Due to the climate, there is no natural snow to be found anywhere in the world of Factions: Battlegrounds.

This time of year, snowy weather gets allll the love. A lot of people across the Northern and Mountain regions of the US have a scene like this picture somewhere near them.

Occasionally, we get asked why there is not a cold-weather or snow type of terrain-based faction in Factions: Battlegrounds, and if there will be one in the future. Unfortunately for all of the snow monster enthusiasts out there, the short answer is no.

While the biodiversity from region to region in Graviterrus is extremely diverse, as is the precipitation amount that each region gets, the actual temperature variance is very minimal. The “coldest” areas of Graviterrus, the far northern coasts of Zyan and Parada, rarely dip below 75 degrees Fahrenheit and never get below 65– Not nearly cold enough to produce a flake of snow, let alone a full-scale polar faction. The high elevation regions, while rocky and filled with peaks, do not result in snow-covered mountain tops either. Here are some of the features of Graviterrus’ climate and geography that mitigate snow!

The “Sun” and lack of cold weather seasons: In our solar system, we orbit the sun– But in Graviterrus, the sun, which is an accumulation of high powered mana (same as the Graviterrus “moon” and Graviterrus “stars”) is tiny and orbits around Graviterrus at an extreme speed. Graviterrus itself doesn’t orbit anything, so there are no periods of extra time farther from the small heat source.

Shallow oceans: The oceans in Graviterrus, even at their deepest, are often not more than 15-20 feet deep (except for a few trenches and underwater canyons). This means that the oceans do not have nearly as much impact on the temperature as they do on earth, and that the water temperature is much higher.

Volcanic mountains: The tall and rocky mountain ranges in Kragg are prone to explosions and eruptions often, releasing immense heatwaves throughout the ranges. Also, much of Kragg’s mountain ranges are preceded by canyons and cliffs, meaning that some of the bigger peaks are closer to sea level than they appear.

ZERMANO:

The tropical islands of Zermano with their shallow, reef-lined seas, sandy beaches and tropical groves seem like the very last place for snow… and as far as the white stuff falling from the sky, they are. However, the wizards researching mana have discovered that unlocking some of mana’s physical properties in different ways leads to something shocking– Frozen water!

The discovery of “ice” in Graviterrus has given Zermano a special weapon. Water is plentiful and when frozen and sharpened it leads to a projectile that can be lethal when launched and melt away before it can be replicated. Ice Missle with the Zermano Battle Mage is the representation of this within the gameplay.

Zermano has also figured out a way to combine massive amounts of frozen mana onto a single creation- the result is a being that can unleash the force of a blizzard. Imagine you live in a world where the very concept of snow and ice is simply unheard of (sounds wonderful to me), then you are waltzing along a row of palm trees and 95 degree temperatures and suddenly a roaring, freezing, snowy blizzard hits. You’d probably think the world was ending. This shock and awe combat weapon that Zermano utilizes is represented in the game by the Blizzard Elemental and the Blizzard spell.

There is a lot more that goes into the lore behind these two cards (and all the cards), Zermano’s use of ice and snow as a weapon, and the geography of Graviterrus- and we will unwrap more and more in the future! But enjoy the snowfall here on earth- because it’s not happening in Graviterrus!