Stick War: Legacy Full Review: Story, Game play, Graphics & More

My first impression when starting Stick War: Legacy on my smartphone was of a simple stick figure war game, which would not stay on my phone for long. I got hooked on several consecutive battles, however, since the controls were easy to learn, while victories in this game take more brainpower than you might imagine.

What surprised me was that this game is quite well balanced in terms of game play complexity and strategic decisions. You do not need a top-end gaming phone and hours of tutorials to begin playing. All you have to do is build your army, manage your resources, choose the right units and try to blow up your opponent’s statue before he or she blows up yours.

Here goes my full review of Stick War: Legacy with all the details about its plot, game play, graphics, controls, game modes, difficulty, performance and mistakes that rookies make.

What Is Stick War: Legacy?

Stick War: Legacy is an action and strategy game that revolves around armies of stick figures. The player manages his/her own army and fights against the opponents, balancing between gold and choosing what units to train.

Everything may sound quite simple at first glance, however, the game has its moments.

For instance, you may begin by creating miners in order to collect gold. After that, you have to decide whether to invest your money in sword warriors, archers, spear fighters, or other units. Excessive investments will lead to an unstable economy, whereas holding back will make your opponent attack you.

This is one of the factors that makes the game interesting.

The First Time Playing Stick War: Legacy

I committed my first big mistake that beginners often do; I spent most of the time building up an army of fighters while neglecting mining.

The idea seemed very clear. The more soldiers you have, the better your army is.

But the truth is not so simple.

With no gold inflow, I could not replenish the fallen soldiers. At first, my army was awesome, but after some soldiers fell, I had no means to restore it.

Several games later, I began paying more attention to the economy. Gold proved to be a very valuable resource.

One of the lessons Stick War: Legacy teaches without any extensive tutorials is that a good army requires a good economy.

Story and Campaign

The campaign is one of the most significant features in Stick War: Legacy.

Unlike the majority of other tower defense games, where players go through waves of enemies, in Stick War Legacy you have the opportunity to go through the levels and different kinds of battles.

The whole world is shown in the unique style of the game, with different groups of people having their own warriors.

The story is not comparable to a big console RPG with numerous cutscenes and dialogs, that is not what the game is about.

What is done well in the game is how the campaign serves as an introduction to various enemies, units, challenges, and strategies.

With time, the battles become harder and more challenging. You will find it harder to beat certain enemies, and mindlessly producing certain units will not work any longer.

Why the Campaign Is Successful

My first impression about the campaign was positive because it brings some kind of progression to the game.

From the beginning, you learn how to:

Mine gold

Train units

Move soldiers

Defend your statue

Attack your enemies

Game play in Stick War: Legacy

Game play is clearly the best feature of Stick War: Legacy.

In general, a typical game consists of three things:

Collecting resources

Creating your army

Destroying the enemy's statue

There are other features involved though.

You should determine the number of miners, what units to create, when to attack, when to protect yourself, and when to stockpile the resources.

Miners for Gold Collection

Gold is one of the key elements.

Your miners collect resources constantly, thus letting you buy more troops.

One of the mistakes newbies make is using all their resources for combat units. I figured out rather fast that having some miners will ensure a better survival of your whole army.

Still, there is always a downside.

In case you spend a lot of time creating miners while the enemy is preparing an assault, your army may not have enough troops for the statue protection.

Forming Your Army

Units have different functions, so building an army is not about purchasing the costliest unit.

For instance, melee units can come in handy when the enemy gets close, while ranged units can attack the enemy from a safe distance.

Depending on how the enemy is playing will determine how to form an army.

When the enemy concentrates on one particular unit, it becomes wise to change the army's composition.

Individual Unit Control

I like the fact that there is control over individual units.

While forming an army and sending them to fight the enemies, there is a chance to control some of the units personally.

This makes it interesting to play the game since you directly control some of the units during battles.

For instance, when controlling a ranged unit, it becomes possible to position yourself well and launch attacks at a good distance.

Initially, I was moving units in haste until I got exposed to many enemies.

It became evident that when controlling a unit, you do not have to move it everywhere.

Different Units and Their Uses

One of the aspects that makes the game very interesting is the range of units.

Sword Units

Sword units consist of melee units.

They are perfect for close engagements and are easier to understand for newbies.

This unit is very effective when used in the basic frontline.

Archers

The great thing about archers is their ability to shoot from afar.

Still, they are less safe when the enemies get to them.

Having a good frontline will increase the effectiveness of archers immensely.

Spearmen

Spearmen are another choice for dealing with the enemy army and can be very helpful in various situations.

It is more important to know how each unit can be used than how expensive it is.

Better Units

As you move forward, you get access to better and more specialized units.

This is when the game becomes more of a strategy.

Questions like these pop up:

Should I upgrade my current army?

Should I collect gold?

Should I attack immediately?

Should I protect my statue?

Whose unit I should counter?

This makes further game play much more fun and challenging compared to initial levels.

Graphics and Design

Stick War: Legacy does not intend to be an advanced 3D game for Android devices competing with other mobile games regarding graphic details.

It uses 2D stick-man style for its design.

And, in my opinion, this is a good choice made by developers.

