The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Magi-Nation CCG

Introduction ------------

I have been a Magic:TG player for quite a few years now. For a while there, I had the dreaded card fever. I'd spend every last cent on booster packs and singles and I'd crave tournaments and game play, even if it meant missing out on some other things in life. They were poor days, but I've never had the courage to sell my Magic cards. Despite the circular and vicious card economy of the CCG genre, I've always believed that Magic kept me sane during the dark times. Of course, if I hadn't spent every last cent on cards, maybe life might not have been so gloomy at the time! That was several years ago now and today I'm a reformed Magic junkie. I hardly play anymore and I actually threw away (yes, in the trash!) hundreds of cards. But lately I've been searching for something else, a Magic alternative that would be kinder to my wallet. After seeing the Magi-Nation Duel (MND for short) starters in my local gaming store cheap, I decided to give it a go. As you read this review though, please bear in mind that I have only playtested it a few times. I wanted to write this review from the point of view of a beginner to the game, not a tired veteran.

Look and Feel -------------

These cards are gorgeous! I am so used to the serious art on Magic cards that, at first, the cartoony anime style of MND threw me a bit. I'm not usually a fan of anime styled art, but it really suits this game. The format is bold, fun and the printing is solid colour. Even the card backs look sweet! The artwork really leaps out at the eyes and conveys a sense of the fantasy of this world and the 'Moonlands' in which the game is set. There are several different types of card in the game and for each, the designers have used a different border. For example, the picture of every spell type card is surrounded by a swirly border. This makes the card types very easy to distinguish. Energy costs are in the upper left, card names are clear and rarity is indicated in the lower right hand corner of every card with dots; one dot being rare, two being uncommon and three being common. Then of course, there is card text. Sometimes, costs associated with Powers are a little tough to read and there are some simple spelling errors, but apart from these nitpicks, the cards are very easy to understand. The only other gripe I have is that, at times, the flavour quotes are just plain silly. Still, the game does not take itself too seriously and for a jaded Magic player this is a refreshing change.

How the game plays ------------------

The game mechanics are very simple to learn. The rulebook is short, clear and well explained. I digested it in half an hour and my first game was very smooth indeed. It is obvious that the designers have been very careful to take note of some of the bugbears of other card games and tried to minimise them or stamp them out altogether. The key way in which they do this is to disallow players to do something on an opponents turn. For Magic players, this seems heretical no doubt. I'm so used to being able to cast instants and throw Lightning Bolts at my opponents critters during his/her turn that this concept in MND seems a bit dubious. However, it does remove altogether the timing argument; a diatribe that would literally take up fifty percent of some Magic games. I do applaud this, even though it does limit some of the possibilities. Unlike Magic and many other games, MND does not use lands, sites or extra cards as mana or energy generating locations. Every MND decks revolves around 3 Magi cards. These Magi generate Energy tokens that can be used to pay for other cards. Each Magi is replenished at the beginning of each turn and so there is an economy set up that needs to be watched and nurtured carefully. Your opponent is going to be trying to kill off your Magi and your critters form the defense, so the game is very centered on creature combat. You win the game if you manage to take out, one at a time, each of your opponents 3 Magi. Every Magi card begins the game with a certain amount of energy and so you do begin with a fair degree of power. Get used to the game swinging back and forth. It's not an incremental power buildup like Magic. The cards, in general, are quite powerful and none of my critters ever seemed to stay around more than a few turns. I did find this frustrating and our game stalled. I found that we were matching, creature for creature, and both of us had trouble penetrating the creature defense so we could take a swipe at the Magi card. I have done some research online though and I do get the distinct impression that there are some pretty killer decks out there. I also get the impression that some of these decks replay some of the worst excesses of early Magic:TG development with some broken card engines. Not that this is a bad thing of course, depending on your point of view. I never liked the tendency in Magic to restrict this kind of power and so I find this possibility quite exciting in MND. The key to this game seems to revolve around energy transfer. As you pay the energy for a critter and slap it on the table, the energy you use becomes its life force and you plonk tokens on the card to represent this number. When critters enter combat their energy totals are compared and, as in Shadowfist, damage happens simultaneously and tokens are removed. They are not replenished unless you can syphon energy from your Magi somehow or one of your other creatures. Thankfully, there are numerous ways to do this and as long as you can balance this economy, your beasts stay healthier and have a better chance of sticking around to do damage and take out other beasts. Most cards have powers and effects. Powers are abilities you need to pay for and Effects are triggered automatically by certain conditions. For example, one of my mean green creatures, Weebo, costs 2 energy and has the Power of Vitalize which costs 2 energy. This ability allows Weebo to restore another creature to its starting energy or life force total. So, if I wanted to use it I would need to remove 2 energy tokens from Weebo, which in this case would kill him if he only had 2 life. Thankfully, critters can pump beyond their beginning energy totals, if you can find out ways to do this. Each turn is divided into very clear phases. The first thing you do is Energize your Magi card in play. Then you can play Powers, Relics and Spells. Each power can only be used once per turn, so you cannot simply pump powers and abilities. I can only imagine the brutality of this game if you could! After this you get to Attack, once with each of your beasts, but no limit to the total number of attacks you can make. Afterwards you then have a chance to play more creatures and this is the biggest restriction I found. The fact that you need to wait until after combat to play more creatures influences the game play incredibly. I cannot just slap down a huge Giant Carillion and kick butt with it that turn. I have to wait until after combat to do this, which gives my opponent a chance to deal with it on his turn and whack out creatures to use in defence. I then have a chance to play more Powers, Relics and Spells and finally I draw two cards and end my turn. If you've been reading this review carefully you will have noticed that at no time have I mentioned concepts like 'Tapping' or 'Bowing'. This is because MND completely dispenses with the mechanic. There aint no card tapping here and I do find that a nice change.

