Magic: the Gathering – Puzzle Quest Kaladesh Preview [Sponsored]

Today, we're going to take a first look at the upcoming Kaladesh update for Magic: the Gathering – Puzzle Quest. Magic: the Gathering – Puzzle Quest is a free-to-play puzzle game (with in-app purchases) based on the Magic: the Gathering universe that is available in the App Store and on Google Play. The game was originally released last year with Magic Origins, and tomorrow (December 8) is the release of Kaladesh, headlined by the Vedalken planeswalker Dovin Baan. The publishers of Magic: the Gathering – Puzzle Quest set me up with a preview build to share with everyone, so I have to throw out the disclaimer that this is a sponsored article, but I am genuinely excited about the game; I've stated numerous times that Wizards of the Coast should be pushing the Magic universe beyond the cardboard game we all know and love, and this is a great example.

The Basics

If you're new to the game, here's the gist of it: You build decks centered around a planeswalker and battle with other planeswalkers. Sound familiar? The cards and planeswalkers have abilities loosely based on the actual Magic: the Gathering cards. As you match crystals on the board, you generate mana (or loyalty), which allows you to cast your creatures and spells and use planeswalker abilities. For example, if you can match four crystals, you generate four mana towards casting a spell. There are subtleties with combos (you get extra moves) and affinity for mana types (for example, Liliana gets an extra mana when matching black crystals). You take turns with your opponent using the same board until someone is defeated.

There are 10 planeswalkers currently available. Planeswalker abilities can be used once per turn if you have the required loyalty. Check out some of the planeswalkers below. The Kaladesh update brings Dovin Baan (available immediately) and Chandra, Torch of Defiance (available December 28).

As for creatures, you can have three out on the battlefield, and by default, they attack the opposing planeswalker directly. There is no blocking, but cards can have special abilities to redirect attacks. For example, a card with Defender will automatically block any attacks. A card with Berserk will automatically attack opposing creatures. The Kaladesh update brings four new mechanics: Energize, Overload, Fabricate, and Crew. Here's a taste of some of the mechanics and how they work in Puzzle Quest:

At first, I thought this was just another puzzle game with some planeswalker art thrown on top, but there's a lot more depth to it. Hundreds of cards from each set are ported over to the game, and they represent the original cards very well. The game currently has 978 cards from six sets (Magic Origins, Battle for Zendikar block, Shadows over Innistrad block, and Kaladesh); that's a lot of cards. You can find the complete card galleries for all of the sets here. Let's look at some cards you might be familiar with and how they look in game:

Yes, tier one Standard staples are also insanely powerful in this game as well! The last card type we haven't talked about yet is support. These cards usually represent enchantments or artifacts from the cardboard game. Support cards become a crystal on the board and provide some effect until they are removed (by being matched a certain number of times).

Planeswalkers start off at level one and don't have all of their abilities unlocked. As you play the game, you earn runes, which can be used to power up your planeswalker to his or her fullest potential. So, the progression in the game is to power up your planeswalkers and earn new cards to build new and interesting decks to play with.

Building a Collection

How do you get more cards? Playing through the game earns you runes and crystals, which can be used to purchase booster packs and specific planeswalkers. Of course, you can use real money to expedite the process. There are also free daily rewards (increased throughout December!) and events to earn you runes, crystals, and cards. There is a reasonable amount of free content when you start off. For example, after playing through the tutorial, you'll have enough crystals to purchase all five Magic Origins planeswalkers (10 crystals each), so you'll be able to play a color of your choosing. Of course, there are loftier goals, such as the new Dovin Baan at 650 crystals. For reference, if you want to buy crystals, 100 crystals run you $4.99, with bundled deals of up to 3,000 for $99.99. Basic boosters cost 60 crystals, or 200 for a "higher chance for rare," and 600 for a "guaranteed rare or better." There are also starter packs and bundled deals to bootstrap your collection. So, having said that, the game can get pricey pretty quickly—just like its cardboard counterpart. However, there's enough free or budget content for the "free to play" player to play for hours and hours without problem. For instance, after going through the tutorial and playing three Story Mode games (~30 minutes), I was able to purchase all of the Magic Origins planeswalkers, bringing my collection to five planeswalkers and 53 unique cards.

Events

Events are time-based play modes with special rules and rewards. For example, they may restrict planeswalkers or colors allowed, or provide special effects on the game, such as all mana generation being doubled. The Kaladesh update brings new events such as the Fateful Showdown, Dovin Baan's Challenge, and the Holiday Showdown.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. The Kaladesh update brings 184 new cards to the game and four new mechanics: Energize, Overload, Fabricate, and Crew. Dovin Baan joins the pool of planeswalkers, with Chandra, Torch of Defiance coming after Christmas (December 28). More importantly, Magic: the Gathering – Puzzle Quest lets you enjoy Magic the Gathering in yet another context. The next time you're waiting around and need your Magic fix (RIP Magic Online on mobile), whip out your phone and sling some spells with Magic the Gathering – Puzzle Quest, available in the App Store and on Google Play.