The Legion approaches! Demons howl, weapons are sharpened, and armor is crushed as all who stand in their way fall to the demonic forces of the Burning Legion. Factions of defenders have gathered at the Outland capitol of Shattrath, gathering their forces, recruiting new allies, and trying not to destroy each other in the process.
 

March of the Legion marks the beginning of the second year of the World of Warcraft TCG. The past year has been quite the wild ride, first with the launch of the game, and then with the introduction of players to the tumultuous world of Outland. Heroes of Azeroth set the stage, giving players their first look at how their favorite aspects of the best-selling MMO of all time translated to cardboard form. Through the Dark Portal took players to the world of Outland right after the Burning Crusade expansion was released for the online game. The year was capped off with the smash hit Fires of Outland, taking the TCG even further into Outland and giving heroes the tools they needed to do battle with each other. The entire first year set the stage and got players prepared for the fierce battles that lay before them.

The time for that battle has come, but are you prepared?

The second year of the WoW TCG will focus on the struggle between the free races of Azeroth and the Burning Legion. The Legion is composed of demonic forces that aim to corrupt and destroy everything good that exists and every living being that cherishes it. So, with the forces of absolute evil in one corner, who’s in the other? Who’s brave enough to face down such an indomitable army?

The naaru, an advanced race of angelic beings, are the sworn enemies of the Legion. At their side are two factions: the Aldor, a force of draenei that have sworn to serve the naaru; and the Scryers, a faction of blood elves that have come to realize the evil toward which their corrupted leader Kael’thas was leading them. While both the Scryers and Aldor have joined together to fight the greater evil, their hatred of each other remains. The Aldor are suspicious of the blood elves’ intentions, not sure that they can be trusted. The Scryers are tired of being treated as enemies while they give their lives and everything in their power to battle the corrupted Kael’thas and the rest of his demonic allies.

Which Side Are You On?

In the MMO, the most important choice that players were asked to make as they neared level 70 was which faction to align with. Once a decision was made, players would have to spend a great deal of time and effort to switch their allegiance. While there’s a great hatred and resentment between the two, they both face off against the greater evil of the Legion.

Perhaps the biggest surprise we have in store for players in March of the Legion is the introduction of the Aldor and Scryer sub-factions. Before I go any further, why don’t you take a look at two of the leaders around which you will have the choice of rallying:

Voren’thal and Ishanah are indeed an epic way to kick off the previews. As you may have noticed, both allies have neutral ally card borders. This indicates that both Horde and Alliance players are allowed to include them in their decks. The next thing you savvy readers undoubtedly noticed are dark new keywords hanging out in the text box. Aldor reputation and Scryer reputation prevent you from including the opposite faction in the same deck. Just like the Alliance and Horde, these guys hate each other.
 

When Voren’thal comes out to play, she’s all about pressing the advantage. Any card that allows you to draw cards suddenly becomes twice as powerful. While drawing cards won’t guarantee anything, it will allow you to hunt for answers faster. You thought In Dreams was a great way to fill up your hand before? How about drawing six cards instead of three? We could make a list of cards that this makes better, but that would include too much for any sane person to read in a single sitting. Needless to say, when Voren’thal comes to play, she’s not planning on losing.

While Voren’thal is going to help you find more weapons, Ishanah is all about turning your opponents’ weapons against them. Once she hits play, it’s a game of Red Rover, but only your opponent will send someone over. You may get a few weak allies at first, but pretty soon, her side of the argument will make a lot more sense, and your opponents will be helpless as they’re forced to sit back and watch their strongest allies converted.

Scryer and Aldor factions are going to change the way you play the game. Just as many of you have come to expect elusiveness in the Alliance and ferocity in the Horde, these two new factions will also come with their own respective keywords, giving you a new array of tools with which to fight against the evil taint that the other additions to the set will bring. Those new keywords will be addressed as we get a little closer to the Sneak Previews, but for now, why don’t we look at one of the darker allies with whom you can team up:

What would March of the Legion be without introducing Demons to the mix? Sironas is a great example of a theme that all Demons share: they can either help you or hurt you. Naturally, you’ll only want to make deals with the Demons that have goals similar to your own, so they will be prime targets for players looking to build decks that play to the same strengths as the Demons’ corrupted presences.
 

In the case of Sironas, she’s a great way for players who are more interested in killing their opponent fast than saving up for something big. Any deck that destroys its own resources or opts not to bother with resources past a certain point is going to love this ally. She offers a way to shut down opposing control strategies firmly by preventing them from hitting the critical mass of resources necessary to drop finishers like The Abominable Greench or King Magni Bronzebeard. Sure, she’s going to have a big bulls-eye on her head once you play her, but if your opponent can’t answer her immediately, she’ll get out of hand. Add cards that destroy your own resources, and your opponents will be helpless to watch you destroy their health while they look at a hand full of cards that cost more than they ever have the hope of seeing.

That’s just a taste of things to come. On top of more new mechanics that promise to add even more depth to an already amazing game, this set is also going to include some powerful abilities and talents for you to explore with your favorite heroes, new and old. Stay tuned this weekend as we look at the equipment love that casters are getting, along with an expansion of the role that damage types play in the game. Be prepared, because the Legion is coming and they mean business.