Heroes of Dragon Age

HoDALoadingScreen3 — The loading screen of *Heroes of Dragon Age* 3.0

Heroes of Dragon Age is a freemium game released on 5th December 2013^[1] for iOS and Android devices. The game lets players purchase and collect 3D figures of key characters (called "heroes" in the game) from Dragon Age, form them into a squad, and then battle human and AI-controlled foes. The game functions as a squad-based strategy game with the battles played out automatically and the outcome contingent upon the selection of characters in the five-person party, their abilities and formation on the battlefield, as well as any runes that are buffing the team.^[2]

The game is light on lore, and rather than telling an original story, is instead based on "what if?" scenarios. Each quest--there are 16 available in the single-player format, exploring extant game lore--is a self-contained map and lets players re-experience key moments from not just the previous Dragon Age games, but also the novels, codex entries and more. For example, quests during the Fifth Blight, and quests telling the story of the fall of Arlathan are available. PvP battles and events are available as well.^[2]

At launch, Heroes of Dragon Age included more than one hundred unique characters, each with four potential evolutions or variations. Characters are available through grinding or via an in-game cash store.^[2] Post-launch support will increase this number with characters from the newest game Dragon Age: Inquisition, and other pieces of franchise lore. How much the game will interact with Inquisition has not been confirmed, but the game's producer noted that the developer is working closely with BioWare and such interaction would make sense.

In game HoDA — The game features tutorials for combat and other functions.^[2]

Developer Capital Games predicts that the game will be supported for at least a year after release, perhaps even several years, with new characters and features continually added.^[2]

On 17 June, 2014, Heroes of Dragon Age Version 2.0 was released, offering some new features such as Fortification and improvements on many old ones.

On 22 October, 2014, Version 3.0 was released, replacing PvE map and daily challenges with the Nexus.

Classes of characters

HoDA store — The in-game store showing the three pack options.

Characters are sorted into different classes (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary) and have rock/paper/scissor-style pros and cons.^[3] ^[4] When a new character is obtained, the resulting character is determined in a "lottery" style, with a random chance of obtaining any one character, the likelihood of receiving a Rare or Epic character, for example, which can be increased by grinding or payment.

Characters can be purchased from various Hero Packs in the in-game store for gold or gems. There is also a one-time-use "Ultimate" pack that guarantees an Epic unit, available for $1.99.^[5]

Characters can also be earned through the completion of PvE Daily Events and Gauntlet Events in the Nexus.

Factions

Main article: Factions (Heroes of Dragon Age)

Heroes of Dragon Age uses colors to display the nature, or faction, of the units.^[6] The colored circular plate in each character's base denotes their status. The coloring rationale, with some exceptions, is defined below:

White: "Lawful" units and characters who use predominantly physical attacks, such as most warrior and rogue units
Red: "Lawless" and "outlaw" units (including apostate mages and Qunari) as well as regular (non-Blighted) creatures
Black: Demons and darkspawn units
Blue: Dalish, sanctioned magic users (such as Circle mages) and supernatural entities

Exceptions appear to be instances where a character's nature is mixed. An example is Alistair's color plate, which is black/white, denoting his status as a Grey Warden. There are also blood mages, for example, who have white plates, such as some of the Tevinter units, while Merrill, alternatively, has a blue/black plate, denoting her status as a Dalish blood mage.

When four characters of the same faction are used simultaneously, a faction bonus is granted. This bonus is the character's percentages added together. Common characters add 1%, Uncommon characters add 2%, Rare characters add 3%, Epic characters add 4%, and Legendary characters add 5%. For example, a party comprised of 1 Rare (3%), 2 Epic (4%) and 1 Legendary (5%) characters of the same color would grant a 16% Faction bonus. Characters of two different factions count towards either faction.

Hero Packs

The easiest way to obtain characters is by purchasing packs in the in-game store. There are four different types of packs available at all times, with special ones on offer from time to time. These special packs often include characters who cannot be obtained elsewhere in the game.

Recruit Pack: Drops one character and a chance at 1 rune. Guaranteed Common, with a chance at heroes of a higher class. Cost: 350 Gold
Soldier Pack: Drops one character or large creature and a chance at one rune. Guaranteed Uncommon, with a chance at heroes of a higher class. Cost: 1500 Gold
Champion Pack: Drops one character and one rune. Guaranteed Rare or better. Guaranteed at least 1 Epic in every 4 packs purchased, and at least 1 Legendary in every 20 packs purchased. Cost: 38 gems
Grand Champion Pack (10 Champion Packs): Drops one guaranteed Legendary, Two Epics with a chance at being Legendaries instead, Five Epics and Two Rares, Cost: 342 gems

All packs have a chance at producing a Rare, Epic or Legendary character, yet the lower level the pack, the less chance of granting a more desirable character. Recruit packs have a very, very low chance of dropping anything better than a Common hero.

