Whilst the slot game genre has produced a number of popular themes over the course of the last decade or so, historical, war and battle-inspired titles are arguably the most compelling.
Take Elk Studio’s Poltava slot game, for example, which provides an immersive and engaging history lesson and draws its inspiration from the decisive battle in The Great Northern War of the 18th century.
Despite its dark and bloody theme, however, the game is defined by superb graphics and an incredibly beautiful design, whilst the deployment of wilds, marching reels and a flaming backdrop only add brand-new dimensions of suspense. You’ll even have the opportunity to deploy one of several available betting strategies during the base game.
Below, I’ve reviewed this game and its features in further detail, whilst asking whether or not it’s right you?
In simple terms, Poltava is a five-fee, four-row slot that features a grand total of 40 paylines.
As with most standard slots, these winning combinations play from left to right, with the transparent reels allowing you to enjoy the backdrop of a war-ravaged but enchanting forest.
As you’d imagine, the game’s symbols are similarly stylish and beguiling, whilst they include icons such as a cavalry, artillery, infantry, a horse and a cannon. There’s also a branded wild, which is the highest paying symbol and one that can be substituted for all others apart from the lion scatter icon (which triggers the main bonus round).
The five lowest paying symbols are depicted by playing cards including 10, J, Q, K and Q, with these icons paying out at between 25 and 50-times your stake.
At its core, this slot is categorised as a low-variance game, and one that delivers a competitive return-to-player (RTP) rate of 96.40%. This means that the title tends to rely on the frequency rather than the size of its base game wins, although a top payout worth £180,000 (or 1800 coins) can be won during the bonus rounds!
Before you enter the heat of battle and start playing for real money, you’ll need to set the value of your stake. You can do this by clicking through the ‘Stack of Coins +’ icon, which enables you to regulate coins size between a range of 0.20 and 100.
This creates a relatively wide betting range of between £0.20 and £100, which is just one of the numerous reasons why the Poltava slot appeals to both casual and serious gamblers alike.
Before you hit the ‘Spin’ button on the bottom right-hand size of the screen, however, you’ll need to select the betting strategy that you want to activate during the base game. There are four available strategies in total, and I’ve outlined these in brief detail below:
Optimiser: The ideal strategy for casual or risk-averse players, the Optimiser alters your bet level automatically depending on the size of your bankroll. So, your stake will always remain a predetermined percentage of your balance, no matter what unfolds on the virtual battlefield!
Jumper: Next up is the Jumper strategy, which is relatively straightforward and seeks to raise your bet for one level after each win. It also resets after each loss, creating a positive progression strategy that helps you to manage your bankroll effectively.
Leveller: The Leveller betting strategy follows a negative progression pattern, whilst it’s also ideal for high-rollers. This will raise your bet after a run of five consecutive losses, with the repetition will increase the stake by two additional levels.
Booster: Finally, we come to the Booster strategy, which increases your stake by one level after each loss, and this will continue until you reach four levels above the base bet. Your stake will reset with every win too, and it’s a strategy that’s likely to be favoured by more seasoned players.
The Bonus Features - Chasing the Game’s Biggest Wins
This multifaceted slot game has two states; namely ‘Normal Mode with Marching Reels’ and ‘Bonus Mode with the Flames of War Free Spins’.
The Marching Reels feature is the highlight of the base game, and it’s triggered when any four of the combat arm symbols (Cavalry, Artillery and Infantry) are stacked on a single reel.
At this stage, you’ll earn a coveted respin, during which reinforcements are added to the left of the combat reel on rows two and three. This should fill all subsequent spaces and create various winning combinations, with all symbols then shifting one space to the right.
In instances where you land another combat symbol on the reels to the right of your formation, you’ll be rewarded with an additional free spin and a subsequent chance to win.
As for the Flames of War, this is the game’s standout bonus feature and one that can be triggered during the base game. This occurs when you land three or more of the ‘Lion’ scatter symbols anywhere on reels two, three and four, with these icons remaining in place and affording you an initial burst of free spins.
You’ll also earn an additional free spin for every new scatter symbol that’s added to the reels during the bonus round.
Most importantly, each of these icons remains in place and transforms into a high-paying sticky wild during the Flames of War Feature, creating the potential for a bank-busting payout of 18,00 coins!
In Conclusion - Why Should You Play Poltava?
There’s no doubt that Poltava differs from standard slot games, particularly in terms of its bonus offerings and the availability of variable betting strategies.
Whilst this may be off-putting to new or inexperienced players, however, these features combine to create a more immersive experience and one that enables you to achieve far greater control of your bankroll.
The low-variance nature of the slot also lends itself to frequent base game wins, whilst the inclusion of sticky wilds more than compensates for the relatively small number of free spins on offer.
All-in-all, Poltava is an innovative and rewarding slot that’s ideal for beginners, particularly once you’ve taken the time to understand the game’s unique features and settled on your betting strategy.
Pics courtesy of Elk Studio
Hi, Liz!