The registration for the beta of Bethesda’s upcoming card battler The Elder Scrolls Legends is now open and it’s accompanied by a first look at the gameplay. The trailer introduces the mechanics of the battling in the game and shows off some of the classic Tamriel icons that will appear.
What we see here is a title that shares a lot of its core build with Hearthstone. You’ll win each game by reducing your opponent’s health to zero, but will have to fight through the cards to open up the chances to strike them. Each game starts with a hand of three cards, and as you draw more you’ll gain extra magicka points to play them on your turn. Cards are placed into one of two lanes on the table, which may have special conditions that effect the field at various times.
As you take damage in The Elder Scrolls Online, you’ll see your runes destroyed. Each time this happens you’ll be able to quickly draw a card, allowing you a chance to retake the initiative if you’re lucky. As you collect extra cards you will build a deck of Allies, Armaments and Magic from the lore and history of the Elder Scrolls series.
The game features three different modes; a campaign which you can play through, practice areas where you can test out new cards and strategies and the arena in which you’ll be able to battle solo or in Versus mode.
The Elder Scrolls Legends will launch for PC and iOS later this year, and you can register for the beta as of today.