It's crazy how soothing I perceive your voice to be. I'm currently going through a gnarly heroin withdrawal, and somehow I feel relaxed. Might have to come back next time I have a panic attack
It’s crazy how Mage Knight, at least to me and the way I see it, has many “layers” of secrets and strategies. What I mean is, at first, when just starting out, you play, do a few things here and there, and you’re done. Most of the time you lose when just starting out, but this is part of the fun in the game. Fun bc it’s so addictive once you get into it. This is bc you feel you’re so close to “figuring things out” and you must have more. You must have one more shot at that city, or another try as your time ran out last time, etc... So, you play more and more and are probably getting somewhat better. You’ve learned more rules at this point, and corrected the ones you’ve missed in the past. You’re starting to learn the “beat” of the game, which cards are ideal for certain situations, which units are good according to your play, etc.. You begin to exhibit more patience and think things through more. You smile as a plan you put together works out perfectly, and are frustrated when they fall apart. You’re now in what I call the “second layer” of gameplay. Meaning, this layer is different. Different in that the newness has worn off a bit, the rules are starting to come automatically to your mind, you begin to see things “ahead” of you, you’ve got a good idea, by looking at your hand, what you could and could not accomplish. So now, at this layer in your game play, you’re a lot better. But...you’re still losing more often than not. Things you are trying to shoot for or do, are simply not there, or not working at the exact time you need them. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is still a fair bit of luck and unpredictability in this game, as it should be, but you just know there has to be better ways, better methods that could boost your gameplay even further. The game itself has many tempting cards to go after, and you want them all. After many games under your belt, you begin to enter this third layer of gameplay. This is where you begin to realize that what you should do on each turn, is a direct reflection of what the “lay of the land” looks like before you, and what cards you have to deal with such and NOT what you envision your self doing. Sure, it’d be nice to wipe out that Mage tower, then head on to the Monastery, but if the lay of the land suggests better odds and that you would accomplish more in a given amount of time, then you must forfeit your own agenda, and simply play what is in front of you. So this layer is where you start figuring out that the way to beat the game, in most cases, not all, is that you have to maximize things you can do according to the lay of the land, where things are positioned, and what’s in your hand. So, rather than playing to what you want or thought the game to be, you play according to what is around you and what the maximum is you can accomplish with the hand you are dealt This changes from game to game, and makes you a better player, bc you’re adaptable. You will “squeeze “ every last thing you can accomplish given your surroundings and cards. Every single card matters, no matter what it appears as at first. There’s no telling how many times I thought “eh the round is over anyway, I’ll just end round now, even though I have one card left” and you saw later that the one card did something you could have used, etc.. You also realize that all those “good” cards you desire in your deck, come at a cost. Sure, who wouldn’t want all those fire and ice attacks in their decks, but these take up space, and in this game, one card can make all the difference. So rather than go after all the same type of cards, you realize that you’re best when you can “adapt” to many situations. Influence can be clutch at the right moment, move might just save your bacon, while that big siege attack is just what the doctor ordered. The point is to always have enough “maneuverability” in your cards so that you can use them in just about any situation. I’m no expert at this game. Not by a long shot, and there are probably many more “layers” of strategies I have yet to discover, but this is my two cents on how deep this wonderful game goes.
I know you give a lot of credit to box of delights but I always come back to this series to prepare myself after not playing this game for a long time. The way you explain things really help me remember the fine points of this game. If you still have this game I'd love for you to playthrough a new scenario!
Since watching your Mage Knight play through two days ago I have played my first three solo games-love your insights and your enthusiasm is infectious ! I am hooked !
terrific video just about just about to watch he second one. Just bought the game and love the beautifully interwoven rules. Played the walkthrough with my 10 year old daughter and she won which gives you a bit of idea of my playing level. Sat down for my first solo game got a finished the game being molested at the gates to level 8 city. Its exiciting to think I have so far to go to gain any sort of compentency. Keep up the good work :)
What a thoughtful approach! I tend to like surprise in games so the thought of pre-game prep never entered my mind, but this approach seems very wise considering that surprise can mean death in Mage Knight, where every decision looms so large. Way t' be!
Thanks for posting this! MK is one of my favorite solo games. I've won most of the games I've played but I think I have always been more "organic" in keeping track of what's still in my deck (e.g. I haven't gotten many of my attack cards yet so I know they must be coming up) rather than really analyzing the starting deck and "counting cards" - great suggestions on your part, that will help me tackle some tougher challenges (higher difficulty levels) in the future.
Hey,thanks so much for this video. I saw the box of delights video and tried my first solo play. So I played conquest (like he suggested) and I found my first city on the turn before the last, and didn't even conquer it before it was done hahahah. This video was exactly what I was looking for, so thanks for that! :)
Thank you so much for all your videos! This made me buy the game and I'm completely loving it. Looking for more solo boardgames of this kind, I'm hooked! Off to watch all your other videos, I really like your style. Also nice to see another woman in boardgaming. Finally someone I can relate to, being a solo playing woman with a family to take care of. :-)
Neat way to approach this daunting game, will definitely help the next time we tackle this. It kicks our butts but we keep coming back for more punishment. :)
I absolutely love this game, one of my favorites. I like board games but Mage Knight is the only one I know of that I can play for 7 hours straight (and have it only feel like 2).
