Magistrar: Duel of the Mages Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal of the Game
• Components
• Game Setup
• Gameplay
  • Preparation
  • Fight
  • Scoring: Energy
  • Scoring: Duel
  • Conclusion
• Duel Number 5
• End of the Game
• Game Variants
  • Variant 1: Mage Cards
  • Variant 2: Duel Cards
  • Variant 3: Grand Mage

Goal of the Game

In this magical competition, you want to earn the title of the most respected mage. To do this, you must earn the highest number of victory points – we call them Honoris points.

You receive Honoris when you win individual duels by tactically deploying your spell pawns and collecting as many energies of one type as possible. If you are the master of the light or the dark energy, you are sure to enthuse the masses.

Components

• 1 game board
• 5 duel markers (Honoris reverse side)
• 1 starting player's button

Mage 1 (white):

• 30 energy tokens (white reverse side): 14 light energy, 14 dark energy, 2 super energy
• 28 white spell pawns: 5 strong, 13 medium, 10 weak
• 1 scoring pawn
• 1 bag

Mage 2 (black):

• 30 energy tokens (black reverse side): 14 light energy, 14 dark energy, 2 super energy
• 28 black spell pawns: 5 strong, 13 medium, 10 weak
• 1 scoring pawn
• 1 bag

For the game variants (page 5 ff):

• 6 special spells
• 4 golden super energy
• 4 mage cards (bilingual)
• 15 duel cards (bilingual)
• 2 × 2 replacement tokens (2 white, 2 black)

Game Setup

Each player chooses a color, white or black, and takes the game material for mage 1 or mage 2 shown on the left on page 1.

Shuffle your 30 energy tokens in the bag. Place the scoring pawn on position "0" of the energy track on the game board. Lay out the five duel markers sorted from 1 to 5. After that you draw who will start the game. This player gets the starting player's button. You will need the rest of the game material for the other game variants.

The following graphic marks and names important areas on the game board. Their functions are explained in more detail in the gameplay chapter.

• Energy track
• Honoris deposit mage 1 and Honoris deposit mage 2
• Rune rock
• Energy area
• Scoring area

Gameplay

A game comprises a total of 5 duels. In each of these duels 6 encounters take place. In order to win a duel and capture the energy token on your side of the arena, you have to place spell pawns with different strengths (weak, medium, strong). The strongest one wins.

The challenge: You have only a limited number of spell pawns. Manage your forces well!

Each of the five duels consists of the following game phases:

• Preparation
• Fight
• Scoring: Energy
• Scoring: Duel
• Conclusion

Preparation

At the start of each of the five duels, the arena is prepared. You simultaneously draw six energy tokens from your bags and place them face up in your own energy area. In this way, everyone randomly distributes different energies on his side of the arena. Since randomness is especially important here, draw one token at a time and place them next to each other in the energy area. Start on the side of the energy track.

Fight

In the fight phase, you summon spells, symbolized by spell pawns (weak, medium, strong), which you place on your rune rocks. With these spell pawns you can capture energy tokens. First the starting player occupies his six rune rocks.

When all spell pawns are placed, player 2 reacts and also places six spell pawns (exception: duel number 5). From now on, the starting player may not change the strength and position of his spell pawns.

What is important during the fight:

• Each energy token is assigned to the rune rock in front of it.
• In each of the six encounters, only one player wins an energy token – the one with the strongest spell pawn.
• Player 2 may never place a spell pawn of the same strength as the starting player's spell pawn.
• You can only win the energy token on your side of the arena.

Player 2 may not be free to decide, whether to capture the energy token on his side or not.

Example 1: The starting player places a medium spell pawn on his rune rock. Player 2 is free to decide:

• If he places a strong spell pawn, he wins the encounter and captures the energy token on his side. The starting player gets nothing.
• If he places a weak spell pawn, he loses the encounter and gets nothing. The starting player captures the energy token on his side.

Example 2: The starting player places a weak or a strong spell pawn on his rune rock:

• Player 2 has no choice whether to win or lose the encounter. However, he can freely decide which of the two stronger or weaker spell pawns he wants to place.

Special case super energy: These tokens are the most powerful of all energies and do not need a spell to be summoned. Placing a spell pawn is not necessary. The opposing player loses this encounter and his energy token. Nevertheless, he must place a spell pawn on his rune rock.

