OUR REVIEW

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"Mage Wars”

Due of Magicians

“Dr. Craven [to the raven]: Are you some dark winged messenger from beyond? Answer me, monster, tell me truly:

Shall I ever hold again the radiant maiden whom the angels call Lenore?

Dr. Bedlo [as the raven]: How the hell should I know? What am I, a fortune teller?"

Vincent Price & Peter Lorre, in: "The Raven" (directed by Roger Corman, 1963)

The heyday of Collectible Card Games is probably over. However, some of the classics are still doing well. The first proper game system of this kind, "Magic: The Gathering" (created by Wizards of the Coast, 1993), even now sports growing sales figures and championships are held regionally and nationwide. But not every marketing gag can become a top seller as it was quite common some ten years ago. For most of nowadays’ CCGs it is rather the collecting of gimmicks and figurines than tactical gaming.

So it is rather interesting that exactly the prototype of these CCGs is being challenged by "Mage Wars" in the field of what we would call “magic duels”. Published some two years ago by Arcane Wonders (Dallas, Texas, USA), Pegasus Games now brought the German language edition. Recently (as of June 2014) even a Russian version was released with Zvezda Games (located in Lobnya, region [Oblast] of Moscow).

"Mage Wars" differs from traditional collectible card games primarily by the fact that you do not have to purchase a (in many cases rather dull) starter pack and subsequently try to get more interesting cards at random, sold in booster packs without knowing exactly what is inside before you open them at home. Every player knows that you have been in for some nasty triplets, quadruplets and what not every time that way. With “Mage Wars” everything to start is included in a – fairly large – box. You are to find the beginners’ game level (called “Apprentice Mode”) as well as the - only a little more complicated - actual strategy card game. Therein it resembles “Dominion” (Rio Grande Games, 2008). Of course there have been released several expansions, new mage characters, even promotional cards on various occasions. One is never compelled to buy a pig in a poke, though: whatever you read outside on the package, you will get inside the box.

More differences to games like "Magic: The Gathering" are the game board (called “The Arena”, a folding board of 62 cm by 82 cm) and various markers (wooden and cardboard discs and cubes) to mark magic effects, status or similar traits. They are not a really new feature, but come very handy - the Mage Status Boards for the mage characters you are going to play. On these boards health, magic power (Mana), a short rule summary and the like are recorded. In addition, there are two albums with insert sheets (plastics) to store your chosen playing cards (your deck of spell cards) that are called "Spellbook" – neat looking, improving the atmosphere, so all in all a nice idea!

The 'duel of mages' is played in rounds like any other comparable (collecting) card game. “Spells” are different for each character, depending on which "Magic School" or group of magic they belong to (apart from “primary” schools, e. g. the “Dark School” or the “War School”, there are “minor” schools, commonly known as elemental magic, of "Earth", "Fire", "Water" and "Air"). But instead of playing cards to get any magical powers, the magically gifted creatures already begin by owning a certain amount of Mana, with which you pay for your spells (simply mark the new score on your Status Board). By the way, in “Apprentice Mode” all start with the same basic amount both of Mana and health points. Different starting conditions will come later on for advanced mages, otherwise there are almost no differences. The most important one, though, is that you put together your own and unique spell book. That is why you should invest some time in playing in “Apprentice Mode”, even if you are experienced in other comparable games – simply to get to know the spells of “Mage Wars”. At beginners’ level not only are there chosen apprentice spells for each character (Beastmaster, Priestess, Warlock, and Wizard), they even have been kindly provided pre-sorted by the publishers (if you are the first one to open the box). When you are ready for your own spell book compendium, players choose a certain quota of points available from which you may put together your grimoire. As soon as you feel able to judge the cards and their options, you have already the chance to try out different strategies.

For all characters, regardless of magic schools, spells are available in these categories: “Attacks” – fireballs, whirlwinds and the like; “Equipment” (armor, weapons and wands), “Incantations” (healing spells, teleportation, strengthening, and so on) “Creatures” (can be summoned to help; some of them are even magically gifted) and “Enchantments” (weakening, strengthening, tangling and the like). When playing in the regular mode, you may choose from “Conjuration”-spells as well.

The final goal is to eliminate the opposing mage, that is, to bring his life points at or below zero. Usually you will need to get rid of enemy creatures, too, since every mage wants to employ them for protection. You will, too!

Some more differences to similar games include action dice, quick cast abilities and special abilities, such as “Guard” (enables enhanced resistance against attacks) or “Flying” (for example, over magic walls). There are also spells that can cause these and similar effects. The game board is mainly used to place onto it your character and spell cards (when the spell is being “woven”) and to determine the positions of creatures (including your mage) to each other. You often have to check, if you have “line of sight” or a required distance between items.

If you like this kind of games, “Mage Wars” might be exactly the right thing for you.  There are lots of props, but not too many. The cards, the main element of the game, are designed attractively and are mostly easy to understand and to use. The game board may seem a bit unwieldy – if we are allowed to say so –, especially because you need only half of it when playing in “Apprentice Mode”. A bit of a blunder there: you cannot fold it in the required way. Anyway, just put on the unneeded space either the game box or the remaining cards and markers and you will gain enough space for dueling.

The rules booklet (“Rulebook & Codex”) is particularly pleasing. It contains a table of contents, is clearly structured, offers useful explanations and examples (in highlighted boxes – “Sidebars”; again not exactly an innovation, but this time actually useful!) and as already announced on the title page a “Codex” – one should rather call it an “Index” – that provides correct links to the rules pages. Learning and looking up the rules is facilitated enormously by this. There are the additional usual odds and ends, such as a background to the different schools of magic, but they are by no means too opulent or pesky. While it would be nice to have playing aids on separate sheets (they are printed inside the rulebook), the rules and playing aids suffice as they are.

Both as an entry game into the world of strategic customizable card games as well as a game in its own rights, “Mage Wars” is quite convincing. Having two base games at your disposal, you could even try out the fun variant of pitting magic gifted beings of the same species against each other. Buying two base games would be cheaper still than to rely on the chance of obtaining twice the exact set of collectible cards from any CCG.

Martina & Martin Lhotzky, Marcus Steinwender

Players: 2

Age: 14+

Time: 40

Designer: Bryan & Benjamin Pope

Artist: Chris Henson et al.

Price: ca. 40 Euro

Publisher: Pegasus Spiele 2014

Web: www.pegasus.de

Genre: Cards, Fantasy

Users: With friends

Special: 2 players

Version: de

Rules: de en

In-game text: yes

Comments:

Beautiful components

Good mechanisms

Harmonious card design

Very good rulebook

Compares to:

Warlock – Duell der Zauberer (Games Workshop / Schmidt Spiele, 1980); Trading cards / Collectible Cards Systems with a magic topic

Other editions:

Arcane Wonders

My rating: 6

Martina, Martin & Marcus:

Whoever wants to start card based dueling games should have a closer look into this one. Even long-time fanatics of CCGs will find some new and interesting aspects. For all those card enthusiasts, we recommend a battle of “Mage Wars”!

Chance (pink): 0

Tactic (turquoise): 3

Strategy (blue): 3

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 3

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0