The board game Mage Wars. Board game ZVEZDA "Wars of magicians" Games about wars and magicians

Place the playing board on the table. Each player chooses a mage I takes the appropriate mage card and an ability card (in the training mode, the ability card does not need to be used). He also chooses red or blue and takes 10 tokens of the corresponding color. In addition, each player has 3 black and 1 red status cubes and 1 black quick spell token. Place your Mage card in the corner area closest to you (it is marked with a door on the game board). In tutorial mode, use only half of the field (see page 4). Place one of your Action tokens and a Quick Spell token on your Mage card — the white symbols should be at the top, as shown in the picture to the left.

Place your status card in front of you. Place black dice on the starting values \u200b\u200bof mana inflow, mana reserve (all mages start at 10 mana) and life (starting values \u200b\u200bare indicated on the mage card). In tutorial mode, all mages have the same starting values \u200b\u200b(see page 4). Place the red die on the "O" value of the life scale. This die shows how much damage the mage has received.

Choose your spellbook. If this is your first game, you will need to build your own book (see “The Book of Spells” on page 4). Place dice, condition tokens, and other game tokens within reach.

Both players roll an effect die. The one with the highest score gets an initiative token: he will act first during the first round of the game! Your duel can now begin!

First, some dry data:

• The game is designed for 2 players. Of course, you can play in the 4th,
  but without an additional set, this is not the best idea.
• The duration of the batch is on average 40-60 minutes (the first batch is three times more)
• The threshold for entering the game is not the highest, but also not for beginners.

And now for more details! And so, "Wars of the Magicians" is mainly a duel game, which, if you can play more than two, then only in pairs.

The game meets us with an abundance of cards, chips, tokens, a couple of tablets for tracking the state of magicians, a huge (but only before the first game against the Master of Beasts) field and two books of spells.

Books! Excellent graphic performance of the game, good localization and Spellbooks, which make you feel like a real magician, with your magic tome!

In the beginning, you choose a magician for yourself, there are 4 of them, and then you have to think carefully. Each magician has his own tactics in which he is especially good.

If you choose a Sorcerer for yourself, your opponent will have oh how not sweet, because he will be forced not only to fight off various kinds of demons, but also constantly fight curses. And the Sorcerer himself is far from weak and may well rush into battle with a fiery whip at the ready.

The Master of Beasts is not far behind him. Our friend, Greenpeace, is a master at summoning a large number of different creatures, just overwhelming the opponent with them. With all this, he himself does not shun a good fight.

There is also a Wizard in the game, he is universal and unlike the two previous comrades he specializes in magic, trying to stay away from the fight.

Not without a representative of the fair sex - the Priestess. She, accompanied by very strong (and therefore not cheap) fighters, erecting temples and hanging reinforcements to the right and left, is in no way inferior to her “colleagues”.

So we chose a magician, got everything we needed:

It's time to collect yourself a book of spells, here the game itself has already begun. You form your deck, and at the same time the tactics of the game. During the fight, you have access to any, even the most powerful spell from your book, but keep in mind that they are all disposable, so before you magick something, it is better to think once more, especially since you can only read two spells.

And above, I only announced the beginning of the game (on which, by the way, a lot depends). In general, we can talk about this game for a long time. This is a very high quality dueling game with a strong tactical component, excellent balance and beautiful design. Of the global shortcomings, perhaps only one can be distinguished here. Cubes.

Cubes got us here too. You can calculate everything perfectly, hang a number of enhancing spells on your basilisk, then order him to attack the damned enemy ferret and ... at the behest of the dice, your basilisk will break off all his teeth on him, for you did not throw out a single damage. After that, the happy (why would it?) Ferret will begin to painfully bite your magician's heels. But, despite this, the game does not lose interest. 4.5 out of 5 according to my personal rating. In other words - a must have for those who love high-quality fighting games. Welcome, my friend, to the harsh everyday life of magicians

Sheremetyeva

What does the imagination draw when you hear a "duel of two wizards"? A large hall, two people, flashes of light with frequent machine-gun bursts? And if we add to its description that wizards can summon animals and plants, then the imagination will helpfully add: complete chaos in the hall, screeching, croaking, roaring, howling, balls of wool, claws, feathers rolling on the floor ...

