General:Tales of Tribute Developer Discusses the New Hermaeus Mora Patron & Deck

Originally published October 11, 2023. The original article can be found here.

Take a sneak peek at the all-new Tales of Tribute deck and patron arriving alongside Update 40 and the Infinite Archive!

With the arrival of the Infinite Archive and Update 40 (launching on PC/Mac October 30 and November 14 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles), Tales of Tribute is getting an all-new patron and deck: Hermaeus Mora. We sat down with Senior Systems Designer John Carlson, one of the leads behind development on this new addition, and picked their brain regarding the deck’s design and mechanics.

Hi, John! Thanks for joining us today to discuss Tales of Tribute. To start, we’d love to know how you approached designing this new deck.

John: When we examined the game state of recent Tales of Tribute releases, we knew it was time to add a deck that focused on fast games and raw power instead of calculated action sequences.

With that goal in mind, we looked back to an early design from before the game launched where you would give your opponent resources in exchange for playing a more powerful card.

What are the new mechanics that the Hermaeus Mora patron and cards introduce?

John: Hermaeus Mora introduces the “setback” mechanic, where players give their opponents a resource in exchange for the card being significantly cheaper to buy.

We paired this with the new patron ability to acquire any non-contract cards in the Tavern, but your opponent receives a copy of it as well.

That sounds like two very powerful abilities. What kinds of elements from the design and lore of Hermaeus Mora did you draw upon when designing this deck?

John: The Prince of Knowledge is all about bargains and tradeoffs. The concept of “power at a price” particularly resonated with the core design of the deck and how we could bring that to life.

What sort of playstyle can be expected while piloting this deck?

John: Games with Hermaeus Mora should go fast, and those who find the most success with the deck must be experts in timing. Deciding when to use the patron power or if you should skip playing a card when the setback isn’t worth the reward are the decisions that elevate the masters above their competition.

From your perspective, which other patrons does Hermaeus Mora pair best with?

John: There are a handful! Pelin and Red Eagle both help with accelerating the game to a close which plays into the aggressive nature of Hermaeus Mora. While Hunding and Almalexia both help you make the most of the patron power with Refresh.

What sorts of matchups would you expect Hermaeus Mora to perform best against? Where might the Prince of Knowledge struggle?

John: Hermaeus Mora cards are looking to accumulate a game-winning amount of Prestige before the free resources and cards you’ve given your opponent begin to pile up against you. With that in mind, players should be prepared for their opponent to use decks like Rajhin to slow them down, or Hlaalu to turn the free Coin and cards into a patron victory.

How might players acquire the full new Tales of Tribute set?

John: Players must venture into the new Infinite Archive and collect all the fragments within to unlock the new deck. Good hunting!

Thank you, John, for taking the time to discuss this upcoming addition to the Tales of Tribute patron roster! You can discover the fragments of the new Hermaeus Mora set by exploring the infinite wings of the Infinite Archive, which is available for FREE to all players with Update 40. Are you ready to make risky deals in exchange for power beyond your imagination with the Hermaeus Mora patron? Let us know via X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook!

The Infinite Archive is a new PvE activity free for all ESO players that arrives with the Update 40 base-game patch on October 30 for PC/Mac and November 14 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.