I had the pleasure of trying out this new game last night, and I gottah say - It’s pretty damn sweet.  At it’s core, Summoner Wars is a non-collectible tactical card game, where cards move and attack on a board much like pawns in a board game.  In a nutshell, each player begins the game with a single “summoner” and a small cadre of minions.  The goal of the game is to manoeuvre across the board and kill the enemy summoner - like in chess, you kill the enemy head honcho, and you win.

Summoner Wars from Plaid Hat Games rings in at $24.95, and currently, there’s two starter sets - though more are on the way.  Pick either one you want, it’s the same game, but each one features two completely different factions with their own style of play.  We were able to try out all four factions, and they’re all great, have their own “feel”, and compete well against each other. 

A starter comes with everything you need to play - two complete race decks, dice, wound markers, rule book, and a game mat.  With the exception of the game mat all of the components are of great quality.  The cards are printed on nice stock and feature really great looking art.  The rule book is also nicely done, and easy to understand.  You should be able to read through the rules and get to playing in ten minutes or so.  The game mat is functional, but is simply a black and white print which refuses to lay flat.  While not a big deal, it’s quality stands out like a sore thumb when compared to the quality of the rest of the starter.  I can imagine that many people who adopt this game will be looking for alternatives, or simply making their own.

Each summoner has a starting set up, which includes the summoner, a wall, and various troops which are set up in fixed positions on your half of the board.  At first, I wasn’t sure about this - I like options.  But after a few games, I came to like the system.  Basically the starting set-ups allow you to skip a few turns where nothing would really happen anyway, and get right to the action.

Game play is extremely simple.  You can move three of your units 2 squares, then attack with three of your units.  Units can attack enemy cards that are adjacent to them, or up to three squares away if they have missile weapons.  When a unit attacks, you roll a number of dice equal to their attack value, and every three or higher scores a hit on the enemy.  If a unit takes enough hits, they are killed.  Sounds pretty easy right?

Well, like all great games, the devil is in the details, and the subtle rules each race employs are what makes this game really shine.  For example, the elves have units that teleport around the board, archers that shoot 4 squares instead of 3, and warriors that automatically hit each time they attack.  The orcs are powerful, but unreliable, with some of their units able to move across the board and attack multiple times in a turn, so long as the dice gods are in a good mood.  Generally, a given unit has but a single special rule, and it’s easy to memorize them, and begin to formulate strategies with them even before your first game is over. 

The game is fast paced, and your minions will fall quickly.  Luckily, your summoner can summon new troops as the game progresses.  This is done during your turn by spending magic cards.  What’s interesting is how magic is generated.  At the end of your turn, you can discard cards from your hand into your magic card pile - thus converting unwanted troops, walls, or events into the resource that allows you to summon new units during future turns.  In addition to this, each enemy unit destroyed goes right into your magic pile, thus making you more powerful with each kill.  This mechanic promotes aggressive and well thought out tactics, and is probably the aspect of the game I enjoy the most. 

Once you pay the summoning cost of a unit, you can place it adjacent to one of your walls.  Walls are important as they provide cover for your troops in addition to being the point from which new troops are summoned.  Like units, walls can be destroyed - though they are much tougher, and doing so can severely hamper the enemy.  No walls - no new troops. 

All in all, Summoner Wars is a great tactical game.  Games are often very close, and usually leave you wanting a rematch.  Play time is quick - you should be able to complete a game in about a half hour once you get the hang of things.  This game is expandable, and your deck can be customized, though luckily, the card packs are not random, so you know exactly what you are buying.  This is a big selling point for me - I hate the money sinks that are random collectible games.

So if you like tactical games with a cool theme and interesting mechanics, give this one a shot.  It offers a sizable bang for your buck.

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DEACON

Filed under: Games - Card Games, Summoner Wars by DEACON