Wild Magic
Wild Magic Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 110 Cards: 96 element cards and 14 wild magic cards
- 6 Power Tokens
- 12 Guardian Tokens (double-sided)
- 1 Game Board
The Cards
- 1-value card: Worth 1 point.
- 2-value card: Worth 2 points.
- Wild Magic card: Worth 1 point. May be used in any meld.
The numbers on the game board indicate how many 1-value and 2-value cards there are for each of the 6 elements.
The six elements are Waterform, Cultivation, Alchemy, Flamework, Lavaflow and Shadowcraft.
Elemental Pools
During the game, cards in the center of the table should be arranged into separate "pools," one for each element. Splay the cards in each pool so that the icons are visible. Whenever you discard a card, add it to the matching pool. If you discard a wild magic card, you may add it to any pool.
A discarded card is added to the matching pool.
Setup
- Place the game board near the center of the table, within reach of all players.
- Place the 6 power tokens on the matching elements on the game board.
- Take a 1-value card of each element from the deck and place it beneath the matching space of the game board. This begins the elemental pools.
- Shuffle the remaining cards and deal each player a hand of 4 cards. Place the deck face down, within reach of all players.
- The Guardians variant is for experienced players. If this is your first game, return the Guardian tokens to the box. (Guardians are explained on pages 12-15.)
- Choose a starting player to take the first turn of the game. Perhaps the most magical player should go first?
Gameplay
Starting with the first player, players take turns in clockwise order. On your turn you must choose to do one of the following 3 options:
- A. Draw 2 cards from the deck into your hand, then discard any 1 card from your hand to its matching pool.
- B. Draw 2 cards from the deck into your hand, then meld a set of cards.
- C. Take all the cards from one pool into your hand, then you must meld a set of cards. (You may not choose to take cards from a pool and simply discard a card.)
Gameplay examples:
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Richard draws 2 cards from the deck and discards a flamework card into its pool.
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Emily decides to take all of the flamework cards and meld a set of waterform cards.
Melding
When you meld a set of cards, you must place cards of the same element in front of you, splayed so the icons are visible. You may include any number of wild magic cards from your hand in the meld, but you must include at least one element card in the meld and at least 3 cards in total.
You may only have one meld of each element in front of you, and you may not add to melds later on. If you meld an element you have previously melded, return the previously melded cards to the box.
Each icon on your melded cards (including wild magic) is worth 1 point at the end of the game.
Power Tokens
After you meld a set, if that meld is stronger than every other meld of that element currently on the table, you may claim the matching power token. Take the power token from the game board or the player who currently holds it, and place it in front of you.
Power tokens are worth 2 points at the end of the game.
A meld's strength is its point value, determined by the total number of icons shown in the meld, including any wild magic icons and both icons on a 2-value element card. In the case of a tie for the strongest meld, you may not claim the power token.
End of the Game
Players continue taking turns until:
- A player ends their turn with 6 melds, or
- A player draws the last card of the deck.
When either of these happen, the game ends as soon as the current player finishes their turn.
Before scoring, the weakest meld of each element is discarded. All players count the number of icons in each of their melds. For each element, the player with the fewest icons must discard their meld.
For any element you have not melded, you will have 0 icons and be considered the weakest meld. If there is a tie for the weakest meld in an element, all tied players discard their melds for that element.
Once the weakest meld of each element has been discarded, score 1 point for each icon in your remaining melds and 2 points for each power token you control. The player with the highest score wins.
In the case of a tie, the tied player with the most power tokens wins. If the tie persists, the tied player with the power token closest to waterform on the game board wins. If the tie is still unbroken, a magical duel shall decide the winner.
Scoring Example
[The printed scoring example is a diagram of Joe's melds and power tokens (two +2 power tokens, five melds with icon counts 7, 6, 4, 5 and 3, one meld crossed out). The diagram itself is not reproduced; the text below describes it.]
It's the end of the game and Joe has these melds and power tokens in front of him. With only 3 strength, Joe's shadowcraft meld is the weakest on the table and is discarded. He also has no lavaform meld, which means he has the weakest meld of that element as well.
Joe scores 1 point for each icon on his remaining cards, and 2 points for each power token he controls, for a total score of 26 points!
7+6+4+5+2+2=26
Note: the source prints "lavaform" in this example and "Lavaflow" on the cover and in the element list; the source is transcribed as printed.
Guardian Tokens
Once you are familiar with the game we recommend playing with the Guardian tokens. During setup, randomly place a Guardian token above each element of the game board. Each Guardian has a light side and a dark side. You may choose which sides you prefer to play with, or you can flip the tokens to decide randomly.
Typically, the light sides reward melding and the dark sides give additional challenges.
During the game, when you meld a set, you must perform the action shown on the Guardian of that element, if it has one. Do this before you compare meld strengths to claim a power token. If a Guardian's action cannot be performed for any reason, do as much as you can.
Two of the guardians, Tessara and Vaelis, affect scoring at the end of the game. They do not have any special action when their element is melded.
Guardian actions, as printed (page 13), for Caelun, Corvalis, Elowen and Khlorian:
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Caelun
- Light: After melding this element, take another turn as normal, choosing an option on page 8.
- Dark: After melding this element, each other player adds a card from the deck to their hand.
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Corvalis
- Light: After melding this element, you may (optional) meld a different element and perform its guardian action.
- Dark: After melding this element, reveal the top 4 cards of the deck and then add them to their pools. (For each wild magic, choose any pool.)
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Elowen
- Light: After melding this element, add the top 2 cards from the deck to your hand.
- Dark: After melding this element, choose 2 cards from your hand to give to the player on your right. They add them to their hand.
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Khlorian
- Light: After melding this element, take any 2 cards from their pool(s) and then add them to your hand.
- Dark: After melding this element, choose 2 cards from your hand to discard and then add them to their pools.
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Maelin
Note: the source prints "Swap the the position" for Sylari's dark side; transcribed as printed.
Quick Rules
Setup: Place the power tokens on the game board and a 1-value card for each element beneath the board. Deal each player a hand of 4 cards.
On your turn, choose one:
- Draw 2 cards and discard 1.
- Draw 2 cards and meld.
- Take all cards from a pool and meld.
Melding: You must include at least 3 cards total. Return the previous meld for that element to the box, if you have one. (Then perform the Guardian action for that element.)
Power Tokens: If your meld is stronger than all other melds of that element, claim the matching power token.
Game Ends when:
- A player has 6 melds, or
- A player draws the last card from the deck.
Final Scoring:
- For each element, the player(s) with the weakest meld (including 0) must discard it.
- +1 point for each remaining icon.
- +2 points for each power token.
Highest score wins! Tiebreaker is most power tokens, then the power token closest to waterform.