Warlords: Crystals of Power Review – A Fantasy Slot with Battle-Ready Features

Warlords: Crystals of Power, a fantasy-focused online slot on Staruniv, follows a Barbarian, Priestess and Samurai on their quest across the reels.

The grid sits on top of a battlefield backdrop, while the warlords frame the reels, along with their faithful animal companions. But this online casino game isn’t just about the theme; it has mechanics and features that keep building the action, from Random Overlay Wild moments to Scatter battles, Re-Spins, and three unique Free Spins modes.

Theme and Design: War of the Reels

From the moment the game loads, it’s clear that players will be spinning in a battlefield within a fantasy world. Three champions, three factions, and a changing landscape sits behind the reels, setting the atmosphere.

The warlords are always visible at the edges, as well as playing a huge part on the reels. In fact, everything on the reels belongs to one of the factions, including the headgear of the warriors and their animal companions. The graphic style chosen by NetEnt for this slot is clearly inspired by fantasy franchises such as Magic: The Gathering, with each character art looking detailed and beautifully coloured.

Core Gameplay: A Different Way to Wager

The structure of Warlords: Crystals of Power is a familiar one, with 5 reels, 3 rows, and 30 fixed payline.  Bet line wins pay from the left reel to the right, with only the highest win per bet line being paid out. When more than one line wins on the same spin, those wins are added together.

This online slot uses a bet level and coin value system. Bet level is the number of coins bet per line, and a bet line win in coins is the paytable value multiplied by the bet level, then multiplied again by any multipliers. 

For example, if a paytable win is worth 60 coins at bet level 1 and the bet level is set to 3, that line win becomes 180 coins (60 x 3). In terms of real money, a 60-coin line win equals £0.30 at the minimum stake of £0.15 (on Staruniv), and £9.00 at the maximum stake of £4.50. 

The Warlord Symbols

Based on bet level 1, the Barbarian pays 150 for five, 45 for four, and 10 for three. The Priestess pays 200 for five, 50 for four, and 12 for three. The Samurai pays 300 for five, 60 for four, and 14 for three.

Each warlord also has a companion animal. The Wolf, linked to the Samurai, pays 120 for five, 40 for four, and 5 for three. The Panther, linked to the Priestess, pays 90 for five, 35 for four, and 5 for three. The Warthog, linked to the Barbarian, pays 75 for five, 30 for four, and 5 for three. The headgear symbols fill out the rest of the set. The Samurai’s Helmet pays 60 for five, 25 for four, and 3 for three. The Priestess’s Mask pays 50 for five, 20 for four, and 3 for three. The Barbarian’s Horned Helmet pays 40 for five, 15 for four, and 3 for three.

Then there’s the Wild. As with most online slot games, it substitutes for all symbols except Scatter symbols, and it pays on its own, too. The Wild pays 300 for five, 60 for four, and 15 for three.

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Random Overlay Wilds

Random Overlay Wild is the base game and can show up without warning and change the shape of the game. When it triggers, it uses a different reel set from the main game, where no Scatters show up on the reels. This keeps the feature unique from the other ones, as it’s about Wild coverage and substitution, not about pushing into Re-Spins or Free Spins.

There are three types of Overlay Wilds, each themed to one of the warlords, and once the feature activates, the symbols are replaced by Overlay Wild symbols. The Barbarian Hammer feature gives the player 4 Wild symbols on reels 1 to 4. It’s the most structured version, and that block of Wilds on the left side can make a big difference. The Priestess Arrow feature gives 2 to 5 Wild symbols on reels 1 to 5 and is the widest-reaching overlay, which is able to place Wilds anywhere across the grid.

The Samurai Sword feature awards 2 to 5 Wild symbols on reels 1 to 4. This stays on the left side like the hammer, but with more variation in how many Wilds appear and where they land, combining both the first two Overlay Wilds.

