It’s time to try Eternal. Hearthstone has proven the potential and success of the digital CCG space in the past several years since its inception and domination of the field. And throughout its life so far, other companies have been taking note and crafting their own answers to play the field. (Pun intended) While there are no lack of options out there for you to scratch your CCG itch outside of Hearthstone, there’s one in particular that especially deserves your attention: Eternal.
Eternal is developed by Dire Wolf Digital, also responsible for the digital versions of Magic and Pokemon TCG. But with Eternal, they decided to create an IP from the ground up to leverage the unique advantages of desktop and mobile platforms. And while there are plenty of games out there that I would highly recommend, I fully believe that every Hearthstone player would be better if they spent some amount of regular play in Eternal. Here’s why.
1. Keep playing when you need to stop.
If you’ve listened to The Happy Hearthstone podcast for any amount of time, you’ve heard me talk about the massive advantage you give yourself when you decide to take a break. Taking a break often feels like the last thing you actually want to do, but it gives you the clear mental break you probably need to be able to apply yourself as best as possible at the game.
But what if you could get the fresh mind you need by continuing to play? By far, this has been the greatest advantage to me for having Eternal waiting in the wing. When things aren’t going my way in Hearthstone, it’s an easy sell to myself to say, “Well, if I don’t want to stop playing games altogether, I can at least spend some time learning this.” Learning all the new mechanics, different cards, and different decks all spread your knowledge in CCG’s, but I’ve found it to be a complementary learning style that’s helped my enjoyment for both games to go up.
2. Look at the game differently.
Both Hearthstone and Eternal are incredibly complex games when played at the highest level. The art of deck construction, tech choices, knowing the field of the meta, and making the best choice turn-by-turn all combine into a big, messy ball of “tough.” And though many of the mechanics between the two games are very unique, I’ve actually learned that at least a functional knowledge in one can severely upgrade your level of play in the other.
In Eternal, there are many cards and plays that you have to watch for that simply aren’t possible in Hearthstone right now. But as you start to anticipate the unique powers that are available to your opponent in Eternal, it can actually increase your critical eye in Hearthstone. It’s amazing how a different perspective can help you get better at watching and anticipating plays, even in a different game. Just don’t get to the point where you’re confused which cards or mechanics are in which games. That’s not going to help you at all. 🙂
3. Play like you’ve never played before.
As if the new mechanics and cards weren’t enough to get you excited to boot up this different game, how about some entirely off-the-wall modes as well?
There are some fantastic game modes in Eternal that simply aren’t available yet in Hearthstone. Gauntlet is where every new player should start to learn the game and try out different decks. And Draft, though a key part of Magic, is a breath of fresh air for this hardcore Hearthstone player. And if you actually end up getting pretty involved in Eternal, the timed leagues seem like a serious run to the competitive spirit in each of us.
Needless to say, there’s a lot of fresh content to love here that you’ll have easy access to.
Overall, I simply can’t recommend Eternal enough. The game is well put together, has an extremely unique playstyle, and scratches some competitive itches that aren’t available in other games right now. Even if you’re more heavily invested in Hearthstone or another CCG, having a game like Eternal in your back pocket is a true gift. It will keep you grounded, sane, and diverse. And you’ll have a ton of fun while you’re at it, too. Best of all, it’s free! And Dire Wolf has prided itself in making the process of building a collection in the game much more accessible to the free to play community. There’s no risk to checking it out, so install it, and give it a go today.
Try Eternal
You can go to this link to claim 3 free packs and an extra theme deck when you start the game! or you can click the image below.
