Magic Mountain
Magic Mountain Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What's in the Box?
- 1 Game Board
- 4 Supports (one each of no. 1 and no. 2, two of no. 3)
- 1 double-sided "Master Balduin" goal tile
- 6 Students
- 4 Witches
- 1 Bag
- Will-o'-the-Wisps (balls) in red, yellow, blue, purple, and white
Setup
- Set up the magic mountain as shown below by attaching the supports to the matching, marked places.
- Place the goal tile next to the bottom of the game board so that the side with three witch spaces and four student spaces is showing.
- Place the six students on the first six spaces of the path, marked with a student icon. Then put the four witches on the spaces marked with a witch icon.
- Put all five will-o'-the-wisps in the bag, and you're ready to play!
Make sure you set up the game on a level surface, so as not to influence the balls paths in a way that's relevant to the game.
How to Play
Magic Mountain is a cooperative game, so you can only win or lose as a team.
Get the will-o'-the-wisps to roll down the mountain in such a way that four students reach Master Balduin before three of the witches do.
Taking Witches and Students Through the Forest
Take turns in a clockwise direction. The most courageous player goes first. When it's your turn, reach into the bag and pick a random will-o'-the-wisp. Start this will-o'-the-wisp on its path down the mountain by placing it in one of the six openings at the top edge of the game board. Decide together, which opening is best for the current situation.
If the will-o'-the-wisp hits a figure, move it down the mountain along the path. Take the figure and put it on the next vacant space of the path whose color matches the will-o'-the-wisp's. Rolling along the path, the will-o'-the-wisp may hit more than one figure. In this case, move all of them in the order in which they've been hit. If you move a figure quickly enough, it can even be hit twice by the same will-o'-the-wisp.
The yellow will-o'-the-wisp hits a student. Move this student down the path to the next vacant yellow space.
Oh no, the will-o'-the-wisp has also hit a witch in its path! Now, you'll have to move the witch to the next vacant yellow space on the path, too.
If the will-o'-the-wisp reaches the bottom without hitting any figures, you must move one witch one space further. Which one is up to you.
Sometimes a will-o'-the-wisp gets lost and stays at a crossing. In this case, give it a little push in the right direction.
Once the will-o'-the-wisp reaches the bottom, simply leave it there. It's now the next player's turn. When all five will-o'-the-wisps have reached the bottom, put them all back in the bag.
Reaching Master Balduin
When a witch or a student gets hit by a will-o'-the-wisp, but there are no more spaces in the matching color left on the path, move the figure to the goal tile and place it in either a witch's or a student's space.
The purple will-o'-the-wisp hits a student. Since there aren't any purple spaces left in their path, move the student along the path to the goal tile.
Winning and Losing
As soon as the fourth student moves on the goal tile, you all win the game and save Master Balduin and his wand. However, if the third witch makes it there first, you all lose.
Practice Makes Perfect!
If you've played several games, but still haven't managed to save Master Balduin, try setting an easier goal. Maybe you could try getting two or three students on the goal tile to win the game for now.
Much Too Easy!
If you're looking for more of a challenge, try to get as many students and as few witches as possible on the goal tile. Simply flip the goal tile to the other side for this type of game.
Depending on your level of success, you can win the following titles:
- Level 1 – Beginner — 4 students, 2 witches
- Level 2 – Student — 5 students, 2 witches
- Level 3 – Graduate — 6 students, 2 witches
- Level 4 – Master — 6 students, 1 witch
- Level 5 – Grand Master — 6 students, 0 witches
Variant: Team Witch vs. Team Student
Play as two teams: one team tries to take the witches to the finish line first, the other team takes the students. Divide your group into two teams and choose who will play the witches and who will be students. Place the figures on the board as shown below: first a student, then a witch, another student, and so on. Put the two remaining students back in the box, you won't need them for this variant.
Team Witch has a small head start of one space, so Team Student goes first. Play and move the figures as explained above by pulling will-o'-the-wisps out of the bag and letting them roll down the mountain from one of the six openings.
If your will-o'-the-wisp doesn't hit any figures on its way down, you must move one of the opposing team's figures one space along the path towards the goal.
The team that moves three of their four figures on the goal tile first wins the game.