But in fact, the duel of wizards looks much more prosaic. Two players sit and with a thoughtful look leafing through some books, after a long pause they choose cards from there face down, then put them on the field one by one, throw dice, count, sit with a thoughtful look again, spread, throw. Sometimes they swear. And before a new round they study the book for a long time.

Of course, if they play a second or third time, then the process goes much faster. But here's the first game ... First you need to read the rulebook. If it works, then half the battle is done. Because there are many rules, and in this very booklet they are not always conveniently organized. A quick glance at the contents of the box can also make you depress: stacks of cards, piles of dice and chips with monosyllabic, but completely incomprehensible inscriptions. Why, just once just try to lift a closed box, it becomes clear what awaits you upon opening it.

There are several characters in the game, and each has its own set of spells. In the rules, there is a special tablet, which describes in detail at what level of difficulty what cards each character has at their disposal. Maps are different types: spells, living creatures, plants, items, improvements, and so on. In many similar games, you type all this in a certain amount in random order. But not here! From a large pile of cards, you need to choose no more than three and play a round with them. On the one hand, due to this, you will not lose just because the cards were unsuccessfully shuffled. On the other hand, you have a chance to feel like a real wizard, having in your arsenal exactly as much as you can, and not as much as came into your hand. Only a wizard, you are extremely forgetful, and therefore you are forced to constantly seek advice from your notes, which have been lying around since the days of Hogwarts. In order not to bury yourself in them at all, you should study your entire arsenal carefully (very carefully!) Before starting the game.

In total, you have about forty cards in your hand. And this is not the limit! This is the basic set. In addition, the map does not always contain the full text of its properties. For example, on the card of a living creature you read: "fast, elusive, legendary", and then an artistic text.

Naturally, you will have to go into the rules for clues. Now imagine that you look at all forty cards in this way before each move. Although no, you will not be able to view all forty cards in this way, on most of them everything is written quite intelligibly. But, playing for the first time, you will have to be patient.

We must pay tribute to the manufacturers, they made the task much easier for the players by including special card books in the game kit. If at least a relative order reigns in it and if all the cards are arranged by category, then it will not be so difficult to navigate in your arsenal. Especially if you read the text and properties of all cards before starting the game.

You are unlikely to get into the taste the first time. Mage Wars is made to be played over and over again, trying different sets of cards, getting used to and gradually memorizing their properties. Love at first sight is not guaranteed, but from the second, how it will turn out.

This game is for strategists and people with a mathematical mindset. But this does not mean at all that there is no room for chance in it. Because the outcome of the fight between everything that moves (and that doesn't move too) is determined by the die. More precisely, a few cubes. But, even if fortune is extremely favorable to you, victory will still largely depend on how well you calculated and thought everything out.

There are a great many dueling games. Some of them are better, some are worse. Some are just different from others. If the authors of this game had removed the cube completely, it would have received a serious advantage - it would have become purely mathematical. In this case, it is not very clear why to choose spells from a huge stack. If we get rid of accidents, then in everything. The game is for an amateur who is ready to spend a lot of time preparing for the game and playing it many times. If you are not one of them, but have already bought Mage Wars, all that can be advised is to play a little more and try to penetrate. Don't judge by the first time.

Every hereditary magician dreams of becoming the most powerful magician in the world, being the master of all conceivable natural elements, various creatures and possessing spells of incredible power. Since a great number of warlocks and sorcerers have recently appeared, the competition for the right to be called "the best" is quite high. The best way to prove your superiority - to meet with an opponent face to face and destroy him, turning, for example, into a toad. Today on the Pink Couch - the magical exterminating board game "Wars of the Magicians".

Since battles between sorcerers always bring global cataclysms, hurricanes, tornadoes and other destruction to the surrounding world, competitions between applicants for the title of "Mighty magician of all dimensions" are held in the most remote corner of the Earth. The place for fights is surrounded by a high wall made of special magic stones that can hold back the onslaught of any magic spells. On both sides of the makeshift arena there are gates through which the magicians enter the courtyard. The doors close and ... What am I telling you, now you will see everything for yourself and even take part!

