The new Dota card game Artifact has been playable since November 28, 2018. Shortly after the release, numerous cards are already available for purchase on the Steam marketplace. The prices of some cards are quite steep in comparison.
Axe is the most expensive: The current most expensive card in Artifact is the red hero “Axe”. He is considered a core card in many red decks and is currently available on the Steam marketplace from €19.60 (as of November 30, 2018, at 2:22 PM). Artifact itself costs on Steam €17.95.
Why does a card cost so much?
This is what makes Axe so strong: Axe is a hero card. In Artifact, heroes are sent along different paths (game boards) so that abilities of the corresponding color can be cast on that path. Heroes themselves cost no mana to summon.
Heroes can also attack and destroy towers and opponents on the path. They are generally the strongest cards. Axe comes with strong stats:
- 7 Attack
- 2 Armor
- 11 Health
Armor reduces incoming damage by the specified amount. Therefore, Axe is particularly difficult to kill at the beginning of the game. Additionally, he deals a lot of damage. For red decks, which usually play very offensively, this is a huge advantage.
Why can you buy the card? Unlike most online card games, cards in Artifact are not just collected. By purchasing Artifact, you already receive some standard decks and the corresponding cards.
New cards can be acquired through booster packs or on the marketplace. They can also be resold on the Steam marketplace.
If you want to sell cards, you can offer them for real money in the community. If you need cards, you can buy them on the marketplace and build your decks that way. A selection of decks with ratings is available on the ArtifactFire website.
The community is not enthusiastic: The payment system has triggered a lot of criticism in the community on Steam. Many users already describe the game as “pay to progress” and “pay to win”. One user even jokingly wrote:
I am now playing my most powerful card: the credit card!
Although the purchased cards do not really lose value and can be sold again, the system is not well received. As of November 30 at 2:22 PM, Artifact has a “Mixed” rating on Steam with 65% positive votes.
Players especially miss the ability to unlock cards without spending real money. They see potential in Artifact in terms of pure gaming enjoyment but consider the monetization method poor.
What do you think of this payment method? Does it deter you from playing Artifact, or do you still play it?
Our author Cortyn does not believe in Artifact. She thinks Artifact will fail.
