Heist - Overview and Basics - May 30, 2020

As Heist Mode was just mentioned somewhat briefly in previous dev blog pages, this page will provide more of an overview as to what Heist Mode consists of overall.

What is Heist Mode?

Heist Mode consists of a map with light strategy and light stealth elements, while the battles are action. The player gets to use all 9 playable characters per Heist and they are split into 3 teams of 3 -- Ground Team, Recon Team and Getaway Team.

Each character has an ability for Ground, Recon and Getaway, and depending on what team they are placed on, they will bring that specific ability to that specific Team. The Ground Team usually has strong buffs for their own team, the Recon Team provides varied support for other teams (as long as they are on the Recon Site and not missing turns) and the Getaway Team has abilities to get the Artifact out of the building faster or cover general escape, and they typically come into play after the Artifact is obtained.

What a typical Heist consists of

The overall flow of a Heist is to enter the building, find the Artifact (1 of 7 chosen randomly) inside, escape the building, and head east through the Shadow-filled forests and the traffic-covered roads to the Goal tiles to win.

Usually the Ground Team is the one assaulting the building, as they can be more effective and efficient with both their own self buffs and the Recon Team's support. The Recon Team will most always be camped on the Recon Site, while the Getaway Team, depending on their abilities, will either be clearing out the southern forests for the Ground Team or covering the north for the Recon Team until it is time to trigger their abilities when the Ground Team takes the Artifact.

Once the Artifact is stolen, additional Force Fighter squads will spawn from enemy doors and they will begin spawning more frequently (which makes Getaway abilities all the more useful at this point). The Artifact itself can also be used for a powerful one-use effect, but typically comes with a large negative trade-off that last the remainder of the Heist -- careful consideration needs to be made before using an Artifact.