One of strength of the WOT is wide coverage of various card types from the get go.  We all know there is creature/troop and spell cards as those are pretty much standard for any dTCG/dCCG.  Then some game has dedicated resource cards.   What’s missing here?  Well, some games refers to as “artifact” and others may say “constant” and perhaps others may say “equipment.”  What do you think the WOT have?  It has “object” and it’s not just one of the above, but perhaps all of the above.  Let’s take a look.

Object

The key difference of Object when compared to other types of cards in WOT is that it has “durability.”  One may consider as a health of troop to certain degree but object shouldn’t really have health.  Similarly, it really does not have attack power in normal sense.  The game has two major types of objects: attachable and non-attachable objects.

Attachable Objects

These are basically equipment cards you seen in Magic, Shadow Era or many other dTCG/dCCG.

Example above is from kickstarter update from today.  It costs 2 golds (right upper corner) and has a durability of 2 (right lower corner).  You will equip this to your troop.

Well, it’s not end here.

Here is another equipment.  This time it’s a weapon.

In WOT, there are three types of attachable objects: Armory, Weapon and Accessory.  Each troop can only equip one of the kind.

Here is the third type, accessory.  Note Accessory has no durability.

Basically, weapons lose their durability when attacks and armor loses durability when it takes attack as all expected.  When a troop is destroyed and equipment still has durability left, it goes back to armory slot and we can attach them to other troop.

Non-attachable object

Personally, these are interesting card type on their own.  These object unlike attachable object can take up a space on the battlefield i.e. zone.  But troops are free to pass through these zone or even stay in the zone (assuming no event triggered there).

Followings are some Q&A with developer about this particular concept.

Q: How does the non-attachable object work?  Conceptually, are these representing castle/base for your troops to hide?
Not at all, It’s simpler than that. You just leave objects on the field, as if they really were on a battlefield. You can just pass by/over them, and go on walking.
So, they fill a zone as you cannot put more field objects there, but a troop can stay there (if object doesn’t explode, hehe).
Q: Are these movable i.e. like troop has speed?  In which case, do these acts like a vehicle, like tank?
It’s a possibility, but not planned by now.
Q: How do you cast them?  Invocation line and move?  Or Ominipresence and cast any place you want?  Or you have to have own troop in the zone to cast etc.?
It will depend on each ability used to cast them. By now, Gruuj is the main way to play them (Totems), as Gruuj’s skills. In this case, you can choose any zone among the battlefield zones. However, this doesn’t establish a general rule about playing field objects or putting them on the battlefield.
Q: Why did you build this type of card in comparison to the other types of card?
Because it was a way to begin with “trap” system, being available with board game system. Also, it gives the game another potential way to exploit “3d” battlefield dimensions. It was also important that when we created the game system, we thought about a real battlefield and ways to represent that in a more “realistic” way. In fact, objects were at very first version of the game left on the battlefield when the troop was carrying them died. But after testing, we realized that option made the game slower and much less dynamic, so we created the Armory, where every left object goes and becomes ready to be re-attached.

So there you have it.  It sounds like this is extremely robust option (in my opinion).  Trap system is interesting of its own and works beautifully in digital dTCG especially ones with battlefield.

Non-attachable object lacks specific card example right now but based on the design I can readily see it can take the role of “constant” or “artifact” in other game i.e. non-troop card that stays on field and while remaining on the field it has some special effect.  But much more (see below).

Potentials

Potentials of this object system are pretty big on its own.

Equipment based synergies

At first, one may see these as identical to the spells that boost stats of the target troop.  In fact, many games believe there is essentially no difference and takes away this distinction, but personally the difference is significant enough that game can even make dedicated set(s) off of these concept.  Some quick imaginable examples are troops specifically built for equipment.  Someone who can perhaps have two weapons instead of one.  Someone who gets even stronger boost than just putting the equipment.

Base camp/Fort/Castle

Since troop can take up a same space as non-attachable object, it’s easy to imagine conceptually you can have a object that is on a field and if your troop stays on the same zone, your troop heals damage each turn.  It may be a some heal stone, fountain etc. but easily can be thought of as base camp/fort or castle.

Vehicle

If non-attachable object can potentially move along with troop, you now have designed vehicle.

Conclusion

Object cards are not just a simple replacement of artifact, constant, or equipment.  It is all of the above and really mean it i.e. individually separated by subtypes.  Furthermore, it can be a “trap.”  It even has a potential to be vehicle or castle.  Basically, WOT having dedicated card type and design for these, it allows robust future expansion potential.