Preview - Turn Based Strategy Play2Earn Game - Icons of Theia

Hi everyone,

today I want to introduce you to a game I have found while browsing through the different projects of up-and-coming blockchain games. This one just stood out for me as a very interesting idea while also appealing to my strategy gamer side. Please keep in mind that the graphics are the property of Icons of Theia as the game is not yet released so I have to rely on the Whitepaper and already published information for this post.

You can watch the intro video here

Name of the game: Icons of Theia
Blockchain: Polygon (Ethereum Side-Net)
Token: MATIC

Game token

$EOT (Unlimited Supply Game Reward Token)
$COT (Supply Capped 300m Governance Token)

If you take the time to read my extracts from the Whitepaper below, you will find that the description of the final game mode will appeal to every long-term player for strategy games like League of Legends, DOTA, or other hero managing games. The already revealed diverse set of abilities from Icons (=your heroes), combined with a landscape that matters and further available boosts and event-based influences will allow for interesting challenges that rely more on your mind than on your wallet.

I must also admit that the description of Faction Wars and your ability to conquer territory during the season with your guildmates while being rewarded for achieving high battle contributions with unique NFTs sounds like an awesome incentive for highly competitive gameplay and streaming coverage. And the reset after each season of 2 months will allow even new players and guilds to enter the field and continue challenging the established players.

You can read the complete Whitepaper here

The team is also currently running the Genesis Pre-Sale where you can purchase the first seven revealed Icons (=heroes) and a diverse set of cosmetic skins to set your team apart. The complete set of seven Icons goes for 50 Matic which is ~100$ at current prices. You need at least 3 icons to participate in the first game step of Icons clash that will be released in the next weeks.

You can find the sales page here

As with everything in the extremely hot-running Blockchain gaming space: A bit of caution is advised and these posts can never be considered financial advice. But I bought all 7 Icons and I´m looking forward to playing Icons clash 😀

Extracts from the Whitepaper:

Game description

Icons of Theia is a decentralized platform game focused on bringing fun and engaging strategy games to the masses. It is a free-to-play 1v1 tactical strategy game that according to the developers can best be described as a cross between League of Legends, Fire Emblem, and Chess.

Lore

Icons of Theia is set in an alternate world called Theia, where the continent of Aurora has experienced dramatic changes as a result of the appearance of large crystalline, floating structures. Named simply The Crystals, these structures give a few select humans enhanced abilities and powers, to a point where they are considered to be demi-gods. These powerful individuals are called the Icons.

Since this discovery and the subsequent realization that whoever controls The Crystals has immense power over the fate of the world, dramatic political changes have taken place on Aurora. New empires and nations have risen, replacing the bygone relics of the past. As a result, three main alliances have been formed across the continent, each of them centered on their plans for the Crystals and the Icons.

Each alliance is setting plans, vying to dominate, study or preserve the Crystals - while keeping them far from their enemies’ reach. A clash between these newly created superpowers seems imminent, and with the Icons holding such extraordinary power, a small spark is maybe all that is needed to engulf the continent into war…

Gameplay

There are currently two stages of game development planned. Stage one will be released within the next weeks and is called Icons clash. Stage two will be the main game and is planned for release at the end of 2022.

Icons clash

Games in this mode are played in Turns that are split into multiple phases:

Icon Selection: Each player selects 3 Icons from their full Icon Pool that will enter the field of play. This phase occurs blindly and at the same time for both players
Initial Draft Reveal: Icons enter the field of play and are revealed to both players
Saving Throw: Each player gets to swap one Icon from the character pool and field of play, or keep their existing Icons in play. This phase occurs blindly and at the same time for both players
Second Draft Reveal: Final selections are revealed
Enchantment Cast: Players can burn accumulated Mana to buff any Icon in play. Each Icon can be buffed one time per Turn. A buff doubles an Icon's impact during the resolution phase
Enchantment Reveal: Buffs are revealed to both players
Resolution: Damage Icons (Birbal, Tomoe) are paired against Defensive Icons (Selena, Florence). Each Icon inflicts or defends against 1 point of damage (2 points, if enchanted). The Player who deals excess damage over the other Player's defense deals direct damage to the enemy Tower. Akila, Michel generate 1 Mana (2 Mana if enchanted). Jacko steals 1 Mana from an opponent (2 Mana if enchanted).

Turns continue until one Player's Tower is destroyed. The player who destroys the enemy Tower first wins the game

Main game

The main game is a virtual turn-based strategy game where players take turns moving their characters (“Icons”) on the map, attacking the enemy, and fighting for neutral objectives with the eventual goal of destroying the enemy's tower.
The central struggle of the game is to out-think your opponent, positioning your forces for the long term and taking advantage of tactics when they leave their forces vulnerable. The game borrows ideas from many different genres to produce a unique set of circumstances that differentiate the game from others that exist today and make the strategy nuanced and intricate.

The goal is to destroy the enemy tower, which sits behind enemy lines. The tower has a health pool and can be destroyed by attacking it until it runs out of health.

To give a sense of the game, here are the basic rules:

Players take turns drafting 5 characters for their team from a pool of Icons and then place the characters in the Start Zone. Each character has a different set of abilities and stats which give them unique strengths and weaknesses, so the team should be chosen wisely!
Turn order is per character. Each character has a speed stat which is used to determine when in the turn they will make their move.
During a character’s turn, the player is allowed to move the character a certain distance, and then attack an enemy within their range.
Characters have archetypes and unique abilities, making team composition essential and allowing for interesting combos.
There are several objectives (ex. Dragons) that each present different challenges to the players. Completing the objectives gives “buffs” that players can use to power up their teams. But diverting too many resources to objectives can leave you vulnerable to attack.
Certain areas of the board (ex. the Jungle) are invisible to the enemy. These areas allow for sneak attacks, and in some cases can provide an extra layer of defense.

Guilds & Faction Wars

Each guild also has an upgradeable guildhall, which is used to earn specific bonuses and benefits for its members. Some examples include XP boosts, better odds at rolling special cosmetics as well as more token payouts for winning battles. Guilds also have a leadership structure and treasury to manage them. Guild leaders can also charge their members dues, which can be used to further purchase upgrades for the guildhall, or participate in faction wars. W

Theia has a world map that spans the three Alliances, with territorial borders constantly changing. The idea behind Faction Wars is to give the world a sense of tug of war and see which faction can win each season. Each season lasts 2 months, and the map resets each season. This way if one faction does end up dominating the map, you can wait till next season to try and regain control again.

Faction Wars works as follows
At the start of the season, 25% of the map is controlled by each of the three Alliances and 25% is contested territory.

Guilds can capture tiles on the map for the faction that they represent. Each capture creates a mini-contest between factions that lasts 48 hours, where players can battle the opposing faction to earn glory. Whichever faction wins the most amount of Glory in that time ends up with ownership of the tile.

At the end of the season, the faction with the most glory wins and gets a special skin for all members in that faction, as well as a unique profile cosmetics and title for their participating characters, and a trophy in their clan halls.

There’s also a guild leaderboard for each season with the number of wins that guilds in faction wars have won. Prizes will be rewarded to leaderboard leaders. Some benefits of this system are that it creates a concept that allows players to invest in certain things in the game that grows in value over time. Winning faction wars, gaining trophies, being high in the leaderboard, getting dues from members, all create incentives for guild owners to invest in their guilds to make them better.