Mage Wars Arena: Paladin vs Siren Expansion Set Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Paladin
  • Attributes
  • Training
  • Special Abilities
    • Valor
    • Divine Auras
      • Retribution Aura / Martyr's Aura
      • Resolute Aura / Vengeful Aura
      • Cleansing Aura / Solar Aura
    • Chivalrous Challenge
  • The Paladin's Spellbook
    • Equipment
    • Conjurations
    • Creatures
    • Enchantments
    • Incantations
    • Attacks
• Strongest
• The Siren
  • Attributes
  • Training
  • Special Abilities
    • Siren's Call
    • Fermata
    • Amphibious
  • The Siren's Spellbook
    • Equipment
    • Conjurations
    • Creatures
    • Enchantments
    • Incantations
    • Attacks
• Codex
  • Anchored (Object Trait)
  • Bleed (Condition Marker)
  • Dissipate X (Object Trait)
  • Grapple (Condition Marker)
    • Attacking
    • Damage Barriers
    • Removing the Grapple
  • Intercept (Object Trait)
  • Obscured (Object Trait)
  • Snatch (Effect)
  • Suffocate (Condition Marker)
  • Vigilant (Object Trait)
• Spell Notes
  • Crusade Banner
  • Dawnbreaker's Initiate
  • Eye for an Eye
  • Kraken
  • Lesser Teleport
  • Mending Wave
  • Tsunami

The Paladin

"Evil takes many forms, and none shall stand in the Light." — Paladin of Asyra

"The weak must be protected, and hope given to the downtrodden." — Paladin of Bim-Shalla

"Those who have fallen short, who have forgotten the way — they must be punished." — Paladin of the Dawnbreaker

Each Holy god espouses a calling, and strengthens his or her champion with the power to carry it out. Paladins are the sword and shield of their god, the soldiers of their divine will. Steadfast in battle, pure in spirit, and single-minded in purpose, they represent the zenith of martial holiness, chivalry, and focus.

Attributes

The Paladin has a Channeling rate of 9, a Life of 36, and a base melee attack of 3 dice. His subclass is Ivarium.

Training

The Paladin defends his faith with force, and therefore is trained in the level 2 War spells, level 3 Holy spells, and all Holy creatures. Due to his alignment with Holy, Dark spells cost triple for the Paladin.

Special Abilities

Valor

Valor is a resource unique to the Paladin. He collects Valor from various spells and abilities.

Valor may be spent to pay costs and effects for spells and abilities the Paladin controls, such as Divine Auras (see below).

Use the Valor tokens provided in this set to keep track of your current Valor, where 1 token = 1 Valor. There is no limit to how much Valor the Paladin can have at one time, even if he runs out of tokens and has to track by other means.

Divine Auras

The Paladin has three Divine Aura markers. He may activate a Divine Aura by using a quick action to pay its cost in Valor tokens, and then placing the aura marker in front of him or on his Mage card. Each Aura grants the Paladin unique abilities he will have for the rest of the game. The auras are permanent and cannot be removed, replaced, or destroyed.

Each marker is double-sided, showing two different aura choices. When he places the marker, he must choose which side or aura he wants to use.

If he chooses an aura on one side of the marker, he loses access to the aura on the other side of the marker for the rest of the game. This limits the Paladin to being able to have up to 3 Divine Auras active at any one time.

Example: If you chose the Retribution Aura, then you would not be able to activate the Martyr's Aura since they are on opposite sides of the same marker.

Retribution Aura / Martyr's Aura

COST: 3 Valor

Retribution Aura: When an enemy creature casts an enchantment or incantation targeting a friendly creature in the Paladin's zone, that enemy receives 1 direct light damage, regardless of range or LoS.

Martyr's Aura: When a friendly creature in the Paladin's zone receives damage from an enemy controlled attack or effect, you may transfer up to 2 of that damage to the Paladin instead.

Resolute Aura / Vengeful Aura

COST: 6 Valor

Resolute Aura: Friendly creatures in the Paladin's zone gain the Tough -2 trait. Other friendly creatures in the Paladin's zone gain Armor +2.

Vengeful Aura: Friendly creatures in the Paladin's zone gain Melee +1, and also gain Piercing +2 on their melee attacks.

Cleansing Aura / Solar Aura

COST: 3 Valor

Cleansing Aura: As a quick healing spell action, the Paladin may pay 1 Valor: heal target friendly creature in his zone 2 damage, and he may also remove a poison condition marker from them by paying its removal cost.

