{"id":28515,"date":"2017-01-19T20:13:41","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T01:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=28515"},"modified":"2017-01-19T20:13:49","modified_gmt":"2017-01-20T01:13:49","slug":"halo-wars-2-feature-blitz-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=28515","title":{"rendered":"Halo Wars 2 Feature: Blitz 101"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>This is a reblog from Halo Waypoint:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>By Ske7ch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-28497 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzbeta101module-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitzbeta101module\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzbeta101module-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzbeta101module-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzbeta101module.jpg 542w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Halo Wars 2 Blitz Beta is nearly upon us which means it\u2019s time\u00a0for a special edition of the Halo Community Update to\u00a0get you fully up to speed on everything you need to know to hit the ground running and emerge victorious on the battlefield! Blitz is a new way to play Halo Wars and offers a fast, card-based strategic experience that\u2019s quite different from the standard RTS-style PVP matches of the past (don\u2019t worry, those modes are all still included in the final game!). The Blitz Beta will be avaialble on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC but for the sake of this guide, when controls are stated they will be in reference to the console version.<\/p>\n<p>Winning or losing a Blitz match ultimately comes down to a few key things:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Understanding the game mechanics<\/li>\n<li>Leader &amp; Deck composition<\/li>\n<li>Battlefield decision-making<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Luckily these are exactly the key things we&#8217;re going to dive into today. To kick things off, let\u2019s first start with the basics and overall game mechanics.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>WHAT IS BLITZ?<\/h2>\n<p>Blitz is a new addition to the Halo Wars experience offering a twist on RTS gameplay that combines the deck building and split-second decision making of card-based strategy play with explosive tactical combat in the Halo universe. Your card deck, along with your faction leader, are your greatest resources as you assemble a collection of air, ground and infantry units and seek to out-think and out-maneuver your opponents on the battlefield. Blitz is a\u00a0<em>PVP<\/em>\u00a0gametype that offers 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 configurations via Xbox Live matchmaking.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> This is definitely more complicated with regards to knowing what each element on the cards are and when\/how to use them. However, it is also a MUCH faster gametype as games can only last up to 12 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>WHAT\u2019S THE OBJECTIVE?<\/h2>\n<p>The goal in Blitz is to score more points than your opponent(s) by using the cards in your deck to capture and hold the majority of control points on the map. To capture a point all you need to do is position your units over it \u2013 air or ground will suffice \u2013 and it\u2019s yours for the taking provided your opponent isn\u2019t there to contest it. Any time you are holding more control points than your opponent, you will start to accumulate score points. If both teams control an equal amount of points, then scoring is paused until one team re-takes majority control. The winner of a Blitz game is the team to reach 200 points first OR the team with the highest score when the 12-minute game timer expires.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Think Halo 5 Strongholds but set in Halo Wars.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>THE ENERGY MUST FLOW<\/h2>\n<p>Blitz streamlines a lot of traditional RTS systems like base building, skill trees and hardcore resource gathering in exchange for fast paced battles but that\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a tiny bit of resource management to contend with. Energy is the \u201ccurrency\u201d in a Blitz match and it\u2019s \u201cspent\u201d every time you play a card based on the card\u2019s cost. You have two primary ways of generating energy during a game:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Players will slowly generate energy automatically during a match at a very slow rate but\u00a0<em>Energy Cells<\/em>\u00a0will periodically drop down onto the battlefield offering a chance to increase your energy gains (and that of your teammates as well!). The more energy cells you collect, the more your permanent energy gain \u201ctick rate\u201d increases. Building enough energy to amass a large army or play key cards at crucial times is a huge strategic component of Blitz so when you see an Energy Cell drop you should seriously consider going for it before your opponent does.<\/li>\n<li>When one of your unit dies, you will be refunded a portion of its initial energy cost. While this isn\u2019t a solid source of income to rely on in and of itself, it does allow players to at least offer a quick counter or response if they come out on the losing end of a skirmish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note that Airborne Units and units affected by Deployment Fatigue cannot collect Energy Cells.