The fight phase ends as soon as player 2 has placed a spell pawn in front of each of his energy tokens and declares that his turn is over.

Tip printed in the rulebook: If you place all the high spell pawns at the beginning, you will hardly be able to win any encounters in later duels. Sometimes it's good to have at least one piece of each strength left in the 4th and even in the 5th duel.

Scoring: Energy

Once both players have placed their spell pawns, each of the six encounters is scored individually. You compare the opposing spell pawns:

The stronger spell pawn in each encounter wins and receives the energy token on its side. Draw it to your side in the scoring area for clarity. The loser's token remains in the energy area.

For each conquered token, move your scoring pawn on the energy track in the corresponding direction: either in the direction of the light or the dark energy symbol. Both players can move in the same direction.

Example 1 (see graphic above): The player is standing at "0" and has captured 3 × dark energy and 1 × light energy:

• For the three dark energy tokens, the scoring pawn moves to position 3 of the dark energy track.
• For the one light energy token, the scoring pawn moves back one space towards the light energy track and ends up on position 2 of the dark energy track.

Example 2: The player is standing at "2" of the dark energy track and has captured 1 × dark energy and 4 × light energy:

• For the one dark energy token, the scoring pawn moves to position 3 of the dark energy track.
• For the four light energy tokens, the scoring pawn moves four spaces in the opposite direction and ends up on position 1 of the light energy track.

Special case super energy: Super energies which are placed opposite to a light or dark energy token are considered to be a won encounter. For each super energy you win, you may move your scoring pawn 2 spaces in any direction on the energy track.

If two super energies face each other, the encounter ends in a tie. No player may move his scoring pawn.

You can see from the number below the energy track how many Honoris points your current energy level corresponds to. You cannot reach a higher energy level than 15.

Example: Both players receive 20 Honoris points at the end of the game.

Note on the track values: the Honoris value of each energy level is printed as a bracket under the track in the rulebook graphic, not as text. Read from that graphic, the brackets are: levels 0 to 2 (on either side of the centre) = -5; levels 3 and 4 = +5; levels 5 and 6 = +10; levels 7 and 8 = +15; levels 9 and 10 = +20; levels 11 and 12 = +25; levels 13 and 14 = +30; level 15 = +35.

Scoring: Duel

Then the winner of the whole duel is determined – this is the player who has won the most encounters. He takes the duel marker and places it in his Honoris deposit.

For this he gets 5 Honoris points at the end of the game. You can also turn the marker to the back side, where you can see your points.

Special case super energy: If two super energies are opposite to each other, this encounter ends in a tie. It is not counted in the duel scoring.

If both players have won the same number of encounters in a duel, the duel is a tie. No one receives the duel marker. It is put aside.

Conclusion

In the final phase, the arena is cleared for the next duel. Take all the energy tokens and spell pawns from the game board and put them aside. They are no longer needed.

In each final phase, the starting player's button changes the sides. It now moves to player 2.

Duel Number 5

In the fifth duel, the mages gather their forces for a faster and more direct exchange of blows. Each encounter is played individually, the course of the fight phase changes:

The starting player places his first spell pawn on any one of his six rune rocks. Now player 2 reacts immediately and places his first spell pawn opposite the spell pawn of the starting player.

Player 2 then chooses one of his remaining rune rocks and places his next spell pawn.

The starting player reacts immediately. This is how you alternately play all six encounters to finish the fifth duel.

If it is no longer possible to place different spell pawns in this duel you will place identical spell pawns. In this case no player wins these encounters.

Special case super energy: If there are super energies in the fifth duel, these encounters are played at the very end of the game – your last remaining spell pawns are placed here.

End of the Game

After the fifth duel, the magic contest is over. Now you count up all the Honoris points that you have earned on the energy track and in the duels.

Check the energy track to see how many light or dark energy you have captured. Next to the track you can see the amount of Honoris you receive for it (from -5 to +35). For each duel you have won, you will receive 5 Honoris points.

You determine the winner by adding both values. In case of a tie, the winner is the player who has won the most duels. If there is also a tie, then you are truly equal.

Game Variants

We recommend playing "Magistrar – Duel of the Mages" for one or two rounds without the following expansions, in order to learn to better understand the gameplay of the duels and the scoring system. The game variants suggested here can be combined with each other.

Variant 1: Mage Cards

Select one of the four mages and use their individual special spell during the game.