With your help I sat down for my second solo playthrough determined to improve greatly after my first disaster (which is to be expected and was great. For if I had won straight away and with such scant knowledge the desire to 'immediately' replay would not of been so great). So I am on last turn of my second solo game and I have just finished my first turn assaulting the city. After a few miss calcultions (it's easy to forgert those nasty city bonus like +2 to attack), I discover I actually have to take 6 wounds a KO. I think this is not so bad it's the last turn I have killed three of the four enemies and all the wounds will just go to my discard pile. Then something went ping in my brain. I think this a bit 'gamey' so I reread the wounds rule to discover ofcourse that wounds are shuffled back into the deed deck. FFS! So while I did take down the last enemy this game is null and void. Still I think this a process of trial and error with a game of this complexity is necessary and for most unavoidable. Personally I really would wait until you have played a number of solo games before inviting your friends to play. This rule error of mine while annoying would of ruined a night of actual multiplayer. Also once you have the rules pretty much down as well as the ability to outline the fundamental strategies it will make the first game flow a hell of a lot faster. Here is some advice I have. 1. Study both the walkthrough rules and the rulebook and don't take rule knowledge for granted. I can see having to play many game before I can stop referring to the rules. I would sugest constant referral to the rules whenever you are dealing with a fresh game mechanics or circumstances. 2. Not only should you become familiar with your deed deck and cards but play around with maps and be sure you understand the placement rules. This game is about maximising the efficency in all quarters. Exploring the tiles in such way that you don't squander moves (you don't have time to backtrack) and maximise the chances of your cities being a close together made a huge difference from my first to second playthrough. 3. I is very important in this game to get the order you do things right for instance it can seem natural to top up your hand at start of your turn, but this actually happens at the end of your turn which helps you choose the tactic card when your turn does come around. Also when your plunder a villlage its is now clear you add two cards to your hand increasing you hand by two as this accurs after your turn but before you start your next turns actions.W I also found myself doing stuff like reducing damage with a unit and then thinking now I only have to block the remainder. Its block first then assign damage this make a BIG difference believe me. My wounds went from 4 to 6 when I noticed my mistake in my final battle. 4. Here's a list of other things I got wrong plus suble differences I have picked up from the walkthrough to rulebook. 5. Be clear about what you need and all options to forfill those needs. MK is all about making the right choices at the right time and in the right order. Squandering mana is an easy mistake but also you also need to be aware of all the ways to get mana (mines, monster dens etc) as the mana dice will inevitably kick you in the metaphorical nuts at some stage. Here are the rules I know got wrong so far or noticed didn't exist in both the rulebook and the walkthrough. I believe you need to study the rulebook (not just read the bits not included in the walkthrough as I did) as it breakdown the logic sequence you need to go through to correctly process every aspect of the game a) Gold and Black mana can never be crystallised into your inventory (oops) b) when choosing a skill upgrade from the common pool you have to take the advanced skill from the bottom of the skill offering. If you choose one of the skillls you drew then you can choose an advanced skill from any of the three cards. c) the rule that you must guareentee there is a village in your first unit offereing is only for the walkthrough. d) When you assault a keep owned by another player who is not the their you fight a grey garrison and get half the fame rounded up. The rounded up bit is not mention in the rulebook. I am sure there many other things I have yet to discover and I am still far from confident I have the rules down yet. If I have made a mistake above please ket me know. The biggest unknown for me ATM are relative worth of skills, advanced skills, spells and artifacts. I have only played solo with Arythea. My personel approach thus far is to not to worry to much about winning and enjoy the process of discovering how all the systems work. I enjoy not knowing what all the spells or skills are ATM. Though it would be handy if there was a sheet that critiqued them all so I could refer to it when I had choices infront of me to make (I will look for this information). The solo experience is fabulous its like trying to unlock a big puzzel and untill I feel 100% comfortable with rules I wont be inviting friends over to play yet. As a Advanced Squad Leader player its great to have fantasy game that has a similar level of rule's artistry/strategy and tactics. Finally has anyone tried the solo fighter plane game Hornet?
Thank you for this, it's very well done. I don't solo, but I find a lot of your tips for multi-player playing as well. I have been lagging behind my husband quite a lot the last few games we played, now hopefully I'll have a chance!
Solo McLaughlin we played co-operative this weekend, but we managed to kick the city's ass easily and I was also about 10 levels ahead of him!! mission accomplished. Thanks again
Just finished my third attempt at a solo conquest playthrough. On the positive side I think this is the first game in which I played all the rules correctly. I finished the game having conquered the level 5 city taken 4 wounds and scored 104 fame. So a step forward but still a mile of winning. So what went wrong? I am sure I made many mistakes I don't yet recognise but one I do is my movement, the way I explored the map lead me to loose maybe a round or more in turns. It was only during this game that I was conscious that core tiles cannot be placed on the right or left most edges of the wedge map. It seems to me it would be really help if someone who has mastered beating 'solo conquest' posted a timeline of goals need to be reached at the end of each round. I have not found anything this specific. Here is my own timeline which is bound to be wrong but I have put up so others can use the idea to help those of us trying to crack this puzzel. I would really appreciate people adding details like when and many keeps/mage towers you should have knocked over, where your reputation should be (I have found during early game judicously burning villages to be vital as long as you keep you rep up by killing rampaging enemies). End of round 2: Be at least Level 3 and above, have conquered at least one or more keeps. Most importantly have revealed a core tile. Have recruited two standard units Mid Game rounds 3-4: Be at least level 5 and above by the end of round 4. Have revealled the locations of one preferrably both cities. Have recruited 3 elite units, have a decent spell or two. (I have yet to get an artifact though I suspect burning down a monastary near the end of the game would make most sense when the loss of 3 reputation doesn't matter, what evil pragmatic bastards we Mage knights are). You will have at least two skill chip tokens plus two advanced skills. I suspect you should have launched your opening salvo on the level 5 city by the end of round 4 so your units are refreshed for round 5. Rounds 5-6 End Game. If you keep close to this schedule then you should have knocked over the first city at the beginning of round 5. I found three elite units was just enough to knock over a level 5 city. If I hadn't been in a rush I know I could of kept my wounds down to two. To beat the final city I think will require 4 elite units so you will need to time in round five to get to level 7 and between now and your final city assault recruit and elite unit plus arrive at the level 8 city with a minimum of 3 to 4 turns to have a decent shot of taking it down. In conclusion acording to other quides I have read you need to keep you wound to 2 and below plus manage your mana accumulation so you have 3 to 4 mana on hand especialy in the opening salvo's of city assaults. All easier said than done. Once again props to Solo McLauglin (I am yet to finish watching her stuff as I can't stop playing) I am far from cracking this nut so any advice is most welcome especially a critique of the above timeline. Finally I noticed a written solo walkthrough in BGG MK files where they scored over 500 fame which gave me some perspective on just how far I have to travel. Also I don't know about anyone else but I would love it if they produced a delux/collectors edition of this game. Imagine Mage Knight with full sized source dice (I wish they would at least produce these), metal figures, painted cities, A better looking fame board with the numbers overlaying an image perhaps (I plan to make my own), glass mana crystals. And finally plastic/metal painted figures for all the mobs with the stats on the base. It would be awesome, a WIZ KID kickstarter perhaps?
