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Mage Wars Arena

Mage Wars Arena 2012

7.6 /10
BGG rating
#515
BGG rank
3.7
Weight
2
Players
2
Best at
90
Minutes
13
Age

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Expansions & Promos

68 on record
Mage Wars Academy: Monk Expansion 2019 Mage Wars Academy: Necromancer Expansion 2019 Mage Wars Academy: Druid Expansion 2018 Mage Wars Academy: Elementalist Expansion 2018 Mage Wars Academy: Forcemaster Expansion 2017 Mage Wars Academy: Warlord Expansion 2017 Mage Wars Academy/Mage Wars: Arena Dice Tower Promo 2016 2016 promo Mage Wars Academy: Priestess Expansion 2016 Mage Wars Academy: Warlock Expansion 2016 Mage Wars Arena: Lost Grimoire Volume 1 2016 Mage Wars Arena: Paladin vs Siren Expansion Set 2016 Mage Wars: Ankh of Asyra Promo Card 2015 Mage Wars Arena: Battlegrounds Domination 2015 Mage Wars: Blur Promo Card 2015 Mage Wars: Dice Tower 2015 Funding Campaign Promo Card Set 2015 promo Mage Wars: Akiro's Favor Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars Arena: Promo Pack 01 2014 Mage Wars: Asto Vidatu, Angel Slayer Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Bloodwave Greatbow Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Dice Tower 2014 funding campaign promo card set 2014 promo Mage Wars: Dice Tower 2014 Non-Kickstarter promo card set 2014 promo Mage Wars: Dragonclaw Wolverine Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Eeker Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Fire Elemental Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Forged in Fire – Spell Tome Expansion 2014 Mage Wars: Hurl Meteorite Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Joseph Trublood, High Cleric Promo Card 2014 promo Mage Wars: Kumanjaran Leopard Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Leviathan Scale Armor Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Mana Vampirism Promo Card 2014 promo Mage Wars: Pharaoh's Cheetah Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Raincloud Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Screaming Zombie Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Spiked Armor Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Staff of Storms Promo Card 2014 promo Mage Wars: Sunfire Burst Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Victorian Griffin Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Vorpal Blade Promo Card 2014 Mage Wars: Wall of Force Promo Card 2014 promo Mage Wars: Altar of Peace Promo Card 2013 promo Mage Wars: Altar of the Iron Guard Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars Arena: Forcemaster vs Warlord Expansion Set 2013 Mage Wars: Asyran Defender Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Clear Mind Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Conquest of Kumanjaro – Spell Tome Expansion 2013 Mage Wars: Debilitate Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Dice Tower 2013 funding campaign promo card set 2013 promo Mage Wars: Dispel Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Druid vs. Necromancer 2013 Mage Wars: Holy Strike Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Meditation Amulet Promo Card 2013 promo Mage Wars: Minor Heal Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Mordok's Tome Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Oscuda Promo Card 2013 promo Mage Wars: Plagued Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Ring of Healing Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Selesius, the East Wind Promo Card 2013 promo Mage Wars: Sersiryx, Imp Familiar Promo Card 2013 promo Mage Wars: Storm Drake Hide Promo Card 2013 promo Mage Wars: Stumble Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Wand of Healing Promo Card 2013 Mage Wars: Elfric's Life Ring Promo Card 2012 promo Mage Wars: Galador, Protector of Straywood Promo Card 2012 Mage Wars: Gravikor Promo Card 2012 Mage Wars: Hurl Rock Promo Card 2012 promo Mage Wars: Sandstorm Promo Card 2012 promo Mage Wars: Spiked Buckler Promo Card 2012 promo Mage Wars: Summoning Circle Promo Card 2012 promo

About the Game

What would it be like for Mages of vastly different schools and philosophies of magic to come together in an arena and fight to the death? How would an Illusionist battle a Druid? Or a Warlock fight a Beastmaster? Or a Priestess fare against a Wizard?

Mage Wars — redubbed Mage Wars Arena in 2015 to distinguish it from Mage Wars Academy — pits powerful Mages against each other in deadly arena combat. Each Mage uses his own fully-customizable book of spells to achieve total victory over his opponent. Summon mighty creatures to do battle in your name; cast powerful spells to attack your foe and thwart his every plan and strategy; use hidden enchantments to turn the tables and rule the day; adorn yourself with mighty weapons, armor, and arcane artifacts – all of this and more await you in the arena of Mage Wars!

Mage Wars is a tactical board game, a combination of a card game and miniatures game, combining the best elements from each genre. The game is played on an arena game board divided into square areas called "zones", which regulate movement and the placement of objects. Each Mage (player) starts in a corner of the arena, opposite his enemy.

Each player holds a spellbook, from which spell cards are pulled out as they are cast during the game. This has the feel of being a real Mage, turning the pages of your tome of magic, as you plan your strategy each turn. A point system allows you to choose spells for your spellbook, with more powerful spells and spells outside your schools of training costing more points. You have full access to cast any spell you want each turn, allowing for an unprecedented level of rich strategy and tactics. Many of these spells – such as creatures, equipment, and enchantments – are placed on the board and become objects in the game. Creatures can move around the arena, and attack each other and the enemy Mage. Attacks deal damage, as well as interesting special effects such as Burn, Corrode, Stun, Daze, Push, Cripple, Paralyze, etc. Creatures can be destroyed when they receive too much damage, or can be controlled by powerful curses and enchantments, or contained by walls and other creatures.

Every Mage comes from a different school of magic, each with unique spells and strategies:

The Beastmaster will try to rush and swarm the enemy with his hordes of animals, buffed by his nature enchantments. The Warlock will go right for the throat, armed with his powerful Lash of Hellfire, Helm of Fear, and Demonhide Armor. Along the way to the enemy Mage, he'll use his curses and fire attacks to contain and destroy enemy creatures. The Wizard is a trickster, a master of meta-magic: countering, stealing, redirecting, and destroying enemy spells and mana. He's also a master of teleportation and portals/gates. The Priestess will defend with knights and angels and powerful healing and protection spells. She'll wear down the enemy, then overwhelm them in the end.

The base game comes with all you need to get started: spellbooks, extra spells to customize with the spellbooks, arena game board, dice, markers, etc.

New Mages will be released every few months to add new spells, powers, and variety to the game. The game is NOT collectible, but is fully customizable!

Extra copies of spells available with:

Mage Wars: Core Spell Tome 1 Mage Wars: Core Spell Tome 2

Filed Under

Categories
Mechanics
Family
Also known as
Mage Wars · Mage Wars: Das Duell der Magier · Войны Магов · 法师战争
BGG ratings
8,044 · geek rating 6.99
BGG data
refreshed Sep 7, 2026

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