Fire and iron, ash and art,
Craft the tales that from dust start.
In the ash, our stories blend,
Until the fire's quiet end.
Greetings, Ironlords.
Be it the fate of a person, society, or a whole civilization — nobody really knows what lies in the cards. But as a ruler in your own right, you are one of the few with limited, but crucial knowledge of Fate’s hand..
So let us take a look at your cards in IRONHIVE. May you use this knowledge to your advantage, and guide your people to prosperity.
The Pillars of Society
When things feel barren, remember that no one ever really starts with nothing
Each city starts with a foundation. In your case, you have the cards to guide you before that foundation is established.
Each turn, you are given a few cards: you get to use as many as you can before ending your turn. All of your unused cards are discarded afterward, and it might be a while before you can redraw them, so choose carefully! In this world, all things are scarce and a lack of resources could prove fatal in just a few turns.
Time waits for no one, so make it count.
Right-click the card to view it in more detail
Your deck hides many types of cards. All these cards pour into your hand: materials and workers mingle, forcing tough decisions. Will you invest in a grand structure for future glory, or channel citizen power into immediate needs? Even as the Ironlord, there is only so much you have control over.
So what are these cards? Key cards include materials and workers. Materials, like the real world, require specific means of acquisition. Some are readily available, others require dedicated structures to produce. Certain special cards also grant specific material types on draw. Typically, you need a certain amount of material, as well as workers of a particular type to construct a building.
Then there are the citizens, and the citizen cards represent the four classes living in the Ironhive: Elite, Production, Hive, and Belief (more on them at a later time).
Each excels in specific tasks, linked to building, construction, and resource generation (Supply, Workforce, Order, Devotion). Expeditions, led by these citizens, unearth vital materials for expansion.
Besides that, classes also have their unique advantages that can aid in exploration and retrieval.
Expanding and maintaining your civilization will take all the castes working together till their last breath.
Chaos and Order
As the Ironhive develops, all the cogs in your machine become more dependent on each other: different citizens and materials in your hand mesh, fostering further development. Taking further steps will require both specific materials and buildings in your city, all the while the citizen classes boost your further.
Special Management turns drain your Supply, Order, and Devotion based on your citizen and building count. Nothing is ever still in the Ironhive; no equilibrium is ever-stable, and entropy will eventually set in to claim your fledgling civilization.
Your hand won't just hold materials and workers. Special cards can offer potent effects or introduce chaos.
One of those types are Leadership cards: they trigger certain effects, but may also require carrying out certain actions to use them.
There are also Rumor cards, which can turn the tide or throw a wrench into your plans.
Rumor cards represent possible dangers lurking beneath and brewing within the walls of your city.
Rumor cards spawns “Situations” that must be resolved in time and produce detrimental effects that worsen with time. Each time such a card is not played and discarded, a detrimental effect is also generated.
Ignoring these whispers can have consequences: for instance, you might uncover a rebellion in the works. As you take turns, the situation degrades, granting you multiple debuffs (such as bigger card costs), until rebellion finally comes knocking.
Finally, as the Ironlord, you have your chain of command: the great Barons that govern key aspects of your city, from food production to culture. Many of those barons are represented by their cards, and you will need to gradually gain their favor through specific actions, netting you many advantages. This is where you get to play with real politics: seize opportunities, pay your dues and debts, and balance favors in a way that keeps you on top. Even a tyrant needs allies to maintain their rule, after all.
Will the Barons become your legs to stand on or a dagger in your side?
This is just the first taste of Ironhive's interwoven infastructure, and the first steps in your journey to becoming the true shepherd of your people. However, no great ruler can claim to know their domain before knowing their history. In that spirit, some of the future entries will delve deeper into the history of the Ironhives and their people.
In the meantime, make sure to wishlist the game to keep up with these updates. And if you wish to see more of the game right now, join our Twitter and the CRITICAL REFLEX Discord server.
Let us live to see another day, together.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2679070/IRONHIVE
