Magic: the Gathering is a fantasy strategy-combat game in which two wizards (players) try to destroy each other by casting powerful spells and terrifying creatures. Magic: the Gathering—Battlegrounds is an action adventure title for the Xbox from Infogrames, and the designers have done a remarkable job of translating the rich and complex game mechanics into a gorgeous and engaging console experience.
While the Magic expert’s deckbuilding and sideboarding skills will come into play during Magic: the Gathering—Battlegrounds, some of the traditional card strategies simply do not apply to the electronic version. To put everyone on equal footing, here are the basics skills for surviving a wizards’ duel.
Respect the Boundaries That line down the middle of the battleground isn’t there for show. If you stray across to your opponent’s side, it means you’re in range for a direct melee attack-but it also means you’re at a serious disadvantage. You can’t use your shield on the opponent’s side, and if you stay too long, you start taking damage. Make the line work for you by casting your creatures as close to it as possible. They re-spawn in the place they were summoned after each attack, so the closer you drop them to your opponent, the quicker they’ll get to him.
Bait the Hook Since mana powers all your spells, you’ll need to keep a close eye on your opponent’s level as well as your own. Mana spheres appear randomly for anyone to grab, but mana crystals drop wherever a creature dies. Make sure to kill your opponent’s creatures on your side of the line, so that you can easily grab the mana crystals (it won’t be too hard because they’re coming after you all the time). If you’re feeling sassy, you can also wait for your opponent to get low on mana (right after he’s just cast some of his biggest spells or creatures, one after the other), and then leave the crystals and spheres on your side alone, daring him to come get some. If he does venture onto your side, he’ll be at a disadvantage, so try to keep him there. Drop as many small creatures and minor spells as you can, or just rush over and start beating on him yourself.
Mash Not Magic: the Gathering—Battlegrounds has simple controls, but the difference between a novice and a champion lies in the execution. You must not mash buttons if you intend to succeed. Each controller button is mapped to a different spells (creature, enchantment, sorcery) that do very different things. Let’s say you want to cast Engulfing Flames sorcery on an incoming creature to kill it in its tracks. You must hit the appropriate button to bring up the list of available sorceries, and then hit the right button for Fireball. If you mash, you’re likely to bring up the wrong menu or confirm casting the wrong spell. You can even get stuck in a submenu full of spells you can’t cast for lack of mana. When this happens (and it will, until you master the precise art of spell selection), you can always back out with the Y button.
The card version of Magic is famous for its incredibly deep and near-infinite strategies. With literally thousands of cards to choose from, players can pursue just about any line of attack you can imagine. As a new product, Magic: the Gathering—Battlegrounds doesn’t have that kind of depth yet, but it’s been built into the game’s structure and it has the card game to draw on. As Xbox gamers explore the fantasy world and downloadable content becomes available via Xbox Live, it’s only a matter of time before the trickiest of spell combos and the most dangerous creatures separate a master wizard from a pile of ash in the corner.
