By Arcane Wonders
Summoning beasts from the depths of darkness, slinging spells of insanity, and casting magic missile at the darkness is nothing new in the realm of today’s fantasy games. However, let me tell you why Mage Wars by Arcane Wonders takes all these old tricks and makes them feel fresh and exciting again.
Mage Wars is a competitive 1v1 or 2v2 board/card game where each person plays as a gifted user of the arcane arts. Before the game begins each player selects a mage that possesses a range of special abilities and skills. Once this is complete you then delve into what makes this game very unique by creating and customizing your very own spellbook. Here you can select from six different spell types: Equipment, Conjuration, Creatures, Enchantment, Incantation, and Attack. When selecting which spells you want to use you should keep in mind what elements and types of spells your mage is proficient in because you have a pool of points to spend on spells and each spell costs a different amount for each mage.
Once everyone has selected a mage and created a spellbook you can then begin the duel. You begin by
placing your mages on the gridded board that is provided. From here you can summon creatures onto the map to help protect you or begin by placing structures to permanently boost your stats. One of the great things about this game that separates it from other strategy card games such as Magic the Gathering is that you are able to select any 2 spells from your spellbook. This eliminates the ‘luck of the draw’ factor and allows you to create synergy in your combos and ultimately eliminate your enemy. The game provides nearly unlimited freedom by allowing the player to utilize various different combinations and strategies that ultimately creates a unique experience everytime you play the game.
I was originally introduced to this game at GenCon 2014 where I received an exclusive demo of it by the VP of Arcane Wonders. After finishing the demo I immediately bought the game and I believe it was the best purchase at GenCon 2014 that I made.
Report Card: A-
Pros: Highly Customizable
Unique Gameplay
Excellent delivery in the materials used for the game
Beautiful artwork
Cons: Takes a long time to customize your spellbook for the first time
There are a lot of rules and status effects that you need to be aware of
You can purchase a copy of Mage Wars at Amazon and support TheRpgAcademy at the same time.
@NotOurTravis