The number of special spells is limited for some mages: If there is a circular space on your mage's card, place a special spell token on it with the coloured side up. If all of the tokens have been used or turned face down, the special spell can no longer be used.

The rules of the base game still apply. No spell pawns of identical strength are allowed to face each other.

Spell pawns of the highest strength can also be upgraded by 1 with your special spell – however, the super energy is still stronger. Should you only be able to place identical spell pawns, you are not forced to upgrade them with your skill.

Also note the following information about the individual mages:

• Aurora (card: Magical Maelstrom, 2× during the game): You may swap energies that are opposite each other with your opponent, except for super energies. Take your opponent's energy and give him yours before he places his first spell pawn. Each time you use your special spell, turn one of your special spell tokens face down. Don't forget: At the end of the game you have to swap the swapped energy tokens back again.
• Wotan (card: Wahnsinniges Wachstum, 2× during the game; the English card title is not legible in the source): You may make any one of your own spell pawns +1 stronger before placing it. The opponent's spell pawn must not be of equal strength. Each time you use your special spell, you place one of your tokens on the spell pawn you want to strengthen.
• Silas (card: Mighty Transformation, 1× during the game): You may transform all the energy tokens you have won in a duel. After the combat phase, you decide whether these tokens are all dark or all light. When you use your special spell, turn your special spell token face down.
• Bahar (card: Mystic Balance): If the duel ends in a tie, you may move your scoring pawn on the energy track for two spaces in any direction. You do not need any special spell token.

Note: the Wotan card's English title is not legible in the source scan; its effect is given here from the card's German text, Wahnsinniges Wachstum ("2× im Spiel darfst du eine beliebige eigene Figur um +1 stärker machen, bevor du sie setzt. Die Figur des Gegners darf nicht gleich stark sein."), which matches the English rules text above.

Variant 2: Duel Cards

The duel cards each influence one duel. They are used in duels 1 to 4 of a game. Duel 5 is still played without a duel card.

Preparation: Shuffle the deck, randomly draw four cards, and place them face down next to the game board. Put the remaining duel cards aside – you will not need them in this game. Also get two special spell tokens ready. You will eventually need them.

Gameplay: Before the first duel begins, turn over the first duel card and read the contents aloud. The card is valid from now until the end of the first duel. At the beginning of the second duel, turn over the next duel card. It is also valid only for this duel. Continue like this until the last, fifth duel. In this duel there is no duel card.

If the duel card requires a decision from both players, the starting player decides first. The rules of the base game still apply. No spell pawns of identical strength are allowed to face each other.

Due to the duel cards, it may happen that some spell pawns remain after the fifth duel.

The rulebook prints the wording of three of the fifteen duel cards, shown in the component illustration on page 1:

• Class Difference: The winner of the duel receives an additional 5 Honoris points. He places this card in front of him.
• Energy Explosion: Right at the end of the preparation you may convert one of your own light or dark energy tokens into super energy. Turn the token face down to mark it.
• Dark Times: If you win encounters and capture dark energy tokens, those encounters count double in the scoring: duel.

Note: the rulebook does not restate the wording of the other twelve duel cards; their text is printed on the cards themselves. In the source text layer the energy-colour icons on these three cards are not extractable; "light or dark" and "dark energy" are rendered as words from the card art and the German card text ("Energie-Explosion", "Dunkle Zeiten").

Variant 3: Grand Mage

First get the four golden super energies ready. You play a so-called "Best of Five": Whoever is the first of you to win three games against his opponent, may call himself "Grand Mage".

The special feature: The loser of the first game may mix an additional golden super energy into his bag before the second game. In all other games the loser also always gets an additional golden super energy into his bag.

In the fight phase, it functions in the same way as your own super energies. In the scoring phase, however, it is stronger:

• In the scoring: energy, you may move your scoring pawn on the energy track by 3 spaces instead of 2 in any direction. If two golden super energies are placed opposite each other, this match is a tie. No one may move his scoring pawn.
• If the golden super energy is placed opposite a "normal" super energy in the scoring: duel, the golden super energy wins the encounter. If two golden super energies are placed opposite each other, this encounter ends in a tie. It is not counted in the duel scoring.
• The golden super energy gives a bonus of +1 in the scoring: duel when it comes to determining the winner based on the encounters won. A won encounter with golden super energy thus counts twice.

Did you win the Best of Five? Then try to turn the other mages into Grand Mages as well.