Inside the huge non-standard box with the game there is a convenient organizer, in the cells of which there are two magic books, many tokens, wooden chips, plastic cubes, a solid pile of cards, individual tablets and an arena for fights. The warlock's booklet will help you navigate the intricacies of magic spells. The remaining space will be useful for additional sets, which, I think, will be released to the game quite regularly, emptying the wallets of fans of magic duels ...

Magic is unpredictable, so equally unpredictable dice are used to activate spells. Five red hexagons are useful for attacking the opponent, and the yellow dodecahedron affects magical abilities and spells.

Wooden cylinders of two colors and black tokens of quick spells are located on the character cards and reflect their state (whether the hero has performed possible actions or not). Red and black dice mark the mage's performance on the individual board. Pay attention - there are no blue cubes (many are looking for them by opening the box). Both blue and red players will each get one red marker.

There are three main values \u200b\u200bon the individual board: the inflow and amount of mana, as well as the character's vitality. If this is your first time in the "ring", then pay attention to the hint in the lower left corner of the cardboard.

The arena is huge and takes up significant space on the table. This is due to the fact that in each of the twelve cells there can be several cards of each of the opponents. In the corners of the arena are the places where the magicians exit, marked with doors.

Magic books are the main distinguishing feature of the game. This beautiful accessory creates the appropriate atmosphere and allows you to conveniently use card sets, keeping your army secret from the opponent. Stylish books for true connoisseurs of card games ...

Mages (and their wards) are wounded during the game, use special properties and are subjected to the actions of the opponent's witchcraft. All this is marked with special cardboard tokens, which are located on the character cards. What is there only: rotting, burning, weakness and other ailments.

In the box you will find portraits of powerful magicians from four schools and sheets with character characteristics. It is noteworthy that each sorcerer has his own individual properties, as well as reserves of vital and magical powers.

In addition to personal skills, a hereditary magician can summon ferocious creatures to help, cast a spell, cast enchantments, enchant an opponent, use items from personal equipment, and also attack an opponent with various fireballs and firestorms. There are six types of cards in total, which are recommended to be combined with each other when attacking or defending.

Some spells allow four types of obstacles to be cast on the field, from impenetrable fog to a wall of incinerating fire.

This completes the study of the components of the magic box, it's time to get down to business ...

Enchanted sorcerer.

A necessary digression.

This game allows opponents to make individual sets with which they go to battle with the enemy. Each card has a special property with its own activation conditions. Since the game is based on the properties of the cards, the "War of the Mages" has only the basic rules that determine the order of the move, as well as the basic principles of defense and defense. Everything else is in the hands of the players and depends entirely on the armies selected. During the fight, priority is given to the text on the card, which can radically change even the basic rules of the game.

During the first acquaintance with the "War of the Magicians" gather an army according to the table from the rules. The developers have tried to balance the opposing sides, so choose any magician - each of the characters will be strong in their own way. I recommend playing a trial round, and only then move on to real fighting.

Since the player has a lot of cards at his disposal, the developers put two albums with transparent cells in the box. This handy accessory will allow you to hide the army from the eyes of the enemy and quickly view the available reserves. This storage method allows you to compose required set at home, and putting the booklet in your pocket, go to the tournament.

When composing the first set, you may find that the text in the rule table and the text on the card are very different. For example: Thunderhawk is Thunder Falcon. Alas, the cost of localizing a huge amount of text.

After the armies are ready for battle, rivals place their mages in the corners of the arena and mark on the tablets the starting values \u200b\u200bof the mana growth, its initial amount and the character's vitality. Then, a player's colored “action” disc and a black “quick spell” marker are placed on the mage cards. Both chips are placed with a white upward symbol.

Please note: magicians are initially endowed with special abilities, so carefully read the text on the card - you may need to take the corresponding token from the reserve. Before the start of the game, an "initiative" token is played to identify the first player. In subsequent rounds, this marker alternately changes the owner.

The move begins with the mage adding to himself the amount of mana indicated in the first column (move the black die along the track). Then, all wooden tokens on the character and creature cards are turned over with the symbol side up, in a similar way, other special markers (previously introduced into the game) must be put into readiness mode.

