Total War: Elysium Designer Talks About Card Design, Generals, And Elephants
If you're looking forward to Total War: Elysium, well, that probably puts you in the minority of gamers, considering the chilly reception to its reveal. Still, if you are, Creative Assembly has posted a "chat" -- a.k.a. blog in interview form -- with Senior Gameplay Designer James Green that dishes on some of the mechanics of the game that also covers in great detail his love for elephants.
The article focuses on the design process for cards, and how they're made "to fit together with others to form decks and archetypes." That's a bit of a departure from early CCG design, where cards might have fit into a faction -- like red cards being destructive in Magic: The Gathering -- but designing them to fit into specific decks is a somewhat newer trend. The three factions at the game's launch will be Three Kingdoms, Vikings, and Napoleonic-era French Republic, none of which were known to use War Elephants.
That doesn't stop Green from waxing poetic about the big bruisers, who aren't great in one-on-one conflicts but gains the Splash ability when they're damaged, allowing them to damage multiple enemy units. Other revelations from the article include a detailing of the Vikings' Raid ability, which offers discounts based on the number of damaged units on the board -- yours and your opponent's -- and talk about the design of generals, who form the backbone of any deck. What about a general riding an elephant? Maybe when the game adds Hannibal to the mix.
Related Articles
About the Author

Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.
Read Next
Albion Online Offers A Look At Corrupted Dungeons
In response to player requests for more solo PvE and PvP content, Albion Online will be introducing a new kind of dungeon, corrupted dungeons, in the Rise of Avalon update.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 3 years agoYou May Enjoy
Blowfish's F2P Mecha-Space Game "Phantom Galaxies" Looks Neat...But Sadly It's NFT Based
To access Alpha, players need a specific NFT.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 day agoRuneScape "Messed Up" On The Hero Pass And Is Making Changes As The Company Could Be For Sale Soon
And did you know Jagex is valued at up to $1.25 billion?
By Matthew D'Onofrio - 1 week agoThis Week In Destiny 2: Legendary Shards Are Being Removed Due To Instability And PvP Strike Team Update
Some players have too many, while others struggle to earn enough.
By Matthew D'Onofrio - 1 week agoHere’s How To File A Claim For Your Part Of That $245 Million Fortnite Settlement
The FTC is now notifying people that they may be eligible.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 3 days agoZeromus, New Alliance Raid, Additional MSQ, And More Pictures Added To FFXIV's 6.5 Special Site
Looks like all that excess light on the First is going to come in handy.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week agoPaladins Addresses The Support Keyword Controversy And Why They Were Even Added To The Game In The First Place
There are some concerns from the players about Keywords.
By Troy Blackburn - 1 day ago
Discussion (0)