War Legends' excellent touch screen controls and solid gameplay make it a promising RTS for mobile

The RTS genre isn’t particularly commonplace on mobile. Sure, there are several great examples like Northgard, Company of Heroes and Bad North, but they're not as common as, say, puzzlers or gacha RPGs, which, let's face it, you can't move for. So, while I wouldn't say there's a gap in the market, there's certainly enough space for a few more, like Spire Craft Games' War Legends. 

Specifically, the team is trying to tap into the RTS magic of Warcraft. That's right, kids - by which I mean anyone who considers 27 old - before WoW came along, Blizzard's beloved series started in the real-time strategy realm. And it was considered truly innovative at the time. In fact, you could quite easily find someone who doesn't believe the genre has progressed much since, such is the power of nostalgia goggles. 

War Legends unashamedly draws inspiration from Warcraft, almost to its detriment. The orcs, the soldiers, and even the environment's general aesthetic all have that vibe. It's uncanny valley levels of holy similar. Of course, fantasy in general is a little lacking in originality at times, so I'm not going to focus on that too much. You can make up your own mind if it's infringing too much on Blizzard's property for your tastes. 

What I will tell you, however, is that if a slice of the old-school RTS formula is what you're after, then you absolutely won't be disappointed here, at least at the start. You see, everything can be upgraded to bolster its stats in one way or another by getting duplicate cards from chests. That might become an issue if you're dipping into the multiplayer frequently, but right now, I can't say for certain if pay-to-win will be a problem. Just be aware that its shadow certainly lingers over you somewhat. 

Build it, and they will come

Anyway, there are a variety of units, buildings, and magical scrolls to choose from, with your tactics needing to adapt depending on what your enemy throws at you. War Legends is very helpful in this regard, too, providing a handy profile for each unit that explains which enemies they excel against and which they'd rather flee from. So if you're not tactically astute or have a terrible memory like me, it's great to have the option to check the numerous matchups. 

If you're familiar with the genre, you'll know it's not possible to summon troops whenever you feel like it. Instead, you need the appropriate buildings, sufficient resources, and to capture mana wells to improve your spell-casting capabilities. If you're not a long-time RTS fan, think of it a bit like creating a sustainable economy before waging war with your foes. It's a satisfying loop, seeing your early decisions pay off when you fell the enemy's final stronghold. 

Later on, those decisions include the battles themselves. Sending a regular foot soldier to deal with an airborne enemy is an obvious faux pas, but it's these situations that you need to avoid by having a varied army. Sometimes, you might want to keep your other troops safe and only send those equipped to handle the situation. Or if there's no one suitable, whittle them down with powerful spells before sending any units in. This is where War Legends truly shines.

An RTS isn't easy to translate to mobile. With complex strategy options come numerous menus, and commanding a whole army is often deemed easier with a mouse and keyboard. However, the touch screen controls are excellent. The UI largely lives on the far left and right-hand sides of the screen, meaning it never covers the battlefield, only popping out when you need it to. That leaves you free to select units and manoeuvre them around with ease. 

Mechanically solid

There's a button to select units by type alongside every single one of them. Meanwhile, if you want a select group, simply tap and hold the screen for a beat before dragging the little box across the required units. It works incredibly well, and I never had any issues giving my army commands, even when the intensity ramped up.

From a mechanical perspective, I simply can't fault it. War Legends' true tactical depth and potential for free-to-play shenanigans require many more hours than a hands-on preview allows. However, the core gameplay is great, and I can thoroughly recommend it.