The Moonlands -------------

The game is set in a place called 'Moonlands'. It's a fantasy world filled with dream creatures and battling Magi and seems a very colourful place indeed. When I first bought my starter decks I was only aware of five different factions/groups/clans/realms. But as I did some digging online I discovered that there are actually twelve! You can mix and match from realms like Core, Naroom, Arderial, Paradwyn, Weave, Bograth, Nar, Cald, Underneath, Orothe, D'resh and Kybar's Teeth ! All of them drip with flavour and atmosphere and I'm looking forward to exploring the other realms. No doubt, they all have their own specific themes and game concepts. Interactive Imagination, the company behind MND, have announced a cartoon and are looking to develop this into a recognised brand in the gaming world. It does worry me that we might be beset by Weebo lunchboxes, beanies and breakfast flakes! It smacks a little of Pokemon, but I get the impression that MND is a better game and owes more to the likes of Magic:TG.

Conclusion ----------

I like this game. It does not have the deep strategy that a game like Magic does, but in its favour, it begins with a simple ruleset and I imagine that games can easily be customised to develop more complexity. For example, it would not be a difficult task to add the Play Creatures step before the Attack step or to allow Powers to be used on an opponents turn. The rulebook is actually a pleasure to read. It does not take itself too seriously and even though I can't imagine playing it as much as I did Magic, the one game I had ran smoothly and I can now sit down with anyone and teach it. This is a definite strength if you're looking for something colourful and simple. Despite the emphasis on creatures there is more strategy to the game than beast bashing and I have read about discard decks and energy advantage decks. As a former Magic player, I find that building decks for MND requires a different mindset which is a challenge in itself. There is a synergy between the 3 Magi you choose and the other cards in your deck which amounts to some interesting meta gaming. I advise jaded Magic players to take a look at Magi-Nation. Don't expect complexity, just see it for what it is: A colourful, fun game with tight rules and well defined limits. Finally, I can't finish this review without saying how lame a name I think 'Magi-Nation Duel' is. It doesn't impinge on my enjoyment of the game and I know it's a play on the word 'Imagination', but still, I do think it's a pretty dumb name. I don't know if you can buy it in American stores, but there is a brand of recipe mix over here called 'Maggi'. Every time I say 'Magi-Nation', I cringe and think of gravy mix ! This, of course, is added to the fact that they do not use the singular 'Mage' in the game at all.

