Magestorm from Nexus

Um, how did we miss this game? Published by Nexus, Magestorm kind of looks like a BattleLore clone, but I haven't finished reading all the marketing materials.

Check it out for yourself: www.nexusgames.com/magestorm/

I think Steve Avery mentioned it once but there hasn't been a whole lot of talk about the game in general. It was supposed to have been covered live on BGG's online Essen videocast, but nobody seems to have said anything about it.

Oh.

www.ustream.tv/recorded/10312689

Wow, a Battlelore rip-off. How original.

Since when was battlelore original?

Nexus and FFG share a business relationship so I'm imagining the similarities aren't an accident.

S.

I can't get past the first page - it looks such pedestrian cliched fantasy fare.

It 'looks' (physically) rather pox, but it does seem easier to set up and wield than C&C games.
The flowchart magic system is pretty fucking genius, why has no one ever thought of that before? The fog of war element could be cool too. I'm not sure about the command system though.

The game looks cheap, maybe it looks nicer in real life. Even blander than Battlelore, if that is possible. Maybe the gameplay will pull it through. 6 armies and 11 mages? I wonder how many expansions this will end up with. Keeping an eye on it, just in case it turns out to be a good game.

kookoobah wrote:

The game looks cheap, maybe it looks nicer in real life.

Sadly, it does not.

kookoobah wrote:

6 armies and 11 mages?

Thats what it comes with? Awesome value for money if so.

Unfortunately, that's what they have PLANNED. 2 armies and 4 mages in the box, and then maybe 50 expansions to flesh it all out.

Okay, having watched the video, it sounds better. But innovative? Not really. And as for the TOSser: flowcharty, platoony? The fat, bearded Eugene isn't the brightest bulb in the room is he? It looks like the demonstration goes totally over his head.

He isn't suited for it. Looked like he wasn't even paying attention half the time.

I watched the video too, and I don't think this is something to be dismissed. I know we're all suffering from BattleLore/Commands and Colors fatigue but there's a lot going on here than is different in those other games.

First your units are customizable, the plastic minis on the board are just placeholders for what is really in your stack of units. A unit can be made up of different types of troops say spearmen followed by another melee troop and then archers. That also adds in a fog of war element not knowing exactly what you are going up against. Bluffing and scouting are welcome elements to any game like this.

The command system may seem a little too real-time-strategy but at least it isn't another card driven system.

There are lots of previews up on BGG, too.