MAGIC: MANASTRIKE is a Fun New Mobile Game Set in the World of MAGIC: THE GATHERING

Last week Netmarble released Magic: Manastrike. This is a new Clash Royale-style mobile game but with a Magic: The Gathering twist. I’ve been enjoying this game since before it came out (you can read some first impressions I had) and the launch seems to have fixed some of my worries.

The game allows you to use a deck of seven cards under the control of a Planeswalker. Each Planeswalker is associated with a different color (or two) from Magic and thus the cards they can use are limited by that. There are some universal creatures and spells that can be used in all decks. When in battle, you can summon the creatures and cast the spells from your deck in order to attack your opponent’s towers. Each side has two smaller towers and then a third large tower. If the large tower goes down, the game is over and you win. Pretty simple concept. Also, you can only summon creatures on your half of the board and then they march towards your opponent.

For the most part, this is all par for the course for these games. One of the cool things about Manastrike is that you can summon your Planeswalker to the field as well. Each Planeswalker has unique abilities that can be used to change the tide of battle and you can summon creatures around your Planeswalker when they’re in enemy territory. This can really help you push the front lines. An added bonus is that your Planeswalker changes the aesthetics of your towers.

Since launch, I haven’t had any connectivity problems which is fantastic. I also feel like you get a few more coins than before launch which should help those that really want to make this a free game. You will still want to be careful of how you spend your coins though. Manastrike still offers the Magic Pass (paid for with Gems which are mostly acquired with real money) which can provide some with an edge as it grants additional rewards and can even unlock new Planeswalkers, but such is the way most free-to-play games are.

Overall, Manastrike is a fun mobile game set in the Magic universe. It looks amazing and is definitely worth a try. It is free after all. You can download Manastrike now for Android and iOS.