Magi-Nation Duel CCG
Magi-Nation Duel CCG Playtest Review by Steve J on 20/08/02 Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 3 (Average) Magi-Nation is a fun and colourful card game with tight rules and well defined limits. The cards are great to look at and play is easy and smooth. Product: Magi-Nation Duel CCG Author: Interactive Imagination Category: Card Game Company/Publisher: Interactive Imagination Line: Cost: Page count: n/a Year published: 2000 - ISBN: SKU: Comp copy?: no Playtest Review by Steve J on 20/08/02 Genre tags: Fantasy	Magi-Nation CCG Introduction ------------ I have been a Magic:TG player for quite a few years now. For a while there, I had the dreaded card fever. I'd spend every last cent on booster packs and singles and I'd crave tournaments and game play, even if it meant missing out on some other things in life. They were poor days, but I've never had the courage to sell my Magic cards. Despite the circular and vicious card economy of the CCG genre, I've always believed that Magic kept me sane during the dark times. Of course, if I hadn't spent every last cent on cards, maybe life might not have been so gloomy at the time! That was several years ago now and today I'm a reformed Magic junkie. I hardly play anymore and I actually threw away (yes, in the trash!) hundreds of cards. But lately I've been searching for something else, a Magic alternative that would be kinder to my wallet. After seeing the Magi-Nation Duel (MND for short) starters in my local gaming store cheap, I decided to give it a go. As you read this review though, please bear in mind that I have only playtested it a few times. I wanted to write this review from the point of view of a beginner to the game, not a tired veteran. Look and Feel ------------- These cards are gorgeous! I am so used to the serious art on Magic cards that, at first, the cartoony anime style of MND threw me a bit. I'm not usually a fan of anime styled art, but it really suits this game. The format is bold, fun and the printing is solid colour. Even the card backs look sweet! The artwork really leaps out at the eyes and conveys a sense of the fantasy of this world and the 'Moonlands' in which the game is set. There are several different types of card in the game and for each, the designers have used a different border. For example, the picture of every spell type card is surrounded by a swirly border. This makes the card types very easy to distinguish. Energy costs are in the upper left, card names are clear and rarity is indicated in the lower right hand corner of every card with dots; one dot being rare, two being uncommon and three being common. Then of course, there is card text. Sometimes, costs associated with Powers are a little tough to read and there are some simple spelling errors, but apart from these nitpicks, the cards are very easy to understand. The only other gripe I have is that, at times, the flavour quotes are just plain silly. Still, the game does not take itself too seriously and for a jaded Magic player this is a refreshing change. How the game plays ------------------ The game mechanics are very simple to learn. The rulebook is short, clear and well explained. I digested it in half an hour and my first game was very smooth indeed. It is obvious that the designers have been very careful to take note of some of the bugbears of other card games and tried to minimise them or stamp them out altogether. The key way in which they do this is to disallow players to do something on an opponents turn. For Magic players, this seems heretical no doubt. I'm so used to being able to cast instants and throw Lightning Bolts at my opponents critters during his/her turn that this concept in MND seems a bit dubious. However, it does remove altogether the timing argument; a diatribe that would literally take up fifty percent of some Magic games. I do applaud this, even though it does limit some of the possibilities. Unlike Magic and many other games, MND does not use lands, sites or extra cards as mana or energy generating locations. Every MND decks revolves around 3 Magi cards. These Magi generate Energy tokens that can be used to pay for other cards. Each Magi is replenished at the beginning of each turn and so there is an economy set up that needs to be watched and nurtured carefully. Your opponent is going to be trying to kill off your Magi and your critters form the defense, so the game is very centered on creature combat. You win the game if you manage to take out, one at a time, each of your opponents 3 Magi. Every Magi card begins the game with a certain amount of energy and so you do begin with a fair degree of power. Get used to the game swinging back and forth. It's not an incremental power buildup like Magic. The cards, in general, are quite powerful and none of my critters ever seemed to stay around more than a few turns. I did find this frustrating and our game stalled. I found that we were matching, creature for creature, and both of us had trouble penetrating the creature defense so we could take a swipe at the Magi card. I have done some research online though and I do get the distinct impression that there are some pretty killer decks out there. I also get the impression that some of these decks replay some of the worst excesses of early Magic:TG development with some broken card engines. Not that this is a bad thing of course, depending on your point of view. I never liked