Also loving the frequent videos! Always love watching! Also I'm still interested in perhaps another video at some point of you playing through your other expansion(s) of Onirim if you ever feel up to it :)
Absolutely! I'm especially excited to hear that they will be re-printing Onirim. I felt a little bad loving on a game that you couldn't get your hands on. But I agree another expansion play through is definitely called for.
12:03 Actually, if you happen to have a white mana from the source (or somehow get a white mana token/crystal), if you have both Promise & Threaten, you could play the strong ability of Promise with the white mana (probably from the source) - for the “Influence 4” ability and then play the Threaten card on top of it - for the regular “Influence 2” ability. Therefore, in this case, you could end up with Influence 6 (sum of “Influence 4” - strong Promise ability and “Influence 2” - regular Threaten ability).
I think you may have glossed over Concentration a bit. It's probably the best card that you start the game with because it can increase ANY type of attack by two if powered with green mana. This is especially useful in the early game with Swiftness because 5 ranged attack can kill a lot of enemies, including the three most dangerous brown enemies (Minotaur, Medusa, and Werewolf). This is really nice because it means you don't have to worry about blocking if you're willing to take a couple of wounds should the Crypt Worm or Gargoyle show up. Also, this combo will kill two-thirds of the orcs, including the terrible Orc Summoners. Concentration is even more awesome once you get something that gives you siege or elemental attacks. I always try to keep some green mana handy for this card.
LargeGoblin I totally agree. I think Concentration is my favorite card & range attack has saved my bacon on many an occasion. I didn't get a chance to acquire any siege or elemental attacks this game. But there is always next time.... Thanks for the tip!
I bought this game and ended with a mental block ! Like you, I am stubborn and will not give up. End result: box of delights helped BUT those two rule books are very off putting. No, I am still struggling and have not quite grasp the solo aspect . Anyway, will return to it at some time ! Kind regards from the the UK.
I like WHAT you say and how you are approaching the Topics - and of course it is your choice just to Show your Hands - and it works well as Long as you are having something to talk about/show - but at the introduction i felt like in a puppet theatre... :) maybe (proposal) just use some Pictures you made from Cards, heroes, games etc... :)Content remark: the issue with knowing your "last Hand" is maybe not so right, often you only get 2-3 new Cards or have some left in the end - it is not always the last 5 as your last Hand - "yes" you might say - of course - but These ARE the last 5 - "yes" i say - but you can expand this to always know what is still available (hence ist getting hards when your deck gets bigger :) ) anyways - pretty Basic tip, but very well done. Thank you.
I’ll be picking this up shortly. Really enjoy your videos. Have learned Friday and Onirim from you. Man, hearing people are being unkind to you is surprising, because you certainly don’t deserve that nonsense. But the internet allows and even encourages this sort of anonymous horseshit from cretins with little minds and less class. Paid no heed. Your videos are highly enjoyed by many. Keep doing what you’re doing. Please.
I have been asked to do an ASMR video but have so far resisted. But my kids do fall asleep quickly when I read to them at bed time. Hmmmm. Glad you are enjoying the play through!
also one tiny bit to note is that the difficulty of the enemies rises from left to right on the overview. Also I like to associate every token color to their "special bonus" Green gives you reputation and let you level up early in the game, grey let you draw more cards, purple provide spells or artifacts (monastery)... and so on. It's not really strategy but it helps to keep a clean overview over the game.
