Eldegarde thrusts players into a pulp fantasy world as adventurers looting expansive outdoor zones like Greenwood fields, woods, and crypts teeming with monsters and rivals. Select from classes—Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Paladin, Wizard—for solo, duo, or squad runs extracting gear amid PvPvE chaos. Evolved from Legacy: Steel & Sorcery's Early Access (Feb 2025), full 1.0 adds PvE mode, arenas, social hubs, and dungeons post-rebrand.
Core Extraction Loop
Enter maps via stash/inventory system: gear up with skills unlocking at levels (e.g., level 3 perks), battle creatures/players, loot rares, and extract safely to stash or risk total loss. Combat is high-intensity ARPG: melee clashes, spells, dodges in real-time PvPvE, where knights and beasts drop components for city crafting (potions, weapons). Missions stack (14 quests for satchel upgrades), dailies refresh every 2 hours, blending grinds with risk.
Death drops loot unless quick-extracted, fueling tense decisions in living worlds.
Classes and Combat Depth
Four core classes (expanding to six):
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Warrior: Tanky frontline with crowd control.
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Hunter: Ranged precision, traps.
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Rogue: Stealth flanks, burst damage.
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Priest: Heals/supports, buffs.
Paladin/Wizard add holy nukes or arcane blasts; build via gear/skills for combos in arenas or dungeons. Unreal Engine delivers fluid fights, Easy Anti-Cheat secures PvP, peaking 3.7k concurrents.
Progression and Endgame
Extracted loot crafts/upgrades in hubs: alchemists for potions, forges for tiered gear. Main quests unlock inventory/space, dailies/dungeons provide steady grinds; PvE mode teaches mechanics sans player threats. Social hubs foster trading/groups, arenas test builds—community shaped via 11 months Early Access feedback.
Peaks at ~85 players now, with ~150k owners; live service promises maps/classes.
Technicals and Community
Smooth on Windows PC (Unreal, EOS); controller/Steam Deck viable. Fantasy pulp visuals—verdant wilds, sinister crypts—pair with magic/steel clashes. Blizzard vet Chris Kaleiki (WoW expansions) leads Notorious Studios, prioritizing PvE alongside hardcore PvPvE.
1.0 free upgrade for Early Access buyers; $25 base, supporter packs cosmetic.
Is It Worth Buying?
Eldegarde hooks extraction fans craving Escape from Tarkov fantasy—PvPvE tension, class synergy, loot loops shine for groups craving mini-MMO depth. At $25, 1.0's PvE/arena additions suit solos/duos; community-driven polish rewards veterans.
Skip if solo-only or hate loot grinds—player-kills frustrate casuals, sparse pops post-peak (~85 concurrent) limit queues. Squad up for highs; wishlist pre-Jan 21 for fantasy raids.