Note: With the update to version 2.0, the odds of getting heroes of higher rarities from Soldier and Champion packs has been increased.

Consuming

The game encourages the purchasing of lower rank characters in order to use their abilities to develop more desirable characters in a process called "consuming." The abilities of unused characters can be applied to--or consumed by--other characters to strengthen them and improve their abilities. Common units in particular are encouraged for use in consumption, but characters of any rank can be consumed; consuming uncommon, rare, epic, and legendary characters will provide a higher boost in XP and 2x damage %.

Consuming transfers XP to the main character and increases their 2x damage %, unlocks additional Fortify slots, and can Tier them up. Bonuses to experience gained are awarded when the characters consumed share a Faction color.

Bonus percentages for consuming are dependent on what tier the main character is, as well as what tier the character being consumed is. Consuming duplicate characters will automatically tier the character up.^[7]

Tier I consuming a Tier I character gives a 10% bonus
Tier II consuming a Tier II character gives a 20% bonus
Tier III consuming a Tier III character gives a 30% bonus
Tier IV consuming a Tier IV character gives a 40% bonus

Consuming characters of the same faction as the main character grants additional bonuses.

With the release of version 2.0 of the game, new characters called Consume Wisps have been introduced. These wisps grant high bonuses when consumed, depending on the rarity of the wisp. Consuming a wisp that is of the same faction as the character gives an additional boost.

Consume progress

A "Consume Progress" bar shows what bonus will be unlocked next, and the percentage of progress towards that bonus. The amount needed towards each bonus is dependent upon the rarity of the character. The higher the rarity, the more points needed to reach the next bonus. The order is as follows:

2x Damage: 2%
2x Damage: 3%
Health Slot (see Fortifying below)
2x Damage: 4%
2x Damage: 5%
2x Damage: 6%
Power Slot
2x Damage: 7%
2x Damage: 8%
2x Damage: 9%
2x Damage: 10%
Health Slot
Tier 2
2x Damage: 11%
2x Damage: 12%
2x Damage: 13%
Power Slot
2x Damage: 14%
2x Damage: 15%
2x Damage: 16%
2x Damage: 17%
Tier 3
2x Damage: 18%
2x Damage: 19%
2x Damage: 20%
Power Slot
2x Damage: 21%
2x Damage: 22%
2x Damage: 23%
Health Slot
Tier 4
2x Damage: 24%
2x Damage: 25%
Power Slot
2x Damage: 26%
2x Damage: 27%
2x Damage: 28%
2x Damage: 29%
2x Damage: 30%

Fortifying

A new system called "Fortification" was added with the 2.0 update. All characters have 10 fortification slots, 5 for health and 5 for power. Each new character obtained starts with only 2 slots available--1 health and 1 power. Additional slots can be unlocked through Consume.

Fortifying consists of placing unused characters into these slots, and based on that character's rarity, tier, and faction will give a permanent bonus to either health or power (depending on which type of slot you place the character in). Using a character of the same faction as the one being fortified will grant a higher bonus. Slotted characters can also be combined with identical characters in order to tier them up and increase the bonuses.

Note: Once a character is slotted, it cannot be removed. Placing a different character into that slot will replace the original one, effectively "destroying" that character.

Characters

See Characters (Heroes of Dragon Age).

Combat features

Main article: Combat (Heroes of Dragon Age)

Stun - makes target lose one turn
Gains power - gains a large amount of power per attack (First round x1, second round x2, third round x3, etc.)
Slows - lowers initiative of target by 1
Heals - gains health
Drains power - lowers power of target (possibly by half?)
Cross faction hit (bonus for attacking the opposing color): add 25% damage
Aura - has passive ability that buffs hero's party, such as raising allies' power or health
Elusive - is less likely to be targeted
Flank - usually attacks the back row first
Resilience - has resistance to stun

Runes

Main article: Runes (Heroes of Dragon Age)

Runes can be used (maximum of two at once) to give an advantage in battles and quests. Runes expire after a certain time if unused, and have varying effects and duration based on their rarity. They can be obtained by summoning a character through a pack, earning banners in PvP events, and completing PvE events.