Solar Aura: When a friendly creature in the Paladin's zone makes a light attack, he may pay 1 Valor. If he does, the attack adds +2 to its effect roll. If it deals damage, the defender also receives 1 direct light damage.

Chivalrous Challenge

The Paladin challenges those who oppose his faith to protect what he has sworn to defend!

During the Upkeep Phase, the Paladin may place his Challenge marker on a target enemy creature up to 2 zones away. Once per round, the Paladin and his Challenged enemy may re-roll any number of their attack dice while making a melee attack against each other. If the Challenged enemy attacks any other object, the Paladin gains 1 Valor.

When the Challenged enemy is destroyed, return the Challenge marker back to the Paladin. Or, during the Upkeep Phase, the Paladin may pay 2 Valor to return it to himself. Once the marker is returned, the Paladin may then place it again during the Upkeep Phase.

The Paladin's Spellbook

Equipment

• 1 Champion's Gauntlets
• 2 Dawn's Bastion
• 1 Helm of Justice
• 1 Paladin's Cloak
• 2 Radiant Breastplate
• 1 Signet of the Dawnbreaker
• 1 Steadfast Boots
• 2 Sword of Radiance

Conjurations

• 4 Consecrated Ground
• 1 Crusade Banner
• 1 Malakai's Basilica
• 1 Pillar of Righteous Flame
• 1 Steep Hill
• 1 Temple of Meraveran

Creatures

• 1 Alandell, the Blue Knight
• 1 Artemis, Dawnbreaker's Eye
• 1 Cassiel, Shield of Bim-Shalla
• 3 Crusader Griffin
• 2 Dawnbreaker's Initiate
• 1 Dorseus, Stallion of Westlock
• 1 Eligor Larington
• 3 Knight of the Red Helm
• 2 Light of Dawn
• 2 Noble Vanguard
• 1 Temple High Guard

Enchantments

• 1 Ballad of Courage
• 3 Blind
• 3 Eye for an Eye
• 2 Healing Madrigal
• 3 Knight's Courage
• 2 Life Link
• 1 Song of Love

Incantations

• 2 Dispel
• 2 Dissolve
• 3 Lesser Teleport
• 3 Martyr's Restoration
• 2 Mending Wave
• 3 Overextend
• 1 Smite

Attacks

• 4 Luminous Blast

Strongest

"Strongest" refers to the qualifying object in the Arena with the highest total mana cost. In cases of a tie, the controller of the strongest effect may choose which object it applies to.

A Mage is considered the strongest creature if it has no other friendly creatures, even though it has no mana cost.

The Siren

"The waters of the deep roil, and tremors shake the foundations of our city of Shoalsdeep. We listen to the currents and the whispers of the waters, the commands of Val'as Sherean, Mistress of the Murky Phantoms. The tides of time rise once again, and the Merren will rise with them, to bring war to the Landwalkers and the minions of the new gods."

Sirens are Mages of the deep, who bring to the surface strange powers of song and spell. They are amphibious, but are most at home in the water, where they command creatures and minions both above and below the surface. Their enticing call is legendary and powerful, compelling even the most fearsome of living beings to their will.

Attributes

The Siren has a Channeling rate of 9, a Life of 30, and a base melee attack of 3 dice. Her subclass is Shoalsdeep. She also possesses the aquatic subtype.

Training

The Siren is trained in the Water school. Due to her attunement with the sea, the Siren has power over those who traverse it; the Siren is trained in pirate spells. In addition, the Siren also uses magical music to her advantage in the Arena; she is trained in song spells.

Special Abilities

Siren's Call

The Siren uses her call to beckon a creature to her. As a psychic song quick spell, the Siren may pay 1 mana to place her Siren's Call marker on a target non-Mage creature within 2 zones.

During its Action Phase that creature must move at least 1 zone closer to the Siren, if possible, and may not attack her. Friendly aquatic creatures also gain Melee +2 while they have the Siren's Call marker. Return the Siren's Call marker to the Siren at the end of the affected creature's activation. Her Siren's call is a psychic effect and cannot affect creatures with Psychic Immunity.

If a creature is under the effects of multiple mandatory actions, then its controller chooses which effect the creature will obey. Regardless of which mandatory action it follows, the creature is unable to attack the Siren and, if friendly, gains Melee +2.

Example: A Shoalsdeep Thrasher is in a zone with an enemy Noble Vanguard that has 2 damage on it. The Siren puts her Siren's Call marker on the Thrasher. So on his activation he has two mandatory actions. He may choose to obey either his Bloodthirsty +1 or the Siren's Call. Regardless he gains Melee +2 from being friendly to the Siren.

