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Summer Party Phinn Skin Giveaway: Highlight Contest

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Aug 31, 2016

To celebrate our favorite river troll’s new summer look, we’re offering a series of giveaways of his new Summer Party skin. Check back each week for a new chance to win! 

Phinn Highlights Contest

We know you love to pull your enemies to their doom and smash them into little bits! So now is your chance to show us your best Phinn moments with a highlight reel. Here’s how it works: players create their best Phinn Highlight reel and/or retweet others. The more you retweet, the better your chances of winning!

You can enter this contest using twitter and/or instagram.

Rules:

  • The contest runs from September 2nd, 9:00AM PDT to September 6th, 9:00AM PDT.
  • Winners will be announced every day starting September 4th.
  • Each day we will choose up to 10 winners from among the entries.
  • Include the tag #PhinnHighlights and your player name (IGN) in the post.
  • You must be following @vainglory.
  • If you enter using Twitter, your tweet must not start with the @ symbol.
  • If you enter using Instagram, your post must have @vainglory tagged in the photo and in the caption.
  • You can participate every day with a new entry
  • Winners will receive the Summer Party Phinn skin!

 

‘Dear Diary’ Lyra is Coming Soon!

  • Vainglory
  • |

1000x500_Lyra_Unicorn

What did Lyra want to be when she grew up? ‘Dear Diary’ Lyra gives you a secret glimpse into the early dreams of Vainglory’s dangerous Gythian mage.


CHECK OUT HER IN-GAME FOOTAGE & 3D MODEL: 

https://youtu.be/A_XDJEK75X4

SKIN HIGHLIGHTS:

MODEL CHANGES

    • Super-rare unicorn horn!
    • Pink party dress with red roses and ribbons

EFFECTS CHANGES

  • Magic runes transformed into hearts for allies, broken hearts for enemies
  • Arcane missiles look like hearts and arrows
  • Ultra-pretty rainbow bridge portals

ALTERNATE FATE LORE

Dear Diary,

Everything is AMAZING because it’s my tenth birthday! I’m sad that my horn hasn’t grown out yet. Most of my family have antlers so they say I will also grow antlers but I think when I grow up I’ll have one of the super-rare unicorn horns because I am the very best in my family at magic.

I got to wear my party dress today, the pink one with the satin roses and ribbons. Every other day, I have to wear the mage academy uniform. I like the academy but the uniform is plain black. Today I had a party and cake and I even danced once with Titus, the cutest boy at the academy.

When I grow up, I’ll wear my party dresses every day, except they’ll have real roses instead of satin ones, and pretty shoes for dancing. I’ll be the best Battlemage in the Mage Guild, maybe the world! I’ll defeat Gythia’s enemies with rainbows and love magic because Titus will be my husband. He acts like he doesn’t like me just because I’m not Mageborn and he is but when we’re grownups and in love that won’t matter at all.

When I grow up, I’m going to have the best life, and I promise I’ll never go anywhere without you, Dear Diary.

Love,

Lyra

 


CANON LYRA LORE:

The Consequence and The Inception
The First Mistake


 

‘Just Beginning’ to ‘Vainglorious’: Explaining ‘Red’ Items

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Oct 11, 2016

Are you new to Vainglory? Or, are you perhaps struggling to keep up with your allies and enemies? This series will bring new players up to speed and help those 0-10 players break the slump and start consistently succeeding.


AN INTRODUCTION TO ‘RED’ (WEAPON) ITEMS

Red items enhance your basic attacks. A “basic attack” is the standard attack that all heroes have. To initiate a basic attack, you simply need to tap on a minion or enemy hero.

Red items are not just about making your basic attacks do more damage. There are three different types of weapon items. First, there’s the traditional “weapon damage” item. An item that enhances weapon damage impacts how hard you hit. Let’s look at new hero Gwen, for example. Gwen starts with her basic attacks doing 65 damage. If she were to purchase a Weapon Blade (+15 weapon damage), her basic attacks would now do 80 damage every time she hit something.

Some items impact your weapon attack speed. Attack speed determines how often you hit. If Gwen bought a Swift Shooter instead of a Weapon Blade, her attacks would still do the base 65 damage with a basic attack. But her attack speed would be +20%. In practical terms, she would do six attacks in the same amount of time she would normally do five.

