# Archmage

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2018
- **BGG Rating**: 6.6
- **BGG Rank**: #6393
- **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 3)
- **Duration**: 60-120 min
- **Weight**: 3.24 / 5
- **Designers**: Tim Heerema
- **Artists**: Dann May, Enggar Adirasa
- **Publishers**: Starling Games (II), Tycoon Games
- **Categories**: Exploration, Fantasy, Territory Building
- **Mechanics**: Action Points, Area Majority / Influence, Pattern Building, Solo / Solitaire Game, Variable Player Powers

## Verdict
Archmage is that game that calls you to an epic adventure, blending the strategic depth of Euros with a fantastic theme of mages and relics. If you enjoy exploring maps, managing resources, and developing your character throughout the game, this might be your next obsession. The feeling of building your tower and watching your Order of Mages grow is incredibly satisfying, and replayability is a strong point thanks to variable powers and the spell system.Immersive fantasy themeDynamic map explorationDeep character developmentAsymmetric player powersModular spell systemInitial learning curveCan be long for someIndirect interactionRECOMMENDED

## Description
In Archmage, you are a fledgling mage who, along with your followers, ventures through the Ruined City, a place once governed by the powerful Archmage and her Order. After a cataclysmic event known as 'The Ending,' the city has become an echo of its glorious past, inhabited by fragments of the mythical races that served the ancient Order. As a descendant of the original mages, you are tasked with traveling these forgotten lands to recover lost relics, essential for unraveling the secrets of the six spheres of magic guarded by the mythical races. Your journey is just the beginning to restore magical power and, perhaps, become the new Archmage. The game blends Euro elements with a rich theme, where each turn is divided into two main phases. In the Journey phase, you explore the modular map, discovering new locations, deploying your followers to collect relics from ruins and sacred glades, and encountering your opponents' followers. At the end of each Journey, in the Journey's End phase, you choose a specific action based on your final location: delivering relics in towns, recruiting more followers in settlements, training apprentices with mythical races (by spending the correct relics!), or asserting control over wilderness areas. As your Order grows, you build your own magic tower, where you train and test apprentices on a mandala. Moving apprentices on the mandala changes the available spells, and testing them allows them to advance, discovering even more powerful magic. With a modular spell system and 18 options in the base game, Archmage offers diverse tactical strategies, using relics as magical currency. At the end of a set number of turns, the mage with the most powerful Order is crowned the new Archmage.

## FAQ
### Is Archmage a complex game for beginners?
It has a medium complexity (BGG weight of 3.24/5), so it might require a few plays to master all the nuances. But the learning curve is rewarding for those who enjoy more strategic games.

### How many players can play Archmage?
Archmage can be played by 1 to 4 players. The solo mode is a great option for those who want to practice or enjoy the experience alone.

### What is the average game duration?
Prepare for a longer session! A game of Archmage usually lasts between 60 and 120 minutes, depending on the number of players and familiarity with the rules.

### Are the components of good quality?
As a crowdfunded game, components are generally well-produced, with map tiles and pieces that enhance immersion in the fantasy theme.

### Is Archmage more Euro or thematic?
It's a hybrid! It has the strategic depth and resource management of a Euro, but with a strong fantasy theme well-integrated into the mechanics, which appeals to fans of both styles.

### Is there much player interaction?
Interaction is mainly indirect, through the struggle for areas and relics on the map. You'll encounter your opponents' followers, but the focus is more on developing your own Order of Mages.

## Price Comparison
### Best International Offers
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