I haven't watched the whole series yet, and I'm far from an expert on Mage Knight, but maybe some of these comments might be useful: - You seem to disregard many of the cards' more powerful effects when you comment them. One that really stood out was Concentration. For me (and Ricky Royal from Box of Delights agrees, according to one of his videos), it is one of the most powerful basic Action Card. But, of course, only because of its powerful effect fueled by green mana. This is one card that can give you great versatility and great power if combined with the right Action. Also, if you're stuck with a lot of green mana and don't have the right one you need to power up another card, it's just perfect. During the day, if you have Concentration, you basically have two wilds: green and gold. - According to what I observed, the difference between the characters lies very little in their unique card, but much more in their skills. Every one of them has a theme: Norowas is good at recruiting units, Goldyx can get crystals easily, Arythea can use wounds to her advantage and Torvak... I don't know, haven't played with him much =P Hope it helps and hope I haven't said too much crap =P
Marco Curvello Some other things: - You say the middle 6 cards of your deck are the only unknowns. I believe it's a bit more complicated than that... You don't draw exactly 5 cards every turn (at least you shouldn't), so I guess there'll be more unknowns than that. - When you go over the enemy tokens, you forget some of them have physical resistance. That means you should be able to generate more attack than you state for some of them. What you said about the brown ones is correct. They are the only ones that put you completely in the dark. But grey, violet and white ones can usually be revealed before engaging, unless you're desperate enough to assault an unrevealed mage tower or keep at night (or burn down a monastery). I don't know, I have to say I'm a bit skeptical about the whole precise planning approach. But I repeat, I have very few games under my belt, so what do I know? Counting cards seems nice, but the whole "if I want to do that, I should get crystals of such and such color"... I don't know, I think the game throws enough surprises at you that it is difficult to do that. It should help, for sure, but not much I believe. Not to mention you get new cards as you progress that allow you to do similar things with another color of mana... If you prepare for card X and card Y comes along, you're screwed... Well, let's see how you did in this video series! Looking forward to watching the next videos. =)
+Marco Curvello I completely agree with your thoughts on concentration. A very powerful combo in the early rounds is green mana + concentration + swiftness. That makes 5 ranged attack for 2 cards and 1 mana, which takes out all of the green tokens except two, and all brown dudes except gargoyles and crypt worms - with no block needed, and no wounds taken! Since the early turns are so important for ramping up, just identifying this combo and striving to use it well has increased my success rate significantly. And since you are Arythea in this video, battle versatility can bump that up to 6 ranged for no extra mana, which means you could take out the ironclads too for one extra card. You sorta mention in this video that you're working on being ok with taking wounds - I agree that it's really hard to get used to it, but it's essential! Often it's the right play in the early rounds to go face-first into a fight, taking two or three wounds, in order to get a level up and a good reward like a spell or an artifact. Especially since you're Arythea, your skills are perfect for making use of or getting rid of wounds. And worst comes to worst, just take a turn to rest. In solo scenarios, you should have enough counterbalancing turns where you use up all your cards that you will never lag behind the dummy. My last piece of advice would be that, while knowing your deck and your enemies is great (and the prep you're showing here is awesome), it';s important to lean towards the present. What I mean is that, in the early game especially, if you have to "bunt" (love that terminology) with three cards in order to make the best turn you can in the moment, it's generally right to just do it. Things get a little more complicated later on - bunting with spells and artifacts is super painful - but with these basic cards, I find that you just gotta do what you gotta do. Looking forward to watching the rest of the playthrough!
Finally a new face in board game videos. I say 'new face' as I have not been privy to your existence before. Regardless, I am currently downloading this series for offline viewing (as I do, and have done with Ricky Royal, and the other suspects). I watched most of this first one earlier, and was pleased with your presentation style, and articulation. I mean, rahdo is awesome and all, but his cadence sometimes distracts from his content. Sorry for paddling on, just wanted to let you know, another person appreciates your time.(I never comment on videos).
Half Evil So glad you stumbled across me! I am addicted to watching board game on line too. Since I don't get to play as much as I like, I find the youtube board game community fills in the void. Enjoy the series & thanks for letting my know you are out there and watching! :)
I am in the same boat as you on many levels. I did however convince my Wife to play "Robinson Crusoe", which is quite strategic and quite fun. It plays Solo very well too. I would say it is probably a little harder than Mage Knight however (harder can = more rewarding victories).
Half Evil I just received Robinson Crusoe last week! Can't wait to get it opened up and start playing. Have heard only fabulous things about this game. Maybe I can get my husband to join me on this one!
Excellent review! Last year was the year of Robinson Crusoe for me, this year will probably be the year of Mageknight. P.S. I'll be your best friend if you review Voyage of the Beagle, lol.....
I really like how you talked about the deep strategy of the characters. I dont think I've seen another mk review that does this. I really want this game now.
do you still play this game? I'm a solo board gamer and wanted a game to hold my interest. I bought it awhile back but have not opened the game up yet :P
ב"ה I would say that knowing your skills might be important in the choices you make. I mean, Goldyx have many skills that generate blue crystals, so it might be better to take blue spells and adavnced actions with him, and Arythea have skills good at generating red mana so it might be better to take red spells with her.
I love Mage Knight. I just don't get to play it as often as I would like to and I'm not good at it either. Board Game Geek has some good MK strategy threads.
I think we are in the same boat. I will have to set aside some time and dig through those strategy threads. I love to learn by trying but for this game, I think a little outside tutoring might be needed!
It's crazy how soothing I perceive your voice to be. I'm currently going through a gnarly heroin withdrawal, and somehow I feel relaxed. Might have to come back next time I have a panic attack
It’s crazy how Mage Knight, at least to me and the way I see it, has many “layers” of secrets and strategies. What I mean is, at first, when just starting out, you play, do a few things here and there, and you’re done. Most of the time you lose when just starting out, but this is part of the fun in the game. Fun bc it’s so addictive once you get into it. This is bc you feel you’re so close to “figuring things out” and you must have more. You must have one more shot at that city, or another try as your time ran out last time, etc...
So, you play more and more and are probably getting somewhat better. You’ve learned more rules at this point, and corrected the ones you’ve missed in the past. You’re starting to learn the “beat” of the game, which cards are ideal for certain situations, which units are good according to your play, etc.. You begin to exhibit more patience and think things through more. You smile as a plan you put together works out perfectly, and are frustrated when they fall apart. You’re now in what I call the “second layer” of gameplay.
