Etherlords Series - Comparison of Etherlords and Etherlords II

Comparison of Etherlords and Etherlords II

The dueling portion of each game is conceptually identical. The latter game introduces many modifications to existing cards in order to balance them or make them more interesting to play with, as well as a handful of new cards (mostly found as Pale spells).

A much more significant change can be found in the scenario mode. Whereas Etherlords I uses a strictly turn-based strategy map in the style of Heroes of Might and Magic, Etherlords II uses a more character-oriented adventure map in the style of Shandalar, the minigame that Microprose created for its computer translation of Magic: The Gathering. As a result, the first game emphasizes strategic objectives like securing resources and territory, and using multiple heroes, while the second game eschews those elements in favor of making the player collect cards and manage their decks. The most notable effect of this change is that, aside from occasional time limits, the scenarios in Etherlords II do not feature active dangers—the player is free to explore as he wishes without threat of his infrastructure being destroyed. It is more about fighting through a linear path and taking on each monster in your way, and having to adjust your deck strategy against a series of different opponents.

Of particular interest to Magic: The Gathering players are the new multiplayer features in Etherlords II, including a variation of Limited, a popular sealed-pack competition format.