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Troops that you call in with Deployment Fatigue gain their full health and firepower once they&#8217;ve been on the battlefield for 8 seconds and have not taken a hit. Keep this in mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>LEAD BY EXAMPLE<\/h2>\n<p>The first decision you\u2019ll need to make before jumping into a match is which leader you\u2019ll choose to fight with. The Blitz Beta includes all of the leaders that will be available in the full game and each offers a distinctive playstyle with a few unique cards. Each leader can have three total decks saved and assigned to them. There\u2019s a default starting deck (you can use it as-is or edit to your liking) in addition to two more spots to create your own custom decks from scratch. Here\u2019s a quick look at each of the initial Leaders and their default starting decks:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28372 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/HaloWars2_SOF_simple-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"HaloWars2_SOF_simple\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/HaloWars2_SOF_simple-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/HaloWars2_SOF_simple-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/HaloWars2_SOF_simple.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><br \/>\nUNSC<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>CAPTAIN CUTTER<br \/>\n<\/strong>As Captain of the Spirit of Fire, Cutter can send in powerful orbital support and specialist UNSC units.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28498\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter-600x290.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-cutter\" width=\"584\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter-600x290.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter-768x372.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter-500x242.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28499\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter2-600x192.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-cutter2\" width=\"584\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter2-600x192.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter2-300x96.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter2-768x246.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter2-500x160.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutter2.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>ISABEL<br \/>\n<\/strong>Isabel deploys the latest UNSC vehicle tech to great advantage and distracts the enemy with AI holograms.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28500\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel-600x290.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-isabel\" width=\"584\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel-600x290.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel-768x372.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel-500x242.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28501\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel2-600x192.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-isabel2\" width=\"584\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel2-600x192.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel2-300x96.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel2-768x246.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel2-500x160.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-isabel2.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>PROFESSOR ANDERS<br \/>\n<\/strong>Anders\u2019 scientific expertise allows her to field Sentinel units and support her forces with Forerunner tech.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28502\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders-600x290.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-anders\" width=\"584\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders-600x290.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders-768x372.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders-500x242.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28503\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders2-600x192.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-anders2\" width=\"584\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders2-600x192.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders2-300x96.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders2-768x246.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders2-500x160.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-anders2.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Still sounds like Captain Cutter is the way to go for the UNSC. Though I am curious about Anders new Forerunner skill.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28371 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/HaloWars2_Banished_simple-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"HaloWars2_Banished_simple\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><br \/>\nBanished<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>DECIMUS<br \/>\n<\/strong>Decimus is a berserker who relies on hard-hitting rushes while siphoning their health away.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28504\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimusl-600x290.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-decimusl\" width=\"584\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimusl-600x290.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimusl-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimusl-768x372.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimusl-500x242.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimusl.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28505\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimus2-600x192.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-decimus2\" width=\"584\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimus2-600x192.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimus2-300x96.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimus2-768x246.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimus2-500x160.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-decimus2.