Siege: Apocalypse is a unique combination of deck building, PvP strategy and military simulation, where battles take place on authentic maps and include weapons, unit types and real-world battlefield maneuvers.
If that makes it sound daunting, do not worry. Despite its unfolding character and genre, Siege: Apocalypse is a surprisingly accessible game that you can pick up in no time.
Different members of the Gamezebo team with different levels of experience in these genres have tried the game for example – and no one is left swaying on the battlefield.
So get dressed and get ready – this beginner’s guide will teach you the basics and equip you with some essential tips in the process.
The base
The core game loop works like this: before each battle you can stock up on different types of units in the soldiers menu. These include basic infantry, rocket launchers, flamethrowers, tanks, snipers, shotgun soldiers and so on.
In addition to your soldiers’ menu, there is a tactics menu. You can take eight tactical operations into battle, including a machine gun nest, a firebomb, a thump run, an ammunition drop, an artillery barrage, paratroopers and a hobbler, among others.
Each of these soldiers and tactics is represented by a card with level, rarity and a variety of other statistics such as area damage, vehicle damage, health, spawn count, speed of movement, etc.
This is the definition. Now let’s go into battle.
A battle begins
Battles occur on a battlefield with vertical scrolling, with your base at the bottom and your opponent at the top.
During battles you can deploy soldiers and tactics simply by tapping their cards. Your troop cards are arranged across the bottom of the screen in fixed places, and above them sit three random tactics cards, which are replaced with different tactics cards each time you use them.
To deploy tickets you need to use Supply, which renews over time. It’s basically your energy. Different forces and tactics require different amounts of resources, with powerful units like tanks using five bars and infantry using one. Also, mines require three while barbed wire takes only one.
This means you need to constantly consider the benefits of lowering soldiers and weak tactics quickly or slowly.
The way you start a fight is key, and we have found different strategies to be effective depending on what you are tackling. One tactic that can be effective is junk from rocket-launching forces only, for example, but another is using your supplies against rifles – supporting full infantry progress with Firebomb Tactics.
As each battle progresses you advance up the screen you will conquer buildings along the way, and once you reach the summit the victory is yours, and then it returns to the main menu to claim your rewards.
After each battle, and at various other points, you will receive boxes containing random selections of soldiers, tactics and coin cards. You use these to upgrade your soldiers and tactics and create, improve your chances of winning the next battle.
We have found that it is better to upgrade every component in our war machine fairly evenly, so as not to be caught by everything in front of us.
How to control
Each player starts with the same core deck in Siege: Apocalypse, consisting of the same selection of rifles, tanks, rocket launchers and so on.
As touched on above we found it essential to elevate everyone to a level instead of concentrating on a particular unit or tactic that was effective in the early battles. You are going to encounter every situation and possible opponent over time, so you need to be prepared.
In particular, make sure that your light infantry and heavy armor receive the same attention. Balanced strength is the key to victory, as any weakness (no matter how small) can be seriously exploited – especially later in the game.
Good defense is the best attack in Siege: Apocalypse, because the only way to keep progress is to conquer and defend strongholds, which in turn increases your tactical options and brings you closer to your enemy’s main base.
Therefore you need a balance of infantry and armor. Your tanks are good at pushing forward, while your infantry is essential to hold defensive positions.
Tactical cards
Same thing about tactics cards. Firebombs and artillery bombs are always fun, but you also need machine gun and wire barrels to hold the line.
You will encounter a huge variety of tactics and approaches in Siege: Apocalypse – how many players there are, in fact – but keeping a balanced pack will stand you in all situations.
And so you will keep a close eye on your supply levels. In particular, you need to make sure that your supply never exceeds ten, as the surplus will go to waste. Keep deploying these soldiers and tactics to get the most out of your resources.
Finally, preparing homework always helps. You need to review the statistics of your units so that you understand exactly how they can help you in battle.
And do not forget to choose your options before going into battle. These can give you the boost you need in close competition.
Click here To download Siege: Apocalypse on Android or iOS to put these tips to the test – tell us how you do it! The game has many official social pages that can be checked as well – that is Twitter, Facebook, Instagramand YouTube.