Warrior Ways

Warrior Ways Slot Review

Hacksaw Gaming are back, and they’ve taken the path of the warrior in Warrior Ways!

Warrior Ways is a Japan-inspired futuristic slot which tells the tale of four clans who perpetually wage war against each other for control of the city…but who will win? Choose your clan and fight for power in Hacksaw’s newest volatile slot!

Betting and Symbols

Warrior Ways has a variety of betting options for players to choose from. For those who prefer a lower stake, the minimum bet available here is £/€0.10 per spin. For those who prefer a higher stake, the maximum bet available is £/€100 per spin, with plenty of other options in between the two.

The 4 highest paying Clan symbols are the Red Clan, Blue Clan, Green Clan and Orange Clan, which each have an equal pay value. Each high-paying Clan symbol is represented by a Warrior. Each of the four Warrior Clan symbols has a matching colour low-paying symbol, which is classed as a Clan Weapon symbol. The Clan Weapon symbols all have an equal pay value.

Wilds substitute for all high and low-paying symbols, however, the Wild symbol does not substitute for high-paying symbols when determining whether a Duel is about to be triggered. Wild symbols will only present themselves during the Clash and Conquest Free Spins rounds.

Base Game & Features

Warrior Ways is a 5-reel slot with 1,024 ways to win. In order to form a winning combination, you will need to connect 3 or more of the same symbols from left to right, starting from the left-most reel.

Anyone accustomed to Wanted Dead or a Wild might remember the versus feature in which 2 characters fought before the winner applied their multiplier to the win, and Warrior Ways has a similar feature.

Duel Feature

During any random spin in the base game, landing a VS symbol on reels 2, 3 and 4 and directly between 2 different Clan Warriors triggers the Duel feature.

Once triggered, each Duel will have two different Duel Multipliers of either x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x10, x15, x20, x25, x50 or x100, one for each of the Clan Warriors. When the Duel comes to an end, all instances of the winning Clans’ high-paying symbol will replace the losing Clans’ symbols. The symbol replacement can happen in 1 of 3 ways.

• The winning Clans’ high-paying symbol replaces the losing Clans’ low-paying symbol.
• The winning Clans’ high-paying symbol replaces the losing Clans’ high-paying symbol.
• The winning Clans’ high-paying symbol replaces the losing Clans’ high and low-paying symbols.

After the Duel, the VS symbol is always transformed into the winning clan’s high-paying symbol. The winning Clans’ awarded Multiplier will then be applied to any winning combinations belonging to that particular Clan.

Free Spins

There are 2 Free Spin rounds up for grabs, Clash and Conquest. Each of these rounds is unique and offers plenty of potential. More on these below.

Clash

Landing 3 Clash Scatters in any position on the reels triggers the Free Spins round. The amount of Free Spins awarded is determined in the Collect phase of this round. The Clash Free Spins round has the highest Volatility out of the two.

The Clash Free Spins round is divided into 2 phases. The Collect phase can easily be mistaken for the main Clash phase, but the Collect phase is to establish what kind of set-up you will enter the Clash phase with.

A lot like Chaos Crew, the Collect phase is a blank canvas with no high or low-paying symbols. The Collect phase aims to collect as many VS and Clash Multiplier symbols as you can during a limited number of Respins. Each time a VS or Clash Multiplier symbol lands, the 3 Respins will be reset. Epic Clan Multipliers can only land on reel 3 in the Collect phase, and will multiply all Clan Multipliers by x2. Once all Respins are complete, the Clash phase will begin.

During the Clash phase, the number of Free Spins awarded is determined by how many VS symbols landed in the Collect phase, with each spin guaranteeing a Duel. The Clan Multipliers awarded in the Collect phase are shown on the 4 flags outside the reel set. The Duels in the Clash phase work in the same way as in the base game.

Conquest

Landing 3 Conquest Scatters in any position on the reels triggers the Free Spins round, awarding 10 Free Spins. For every Conquest Scatter symbol to land during this round, an additional +1 Free Spin is awarded.

