Free Game of the Week 6 - Smite: Battle of the Gods

Pay tribute or be smitten in this week's free game, Smite!

Smite is a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) unlike any other. Where similar games such as Dota 2 and League of Legends have the top down view of the game, Smite takes it into a completely different direction with an over the shoulder style third person view. Developed by Hi-Rez Studios, Smite is not only on PC, but PS4 and Xbox One as well. Much to its namesake Smite is a battle of the gods. With 5 different game modes to choose from, they all follow the same basic directive: Destroy the “Titan,” or enemy base. In order to destroy the enemy you need gold and experience points. Gold and experience is earned in several ways; assisting or killing an enemy player or enemy minions, destroying enemy objectives such as towers, or passively earned periodically as time goes on.

Game modes

View fullsize

Source: Hi-Rez Studios via http://www.wwgdb.com/

As mentioned before currently there are 5 different game modes to choose from. Each of these game modes can either be done with real players or computer players.

1. Conquest: The typical MOBA map where two teams of 5 battle it out in a three lane style map
2. Joust: 3v3 map with two lanes
3. Siege: 4v4 map with two lanes
4. Assault: 5v5 map with only one lane, and an all-out battle royal
5. Arena: 5v5 but different from the normal modes. In this mode players battle it out for points, a minion kill is one point where as killing an enemy player grants 5 points.

Characters

View fullsize

Source: Hi-Rez Stuidos via http://www.kevinbargeron.com/

Players have the option to choose from several pantheons of gods and goddesses including Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and even Mayan. With 74 gods to play and master, players will be sure to spend hours on each god or goddess. Characters are later broken down into a specific role or type, each with its own unique skills, weaknesses, and greatness. The roles are

1. Hunters: Mostly ranged, they utilize physical power to overcome enemies.
2. Guardians: The support style character, utilizes spells to help the team
3. Mages: Utilize spells and magical power to thwart their enemies.
4. Warrior: Strong “tanky” characters that use raw power to overthrow enemies
5. Assassins: Quick and agile characters that rely on great mobility to defeat opponents

Store

View fullsize

Source: Hi-Rez Studios

Smite does offer an in-game store, in which players can purchase an assortment of items. The store uses two currencies: Gems and Favor. Gems can only be purchased with actual money. However favor can be acquired in multiple ways. The main way is by playing the game. You receive favor for each game you play. You can also complete quests (such as win 4 games, etc..) or you can spend real money. The main thing people buy at the store are the gods and goddesses. Gods and goddesses are in a free rotation but in order to keep them permanently you’ll have to purchase them. The store also offers several cosmetic items for each god and goddess, as well as ward skins and icons. The store has it all!

Overall

Whether you choose to play as a powerful mage or a cunning assassin, you’re sure to spend countless hours mastering each role and character. And if you choose to spend money, it’ll be money well worth it! So grab some friends, plan some strategies, and prepare for a fantastic time with the great free game Smite.

---

View fullsize

Written by A Play On Nerds contributor, Ben Tuchenhagen, based out of Austin, Texas.

---

Free Game of the Week 2 - Hearthstone

If Magic the Gathering and World of Warcraft could produce a child; Hearthstone would be it. With just over 40 MILLION players, Hearthstone is leading the way in online strategy card games. With the newest expansion “The Grand Tournament” being released last August, it became the second expansion with many more to come, including one set to be released in the spring of this year.

So what exactly is Hearthstone and how do I play?

View fullsize

Source: Blizzard

Hearthstone is a turn based strategy card game between two players. The objective of the game is to drain your opponent's life points, while maintaining your own. Before you start your matchmaking journey, you must first select a character to play and a deck to use. Once you’ve entered a match both players are given three random cards to which they can keep or discard in exchange for new cards. Then one player is randomly chosen to go first. The other player receives a card that allows the user to get an extra mana crystal to balance out the first play advantage. Once the game is underway both players start with one mana crystal, and each turn the amount of crystals goes up by one until a maximum of ten is possessed. The more mana crystals you possess, the more powerful the card you can put into play.

What characters can I choose from?

 From druids to warriors, paladins to warlocks, Hearthstone has everything a fantasy lover could ask for.  If you’re a fan of the Warcraft series you’ll notice some familiar faces including Thrall and Jaina. With nine different heroes to choose from, each with a unique skill and play style, Hearthstone is jam-packed full of hours of thought-inducing strategies and careful planning before the game even starts. 

What kind of cards are there and what do they do?

View fullsize

Source: MetaBomb

Cards are broken down into three categories, you have minion cards, spell cards, and weapons. You use minion cards to summon minions to aid you in battle. Minions have both attack and life points and attack at the start of your next turn after summoning it, but are killed when their life points reach zero. Now minion cards can do a variety of things when summoned, from having a charge attack which lets you attack immediately, to buffing allies adjacent to it. Spell cards are fairly straightforward. Whatever the card says, that’s what it does. A fireball that deals four damage to all minions, will deal damage to all minions; no fancy trickery is involved. A weapon card allows the hero to gain an attack as if it were a minion and attack the other hero or his minions. However, any damage taken will be deduced from your hero’s life points, so be cautious.

Do I get all the cards? How do I get more?

View fullsize

Source: Blizzard

You start off with some basic cards, but most cards are gathered through booster packs. Booster packs are a package of five random cards. You can get them one of two ways. The first is by simply paying actual money; each costing $0.99. Another method is by completing in game quests for gold, and gold can be exchanged for booster packs as well. The last method of acquiring cards is a bit different than the others. With this method you take the cards you do not want, and turn them into powder. With the powder you can make specific cards. So if you’re looking for that perfect card, this is your best bet!

What’s the community like?

With thousands of viewers on Twitch, and many online guides and forums, Hearthstone has, without a doubt, a thriving and rich community. Also be sure to check out the Hearthstone e-sports scene with the prize pools are up to $250,000!

Overall

Whether you rather sitting down for a few quick games or spending hours theory-crafting the best deck and strategy, Hearthstone is for you. While each game takes only about 15 minutes you’ll soon find the hours flying by. Also be sure to check out the mobile version. Just like the computer version mobile Hearthstone is free and easy to use! So be sure to check out Hearthstone free on Battle.net, and I’ll see you on the battlefield!​ 

---

View fullsize

Written by A Play On Nerds contributor Ben Tuchenhagen

---