Battles and Re-Spins: Where Warlords Clash

There are three Scatter symbols in Warlords: Crystals of Power, and each one is linked to a Free Spins game. The blue Scatter symbol is tied to Barbarian Free Spins, the green Scatter symbol is connected to Priestess Free Spins, and the red Scatter symbol is tied to Samurai Free Spins.

In the main game, the different Scatters award the player their connected feature, which is either 3 Free Spins, 1 Multiplier, or a Sticky Wild. The Free Spins feature triggered depends on the type of Scatter symbols showing on the reels and, for Samurai Free Spins, the position of the Scatter symbols on the reels.

Re-Spins are given when 2 or more Scatter symbols land. Scatters only land on reels 2,3 and 4, and during Re-Spins, Scatters can appear on all five reels. That shift is a big part of why the slot can feel like it’s opening up, like an evolving battlefield.

Battles and Active Scatters

When the Scatters are the same type, the Re-Spin starts straight away. When the Scatters are different types, a battle takes place and the Scatters transform so that all active Scatters are the same type before the Re-Spins begin.

If 2 different Scatter symbols land on the reels, 1 Scatter symbol is randomly picked after a battle to transform into the other symbol so that they become the same before the Re-Spins can begin. There’s a 50/50 chance of which symbol becomes the active Scatter symbol, which adds a layer of anticipation during the battle.  

If 2 Scatter symbols of the same type land with 1 Scatter symbol of a different type, the Scatters transform into the same type after a battle. In this situation, there’s a 75% chance that the symbol with 2 Scatters becomes the active symbol. If 3 different Scatter symbols appear, the Scatters transform into the same type after a battle. In this situation, there’s an equal chance of each symbol becoming the active symbol.

Final Chance Feature

Final Chance triggers when Re-Spins are activated with 2 Scatters and no extra Scatters appear during the Re-Spins. In that case, a random feature reveals either a coin win, ranging from 3x to 100x the bet, or a Scatter symbol on a random spot on the reels. If the random feature shows a Scatter symbol, the new Scatter symbol is randomly placed on the reels, and Free Spins begin, meaning no extra Re-Spins are given.

Free Spins: Power of the Warlords

There are three Free Spins modes, also tied to a Scatter colour, and each one uses its own reel set featuring only the Scatter type that triggered the round. The blue Scatter activates Barbarian Free Spins for a minimum of 9 spins, the green Scatter activates Priestess Free Spins for 7 spins, and the red Scatter activates Samurai Free Spins for 5 spins.

Free Spins run on the same bet level and coin value as the round that triggered it. Scatters during Free Spins don’t trigger Re-Spins and extra Scatters activate that round’s feature before wins are calculated. If several land together, it triggers once for each new Scatter.

Character Strengths

The Barbarian Free Spins keeps things tight with only warrior and animal symbols showing up, and each new Scatter gives players 3 extra Free Spins. Priestess Free Spins multiplier, increasing by x1 for each extra Scatter. Samurai Free Spins turns the Scatter into a Sticky Wild for the rest of the round, so once it lands, it stays.

Final Verdict: Searching the Spoils of Battle

Warlords: Crystals of Power, hosted on Staruniv, is one of NetEnt’s most polished slots in their catalogue. The artwork is deeply rooted in the iconic fantasy art style, and the features are layered and feed directly into the characters of the slot.

Random Overlay Wild can shake up the base game with three Wild patterns, using a separate reel set with no Scatters. After that, the Scatters become the main event, with battles, Re-Spins across all the reels, and a Final Chance that can either reveal a coin win or place a Scatter to kick off the Free Spins.

The Free Spins are where the main variety of this online casino game comes in. Barbarian Free Spins can add +3 spins per new Scatter, Priestess Free Spins builds a multiplier by x1 for each Scatter, and Samurai Free Spins turns the Scatter into a Sticky Wild for the round. With individual characteristics and special abilities, Warlords: Crystals of Power is more than just a slot with a surface-level theme and basic features.

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