There’s a third type of weapon item designed to inflict “critical strikes,” which are depicted in-game with a red (!) mark. These strikes deal 50% more damage than a usual basic attack. Items of this type come with two stats: critical chance and critical damage. One increases the likelihood you’ll get a critical strike and the other further increases the amount of damage such a critical strike will do.

Let’s look at Gwen again. Normally, she doesn’t have much of a chance to cause critical strikes. But with a Lucky Strike, she now has a 20% chance for her basic attack to become a critical strike. Lucky Strike also includes +12% critical damage, which means a critical strike will now do 62% more damage than a usual basic attack!

Generally, if you’re playing a hero buying weapon items, you’ll want to focus on at least two of the three types. High weapon damage items such as Sorrowblade pair very well with high attack speed items such as Breaking Point or high critical strike items such as Tyrant’s Monocle. But the balance of the three categories is highly dependent on the character. Experiment to find out what works best for your playstyle, and explore the item stats on guide/resource websites such as VaingloryFire.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOtF7grEGsU&feature=youtu.be

UNDERSTANDING THE TIER SYSTEM

As discussed in the Blue Item guide, Vainglory has some truly powerful items. Each of these items has ingredients that need to be purchased first in order to complete their recipe. So, if you want to purchase that Sorrowblade — a powerful item for increasing your damage — you’ll first need to purchase a bunch of lesser items including Weapon Blade and a Heavy Steel. Think of purchasing items as purchasing ingredients; you want to have a powerful Tier III item in mind and then see what you have to buy first in order to get it. Occasionally, you’ll have so much gold that you can buy both the ingredients and the final powerful item at once, but that’s probably an indication that you should have spent your gold a while ago! Better to increase your power in small steps than be weak for a long time and then have a massive power spike.

When you first start a game of Vainglory, you’ll start out with just enough gold to buy a Weapon Blade. A Weapon Blade is a Tier I item, meaning you can get it immediately without purchasing anything else. You’ll also notice that it’s an ingredient for virtually every Tier III weapon item in the game. After purchasing it, you’ll have the opportunity to upgrade it to a Tier II item if you have sufficient gold. In order to get more gold, you’ll need to kill minions, monsters and enemy heroes. The great thing about buying any lower-tiered item is that you’ll get the next tiered item in that progression at a discount — so there’s no downside in buying that Weapon Blade while you save up for that Tier II Heavy Steel. Again, it’s always good idea to spend your gold.

So let’s say you’ve bought that Heavy Steel. You’re doing a lot more damage now! Let’s look at Gwen’s basic attacks again. As mentioned before, Gwen’s basic attack would normally do 65 weapon damage at Level 1. With a Heavy Steel, it would do 55 points more of damage. So now she’s doing 65 + 55 damage.

Next, you’ll want to purchase your first Tier III item. While any weapon-focused hero will usually buy the same Tier I and Tier II items, purchasing Tier III items depends a great deal on your hero. Since each Tier III items does something slightly different, all of these options can be especially daunting to new players.


WHICH HEROES BENEFIT FROM RED ITEMS?

Typically, the heroes that benefit the most from weapon damage items are snipers, warriors and sometimes assassins. More specifically, red items benefit:

  • Snipers: Gwen, Vox, Skye, Baron, Kestrel, SAW and Ringo
  • Warriors: Glaive, Alpha, Joule, Krul, Ozo and Rona
  • Assassins: Taka and Blackfeather.

You can buy weapon items for other heroes — such as roamers Fortress and Lance — but for now it’s best to focus on heroes that most clearly benefit from weapon items.


WHAT TIER III ITEMS TO BUY?

sorrowbladeSorrowblade: Gives you the highest amount of weapon damage in one item. You hit people, they hurt. Commonly the first item you buy. Everyone benefits from this.

