Total War: Elysium enters the card wars with closed beta

Published , by Ozzie Mejia

More and more franchises are looking to dive into the card gaming space to chase after the giants of the genre. It's a little ambitious to try and catch up to Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone, but Sega and The Creative Assembly are certainly going to give it a shot with its latest card game. Yes, they're taking the historical strategy of Total War and turning it into a collectible card game with Total War: Elysium, which is launching its closed beta today.

While Total War: Elysium is classified as a card game, The Creative Assembly is looking to take some different turns with it. The idea is to select from a batch of generals, many of them taken from previous games in the franchise like Napoleon, and use Total War-style tactics and deck editing strategies to win the day. Players can mix together generals and various unit cards. These cards can include archer or cavalry units, as well as much mightier forces, like the Jian Sword Guard, Mangonels, and Trireme warships. There's also the chance to swing the game with the Daybreak mechanic, which allows players to call in their reserves for backup.

Sega and The Creative Assembly will be looking for feedback throughout the closed beta period. For now, it's only open to mobile devices, so if you're on iOS or Android, you can sign up on the Total War: Elysium website. Total War: Elysium will release in full on both mobile devices, as well as PC, later this year.