Mythereum is a digital collectible trading card game (digital CCG) that uses blockchain technology. In Mythereum, players collect cards that represent creatures. These cards can be used to build a deck and play matches against other players.
In some ways, Mythereum is similar to other digital CCGs such as Magic: The Gathering Arena or Hearthstone. But there are two features that set it apart from other games in this genre.
First, players actually own the cards they buy from the developer of Mythereum.
When a player buys a pack of cards, this transaction is recorded on the Ethereum blockchain, and the cards themselves are ERC-721 tokens that can be transferred to a player’s Ethereum wallet.
Second, Mythereum has a unique set of rules that makes gameplay feel very different from any other CCG.
As a result, even players who normally do not like these types of games may find that they like Mythereum.
Mythereum is starting to gain in popularity amongst fans of both collectible trading card games and blockchain technology.
So we decided to play a few matches and learn how it works. This article is a summary of what we found out.
Below, we will tell you how to set up an account with Mythereum, get some free cards, build a deck, and start playing matches.
We’ll also tell you the rules of the game and how to have the best chance at winning.
Most importantly, we’ll weigh in on the topic of whether Mythereum is fun or if the cards are worth collecting.
Mythereum Gameplay Video
Getting started with Mythereum
To get started with Mythereum, you’ll need some kind of Ethereum wallet. We recommend using Metamask. It is the most popular Ethereum wallet and works with most applications.
It also keeps your private keys on your device, which helps to prevent your Mythereum cards from being stolen by hackers.
Another simple option to use for an Ethereum wallet is Portis. Portis is a web-based service that allows you to sign into decentralized applications with just a username and password.
This can make the sign up process a little simpler. And if you plan on only using free cards to play Mythereum, this may be all that you need.
However, since it is a web-based application that does not store private keys on your device, we do not recommend using Portis to store anything valuable, including premium Mythereum cards.
Signing up
To sign up for an account with Mythereum, just navigate to the official Mythereum website. If you have the Metamask browser add-on, it will produce a popup window asking if you want to connect to Mythereum.
Click connect to set up your account.
If you use Portis instead, you’ll see a popup window asking you to sign in. Fill out your email address and Portis password to sign in.
Changing your username
By default, Mythereum will assign you a random fantasy name. To change this name to something else, first click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
Next, select the edit button below the name field, under User Settings.
You can also enter an email address and connect to the Mythereum Discord server using this screen.
Getting your first cards
Once you’ve got your account set up, click Claim Free Deck to get 10 random cards from the Free Survivor set. You’ll recieve a message saying that your cards have arrived.
Click Show Deck to look at your new cards.
Getting even more free cards
Once you’ve claimed your first set, you can press the Claim Free Deck button twice more to get another two sets of 10 free cards. Between these two and the first set, this gets you a total of 30 free cards that you can use to build your first deck.
Modifying and creating decks
After claiming your free cards, they will be organized into three separate “decks.” If you’re in a hurry, you can choose one of these decks to start battling with right away. But you’ll probably have more fun by building a deck of your own.
From the menu along the top of the screen, click heroes. Then click create a new… This will create a new deck called New Deck, or some other generic name.
Click all cards to display your entire collection of cards. Browse through the list until you find a card that you would like to add to your deck. Click and drag the card over the icon of your new deck. When the deck icon turns red, release.
You will not get a message saying that the card has been added to the deck. So the only way to verify that this worked is to click on the deck to see if the card shows up within it.
You must have a minimum of seven cards in the deck. Beyond that minimum, you can have as many cards in it as you want.
How to play Mythereum
Once you’ve got a deck you’re happy with, it’s time to take it into battle. Here is how to play Mythereum.
Joining a battle hosted by someone else
The easiest way to start a battle is to find one hosted by someone else. To do this, click the battlegrounds icon at the top of the screen. Then select the not started tab near the bottom.
Scroll down the list until you find a battle you want to join. Then click the join button.
Hosting a battle
If you aren’t happy with the parameters for any matches that currently exist, you can create your own battle. Click new battle from the battleground screen. This will allow you to choose from a few settings. For example, you can decide on a per-turn time limit for the match. Or you can make a 2 vs. 2 team match instead of a 1 vs. 1 duel. There is even an option to do a four-player all-out brawl.
When you are satisfied with the settings for your match, click send to battle. You may have to wait a while to find an opponent, especially if you choose unpopular settings. But hey, at least once you find someone, you can play the type of game you really want to.
Understanding Mythereum cards
In order to play Mythereum effectively, you’ll need to understand the cards.
Each card represents a creature that you can send into battle. In the top-left corner of the card is the creature’s shield points. In the top right is the creature’s attack points. If a creature gets into battle, it can only win if its attack points are greater than its opponent’s shield points.
In the bottom left corner of the card are bonus shield points that the creature can gain if it activates its special ability. In the bottom right corner are bonus attack points that the creature can get if it activates its special ability.
In the middle portion of the card-bottom is the magick cost (mana cost) to activate the special ability.