 


bonesawBonesaw: Will shred the enemy’s armor, so it’s great against tank heroes or heroes who buy armor like Atlas Pauldron or Metal Jacket. If you’re facing a really tough enemy that you just can’t seem to hurt enough, this will help bring them down. Great on any hero benefiting from attack speed, like Krul.


tornado-triggerTornado Trigger: Grants a hero the highest amount of attack speed and increases critical chance. If you want to hit someone a lot with your basic attacks, such as Joule and Glaive, this is a great option. Hit more often!


breaking-pointBreaking Point: The longer the fight goes on, the more powerful Breaking Point becomes. So it’s great for sustained fights and heroes who can stay in the fight for a while. If you can stay alive, you can do a huge amount of damage, but assassins generally don’t live long enough to properly use this. Kestrel and Rona benefit greatly from this.


tyrants-monocleTyrant’s Monocle: Highest amount of critical chance and weapon damage. Good for anyone who wants to increase their likelihood for a big hit. Usually purchased after other items. Instead of hitting someone more often, your single strikes are more likely to do a lot of damage — great for heroes like Ringo.


tension-bowTension Bow: Good early-game item that gives you a big spike of damage every 6 seconds. Perfect for anyone who wants to do the bulk of their damage in quick bursts, like the assassin Taka. Note: It is not recommended to purchase this item in the late game; it’s impact is severely lessened. 


serpent-maskSerpent’s Mask: Grants lifesteal, so it’s great for sustaining yourself in a teamfight. Great for warriors like Rona or Blackfeather who can survive long enough to take advantage of its benefits. Differs from Breaking Point in that it focuses on making you live longer rather than making them die faster.


PROPOSED ITEM BUILD FOR GWEN

When players talk about “builds,” they’re usually talking about the final Tier III items that a hero will purchase during a match. These builds vary in strategy: Some emphasize damage or attack speed and even crystal damage instead of weapon damage. For more proposed builds, check out VaingloryFire.com. If you’re eager to try out the new hero Gwen, start by following the “Recommended” weapon build in-game, presented below:

Early-game: Heavy Steel, Swift Shooter, Sprint Boots

Buying Heavy Steel and Swift Shooter (both mid-tier items) instead of Sorrowblade, for example, is a better idea early game because it gives you weapon damage and attack speed whereas Sorrowblade only gives you the former. Sprint boots grants you a speed boost to get out of tough situations.  

Mid-game: Sorrowblade, Heavy Steel, Reflex Block, Breaking Point, Travel Boots

Now you’re buying your first Tier III items: Sorrowblade and Breaking Point. You’ll notice that it’s also recommended you purchase another “Heavy Steel,” and that’s because, again, weapon damage builds on itself. The Travel Boots are a strong Tier II item to give Gwen speed while Reflex Block helps give her defense.

Late Game: Tyrants Monocle, Halcyon Chargers, Aegis, Metal Jacket

Tyrant’s Monocle gives Gwen some major critical damage while the rest of the build helps keep her alive: Halcyon Chargers for speed, Aegis to counter crystal damage and Metal Jacket to counter weapon damage.


REMEMBER: BRONZE COUNTERS RED

All the items in Vainglory fall into categories based on their color. There’s a huge amount of strategy that goes into “counterbuilding,” which means buying items based on the enemy’s purchases. We’re not going to go into all that now, but there is one thing you can keep in mind: Bronze (armor) items protect against red (weapon) items. So, if you see the enemy building a ton of red, you can build bronze items. If you’re suddenly doing a lot less damage with your abilities than earlier in the match, chances are that enemy bought a lot of bronze items like Atlas Pauldron or Metal Jacket to protect themselves from you.

We’ll go into defense items in Part III of our guide.



IN SUMMARY

  • Weapon items improve your hero’s basic attacks.
  • Snipers, warriors and some assassins benefit the most from weapon items.
  • To buy red items, kill enemies and collect gold so you can afford stuff.
  • The more gold you have, the more powerful the items you can buy.
  • Tier III items are powerful but varied. Try them out to see what works for your hero and playstyle!

As informative as any guide may be, there is nothing better than hands-on experience. Play a game with bots to try out the different weapon items in real-time. Maybe you’ll find success playing Gwen and focusing on maximum damage with Sorrowblades, or maybe you prefer the frenetic pace and high damage upside of a Tornado Trigger and Tyrant’s Monocle. The combinations are endless, and learning what works best for you is part of the fun!

Check back next week for our guide to defense items — the ways to counter red and blue items.

‘Netherknight’ Lance is Coming Soon!

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Aug 31, 2016

1000x500_DeathLance

Lance turned against Samuel in the end … but what if he hadn’t? ‘Netherknight’ Lance explores this possibility with Alternate Fates lore and a frightening new look straight from the Netherworld.