Meaning, this layer is different. Different in that the newness has worn off a bit, the rules are starting to come automatically to your mind, you begin to see things “ahead” of you, you’ve got a good idea, by looking at your hand, what you could and could not accomplish. So now, at this layer in your game play, you’re a lot better. But...you’re still losing more often than not. Things you are trying to shoot for or do, are simply not there, or not working at the exact time you need them. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is still a fair bit of luck and unpredictability in this game, as it should be, but you just know there has to be better ways, better methods that could boost your gameplay even further. The game itself has many tempting cards to go after, and you want them all. After many games under your belt, you begin to enter this third layer of gameplay.
This is where you begin to realize that what you should do on each turn, is a direct reflection of what the “lay of the land” looks like before you, and what cards you have to deal with such and NOT what you envision your self doing. Sure, it’d be nice to wipe out that Mage tower, then head on to the Monastery, but if the lay of the land suggests better odds and that you would accomplish more in a given amount of time, then you must forfeit your own agenda, and simply play what is in front of you. So this layer is where you start figuring out that the way to beat the game, in most cases, not all, is that you have to maximize things you can do according to the lay of the land, where things are positioned, and what’s in your hand. So, rather than playing to what you want or thought the game to be, you play according to what is around you and what the maximum is you can accomplish with the hand you are dealt
This changes from game to game, and makes you a better player, bc you’re adaptable. You will “squeeze “ every last thing you can accomplish given your surroundings and cards. Every single card matters, no matter what it appears as at first. There’s no telling how many times I thought “eh the round is over anyway, I’ll just end round now, even though I have one card left” and you saw later that the one card did something you could have used, etc..
You also realize that all those “good” cards you desire in your deck, come at a cost. Sure, who wouldn’t want all those fire and ice attacks in their decks, but these take up space, and in this game, one card can make all the difference. So rather than go after all the same type of cards, you realize that you’re best when you can “adapt” to many situations. Influence can be clutch at the right moment, move might just save your bacon, while that big siege attack is just what the doctor ordered. The point is to always have enough “maneuverability” in your cards so that you can use them in just about any situation.
I’m no expert at this game. Not by a long shot, and there are probably many more “layers” of strategies I have yet to discover, but this is my two cents on how deep this wonderful game goes.
This is the second longest comment I’ve ever seen
Great comment!
Yes
I know you give a lot of credit to box of delights but I always come back to this series to prepare myself after not playing this game for a long time. The way you explain things really help me remember the fine points of this game. If you still have this game I'd love for you to playthrough a new scenario!
Since watching your Mage Knight play through two days ago I have played my first three solo games-love your insights and your enthusiasm is infectious ! I am hooked !
rewatching this excellent Mage Knight play through / discussion / strategy and it's sweet !
me too!
Your videos are just fantastic! Your commentary/thought process is awesome! Thank you for making them and keep it up!
so glad to see a lot more videos from you recently. Love these vids!
Glad to hear that! I will jump at any excuse to play a game...
terrific video just about just about to watch he second one. Just bought the game and love the beautifully interwoven rules. Played the walkthrough with my 10 year old daughter and she won which gives you a bit of idea of my playing level. Sat down for my first solo game got a finished the game being molested at the gates to level 8 city. Its exiciting to think I have so far to go to gain any sort of compentency. Keep up the good work :)
What a thoughtful approach! I tend to like surprise in games so the thought of pre-game prep never entered my mind, but this approach seems very wise considering that surprise can mean death in Mage Knight, where every decision looms so large. Way t' be!
Thanks for posting this! MK is one of my favorite solo games. I've won most of the games I've played but I think I have always been more "organic" in keeping track of what's still in my deck (e.g. I haven't gotten many of my attack cards yet so I know they must be coming up) rather than really analyzing the starting deck and "counting cards" - great suggestions on your part, that will help me tackle some tougher challenges (higher difficulty levels) in the future.
Hey,thanks so much for this video. I saw the box of delights video and tried my first solo play. So I played conquest (like he suggested) and I found my first city on the turn before the last, and didn't even conquer it before it was done hahahah. This video was exactly what I was looking for, so thanks for that! :)
Thank you so much for all your videos! This made me buy the game and I'm completely loving it. Looking for more solo boardgames of this kind, I'm hooked! Off to watch all your other videos, I really like your style. Also nice to see another woman in boardgaming. Finally someone I can relate to, being a solo playing woman with a family to take care of. :-)
Neat way to approach this daunting game, will definitely help the next time we tackle this. It kicks our butts but we keep coming back for more punishment. :)
I absolutely love this game, one of my favorites. I like board games but Mage Knight is the only one I know of that I can play for 7 hours straight (and have it only feel like 2).
With your help I sat down for my second solo playthrough determined to improve greatly after my first disaster (which is to be expected and was great. For if I had won straight away and with such scant knowledge the desire to 'immediately' replay would not of been so great).
So I am on last turn of my second solo game and I have just finished my first turn assaulting the city. After a few miss calcultions (it's easy to forgert those nasty city bonus like +2 to attack), I discover I actually have to take 6 wounds a KO.
I think this is not so bad it's the last turn I have killed three of the four enemies and all the wounds will just go to my discard pile. Then something went ping in my brain. I think this a bit 'gamey' so I reread the wounds rule to discover ofcourse that wounds are shuffled back into the deed deck. FFS!
So while I did take down the last enemy this game is null and void. Still I think this a process of trial and error with a game of this complexity is necessary and for most unavoidable. Personally I really would wait until you have played a number of solo games before inviting your friends to play.
This rule error of mine while annoying would of ruined a night of actual multiplayer. Also once you have the rules pretty much down as well as the ability to outline the fundamental strategies it will make the first game flow a hell of a lot faster.