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>ATRIOX<br \/>\n<\/strong>Atriox focuses on a cunning and defensive style, supported by heavy cover and invulnerability powers.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28506\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox-600x290.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-atriox\" width=\"584\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox-600x290.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox-768x372.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox-500x242.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28507\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox2-600x193.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-atriox2\" width=\"584\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox2-600x193.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox2-300x96.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox2-768x247.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox2-500x161.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-atriox2.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>SHIPMASTER<br \/>\n<\/strong>The Shipmaster favors stealth, teleportation tactics, and rapid assaults against his foes.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28508\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster-600x290.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-shipmaster\" width=\"584\" height=\"282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster-600x290.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster-768x372.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster-500x242.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28509\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster2-600x192.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-shipmaster2\" width=\"584\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster2-600x192.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster2-300x96.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster2-768x246.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster2-500x160.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-shipmaster2.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Gawd, ANY of the Banished sound powerful. Decimus for Rushing, Atriox for Power and the Shipmaster for Teleporting&#8230;.I think that last one is going to be the bane of many a player.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>YOUR DECK IS YOUR GREATEST RESOURCE<\/h2>\n<p>Your effectiveness on the battlefield is going to come down to quick strategic decisions but the most important decision you\u2019ll make happens well\u00a0<em>before\u00a0<\/em>you jump into a match. The most important component of your Blitz experience is your deck and the 12 cards you assemble to take with you into battle.\u00a0 Initially you may want to take a few of the pre-made decks for a test drive but eventually, as you acquire more cards and learn the nuances of the game, you\u2019ll no doubt want to construct your own custom deck and experiment with various combinations of cards and strategies.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28510\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2blitz-cuttereditdeck-600x312.jpg\" alt=\"hw2blitz-cuttereditdeck\" width=\"584\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2blitz-cuttereditdeck-600x312.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2blitz-cuttereditdeck-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2blitz-cuttereditdeck-768x400.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2blitz-cuttereditdeck-500x260.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2blitz-cuttereditdeck.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/>The screenshot above shows the \u201cEdit Deck\u201d menu which is where you can select and assign the 12 cards you\u2019ll be using. Note that in the lower right corner there\u2019s an option to press (Y) to adjust the \u201cStarting Army.\u201d Each leader-type has a specific starting unit configuration that you can choose when setting up your deck. This represents the units that will spawn at your base at the very beginning of a Blitz match.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve built your decks, you can press the (Y) button you can flag\u00a0<strong>one<\/strong>\u00a0of three decks for one leader as a<em>\u00a0Favorite<\/em>\u00a0which has implications later on when playing \u201cQuick Match\u201d games. A Favorite deck will be noted by a small star icon as seen below:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28511\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutterfavorites-600x219.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-cutterfavorites\" width=\"584\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutterfavorites-600x219.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutterfavorites-300x110.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutterfavorites-768x280.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutterfavorites-500x183.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-cutterfavorites.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Okay, I definitely like the idea of custom decks. Makes for MUCH easier gameplay, especially the Favorite. Think Loadouts but highly customizable!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re playing a team game, the strategic options get even more varied as you coordinate with your partner(s) to potentially focus on specific deck builds and roles. For example, perhaps one of you decide to go with a cheaper, \u201crush\u201d style deck while your teammate opts for a more expensive, \u201cheavy\u201d deck to help hold the points you captured. The Blitz Beta is your chance to explore all of the leaders and cards available at launch so don\u2019t be afraid to experiment! A deck that works in one situation may not work in another.