What you need to know to duel in The Unspoken

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GOVR is putting on Brighton’s first virtual reality tournament on 24 September at the Prince Albert where you can compete in virtual reality for a cash prize or £100. The tournament will feature The Unspoken, an Oculus Touch‐enabled virtual reality action game that pits you in a player versus player magic duel.

To help get you ready for the tournament, we’ve prepared a guide on how to duel in The Unspoken and the classes you can choose from. Make sure you pass by the pre-tournament training events on 11 September and 18 September at the Hare and Hounds, which are free to tournament ticket holders, to practice and sharpen your techniques ahead of the main tournament.

How to duel in the Unspoken

Duels in the Unspoken are made up of three rounds where players must deplete their opponents health by causing damage via magic spells. The best of three rounds wins the duel. Players use their hands to cast different types of offensive and defensive magic spells, to teleport across the arena from platform to platform and to summon arena powerups. Players can chose from a number of classes to play from. Each class has its owns unique spells and style of gameplay.

Different types of spells

Primal spells: These are available at any time; they’re the bread and butter of the duel. Each class uses one offensive Primal spell (e.g., the Fireball) and one defensive Primal spell (e.g., the Mystic Shield).

Gesture spells: These are more powerful than Primal spells and are often the key to victory. Gesture spells are powered by embers, a mana-like resource that drops on the map and players pick up by teleporting to them. One gesture spell needs one ember to be cast.

Gesture spells are cast using different types of motions:

  • Push Gestures create a powerful direct‐damage attack.
  • Volley Gestures launch multiple projectiles.
  • Guard Gestures protect or conceal the Spellcaster.
  • Conjure Gestures create objects that deal indirect damage.

The classes of the Unspoken

The Anarchist

The Anarchist is a good all‐around class, with spells themed around chaotic city magic.

Anarchist Primal spells rely on throwing skill and timing:

  • Fireall. The fireball is a thrown projectile. The throw mechanic uses the player’s hand vectorand look direction to find a target. The player holds the fireball to charge it up, and it takesabout 2.5 seconds to reach max charge; damage is linear, with a .5x bonus for a fully chargedfireball.
  • Arcane shield. The Anarchist’s shield has average surface area coverage. A block with the centerof the shield (a perfect block) reflects an opponent projectile back at the opponent.

Anarchist Gesture spells:

  • Push: Chaos Skull. The Anarchist Push summons a giant flaming skull that travels toward the opponent on an irregular flight path. A skillful opponent can damage the skull to split it and send it back at the caster.
  • Volley: Pyrotechnics. The Anarchist Volley forms fireworks between outstretched hands; projectiles target all opponent pillars from above, save one. This either damages the opponent or forces a teleport to the safe pillar. It’s also an effective spell for breaking opponent Embers.
  • Guard: Plate Glass. The Anarchist Guard pulls shards of glass into a persistent shield. The shield has fairly high health, but it’s one‐directional; it doesn’t protect the caster from all sides.

Anarchists strategy

Anarchists specialize in overwhelming the opponent. They like to hoard Embers, then release several Chaos Skulls to keep their adversary busy. Pyrotechnics are especially effective against the Blackjack’s Spectral Cloak Guard spell; firework projectiles destroy shields to reveal the Blackjack’s position.

The Kineticist

The Kineticist is a heavy class, with spells themed around kinetic energy and city traffic.

Kineticist Primal spells rely on object selection and throwing skill:

  • Telekinesis. The Kineticist pulls objects from the environment and propels them toward the opponent. Object selection is crucial; heavy objects deal much more damage than small ormedium objects, but spawn in fewer numbers in the arena.
  • Force shield. The Kineticist’s shield has a very large surface area, but doesn’t have a center; itdoesn’t reflect objects back at the opponent.

