Q&A with Akora TCG
Carling Berkhout
History of Akora
What was your inspiration for Akora?
As a child, I really enjoyed reading literature such as the Lord of The Rings and other adventure fantasy stories. I enjoyed them so much that I would spend my nights as a young teenager creating and writing my own stories within a world that I created called “Ikithia.” I began playing trading card games at an early age, starting with Pokémon and branching off into Yu-Gi-Oh! and Duel Masters. I would play with friends and at my local game store. During this time, I fell into the world of Manga and Anime and read and watched as much as I could get my hands on.
Fast forward to the present day, and a lifetime of playing and collecting trading cards alongside a passion for the world I wrote about as I was growing up, led me to create Akora. There are many inspirations that shaped my imagination and the world that I created; too many to list. Trading cards wise, I love games with combinations of cards that work together to create a strategy to defeat an opposing player with more than brute force or liner gameplay. I like to imagine a game of chess each move thought out and a strategy and structure created by the player. Akora allows a player to create their own world in the confines of a game mat, that they control, and the results are dependent on how that player builds their deck and what strategy they decide to create.
Was your game story-first or was your story game-first?
Akora was a story and world before the game, but the game came some years after the creation of Ikithia and the story of Akora. Developing the game with a team of specialists and play testers, we were focused on creating a play experience that was new and exciting to people. Using elements of the world of Ikithia and its themes helped to shape the core mechanics of Akora. One feature that remains to this day is bound Akora, which is the premise of the game. Just like the story, you have a partner Akora that is bound to you, the Alchemist, and that bond is transferred from the story right into the game creating an emotional attachment for some players who create decks around their favorite Akora.
Gameplay
What is the best card in the game and why?
Time Reversal; A powerful alchemy card. Time Reversal fits perfectly in any attribute’s alchemy deck. It’s a card that can change the tide in any match. If you have a large attack that you need to land, or protect yourself from an incoming attack from your opponent, having a Time Reversal will play a key role in allowing you to execute important plays without interruption.
What is the best deck in the game and why?
There are many great decks in Akora – the “best”/crowd favorite would be Fire! Fire is a heavily aggressive and defensive attribute. This attribute also has the ability to deal chip damage throughout the match straight to your opponent’s Alchemist Essence. Fire is the perfect attribute deck for players of all skill levels. Some refer to fire builds as “point and shoot,” which for a beginner level player will give you a great chance at competitive success straight away, while also providing our most seasoned players with endless technical build variations. Even in a mirror match, this is an exciting deck to watch and play!
What is the best booster box and why?
The best booster box belongs to “Grordhelm Uprising” (Q2 – 2023). Grordhelm Uprising deserves the award for this both for its artwork on the outside of the booster box, but also for the contents within! This set was the first introduction to Akora’s “Extended Art” rarity with full holographic patterns. Opening a box of Grordhelm is an easy way to spoil yourself; with 12-14 of the 20 packs delivering a holographic card or better, along with exciting chases cards ranging from 1:2 box all the way to 1:1,000! Artwork and collectability aside, Grordhelm introduces a variety of staple cards for competitive players that build very well and compliment key cards from the previous sets.
How many formats are there? Why did you choose that number of formats?
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- Akora TCG provides 4 formats, which include the following:
- Legacy (Constructed): Best of 3 matches
- Legacy - Flash (Constructed): Best of 1 match
- Bound (Sealed): Best of 3 matches
- Bound - Flash (Sealed): Best of 1 match
"Legacy" is a constructed format where players build a tournament-legal deck to play in an event.
"Bound" is a sealed format where players are given a constructed deck, which is the only deck they can use for the duration of the event.
We wanted to give our players and Tournament Organizers the ability to host BO1 or BO3 depending on player interest and top prizing value. Look out for more formats in the future!
What are three cards with unique art work? Who created the art?
(066) Sub-Zero (Kickstarter): An Ice-Attribute Flash Alchemy Card, illustrated by Takahashi Kaitou (GU-027) Magna-Nensho: A Fire-Attribute Mage Akora, illustrated by Michio Mizuki
(GU-???) Spirit Token Crystal Dia: A Spirit-Attribute Token Alchemy Card, illustrated by Takahashi Kaitou
What is the best set ever made?
Grordhelm Uprising, our latest core set, is our best set to date! For many of the same reasons we have selected it for our favorite booster box, this set is a representation of how far Akora TCG has come. Featuring powerful gameplay mechanics, stunning artwork, and a wide variety of exciting chase cards, Grordhelm Uprising has everything a player or collector is looking for! The response has been overwhelmingly positive for this set as we continue to listen closely to our community and strive to enact positive and impactful updates and refinements to our core sets, introducing something new and special each and every release!