Fermata

The Siren weaves songs as part of her arsenal in the arena. She is so adept at this that she may sustain a song longer than usual. When the Siren removes the final Dissipate token from a song spell she controls, she may pay mana equal to the spell's Level to extend that song. She places one of her Fermata markers on the spell, with the marker's "1" side up.

During each Upkeep, if there is a Fermata marker on a song spell on its "1" side, she may let that spell be destroyed (and reclaim her Fermata marker), or she may pay mana equal to the spell's Level to extend it a second round. If she does, she flips the Fermata marker to its "2" side.

During each Upkeep, if there is a Fermata marker on a song spell on its "2" side, that spell is destroyed (and she reclaims her Fermata marker).

The Siren may only have two songs affected by Fermata markers at a time, and each song may only be extended a maximum of up to 2 rounds.

Note that if there are 2 Siren Mages in the arena, each can choose their own color (green or purple) and use the appropriate side of the Sirens Call and Fermata markers.

Amphibious

Due to the Siren's attunement to the sea, she gains Regenerate 1 while in a zone with an aquatic terrain attached.

The Siren's Spellbook

Equipment

• 1 Echo of the Depths
• 2 Leviathan Scale Armor
• 1 Ring of the Ocean's Depths
• 1 Ring of Tides
• 2 Shoalsdeep Trident
• 1 Voice of the Sea

Conjurations

• 2 Bed of Urchins
• 2 Coral Barrier
• 4 Shallow Sea
• 1 Swamp
• 1 Whirlpool
• 1 Wreck of the Viridian Lace

Creatures

• 1 Blightheart
• 1 Deptonne Berserker
• 2 Deptonne Bloodshaman
• 1 Gerard Mantranga
• 1 Kraken
• 2 Merren Harpooner
• 1 Naiya
• 1 Shoalsdeep Crocodile
• 4 Shoalsdeep Thrasher
• 1 Shoalsdeep Tidecaller
• 1 Turghut
• 1 Water Elemental

Enchantments

• 2 Ballad of Courage
• 2 Chant of Rage
• 1 Drown
• 2 Healing Madrigal
• 2 Hydrothermal Vent
• 2 Lullaby
• 1 Song of Love

Incantations

• 2 Dispel
• 2 Dissolve
• 3 Lesser Teleport
• 2 Mending Wave

Attacks

• 4 Swell
• 2 Tsunami

Codex

Anchored (Object Trait)

This object has an exceptionally strong connection to the plane of Etheria, and it resists attempts to magically transport it. Objects with this trait cannot be Teleported.

Bleed (Condition Marker)

This creature has suffered a deep bleeding wound. Bleed only affects Living non-plant creatures. Each Upkeep Phase, place one direct damage on this creature. Whenever this creature heals or regenerates, you may remove 1 Bleed condition for each point of healing you cancel. Finite Life prevents healing and regeneration, and thus will prevent a creature from removing a Bleed marker in this manner. Effects that allow you to remove conditions can still remove Bleed markers. The marker has a removal cost of 2.

Dissipate X (Object Trait)

Objects with Dissipate X only last a short while before dispersing. When an object with Dissipate X comes into play, it gets "X" Dissipate tokens. Each Upkeep Phase, remove one Dissipate token. When the last token is removed, destroy this object.

Grapple (Condition Marker)

Grapple is a condition which represents a creature grabbing and holding onto another creature. The creature initiating the Grapple is the grappler and the other creature is the prey. When a Grapple condition occurs, place the grappler and prey creature cards next to each other, with a Grapple condition marker on top of the prey (see example). Both creatures have a shared Grapple condition.

The prey is attached to the grappler. Both creatures are Restrained and Unmovable. They cannot Guard, and ignore guards when attacking each other.

A creature can only be the prey of one Grapple condition. If another creature attempts to grapple it, the grapple fails.

A creature can be the grappler in several Grapple conditions (it can hold onto multiple preys), as long as it has a separate attack with the Grapple trait for each prey it is holding. In such a case, place all of the prey cards next to the grappler, with a separate Grapple condition on each one. A creature cannot grapple a conjuration or itself. Uncontainable creatures cannot be grappled.

Attacking

For as long as it has the Grapple condition, the grappler cannot use the attack which caused the Grapple. If the prey makes a non-spell attack, it can only make a melee attack against the grappler and rolls 2 less attack dice on that attack.

Damage Barriers

If either creature has a damage barrier, and it is not triggered by a melee attack, then it will still attack the other creature at the end of their activation. For example, if the prey has a damage barrier, and the grappler did not make a melee attack against the prey this round, at the end of the grappler's activation it will still be attacked by the prey's damage barrier.