Kineticist Gesture spells:

  • Push: Debris Scatter. The Kineticist Push spell attracts sharp debris between the player’s hands to form a shotgun‐like blast, especially effective at close range. Charging the spell pulls in more debris.
  • Volley: Mass Drop. The Kineticist Volley spell levitates cars over opponent pedestals, then drops them. Car position is controlled with a look; a skilled player can cover their adversary’s current position, and the post‐teleport position.
  • Guard: Force Bubble. The Kineticist Guard spell surrounds the caster with a protective sphere that stops enemy projectiles.

Kineticist strategy

Kineticists specialize in a methodical play style that delivers high‐damage attacks. A well‐placed heavy object is almost as effective as a Gesture spell; skilled Kineticists know where to find the best objects in every arena The Mass Drop is useful for pushing an opponent into a vulnerable position, with a cooled‐down teleport; a fast‐cast sends a single car over the opponent’s pedestal. While the car is mid‐flight, the Kineticist has time to charge a Debris Scatter, cast an Artifact, or summon a large object via Telekinesis. Kineticists move close to surprise the opponent with the Debris Scatter; even at the minimum cast time, the push spell does meaningful damage. 

The Blackjack

The Blackjack is a nimble class, with spells themed around speed, precision, and illusion.

BlackjackPrimal spells rely on aiming skill, timing, and a steady hand:

  • Spectral Knives. The Blackjack conjures knives over time, and flings them toward the opponentwith a point and release. An in‐world pointer makes knife targeting more precise than otherclass Primals, but knife damage is slightly lower to balance that out.
  • Mystic Shield. The Blackjack uses a small, diamond‐shaped shield that rewards skillful blockingwith high hit‐point absorption. A perfect block reflects opponent Primal spells.

Blackjack Gesture spells:

  • Push: Disc of Blades. The Blackjack Push spell conjures knives that form into a spinning disc.  The caster targets the opponent with a look reticle. Holding a steady gaze takes practice. Askilled Blackjack can curve a Disc around cover.
  • Volley: Wildcards. The Blackjack Volley floats explosive playing cards between the caster’s outstretched hands. These cards target the opponent with arcing flight paths. Cards needn’t be cast all at once; experienced Blackjacks send a few cards toward the opponent to force ateleport, and then release the remaining cards when the opponent is vulnerable.
  • Guard:  Spectral Cloak. The Blackjack Guard spell summons protective shells on every pedestal;  these hide the caster’s position, and can cause an opponent to waste spells while rooting outthe Blackjack’s position.

Blackjack strategy

The Spectral Cloak is the Blackjack’s most strategically useful spell. It conceals the Blackjack long enough to fully charge multiple Gesture spells, cast an Artifact, or assemble a Summon Orb. When paired with the Spectral Disc, it enables high‐powered precision sneak attacks that are very difficult to counter. The Disc of Blades is especially effective for shattering enemy shields—the Anarchist Plate Glass is particularly vulnerable‐‐and breaking Summon Orbs. With precision spells, Blackjacks are good at breaking Kineticist objects mid‐flight. But their shields offer little protection against large telekinetic objects

The Drifter

The Drifter is a seer class, with spells themed around cosmic perception.

Drifter Primary spells rely on foresightand anticipatory movement:

  • Slingshot. The Drifter uses two hands to conjure a cosmic slingshot. Charging the projectile increases damage; pulling back farther increases projectile speed. The Drifter has the unique ability to lob shots effectively over cover elements.
  • Evil Eye. The Drifter’s shield blocks enemy projectiles, and reflects with a skillful block. But moreimportantly, it reveals the future spawn points of Embers—looking through the shield provides awindow into future events. With this, the Drifter can stay one step ahead of the opponent;  Drifters often collect their own Embers before an opponent destroys them, and place traps onthe spawn points of future opponent Embers.

Drifter Gesture spells

  • Conjure: Shatter Mine. The Conjure Gesture pulls a mine out of the void on an opponent’s pedestal. By placing a Mine on a pedestal before an Ember spawns, the opponent is denied both a position and a potential Gesture spell.
  • Volley: Vermin. The Volley Gesture summons crow skulls that transform into Spectral Crows; these fly in formation and dive‐bomb an enemy position. Like the Blackjack’s Wildcards, Vermin needn’t be cast all at once. Skilled Drifters activate a few skulls to prompt an enemy teleport, then activate the rest to ensure an effective attack.
  • Guard: Celestial Shelter. The Guard Gesture summons an opaque dome that travels with the Drifter, offering both protection and concealment.