Here is some advice I have.
1. Study both the walkthrough rules and the rulebook and don't take rule knowledge for granted. I can see having to play many game before I can stop referring to the rules. I would sugest constant referral to the rules whenever you are dealing with a fresh game mechanics or circumstances.
2. Not only should you become familiar with your deed deck and cards but play around with maps and be sure you understand the placement rules. This game is about maximising the efficency in all quarters. Exploring the tiles in such way that you don't squander moves (you don't have time to backtrack) and maximise the chances of your cities being a close together made a huge difference from my first to second playthrough.
3. I is very important in this game to get the order you do things right for instance it can seem natural to top up your hand at start of your turn, but this actually happens at the end of your turn which helps you choose the tactic card when your turn does come around. Also when your plunder a villlage its is now clear you add two cards to your hand increasing you hand by two as this accurs after your turn but before you start your next turns actions.W I also found myself doing stuff like reducing damage with a unit and then thinking now I only have to block the remainder. Its block first then assign damage this make a BIG difference believe me. My wounds went from 4 to 6 when I noticed my mistake in my final battle.
4. Here's a list of other things I got wrong plus suble differences I have picked up from the walkthrough to rulebook.
5. Be clear about what you need and all options to forfill those needs. MK is all about making the right choices at the right time and in the right order. Squandering mana is an easy mistake but also you also need to be aware of all the ways to get mana (mines, monster dens etc) as the mana dice will inevitably kick you in the metaphorical nuts at some stage.
Here are the rules I know got wrong so far or noticed didn't exist in both the rulebook and the walkthrough. I believe you need to study the rulebook (not just read the bits not included in the walkthrough as I did) as it breakdown the logic sequence you need to go through to correctly process every aspect of the game
a) Gold and Black mana can never be crystallised into your inventory (oops)
b) when choosing a skill upgrade from the common pool you have to take the advanced skill from the bottom of the skill offering. If you choose one of the skillls you drew then you can choose an advanced skill from any of the three cards.
c) the rule that you must guareentee there is a village in your first unit offereing is only for the walkthrough.
d) When you assault a keep owned by another player who is not the their you fight a grey garrison and get half the fame rounded up. The rounded up bit is not mention in the rulebook.
I am sure there many other things I have yet to discover and I am still far from confident I have the rules down yet. If I have made a mistake above please ket me know.
The biggest unknown for me ATM are relative worth of skills, advanced skills, spells and artifacts. I have only played solo with Arythea. My personel approach thus far is to not to worry to much about winning and enjoy the process of discovering how all the systems work. I enjoy not knowing what all the spells or skills are ATM. Though it would be handy if there was a sheet that critiqued them all so I could refer to it when I had choices infront of me to make (I will look for this information).
The solo experience is fabulous its like trying to unlock a big puzzel and untill I feel 100% comfortable with rules I wont be inviting friends over to play yet. As a Advanced Squad Leader player its great to have fantasy game that has a similar level of rule's artistry/strategy and tactics. Finally has anyone tried the solo fighter plane game Hornet?
Thank you for this, it's very well done. I don't solo, but I find a lot of your tips for multi-player playing as well. I have been lagging behind my husband quite a lot the last few games we played, now hopefully I'll have a chance!
Michelle Zeng Glad it helps. Good luck taking down your hubby on your next play though....
Solo McLaughlin we played co-operative this weekend, but we managed to kick the city's ass easily and I was also about 10 levels ahead of him!! mission accomplished. Thanks again
Just finished my third attempt at a solo conquest playthrough. On the positive side I think this is the first game in which I played all the rules correctly. I finished the game having conquered the level 5 city taken 4 wounds and scored 104 fame. So a step forward but still a mile of winning.
So what went wrong? I am sure I made many mistakes I don't yet recognise but one I do is my movement, the way I explored the map lead me to loose maybe a round or more in turns. It was only during this game that I was conscious that core tiles cannot be placed on the right or left most edges of the wedge map.
It seems to me it would be really help if someone who has mastered beating 'solo conquest' posted a timeline of goals need to be reached at the end of each round. I have not found anything this specific.
Here is my own timeline which is bound to be wrong but I have put up so others can use the idea to help those of us trying to crack this puzzel. I would really appreciate people adding details like when and many keeps/mage towers you should have knocked over, where your reputation should be (I have found during early game judicously burning villages to be vital as long as you keep you rep up by killing rampaging enemies).
End of round 2: Be at least Level 3 and above, have conquered at least one or more keeps. Most importantly have revealed a core tile. Have recruited two standard units
Mid Game rounds 3-4: Be at least level 5 and above by the end of round 4. Have revealled the locations of one preferrably both cities.
Have recruited 3 elite units, have a decent spell or two. (I have yet to get an artifact though I suspect burning down a monastary near the end of the game would make most sense when the loss of 3 reputation doesn't matter, what evil pragmatic bastards we Mage knights are).
You will have at least two skill chip tokens plus two advanced skills. I suspect you should have launched your opening salvo on the level 5 city by the end of round 4 so your units are refreshed for round 5.
Rounds 5-6 End Game. If you keep close to this schedule then you should have knocked over the first city at the beginning of round 5. I found three elite units was just enough to knock over a level 5 city. If I hadn't been in a rush I know I could of kept my wounds down to two.
To beat the final city I think will require 4 elite units so you will need to time in round five to get to level 7 and between now and your final city assault recruit and elite unit plus arrive at the level 8 city with a minimum of 3 to 4 turns to have a decent shot of taking it down.
