Filed under: WoW TCG

The WoW Trading Card Game just got a whole lot more epic with Battle of the Aspects, the newest raid deck that pits three or more players against an automated Deathwing, complete with heroic modes. Yes, you heard that right -- Deathwing in the Battle of the Aspects raid deck has varied levels of difficulty.

Raid decks allow players to take on the role of one of the four dragon aspects fighting against Deathwing. Each character has unique abilities and are displayed on oversized hero cards with (presumably) beautiful-as-always Cryptozoic art.

The coolest feature, in my opinion, is that Deathwing himself has different tentacles that you can add to the game that increase his power and the game's overall challenge. Cryptozoic promises that even veteran players will be up against the wall if they play on the hardest setting. There are even achievement cards that force you to change the rules or play the game differently in order to meet a new goal and still come out victorious. Suffice it to say, there's a lot of replayability.

Battle of the Aspects is part of the Aftermath block of the WoW TCG and will be launching in August for an MSRP of $30, with nine-card treasure packs for $6 each.

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Cryptozoic's newest expansion for the WoW TCG, Crown of the Heavens, is a Hyjal-based return to the peaks of Kalimdor with satyrs, dryads, demons, ogres, and more monsters than you can comprehend. The Alliance and Horde represent with new allies and celebrities as well, but it is the monsters that take center stage in this mountaintop brawl.

With new trading card game expansions come new loot and mounts included as common, uncommon, and rare cards in expansion packs. The common loot card for Crown of the Heavens will be the Vicious Grell companion pet. This little satyr monster, who reminds me of key-toting Pusillin from Dire Maul, is a one-time use companion pet that can be given away to friends if you have an extra code. The uncommon loot card in the new set is the Magical Ogre Idol, which transforms the player into a two-headed red ogre mage for 5 minutes. The item has a 30-minute cooldown and reminds me of a fun archaeology find.

The rare loot card for Crown of the Heavens is the Corrupted Hippogryph, a ground or air mount that can be traded in game if you do not learn it yourself, much like the Spectral Tiger. The deep green hippogryph is going to be a rare find -- see how many you can spot after the TCG expansion launches on Feb. 7, 2012.

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Cryptozoic, makers of the WoW TCG, is showing off new cards, artwork, and game systems from the newest TCG expansion, Crown of the Heavens. This set prominently features Hyjal and its guardians, meaning lots of dryads, ogres, and satyrs and more demons than you can shake a stick at. A demon stick. Monsters are still the name of the game, however, since we're in the monster block.

Since Crown of the Heavens is a set based on Hyjal, there are bound to be a ton of familiar friendly (and not-so-friendly) faces showing up. What does that mean, you ask? It means awesome artwork done by Cryptozoic's amazing art team of some of your favorite characters.

First, you should see some of the awesome new demon and satyr cards coming with Crown of the Heavens. Cryptozoic had a really cool writeup about the new monster heroes coming in the new set, including a Daughter of Cenarius named Arisella and Iso'rath, servant of the Old Gods. How cool is that? You can play with Iso'rath as your monster hero.

Thanks to @Proenix00 on Twitter, we now know that the new Eye of the Legion pet and cosmetic item Demon Hunter's Aspect are rewards from the WoW TCG. Datamined from the new patch 4.3.2 files, these new items have been fueling some talk as to whether Mists of Pandaria would include more Legion-inspired antics or if the launch events leading up to the new expansion would be demonic in nature. The Feldrake mount does not appear in the list of items in the screenshot we have, but it could be possible that the Feldrake mount will get subbed in.

We do not yet know which TCG expansion that these items will be available in and whether or not the Feldrake is the equivalent to the Timewalkers Mount that is labelled [DNT] in the screenshot above. Hopefully, it will all be revealed to us soon. The Timewalkers Mount sounds to me like it might be more akin to the new chromatic dragon mount models found in the previous patch. At this point, we do not have concrete details.

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Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!

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Are you a fan of awesome in-game mounts from WoW TCG? Well, you should be, because it's awesome, and Cryptozoic is giving you a chance to win three different mounts from its new Facebook contest. Between now and Jan. 2, 2012, you can go to Cryptozoic's Facebook page, become a fan, and then Like, comment, and share the loot giveaway picture for your chance to win.

Up for grabs are the coveted Spectral Tiger mount, a Wooly White Rhino mount card, and the new Wasteland Tallstrider, one of the first new tallstrider mounts to be introduced to the game. Remember, you must become a fan of the WoW TCG on Facebook in order to be entered, as well as sharing, Liking, and commenting on the promotional picture. Good luck!

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Cryptozoic, the creative minds behind the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, have just announced a brand new WoW project called World of Warcraft: Clash of Champions. This stand-alone deck building card game pits players against famous raid bosses from WoW's history such as Ragnaros, Onyxia, and the Lich King while playing as some of Azeroth's greatest heroes. Thrall, Jaina, Varian, Garrosh, Sylvanas, and Magni Bronzebeard are all available for players to choose.

If you've never played a deck building card game, the general goal is to accumulate cards to build yourself a larger and more powerful deck of cards, allowing you more levels of control and strategy to defeat challenges that the game throws at you and to compete against your fellow players. You start off with a few cards and through various means purchase or earn cards to build your deck based on the decisions you make. Fans of the wonderful deck building game Dominion know the drill. Cryptozoic is adding a twist to the genre with the new ability for your hero to level up after a boss is defeated, granting new powers and abilities for your deck.

One of the best parts about deck building games is how easy it is to incorporate expansion packs, new factions, and heroes. Clash of Champions looks promising enough to become its own universe, infinitely expandable for all different types of playstyles.

World of Warcraft: Clash of Champions is coming in early 2012 and will retail for $44.99. Look for it soon.

