Friends, forum dwellers, and fellow mages. I am pleased to announce the second ever organized league of Mage Wars, the fabled Archmage Arena, will begin organized play starting June 2nd, 2014!
The Archmage Arena is a non-linear campaign structure, organized to be flexible and player-friendly for all participants. With the entry free per week a meager $5.00, the chances for weekly promo card prizes, special objective challenges, team matchups and more will be made available in this eleven week league. The basic rules are as follows:
1- Start with Chosen Mage and the appropriate Default Book. A Wizard must pick what element, that will be your wizard's default for the entire 11 week Arena Mode. Air is the one in the core. I have put together a balanced Water/earth/Fire group which will be in the pdf. You may change your Mage by the Sunday before matches are posted on Mondays. Your Spellbook Points and unlocked slots carry over.
You do not have to own a copy of Mage Wars to participate, fellow players will graciously lend out cards and spell books if you ask.
2- You start at level 0, and as you win matches, you attain levels, up to level 10. Arch Mages will unlock 10pts of spells on every odd Level attained (levels 1-9). Winners will get 3sp added to their book and losers will get 5pts. Max spell book size is 180pts and 80 cards.
3- Changes to tome spell lists will be secret, review-able by judges, before any match. Past week spell book will be public.
4- Arch Mages will be matched by rank. In the case of ties matches will be adjusted by; Spellbook value, Tie Breaker Score, Creatures Killed, Random.. in that order. This is not a Swiss elimination style, it is a campaign. This means that Arch Mages may be matched multiple times against same opponents. There will be rivalries.
5- Arch Mages are required to pay the week before to be included in the following week's Match up. You can pay up as many weeks in advance as you wish, $5 a week, in advance. Once Matches are posted Mondays, Mages have Monday through Saturday, 10pm to arrange to meet and play opponents. If an opponent fails to make themselves available they get a loss. I or another Judge will play any odd unmatched Mages. These will always be Mirror Matches with an exact Book and Mage matching yours.
6- here will be:: Weekly Arena Challenges for Rank points, Weekly Personal Challenges for Promo Cards and other awards, a week 6 Team challenge, a week 8 Arena of the Ancients Challenge, Week 4 Alternate Arena Shape/Size.
The Arena Challenge Rank points will be limited to a cap... min:5 max:10, this should tighen the ranks and avoid exploitation of points within the league. Even in a loss a personal challenge may win you a promo card, or perhaps a few spell book points ie., the 10pts mentioned above for some play room.
Arena's of the Ancients will be chosen 1 week before the match week so the Arch Mages can prepare. 2 Arenas will be randomly chosen and presented to each Mage as a choice. After matches those Mages will chose whose arena to play in. If they can not agree the lower ranked player chooses. This should be fair enough yet present a challenge.
Team week is so the lowest ranks can learn from higher ranks. This will also be a 2 week challenge so teams can practice and make schedule.
7- Rank points will be scored as the following:
Damage + Tie Breaker (Creatures + Conjurations + Equipment destroyed) + Arena Challenge + Personal Challenge points.
To eliminate exploiting the system without altering Arcane Wonders wonderful rule system... Healing your opponent in any way will be scored as negative rank points. Healing yourself changes nothing.
The Archmage Arena began this February, with a ten week trial period that became a major success, introducing a consistant group of 20 players, most of them taking up Mage Wars for the first time. The second Archmage Arena were hoping will match, perhaps surpass the success of the first.
If you are interested in participating, signups are going on now at Get There Games, located at 1759 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, New York. All our fellow mages in the tri-state area are welcome to participate if they can.
Hopefully, well see you in the arena.
