Stats:
No. of players: 1
Amount of time to play: 30-45 min
Age requirements: 10+
Set-up time: 5 minutes

Legions of Darkness: The Book of Magic Rules Description:

The Book of Magic is an expansion for Legions of Darkness. This solitaire, fantasy-themed game is part of the States of Siege series. You must manage your resources and defend your castle from the oncoming monster hoards.

This review assumes you know the basics of how to play Legions of Darkness. If not read a basic description and review here.

The Book of Magic adds some fun new elements to your Legions of Darkness game. There are Guardians, Boss Monsters, and new divine and arcane spells.

Guardians are a special class of hero. You chose a Guardian to place in your reserves and it is added to the map when a certain Event Card is drawn. There are three different Guardians to choose from the Prince, the Archmage and the King. Each has a unique power to help you fight of the forces of evil.

Those forces of evil now include Boss Monsters. One is an orc and the other is undead. Bosses are placed on the Gate track and may only be attacked by heroes. You can use a heroic action to form a party to defeat the Boss Monster. Killing the bosses is harder than normal monsters and they become enraged after being hit. Enraged bosses auto-wound heroes. The undead boss can turn armies into undead armies and drain your magic energy.

There are summoning spells which allow you to place a golem or fireling on the board. These creatures will help defend your castle. You may also cast searing light, alacrity or a geas (which will help your quests).

A Quick Review The Book of Magic:

The Book of Magic adds some fun new elements to Legions of Darkness. Nothing added is ground-breaking, but all of it continues the tense defense experience of the base game.

I love the King Guardian and homage it pays to Army of Darkness. He even has a special power “This is My Boomstick”. That is just too awesome.

The new spells are nice and fit the theme perfectly, while the bosses are just plain tough. All these elements plus new Event Cards increase the tension and replayability of Legions of Darknesss. If you own it, the Book of Magic expansion will only add to the fun you are having.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 5 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 1 out of 6
Replay Value 4 out of 6
Complexity 4 out of 6
Fun 5 out of 6
Overall 5 out of 6