<\/p>\n<h2>ANATOMY OF A BLITZ CARD<\/h2>\n<p>Blitz cards contain a wealth of critical information that will prove crucial to your theorycrafting and deck building. Here\u2019s a quick breakdown of what it all means:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28512\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2_blitzcard101_th-600x338.png\" alt=\"hw2_blitzcard101_th\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2_blitzcard101_th-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2_blitzcard101_th-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2_blitzcard101_th-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2_blitzcard101_th-500x281.png 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2_blitzcard101_th.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Energy\u00a0<\/strong>cost is extremely important because energy is the sole resource you\u2019ll need to manage and pay attention to during a game of Blitz. We\u2019ll talk more about energy down below but suffice it to say that it\u2019s a finite resource and something that you can actively work to increase over the span of your game but could be in fairly short supply in the early stages of a match.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Unit Type\u00a0<\/strong>is represented by icons throughout the game and you\u2019ll want to make a mental note of what each one means. This will help as you review a card\u2019s \u2018Strengths &amp; Weaknesses\u2019 to make sure you aren\u2019t leaving yourself vulnerable to a particular unit type (or to help exploit vulnerabilities in an opponent\u2019s deck).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strengths &amp; Weaknesses<\/strong>\u00a0is also key to pay attention to because you\u2019ll want to make sure your deck is balanced enough to not be exposed against certain counters in battle. This is most critical if you have cards that show a gray icon, this means that the unit can\u2019t attack that type at all. The Wild Jackrabbit above doesn\u2019t have this problem \u2013 it can attack all unit types but you\u2019ll see that\u2019s only average against infantry and vehicles but it\u2019s particularly ineffective vs. air units.\u00a0<em>Hellbringers,<\/em>\u00a0on the other hand, have a gray Air Vehicle icon which means these units are completely ineffective versus airborne units.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special Attribute<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Some units have \u201cKeywords\u201d that bring a special power or ability to the battlefield. In the example above, \u201cBlast\u201d gives the Wild Jackrabbit a bonus ability that causes it to explode and deal area damage when it\u2019s destroyed. Other keywords you\u2019ll see on some cards include \u201cDetect,\u201d \u201cShield\u201d and \u201cSupport.\u201d\u00a0 Check out your cards and experiment \u2013 utilizing a special attribute card at the right moment can turn the tide in your favor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Okay, what may have seemed like a complex set-up, the cards actually read quite easily! Whew, thought there was going to be a HUGE learning curve just for deciphering those. Glad that there isn&#8217;t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the Card Library you can check out every card in the game, including ones you may not even possess yet (they\u2019ll be grayed out).\u00a0 If you select a card and press Left Trigger it will allow you to \u201cInspect Card\u201d which gives you a closer look with even further details:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> YES! VERY glad to hear we can even see cards we don&#8217;t yet have. That will help us prepare for future battles!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28513\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-wildjackrabbitinspect-600x225.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitz-wildjackrabbitinspect\" width=\"584\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-wildjackrabbitinspect-600x225.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-wildjackrabbitinspect-300x113.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-wildjackrabbitinspect-768x288.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-wildjackrabbitinspect-500x188.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitz-wildjackrabbitinspect.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/>Upon closer inspection we can see that the Wild Jackrabbit card has a bit more information that\u2019s worth noting.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Card Level<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; In the top-right corner we can see the LEVEL of our card. The greater a card\u2019s level, the more powerful it becomes. Cards are leveled up when you acquire multiple copies of the same card. In this case, our Wild Jackrabbit is level 2 and once we collect three more copies our card will become level 3.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special Attribute\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Here we can see a helpful description of what special attribute our card has (if applicable, not all cards will have a special attribute!).<\/li>\n<li><strong>(Y)\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Some cards also have additional powers or abilities that can be triggered using the Y button your controller. Typically, these abilities have a cool down timer so you want to use them at the right time but they can offer huge advantages when leveraged properly. Our Wild Jackrabbit doesn\u2019t have a (Y) ability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leader Restriction\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Some cards are only available with specific leaders and if that\u2019s the case you\u2019ll see this noted with a star and an indication of which leader the card belongs to.