Future of Akora
Which upcoming set do you like the most?
Akora TCG’s upcoming set, “Trials of Ikithia,” is slated for August, 2023. We are excited to introduce Alchemists to a brand new realm along with an array of brand new Akora and Alchemy cards! New strategies will emerge thanks to the introduction of over 150 mechanically unique cards, along with exciting new chase card variations. This set will introduce the “Character Relic” rarity which will provide players and collectors with a brand new look and feel to their Relic Shard resource cards. We will also begin to revisit, for the very first time, some of the most beloved Akora from the past!
What is the most exciting / challenging part of making a new set?
The most challenging and exciting part of making a new set would be gameplay and balance of the game. Making sure that each playtesting phase is as in depth as possible. The Akora gameplay team does a great job managing the play testing and working with many of our experienced players in the community to ensure that the game remains balanced and fair across all different play styles. This is an exciting process as we see the cards working as intended and the new gameplay come to life!
How does Akora plan on marketing the game to the world? What are the next steps to get the word out about the game?
Akora has made great strides in partnering with some of the largest companies in the TCG space. We have an ongoing partnership with eBay UK and eBay US where we are joining forces to market Akora TCG on social media with our last joint campaign reaching over 1.4 million people. Partnering with companies like TCGplayer, in both the UK and US, Akora will continue to grow its visibility to new audiences. We will be attending larger events as we grow and focus on conventions on a larger scale. Our internal marketing team will be producing content and creating outreach to game stores highlighting our amazing organized play network, “Akora Play”, which is currently in Season 4! Large-scale events are on the cards with attractive prize pools to help reward players and grow our existing player base.
Publishing
I have never heard of this game – the artwork looks great, but how is the scene player-wise and where is it sold?
Our organized play software, Akora Play, is an amazing resource specifically created to support stores and players. The system has a friendly user interface, card database, deck builder, global and competitive player rankings and provides unique player rewards on a season-by-season basis. In the first month we amassed close to 300 active players and Akora is in over 150 different cities across the world. Sign up to Akora Play today and get in on the action!
Akora is sold in the US, UK, and Australia through local game stores to players. We have a trusted distribution network and have partnerships with Southern Hobby Distribution US, one of the largest American distributors of trading cards, and Let’s Play Games, one of Australia’s largest games distributors. For the UK, distribution is handled by Carde.io through the Akora Play network. Stores who sign up for Akora Play will have the ability to order core product and seasonal play kits even without traditional distribution accounts.
Many local game stores are streamlining back towards corporate games after the 2022 economic downturn. What would you say to an LGS that is interested in Akora but is struggling with the fear of branching back out into the independent TCG space?
Akora TCG has LGS’ best interests at heart. Everything we offer as incentives to our LGS partners is to get players through the door and gaming in the store! We offer seasonal prize support for weekly local events as well as unique seasonal rewards provided by Akora TCG. Embrace an exciting new opportunity and allow us to support you on your journey to bring Akora TCG to your community!
Do you think that after the fifth set you may increase the production of the cards or will they still be the same amount as the last two sets?
Akora TCG is extremely cognizant of creating core sets that meet the true demand of our players and collector market! Currently, we are tracking this number closely and will continue to ensure that we are providing the best value possible to our players and collectors by making sure our player base has affordable staples to continue their journey as well as doing our part to create a healthy environment post release for all Alchemists! We believe that this level of care will be of utmost importance for our longevity and quality of life for our community.
Sizzle Question
If you could tell an audience one thing to get them interested in Akora what would it be?
Akora TCG is an incredible opportunity for local game stores, players and collectors to enjoy all of the benefits and excitement of a brand-new game! The same emotions and memories attached to your first experiences with your childhood TCGs can be relived through a new lens as you journey into Ikithia. Delve into a world of immersive gameplay with a unique look, while enjoying the benefits of an incredibly strong foundation that has been laid before you. Dive into season play & unlock unique rewards, design your favorite decks on our latest deck building software that you can share with friends and port seamlessly into Tabletop Simulator, collect and trade with fellow alchemists in our Discord community servers, track your collections with our master spreadsheets and card database, and stay up to date with all of the latest news and updates on the Akora Official website! The future is bright, Alchemists! We welcome you all to join us on this incredible journey!
Reminder
Akora TCG is coming to the TCGplayer Marketplace! List your inventory today to get prepared.