Sorcerer
$44.95
Sorcerer at a Glance
| Game Type Ancient Theme, Fantasy, Card Game, Fighting, Card Drafting, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Dice Rolling, Push Your Luck | Play Time 30 - 90 mins | Skill/Complexity (3 - 5) Medium |
| Age 14+ | Publisher(s) White Wizard Games | Published 2019 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 2 - 4 | Cost $44.95 approx |
| Our Rating 8.7/10 |
About – Description
Sorcerer is a 2- 4 player hybrid card and board game which sees you mix decks to create your sorcerer and army, organize your minions and battle to take control of Victorian London. The aim is to control two out of the three battlegrounds, defeating your opponent’s minions and wreaking damage to the area in the process.
Published by White Wizard Games in 2019, Sorcerer is a Kickstarter (crowdfunded) game we had to check out!
Who is Sorcerer best Suited for?
Sorcerer is rated 14+ due to the content and mechanics involved. Of course, parents might decide that their child can handle this game at a younger age as everyone is different.
Experienced gamers will take to the game much quicker than new people, but there are no mechanics that exclude any party from taking part and enjoying the game. Fans of fantasy lore and army-building strategies will fall in love with the art, characters, and wide range of decks available.
Skill – Complexity (Medium)
The game is multi-faceted in that it is easy to pick up the rules after running through them two or three times, but the strategy and interaction between decks will come more easily to those who have played similar games before.
It is likely that both new and experienced board gamers alike would find themselves referring to the rules book throughout the first playthrough for help navigating the different phases, however, each phase is detailed on the player board alongside a handy glossary to make understanding the game even easier
Gameplay – How it Plays!
Sorcerer is a combination of card and board game, though it leans into the cards more than the board game aspects. The game does not feature a traditional board but does have three battlefield boards and individual boards for each player, all of which are high quality, with beautiful and detailed artwork. In fact, the box is full of great components – glass beads to be used as counters and the glossy detailed printing adds to the overall feel of the game.
To begin, each player combines prebuilt Character, Lineage and Domain decks to create a grimoire (deck), with three cards revealing your character’s name and special abilities. This feature adds depth to the game as you can use the suggested deck combinations or begin to swap and change which deck you combine to create a range of new and exciting sorcerers to lead you in battle.
Each round has four phases: Ready, Action, Battle and End. These phases are detailed in the rules book, which contains lots of supporting information making it easy to set up each round as the game progresses.
During the Ready Phase, the ability to mulligan the first hand you draw if it doesn’t contain minions means that no player starts at a big disadvantage. The only way to draw further cards is by using an action to Mediate (draw two cards) or by using a power or card ability if you have them. This can mean that some players have access to more cards than others.
The Action Phase is time to plan and place your minions, attachments, and spells over the course of six actions. On each turn you may carry out one action:
- Channel energy: Gain two energy.
- Activate a power: If you have a power detailed on one of your cards, you can spend an action to use it.
- Mediate: Draw two cards.
- Cast a spell: Play cards by spending energy.
- Reinforce: Move minions from one battlefield to an adjacent battlefield. Minions with flying can move further.
When each player has taken six actions, the Battle Phase begins.
Battlefields resolve in order (depending on who went first), with players taking turns to attack and roll the custom dice for damage. The ability to reroll dice using omens and the power token gives this phase an exciting edge when compared to other combat-based games. Especially as you can spend tokens to make your opponent reroll if you don’t like their outcome.
No two games are ever the same and Sorcerer has great replay value as a result. There are many possible deck combinations and players can choose to follow the deck suggestions for each character or mix and match to create new dynamics. The cards drawn and played can change the game in an instant and even the most well-thought-out strategy could be blown apart in a single move. All of which keeps things exciting and draws players back time and time again.
After the Battle Phase, the End Phase sees ‘end of round’ effects resolve, and you can begin thinking about how your next round will shape up.
Rounds continue until one player has control of two battlefields. Multiple rounds mean multiple opportunities to undermine and outwit your opponent, making sure the game doesn’t become dull or feel like a one-shot experience.
Here’s a cool video you might find useful!
Other Versions, Editions or Expansions Available?
There are lots of booster packs available to add new characters, domains, lineages and battlefields to your collection. These include the Egyptian Battlefield Set, Lunatic Asylum Domain pack and Wachiwi Character pack. Six further expansion packs are planned for release in 2021, alongside the Sorcerer: Endbringer expansion which sees players working together to defeat a crazed demigod.
Likes & Dislikes
- Great artwork and high-quality components.
- Expansions bring new dynamics to the game over time.
- Shufflebuilding means your character can be different every time.
- Easy to learn for the first time.
- High replay value.
- Deck building without extended grind and research.
- All owners of the base game have access to the same cards, so there’s no advantage or pay to win potential..
- The writing on the cards can be overwhelming for players who have not encountered duel decks before.
- The darker aspects and theme are not to everybody’s taste.
Final Thoughts
Sorcerer is a visually appealing game which draws you in and hooks you with the replay value. The unlimited deck combinations and need to adapt your strategy at a moment’s notice means that no two games are ever the same and there’s plenty of potential to find new and exciting combinations with every playthrough.
