Heroes and Heralds Mode for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Online Campaign Revealed
Capcom is starting to trick out information about the upcoming Heroes & Heralds DLC - due 12/19 in all territories for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
First off - what is Heroes & Heralds mode? A sizeable update that adds a deep, customizable new angle to online and offline play. Each time you begin, you choose a faction - either noble Heroes or silver-colored Heralds of Galactus - and engage in a series of battles with the opposing side. Online battles pit you against human opponents, while the offline mode has you scrapping with AI teams.
But there�s more to it than simply choosing teams - the real meat of Heroes & Heralds mode is the acquisition of Ability Cards that give your team all kinds of new powers. These abilities range from basic alterations (like a speed boost) to game-changing, combo-enhancing powers (like invisibility or the ability to pass through projectiles). Even better, said cards are based on classic Marvel and Capcom characters, so each and every one acts as a tiny cameo from someone you know! We�ll go into card specifics later this week, complete with descriptions of their powers and the aforementioned artwork featuring dozens of beloved characters.
Heroes & Heralds is a standalone mode, and does not introduce Ability Cards into other areas of online play. That said, you can still hop into Training mode and try out your decks before taking them into the online or offline Heroes & Heralds mode. Find three cards that work best together (or suit your play style best) and see what happens!
The first batch of info looks at the Online campaign. Odds are this is where everyone will spend most of their time, so they thought it best to cover it now. In a nutshell, the Online mode is a week-long tournament that tallies the overall performance of two factions - Heroes and Heralds, naturally - and then crowns a winner at the end.
After choosing your side, you search for battles with the opposing faction via Quick Match, Create Match or Custom Match. The difference between fights in standard multiplayer and Heroes & Heralds mode is these matches incorporate performance-enhancing Ability Cards, and your battle outcomes are graded individually and as a group; as you play, you earn H&H points for your own ranking, but these points also contribute to your faction’s total. At the end of the week, the campaign is over and the faction with the most points is declared the winner. On the losing end? Don’t worry - you can switch factions at the beginning of the next week’s campaign and try your luck over there.
Above: In this case, Team Heroes is winning the overall campaign. Note the progress bar - it will change throughout the week, depending on the current state of the campaign
What’s in it for the victors? Well, other than bragging rights and nice placement on the leaderboards, you’re also more likely to receive better Ability Cards, plus a chance at unlocking the silver-hued Herald Color for Marvel and Capcom characters. Rewards come at a quick pace, so even if you only have time for a few battles each week, you’re still going to unlock new content.
Above: A Herald-colored Strider faces down Tron. Both are equipped with Ability Cards, displayed underneath their team icons. Notice how Strider’s life bars are invisible!
Capcom has stated that next will be the Offline mode for Heroes & Heralds, and then Thursday specific Ability Cards. How’s that for a hot winter lineup? The details will be released over the next week.