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>SHOW ME THE CARDS!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>You&#8217;ll have a nice assortment of cards to begin with upon launching the Blitz Beta but of course you&#8217;re going to want more! You can earn cards in the beta in a few different ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Complete the in-game Blitz tutorial<\/li>\n<li>Complete daily and weekly challenges<\/li>\n<li>Improve your Spartan rank by winning matches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>None of the cards you earn in the beta will carry over to the final game but Blitz Beta participants can score two free packs that will be ready and waiting when Halo Wars 2 launches on Feb. 21. Players can earn one pack for simply logging in to the beta and another pack upon the completion of their first match.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> As with the starter REQ packs in Halo 5, these won&#8217;t grant you domination, but will be a head start. So definitely play the Beta!!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>GAMEPLAY<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve studied each leader, meticulously reviewed your card library and constructed a deck you\u2019re ready to jump in and play Blitz!\u00a0 In the beta you\u2019ll first need to decide if you\u2019re playing a 1v1, 2v2 or 3v3 game. If you\u2019re going down the team route you can invite and party up with friends or just dive in and match up with friendly strangers.<\/p>\n<p>There are two ways to get into a game in the Blitz Beta:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Quick Match<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This matchmaking option automatically sets you to play with your \u201cFavorite\u201d deck and automatically joins you into a 2v2 playlist.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Play-&gt;Find Match<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This option will let you choose the type of Blitz game you want to play (1v1, 2v2 or 3v3) and then select your leader and deck for the match.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve locked in your gametype choice, you\u2019re ready to play Blitz!<\/p>\n<h2>LAY OF THE LAND<\/h2>\n<p>Before the battle gets too heated, let\u2019s pause things and get a lay of the land and highlight some of the important elements you\u2019ll want to be mindful of during a match. The screenshot above was grabbed during a 1v1 Blitz game on \u201cProving Grounds\u201d, the same map you\u2019ll be playing in the Blitz Beta.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Does this look complicated? Read on! (And be sure to open up the follow graphic in another window so you can view while reading the list.)<\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-28514\" src=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzscreeninfo-600x338.jpg\" alt=\"hw2-blitzscreeninfo\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzscreeninfo-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzscreeninfo-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzscreeninfo-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzscreeninfo-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hw2-blitzscreeninfo.jpg 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/>There\u2019s a lot going on at any given time during a game of Blitz so here\u2019s a quick breakdown of all of the on-screen elements you\u2019ll want to pay attention to:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>This bar represents the current score for each team. Remember that whenever a team possess more control points than their opponent, they are earning points. The first team to reach 200 points will win or, if the game timer expires, whoever has the most points at that time is declared the champion.<\/li>\n<li>Speaking of timer, this is the overall game timer. Blitz games last 12 minutes.<\/li>\n<li>Beneath the score are icons representing each of the three control points. In this example, we can see that the Blue Team is in control of points A &amp; B while the Red team controls point C.<\/li>\n<li>This is where battlefield messages will be displayed such as when a unit is destroyed.<\/li>\n<li>This is the DPAD shortcut iconography depicting the various functions available via the DPAD. Pressing Up assigns a global rally point, Down cycles to your next army, Right is for the last alert and Left is to cycle back to your home base.<\/li>\n<li>At the bottom, these icons indicate units that are currently selected. You can press RT to cycle through individual units within your selected squad. If you see a (Y) icon, this means the unit has a special ability ready to be activated. If there\u2019s a circle around it, that indicates the ability is currently on cool-down.<\/li>\n<li>These are your current active Blitz cards ready to be played. The initial ordering of your cards is random but from then on cards will cycle in a consistent pattern.<\/li>\n<li>This helpful indicator reminds you to hold Left Trigger to \u201cShow Hand.\u201d This expands your current active cards to allow you to play one or to press X to \u201cCycle.\u201d This discards your card for a cost of 5 energy and cycles a new one into your hand.<\/li>\n<li>This purple \u201c149\u201d represents the player\u2019s current available energy level. Remember that energy is the cost to play a card as noted on the top left corner of the card. Right below the purple number is a smaller white number in brackets \u2013 this indicates your current energy accumulation rate. At the start of the game this will be 0 but as you collect energy cores that randomly drop on the battlefield your energy will begin to grow at a faster \u201ctick rate.\u201d The more cores you collect, the higher your energy rate gets. It\u2019s important to note that in team games, when any player picks up energy cores, the entire team benefits from improved energy gains.