War Heroes on Android Review

Since my units on Clash Royale are mostly at level 11, and at this point, leveling up is a slow process, I tried looking for an alternative card battle game on Google Play. And that's when I chanced upon War Heroes - very similar to Clash Royale but the setting - instead of being in a medieval realm of knights, archers, and mages - is similar to what you might have in a World War II scenario - infantry soldiers, tanks, and snipers.

I haven't fully accessed all areas of the game, but from the game play I've experienced thus far, it's really Clash Royale with a army theme. You have cards which you level up with in-game money. You have crates which contains cards that you open within 3 or 8 hours or instantly using gems. If not for the alternate company name, I would have thought that Supercell was also behind this game. Maybe Supercell is still a parent company.

Perhaps the only novelty in this game is the idea of having Generals - cards that give a player some kind of field advantage over the other player (assuming the other player is using a different type of General). Some generals add an extra tower that needs to be destroyed. Others spawn troops when certain field conditions are met. Still, others add barbed wires on the field, impeding the progress of foot soldiers. Maybe the creative team behind Clash Royale will imitate this concept and integrate it into their game.

I'm not sure if War Heroes has a 2 vs 2 player mode. In terms of strategy - it seems as if Clash Royale is more mature in that there are different ways to win. In War Heroes, is seems like overwhelming the opponent with units is the only way to win. But again, I haven't reached the upper levels in the game yet, so that is what keeps it exciting and fresh for me. But I suspect that once you reach a very high level in the game, where progressing comes to a slow pace, it will also lose its appeal. Till then, I am waiting to get access to some choppers in the game. ;)

Gabby Espinas Will Be Good For Global Port

As San Miguel continues to experiment with its proven lineup by trading Gabby Espinas for Global Port's Kelly Nabong, you'ld wonder why they would do that since Gabby is the only legitimate back-up local center for Jun Mar Fajardo after Standhardinger's injury. But it wouldn't surprise me if Gabby is the one who asked to be traded with the arrival of Standhardinger since a healthy Standhardinger would eat up Gabby's minutes on the playing court.

I will never forget Espinas' contribution to San Miguel's finals comeback from a 0-3 deficit. There was a point in that series where Jun Mar Fajardo was injured and was out for a couple of games. It was Espinas who placed the center during that All-Filipino conference finals. And he was tough. He was even hitting big time three pointers. So, again, I as a fan ask, why would San Miguel let go of this gem of a back-up big man?

Nabong may have a three-point shot, but that's about it. He has no post game unlike Espinas. Nabong is a bruiser. If you want an enforcer on the court to waste away fouls, then Nabong is your guy. And Nabong is a hot head. If your team was in a crucial game with the score tied, his temper might be a liability. San Miguel's coaching staff might be thinking Nabong is the Dennis Rodman for their San Miguel's version of the Chicago Bulls. I don't know what he will do for the SMB team. That remains to be seen.

But if there was one reason for SMB's acquisition of new blood, it's probably to generate a hunger in the team that seems to have waned since they've already won a lot of championships since 2015. It is hard to maintain a thirst for more championships if your guys are content since they no longer have anything to prove.

A grandslam should be a goal this SMB team should aim for. That should be enough reason for their hunger since they haven't achieved that yet. The core has been through a lot of battles, and a grandslam would cement their status in PBA history as one of the greatest teams that have been formed. From a fan's perspective, I already consider them one of the greats because of the 0-3 deficit comeback. And a grandslam is all I want for them before their core 5 splits up due to age or trades. Hopefully, that will never happen, and Cabagnot, Lassiter, Ross, Santos, and Fajardo can all retire on this team together. But the reality is, no team stays together forever. So get that grandslam guys, while you still can.

But going back to Espinas, he is the legitimate local center that Global Port badly needs. With him in the lineup, Globalport probably just needs to develop a shooting guard... maybe Paulo Taha or use Teng more (although he really should get in shape like his brother Jeron), since Elorde simply gives up a lot of height in matchups. Grey and Anthony can probably go at the 2 and 3 spots, with Espinas at the 4 and the import at 5. Pringle should always be at the 1. Global Port can build on this core, and get back to being competitive.