It’s finally here! The first look at Stormgate gameplay was shown on the PC Gaming show on June 11, with a Human Resistance mirror match showing off many different elements of the game and its first race.
TLO vs Monk Showmatch Gives Us First Look At Stormgate Gameplay
We got our first look at Stormgate gameplay thanks to a 1v1 showmatch between ex-SC2 pro Dario “TLO” Wünsch and Frost Giant’s Kevin “Monk” Dong. The two faced off in a Human Resistance mirror match, sharing their plans with eager viewers and going for two unique strategies.
The showmatch revealed just about everything you might expect. We saw the map, resources, units, buildings, combat, micro, macro – the whole lot. It was a lot to digest in just a few minutes, but overall we can say the game looked great, especially if you consider it’s still in a pre-alpha state.
You can catch the full gameplay reveal below and we’ll go on to explain just about everything that we saw.
Stormgate Map Features and Resources
Let’s start with the basics, we saw just one map played, but it already gives us a ton of information about the game.
The map, based on the Hinterland setting, seemed to have pretty standard RTS features. Players started on opposite sides of the map, with main bases featuring a ramp. There was high ground, low ground, clear paths, and, of course, room for expansions.
Two interesting features did stand out. First of all, there were small patches of forest that were traversable by TLO’s small bio units, but Monk’s large mechs couldn’t fit through. This gives an interesting bit of tactical depth to the map, limiting movements for only large units. However, the trees could be destroyed, fully opening up the path.
The other feature was the inclusion of neutral units (aka creeps). There were camps around the map where players could go to attack neutral units and once defeated, the player who landed the killing blow was rewarded with a small amount of resources.
Speaking of, we also finally got a look at the game’s resources. Stormgate has two different resources: Luminite, which is the primary resource, and Therium, which is the secondary resource. The former is your classic gold/minerals/money, while the latter is used for advanced units and buildings, as well as upgrades.
Therium is also a bit of a unique resource, it spreads and enriches when unmined and has different forms (such as exposed patches or underground veins) that have different gameplay mechanisms. Although, full details of how this works haven’t quite been revealed.
Frost Giant have confirmed that the visuals for these are temporary for this showmatch, so they will likely change in the future.
Human Resistance Units
As you might expect, the Stormgate gameplay reveal also showed off a bunch of awesome Human Resistance stuff. We got to see a total of eight units and eight buildings, most of which Frost Giant had already revealed, but it was great to see them in action.
B.O.B and S.C.O.U.T
The showmatch started by highlighting the game’s early game units – the Human robot worker B.O.B and S.C.O.U.T, a robotic dog that is a fast-moving scouting unit that even has the ability to sense nearby units in the fog of war.
Exo and Lancer
We also saw two bio units: Lancer, which is a melee unit that has an upgrade that allows it to reduce damage received, and the Exo, a human soldier with a gun.
The Exo has an upgrade that gives it the ability to increase movement speed, although when it attacks while using the ability it fires two shots at once and then loses the bonus speed. Terran players will feel right at home with the Exo.
Atlas, MedTech, Vulcan, and Evac
It was all technology and fancy robots from there, as we saw familiar faces in the MecTech, Vulcan, and Evac, as well as a new unit, the Atlas.
Stormgate’s Atlas immediately jumped out as a key unit. The Atlas is a long-range artillery unit that has two different attack modes, one of which does large area of effect damage which leaves a burning spot on the ground, damaging units that stand in it.
Meanwhile, the Vulcan is a unit we’re already quite familiar with. It’s a large mech that wields a gatling gun, which ramps up to deal increased damage and pierces through units in a line. It can also train an upgrade that allows it to use its jetpack to rapidly reposition, stunning enemies in its way and knocking over trees.
The MedTech is a support unit that can heal and repair its allies, as well as enhance nearby allies. Full details on this aren’t out yet, but it looks to be the spellcaster of the faction.
Last but not least is the Evac. This unit is a simple transport ship that can pick up and drop off units – interestingly enough, it can even pick up and drop off a deployed Atlas.
Human Resistance Structures
When it comes to buildings, we’ve already seen a lot of what the Human faction has to offer so far. The Barracks, Mech Bay, Therium Refiner, Biokinetics Lab, and Machine Lab were all revealed on May 29. However, there are three new structures for us to look at.
Command Post, Habitat, and Sentry Turret
The Command Post, Habitat, and Sentry Turret were all featured in the Stormgate gameplay reveal. These structures are fairly standard, so there isn’t too much to get into – the Command Post allows the Human Resistance to construct workers, tech up, and power up nearby workers to give them more attack speed and armor.
Meanwhile, the Habitat increases supply and the Sentry Turret is a static defense building that targets both ground and air.
That’s about it for the reveal, as we can see, there is a ton of cool stuff and definitely more to come! We’ve yet to see any tier 3 for the Human Resistance and, of course, the Infernal Hosts. There’s a lot to look forward to as Stormgate development continues.
