Mage Wars CCG old

This is the first step to wikising the rules for the Mage Wars Collectible Card Game. I have been mining it for IP to use in Mage Wars RPG and will continue to do so.

All Mage Wars CCG pages will use the MCCG-prefix as has been established by the MMO and PnP pages. MCCG pages should also belong to the Mage Wars CCG category.

“The Mage Wars were not some geo-political conflict between nations and ideologies, they were a power struggle. Ultimately, all that mattered was having more power than the other guy.”

Rules

A Mage Wars deck consists of 88 cards exactly, no more, no less. You may only have a maximum of 4 copies of a specific card, this includes Basic Elements. Each player plays as a mage with a tower, your objective is to destroy your opponents tower while adding to your own. Your tower is tracked by a set of cards called a Tower Deck which you carry with your actual deck. Each card you bring out will have a Tower Modifier value that will either raise or lower your tower. All players start with a base tower of 50.

Mage Wars is based around the elements Earth Fire Wind and Water, basically the [[MRPG Exo-Mage|exo-mage from the related mmo.

In addition to the basic elements there are Artifacts, or materials with magical properties that can add to the power of the mage. These materials act as general elements but cannot take the place of a specific element. Example: a card has a cost of [Fire (1) Artifact (2)], you may use Fire (3) to pay the cost, but not Artifact (3). You must have at least Fire (1).

Card Rules:

Certain cards will have the following rules associated with them:

Grave Bind: This card cannot be removed from the graveyard unless it is removed from the game. Grave Fear: If this card were to be placed in the graveyard from play, remove it from the game instead. Hero: players may have only one copy of a specific Hero card in there deck. God: players may have only one copy of a specific God card in there deck. Each player may have only one God on the field at a time. If a card with the God rule were to be placed in the graveyard from anywhere, shuffle it back into its owner’s library instead. Regiment: Units with the Regiment Rule may split there power level between multiple attacking or defending Units a number of times equal to the Regiment Level. Fork: Fork functions like the Regiment Rule for spells. A spell with Fork may have it’s effect divided by a number of targets equal to it’s Fork Level. Dark: card is Dark Aligned, cards with dark alignments cannot be placed in a deck with light-aligned cards. Cards with Dark Alignment get a +5 bonus against unaligned cards. Light: card is Light Aligned, cards with light alignments cannot be placed in decks with dark-aligned cards. Cards with Light Alignment get a +10 bonus against Dark Aligned cards.

Other rules

• Any face-up card that remains on the field at end of turn is considered a permanent.
• Face Down cards are considered to be ‘in play’.
• You may not have Dark and Light cards in the same deck.

Card Types

• Element: Elements are Resources; they create the power for everything the Mage does. Every card will have an Elemental cost, which will be paid according to the card’s type. Elements may only be played during the Expansion Phase of your turn.

• Unit: A unit can be a creature, a monster, a military force, or even a God. The Support Cost of a unit refers to what elements or resources it requires to be supported in play. In other words, the unit occupies those resource cards as long as it is on the field. The player may change which combination of resource cards support a given Unit at will, but if the player does not possess the necessary resources to maintain the Unit, that Unit is sacrificed. Each unit has power level that is used when making offensive or defensive actions.

• Spell: Spell cards are the magic of the game, and fall into one of three categories:
• Fast Cast: Fast Cast spells may be played any time, during any player’s turn.
• Slow Cast: Slow Cast may only be played during a player’s own War Phase.
• Woven: Woven spells cannot be played directly from the player’s hand, but must instead be lain face down on the field during the Expansion Phase. The cost to play a Woven Spell is paid at the time it is turned face up.

Playing Spells: In order to play a spell, you must pay the Casting Cost. You do this by returning the required element cards to your hand.

• Augmentation: Augmentations function like spells in the sense that the cost is paid only once, but afterwards they remain on the field as permanents, attached to another permanent. When the permanent being augmented leaves play, sacrifice the augmentation. Augmentations are played only during the Armament Step of the War Phase.

• Face Down: any card may be placed Face Down on the field. While a card is face down its card type is considered Face Down and it is only be affected by spells that specifically target Face Down cards. Face Down cards are not considered permanents. The cost to play the card is paid at the time it is turned face up. Face Down Spell or Augmentation cards may be played at any time that spell could be played. Face Down creature cards may be turned face up at any time

• Item Cards: Item cards behave differently than other cards. They can be played either from the hand or from Face Down, and are played as Fast Cast spells with a Fast Cast effect. As soon as the Fast Cast effect resolves the item goes into play as an Element with a resource value AND a Power Level. All items are considered to have the Hero Rule. Items also include an Augmentation ability, if the Augmentation is used, the Item can no longer be used as a Resource for supporting Units. It can still be used to cast spells, but the Augmentation Effect goes away as soon as the card leaves play. Items with Augmentation Effects are not sacrificed when the permanent being augmented leaves play.

Example:

Item Name: Counterwise Mirror Cost: Artifact (4) Fast Cast Effect: change the target(s) of any spell, the new target(s) must be legal. Power Level: 80 Resource Value: Artifact (2) Stuff: Augmentation, Artifact (1): when this card is in play, you may pay Artifact (1) to Augment it to a Unit card. If you do, that Unit cannot be the target of spells or abilities.