CHECK OUT HIS IN-GAME FOOTAGE & 3D MODEL: 

https://youtu.be/Z7ONhZPZM18

SKIN HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Nether-forged armor
    • Death’s Head sallet
    • Wing-hilted zweihander
    • Netherwyrm pauldrons

 


ALTERNATE FATE LORE

For the canon origins of this tale, read ‘The Trial.’

Consumed by the Dark

A shadow fled from Verdict and landed in Samuel’s periphery a split moment before pain flooded his belly. He whirled to face his aggressor and stared into his own face, at Malice pointed at his own torso. There was no time to register this ultimate betrayal before his shadow double flanked and shot again.

Lance lunged forward only to slam full-force into a shimmering green wall.

“For every action, there is a consequence,” said Lyra.

Through the magic wall, Lance watched Samuel fight his shadow double, unable to move, his teeth grinding. With all his might he stepped away from the grip of the wall and turned to face her. “He is my ward,” he said, raising his long blade. “You raised him like a son.”

Lyra flinched back then spun, her robes swirling, to run, but the knight lunged and his weapon found easy purchase in her back. She crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around Lance’s greaves; the magic bulwark dissolved and faded along with its maker.

Lance stood over the body of his first kill for five gulping breaths, marveling at how fragile and small she appeared in death.

Kenaz!” cried Samuel behind him, and the curtain between worlds parted, and the Netherdark clouded the hall. Lance watched in horror as the greedy dead poured over the soul that hovered still near Lyra’s body. She struggled against the hands that gripped her by the arms and legs and hair but could not resist them, for she belonged no more with the living.

Lance stood on the precipice of his choice, the boy he’d sworn to protect behind him, the woman he’d murdered before him; beyond, the ice mage looked on, his bushy brows knitted, his face ashen, his knuckles white around his staff.

“I’ll handle the kid,” said Reim.

Lance rolled into the center of the dark cloud, allowed it to swallow him into its dark belly, and chased after the soul of his victim as she was spirited away –

– and then there was nothing.

There was no hall, no Samuel or Reim or Lyra. There was no Gythia; indeed there was no sun or ground. It was not dark: it was a complete lack of light. In that deep nothing Lance spun and touched nothing. He called out and the nothing swallowed his voice, and he realized that never before in his life had he been alone. He had, also, never been afraid, but of the Netherworld he was terrified.

And then, from farther away than he should have been able to see, he spied a light. There was no hope in the light as it grew brighter, only dread. It seemed to take ages to come close enough to make out its shape: an enormous three-headed armored dire wolf made of molten flame.

An armory grew up around them, illuminated by the flames, full of suits of armor, weapons of all kinds, shields and helms. In the firelight Lance himself took shape. His Gythian armor was gone; he knelt in a subarmalis in bare feet, unarmed.

“Rise, Knight, and choose,” said the middle head of the wolf. “Your charge awaits.”

To be continued…

Read about ‘Netherworld’ Fortress


CANON LANCE LORE:

The Archelions
Gythian Lance


 

‘Broken Doll’ Alpha Tier II is Here!

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Aug 25, 2016

Dig deeper into the toy box to discover ‘Broken Doll’ Alpha Tier II, the pretty-prettiest of the dollies with a plan to save a little girl …


CHECK OUT HER IN-GAME FOOTAGE & 3D MODEL: 

https://youtu.be/3C7zavJMOEM

SKIN HIGHLIGHTS:

  • New scissors weapon!
  • Pretty-pretty dress
  • Golden dolly joints
  • Shiny bows on her shiny booties
  • Fancy lady’s top hat

TIER II ALTERNATE FATE:

Pretty-Pretty

Read Part I: ‘The Loud Voice & the Quiet Voice’

You think she’ll come back to us? You’re dumb. She can’t come back know why? Because she can hear the quiet inside voices of the grownups and grownups are afraid, so they make her stay in a little room with a little window.

You have just that ugly jacket but I have the pretty-pretty dress and the pretty-pretty hair so I’m the prettiest so I’m in charge and we aren’t going to wait any more. You take your knife and I’ll take this sharp thing I found in Mama’s sewing room and we will go to the Bad Place and save her from the Bad People and if they try to stop us we will put our sharp things into their soft-soft eyes, and she will never have to eat the candy again, and we will play house just her and us dollies forever and ever and…

To be continued …


CANON ALPHA LORE:


Check the in-game Market every Friday for a new skin release!

