There are many things that you can do that may ingratiate you to other players or infuriate them. What will you do in order to win?
If you are in Conflict and manage to match with a corresponding Shield (or Void) a Aurablast, Thunderbolt or Fireball Conflict card played against you, you have a number of options open to you (assuming you have the necessary powers): Fight, Fright, Flight or Freeze.
Conflict Tactics
In Active Conflict? Fight, Fright or Flight
Fight? – Strike back with a Aurablast, Thunderbolt or Fireball Conflict card of your own which your opponent must now match with a corresponding Shield card or suffer loss of rings (if possessed) to you. Alternatively, move your opponent into a Conflict arrangement with another player and give that new player the first powerplay in a bid to remove yourself from active Conflict. But can they be trusted?
Fright? – Stand there like quarry in a spotlight and let your opponent take another shot at you if they have the power. Use your powers to stand your ground or try bluffing.
Flight? – Run Away! – Not everyone wants to fight. Get out of there! Use a Levitate card to escape to either of the two Gold positions nearest you (if unoccupied) or use a Flight card to flee to another Red position. Either way, the required configuration for Conflict is broken. Your opponent has the right to try to force you back into Conflict however so your escape may be short lived. Use both cards to really tuck yourself away, forcing your opponent to require extra power just to keep fighting you. Better still negotiate with another player to use them as a block and effectively end the current Conflict by agreeing to do nothing. But will they honour the agreement and not powerplay the moment the configuration is in their favour?
Other Tactics
Substitute Powers! – If you cannot colour-match a Aurablast, Thunderbolt or Fireball Conflict card played against you may substitute a Void card if you have one.
Short-cut Home? – The game cannot be won by using cards to move a player token with enough rings to their Gold Home position as you can only win if you reach Home via die roll. You can help make it easier however by placing a player token on a Red or a Gold position within striking distance of the owner’s Home. This is great if it is your own token, or that of a team-mate, but does ingratiating yourself to another player have rewards? It is said “scratch an altruist and watch a hypocrite bleed”. What do you do? What are your True Colours?
Just A Taste of Victory – When a player is within a die-roll of victory, move them to their Home. Moving a player to their Home position effectively forces them to recontinue play as you can only win a game of The Wizard’s Crystal by reaching Home via a die-roll.
Beware of Squatters! – If you are within one die roll of Home and victory, an opponent may occupy your Home! Using a Teleport Card, they may occupy your Gold Home position with another player token, even their own. If you roll the die and achieve the required number to land on your Home, you are forced to move to the next unoccupied position along the pathway, past your Home position and your immediate victory is foiled.
Hide behind other players! – If you don’t want to be in the line of fire then complicate matters for your opponents by blocking your nearest Red position with another player. This player has to be relocated in order for anyone to be able to bring you up to that Conflict position with a Levitate card. Maybe this new player may choose to go after you, using a Flight card to move across then a Levitate card to bring you up to fight; a fresh battle anyway.
Make everyone else fight and weaken your opponents! – Why fight strong players? Force your opponents to fight amongst themselves. These battles will weaken them, making them hopefully more vulnerable to your own attacks.
Bluff your opponents! – Why let your opponents know what powers you have. Bluff them! Don’t just pretend to be strong. Pretend to be weak, even “take a fall” if necessary. Let everyone believe you do not posess a certain power. Surprise them soon-after by playing that card.
Put a player on ice! – Use a Freeze card to prevent someone doing something, stop them in their tracks, or prevent them getting involved in anything for a while. Basically shut ‘em up while you have a go. Better still, use it on yourself to protect yourself until you next roll the die.
Team Competitions – Only one player in the team need return at least three rings to their own Home position for the team to win the game, but all team members can only play their own cards. Are you required to altruistically serve your team leader to victory or is it a socialist team where everyone helps each other to possible victory? Which team is the more effective?
Role-Playing – Do you enjoy role-playing games? Then form a team and decide on what roles each member is permitted to undertake. Are you the Master or are you an underling in the team? Are limitations on the use of your powers enforced? It’s your game, you decide.
Sigil Cards – The game includes Love Sigil cards which can be used as wildcards (Love Conquers All) , or to replace lost cards. Better still, create your own Power card for use in your games. What Power can you think of that will be unique to your games?
One suggestion: Freeze? – Use a Freeze card to put an abrupt end to Conflict and protect yourself from cardplay until you have a chance of rolling the die again. Alternatively, freezing an opponent means that they cannot be involved in cardplay until they have again rolled the die. This can effectively put someone “on ice” for a while.
