Eternal

Gameplay

Games of Eternal consist of two opponents (either Player vs. Player, or Player vs. a computer-controlled opponent) using decks of varying numbers of cards containing units, attachments, powers, and spells. The goal is to reduce your opponent's health pool from 25 to zero or run the other player out of cards.

Cards

There are five types of cards in Eternal:

Power cards are the resource system for the game. You draw Power cards from your deck and can play one per turn. Decks must consist of between 1/3rd to 2/3rds of only Power cards.

Unit cards represent characters and creatures from the game's world. Once summoned, unit cards each have an attack and a health value; when a unit attacks a player, it will deal its attack value to that player's health, and if it is blocked by another unit, it will deal damage based on its attack value and take damage based on the defending unit's attack value. A unit's health regenerates at the start of the next turn. Units normally cannot attack the turn they are put into play, and once in play, they can normally attack once per turn.

Attachment cards are played either on a Unit (in the case of Weapons and Curses) or on a player avatar (for Relics, Relic Weapons, and Cursed Relics).

Spell cards have an immediate effect when played and then are discarded. "Fast Spells" can be played mid-combat or during your opponent's turn.

Sites represent locations in the game. Like Units, they remain in play until killed, but take up two spots on the gameboard. Each site has an Agenda (which plays a spell each turn for 3 turns), a static effect, and a Hero, which is played the turn after the Agenda is completed.

Eternal allows players to destroy unwanted cards or any cards collected beyond the maximum of four allowed in a deck into shiftstone that can then be used to create new cards of the player's choosing. Shiftstone is also acquired after opening each card pack, from completing certain achievements or from faction rank up rewards.

Factions

All cards in Eternal are divided into five "Factions", along with a sixth "Factionless" category. The five Factions are:

Fire (red) is the faction of creation and destruction; most problems can be handled with quick and violent solutions.

Justice (green) is the faction of order, both in civic harmony and brutal tyranny.

Primal (blue) is the faction of nature in both its savage fury and pristine beauty.

Shadow (purple) is the faction of ambition and instinct; hidden paths lead to dangerous secrets.

Time (yellow) is the faction of learning and discovery; knowledge is the key to power.

In addition, the Factions can be combined into a set of ten pairs named after locations in the gameworld:

The first five tri-color faction names were released in the Defiance set: Auralian for Time/Primal/Shadow, Ixtun for Fire/Justice/Primal, Jennev for Fire/Time/Primal, Kerendon for Justice/Time/Shadow, and Winchest for Fire/Justice/Shadow. Alternate names for tri-color factions are: Creation for FTJ, Instinct for FTP, Destruction for FTS, Honor for FJP, Ambition FJS, Menace for FPS, Tradition for TJP, Vision for TJS, Knowledge for TPS, Purpose for JPS.

Set releases/campaigns

The Empty Throne is the free base campaign that serves as a tutorial to introduce new players to the game that was released on November 19, 2016. Players use preconstructed decks from each faction to play through five stories consisting of four games each. Each match won awards new cards that are added to the player's deck. Upon completing each story, players keep all the cards that were used. Playing through all five stories to complete the base campaign awards five starting decks.

The Empty Throne is also the name for the first full set that was released on November 19, 2016, that features 413 cards. Each full set release has its own card pack associated with it that only contains cards from that set.

Jekk's Bounty is the first mini-set and additional campaign that was released on February 16, 2017. The campaign includes 16 cards and each added campaign will cost either in-game gold or gems. Players take on the role of an apprentice to Jekk, the Bounty Hunter, who guides them on a series of 16 single-player missions. Each mission is played with a constructed deck of the player's creation and may use special rules that alter each mission. Completing each mission awards the player with four copies of the cards that can only be acquired by completing missions; each campaign works in a similar way.

Omens of the Past is the second full set that was released on July 14, 2017. The set features 252 cards, new faction pairs and new mechanics such as Spark that adds an additional effect if the opponent has been damaged this turn, Revenge that allows a dead minion to be shuffled into a player's deck and if drawn is put into play and Warp that allows the top card of the deck to played as if it was in the player's hand.

The Tale of Horus Traver is the second mini-set and campaign that was released on September 22, 2017. The campaign includes 23 cards and 16 single-player missions. Players take on the role of homesteader Horus Traver, as he is guided towards his destiny as a Stranger by Azindel. Each mission is played with a constructed deck and uses special rules that alter gameplay. Completing each mission awards the player with four copies of the cards that can only be acquired by completing The Tale of Horus Traver missions.

Throne, Casual and Expedition

Throne, Casual and Expedition are PvP modes, where players use constructed 75-card decks using the cards in their collection. All of these modes are free to enter and players earn rewards based on overall performance. Throne mode (previously called Ranked) is a monthly leaderboard ladder divided into five brackets through which players climb: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Master, gaining rating points with every win and losing points with each loss. Each win earns rewards in the form of cards and in-game gold which can be used to enter other game modes or acquire card packs. Casual is similar to Ranked mode except it does not have a ladder. Expedition is also similar to ranked except the card pool is more limited; only cards from The Empty Throne, Defiance, Dark Frontier, and Trials of Grodov sets are allowed to be used.

Draft, Forge and Gauntlet

In the Draft (PvP) and Forge (PvE) modes, players build a new deck from a limited pool of cards presented to them. Both modes require in-game gold or gems (from microtransactions with real money) to enter. Players keep all of the cards they selected, along with additional rewards for winning games. Draft mode consists of a pool of 48 cards selected from four packs of 12 cards each, plus any number of sigil power cards, arranged into a 45-card deck by the player. Forge mode requires players to select 25 cards, one at a time, from sets of three cards; these cards will come from the first two factions selected by the player. Power cards are added automatically after all cards are selected. After a deck is constructed, these two modes are played until a player wins seven times or has either has three losses in Draft or two losses in Forge, alternately, a player may retire a run at any time.

