Hit the Deck!
Magic: the Gathering—Battlegrounds is based on the wildly popular trading card game (TCG) that has been going strong with millions of fans since the early nineties. In creating the Xbox version of the game, developers were careful to make the action as strategic and exciting as the original, while balancing the need to attract people who were unfamiliar with the game. Since the TCG adds new rules and new game concepts every year, there had to be some sacrifices in bringing the Magic experience to the Xbox. There will be plenty of coverage for the non-Magic players out there, but this article is aimed more at the Magic: The Gathering veteran who wants to know how the electronic game differs from the card game.
Planes walkin’, yes indeed.
Mana ‘Bout Town
Mana, or magical energy, is the fuel that allows wizards to cast spells and summon creatures. In the card game, you would load up your customized deck with land cards and other sources of mana to make sure that you draw enough to use during the game. Mana is just as important in the console version, but the main sources are the mana spheres, which appear at random for either player to pick up, and the mana shards, which are left behind after a creature dies. Instead of using mana sources once each turn, your mana pool grows larger and recharges (“untaps”) faster with each mana shard and sphere you collect.
Self Defense
Probably the electronic version’s biggest departure from the card game is the fact that wizards can defend themselves. In the card game, a player can only engage the enemy through proxy creatures or via spells. On the Xbox, however, the spellcaster is onscreen with the monsters, so you can haul off and smack that annoying elf or goblin before it ever touches you. The melee attack only does one point of damage, but it’s invaluable when you’re low on mana or you’re being attacked by a weenie (small creature). Wizards can also invoke a defensive shield that will block at least one point of incoming damage, even if you’re playing the most aggressive spells from the most aggressive color.
Featured creatures.
Creature Comforts
Unlike the card game, where you can keep some creatures in reserve for defense, summoned creatures attack every “turn.” That is, they appear and charge right over to your opponent (or his nearest creature) and start mixing it up. Once blows have been exchanged, your creature re-spawns on the spot it was summoned and attacks again (assuming it survived the first round). Creatures have the traditional power and toughness stats (which indicate how much damage they deal and how much they can take), and flyers can still only be stopped or engaged by other fliers. There is no “summoning sickness,” but there is Haste. In the card game, Haste allows creatures to attack as soon as they are summoned. On the Xbox, Haste means your creatures get a boost of speed, so they move and strike much more quickly.
Target This!
The card game rules require that most spells have a legal “target” before they can be cast, and the player has to name that target when playing the spell. The electronic version auto-targets the closest enemy, so your Fireball could hit one of your opponent’s minions or even your opponent, depending on where you’re both standing onscreen.
Unfriendly skies.
The designers at Infogrames have clearly done their homework.Magic: the Gathering—Battlegrounds is an excellent blend of the card game’s deep rule system and complex spell interaction, combined with the fast-paced combat-heavy adventure that console gamers love.
By Pete Hutter