It's time to plan actions for the current turn. Opponents take out two cards from their books and place them face down on the table. These are the possibilities of magicians, but some magicians have assistants. Each such helper can use one additional spell card in the current round.

Important note: as soon as the opponents indicate the desired cards, you cannot change anything. Only Spell Cards placed on the table are allowed in the current round!

The goal of the magician is to destroy the opponent with the help of magic and the attack of creatures. Therefore, at first it is advisable to put additional fighters on the field who can go on the attack or surround the mage with an impregnable wall of defense.

New creatures are placed in the same space as their master. In this case, the magician must spend an action, and the creature that appears goes into readiness mode (the wooden marker of the player's color is turned by the symbol down). Each mage has one additional action that can be applied once per turn (black marker). As soon as the main and additional actions have been used, the markers are turned over to the side without a symbol - the creature becomes inactive.

Active creatures can move across the field in straight lines at right angles and engage in combat. You cannot run through a cage with an opponent's warrior - you must stop moving. The attack range is indicated on the card and is, basically, "zero" cells. This means that the object of the attack must be located in the same location with the attacker and look his fate "in the eye". Some characters have the ability to teleport, which allows you to get rid of the spells imposed on the creature.

As I noted earlier, many creatures have special properties. This property can only be activated if the result of a twelve-sided die roll meets the requirements set out on the card. Otherwise, nothing happens and the attack follows the standard rules.

Red dice have three meanings - miss (blank), hit (numerical value) and damage (number in an asterisk). The attacking character throws the number of hexagons indicated on his card, and the object of the attack takes into account his defense indicators and corrects the results.

A miss - he is also a miss in the wizarding world, so the "empty" cubes are set aside. Numbers with an asterisk pierce any defense and inflict damage (place the required number of tokens on the card). The usual numbers are added, the result obtained is subtracted from the defense indicator of the attacked creature. Anything that is not absorbed by the protection deals damage (add tokens). As soon as a creature receives a critical number of markers, it dies and is removed from the field.

You can strengthen the attack with sorcery, which deals additional damage to the object of the attack. These are quick-action cards - their effect immediately spreads to the victim, and sorcery goes into discard.

You can apply witchcraft spells on your own warriors, giving them the opportunity to escape from the attack or adding strength to the character in battle.

The magician can take certain equipment with him to the arena, which gives him additional opportunities. Each item is located on the body of the magician and takes place. Only one object can correspond to one body part. During combat, you can also use traps, bind spells, cast enchantments and much more - it all depends on the cards that are in your booklet.

The ultimate goal of the opponents is to destroy the opponent's magician card. Since the mages of the creature are strong and have high vital indicators, the damage is taken into account on the board by moving the red die. After the death of the mage, the creatures remaining on the field can survive only until the end of the current round, which gives them a small chance to avenge their master. The winner celebrates his triumph with thunder and lightning ...

Burning down an opponent on fire.

A beautiful and addictive card game for two players that allows you to host large-scale tournaments and local competitions between fans of the "Wars of the Magicians". TO basic setthere are likely to be tons of add-ons and hundreds of boosters coming out - all the prerequisites for that, given the game's growing popularity.

The quality of the design deserves special praise - spectacular pictures and literary text inserts on the cards create an atmosphere of battle between real magicians. You don't just lay out the card from the booklet on the table, you cast spells, create creatures and send them into battle. And for a successful attack, it is necessary to think over combinations, take into account reserves and correctly arrange forces on the field. There is a place for tactics and strategy, and preparing kits for the next game is a separate game process. After all, the success of the battle directly depends on how competently you calculate the forces and plan your actions on the field.

My first acquaintance with the game took place at the "Gambler". Then a trial game was played, in which certain mistakes were made, since we incorrectly interpreted some points of the rules. Nevertheless, I liked the gameplay right away for its idea and depth. Now, when the box with the "Mages" was in my hands and I was able to slowly "feel" the mechanics, I can say with confidence that the "War of the Mages" has a great future. If you are a fan of card games, then be sure to check out this dueling fantasy game.

You can recommend the "War of the Magicians" to children aged 12 and over, there is no point in starting the game earlier, since the abundance of combinations most likely will not "fit" in the head of a young magician. But young people, as well as experienced and novice players, should at least once (or better, two) enter the arena and fight rivals in a magical battle. It is noteworthy that learning the rules will take you about half an hour, and understanding the game - several days. The developers have come up with so many things that it will not be easy to master all the card material ...