<\/li>\n<li>This displays your current army size out of the total maximum number of units allowed. In this case the player is only at 6 of 30 so there\u2019s capacity to play up to 24 more units.<\/li>\n<li>The mini-map is super important to help you assess where to deploy forces, where to push and when to fall back. You\u2019ll be able to see your teammates and opponent\u2019s units on the map at all times so use that to your advantage.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>THERE\u2019S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!<\/h2>\n<p>While you\u2019re free to play a card anytime and anywhere (provided you have enough energy!) there is a specific benefit to playing a unit card at your home base \u2013 they hit the ground ready to rock and are 100% battle ready. If you have injured units on the battlefield, they can be healed by moving them back to their Home Base.<\/p>\n<p>Units that are deployed out in the field, away from home base, will suffer from\u00a0<strong><em>Deployment Fatigue<\/em><\/strong>. These units will spawn in with only\u00a0<strong>half of their usual health and only do half of their usual damage<\/strong>. If the unit avoids taking damage for 8 seconds it will heal back to 100% and return to normal damage output. It\u2019s also important to note that units suffering from Deployment Fatigue cannot collect energy cells until their status has returned to normal.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes you have no choice but to instantly drop a unit into the heat of battle, especially if it\u2019s to contest a control point and prevent your opponent from capturing and scoring, but be aware that there are tradeoffs.<\/p>\n<h2>WATCH, LISTEN, LEARN!<\/h2>\n<p>As if all of the information above wasn\u2019t enough, here\u2019s one final helpful resource to help you prepare to lay waste to your foes in the Halo Wars 2 Blitz Beta when it launches on Jan. 20. The video below is a gameplay capture of the in-game Blitz Tutorial which will hopefully put everything you just read into greater context.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> I HIGHLY reccomend you do not skip this video. It&#8217;s a great asset to learn the very basics of Blitz!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Halo Wars 2 Blitz Beta Tutorial\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/22O7kb4sCRk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Even though you\u2019ve read this exhaustive guide and watched the tutorial I still highly encourage you to play the tutorial yourself once you\u2019ve installed the beta. Not only will it help familiarize you with the mechanics and controls but you\u2019ll also earn a Blitz card pack for completing it!<\/p>\n<h2>AND SO IT BEGINS&#8230;<\/h2>\n<p>This is, of course, just the beginning. In the coming days the team will be watching closely, monitoring your feedback and reviewing logs of data to help refine the overall Halo Wars 2 experience at launch. Experiment with the leaders and cards at your disposal, try to build new decks and invent crazy strategies, compare and discuss with the community and let us know all about it over in the Halowaypoint\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.halowaypoint.com\/en-us\/forums\/38bd6e2ebbb14e5b9b359bb029588800\/topics\">forums<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And if you really want to help give the Halo team critical feedback and insights on Halo Wars 2 (and beyond), please consider joining the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.halowaypoint.com\/en-us\/community\/halo-community-feedback-program\">Halo Community Feedback Program<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong>HFFL:<\/strong> Folks, I joined this quite awhile ago. It&#8217;s a fantastic program for we fans to have a direct say in what we like and dislike in the games. Many of the suggestions I&#8217;ve made have made it into games. (No doubt not just by me, but by the myriad of other folks in the program too, so I&#8217;m not taking credit there.)<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>BUT WAIT, THERE\u2019S MORE!<\/h2>\n<p>If you want to check out some sweet Blitz card illustration artwork and read more about the lore behind some returning and new units you\u2019ll be fighting with and against, be sure to check out Grim\u2019s latest installment of Canon Fodder right\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=28486\">HERE!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And if you want to earn yourself a special custom unit skin for use in the retail version of Halo Wars 2, hop on Twitter and check out the #TwitterHaloWars program currently underway! You can battle a friend or go head to head vs. Isabel or Atriox in a Blitz-esque mini game via DMs.\u00a0To jump into a #TwitterHaloWars PVE link, click\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/InitiatePvE\">HERE.<\/a>\u00a0To kick off a #TwitterHaloWars PVP game, click\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/InitiatePvP\">HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for joining us in this Blitz 101 deep dive and we look forward to seeing you online starting Feb. 20!<\/p>\n<p>-ske7ch<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.halowaypoint.com\/en-us\/news\/blitz-101\">Source Link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a reblog from Halo Waypoint: By Ske7ch The Halo Wars 2 Blitz Beta is nearly upon us which means it\u2019s time\u00a0for a special edition of the Halo Community Update to\u00a0get you fully up to speed on everything you &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=28515\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-halo-wars-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28515"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28522,"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28515\/revisions\/28522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}