During the Conquest Free Spins round, when a Duel takes place, the losing Clan’s flag is damaged. Once a clan’s flag has been damaged twice, the Clan it belongs to is eliminated from the Free Spins round, and all high and low-paying symbols of the eliminated Clan are removed from the reels. The more clans that are eliminated from the round, the fewer symbols will be competing on the reels, increasing your chances of winning big exponentially.

Each Clan that is eliminated and the flag destroyed will be awarded +1 Free Spin.

Bonus Buy

For those outside the UK, you may benefit from a Bonus Buy option.

Both the Clash and Conquest Bonus rounds can be purchased.

• Clash – Purchasing the Clash Free Spins round will cost 100x the current bet. The RTP when purchasing this option increases from 96.33% to 96.44%.
• Conquest – Purchasing the Conquest Free Spins round will cost 400x your current bet. The RTP when purchasing this option increases from 96.33% to 96.51%.

Our Verdict

Warrior Ways is a fresh Hacksaw Instalment, and to be honest, we’re glad to see that they’ve deviated from the regular grid style format that they tend to lean towards.

Wanted Dead or a Wild, The Bowery Boys and a couple of others are exceptions to the rule, of course, but sometimes Hacksaw Gaming can be a little bit predictable.

It’s great to see a versus-like system yet again, although it can be infuriating when the warrior with the higher multiplier bows out of the fight…and it can feel a little fixed to us, in our view. However, Warrior Ways can be as exciting as it is brutal, and if the stars align, then it can be capable of some incredible hits.

Warrior Ways comes with 2 bonus rounds, and if you’re buying the bonus, then the question on everyone’s mind will be ‘which one should I pick? The choice may be clear for some, considering the price difference between the two, but if that isn’t an issue in your mind, then it’s sure to be a conundrum.

If we’re honest, we liked both of them. The Conquest option can be incredibly exciting compared to its clash counterpart, but if you don’t get a decent set-up in the first phase, then you’ll just be wishing for a swift end to the bonus.

In terms of potential, Warrior Ways is pretty much in line with other recent Hacksaw Gaming instalments with a 10,000x win cap, which is certainly a convincing reason to play on its own.

Overall, Warrior Ways is a surprisingly different and welcome instalment from the ladies and gentlemen over at Hacksaw Gaming. In our opinion, it’s not their best, but it’s certainly not their worst.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the RTP of Warrior Ways?

  The RTP of Warrior Ways is 96.33%, which is solid compared to the industry average of 96%. This provides good long-term value for players.
• What is the maximum win potential on Warrior Ways?

  The maximum win on Warrior Ways is 10,000x your bet, making it a highly volatile slot with potential for significant payouts when the Duel multipliers align.
• Does Warrior Ways have free spins?

  Yes, Warrior Ways features 2 unique Free Spins modes: Clash and Conquest. Landing 3 Clash Scatters triggers the Clash bonus, while 3 Conquest Scatters triggers the Conquest bonus with 10 base free spins.
• Can I play Warrior Ways on mobile devices?

  Yes, Warrior Ways is a fully optimized video slot developed by Hacksaw Gaming and is available to play on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices with seamless gameplay across all platforms.
• Does Warrior Ways have a bonus buy feature?

  Yes, Warrior Ways offers a Bonus Buy feature for players outside the UK. You can purchase the Clash bonus for 100x your bet (RTP increases to 96.44%) or the Conquest bonus for 400x your bet (RTP increases to 96.51%).
• What is the volatility of Warrior Ways?

  Warrior Ways is a High Volatility slot, meaning wins are less frequent but can be substantial. This makes it ideal for players with larger bankrolls who enjoy the thrill of bigger payouts.
• How does the Duel feature work in Warrior Ways?

  The Duel feature triggers when landing a VS symbol between 2 different Clan Warriors on reels 2, 3, and 4. Each Clan has a multiplier, and the winning Clan’s high-paying symbol replaces the losing Clan’s symbols on the reels.
• What is the betting range on Warrior Ways?

  Warrior Ways offers flexible betting from £/€0.10 to £/€100 per spin, with 1,024 ways to win across 5 reels, accommodating both casual players and high rollers.