Gauntlet is the mode where a player uses a deck against a series of PvE opponents in which players attempt to win seven games, culminating in a "Boss" game with a special game rule for an additional challenge. Rewards increase with the number of games won and are earned by players either when they defeat the final Boss or when the player is eliminated by one or two losses, depending on the current Gauntlet ranking.

Puzzles

Eternal features many puzzles that focus on different game mechanics such as Deadly (kill any unit damaged) and Aegis (negates one effect from the player's opponent). These puzzles can help players learn the mechanics of the cards. These single-player challenges award gold when completed the first time.

Events

Since transitioning from closed to open beta, Eternal has hosted in-game limited time PvP events with their own unique twists. Some of the events were the "Shadow Eclipse Event" on August 21, 2017 that made players draw an extra card each turn and "The Dusk Road Preview Event" on December 14, 2017 that allowed players to play with cards from The Dusk Road set before it was released.

Beginning in April 2018, Eternal has hosted a monthly sealed deck league. This event requires players to build a deck of 45 cards while only using cards collected from packs earned from the event that begins with eight packs and ends with 14 packs; between matches, players may modify their deck. After the monthly event is over, players are rewarded with a number of card packs and a random premium card based on their leaderboard results, and all participants are given an exclusive card back.

The first Eternal World Championship was held on July 13–14, 2019. The sixteen top players shared a prize pool of $100,000. Eternal has monthly tournament events that have cash prizes and will culminate in a $100,000 World Championship in early 2020.

Rewards

Rewards in Eternal take the form of individual cards, gold and packs. Rewards come in treasure chests of varying rarity: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond. Each chest has a small chance to upgrade to the next-highest rarity chest. Rewards are earned after every ranked, casual and expedition mode win, and upon completion of daily quests, drafts, events, forges and gauntlets. Additionally, rewards at the end of each monthly chapter are determined by a player's final rankings in both ranked and draft modes as well as in the sealed deck league.

Since the game's inception, various promo cards have been offered for a limited time as free in-game rewards to players that win one match and these cards may be created with shiftstone after the promotion period is over. In addition, watching Twitch streamers playing Eternal can reward drops that include cards, packs and draft mode tickets.

Development

Eternal was announced in January 2016 at PAX South, and began a closed beta that April. On November 18, 2016, closed beta accounts were wiped and open beta began; closed beta players received a number of free card packs determined by the size of their closed beta card collection. Since that date, the game was still considered to be in "Early Access" on Steam until November 2018.

The game was developed at Dire Wolf Digital by a team that has included Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame players Luis Scott-Vargas and Patrick Chapin as well as other Magic: The Gathering professional players including Conley Woods, Andrew Baeckstrom, Patrick Sullivan and Josh Utter-Leyton.

In June 2017, the iPad client was ready for regional release in Australia and Canada. A short time later the iPad client was released worldwide.

Story

The Eternal Throne

Eternal is the story of the struggle for the Eternal Throne of Myria when it is left vacant by the disappearance of King Caiphus. The Throne itself has magical properties, as depicted in the epilogue to the Empty Throne campaign, but the scope and nature of its abilities are currently unclear.

Scions

King Caiphus is gone; those with the strongest claim to the vacant Eternal Throne are the five "Scions" in Eternal - powerful characters who could claim the Eternal Throne while having their own agendas to pursue.

Rolant is the Commander of the Crownwatch, the acting Regent of Argenport in the absence of an official ruler and Caiphus' uncle. He attempts to maintain order using his army, which starts a civil war within the city.

Eilyn is a powerful shaman of the barbarian tribes that nearly destroyed Argenport before a truce was reached that culminated with her marriage to King Caiphus.

Kaleb is a headstrong warrior with little interest in politics, whose status as Caiphus' illegitimate son weakens his claim to the throne. He is rumored to be a clone of Caiphus.

Vara is the favored heir to the Eternal Throne as Caiphus' daughter, but has grown tired of being a political pawn of others and instead explores the Shadowlands for her own ends.

Talir is among the most gifted magic users in Myria. She is Caiphus' sister and the Arch Magister of the Praxis Arcanum.

Other characters

Caiphus is the former occupant of the Eternal Throne. Each of the Scions is defined by their relationship to him.

Jekk, the Bounty Hunter is the protagonist and narrator of the opening cinematic, as well as the Jekk's Bounty campaign.

Icaria was the first Valkyrie and their Captain but turned against Rolant to lead a rebellion against his rule.

Azindel tricked Caiphus into breaking the seal of the Eternal Throne. Azindel has guided Vara through the Shadowlands and gave her a magical amulet that erased her memories.

The Strangers are an army of men whose faces are marked with a glowing purple symbol created by Azindel.

Horus Traver is a simple homesteader who gets caught up in the struggle for the Eternal Throne.

Eremot is an entity has led Vara to again use the Eternal Throne.

Reception

Since its release, Eternal has enjoyed positive reviews by players and media alike. Dire Wolf Digital has also promoted the game at numerous conventions including 2016 Pax South, 2016 Gen Con, 2017 Pax East, and 2017 Pax West. PC Gamer praised the use of 'instant' cards that can be played during your opponent's turn while making things streamlined and quick; the reviewer says the game had his favorite draft mode in digital gaming that creates a deck from four card packs that the player keeps after the mode is finished.