(Produced in partnership with ReedPOP) If you've never played an Auto-Battler before, you've been missing out. There's a reason why it's the most played new genre in 2019. It combines the strategy of card games like Hearthstone with the moment-to-moment tactical gameplay of MOBAs like Heroes of the Storm.
The basics are simple — you draft a minion from the three offered to you at random, you place that minion on the board, and you let it battle. The battle happens automatically — hence the genre name — and if you win, you do some damage to your opponent. If you lose, you take some damage.
Where it gets interesting is in the combinations you can create. Each minion has a tribe, and those tribes have synergies. Team up a few Murlocs together, and before you can say "mmmrrrggglll" you'll have a mighty board indeed. Robots can make more robots, beasts can buff one another as they die — the possibilities for tribal synergy are mind-blowing!
Then there are the combinations — if you get three of the same minion, they'll merge into a single more powerful variant, allowing you to build your team out, fit more minions on your board and carve out your path to victory.
Of course, this is barely scratching the surface of what it takes to play Hearthstone Battlegrounds — there's oodles of depth at hand for anyone inclined to dig, which is why so many people are enamoured with it. And because it uses Hearthstone's flair for randomness, you'll never play the same game of Battlegrounds twice. Each new match is a unique opportunity to flex your creative thinking, puzzle-solving ability and Hearthstone knowledge.
And all of that — and more — is coming to the Hearthstone Battlegrounds Showcase at PVP Esports @ Singapore Comic Con, the gaming and esports festival at the heart of Singapore's pop culture convention.
Resurgence, Singapore's premier esports organisation, will have pro players taking on fans at the Showcase as well. Hearthstone pros RSG Sequinox and RSG Lambyseries will join RSG Wolfsbanee from their stream team at the convention, so you'll have to be there if you want to face off against them!
You can find out more details about Hearthstone Battlegrounds on Blizzard's official site, and you can even jump in to practice in the Open Beta right now if you want. But the Hearthstone Battlegrounds Showcase at PVP Esports @ Singapore Comic Con will have exclusive goodies and pro players to test yourself against, so it's very much a must-attend event!
Tickets for Singapore Comic Con are available at the website www.singaporecomiccon.com and for more information on the event, head to www.pvpesports.gg.