‘Just Beginning’ to ‘Vainglorious’: What Hero Roles to Play

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Aug 26, 2016

160825_Noob2Pro_1

 

Are you new to Vainglory? Or, are you perhaps struggling to keep up with your allies and enemies? Don’t worry. You’re in the right place. This new series is dedicated to bringing new players up to speed and helping those 0-10 players break the slump and start consistently succeeding. We’re going to start at the very beginning, with explanations of the different hero classifications. Check back next week for our guide to items.

Vainglory has nearly 30 heroes you can play. Each hero has unique strengths, weaknesses and abilities. Just choosing a character can be daunting for new players. Solo practicing against bots is a great way to try out new heroes that you don’t have unlocked to see what fits your combat style. So experiment to see what feels best.

What Kind of Player Are You?

Choosing a hero in Vainglory is a lot like choosing a character class in other games. Some players enjoy jumping in, doing lots of damage and getting out before the enemy knew what hit them. That’s what we’d call an “assassin.” But maybe you’re someone who likes to stand back from the action and attack or cast spells from a distance? Well, that’s what we’d call a “sniper” or “mage.” But perhaps you’re more of a mix-it-up type of player who wants to be in the heart of the fight. Then you’d likely do well as a “warrior” or “protector.” We’ll go over each role below.

Assassin

Assassins are great at isolating and eliminating a single threat with quick, high-damage attacks. They excel at doing a great deal of damage in a short amount of time before disappearing through speed bursts or stealth. Look for these heroes in the jungle or hiding in the brush of the lane. Assassins are typically very “squishy,” meaning they’re easy to kill. It’s typical for heroes in Vainglory to have a clear strengths and weaknesses. In this case, assassins do lots of damage quickly, but they are fragile and can be easily killed if caught or cornered.

Heroes: Taka, Koshka, Blackfeather

Sniper

Snipers also focus on dealing damage to a single target, but they use their weapon from a distance, rapidly dealing small amounts of damage over and over again. Imagine a gunslinger firing bullets from pistols in both hands. Also like assassins, snipers suffer from low health and must rely on speed, smart positioning or (likely) other heroes’ protection to survive.

Heroes: Ringo, SAW, Skye, Kestrel, Vox

Mage

Mages also enjoy having a great deal of distance between themselves and the enemy. Unlike assassins and snipers, however, mages are adept at doing damage to large areas of the map, and any enemies caught in the area won’t enjoy it. Mages focus on using their unique abilities to change the outcome of fights and ultimately the whole game. Similar to snipers, mages try to keep their distance from the edge of the action, but if the enemy breaks through the front lines and reaches a mage, it usually means a quick death.

Heroes: Celeste, Samuel, Petal, Reim, Skaarf

Warrior

Warriors are synonymous with “brawlers” who like getting up close and personal to the action. They’re front-line fighters who can take a punch and keep on dishing out damage. They may not be the fastest or the flashiest heroes, but they are always feared, and if they get to you, it’s extremely hard to get away. It’s very common for a team to employ a warrior to provide front-line damage while a sniper or mage stands back and contributes from afar. Look for warriors in the jungle part of the map.

Heroes:, Glaive, Krul, Rona, Alpha, Joule, Ozo, Fortress

Protector

You can think of the protector as the player who ensures that fragile teammates don’t die. They’re often on the front lines with warriors, sometimes “tanking” damage ahead of all the rest. Protectors are usually the most capable heroes at absorbing damage and should always lead the way, especially into uncharted areas of the map where enemy heroes may be lurking or waiting to ambush you. Sometimes protectors specialize in healing instead of absorbing punishment or create shields that absorb damage. Protectors benefit most from defensive items, especially health. Often these players “roam” around the map, helping their allies in different situations. While protectors don’t accumulate kills and flashy stats, many games swing based on the play and decision-making of the protector — especially since protectors often buy special items that help the whole team when used wisely.

Heroes: Catherine, Ardan, Lyra, Adagio, Lance, Phinn

So, take a moment and pick a role to focus on first. Usually, whichever one jumps out to you as feeling the most natural or fun will be the right initial fit.

