Octopi has announced that the latest expansion for PoxNora, "PoxNora: The Drums of War," has been released.

"The Drums of War introduces premium user accounts, two new gameplay modes, three new maps, a spectator mode, 80 new runes (10 per faction) and a faction ranking system where players influence the game's future storyline.

In the world of Pox, the land is divided into eight factions that players can join. With this expansion, points are now awarded to their respective factions as players win battles. PoxNora's storyline will change over time depending on these faction rankings. The Sundered Lands faction are the winners of the first battle.

Catching on to the game's mechanics is easier with the launch of spectator mode. This allows users to watch current matches so they can better grasp how to play before battling it out against experienced PoxNora fans.

Players can also watch PoxNora's new game modes "King of the Hill" and "Capture the Flag" in all their glory. In "King of the Hill," players must capture a strategic point on the map and hold it for a set period of time to triumph. For "Capture the Flag" players fight to reach a flag on the battlefield and bring it back to their shrine to score points.

Premium members will receive a special edition warbanner relic that will greatly enhance their faction-based battlegroup. When the warbanner is in play, all deployed champions for the player's specified faction receive +5 hit points, +2 attack and +2 defense. Premium members also gain access to the individual rune store, giving them an alternate way to complete their collection.

"We continue to be overwhelmed by the sheer number and dedication of players that have adopted PoxNora," said Dan Kopycienski, president, Octopi. "With the Drums of War, we've incorporated some of the most requested enhancements from the community, which we're confident will make this the most exciting expansion to date."

Hundreds of players jumped on within minutes of the launch and the dragonkin of the Sundered Lands faction have taken the first victory.

PoxNora is an online strategy game combining elements of collectible trading cards, tabletop miniatures and roleplaying games. Players collect runes that represent champions, equipment, relics and spells. From a deck of 20 runes, players summon forces to battle for supremacy. While the game is free to play with sample decks, gamers can add depth and power to their strategies by purchasing individual runes or rune packs.

Octopi's sleeper hit has drawn than 800,000 registered users since the game launched in August. To see the newest features from the Drums of War expansion, go to PoxNora.com."