Hello, dear reader, I hope you’re having a good day. I’m not being paid to write this blog, and it contains information based on my opinions from playing Hero Academy 2 on iOS. Hero Academy 2 is rated 9+ on the App Store for its mild violence. If you can handle Saturday morning cartoon violence, this game should hold no shocks. All units fall to the ground when defeated and can be ‘stomped’ on to forcibly vanquish. Hero Academy 2 is free-to-play and is all online so you’ll need an internet connection to play. There are in-app purchases, yet Hero Academy 2 doesn’t force them down your throat with pop-ups after every duel.
Review:
Hero Academy 2 is a strategy card game available on iOS and Android. It is a faster version of the original Hero Academy, with a turn limit, and no asynchronous turns. The original Hero Academy was more like playing chess by mail. This one is more like playing Duelyst. Each player has a hand of 5 cards, you can discard an unwanted card, gain 5 energy per turn (unless playing first), yet you do have a limit to the heroes you can play. The game ends when the time limit is reached or one player destroys the other’s crystals. There are a variety of maps with different obstacles and crystal placements. The game has a cartoony aesthetic any family can appreciate.
Time: You can play Hero Academy 2 as much as you want. Online duels and most challenges have turn limits ensuring games don’t go much longer than half an hour if that. The player has daily quests and those dedicated to collecting as much gold as possible can watch up to 5 advertisements to collect 200 gold from each sitting.
Pros and Cons: Hero Academy 2 has no end-game in sight. It’s a collectible card game with three factions (not including neutral factions). Most collectible card games have power creep overshadowing previous cards. At launch it isn’t an issue, and the game is kind to new players by including Sir Badric as a free legendary card. Players can get 1000 gold towards a 1500 card pack just by watching advertisements. This doesn’t include the daily quest which refreshes every day or the daily gem chest.
Overall Impression: If you love Duelyst, Clash Royale, or quick online strategy games; then Hero Academy 2 is waiting for you to join the class! It’s family-friendly, doesn’t push in-app purchases at you, and can teach strategy. If you don’t enjoy card games or strategy games, then Hero Academy 2 isn’t for you.
Tips:
- Discard unwanted cards – When you start first the handicap is less energy. You will want to discard a high cost or useless card to refine your options. You will always draw to a hand of 5 cards.
- Let the enemy come to you – Playing a card gives it summoning sickness. It can only use one action. Place your units strategically so your enemy can’t draw first blood. You can move your heroes just out of reach of enemy melee units so your opponent will have to react to your play. Watch out for ranged units! They can be buffed with pierce or more damage. Personally I hold my units in front of my crystals until I have a good enough army to move forward with.
- Remember you’re limited to 5 heroes – You can’t play any extra heroes onto the field once you’ve got 5. No extra archers or that Terminus in your hand if you’ve flooded the field with footmen!
- Learn game mechanics from the challenges – The challenges will teach you the game through some fun scenarios and reward you with resources! Challenge 2 is difficult if you forget you can move units with your abilities. Keep in mind pushing an enemy unit forward pushes them toward your side of the map not away from you! You can thus push enemies into bow range before they move.
- Don’t fill your deck with creatures – If you’ve ever seen Yu-Gi-Oh, then you know how important it is to include spells and buffs in your deck. Don’t be a Joey! Armor is especially good as recharging HP.
I hope the review and tips help you out, dear reader! Class is in session!
Links: The App Store link is https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hero-academy-2/id1164507120?mt=8 and the Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/HeroAcademyApp/.
Disclaimer: I’m not being paid by Robot Entertainment or anyone else to write these tips. The only money I could make would be through advertising on this site or on YouTube at this point in time. I don’t take responsibility for the content on sites linked to from this article.
by Brian Petrilli AKA Jalinon
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