Lords Mobile’s hero mode gets a thumb up from me. The developers have the right idea of how to make a fun game with that gameplay mode, they just need to trim the fat that slows the rest of the game down.
Been playing it for four years. Overall a great game. Has its (many, big) flaws - but that's not what I'm here to talk about. The microtransactions on this game are completely out of control!
Let me say this upfront: That $0.99 starter pack is specifically designed to break the psychological barrier you (may) have about spending money on online games. That's all it's meant to do. It's useless and it's terrible value for money compared to other purchases.
People get lured in by $1 or $5 or $20 packs, only to find out that it's money down the drain if you don't buy more. A lot more. Thousands of dollars more. You can realistically spend $1m+ on one account and still not be done spending. You're never really done spending, regardless of which tier of spender you are. That's not to say, don't play this game or don't spend anything on it. Absolutely not. There's really nothing quite like it and you should definitely try it.
Just please stay 100% f2p for a few months first. Learn the game. It's a massive, multi-faceted universe. See its depths. There's A LOT to learn. A significant amount of it isn't even written down anywhere. Talk to people. Watch videos and streams. Browse the fandom.
Figure out what you want to build (solo trap, rally trap, rally lead, rally filler, baron/emperor account, etc). Figure out exactly what kind of gear, heroes, familiars, skins, etc you want. Figure out how much it's gonna cost to upgrade or max each of those. Figure out how many troops you're ultimately gonna need to make (and then remake again and again and again because they die.)
And before you open your wallet at all, please sit down and calculate how much all of that's gonna cost you. If you're bad at math, there are some reddit threads about all sorts of items. You can ask; there are people who like to calculate that stuff.
Don't buy day to day. Do. Not. Buy. Day to day. Don't think, "Oh, it's just five dollars." Because it's not gonna be five dollars. (If you only spend five dollars on this game, that's a wasted five dollars.) Before you know it, you will have spent way more than you were prepared to and you will force yourself to keep playing (and spending) for a while (sunk cost fallacy is a hell of a drug). Eventually, you're gonna quit, but probably not before you become riddled with bitterness and regret. The game and the messageboards are full of people who feel that way and it is utterly depressing! The only way to avoid that is to go in with your eyes open and have a clear plan. Or be filthy rich. Whichever.
Now, it's absolutely possible to stay 100% f2p or as a limited spender and enjoy the game (although you'll never play in the big leagues). It just takes a lot longer (the term, I believe, is wait to play.) Still, you need to figure out how much time and money you're willing to put in in total before you pay a cent.
This game is an expensive pay to win game by a game studio that is dishonest and has terrible customer service. IMOH, don't download or play this game. They are known to lure customers in with promises from ads and offer walls, but never pay out. Don't take my word for it search and find out for yourself. There are even youtube videos showing that they do not live up to their promises. Again, unless you have a lot of money to spend, time, and willing to put up with a game studio with a bad reputation then do not download or play this game.
Lords Mobile is a terrible game.
It allows the strongest player to teleport their castle next to the weakest player, attack and teleport away in seconds. You simply cannot protect yourself or your investment of time and - if you choose money - in the game. I played for 39 days, spent over $400 and in 15 seconds one of the strongest players in the game destroyed all I had and I barely scratched him.
The game has some interesting quirks too. Troops consume food but if you run out none die!? Once again this favors the stronger players as they can build massive armies from the resources they take from you. This is a common theme the strong prey on the weak - you quickly get the feeling you are being bullied.
If you do choose to pay money you should know that there is a regional pricing scheme. Players in China pay significantly less for the same items.
So please learn from my mistakes - simply don't play this game.
SummaryClash with 290 million global players on both mobile and Steam! Dive into a world of strategy and chaos in LORDS MOBILE, the real-time strategy MMO game! Explore exotic magical lands thrown into chaos by terrifying monsters and powerful enemies. Choose your favorite heroes, make new friends, and charge fearlessly into war! Strike down yo...