• Tokens: there are no actual cards for tokens, but certain spell effects and card abilities will produce Token Units. Token Units do not have a Support Cost.

Casting Cost Vs. Support Cost

A Support Cost is resources that must be committed to keeping a Unit deployed in the field.

A Casting Cost is resources that have to be returned to their owner’s hand in order to cast the spell.

Basic Game Play

Players begin by shuffling their decks; each player then cuts his opponent’s deck.

The game begins when each player draws 11 cards from the top of his or her library. Players may use whatever method they choose to decide who goes first.

Turn Phases

Draw Expansion War End

Draw: Draw 1 card, plus draw cards for any card-drawing effects present. Expansion: Place up to 8 Element cards on the field and no more than 1 face-down card. War: Units are played and combat occurs. See Combat Rules. End: Any ‘Until End of Turn’ effects end and any ‘At End of Turn’ effects resolve.

Combat/War Phase

The player should seek to strike a balance between Spell and Unit cards in the deck. In Mage Wars, your armies defend your tower from direct assault by your opponent’s armies, while your spells attempt to destroy your opponent’s tower.

Units may not attack the Tower directly unless defending player controls no Units.

Units may specifically target attacks on enemy units, however defending player may choose to block the attack with a different unit, unless that unit is itself being targeted.

War Phase

The War Phase has three Steps within it:

• Armament
• Declaration
• Combat

Armament Step: Unit cards may be placed on the field face up during this phase. Declaration Step: During Declaration Phase players declare what actions their units will be taking. The player who’s turn it is has the first choice to declare which of his units will be taking offensive actions towards which of his opponents units. If a Unit becomes the target of an offensive action, it must Automatically take a Defensive Action. Combat Step: All damage resolves, with Offensive damage being dealt first.

Actions:

• Offensive: Unit is attacking; any attack bonuses are added to its Power Level. Multiple Units may take Offensive Actions targeting a single unit.
• Defensive: Unit is defending; any defense bonuses are added to its Power Level. If multiple units target a Unit, that Unit’s player may decide which unit becomes the target of the Offensive Action.
• Reflexive: Unit is taking a reflexive action in response to another Unit’s action targeting it. If a Unit becomes the target of an Offensive Action, it MUST take a Reflexive Defensive Action.
• Block: A Unit may take a Blocking Action interceding on an attack targeting another Unit.
• No Action: A player may declare that a specific Unit will take No Action this turn.

Rules

Regimental Rule: Units may split there power between multiple Offensive and Defensive actions a total number of times equal to there Regimental Score. Example:

Name: Flight of Dragons Card Type: Unit Power Level: 80 Tower Modifier: +20 Cost: Earth (1) Fire (1) Wind (1) Water (1) Artifact (4) Stuff: Regiment (4)

Flight of Dragons has Regiment (4), which means it may split it’s Power Level between up to four actions.

Like Actions Rule: Actions are taken against another unit, targeting that unit. Like actions are combined against the target. Example:

Player One controls Red Dragon and Blue Dragon, and declares both of there Offense Actions against Player Two’s Bone Dragon. Player Two’s Bone Dragon automatically takes a Defense Action and Player Two chooses to target Player One’s Red Dragon. Player Two also declares that his Fire Demons will take a Defensive Action targeting Player One’s Red Dragon. The Red and Blue Dragon’s Power Levels are added together and applied as damage against the Bone Dragon, and the Bone Dragon and Fire Demon’s Power Levels are added together and applied as damage against the Red Dragon. The Blue Dragon and Fire Demons escape unscathed.

First Action Rule: the first Unit to declare an action has priority. Example:

It is Player One’s turn. Player One declares an Offensive Action with Red Dragon. Red Dragon is Attacking, therefore Player Two may not declare an Offensive Action targeting Red Dragon.

War Phase Sample

Player One controls:

Name: Red Dragon Card Type: Unit Power Level: 30 Tower Modifier: +15 Cost: Fire (1) Artifact (2) Stuff:

Name: Hydra Card Type: Unit Power Level: 10 Tower Modifier: +0 Cost: Fire (1) Stuff:

Player Two controls:

Name: Pirate Card Type: Unit Power Level: 10 Tower Modifier: +0 Cost: Water (1) Artifact (1) Stuff: During each Expansion Phase Pirate is in play, your opponent looses 1 Tower Level and you gain 1 Tower Level.

Name: Bully Card Type: Unit Power Level: 30 Tower Modifier: +10 Cost: Fire (1) Water (1) Stuff: Bully may not be the target of none-reflexive defensive actions.

Declaration:

It is Player One’s turn. Player One declares that his Red Dragon and Hydra will take Offensive Actions targeting Player Two’s Pirate.

Player Two’s Pirate reflexively takes a Defensive Action, and Player Two chooses to target Red Dragon

Player Two now has Priority to declare Offensive Actions for his Units. Since Pirate is already taking an action, the only Unit he has is Bully. Player Two declares that Bully will take an Offensive Action targeting Red Dragon.

