2007.04.24
King Wizard, lord of the realm
This past weekend Jason and I ventured into a new game as well as dusted off an old favourite. First up was the newly published second edition of Columbia Games‘ Wizard Kings. The rules could have been written a little more clearly, as they required some deciphering, but we managed. Glossing over the rules that didn’t apply to the scenario we were trying out (the first scenario in the rule book), we got down to business as quickly as possible.
By random chance I ended up with the elves, while Jason commanded the evil army of the undead. Since the elves only have ten turns to win the game in this scenario, I decided to strike straight out of the gate. I moved all three of my flying elven characters (which were at full strength) to the nearest city on the Island, and proceeded to roll so brutally I was wondering if the dice were fixed. In three rounds of combat I failed to score even a single hit, while Jason’s zombies ripped me to shreds. That setback was so severe I already knew I had lost the game, though we played it out just to get a better feel for the rules.
I did wind up losing rather badly in the end, as expected, and Jason and I were both questioning the game at that point. I enjoyed the mechanics but really didn’t like the way the scenario was constructed. Jason wasn’t sure he liked the combat system, but we both agreed to give it another shot (though with a different scenario). We were, however, both pleased that the game played quickly once we got started.
After supper, we played a second game of Wizard Kings, this time with my Amazons defending their noble land against Jason’s invading Barbarian horde. I got lucky enough to destroy Jason’s only naval unit early on. This gave me an advantage since several of my cities were difficult to reach over land, and the land offered some natural choke points through which Jason had no choice but to pass. Even still, there was a point on turn 4 where I thought I had lost for certain.
The way the scenario was constructed, the Amazons can win by attrition, but only if they survive beyond turn 6. Since I spent most of the first few turns running away from the barbarians as fast as I could, enough of my units survived into the mid-game that I stood a fighting chance. I managed to turn things around enough in turns 6 and 7 to actually come out victorious by wearing Jason down slowly over the following turns.
We both agreed that the second scenario played a lot better, and we both enjoyed the game. Having played it twice, I’d be interested in playing again for sure. Columbia did a great job with the maps and the game plays well.
Following Wizard Kings, we decided that it was time to play an abstract strategy game, something we haven’t been doing much lately. Several games were proposed, but we settled on Sid Sackson’s Realm. This blast from the past is well worth digging up, or alternatively, it would be fairly straightforward to make your own set out of wood if you’re so inclined. Realm is all about territory control, but there’s also a bit of a race aspect to the game that adds an interesting dimension. The rules allow for some interesting self-sacrifice plays that can be rather devastating since your “dead” pieces stay on the board, immobilized, and block movement.
This time around, I managed to box Jason into a corner, and edged out a victory during the final few turns. It was a very tense game, and it definitely made me think.
I think I’ll have to try getting some of the Gipf project games back to the table soon, since it’s been a while since I played any of those. Maybe this coming weekend…
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