By the way: this is a great tournament game. Opponents can create their own booklets using cards from the add-ons, and then surprise the opponent with an unimaginable combo that sweeps away everything in its path. In one word - take risks and enjoy the game!

Today we'll talk about Mage Wars or Wars of the magicians... This board game fully lives up to its name, as it focuses on the confrontation between two sorcerers and their minions. It also has one interesting feature in the form of spellbooks for each player - and not any conventional, but real ones, which can be leafed through, freely choosing the desired witchcraft card.

Many people say that the Wars of Mages (hereinafter simply VM) is a cross between Magic: The Gathering and Summoner Wars. I've played both and tend to agree with that. True, as for me, the VM is closer to Summoner Wars, because there is also a playing field, drawn into squares, and players control armies, represented not by individual factions, but by magicians and creatures they summon.

Like Summoner Wars, VM resembles a tactical miniature game where ordinary cards act as miniatures. There are two advantages: 1) with the same filling, the box comes out several times cheaper; 2) tracking of various effects and parameters is greatly simplified. The downside is obvious - cards on the field are much less pleasing to the eye than figures.

The basis of VM is all kinds of spells, there are more than three hundred of them in the database. The coffin in which the content is delivered is due to the hefty field through which the cards-creatures will move, the compartment for storing books and, of course, attracting the attention of potential buyers. On the other hand, on this moment a lot of additions have already been released to the VM, and they will fit into the base box without any problems.

By the way, the publisher intends to get rid of such an awkward coffin. In the near future, an updated edition of the fourth edition in a standard square container will be on sale, which will bear the proud name Mage Wars Arena: Core Set. And what, the game has already received a portion of popularity, and it's time to return to practicality.

In addition to themed books of spells, VM boasts great art and custom hexagons for playing attacks. Large wooden activation chips do not shine with their design, but they turned out to be quite convenient and intuitive.

The faceless tablets and the field, which is a boring gray area with masonry, were a little disappointing. By the way, in the new edition, the arena was redrawn in a more fun manner. The tablets were left unchanged. And it's a pity, there would not be a problem with spinning counters a la FFG.

VM is a tactical duel in which the prelude plays a large role in the preparation of spell books. Before the game, players languish over their magical tomes, filling their pockets with spell cards. Already at the preparatory stage, they can outline some cunning connections and combinations, absolutely not worrying that the cards may come in the wrong order or not appear at all.

What are the principles of composing books? They are quite flexible. You can shove into a book whatever your heart desires, the main thing is that later you have enough mana to pay for it. Of course, I am exaggerating, and there are still some limits. Each card has a level that indicates its cost. In the database, players are given 120 points. If the card does not correspond to the school of the chosen magician, then its price doubles. The limit for cards of a particular level is also agreed.

It turns out that the player can easily include any card in his arsenal. Coping with the restrictions is likely to be more difficult to purchase add-ons as more tasty and expensive cards are available. But I don’t want to say that the selection is meager in the database, there are enough cards even to collect more or less decent "decks" simultaneously for all four magicians in the set.

So, having dealt with the books, the players take the tablet needed to control the number of lives and the level of magical power of magicians, a property card and a couple of activation tokens. After that, they put their players in opposite corners of the field, just like in a boxing ring. And away we go! I will briefly describe how the game round goes.

The round is divided into two main stages: preparation and action. Preparation is such a technical phase, during which magicians add mana points to themselves (the influx of it is constant, but can be modified different properties); pay for the extension of the enchantment so that they are not dispelled (special spells that are on the playing field); apply the effects of any statuses (decay, for example) and update the activation tokens on creatures, turning them over to the active side. The players then select up to two spell cards and place them face down in front of them.

And then the fun begins. Mages alternately cast their chosen spells, dressing themselves in magical clothing and summoning creatures to their side for mana points. Creatures scurry back and forth across the field, hitting each other with melee / ranged / magic attacks and defending their masters, becoming defensive. The purpose of all this action is to strengthen your position and reduce the health of the opponent's magician to zero.

