DiceWar - Light of Dragons

The Swiss game developer Suncoregames already brought DiceWar - Light of Dragons onto the market in 2015. In the second edition, which has been released in the meantime, the player leads his dragon race into battle and tries to make life difficult for his opponent with magic and combat strength. The game is played on small board with 7x7 fields. The basic box contains two races (dice sets) from the same tribe. There are currently three expansions, which we will examine in more detail in a future article. The expansions each contain their own new people. All boxes come complete in German and English.

How to play?

Each side of the dice shows the symbol of a creature and the corresponding power level (1-6). Players start by placing any creatures on the bottom row (supply zone) of their board until a total of power level 10 is reached. With this starting line-up, the players now take it in turns to perform one of the following actions:

• Move
• Attack
• Upgrade
• Perform Spells

Move

The player whose turn it is moves a creature one space vertically or horizontally. There are the following exceptions:

• Souls can be placed over adjacent souls
• The spirit can move two squares in vertical or horizontal direction
• The fiery basilisk always moves diagonally

Attack

The basic rule is that the creature with the higher power level always beats an opposing figure with a lower power level. The dragon warrior with power level 3 can also defeat the light dragon with power level 6. The player receives victory points equal to the power points of the defeated creature. If a player carries out an attack in the opponent's field, there are additional victory points printed on the edge of the field. The fire basilisk can make an additional move or attack after an attack.

Upgrade

A creature is upgraded by one power level. Example: A Blood Mage with power level 4 becomes a Fire Basilisk with power level 5.

Perform spells

Some creatures can perform certain spells:

• The dragon warrior splits into three souls
• The light dragon splits into two dragon warriors.
• The Blood Mage uses generated trigger points to upgrade any creature (except himself). Blood mages and spirits can generate trigger points.

Conclusion

DiceWar - Light of Dragons is a tactical treat for two people that develops incredible strategic depth with little material and a short instruction manual. With each new round, the player learns to use the abilities of his people more effectively to make life difficult for his opponent. However, one should really be careful. In the numerous games we have played, it often happened that we had to give up a victory we thought was secure if we did not concentrate for a moment. Since the basic box contains two races from the same tribe, the game is very well balanced.

A small note for retro fans: If you liked playing Archon on the C64, you will get your money's worth with DiceWar and should definitely get it!