• 9 to A card Royals are the low-paying symbols.
• A pendant, a ring, an angel, a demon, a warrior, and a knight are the high-paying symbols.
• The scatter is a golden lion’s face that activates the bonus round.
• The wild symbol is a golden W with intricate carvings that stands in for any other symbol except scatters.

I was equally captivated by the slot’s innovative use of existing features as I was by its eye-popping theme.

Toppers

The shields that I observed above each reel would all move one reel to the left every time I hit the spin button. These Toppers held one of four reel modifiers which would only activate after being charged with a certain amount of energy generated by my spins. After activating, each modifier would cast its effect on the reels below.

The Double Reel modifier triggered has 4 charges slots and doubled the height of its reel by up to 6 symbols as well as increasing my number of paylines up to 7776. The multiplier modifier requires 5 charges and can generate multiplier values of 2x, 3x, 5x, 8x, or 10x which were applied to wins that involved any symbols from the below reel.

6 charges activated the Wild modifier that placed a wild symbol to a random position on the reel below and the Expanding Wild modifier which needs 7 charges inserted a wild symbol that expanded to fill the whole reel.

Free Spins

After playing for I while I landed the required minimum 3 scatters on the reels to activate the bonus round. Before getting into the free spins, I was faced with a Pick Bonus game where a grid of 20 shields with embedded red jewels was placed before me. I chose 5 of the shields which immediately moved up into the topper positions, displaying a random reel modifier. These modifiers would remain above their reel for the duration of the 10 free spins I was allocated.

Each modifier required the same amount of charges as in the base game and on the tenth free spin, they all activated at once, which was a spectacular sight. Retriggering this feature required landing another 3 scatters which rewarded me with a fresh 10 free spins and another chance to w home a huge win.

The intrigue of Empire Shields slot goes far beyond its delectably dark fantasy theme with an arrangement of features that can make each spin a truly memorable experience. This title is a bit of a rare find for me as while you could find this very same set of features in other titles, their application and arrangement here creates a unique and rewarding gameplay experience. This slot isn’t a ‘heavy-hitter’ by any means with the top potential coming in at a modest $243 000, however, the wins come fast and often thanks to the constant presence of the reel modifiers.

This title encompasses all the elements that I feel a truly engaging slot should have, with a seamless link between the theme and the features as well as thrilling gameplay that keeps you returning for more.

If you like this slot, then check out Atlantis the Forgotten Kingdom or Diamond Inferno