Team Positions

Now that you’ve decided what role fits your playstyle, you need to know how to play on a team. Vainglory teams are composed of three players on each side. One player sticks to the top road of the map, called the lane, and is usually referred to as the “laner.” One player usually strays into the jungle and thus is referred to as the “jungler.” Finally, teams usually have someone who roams around the map, supporting their teammates in fights and going wherever help is needed most. We call this person the “roamer” (sometimes called a “support” by players). We will have detailed guides for how to play all three positions later on. But in the meantime, know that when you select a team, it’s good to have one player in each position.

When you play, you’ll find that certain hero classes are best suited for certain positions. Mages and snipers usually excel at playing in the lane, while warriors and assassins usually play in the jungle. Protectors usually do great as roamers. But these are just guidelines. It’s suggested to start playing heroes in their traditional way, but feel free to experiment over time and find what works for you. Most heroes in Vainglory are highly flexible and can be molded into the position of your choosing. (Lyra, for example, is frequently used by experienced players mage-style in lane despite commonly being played as a roaming protector.) Keep playing and you’ll find not only the character that best fits your playstyle, but the best way to use them!

Now that you know what role to play, let’s move on to demystifying the item shop. Check back next week for our first article on what items to build and why.

Samuel Hero Breakdown – Get an Early Edge

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Aug 19, 2016

Samuel_splash

Samuel is a dark mage who specializes in not only controlling zones, but advancing and breaking them. He is able to create a large creeping field of darkness that both augments his powers and damages foes. As a high damage-per-second hero, he wields two wands with gunslinger-like speed. He also has area of effect, draining and sleep abilities that round out his fearsome arsenal.


header_features_new

Samuel_perkCorrupted Genius (Heroic Perk)

After 6 seconds, Samuel’s next basic attack fires a bolt of dark power at the target, dealing bonus crystal damage. This attack restores some health and energy.


Samuel_AMalice & Verdict (A)

Samuel fires two quick shots from his wands at a target location that impact on the first enemy hit. Samuel can move between the shots. If Samuel is standing inside the field from Drifting Dark, this ability is empowered. While empowered, the shots move faster, travel farther, deal additional damage and burst upon impact dealing damage in a small area. In addition, the cooldown for this ability is significantly reduced.


Samuel_bDrifting Dark (B)

Samuel creates a large field of darkness that slowly drifts forward, damaging enemies who stand inside it. If Samuel also stands inside, he heals for a small amount for each affected target.


Samuel_cOblivion (C)

After a short delay, Samuel summons a phantasm at the target location, which puts nearby enemies to sleep. Enemies inflicted are unable to move or act. Dealing direct damage to a sleeping enemy with an attack or ability will wake them up.

header_dueling

Samuel is best suited for teamfights and crowd control. He is at a disadvantage one-on-one against high-mobility targets (such as Skye or Vox) who can dodge his Malice & Verdict. He is also susceptible against anyone who can displace him outside his Drifting Dark (ex. Catherine, Glaive, Lance). Like most mages, he is vulnerable to burst damage.

That said, he does have several attributes that make him deadly to take on one-on-one. His Malice & Verdict, especially when augmented by Broken Myth or Shatterglass, can burst down enemies very quickly. While his ganks are telegraphed by Drifting Dark, Samuel is also a capable kiter who can easily distance himself from melee characters — even gap-closing ones.

header_teamfighting

Unlike other mages, Samuel isn’t best played from the back line. He has to balance staying on the edge of fights while getting closer and closer to opponents as Drifting Dark creeps across the map. When Samuel uses Drifting Dark, his Malice & Verdict attacks become much more potent and do splash damage as well. A smart Samuel player will understand in what direction to send Drifting Dark — whether to advance on the enemy or retreat and use it as cover. Sometimes, the right move is even to send Drifting Dark to the side and continue the fight from the flank. The more enemies in the cloud, the more health you’ll recover but also the more danger you’re in. Due to the long cooldown of the ability, players have to weigh these concerns carefully.

Vision and preparation are essential for Samuel to be effective in teamfights. One powerful strategy is to unleash Oblivion on the enemy team and then isolate one enemy hero — typically the carry. Since the enemy roamer is asleep, no help will come in the form of Fountain or Reflex Block.

header_crystal_builds

 

shatterglassShatterglass: With Samuel’s basic attacks and Malice & Verdict, it’s critical to pump out as much damage as possible.