Probably, after such a superficial description, the game hardly aroused any interest in you or, in general, at least some emotions. But what is there to dissemble, from the outside the process looks exactly like this: got mana, chose cards, moved creatures, threw cubes. But it's worth digging deeper ...

As the preface in the rules says - the gameplay in the VM fakes the battle of the magicians as it would actually look. This is achieved not only due to the enormous variety of spells, but also thanks to the cool idea of \u200b\u200bthe book. The book is not only a pretentious accessory, it is really convenient to operate with cards with it, in addition, it brings a certain zest to the mechanics. Players can safely plan their actions, not relying on chance, and it is this moment that makes what is happening "realism". You are a magician and completely control your strength and mind, and not some sclerotic who casts chaotic spells dictated by a random draw of cards from the deck.

I'm the kind of guy who doesn't like messing around with cards, changing and adjusting decks every time. Therefore, I was sincerely pleased with the rules for drawing up books and the ability to quickly equip four magicians with cards at once. The freedom to compose was also encouraging, it frees hands on the part of experiments and gets rid of complex dilemmas that make you sacrifice one for the good of another (as is usually the case in such games). On the other hand, at first, such freedom is discouraging. Therefore, first, it is better to run the recommended sets a couple of times to understand the essence of the game, and then ideas will begin to generate by themselves.

As it should be, the main characters have their own pronounced specialization and promote different styles of fighting. Four magicians belong to different schools and have a set unique properties... The Master of Beasts summons hordes, ahem, beasts, the Priestess specializes in healing, the Sorcerer on weakening the opponent with the help of curses, and the Wizard dabbles in pumping out mana and redirecting spells.

VM is a treasure trove of tactical decisions. Hands full of all sorts of spells, spells; a gradually growing network of summoned beings; an arena where you can navigate, choosing the most advantageous positions for attack or defense - all this contributes to the birth of many interesting solutions and tricks.

Probably, only the first couple of moves will seem simple, when the magicians are one lonely bored each in their corner. But then you don't have to get bored. Constant skirmishes, distance skirmishes, traps, obstacles, destructive effects make the battle colorful and memorable. Cubes also add fun, diluting the somewhat chess-like process with not always predictable results.

In addition to the cubes, the ignorance of what the opponent has in store is intriguing. Realizing that he could put any spell in the book, you prepare in advance for a bunch of surprises and try to protect yourself with antidotes for all occasions. But all the same, surprises cannot be avoided here. And that's great, as they provide food for thought for the next games. And it's doubly great that the insidiousness of the opponent is responsible for the surprises, and not the flaws of the mechanics.

As for the simplest cost / strength balance, it is observed. If you want to summon a fat creature for two dozen mana, save and endure how many moves, defending yourself. Everything is logical. In general, the logic of the game does not hold, this also applies to the main goal, the structure of the round, and the effects of the cards. And while the 50-page rulebook doesn't scare you, the backbone of the rules is outrageously simple, provided that you already have experience with deckbuilding. You only have to tinker with the analysis of the types of spells, icons and terms.

Now for some caveats and ambiguities. Firstly, VM refers to those games that require like-minded people with their boxes, cash injections into add-ons, time for composing and testing decks. Secondly, when sitting down to a party, it is difficult to predict how long it will last. It can be a dynamic forty minutes or an exhausting 2+ hours, especially if both are playing defensively. Thirdly, not everyone will like direct aggression, a lot of text on the cards, the notorious random on the cubes and the field littered with cards. And the last thing, for completely newbies, I'm afraid the entry threshold will be overwhelming, a special approach is needed here.

Well, if you like this genre, you have already played enough in Summoner Wars or the same Berserker, and you want something new, then the Wars of the Magicians is a hit in the bull's-eye. Just before buying, it is advisable to conduct a small analysis in order to identify friends who are ready to join this game. Another purchase will be justified if your district has already formed, albeit a small one, but a community where gatherings or VM tournaments are constantly held.

Unfortunately, the same fate awaits in my collection of Mages as Netrunner - dust will be shaken off the game during rare outings to the toy libraries or even rarer games with Katya. True, I still have a glimmer of hope to recruit a fellow Berserker fan. The game is really funny 8 /10.