It is important not to confuse the natural shield and attack points with the bonus ones. The natural shield and attack points are at the top, while the bonus shield and attack points are at the bottom.
Mythereum rules
Mythereum has a few rules that are radically different from most collectible card games. If you’ve played Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, or similar games, you may find some of these rules to be surprising.
We will list them here to make them easier to digest.
- You must attack every turn unless you use the No Leader card
- If you have enough magick points for your leader to use its ability, it must use its ability
- You cannot use the No Leader card two turns in a row
- When creatures do battle, they take permanent damage. There is no “heal phase” in Mythereum
- A wounded creature that is in “support” can be swapped out with a random creature from your deck. This can be done once per turn
- If you have no more creatures in support or leader positions, you lose the game
- If your hit points go to zero, you lose the game
- All creatures do “trample” damage. If a creature does more damage than is required to kill the opponent’s blocker, the opponent takes the rest of the damage to his hit points
Mythereum gameplay
When a Mythereum match begins, both players are dealt a face-up hand of five cards. This hand is called your support. You begin the game with the No Leader card as your leader.
During your turn, you can either move a card from your support area to your leader area, exchange a card in your support area with a random one from your deck, or both.
At the end of your turn, your leader card must attack the other player’s leader card. If your leader card has more attack points than your opponent’s leader card’s defense, his leader card is defeated and removed from the game. Any excess damage is taken out of your opponent’s hit points.
If your leader card has less attack points than your opponent’s leader card’s defense, his leader card absorbs the damage and remains alive. In this case, it can swing back and attack your leader on your opponent’s next turn.
Magick points and special abilities
Each turn, players get several magick points. These are randomly distributed between three colors: black, grey, and white.
Each creature has a special ability that it will automatically use if its player has enough magick points to trigger it.
However, there are three parts to its cost; one part for each color. In order for the special ability to be used, all three parts of the cost must be paid.
For example, Zucksa’s special ability costs 3 black, 4 grey, and 2 white magick points.
If Zucksa is your leader and you have at least 3 black, 4 grey, and 2 white magic points, she will automatically use her special ability and then attack. But if you have 3 black, 4 grey, and 1 white, for example, she will attack without using the special ability.
When a creature uses a special ability, its bonus shield and attack points are added to its natural shield and attack points.
This gives it a one time boost at the cost of magick points. This will often allow the creature to win a fight it otherwise couldn’t.
Ending a Mythereum match
Gameplay continues until either one of the players has no cards in his leader or support areas or else one of the players has no hit points.
Once one of these conditions are met, the game is over. The player who has no cards or no hit points loses.
In Mythereum, most games are finished when a player runs out of cards. It is rare for a player to run out of hit points.
Mythereum strategy
In Mythereum, gameplay strategy revolves around knowing when to use the No Leader card and when to swap out injured creatures for fresh troops from your deck.
You can see your opponent’s support area. So you know what cards may attack you on the following turn. If you believe that you cannot win the next fight, you can replace your current leader card with the No Leader card.
This will allow you to take hit point damage to yourself instead of having your troops get injured or killed.
However, the No Leader card cannot be used twice in a row. So use it sparingly.
If one of your creatures is damaged and survives, you may want to replace it with a card from your support area and then immediately swap it out with a card from your deck. This will help keep your support area full of fresh, healthy troops.
However, if you think you can only defeat your opponent’s leader using your current leader card, you may want to keep it in place.
It will probably die. But this may be worth it if you can take out a high-value card on your opponent’s side.
If you don’t have enough magick points to trigger your leader’s special ability and defeat your opponent’s leader, stall as much as you can.
Use the No Leader card or throw blockers with a lot of shield points in the way.
Build up enough magick points to take out your opponent’s strongest card, then switch your leader out with your most powerful support card, use a special ability, and attack the other side.
With a good army and a little luck, you’ll come out on top.
That’s how gameplay strategy works in Mythereum.
Mythereum: Is it fun to play and collect?
So is Mythereum fun to play? We’ve played quite a few blockchain games here at Castle Crypto. And most of them have been a disappointment. But we found that this one really shined.
The gameplay is interesting and challenging, and we found it hard to stop playing.
The only criticism we can really offer for Mythereum is that it might be a bit too much of a “pay to win” game. We encountered several decks that had creatures much more powerful than what is available in the free set.
In other CCGs, it’s possible to build a “budget deck” that can often beat decks with more expensive cards, as long as only a few games are played. This is because of the inherent randomness of CCGs.
Only over the course of a major tournament, with tens or hundreds of games played, does the slight edge provided by a more expensive deck prove to be the deciding factor.
In Mythereum, this does not seem to be the case. It appears that a player does need to invest in at least some packs of the premium card sets to have a fighting chance.
And at a cost of 0.127 ETH (around $23), collecting Mythereum cards could get expensive quickly.
Still, we found Mythereum to be a great game, and we were pleasantly surprised at how challenging it was. We would recommend trying this game out.
And if you like the game, you may want to consider buying a pack or two and testing it out some more.