Removing the Grapple

• The grappler may "release its prey", and remove the Grapple condition marker at any time (but not in the middle of an attack or other action).
• If either creature is Teleported, the Grapple is removed.
• If the grappler becomes Incapacitated, it removes all of its Grapple conditions.
• The prey may attempt to escape at the end of its activation. It attempts an escape roll with the effect die. Add +1 to the roll for each damage the prey has dealt to the grappler this round. If the total is 9+, then the prey escapes and the Grapple is removed.
• Grapple does not have a removal cost, and cannot be removed by spells or effects which remove conditions.

Intercept (Object Trait)

If this creature is guarding, and if a ranged attack targets a non-flying object in the same zone, this creature may redirect that ranged attack to itself, as long as it can be a legal target for that attack. The Intercept is announced and occurs immediately after the Roll to Miss Step (and before the Avoid Attack Step). It loses its guard marker at the end of the attack which it intercepts. A creature cannot Intercept a zone attack and cannot Intercept if it is Restrained or Incapacitated.

Obscured (Object Trait)

This object is difficult to see. It cannot be targeted from more than one zone away (this is for all purposes — ranged attacks, spells, abilities, etc.). Any enchantments or equipment attached to the object also gain the Obscured trait, but attached conjurations do not.

Snatch (Effect)

This attack can grab and pull creatures towards its zone. Snatch is a Push effect, where the object is Pushed one zone closer, toward the source of the Push. Snatch has no effect on Uncontainable or Unmovable creatures.

Suffocate (Condition Marker)

This condition represents a creature being strangled, choked, or unable to breathe. For each Suffocate marker on a creature, or on a conjuration, enchantment, or condition attached to that creature, that creature has Life -2. The Suffocate condition only affects Living creatures. Each Suffocate marker has a removal cost of 2.

Vigilant (Object Trait)

This creature is constantly guarding, protecting, or sheltering friendly objects. At the end of its Action Phase you may place a Guard marker on this creature, if it does not already have one.

Terrain (Spell Type)

Terrain are conjurations that change the landscape of a zone. When you cast a terrain spell, if there is already terrain in that zone, then you must pay mana equal to the existing terrain's cost, as well as any conjurations attached to that terrain. This is in addition to the mana cost of the terrain spell you are currently casting. For example, if you wish to replace a Shallow Sea terrain (5 mana), which has a Whirlpool attached to it (12 mana), with an Elephant Grass terrain (8 mana), then you would have to pay a total of 25 mana!

Unstoppable (Object Trait)

This creature is exceptionally large, heavy, and/or strong. It is impossible to hold or push. This creature cannot be hindered, and it also has both the Unmovable and Uncontainable traits.

Objects Without Life

Normally creatures and conjurations have a Life attribute. If an object does not have a Life attribute, such as Shallow Sea, then it cannot receive or be destroyed by damage. However, it can be destroyed by other effects and abilities which directly destroy something without dealing damage.

Spell Notes

Crusade Banner

Crusade Banner cannot be used to summon less than 2 creatures, and if it summons creatures it is destroyed.

Dawnbreaker's Initiate

Note that conditions are not controlled by your opponent, and thus will not trigger his ability.

Eye for an Eye

The attacker does not apply their armor to the damage and effects applied, by Eye for an Eye. Whatever damage, effects, and conditions the defender applied, will be applied to the attacker.

Example: The Light of Dawn attacks a Shoalsdeep Thrasher. She rolls a 0, 1 critical, and 2 normal damage. In addition, she rolls an 8 on her effect roll, dazing the Thrasher. The Shoalsdeep Thrasher takes 3 damage and is dazed, and his Eye for an Eye applies 3 damage and a daze to the Light of Dawn, regardless of her armor.

Kraken

When the Kraken succeeds on its effect roll, it must Snatch before it Grapples. If the creature is in another zone, and it is not Snatched and Pushed to the Kraken's zone, then the Grapple fails.

Lesser Teleport

Only the initial target of Lesser Teleport needs to be within the spell's range. This is true of all spells that have additional targets not referenced in the targeting bar.

Mending Wave

Only the initial target of Mending Wave needs to be within the spell's range. This is true of all spells that have additional targets not referenced in the targeting bar.

Tsunami

You must choose an orthogonal (horizontal or vertical) direction.

Tsunami's Push follows standard Push rules. It is possible that a creature will be pushed into the next Zone that Tsunami will attack. If this happens the creature will be attacked (and possibly Pushed) again. In a standard arena the most zones you can attack with a Tsunami is 4.