Since all Units have had Actions assigned, the War Phase moves on to Combat Step.

Combat:

Since it is Player One’s turn, his Units taking Offensive Actions deal their damage first. Since Red Dragon and Hydra are targeting Pirate together, their Power Levels are added together for a total of 40. Pirate’s Power Level less than Hydra and Red Dragon’s combined level, so it is destroyed.

Since Red Dragon already expended its Power Level against Pirate, so its Power Level is effectively 0. Bully’s Power Level is 30, so Bully destroys Red Dragon.

Deploying Units

Units may have a Power Level higher than their controller’s Tower Level.

Units may only be deployed during the Armament Step of the War Phase. When a Unit comes into play, it occupies a given set of resources until it reaches the graveyard. If at any time those resources leave play and there are no other resources to support it, the creature is sacrificed.

Units may not take Offensive Actions the turn they come into play.

The actual deployment chain goes like this (Assume it is Player One’s turn):

Player One declares the deployment by saying “I deploy [Card Name]” and then designates the resources that will support that unit. Player One then yields priority to Player Two.

Player Two now has the opportunity to play Fast Cast spells in response to the declaration. If Player Two does not, Priority returns to Player One.

Player One now places the card on the field occupying the necessary resources. If any of those resources are no longer available (Destroyed, returned to his hand, etc), Player One first designates new resources and yields Priority back to Player Two.

Once the card is in play, the Tower Modifier and any ‘When this card comes into play’ effects trigger. Example:

Name: Blind Seer Card Type: Unit Power Level: 10 Tower Modifier: +10 Cost: Wind (1) Artifact (2) Stuff: When Blind Seer comes into play, its controller may place up to 2 cards face down on the field.

Blind Seer comes into play, as soon as it touches the field its controller adds +5 to his tower and may choose to use its triggered ability. Even if the Unit is destroyed as soon as it comes into play, it is considered as having been in play. Casting Spells:

A spell may not be cast if the spell’s Power Level is greater than the casting player’s Tower Level.

Spells have 4 different attributes to consider when casting: • Tower Modifier: this is either a + or -, add or subtract levels from your tower accordingly. • Spell Type: Is it Fast Cast or Slow Cast? Woven or not? Fast Cast spells may be played at any time, Slow Cast spells can only be played during your Expansion Phase, and Woven Spells cannot be played from your hand, but must first be laid Face Down on the field. • Power Level: In order to cast a spell, your Tower Level has to be greater than or equal to the spell’s Power Level AFTER the spell’s Tower Modifier is applied. • Target: some spells can only target Elements, others Towers, and some Face Down cards or Units. What can be a legal target of the spell is listed under Target

Example:

Spell Name: Fireball Tower Modifier: -20 Spell Type: Fast Cast Power Level: 10 + X Target: Any Casting Cost: Fire (1) Artifact (2) Stuff: Fork (Final Power Level/10) As an additional cost to play Fireball, the player may return any number of elements he or she controls to their owners hand. Add +5 to the Power Level for each element returned this way.

Fire Ball is Fast Cast, so it can be played any time. It is a Damage spell, so any target it hits will be damaged. This means, however, if the target does not have a Power Level, the spell will have no effect. (Example: a player plays Fireball targeting an enemies Element, the spell has no effect because the Element has no Power Level) Fireball may target Any permanents in play.

So:

Player One cast’s Fireball. As soon as Player One declares the casting, he immediately looses 20 tower levels and returns 1 Fire Element and two Artifact Elements to his hand. Player One then returns an additional 6 Elements to so his hand, raising Fireball’s Power Level by +30 to a total of 50. Player One then yields priority to Player Two.

Player Two may now choose to cast their own Fast Cast spell. If they do, the spell resolves immediately if it’s Power Level is lower than the level of the spell Player One is casting.

Assuming Player Two has no Fast Cast spells to counter Fireball, priority returns to Player One and Player One selects targets for Fireball. The spell is now considered Cast.

As soon as the spell has been Cast, it can no longer be countered by another spell. It can however be blocked by Units.

Imagine Spell Blocking as the Arch Magus of the tower physically picking up one of his units and throwing it in the path of the oncoming spell. That Unit’s Power Level is then subtracted from the Spell’s Power Level. If the Spell’s Power Level becomes zero it is considered ‘Blocked’ otherwise the spell resolves at its new power level.

Assume for a moment Player Two blocked with a Bone Dragon. The Bone Dragon’s Power Level is 50, equal to the Power Level of the spell.

Rules for Spell Blocking:

• Any Unit on the field may be used to block.
• Any spell may be blocked
• Unit deployments may be blocked.
• When a Unit blocks, that unit and All Elements Supporting That Unit are sacrificed

• Countering Vs. Blocking:

To Block a spell means to sacrifice a Unit in order to subtract the Unit’s Power Levels from the Power Level of the spell.

To Counter a spell means to use another spell, activated ability, or effect to negate a spell being cast.

Cards you may only have one of in a deck:

• Item cards
• Hero cards
• God cards

Unless the card type is Item or the rules say Hero or God, assume you may have up to 4 of them in the deck.