Mage Knight Board Game

[size=12][COLOR=#009900][b]MIKE'S[/b][/COLOR][/size]

-----all cards are sleeved----- BASE GAME:
Broken Token Insert
EXPANSION: Krang Character Expansion, The Lose Legion Expansion, Shades of Tezla Expansion

There are few games that I think about during the day and truly feel excited to play when I get home. This is one of those games! Yes, it is rules heavy. But my 14 year old and I really had no trouble figuring out how to play. Yes, it is long. But the more you play, the faster the games go. I highly recommend this game if you have learned other complex games like Twilight Imperium or Sid Meir's Civilization. If you can handle those games then you can handle this one.

06-16-14: This was my favorite game for the longest time, but as I've refined my tastes I've had to bump this down from a '10'.

This is a very well designed game, and it is one of several Vlaada Chvatil games in our collection. But at its core it is only a puzzle solving solitaire game with multiple players. I doubt I will ever play it again with more than 3 players.

02-07-15: I think I would rate this as a 9.5/10 as a solo game, 8.5/8 as a 2-3 player game, and a 3 (!) with 4 players (official BGG rating meaning I would never ever play it with 4 again).

09-17-23: I find it difficult to fairly and accurately rate this game. There are parts I really enjoy, but after 10 years of playing it and several dozen play logs, I can't say how much I really enjoy playing this one. It is my wife's absolute favorite game, and I will play it with her any time she asks, but I think I'm at a point I will only ever play it with her, when she asks. Play times last 6-10 hours with three or four players, and I feel like I have maybe a handful of meaningful turns during this stretch, even when we play through it quickly and smoothly (which mostly, after so many plays, we do!).

Not quite my favourite game, but if I could only have 1 game for the rest of my life, it would probably be this.

Only done a solo runthrough of the intro scenario so far. I'm the king of premature ratings but even I need more time to evaluate.

The main rulebook is a great reference AFTER you've finished the runthrough, probably looks like a hot mess beforehand. Another superb rules job from Vlaada.

There's a lot to take in and I think I'd want at least a couple more sessions before attempting to teach it. But it's very attractive and satisfying to puzzle out. There's a tangible sense of freedom and adventure.

As per FCM and TTA, I fully expect this rating to go up with more plays.

edit: nope. while it certainly works and it's a well put-together beast of a game, its too long and too much effort for the payoff IMO.

There is lots to like except the way the game expands after an hour or so where downtime becomes an issue. If you have lots of time and don't mind the downtime this can be a great game.

One of the best games I ever played. Tons of rules can not stop the fun I had. So, you are a expert player and like fantasy - play it now! With Legion addon: 10 Without addon: 9

This game might look ugly (at least part of it), but it's wonderfully deep and engaging. The epic scale, strategic planning aspect and balanced character development keeps it engaging despite rather long sessions. Highly recommended to any hardcore gamer.

The rulebook and intro scenario book are fine, in my opinion, and I have found that I actually have to consult BBG less than with many other games. On the whole the game is a tight, complex challenge where you have to always keep your eyes on your goal to get there in the end.

Rating is based on few plays and might change, and has dropped from a 9 to an 8 since setup and refreshing the rules is so daunting that it keeps this game on the shelf.

liked the old mage knight game