In conclusion acording to other quides I have read you need to keep you wound to 2 and below plus manage your mana accumulation so you have 3 to 4 mana on hand especialy in the opening salvo's of city assaults. All easier said than done.
Once again props to Solo McLauglin (I am yet to finish watching her stuff as I can't stop playing) I am far from cracking this nut so any advice is most welcome especially a critique of the above timeline.
Finally I noticed a written solo walkthrough in BGG MK files where they scored over 500 fame which gave me some perspective on just how far I have to travel. Also I don't know about anyone else but I would love it if they produced a delux/collectors edition of this game.
Imagine Mage Knight with full sized source dice (I wish they would at least produce these), metal figures, painted cities, A better looking fame board with the numbers overlaying an image perhaps (I plan to make my own), glass mana crystals. And finally plastic/metal painted figures for all the mobs with the stats on the base. It would be awesome, a WIZ KID kickstarter perhaps?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have been immensely helpful and greatly improved my game.
Also loving the frequent videos! Always love watching! Also I'm still interested in perhaps another video at some point of you playing through your other expansion(s) of Onirim if you ever feel up to it :)
Absolutely! I'm especially excited to hear that they will be re-printing Onirim. I felt a little bad loving on a game that you couldn't get your hands on. But I agree another expansion play through is definitely called for.
They are reprinting? That's great news! I will definitely look forward to buying it when it happens :)
12:03 Actually, if you happen to have a white mana from the source (or somehow get a white mana token/crystal), if you have both Promise & Threaten, you could play the strong ability of Promise with the white mana (probably from the source) - for the “Influence 4” ability and then play the Threaten card on top of it - for the regular “Influence 2” ability. Therefore, in this case, you could end up with Influence 6 (sum of “Influence 4” - strong Promise ability and “Influence 2” - regular Threaten ability).
I think you may have glossed over Concentration a bit. It's probably the best card that you start the game with because it can increase ANY type of attack by two if powered with green mana. This is especially useful in the early game with Swiftness because 5 ranged attack can kill a lot of enemies, including the three most dangerous brown enemies (Minotaur, Medusa, and Werewolf). This is really nice because it means you don't have to worry about blocking if you're willing to take a couple of wounds should the Crypt Worm or Gargoyle show up. Also, this combo will kill two-thirds of the orcs, including the terrible Orc Summoners.
Concentration is even more awesome once you get something that gives you siege or elemental attacks. I always try to keep some green mana handy for this card.
LargeGoblin I totally agree. I think Concentration is my favorite card & range attack has saved my bacon on many an occasion. I didn't get a chance to acquire any siege or elemental attacks this game. But there is always next time.... Thanks for the tip!
Love the hand puppets and the soothing voice. This is prob my next purchase. That is if Marvel Dice Masters booster don't show up this week. :-)
I bought this game and ended with a mental block !
Like you, I am stubborn and will not give up. End result: box of delights helped BUT those two rule books are very off putting.
No, I am still struggling and have not quite grasp the solo aspect .
Anyway, will return to it at some time !
Kind regards from the the UK.
I like WHAT you say and how you are approaching the Topics - and of course it is your choice just to Show your Hands - and it works well as Long as you are having something to talk about/show - but at the introduction i felt like in a puppet theatre... :) maybe (proposal) just use some Pictures you made from Cards, heroes, games etc... :)Content remark: the issue with knowing your "last Hand" is maybe not so right, often you only get 2-3 new Cards or have some left in the end - it is not always the last 5 as your last Hand - "yes" you might say - of course - but These ARE the last 5 - "yes" i say - but you can expand this to always know what is still available (hence ist getting hards when your deck gets bigger :) ) anyways - pretty Basic tip, but very well done. Thank you.
I’ll be picking this up shortly. Really enjoy your videos. Have learned Friday and Onirim from you.
Man, hearing people are being unkind to you is surprising, because you certainly don’t deserve that nonsense.
But the internet allows and even encourages this sort of anonymous horseshit from cretins with little minds and less class.
Paid no heed. Your videos are highly enjoyed by many. Keep doing what you’re doing. Please.
I hope you enjoy Mage Knight as much I do! Thanks for the kind words, they are always appreciated by friend.
Not to sound like a creeper but, you should read bedtime stories. Such a soothing and relaxing voice.
I have been asked to do an ASMR video but have so far resisted. But my kids do fall asleep quickly when I read to them at bed time. Hmmmm. Glad you are enjoying the play through!
also one tiny bit to note is that the difficulty of the enemies rises from left to right on the overview. Also I like to associate every token color to their "special bonus" Green gives you reputation and let you level up early in the game, grey let you draw more cards, purple provide spells or artifacts (monastery)... and so on. It's not really strategy but it helps to keep a clean overview over the game.
Huh, I had never noticed that but you are absolutely right. Thanks.
As usual your a natural born teacher...tks for the tips
Glad you found me and are enjoying my videos! Enjoy my friend!
I traded my copy awhile ago...now looking at your videos,I want to try it again...lol
I haven't watched the whole series yet, and I'm far from an expert on Mage Knight, but maybe some of these comments might be useful:
- You seem to disregard many of the cards' more powerful effects when you comment them. One that really stood out was Concentration. For me (and Ricky Royal from Box of Delights agrees, according to one of his videos), it is one of the most powerful basic Action Card. But, of course, only because of its powerful effect fueled by green mana. This is one card that can give you great versatility and great power if combined with the right Action. Also, if you're stuck with a lot of green mana and don't have the right one you need to power up another card, it's just perfect. During the day, if you have Concentration, you basically have two wilds: green and gold.