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Cryptozoic Entertainment, which puts out the WoW Trading Card Game, has announced a new way for you to enjoy the Warcraft universe with Clash of Champions, a new deck-building card game. This game allows you to take on the role of a major hero of the Warcraft universe such as Thrall, Jaina, King Magni, Garrosh, or Varian Wrynn and fight monsters and epic bosses. As you fight, you level up, and you can add new abilities and loot to your card deck.

As you may expect from the basic outline of the rules, this will be a separate game from the TCG, with new rules and new ways to play, but it sounds like an epic playing experience and a fun way to battle with your favorite characters from the Warcraft mythos.

The new game is expected in spring 2012.

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The newest WoW TCG expansion, Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, isn't just about monsters like the naga, murlocs, and ogres. No sir, not at all. The Horde and the Alliance are both well represented in the coming card set, featuring new allies for both factions. As with all Cryptozoic card sets, the art for the cards is amazing and worth a look even if you aren't a die-hard TCG fan like so many are.

New Alliance allies are hitting the TCG, including Faithseer Jasmina, a Worgen priest with the ability to keep herself alive through preventing lots of damage, making Worgen one of the hardest races to take down in the card game. The other Alliance ally previewed is Mekkatorque, King of the Gnomes, who has the ability to reconstruct lost equipment during the game into strength for himself.

The new Horde allies hitting the battlefield include Alana the Woebringer, an Undead priest, and Lordann the Bloodreaver, a Blood Elf warrior. Alana the Woebringer has a dangerous ability that allows her to cut the opponent's deck in half at the start of each turn. She is a total deck destroyer, removing cards from the game until you bring her down. Lordann the Bloodreaver gets big bonuses for having your hero having lots of damage and will be especially useful with aggressive players.

Aftermath: Throne of the Tides will be released on Oct. 11.

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Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!

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The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game is getting a monstrous new expansion set on Oct. 11, bringing new creatures such as the ogres, murlocs, and naga into the game as playable characters. Aftermath: Throne of the Tides is the first set in the Aftermath series, set after the Cataclysm and Deathwing's rage-fueled destruction across Azeroth. Matt Place, the head designer of WoW TCG and lead designer on Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, wrote up a comprehensive preview of the new mechanics and many new heroes coming with the newest set.

New monster heroes and allies will be given brand new rule sets that make them unique and fun, providing lots of flexibility for deck builders and new game play experiences. Monster allies, for instance, have no restrictions based on the hero that the deck is built around, giving them added flexibility. On the flipside, a monster hero deck featuring only monsters gets some cool benefits as well. Monster heroes each have a permanent power on the back of their cards.

The murlocs run in packs, granting each other bonuses that the others possess. I immediately thought back to my Magic: The Gathering days with the Slivers and was instantly excited, since the Slivers were some of the coolest creations in TCG history. The murlocs sound like they are going to be a numerous force at all times, swarming your opponent and building up lots of cool bonuses.

If you're a fan of the WoW Trading Card Game -- and if you're not, you should be -- then head to your local purveyor of fine collectibles: The Twilight of the Dragons expansion is now available for sale. According to Blizzard:

WoW TCG: Twilight of the Dragons Now In Stores

Deathwing the Destroyer has arrived in the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game and he's brought both the Twilight and Black dragonflights with him. Tainted by corrupt magic before they were hatched, the Twilight dragons threaten to bring an age of darkness to the land. Unleash their fiery fury as you crack open packs of Twilight of the Dragons, in stores now.

Embrace the chaos and ally with Nefarian, Cho'gall, and Sinestra, or defend Azeroth against their assault by joining Thrall, Caelestrasz, Merithra, Arygos, Anachronos, and the elemental ascendants. In this time of great peril, will you join Deathwing's forces or defend against it? Choose your side and prepare for war!

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Packs retail for $3.99 and contain 19 cards. Cryptozoic is also making an Epic Collection available, which includes six packs, a guaranteed loot card, five random foil Twilight of the Dragons heroes, a game mat, and some other goodies.

For those of you who are all about the loot cards, there are three in this set that you'll want to get your grubby little paws on: the Nightsaber Cub pet; the Fool's Gold item, which spawns a fake mining node that spawns temporary kobold pets; and the Amani Dragonhawk mount.

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As the Worldbreaker series comes to an end, we now turn to the aftermath of Deathwing's destructive awakening into Azeroth and the continued battle against the elements and the Twilight Hammer Cult. The newest WoW TCG expansion, Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, puts players in control of murloc, naga, and ogre heroes as exciting new additions to the WoW TCG hero lineup.

Playing as some of the more monstrous races in the World of Warcraft universe is pretty cool, with all new keywords and abilities to take advantage of during gameplay. In addition, Throne of the Tides has been built from the ground up to be a smoother draft and sealed play experience, preparing even the newest players for fun, engaging tournament play. Read on to learn about the Epic Collection and the new in-game goodies that await TCG fans.

From Aug. 4 through Aug. 7, Cryptozoic Entertainment will be hosting the Darkmoon Faire Indianapolis at Gen Con Indianapolis 2011. Players can check out the newest WoW TCG sets, learn from the Cryptozoic pros, compete in a beginner's tournament, and challenge Alexstrasza to become a Dragonslayer. Class starter decks for the WoW TCG will also be on sale at a discount at Gen Con and you can check out board game demos as well.

If you're going to be at Gen Con Indianapolis 2011, check out Cryptozoic and the WoW TCG at booth #1749. Cryptozoic loves to teach the WoW TCG to new players and is really welcoming when it comes to learning about the game. You'll have a blast. See if you can try out the Assault on Icecrown Citadel four-player game while you're there. Our own Mike Sacco loved it.

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