Drifter strategy

The Drifter’s play style favors arena control. By combining foresight with Shatter Mines and Vermin, this class can move enemies to an exposed position and finish them off with Artifacts, or the Slingshot. And with perceptive play, the Drifter can place Mines to deny enemy Embers. The Shatter Mine is effective against enemy shields; it conjures an offensive mine beneath the opponent. It’s useful to cast a mine against a Blackjack’s Cloak spell; even if the position isn’t accurate, the spell isn’t wasted. The Drifter’s shield conceals Summon assembly and Artifact casting to give the Drifter the element of surprise.

The Electromancer

The Electromancer is an all out attack class capable of wielding electrifying strengths and energising arcane constructs.

Electromancer’s are the only class to dual wield offensive Primary spells:

  • Lightning: The Electromancer charges electricity, then discharge lightning from their fingertips.
  • Surge Protector: Absorb your adversary’s spells with the Surge Protector, and release their energy as a static charge.

Electromancer Gesture spells:

  • Push: Electrosphere. With a push gesture, charge a high-voltage Electrosphere to strike your opponent from above with a rolling lightning storm.
  • Guard: Field Generator. With a guard gesture, construct a Field Generator to insulate yourself from your opponent’s attacks, protect your Shock Sentry, and quickly recharge your Lightning Primal spell.
  • Conjure: Shock Sentry. With a conjure gesture, assemble an automated Shock Sentry to electrocute your opponent.

Electromancer strategy

The Electromancer paces theirself. They absorb their opponent’s projectiles while their Primal Lightning charges, and then unleash an electrical barrage with both hands. Electromancers deploy their constructs carefully; a Shock Sentry protected by a fully charged Field Generator deals much more cumulative damage. Multiple Shock Sentries can overwhelm an unprepared opponent. Electromancers control their adversary’s side of the arena with the massive strike zone of a fully charged Electrosphere, but they don’t discount the value of a quick cast to punish a moving spellcaster. Their success depends upon the ebb and flow, the charge and the release.

Advanced play: Using Artifacts to tip the balance in your favour

Once you’ve gotten the hang of with casting primary and gesture spells and have a hang of your class’s strengths and weakness, you’ll want to make use of Artifacts to get an edge you’re your opponent.

Artifacts are powerful objects that can change the outcome of a duel dramatically. They’re activated with physical interactions, with cast times directly related to player skill and familiarity with the mechanics—so practice makes perfect. Players choose three Artifacts to take into a match. Artifacts synergize with Class spells, and with each other:

  • The Aerogramme summons three deadly airplanes that follow your opponent.
  • The Burner summons a demonically to fight on your side. The summoned Hellion teleports across your pedestals, and throws eldritch energy at your opponent.
  • The Clockwork Imp steals your opponent’s Embers and brings them to you one by one.
  • Cthulhu’s Grasp calls in damaging tentacles on your opponent’s pedestals.
  • The Dark Forge summons a shield‐breaking, high‐damage spear.
  • The Dispelling Censer removes your opponent’s active spell effects within an area of effect.
  • The Infernal Contract trades some of your health for two Embers.
  • Shadow Tag places spray‐paint traps on your opponent’s pedestals. Triggering a trap obscures an opponent’s vision.

Advanced play: Summon powerful creatures to fight alongside you

Each Arena contains a Summon Orb that spawns in the second round of the match. Players engage in a tug‐of‐war to win the Orb; the winning player assembles a powerful Ally that can change the momentum of a match.

The Unspoken is an exhilarating game that rewards skill, cunning and timing. Can you master powerful arcane forces to make your way to victory? Book for our virtual reality tournament while tickets are still available!

Gianandrea Manfredi