Mage Knight (2000)

How to Play Mage Knight

Mage Knight is played according to varying scenarios. These scenarios set the parameters and determine the goals of the game. There is a difference with every play, different maps, cards, and enemies. “The First Reconnaissance” is the best scenario to start with, as it gets you acclimated to the way the game flows.

The game is played in rounds that represent daytime and nighttime. Throughout the game, players may complete different activities during their turn by using the cards they have in their hand. Players may also see improvement of their Heroes as the game progresses. This improvement is earned through completion of deeds, hiring help, or the use of artifacts and spells!

Setup the Game

To begin setup, the group must first choose a scenario. First Reconnaissance is the scenario in which this setup applies to. This scenario is great for beginners and players newly learning the game.

Players then decide which order in which they would like to make their Hero selection. Players then choose an available Hero and all of the associated components. The player will then place the Hero’s Order token on the table. They will be placed in a column like formation, with the player who chose first placed on top of the column.

After placing the Fame and Reputation board, players place one Shield token on the 0 space of it and one on the 0 space on the Reputation Track. Enemy Token Piles, the Artifact Deck, and the Wound Pile are each shuffled separately and placed in their designated place.

Shuffle the Spell Deck and place them in their designated area. Reveal the first three to act as the offer. Prepare the Action Deck the same way.

The Regular Unit Deck is shuffled and separated by color, creating two face down stacks. Create the Unit Offer by flipping as many cards from the Silver deck as there are players and then two additional.

Place the board dayside up at the beginning of the game. Each round it will be flipped at the beginning of the round. Create the Tile Deck, placing the Countryside Tiles on top of the Core Tiles. You should use eight to eleven Countryside Tiles, one Core City Tile, and two Core Non-City Tiles for this scenario.

The player’s area is found directly in front of them. Players should place their hero cards to the left, with Level 1 Tokens on the left of those. Their Deed Deck may be placed underneath their Hero Card, with Skill Tokens on the left side of the Deed Deck.

Place Shield Tokens on the right side of the player’s area and then place Skill Description Cards under those.

Gameplay

The first round of gameplay determines the playing order and organization of the game. Players will each take a Day Tactic card and look at the number. The player with the lowest number will go first and the highest will go last. Round order tokens can be organized in this order as well.

The first player will begin the game. During your turn you may complete a couple different actions. Your player will begin on the magic portal space of the map. You may play cards from your hand and perform the stated effects. If you have any units that have been recruited, you may activate them. You may also play cards and move through the board.

Mana may be used throughout the game to strengthen action cards. You can gain mana from the Source, conversion of crystals, or through the effects of other cards.

When you are done with your turn, you must roll the mana dice and return them to the Source with their new color visible. If they are black, they will be moved to the side, as they are depleted. You must also discard all cards that you played, return all mana tokens to the bank, and keep the crystals in your inventory. You may then draw cards from your deed deck until your hand contains five cards.

This is when the next player may start their turn in the same way. Once all players have taken their turn, the first player will begin their turn again.

The end of the round is announced by a player when they have no more cards in their deed deck or no cards to play. All other players will get one more turn before the round comes to a complete end.

Check the scenario description to determine if the conditions have been met. If they have, the game is over and scoring may occur.

End of Game

The game comes to an end when the scenario comes to an end! In the First Reconnaissance scenario, the game comes to an end when a player reveals an entire city. Scores are then tallied, and the player who has the most fame at the end of the game wins!

Mage Knight board game review

“Let’s get things straight; the core concept of the game, the card playing fundamentals, are relatively easy to pick up and play. A new player can probably pick it up in 20 minutes or less. The more difficult concepts are all the special rules like swiftness and fire attacks, the special abilities you gain for choosing to go last, fame, reputation, skills, understanding the difference between a mana token, a mana die, and a mana crystal. Each item on its own is simple, but add it all together in a single melting pot and you have a hugely complex game.”

Daniel Starman, board-game.co.uk

“Mage Knight was designed by Vlaada Chvatil, the designer of Galaxy Trucker and Space Alert. For the third time, Chvatil has made a game that is a true original. It’s a brutal system that keeps pushing you to improve the way you play, and like Tolkien, it demands a certain level of commitment. But the payoff is a wonderfully rich experience that keeps displaying new facets. My first game was one of discovery. My second game was one where the experience threatened to overwhelm me. Every game since then has been a new lesson in how little I know, and how much I want to learn.”

Nate Owens, therewillbe.games

The content of this article is originally from Board Game Geek and gamerules.com. For more information and a better understanding of the game, you can watch the videos below.