Magical Athlete (English Version) - In Stores Now Hot

This hgame ROCKS!!! I'm buying this thing as soon as I can!

Any word on whether the components will be modified? I swapped out the cardboard discs in my imported copy with the luxe FFG gaming tokens and I assume the Z-Man will do the same. Anything else in store?

And yeah, this game absolutely fantastic.

Zev told us the board would be prettier and the tokens would be better but that the artwork was being left in unchanged so it is mostly the same. Also, this game is really fantastic.

Having played it multiple times this past weekend with Gary, Billy, Avery, Jason, and others...I gotta agree, this is a blast. If you play it with the right people of course. Yeah, it is roll and move---but there's something about it. Shoulda tried it as a drinking game while in Atlanta.

It's all about the draft, Merkles. Draft, roll and move. People at BGG are going to start recommending this for people who like MtG.

Yeah, but it's for 4 or 5 players. So it's not going to fare well with the "plays with spouse" crowd. I hope the player number doesn't jam too many radars.

You can play this game with anyone. And I don't say this lightly. I could play this with my parents and brother and they aren't into games at all. So I don't see 4-5 being a huge barrier.

Actually I'm not crazy about the board: we didn't pretty it up that in retrospect I could have. But it works. The artwork we left untouched. We use tokens with numbers to depict values. Cleaned up text mostly.

Yeah, the 4-5 players bothers me but there was nothing I can do about that.

Zev

So Zev, is this thing gonna be availamable at Gencon or what?

I'm getting MA as 4 player family game. My 12 and 13 year old will dig the characters. Everyone in the family will have an equal chance to win. It plays in about a half hour. All the ingredients of perfect family game.

MrPut sez:

I'm getting MA as 4 player family game.

Dood. I'm counting on you to bring this to game night so I can try it out.

It rules. Such a fun game. Family game? Meh, I will get drunk and curse every other word. Fuck families!

Finally!
I put this on my birthday wish list. KingPut, tell Daddy I really want this.

Came in the mail today! woooo

This definitely qualifies as a drunk game.

Drunk game my ass- this is the gambling boardgame par excellence.

No joke. You throw some money into mix and all of a sudden the Pirate's( pussified Cultist) ability isn't so fucking funny anymore.

Yeah, what the fuck is going on with the Pirate? Can somebody up a picture of the card?

Oh yeah, you mentioned that at Trashfest. That would be pretty cool.

I can see a couple of ways to play this for money.

1. A 5 player game gives out a fixed amount of money. I think it is 23. Everyone antes $5, and the extra $2 goes to the overall winner.
2. Similar setup with an initial ante followed by having to kick in extra money to buy your racers.

Next Avery Fest, I'll work up some rules.

I like those ideas Frank... I was also thinking of incorporating some kind of progressive Jackpot that would be covered by the ante, and is rewarded for something that would be the Magical Athlete equivalent of a skunk.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is the to keep the antes as low as possible while, simultaneously keeping the payouts as high as possible- hence the progressive pot...the only problem then being what to do with the jackpot that goes unwon.

My solution: If you trust those that you play with put it in a ziploc and let th fucker grow! If not, divvy it up amongst all players up to and including all moneys wagered during the current session- excluding all previous moneys wagered from other sessions when applicable.

New ideas vis-a-vis Magical Athlete for Money:

- 2$ buy in: half goes towards the winner's purse , the other half goes towards the progressive pot.
- I'm thinking a 10 point gap between the winner and the runner up should be grounds for claiming the jackpot.
- the Thief can steal 2$ from either the player of his choice or the jackpot as well as his normal ability.
- the Prophetess, if she correctly predicts a winner of a heat, as per her ability, she may also claim 1/4 of the Jackpot.

It is almost like you spend way too much time in a casino.

I really do like the progressive jackpot. Although it might be even more odd to make it a jackpot for being 10 points BEHIND the next to last player in a race.
....something that doesn't involve winning the race, but is crazy hard.

It is almost like you spend way too much time in a casino.

Heh. Only professionally.

I really do like the progressive jackpot. Although it might be even more odd to make it a jackpot for being 10 points BEHIND the next to last player in a race.
....something that doesn't involve winning the race, but is crazy hard.

That's really the hardest part isn't it? Personally, I'd rather reward aggressiveness- it's not like we're talking life changing money here. Who h is not to say that your idea isn't cool- 'cause I like it quite a bit...it just doesn't do it for me thematically.

No. It has to be for some major ass kicking score in my mind...

Stupid no edit.

And it's not " who is not to say," but "which is not to say ."

Argh.

You guys should write up the gambling rules and some ideas on expansion characters and submit it to Zev. It probably would be a big hit.

I hope this game does well for him. I like that he's picked up such a quirky fun race game. He has an eye for interesting games.

Steve"Magical FA:thlete"Avery

LOL! I honestly can't imagine Zev EVER endorsing a gambling variant to a game that has such universal and familly appeal-- I imagine all that we'd get is a funny look.

I'm gonna try me some gamblin' Magical Athlete this weekend!