the tendency in Magic to restrict this kind of power and so I find this possibility quite exciting in MND. The key to this game seems to revolve around energy transfer. As you pay the energy for a critter and slap it on the table, the energy you use becomes its life force and you plonk tokens on the card to represent this number. When critters enter combat their energy totals are compared and, as in Shadowfist, damage happens simultaneously and tokens are removed. They are not replenished unless you can syphon energy from your Magi somehow or one of your other creatures. Thankfully, there are numerous ways to do this and as long as you can balance this economy, your beasts stay healthier and have a better chance of sticking around to do damage and take out other beasts. Most cards have powers and effects. Powers are abilities you need to pay for and Effects are triggered automatically by certain conditions. For example, one of my mean green creatures, Weebo, costs 2 energy and has the Power of Vitalize which costs 2 energy. This ability allows Weebo to restore another creature to its starting energy or life force total. So, if I wanted to use it I would need to remove 2 energy tokens from Weebo, which in this case would kill him if he only had 2 life. Thankfully, critters can pump beyond their beginning energy totals, if you can find out ways to do this. Each turn is divided into very clear phases. The first thing you do is Energize your Magi card in play. Then you can play Powers, Relics and Spells. Each power can only be used once per turn, so you cannot simply pump powers and abilities. I can only imagine the brutality of this game if you could! After this you get to Attack, once with each of your beasts, but no limit to the total number of attacks you can make. Afterwards you then have a chance to play more creatures and this is the biggest restriction I found. The fact that you need to wait until after combat to play more creatures influences the game play incredibly. I cannot just slap down a huge Giant Carillion and kick butt with it that turn. I have to wait until after combat to do this, which gives my opponent a chance to deal with it on his turn and whack out creatures to use in defence. I then have a chance to play more Powers, Relics and Spells and finally I draw two cards and end my turn. If you've been reading this review carefully you will have noticed that at no time have I mentioned concepts like 'Tapping' or 'Bowing'. This is because MND completely dispenses with the mechanic. There aint no card tapping here and I do find that a nice change. The Moonlands ------------- The game is set in a place called 'Moonlands'. It's a fantasy world filled with dream creatures and battling Magi and seems a very colourful place indeed. When I first bought my starter decks I was only aware of five different factions/groups/clans/realms. But as I did some digging online I discovered that there are actually twelve! You can mix and match from realms like Core, Naroom, Arderial, Paradwyn, Weave, Bograth, Nar, Cald, Underneath, Orothe, D'resh and Kybar's Teeth ! All of them drip with flavour and atmosphere and I'm looking forward to exploring the other realms. No doubt, they all have their own specific themes and game concepts. Interactive Imagination, the company behind MND, have announced a cartoon and are looking to develop this into a recognised brand in the gaming world. It does worry me that we might be beset by Weebo lunchboxes, beanies and breakfast flakes! It smacks a little of Pokemon, but I get the impression that MND is a better game and owes more to the likes of Magic:TG. Conclusion ---------- I like this game. It does not have the deep strategy that a game like Magic does, but in its favour, it begins with a simple ruleset and I imagine that games can easily be customised to develop more complexity. For example, it would not be a difficult task to add the Play Creatures step before the Attack step or to allow Powers to be used on an opponents turn. The rulebook is actually a pleasure to read. It does not take itself too seriously and even though I can't imagine playing it as much as I did Magic, the one game I had ran smoothly and I can now sit down with anyone and teach it. This is a definite strength if you're looking for something colourful and simple. Despite the emphasis on creatures there is more strategy to the game than beast bashing and I have read about discard decks and energy advantage decks. As a former Magic player, I find that building decks for MND requires a different mindset which is a challenge in itself. There is a synergy between the 3 Magi you choose and the other cards in your deck which amounts to some interesting meta gaming. I advise jaded Magic players to take a look at Magi-Nation. Don't expect complexity, just see it for what it is: A colourful, fun game with tight rules and well defined limits. Finally, I can't finish this review without saying how lame a name I think 'Magi-Nation Duel' is. It doesn't impinge on my enjoyment of the game and I know it's a play on the word 'Imagination', but still, I do think it's a pretty dumb name. I don't know if you can buy it in American stores, but there is a brand of recipe mix over here called 'Maggi'. Every time I say 'Magi-Nation', I cringe and think of gravy mix ! This, of course, is added to the fact that they do not use the singular 'Mage' in the game at all.

Magi-Nation Duel CCG