Paragons: Age of Champions can be played in 3 different modes: SGM (Standard 1V1 Mode), 3-for-all mode (for 3 player clashes) and Solo mode. Each plays somewhat differently, and we've laid these differences out as best we can.

Let's begin with the primary way Paragons is meant to be played, SGM, the standard game mode.

While we do want to emphasize that Paragons was designed primarily to be played PvP, we have devised an automated process for an interactive single player story experience which involves deck building and strategic roleplaying elements.

Solo Campaign Mode is in many ways played similarly to the standard PvP format, though the 2nd player is replaced with an automated method, referred to as ‘the Enemy’ for the purposes of the Solo Campaign Mode.

On the top row of the board, you have the Enemy Mercenary Deck laid out next to a five card river from which the enemy’s mercenary cards are played to the 3rd row each turn (you can see that on this turn, the Centaur Marksman was played.)

The middle row is the Enemy Spell Pool, where as many as 6 spells can be laid out, waiting to be cast. The bottom row is the Enemy Combat Board, which unlike the Standard Game Mode, is a 1x6 row instead of the usual 2x4.

Players will read each scenario of the campaign booklet one at a time, learning the story and playing out the different skirmishes on the path to their ascendancy one at a time.

The scenario will give the player context as to what’s happening in-world, and then tell them the cards they need to set aside for the enemy mercenary deck and spells. They’ll set up the Enemy’s play space as seen above and then the scenario begins.

Players take their turns in the same way that they would in PvP, but of course the Enemy plays differently in Solo Campaign Mode.

First, they update the river, making sure that it has five cards. Then, they play mercenaries from that pool following logic described by the difficulty “Beginner”, “Intermediate”, or “Advanced”, which varies the intensity of how early stronger cards can come out.

Then, spell and ability dies are rolled.

For spells, if the die number corresponds to the space a spell occupies on the enemy play space (left to right), the spell in that slot is ‘live’ for the turn. If its an immediate effect, it will cast immediately, targeting the front-most and/or left-most appropriate mercenary (Enemy mercenaries for buffs, player mercenaries for negative effects) If it is conditional (that is, uses the language of ‘if’, ‘when’, or ‘may’ in its description), it is held in reserve and will cast the first time that turn it can, or fizzle if that does not happen.

For abilities, the same process is used for any enemy mercenaries in play. If an ability is triggered, any costs associated with that ability (e.g. Exhaust this mercenary to do ___) are ignored, and the benefit occurs for free, otherwise following the same logic as with spells.

Finally, the enemy mercenaries that were played on any previous turn attack, again targeting left-most and front-most mercenaries.

The scenario describes the player win conditions and rewards for beating it. Rewards often entail cards that the player has the option to add to their deck, but also include choices with roleplay components and other varieties of buffs not seen in the PvP mode. HP carries over between scenarios, so it is up to the player to be judicious and conservative, recognizing that sometimes winning the battle poorly can still entail losing the war.

And that’s it!

“Okay, but what’s the story going to be like?” You may be asking. Well, here’s a little taste…