Mage Knight

Many of those who pick up the Mage Knight board game will fondly remember the collectible miniatures game, also from WizKids. I know I did (although those memories are tainted by the downward slide into overpowered madness that marked the middle years of the game's history). For what it's worth, the Mage Knight Board Game has nothing in common with the miniatures game, aside from the name and a few select references.For how different this game is from the roots that spawned it, I must start the review by saying this: the Mage Knight Board Game is excellent. Not mediocre, or just good, but excellent. And for a game that's part randomized-tile exploration, part deck-building, part-dice rolling, part fantasy combat sim, that's an amazing accomplishment.For starters, let's look at the quality of the components. Regular board game enthusiasts will understand when I say that they are at the level of Fantasy Flight Games, and even better in many respects. The tiles used to create the game board are on solid card stock, but thin enough that they don't require too much vertical space to store (a problem I had with the tiles included in the D&D adventure games, such as Castle Ravenloft). The four plastic miniatures representing the players are pre-painted, as well as four "city" miniatures that incorporate the click-wheel design that featured so prominently in the miniatures game long ago. A very interesting, but superior, choice was to use a noticeably different playing card stock from what has typically been used for deck-building games. The cards are very flexible, but don't show signs of wear-and-tear as easily as traditional card stock (at least in my experience, I have read contrary opinions from other reviewers), like cards from Magic the Gathering. Serious gamers will likely still default to card sleeves, but to be honest the card stock is flexible and sturdy enough that it doesn't require sleeves to the extent that most other games do (basically, unless you plan for very heavy use of the game, I don't think card sleeves are necessary). The multitude of cardboard tokens are also on good cardboard with attractive, distinctive images on both sides that help illuminate their use during the game. The plastic insert included with the game holds all the components snugly, perhaps a little too snugly in the case of the cards (not enough space is available to definitively separate the types of cards, which is my one complaint on the components).So the components hold up to the standard of quality (excellence) that I set at the beginning of the review, but what about the game itself? If anything, the game system is far superior to the plastic and cardboard products within the game itself, and would be worth purchasing even if the components were of lesser quality.What sets the game apart from many others is how seamlessly and beautifully the separate systems interact with one another. Approaching the game, you will see many different systems: a combat system, deck-building system, and exploration system. The common points of intersection are the board, which is developed by interchangeable tiles that are "explored" during the game and on which monsters are placed, and the player's "deed" deck, the cards from which are used to fight, recruit allies, move, cast spells, etc. The ultimate goal of the game depends on the scenario, but typically the goal is to acquire the most "fame" (victory points). You gain fame by defeating monsters and conquering cities. Additional fame is awarded at the end of the game for certain accomplishments. With that in mind, how do we go about getting as much fame as possible?Since defeating monsters and assaulting cities is the mechanism by which fame is acquired, players need to maximize their ability to complete these two tasks. The game divides the mechanisms by which to accomplish this into "move, influence and [combat actions]." Movement allows you to get where you need to go (with different terrain types dictating the number of movement points required to move to a desired area). Influence allows you to buy units/spells/abilities (all in the form of cards) that will give you increased move/influence/combat ability in subsequent turns. Combat actions are divided into attack/block types, with a multitude of variations that make combat into a mini-puzzle that rewards thought (and without which makes the determination of the combat's true victor highly improbable). The deed deck is the source of your ability to do all these things (plus your units, which are separate), from which you draw cards that give you movement/influence/combat points to spend each turn. To further complicate matters, the game is at an even higher level divided into day/night rounds. So within a round there are multiple turns, and each player takes turns playing their turn, etc. The great thing about all these seemingly mundane (at least from my description) actions is that they take place in an evolving fantasy world (evolving based on how you explore it). You will find monasteries, mage towers, mines, magical sites, ruins, keeps, cities, and more as you explore the world and seek to strengthen your character. The excitement of turning over a tile to see what options I've just uncovered is still a major part of the game, and a major reason why I continue to play this night after night, and will choose to play it over computer games (my typical after-work "decompressant").From the previous description you can already tell that the sheer number of rules and exceptions to those rules becomes an issue when you start playing. This is compounded by the use of two rulebooks, one a walkthrough book designed to get you started, the other the official rulebook (but designed so differently that you will have difficulty clarifying rules when you have a question - this is my main issue with the game, actually). Luckily, the game is simple enough at its core that after just a couple of games you should have the hang of it. What's more, is that once you begin to play the game, you also understand the interactions between the systems and how beautifully cohesive it is. The game experience is truly wonderful, being described by some as solving a puzzle each turn. And, as the use of the word "maximize" in the preceding paragraph should have tipped you off that in many ways it is a puzzle. You are solving the problem of how to maximize the acquisition of fame with a randomized hand of cards. But that probably makes the game sound too much like work, which it most certainly is not. The game is awesome - the systems, once understood, make it well worth the effort to go through the steep learning curve for the first couple of games, and even more impressively, the game is a blast to play both solitaire as well as 2-player. My conclusion? If you like Fantasy-themed games, board games in general, computer RPGs, or are just a straight-up nerd like me, buy this game.

I got this game since it can be single player; there's only so much solitaire one can play during COVID... In all, I highly recommend this game! Each play is unique and challenging, the concept is unique, and it's highly strategic even for single players.Cons (minor):-The rule book & game walkthrough booklets were misassembled. This caused a lot of confusion initially.-You need a LARGE table for this. A simple card table will not be big enough as you build your board throughout the game. This isn't a classic one-board game. There's a board for player progress, several card decks that expand, a player area (for each player), and then the gameplay board which expands as you play. For 1-2 players, I think 2 card tables or a large dining table is adequate. You could potentially do 1 card table and a side/coffee table as well.-Pet owners! There are a lot of small pieces, so if you're leaving the board overnight and have animals, I recommend bagging up loose pieces. My cat got several of them and it took me quite a while to find where she hid them all!-This game isn't for people who want something quick and easy. There are A LOT of rules, and unless you're dedicating a full day to play, it could potentially take several days to complete a game if you're new to it. For some this is a pro, for others a con.Pros:-Each game is unique. You can play with multiple strategies (offensive/attack-mode, exploring, etc). Single-player option is still challenging and strategic. The game board & pieces themselves are incredibly detailed and the concept of the game is very unique. In terms of setup, think Betrayal at House on the Hill, Catan (Cities & Knights and Seafarers), and Risk.-Quality pieces. The progress board was slightly warped but it's not too bad. Otherwise the rest of the game pieces are high-quality and seem durable and unlikely to damage with long-term play. The organization in the box is very nice too and everything easily fits back in after you open up the packaging.-What is really nice is that there is a walkthrough booklet that is meant to teach you the game & outline your first play. You'd also use this walkthrough when teaching others for the first time. It goes through game setup and rules as you'd encounter them naturally during game play.-Multiple scenarios (scenario booklet included), so you have a new objective with every game you play. The foes you encounter, strategies, and player interactions will constantly change so I honestly can't see how you can get bored with this game. For the price, this is absolutely worth the investment.