 

 

eve-of-harvestEve of Harvest: The lifesteal aspects of Drifting Dark are understated but greatly enhanced by Eve of Harvest.

 

 

broken-mythBroken Myth: Multiplies your damage. ‘Nuff said.

 

 

clockworkClockwork: Since Samuel is energy hungry, Clockwork helps him recover and use his abilities more frequently in the late game.

 

 

frostburnFrostburn: Frostburn is also a great purchase because anyone who is affected by Samuel’s Drifting Dark will be slowed!

header_strong_versus

 

ronaRONA

While Rona may be able to burst Samuel down, Samuel has mobility and range to stay out of range of Rona’s ultimate.

 

 

voxVOX
In the early game especially, Samuel should have an advantage over Vox. Samuel has both longer range and is a better kiter, making him a hard target.

 

 

krulKRUL
Samuel can outrun Krul and anyone who can outrun Krul, usually can beat Krul. In general, Samuel does well against characters who have to chase him directly.

 

header_weak_versus

glaive

GLAIVE
Samuel is susceptible to burst damage, and a good Glaive player can not only displace Samuel, but delete him.

 

 

takaTAKA
If he gets the jump on Samuel, Samuel is unlikely to have enough time to recover and flee.

 

 

catherineCATHERINE
With her abilities to silence and stun, she combats Drifting Dark. She also easily counters Malice & Verdict with her Stormguard bubble.

Others to be wary of: Petal and Lance

header_pro_tips


  • Don’t forget to utilize your basic attacks. Not only are they exceptionally powerful thanks to the Corrupted Genius perk, but they also helps Samuel recover energy.
  • Drifting Dark placement is key. It’s important for both damage and health recovery to spend as much time in the cloud as possible while also ensuring that chasing the cloud won’t leave Samuel in too vulnerable a position after its end.
  • Use Samuel’s surprising mobility to your advantage. But beware: He’s still squishy.
  • If you see an enemy Samuel, try to bait out his Drifting Dark. Don’t overcommit to a fight until he’s used it.

Make your own Samuel guides at VaingloryFire upon the hero’s Update 1.21 release. Until then, check out Samuel’s lore.

Super Evil & Friends are heading to Germany! Join us at GamesCom!

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Aug 10, 2016

1000x500_GamescomSuper Evil Megacorp is excited to announce our participation at GamesCom 2016 in Cologne, Germany. From August 17th-21st, the Super Evil Team will be joining Twitch’s booth on the convention floor. Drop by to say hi to Vainglory’s developers and meet players from some of the top talent in Europe including representatives from G2 Esports and SK Gaming. We will have a presence at the Amazon booth, check out both booths for maximum swag.


Details & stuff:

  • The Super Evil Team will be at the Twitch and Amazon booths all day, every day!
  • You can also play Vainglory at the Samsung booth on the new Galaxy S7 phones!

Twitch Booth:

  • The first 100 people at the Twitch booth each day will get a Vainglory drawstring bag.
  • Find our Vainglory cosplayer, tweet a picture with her with the #VaingloryGC16 for a chance to win a Vainglory shirt.
  • Sign up at the Twitch booth for a free hero unlock. Win a game to participate in our daily raffle!
  • Collect SWAG: drop by the Twitch and the Amazon booth to collect SWAG items!

Amazon Booth:

  • Sign up at the Amazon booth for the Summer Party Phinn skin, only available at GamesCom and our NA & EU Summer Season Championship Events.
  • Collect SWAG: drop by the Twitch and the Amazon booth to collect SWAG items!
  • Find our Vainglory cosplayer, tweet a picture with her with the #VaingloryGC16 for a chance to win a Vainglory shirt.
  • Join the fun from anywhere in the world by tweeting us how you discovered Vainglory with #VaingloryFire for a chance to win an Amazon Kindle Fire!

Watch us live from Germany!

Live from the booth! Tune in to twitch.tv/vainglory:

  • 10:00am – 11:00am Wednesday through Sunday for updates live from Twitch’s Intel Broadcast Zone. Hosted by Sona and Excoundrel with guest appearances by our devs and community, expect fun streams with update reveals!

