Hiya!

My cousin and I were lucky enough to pick up the game at GenCon.  We played the Demo last year and this year and it was amazing, but the demo just barely breaks the surface I believe (cause of the sheer amounts of dept to the game, not the lack of enjoyment of the demos... those were great!).  Anyway, we finally got a bunch of games in other the past week or so and I wanted to share our experiences.

Mage Wars is like a fine wine (btw I rarely drink and never wine so this is kinda funny...but to the point), the more you learn to appreciate it the more thats going to be revealed.  New players could even miss read this game completely.

We have been playing board games and miniatures for close to 20 years and I must say that this game is very impressive. The first few games we found our selves getting frustrated with the cards the other player was using mostly because they seemed to always be way better for the mana or they did something extremely good for how much resources it took to maintain them.  After playing a hand full of games we quickly realized that you can't come into the game with a mind set of a card game... but more of a miniature game with cards.  This may be obvious to some, but its worth pointing out our initial reaction just in case you find your self in a discussion with a new player who may have similar thoughts but not knowing how to state them.

One thing we started doing is using some strategies and concepts we we use in our play styles for the game Warmachine.  I believe this helped a lot (personal experiences may differ) but mostly it helped us appreciate the balance and/or value of a certain card when applied to the game with the thought process of a miniature skirmish game rather than a CCG.  Another thing we quickly realized is the value of certain cards that seem weak at first.   For example, in Magic the Gathering, you may have a red card that costs one red mana and just gives a creature Haste (it can attack the turn it comes into play).  For experienced players this is a garbage card that just takes up a slot in your 60 card deck.  Incantations in Mage Wars have similar "one shot" effects that may seem weak but in reality can change the flow of the battle.  Not only do you have any card available to you on any turn (obviously you have to only select two) but this increases the value of weaker cards just because you can have them when you need them.  I think its a really good thing to point out to newer players if they start to go down the path of card balancing.

Anyway, to wrap up, I believe this game is going to soar to the top with the heavy contenders and be something talked about for many many years.  The potential for this is HUGE and so far everyone I have told or shown the game to get extremely interested and impressed.  I can NOT wait for everyone I know to own this.

Very good job to the Mage Wars team!   Sorry for the rambling lol

-Tim

Did you take the demo?
Yes (Thanks for the shirt as well)

Did you play in a Mage Wars apprentice event?
Unfortunately no, but this was due to my event schedule

Did you get a copy of Mage Wars?
Yes!  Thursday the line was so long we didn't bother.  Since we knew about the amount of copies they would have on Friday we got in line early just to enter the exhibit hall and then power walked ourselves into the Mage Wars line.

Did you get a chance to play the full game?
Yes.  This is truly an amazing game, and come time when retailers and game stores start carrying it, I predict to see a large amount of player base.  My local game shop is pretty excited about it at least



My GenCon experience with Mage Wars was great.  The staff were extremely pleasant and very fun to talk to.  The Demo area was nice and it felt organized.  I am looking forward to next GenCon to enter some tournaments!