Graphics are clear and understandable, you can easily recognize all characters, enemies, projectiles, and objects without cluttering the screen.

Moreover, this makes game play possible for many Android phones.

Impressive Graphics?

If you want realism in textures, complex environment settings, or console-like graphics of characters, this is not the game for you.

However, if animation clarity and consistency of the graphical style matters more to you, Stick War: Legacy delivers.

Also, the stick figure-style graphics have become an integral part of the game.

Mobile Game play Control

Control scheme is one of the reasons why the game fits mobile devices well.

Controls on mobile phones are quite easy, and you do not need to cover the entire screen with buttons.

In a turn-based strategy game with units' control, this is especially true.

I did not test the game using a gamepad, but the controls seemed quite easy for me to use.

The key is not in figuring out which button is responsible for what.

It is more about knowing when to use them.

Difficulties

At first, Stick War: Legacy seems to be quite simple to play, but the difficulty grows while you progress further.

Sometimes, even those battles which seemed to be easy at the beginning may turn out to be challenging in case you apply the wrong tactics.

There were situations when I considered myself winning, but my army just failed due to the incorrect positioning of troops.

And this is another important lesson that the game shows well:

To win once does not mean to use the same tactics in all the following fights.

You should adapt.

Other Game Modes and Challenges

The campaign is not the only thing that keeps you playing.

Depending on the version and the unlocked content, Stick War: Legacy provides other modes and challenges which can extend the game play beyond the main progression.

These features come handy when you do not want to just go through the campaign.

This is also the way to make veterans return after passing the previous levels.

Performance On Mobile Devices

Perhaps one of the most significant advantages of a simple visual style in this game is performance.

Since there are no highly detailed 3D environments, the game has significantly fewer requirements compared to most of the latest mobile games.

In general, on an average Android smartphone, you should be able to comfortably play Stick War: Legacy.

Nevertheless, performance may depend on the particular phone you have, its operating system version, background processes, and even storage.

In case of any issues with performance, close all unneeded applications prior to starting the game and do not allow your phone to overheat.

Does Stick War: Legacy Support Offline Play?

One of the reasons why people tend to like such games is an ability to play without the necessity of having a stable internet connection at all times.

Nevertheless, the possibility of playing offline will depend on several aspects: the version of the game, the platform used, and the particular features.

If you plan to play while you are offline, it would be a good idea to install the game in advance and check if the features you want to use are available offline.

Common Mistakes That Beginner Players Need To Avoid

1. Using All of Your Gold Upfront

This was among my first mistakes.

Having extra resources provides options in case of unexpected attacks from the enemy.

2. Neglecting Your Economy

It is not worth having an army that you cannot replenish.

Ensure that your miners are mining sufficient gold to keep up with your strategy.

3. Attacking Without Strategy

While sending all units to attack enemy's statue seems to be a cool thing, you risk getting vulnerable to counterattacks.

Always think about the ability of your army to endure counterattacks before launching an attack.

4. Relying On One Type of Unit

Each enemy needs a different strategy.

Don't hesitate to experiment and use different types of units.

5. Controlling Your Units Too Aggressively

Direct control is a strong strategy, but sending your unit directly to enemy's formation will likely result in its death.

In some cases, it is better to stay put.

Simple Strategy for Beginners

For beginners, here is the strategy that I would recommend.

1. Economy

Have sufficient miners in order to produce gold consistently.

However, don’t use up all your gold right away.

2. Basic Defense

Train some units which you could use in order to defend both your miners and statue.

3. Range Units

When your economy is well-developed, you could consider building some range units.

Using them at the back of your front lines could be quite efficient.

4. Observing Opponent

Following the same strategy in every match is not always advisable.

You should observe what the opponent is building.

5. Attacking at Appropriate Time

Don’t attack when you still don’t have sufficient units.

An attack of which you lose the units right away is a wasted effort.

6. Defend Your Statue

Sometimes people could get carried away by the urge to attack.

However, your opponent also has the same aim like you.

If you allow your defense to remain weak, you could easily lose the game.

Where Can Improvement Be Made?

Despite all its advantages, Stick War: Legacy is not flawless.

The graphics of the game might appear a bit outdated for those who enjoy more advanced 3D games played on a phone.

Sometimes, the fights become somewhat monotonous in case you keep repeating the same tactics.

The game is easy to learn, but still some levels might require trial and error rather than finding the right tactic directly.

Yet another drawback could be considered lack of the storyline which would appeal to those who want something more profound.

Is Stick War: Legacy a Good Game to Play?

Stick War: Legacy is definitely a good choice for those who are fans of strategic games, army creation games, or easy mobile games.

Also, if you don't want an app that needs an expensive smartphone to work properly, Stick War: Legacy will be a great choice for you.

What really surprised me about this game is that there is a lot of strategy in the game despite its very simple idea.

Stick figures led me to believe that this would be an easy game to play, but resource management, choosing and positioning your army and controlling it add complexity to the game play.

Another great thing about this game is that you can learn a lot from your failure.

After each unsuccessful game, you can go back to the beginning of the battle and see what you did wrong maybe you wasted too many resources, created incorrect units, attacked too soon or ignored your defense.