WoWTCGame.com] - World of Warcraft TCG Priceguide & Deck Builder
* [http://www.wowtcgdb.com/ WoWTCGdB.com] - World of Warcraft TCG database
* [http://www.ccgdb.com/warcraft CCGDB.com] - World of Warcraft TCG Search Engine
*wowwiki|World of Warcraft Trading Card Game
* [http://www.cardgameorganizer.com/trading_card_games/world_of_warcraft_tcg Card Game Organizer | Online for World of Warcraft: TCG]