Mage Wars Academy (2015)

About this game

Mage Wars Academy features gameplay similar to Mage Wars Arena (née Mage Wars) with two mages in head-to-head combat to see who will be victorious. Mage Wars Academy is a two-player starter set that features two mages, two spellbooks, and a new "boardless" gameplay design that's more portable and fast-playing than Mage Wars Arena. All of the spell cards included in Academy are compatible with those in Arena. Multiple core sets (or future expansions) can be added together to create a 3 or 4 player game.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 3.1/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 14 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.