Spellbook and Counters

[DarkForceMaster]

In a tournament setting, are you requried to use the damage/mana counter and the spellbook provided by the base set? I use regular dice and have my cards arranged in a deck face down in front of me.

[Drealin]

Not using the damage/mana counters might not be a good idea, since there are already some counters that you need your own other markers for.  It could make it more difficult for a judge to determine what is on your creatures if people started using their own markers.
I wouldn't think you could use regular dice, since the dice in Mage Wars are unique.  Also for the same reason as using your own damage/mana counters, how would a judge know what you rolled.
I don't see any reason why you couldn't just have your cards in a deck on the table, as long as it was obviously separated from your prepared spells, equipment, and discard pile.  But I would think that would make it take longer to find the card you want, I could be wrong, I haven't tried it.

[Shad0w]

I use 4 pocket side load binders for my spell books. I use my own dice red D6s for damage on non-mage objects, purple D6s for mana, and blue D6s for any other other counter.

[Aarrow]

I also use my own red D6's for damage counters.

The status tokens that come with the set (weak, burn, shield, guard, etc) probably should be standard Mage Wars tokens to prevent confusion.

As far as spellbooks, they are unique, but seem unneccesary for gameplay.  I often find myself pulling out multiple options to consider before choosing my two spells for the round.  I think having your spellbook arranged in a "spelldeck" would speed up the preparation process, but that's just me.
I agree with Drealin...  As long as your cards are clearly separated from your two spells and discard pile, it should be fine.

[DarkForceMaster]

Ya i meant that for the damage and mana counters on the cards in play in use red D6's and for the mana(not mage's) I use blue gems. So i was just wondering if that was ok to do in a tournament setting. Thanks Tho.

[reddawn]

At first, I thought the spellbooks were great.  Then I went through a short phase of finding them kinda clunky and slow.  Now I'm back to thinking they're great again and I think my mindset will stay that way.

In short, the organization the books provide speeds up play for me.  They let me look at 4 spells per page (or 8, if you use their fronts and backs), which was daunting at first, but after you familiarize yourself with your book and get a general feel for the spell-types, it becomes more efficient.  I also like the feeling of knowing exactly where to turn to in my book to deal with a particular situation.  

I guess how I feel about the book style came in 3 phases; exploration, as I learned the game; a kind of "study" period where I tried to digest all the different spell-types; finally, I feel like I "get" the intended feel of the book, the purpose of which is to let you feel like a mage.