Live from the Twitch Stage! Tune in to twitch.tv/twitch:

(All times local)

  • 18:00 – 19:00 Thursday: Community Hotseat Games
    • Watch live as members from G2 Esports, SK Gaming, streamers and our very own devs duke it out in a “Hotseat Battle.” If you die, you have to give up your seat to the next person in line!
  • 18:00 – 19:00 Friday: G2 Esports vs SK Gaming
    • Who will be the king of GamesCom 2016? Watch as two of the best teams in all of Europe battle live on the Twitch stage.
  • 18:00 – 19:00 Saturday: G2 Esports vs SK Gaming Battle Royale
    • Didn’t get enough of G2 Esports and SK Gaming? They’ll be back Saturday to fight for redemption or to secure their spot as the best team at GamesCom 2016!

We can’t wait to get out to Germany and meet everyone! Be sure to stop by and say hi to the Super Evil Team and get your SWAG!

Samuel Ability Reveal

  • Vainglory
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Samuel is a dark mage that specializes in not only controlling zones, but advancing and breaking them. He is able to create a large creeping field of evil that both augments his powers and damages foes. As a high DPS hero, he wields two wands with gunslinger-like speed. He also has some great area of effect, draining energy/life and sleep abilities that round out his fearsome repertoire.


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Samuel_perkCorrupted Genius (Heroic Perk)

After 6 seconds, Samuel’s next basic attack fires a bolt of dark power at the target, dealing bonus crystal damage. This attack restores some health and energy.


Samuel_AMalice & Verdict (A)

Samuel fires two quick shots from his wands at a target location that impact on the first enemy hit. Samuel can move between the shots. If Samuel is standing inside the field from Drifting Dark, this ability is empowered. While empowered, the shots move faster, travel farther, deal additional damage and burst upon impact dealing damage in a small area. In addition, the cooldown for this ability is significantly reduced.


Samuel_bDrifting Dark (B)

Samuel creates a large field of darkness that slowly drifts forward, damaging enemies who stand inside it. If Samuel also stands inside, he heals for a small amount for each affected target.


Samuel_cOblivion (C)

After a short delay, Samuel summons a phantasm at the target location, which puts nearby enemies to sleep. Enemies inflicted are unable to move or act. Dealing direct damage to a sleeping enemy with an attack or ability will wake them up.


Check back for news and updates about Samuel as we approach Update 1.21’s release. 

Squid Ink: During Evil 8, Get Up to 25% off Amazon Coins

  • Vainglory
  • |
  • Jul 29, 2016

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The Evil 8 is in full swing. These past weeks have seen some fantastic competition among the top teams in North America and Europe. And every week, your broadcast host, ActionJackson, mentions the Amazon Coin deal on stream — leading to Twitch chat lighting up with players’ questions: “How do I get Amazon Coins?” … “How can I turn them into ICE?” … “How do I get the discount?!”

So I thought I’d take use this week’s column to explain how players can take advantage of this deal. First, Amazon Coins are Amazon’s digital currency. Typically, $1 is equal to 100 Amazon Coins. But since the Evil 8 is presented by Amazon Coins, players in North America and Europe can get up to 25% off the price of Amazon Coins. That’s like paying $.75 for 100 coins. Since you can use Amazon Coins to purchase ICE, the deal allows players to spend less real money on ICE than usual.

To illustrate how to get discounted Amazon Coins and then turn them into ICE, I’ll provide a step-by-step process below. I’ve been using my Amazon Fire HD 10 to take advantage of this deal, but I’ve also been able to recreate these experiences on a range of other Amazon devices.

HOW TO GET YOUR AMAZON COINS

  1. Download Vainglory on the Amazon App Store.
  2. In the Vainglory app, go to the Market and select the ICE icon in the upper right corner.
  3. Select your preferred amount of ICE.
  4. Select “Buy Coins.”
  5. Select the amount of Amazon Coins you want. The more coins you purchase, the higher the discount. Up to 25% off!
  6. Select “BUY NOW.”
  7. – After purchasing coins, select “GET ITEM” to complete the transaction.

And that’s it! Be sure to check out the Evil 8 stream every Saturday and Sunday at twitch.tv/vainglory. Matches start at 9AM PDT for Europe region competition and 1PM PDT for North America. And if you’re an Amazon device owner who needs ICE, be sure to use the Amazon Coins deal!