- According to what I observed, the difference between the characters lies very little in their unique card, but much more in their skills. Every one of them has a theme: Norowas is good at recruiting units, Goldyx can get crystals easily, Arythea can use wounds to her advantage and Torvak... I don't know, haven't played with him much =P
Hope it helps and hope I haven't said too much crap =P
Marco Curvello Some other things:
- You say the middle 6 cards of your deck are the only unknowns. I believe it's a bit more complicated than that... You don't draw exactly 5 cards every turn (at least you shouldn't), so I guess there'll be more unknowns than that.
- When you go over the enemy tokens, you forget some of them have physical resistance. That means you should be able to generate more attack than you state for some of them.
What you said about the brown ones is correct. They are the only ones that put you completely in the dark. But grey, violet and white ones can usually be revealed before engaging, unless you're desperate enough to assault an unrevealed mage tower or keep at night (or burn down a monastery).
I don't know, I have to say I'm a bit skeptical about the whole precise planning approach. But I repeat, I have very few games under my belt, so what do I know? Counting cards seems nice, but the whole "if I want to do that, I should get crystals of such and such color"... I don't know, I think the game throws enough surprises at you that it is difficult to do that. It should help, for sure, but not much I believe. Not to mention you get new cards as you progress that allow you to do similar things with another color of mana... If you prepare for card X and card Y comes along, you're screwed...
Well, let's see how you did in this video series! Looking forward to watching the next videos. =)
+Marco Curvello I completely agree with your thoughts on concentration. A very powerful combo in the early rounds is green mana + concentration + swiftness. That makes 5 ranged attack for 2 cards and 1 mana, which takes out all of the green tokens except two, and all brown dudes except gargoyles and crypt worms - with no block needed, and no wounds taken! Since the early turns are so important for ramping up, just identifying this combo and striving to use it well has increased my success rate significantly. And since you are Arythea in this video, battle versatility can bump that up to 6 ranged for no extra mana, which means you could take out the ironclads too for one extra card.
You sorta mention in this video that you're working on being ok with taking wounds - I agree that it's really hard to get used to it, but it's essential! Often it's the right play in the early rounds to go face-first into a fight, taking two or three wounds, in order to get a level up and a good reward like a spell or an artifact. Especially since you're Arythea, your skills are perfect for making use of or getting rid of wounds. And worst comes to worst, just take a turn to rest. In solo scenarios, you should have enough counterbalancing turns where you use up all your cards that you will never lag behind the dummy.
My last piece of advice would be that, while knowing your deck and your enemies is great (and the prep you're showing here is awesome), it';s important to lean towards the present. What I mean is that, in the early game especially, if you have to "bunt" (love that terminology) with three cards in order to make the best turn you can in the moment, it's generally right to just do it. Things get a little more complicated later on - bunting with spells and artifacts is super painful - but with these basic cards, I find that you just gotta do what you gotta do.
Looking forward to watching the rest of the playthrough!
Marco Curvello
Very nice video. I started as you did and really got slapped.
It's the best thing that we have these days with regards to ... comparing it to Magic Realms from Avalon Hills from the 1970s.
Excellent tips. Great job ! After only 1 solo play unfortunately I can't contribute :-) :-) :-) :-) Thank you.
Finally a new face in board game videos. I say 'new face' as I have not been privy to your existence before. Regardless, I am currently downloading this series for offline viewing (as I do, and have done with Ricky Royal, and the other suspects). I watched most of this first one earlier, and was pleased with your presentation style, and articulation. I mean, rahdo is awesome and all, but his cadence sometimes distracts from his content. Sorry for paddling on, just wanted to let you know, another person appreciates your time.(I never comment on videos).
Half Evil So glad you stumbled across me! I am addicted to watching board game on line too. Since I don't get to play as much as I like, I find the youtube board game community fills in the void. Enjoy the series & thanks for letting my know you are out there and watching! :)
I am in the same boat as you on many levels. I did however convince my Wife to play "Robinson Crusoe", which is quite strategic and quite fun. It plays Solo very well too. I would say it is probably a little harder than Mage Knight however (harder can = more rewarding victories).
Half Evil I just received Robinson Crusoe last week! Can't wait to get it opened up and start playing. Have heard only fabulous things about this game. Maybe I can get my husband to join me on this one!
Excellent review! Last year was the year of Robinson Crusoe for me, this year will probably be the year of Mageknight.
P.S. I'll be your best friend if you review Voyage of the Beagle, lol.....
I really like how you talked about the deep strategy of the characters. I dont think I've seen another mk review that does this. I really want this game now.
I am waiting to get my hands on a copy of Voyage of the Beagle. Once I do.....
Top 3 games I've played
Great commentary
do you still play this game? I'm a solo board gamer and wanted a game to hold my interest. I bought it awhile back but have not opened the game up yet :P
It definitely has lots of replayability as a solo game.
Great Video! Thanks for making it :)
Really like tour videos. Very Good teacher. :) Thank you very much :)
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I would say that knowing your skills might be important in the choices you make. I mean, Goldyx have many skills that generate blue crystals, so it might be better to take blue spells and adavnced actions with him, and Arythea have skills good at generating red mana so it might be better to take red spells with her.
YOU ARE AWESOME! ❤❤❤
great video,thank you
I love Mage Knight. I just don't get to play it as often as I would like to and I'm not good at it either. Board Game Geek has some good MK strategy threads.
I think we are in the same boat. I will have to set aside some time and dig through those strategy threads. I love to learn by trying but for this game, I think a little outside tutoring might be needed!
Very cool! Also watched tragictheblathering plays which are cool.
"linky bits" 😆
6 starting mins to cut
attractive hands... and warm voice...