Introduction
Welcome back to another exciting edition of shop talk! After receiving an overwhelming amount of feedback from our last blog post, it’s clear that there are still some lingering questions about the new shop mechanics. To address this, we’re here to provide some much-needed clarity and shed light on the current implementation of the shop, along with showcasing some updated cards.
First things first, let’s clarify the user interface. We admit that our tasteful placeholder art may have caused some confusion. The title “Secret Shop” in the new shop interface led some to believe it was a separate entity or a replacement for the Secret Shop slot in Artifact. In reality, it’s simply a reimagining of the old shop. Additionally, we’ve made some changes to the terminology to avoid any further confusion. The “Purchase” and “Invest” options have been renamed to “Shop” and “Earn” respectively, making their functions more specific. We’ve also removed the reroll button, opting instead to immediately replace any purchased items, just like in the original shop.
Now, let’s dive into populating the shop. Before each match, you’ll assemble an item deck consisting of 10 cards, with no tier restrictions. Once the match begins, your item deck will be supplemented with additional items drawn from the entire set available in the game. You can easily keep track of the added items through the in-game deck tracker. This not only brings back the varied gameplay of the old Secret Shop but also ensures that the shop initially contains items from each tier. The number of items added per tier is as follows: Tier 1 (4), Tier 2 (3), Tier 3 (2), Tier 4 (1), and Tier 5 (1).
During the shopping phase, each of the three slots in the shop will be populated from this combined item deck. This means that roughly half of the items available at any given time will come from the deck you constructed, an improvement from the original shop’s one-third. And remember, when you purchase an item, it will be immediately replaced with a new one drawn from the deck.
Lastly, let’s talk about item reworks. You may have noticed that the rarity icons have undergone a makeover. These icons now represent the general order in which cards can be unlocked, rather than traditional card rarity. Starting with the first group (grey icon) and some of the second group (green icon), players will gradually unlock more powerful cards as they progress. However, it’s important to note that higher-tier cards aren’t necessarily more powerful, but rather utilize more advanced game concepts and require finesse to be used to their full potential.
With these exciting changes and improvements to the shop, we can’t wait to see how they enhance your gaming experience. So gear up, assemble your item deck, and get ready for an epic adventure!
Clarifying The UI
Our tasteful placeholder art muddied the waters a bit. The title “Secret Shop” in the new shop interface implied that it was somehow separate from the old shop in Artifact or a replacement for the Secret Shop slot, when really it is just a reimagining of the old shop.
People also found the “Invest” option confusing, because it created the expectation of giving money in the future, rather than right away. In response, we’ve renamed the options from “Purchase” and “Invest” to “Shop” and “Earn” to make them more specific. The reroll button has been removed in favor of immediately replacing any purchased items, like in the original shop.
Here’s a sketch of the current iteration of the shop from one of our UI artists.
Populating The Shop
Before a match begins you assemble an item deck, which currently consists of 10 cards. There are no tier restrictions on the items. Once you enter a match, your item deck is supplemented with extra items drawn from the whole set of items available in the game. You can see which items have been added via the in-game deck tracker. This recreates some of the varied gameplay of the old Secret Shop and ensures that the shop will initially contain items of each tier. Currently the number of items added per tier is:
Tier 1: 4
Tier 2: 3
Tier 3: 2
Tier 4: 1
Tier 5: 1
In the shopping phase, each of the three slots in the shop is populated from this combined item deck, so roughly half of the items available at any time will be from the deck you constructed, up from a third in the original shop. As mentioned, when you purchase an item it is immediately replaced with a new item drawn from the deck.
The items in the shop are drawn from the cards remaining in the combined item deck whose tier is at or below the shop level. If you’ve already bought all those cards, you will see a random Tier 1 card instead.
Item Reworks
You may have noticed how the rarity icons look different. These icons represent the general order that cards can be unlocked instead of traditional card rarity. Players start with the first group unlocked (cards with a grey icon) and some of the second group (the green icon). Cards in higher tiers aren’t necessarily more powerful, but tend to use more advanced game concepts and require more finesse to be used at their full potential.
Let’s take a look at some of the changes to items.
Phase Boots
- These boots are still a strong option for forcing or dodging match-ups in a lane.
- The switch from swapping with an ally to swapping with any slot gives more options.
Claszureme Hourglass
- The old version of this card had the most requests for change since it could feel so suffocating.
- The new version is mostly good for use against heavy card draw strategies.
Nyctasha’s Guard
- This item clearly follows the old adage that the best defense is a good offense.
- Equipping this item makes a hero a huge target. Make sure to bait out your opponent’s counters before equipping it.
Hero Reworks
It doesn’t seem fair to cover the same topic twice, so we wanted to share a few hero reworks as well!
Prellex
- When Prellex enters the lane, she converts one of the Melee Creeps to a Mega Creep for an instant hit of extra power on the board.
- Deploying creeps on the right gives you a few tactical options when deploying. Outside of round 1 you can easily get a strong blocker in the 4th or 5th slot.
- Barracks helps empower many of the weak creeps blue tends to rely on by keeping them healthy and able to use their powerful effects more often.
Axe
- While Axe is no longer the stat juggernaut he once was, he’s still extremely durable with great deployment options.
- With some setup, and the fact that it’s repeatable, Culling Blade lets you lop the heads off several heroes in one round (repeatable cards are added back to your hand when cast, but are discarded at the end of the round). It’s also fun to bluff holding so you can bait reactions from your opponent.
- Berserker’s Call is still a beast and makes itemization for Axe extra powerful. It’s a good idea to control initiative when Axe enters the board with it off cooldown.
Ogre Magi
- Ogre has become a popular hero to build around, just make sure you have enough Mana to cast both copies of your spell this round or you’ve wasted the cooldown.
- Repeatable cards are discarded at the end of the round, so you can’t build card advantage the way you could with Multicast in the original version of Artifact. The increased level of predictability makes this version easier to use though.
- The Multicast ability doesn’t modify the base card. Unlike cards which are innately repeatable, Multicast only returns the card to your hand one time. Normally repeatable cards can be cast until you run out of Mana or valid targets.
- While two armor makes Ogre a good option for offlane deployment, you may want to keep him in the safe lane instead to trigger Multicast frequently.
- Due to lower unit stats, Ignite is a great way to clear out small units from a lane.