Summoner Wars Master Set

My wife is very compeditive and we both love our tabletop games. We recently got Summoner Wars to have a game designed for 2 players as our kids aren't old enough to play yet. It was a great choice!The best way I can think to describe this is to call it a combination between Magic: The Gathering and chess. Each player controls a faction deck with different types of characters and events/spells to play. The objective is to move your characters strategically and take out the opposing summoner. Each faction is very different, and even the combinations add variety to the play.There is a bit of luck in the game, as damage is determined by dice rolls, but good strategy will win out nearly every time. My wife and I have played two games so far and both have been very close. (She probably should have won both, but a few rolls went my way instead of hers. I personally like the balance of strategy tempered with some luck. It adds a lot of variety to the game and balances out player skill levels a bit. The games are also quick, but only after you get the hang of the game a bit. The mechanics aren't hard, but, like Magic, they are very specific as are the cards. The learning curve isn't terribly steep, but it is worth mentioning.Highly recommended if you like a dueling style game or you want an upgrade to your chess table. (Or you enjoy Magic, but hate the tedium and min-maxing of building the perfect deck...)

Summoner Wars Master Set: 2 Players, Ages 9+, Average Play Time = 45 MinutesFirst, I want to give a thumbs up for how easy it is to set up and clean up the game. The makers managed to make a fairly complex game with a minimal amount of components. The box insert is designed to hold more than the six original decks, allowing owners of starter sets or expansions to organize all of their decks into one box. Excellent, excellent idea.The learning curve wasn't bad at all...watching the video that I linked above certainly helped. I believe the biggest challenge players will face is getting used to how each faction deck plays out and how best to utilize their abilities. My eleven year old son picked up on the game mechanics right away without ever having to watch the video. He spent more time reading the special abilities on the cards than asking for direction regarding the game mechanics.As varied as the decks are, they are very balanced. In the two games we played, we both found ourselves fighting until the bitter end. When things looked bleak for one of us, we always managed to get right back into the game with either an event card or by summoning more units.I personally enjoyed the strategy involved with troop placement and attacking. I was forced to constantly think ahead to see where my son might go on his next move. If I saw that he could push a ranged unit into attack range, I'd move the possible target back a space or behind a wall. Some of my event cards relied on certain board conditions to be met before they could be played, so it was a gamble to keep them in my hand until I could use them or dump them into my magic pool to help me summon more units. The dice rolling for attacks may turn off those that are pure strategists, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.My only gripe thus far is not being able to find some of the faction decks for purchase...the ones I want are sold out on their website and when you do find them, the seller wants over twenty bucks for them...a piece. I hope that Plaid Hat has the ability to restock their inventory soon...they are missing out on some potential sales.The quality is excellent and the game plays fairly quickly, which is a welcome change from the days one could spend building a deck in another game. The cards are also fairly simple to understand...another welcome change from having to decipher hundreds of different Magic: The Gathering cards. My Magic cards have been sitting on my desk for months and I still haven't been able to figure out what half of them do...the curse of getting old I suppose.Bottom line...I highly recommend this game. It's fun and easy to pick up and play. If you're looking to "duke it out" with someone else but can't commit to a game that takes hours to play, Summoner Wars would fit the bill nicely.

I purchased the Summoner Wars master set over a month ago. The wife and myself really enjoy this game. The master set comes with 6 faction decks, dice, wound markers, spacious box (perfect for storing more faction decks), and premium board.We both feel that the faction decks are balanced well, you may find from time to time that certain factions have an unfair advantage. I consider this to be luck of the cards though, as you can play again with the same two factions and the game feels balanced again. The other variable is the dice, there are many times that you plan your moves well but the dice rolls just don't work out for you. This is what adds much excitement to the game, you may think your gonna get stomped and next thing you know your opponent rolls a miss.If you are on edge for whether to purchase this game or not, I would say go for it and you won't be disappointed. I have since ordered other factions and must say playing the new factions against the master set factions work very well.

This is a great game for two players (although I think it can be expanded to more). My boyfriend and I aren't hugely into boardgames, but we enjoy playing one at the weekend so when looking for a game to get him for his birthday I wanted to get one that was aimed at two player play. This is ideal.It has a fantasy theme (which I love) and has good quality pictures. While some of the different races you can play are slightly weaker than others, if you use their strengths well it's possible to still do well with good strategical play.It's fairly quick to set up and cards are played down on a playing board. Your cards act as troops on the battle field (playing board). While your cards' movements is decided by you, fights are decided by dice roles so there is an element of luck.Cards' abilities are written on each card so you don't have to refer back to the rules too often. It can take time to become acquainted with the best tactics for the race you're playing as, but that's the same with most games. It's quite fun to switch sets after one game to see how you do playing as your opponent's previous race.While more expensive, I'd highly recommend buying this master set over individual sets because it comes with a sturdy playing board and you get a good, mixed starter selection of packs to play with. We've played numerous games with this master set and haven't yet felt the need to expand on it.In this game I love commanding the troops, the challenge of changing tactics depending on my race's strength and opponent, and the fantasy theme. My boyfriend is less of a fan, but I think that's because I win most games. He blames the dice rolls.

The epitome of easy to learn, hard to master. My friends and I needed to stop referencing the rules within five minutes of starting our first game, but despite the rules simplicity gambits and feints were launched from both sides. Heavily wounded friendly units were stabbed in the back by allies to deny the enemy resources, walls placed to funnel enemy troops into a killing zone. This is an excellent tactical board game, and the set itself is great. The board itself is good quality and nicely glossy, providing a lovely play area. The armies themselves each feel distinctive and very different to play, with their own strategies, strengths and weaknesses. Each time I play a new race its almost like a new game. Wound counters and dice are of equally good quality. Well worth the price, and I will most assuredly picking up more armies and reinforcement packs.My only complaint is to the delivery service, as it took far longer than the estimated date, which was the 18th of June. The game did not arrive until the 24th. Saying that, Amazons customer support was excellent, assuring me of immediate replacement or reimbursement should it not arrive by said date.

Great game, would recommend to any gamer, new and experienced. Very easy to learn and goes as deep as your want it to go, strategy wise.

A really great game, simple to pick up and learn, with some fun and interesting strategic decisions every match! If you want a two player competitive board game that's a bit easier than something like Mage Wars this is perfect, and a good addition to any collection.

Truly excellent game. A good introduction to gaming and card-based duelling. I tough myself and my 9 year old to play it within ten minutes and we've had hours of fun ever since!