Stats:
No. of players: 2
Amount of time to play: 60-120 min
Age requirements: 14+
Set-up time: 5 minutes (if your spellbook is already assembled)

Forged in Fire introduces two new wizards into Mage Wars, Adramelech’s Warlock and the Warlord of the Anvil Throne. These are not totally new mage types but they are still unique.

Forged in Fire Expansion Description:

If you have never played Mage Wars, read my overview and review of it here. In this post I will just be talking about the new elements introduced in the Forged in Fire expansion.

First I wanted to mention that neither of the mage types in this expansion is new. There is a warlock in the base Mage Wars game and the warlord was introduced in the Forcemaster vs Warlord expansion. That is not to say these new mages do not introduce new spells, abilities and play styles. In total there are 158 new spell cards in the set.

Adramelech’s Warlock is trained in the Dark and Fire schools. Holy spells cost her three times their cost. She loves fire and burn tokens. She has Fireweaving which lets her move burn tokens up to two zones. Her Smoldering Curses give her enemies Flame +1 if they have any revealed curses attached to them. Many of the creatures included in her recommended spell list are demons. Not only do they play well off her burn abilities, she helps them heal one point of damage if they damage an enemy creature with a burn condition. Her basic attack is rather weak but again can add a burn condition. Sardonyx is an undead dragon she can summon for 24 mana. He has 31 life, two different 5 die attacks and a one zone ranged attack. He also costs the warlock 2 life each round and gives enemy creatures in his zone Finite Life.

The Warlord of the Anvil Throne is trained in the War and Earth schools and Arcane spells cost him triple. He has the Runesmithing special ability. It lets him add runes to his equipment. This makes it harder for them to be destroyed and bolsters the warlord. His Battle Orders include Hold the Line!, Quick March! and Take Aim! These orders help his soldiers defend, move and hit at range. He enters the arena Battle Hardened which grants him Tough -2. He also has the ability to cast the altar of domination. And though it requires you to control at least three outposts, it is worth it. After four rounds of controlling three or more outposts you can summon Talos for free. This level 7 creature has 16 life, 5 armor and packs a six die attack with Reach and Piercing +2.

Quick Review of the Forged in Fire Expansion:

Forged in Fire is another fun expansion for Mage Wars. This game continues to grow and so do the options for your spellbooks. There are many new and interesting cards introduced in this expansion.

The components for this game are great. Everything looks great and is well made. The box is definitely an upgrade over a few of the prior expansions. It looks like a book and has a magnetic flap that keeps it closed.

The two new mages add some variety for their mage types. The new warlock adds burn conditions to her enemies and this lets her demon creatures heal and often attack for extra damage. She has lots of tricks up her sleeve to add burn conditions and maximize their damage. The new warlord can runesmith and really add some extra power to his equipment. He also has plenty of spells to help him efficiently command his soldiers.

If you like Mage Wars and want to try some new mages, Forged in Fire should be on your buy list. The cards in this set not only help these specific mages, but other types as well. If you are just getting into the game you might want to get the Forcemaster vs Warlord expansion before or with this one. I say that because the new warlord has 13 cards from that set in his recommended spell book.

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