Total War: Elysium Puts a Historic Spin on the CCG

Publishers aren't done trying to muscle in on the digital collectible card game market. Riot Games recently released Legends of Runeterra, a CCG based on its best-selling title League of Legends. Now Sega is getting in on the action with Total War: Elysium, a free-to-play game planned for mobile and PC.

Ahead of the upcoming closed beta phase, Sega has released a video of Total War: Elysium's gameplay, which… looks like a digital CCG. The main differentiation is the battleline, which splits the playing field up into discrete sections, and the ability to change up your deck mid-battle. There's also the Daybreak mechanic, which makes certain cards stronger at certain times of day during your fight. Further details about how these mechanics actually work are shrouded in mystery at the moment.

The premise of Total War: Elysium is that all of the greatest generals of history are battling it out in Elysium to determine who is the greatest. "Set in Elysium; City of Legends, [Total War: Elysium] features a huge array of history's pre-eminent generals, each with a unique playstyle such as the ranged tactics of Napoleon, the control-minded methods of Cao Cao, and the aggressive nature of Lagertha," says Sega in a press release. "Joining them in the fray of battle is an armada of historically inspired battle cards from throughout the ages, like the ferocious Jian Sword Guard, devastating Mangonels, supreme Trireme warships and much more."

It is free-to-play, so there is an in-game currency that drives the purchase of Battle Packs. That currency is called Amethyst, and you can use it to buy packs and new generals. Players will also gain card packs, Amethyst, and another currency called Gold simply by leveling up.

Total War: Elysium does not have a firm release date yet, though it's being tested on mobile platforms right now. Sega plans to launch it on PC, Android, and iOS. You can sign up for the closed beta on the official Total War: Elysium site.