It was a rainy night. For the first time, I turned on this game, Phageborn. Such a peculiar name. The next moment, I had something like a vision… I saw a hooded figure levitating in the dark. But I didn’t feel threatened. No, there was a certain benevolence emanating from it. It started to come closer and closer, until our eyes met. At that moment I heard its voice echoing inside my head: ”Do not fear. They call me The Storyteller. I am here to help you navigate this treacherous world of Issilith. Come, my child, take my hand and let me show you all the wonders it has to offer.”
At the very beginning of your journey, you’ll have to choose a faction. Each faction has its own unique mechanics and its own set of Avatars. Before you start the match you have to choose which deck to play and there you can see Avatars in all their beauty, armed with their unique skill and traits you can choose from. But more on that some other time.
Before you are ready to engage in battle, there are some things you should know. Phageborn uses a dual resource system, which consists of Essence and Energy.
Essence is used for playing units, which you can place on any lane. Every unit has its Essence cost and you need to have enough Essence so you can play that card. Since it is such a valuable resource, at the beginning of each of your turns it automatically resets and increases by one, with its starting value being set at one. To simplify, that means that every round your Essence will be the same value as the current round.
Now, with Energy, things get a bit more interesting. You use Energy to play ability cards and to activate Avatar’s special skill. At the beginning of the match, you will always start at one Energy point and every turn your Energy will refresh. However, unlike Essence, Energy won’t automatically increase every turn. If you wish to upgrade it, you can choose to do so at the start of each of your turns.
Once you enter the battlefield you will see that your side is divided into two lanes with the core in the middle, and it is identical to your opponent's side. You can play your units on one of those lanes. There are two terms you will often encounter while playing: local and non-local. Local refers to a lane where said unit or Avatar is placed. Non - local refers to the opposite lane. In that sense, the core is always considered to be a local target since it is placed in the middle. Keep in mind, just because you placed your units or Avatar in one lane doesn’t mean that you can’t switch lanes anymore. Both Avatar and units can change lanes once per turn.
Don’t forget to use your Avatar in battle! Think of them as your extension, the player's incarnation of a general if you will, who leads their army of units to victory. Every turn your Avatars can do up to three actions. You can use their basic attack, their skill (if you have enough Energy to activate it) and you can move them to the other lane. Make sure your Avatar is safe, especially if it has low health. If Avatar’s health drops down to zero it will become subdued. That means it is rendered disabled for two turns (at which time you can’t play ability cards since your Avatar is the one casting abilities), your core suffers five damage and your opponent draws a card. You can try to keep them safe by positioning them in a lane behind your units that can protect them.
If you manage to master these basic mechanics, a whole world of endless possibilities, synergies and strategies will open up before you. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Sometimes even if you lose a match you are one step closer to victory.
“Now rest, my child. There are more mysteries to unravel, but you need your strength. For the journey ahead of you is filled with dangers…
However, if you need me just ask your question here or join other Residents of Issilith on Discord: Discord. They are always here to help.”