There is a lot to love (and probably hate) about The Elder Scrolls: Legends (or TESL) but after nearly two weeks of playing the game and trying out its many modes I can say that I fall on the side of adoration.

Before I dive into my first impressions of the open beta (which almost anybody with an internet connection and PC can play) I need put aside any comparisons to Hearthstone.

TESL is not a Hearthstone killer nor is it a clone, instead what Dire Wolf has created is something that combines the best bits of Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone. What’s more, TESL adds a few new mechanics which add a whole lot of depth to the genre.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Everything you love just by a different name

As you might expect there is a degree of similarities between TESL, Hearthstone and Magic. In TESL you will find minions, items, support cards (ongoing effects that can improve or worsen cards) and actions.

You’ll find creatures which have Guard (creatures need to attack this card before anything else) and some which include a mechanic that I’ve only seen in some Hearthstone cards, lethal; the ability where a minion can destroy any minion it damages.

Decks in TESL can consist of anything from 30 (Arena modes) to 70 cards. Players are discouraged from building a full 70-card deck however as it does negatively impact card draw.

The story mode serves as a tutorial guiding you through the basics of the game and I have a suspicion that more acts will be added to the story should Dire Wolf decide to expand on the game later. Throughout the story you will collect cards and be introduced to the various keywords, mechanics and play-styles the game has.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends – The Prophecy foretold

Around the character portraits you will notice five blue runes. These runes break at the 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 HP marks and allow you to draw a card. Should that card bear the text “Prophecy” it can be played immediately, during your opponents turn.

This seems like it would break the pace of the game but it just adds to the tension of a match. It also forces you to think a bit harder.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Pick a lane

The feature that excited me about TESL is that there are two lanes in which players can place their cards. In most match-ups you will have a Field Lane, which has no special conditions and the Shadow Lane which does.

While in the Shadow Lane, characters cannot be attacked until your next turn but they can be targeted by some spells. These lanes do change from time to time such as in the story mode and some Arena match-ups.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Card confusion

Perhaps I’ve been playing Hearthstone too long or maybe Blizzard just has the formula for card creation down to a fine art, but TESL’s cards confuse me.

While it’s never expressly mentioned, Hearthstone’s cards have a value system. Taunt cards are usually more expensive and vanilla cards are generally rubbish. The mana-cost of cards also makes sense, if there was say a four mana 7/7 card in Hearthstone that would be ludicrous, even if it had something like an overcharge.

Some of the cards can be upgraded as your character levels up but you can craft these cards using Soul Gems. Soul Gems are earned by destroying, known as Soul Trapping, cards or by winning them in games.

Some classes also have support cards which can add an on-going effect to the board such as “give all your creatures +1/+1” or limited effects such as “Deal 2 damage to a minion”.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends: Listen carefully class

There are five classes as well as neutral and combined class cards to choose from. You can select a maximum of two classes and decks can built from these two classes, combined class cards and neutral cards.

Much like water and nature synergised in Magic, there are synergies here as well. Endurance and Willpower can give you cards that will stick to the board and a range of spells to dispatch your enemy with. Ramp up quickly using Agility and then remove your enemy with Strength class cards.

Even the avatar you select has special attributes.

Pick an orc character and you will discover Orc cards more quickly. Similarly, pick a Redguard and you will discover weapons more easily.

These have a rather big impact on the game and I feel like Dire Wolf could have conveyed the weight of this decision a bit better when players are faced with character selection.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Final word

Overall, TESL is a damn fun game. I’ve poured at least 20 hours into the game over the last two weeks and I certainly plan on playing it more as Dire Wolf perfects the beta and preps for the full release of the game.

If you enjoyed Magic: The Gathering and you’re looking for something a bit different to Hearthstone I do recommend having a go at TESL.

See you in the arena.