Arena of the Planeswalkers
The, as yet unnamed, Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game is a tactical miniatures game for 2-5 players, inspired by the Magic: The Gathering card game, taking place on Shandalar. [1] [2] [3] It is co-developed by Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro. The final name will be announced at a later date. The game will be globally available in Fall 2015.
Relation to the TCG
- The Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game is a standalone experience from the TCG. Many familiar concepts will be present, but streamlined for the board game.
- The game is not played with Magic: The Gathering cards, but it pulls directly from Magic lore and includes references to many classic cards.
- The Strategy Board Game pays homage to the TCG by including many elements and references to the card game, but no prior knowledge of Magic is needed to play the game. The players are one of five planeswalkers, they summon armies, cast game-changing spells, and try to outmaneuver their foes on the battlefield. The players customize the battlefield by designing the map, placing terrain and powerful glyphs.
- Each game will include the same five highly detailed, fully painted Planeswalker mini-figures: Chandra Nalaar, Jace Beleren, Nissa Revane, Liliana Vess and a character that will be revealed at later date.
Relation to Heroscape
It appears the game is using many of the same tiles and mechanics as Heroscape. Heroscape was an expandable turn-based miniature wargaming system originally manufactured by Milton Bradley Company, and later by Wizards of the Coast itself, both subsidiaries of Hasbro. After taking over Heroscape, Wizards of the Coast issued new products with a Dungeons and Dragons theme. The game was discontinued by Hasbro in November 2010. [4] The game is played using pre-painted miniature figures on a board made from interlocking hexagonal tiles that allow for construction of a large variety of three-dimensional playing boards. The game is often noted and lauded by fans for the relatively high production quality of the game materials, in particular the pre-painted miniature figures as well as its interchangeable and variable landscape system.