Spellfire
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- Spellfire is also the name of a magical power in the Forgotten Realms.
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| Designer | James Ward |
|---|---|
| Publisher | TSR |
| Players | 2+ |
| Age range | 10+ |
| Playing time | Approx 90 min |
| Random chance | Some |
| Skills required | Card playing Arithmetic Basic Reading Ability |
Spellfire: Master the Magic is a collectible card game (CCG) created by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) and based on their popular Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. The game first appeared in 1994, shortly after the introduction of Magic: The Gathering, and was created as a response to the success of trading card games.[1] It has since been discontinued.
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[edit] History
Immediately after the initial successful launch of Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering card game, TSR decided[citation needed] to enter the fledgling CCG market with their take on a fantasy-themed card game. The core creation of Spellfire's gameplay was completed by James Ward, VP of creative design for TSR at the time.
Spellfire was widely anticipated by Dungeons & Dragons fans[citation needed] as it used characters, location, magic items, artifacts, monsters, events, and spells from the intellectual properties of TSR's gaming worlds. However, immediately after its release several factors harmed its initial growth and perceived popularity among fans and potential fans.
The main concern was TSR's decision to re-use full pieces or portions of artwork on Spellfire cards that were previously used on TSR's products like AD&D and Dragon Magazine.[citation needed] While some players explained that better quality art, even if recycled, was preferential to the much of the amateur art found in Magic: The Gathering's initial set, others[who?] were turned off by this decision.
Another source of potential debate was Spellfire's use of completely different game mechanics. Many fans[who?] who initially purchased Spellfire had expected a similar style of gameplay to that of Magic: The Gathering and when Spellfire provided a different set of rules and style of play, they too rejected the game. This led to the early formation of Spellfire's fundamental schism: one set of CCG players hated the game as much for some of TSR's design decisions as for their own (perhaps) unrealistic expectations. Nevertheless, Spellfire's fan base initially was quite large.[citation needed]
[edit] Editions
In the first release, the only products available were the 110-card starter packs (which drew from a selection of 400 cards), and 15-card booster packs which drew from the same 400-card set and a 25-card sub-set of very rare, or "chase cards".
The second edition starter pack fixed some misprints and replaced 20 first edition cards with 20 different chase cards. The artwork for the new chase cards consisted mostly of photo art: fantasy-related artifacts or people in costume. The rest of the second-edition set remained identical to the first edition. The Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Forgotten Realms booster series were released soon after the second edition, and these were well received by players.
The third edition starter made some significant changes to many of the cards by adding powers to cards that previously had none, but kept the same names and artwork. There were also significant rules corrections and updates. The Artifacts, Powers, Underdark, Runes & Ruins, and Birthright booster series added many new dimensions to the game.
By the time the fourth edition starter pack made its debut, the future of TSR was uncertain, and this led to production problems. Three more booster series, Draconomicon, Nightstalkers, and Dungeons, were released and though they all sold out immediately, these sets were produced in small quantities, thus giving the impression that these sets sold poorly, which was untrue. Shortly thereafter Wizards of the Coast bought out TSR.
Before it was discontinued, Spellfire was released in six different languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, and French) and five different editions, as well as having eleven expansions or "booster sets". Despite its eventual demise, Spellfire is considered by many to be a successful game. At one point several years after Wizards of the Coast acquired TSR, they announced that they would be re-releasing Spellfire, but the project was canceled.
[edit] Current Fanbase
Currently, a fan appointed Spellfire Council is keeping the game active by producing unofficial boosters available online. Some of these are deemed legal for tournament play. These so-called sticker boosters are to be printed on sticker paper and attached to the front of normal extra cards that a player may have.
Spellfire still maintains a fanbase of worldwide players who keep their favorite game alive through online interaction[2]. This includes an email list-server and a shareware program entitled CrossFire, which was released several years ago and primarily allows Spellfire players to battle each other online[3].
Additionally, as of late 2009, there is an active and vibrant market for Spellfire cards on trading sites such as Ebay, with the rarest cards going for prices upwards of thirty or forty dollars and even lesser known cards being actively traded back and forth. This indicates a solid base of current interest in both collecting the cards and playing the game.[citation needed]
[edit] Gameplay
Spellfire featured a variety of different card classes, each subject to its own rules of play and interaction. The primary objective is to be the first player to put 6 unrazed realm cards into play.
REALMS - Realms represent kingdoms, cities, and empires from the AD&D worlds that have sided with the player in question. It is only by playing realms that the game can be won. It is common for a player's opponents to attack his realms, or destroy them by other means (e.g. spells, events). Realms are played in a pyramid shaped formation and must be played from front to back; i.e., the first realm played goes at the top or point of the pyramid, the next two go in the spaces below that (left then right), and the last three go in the spaces below that. These spaces are typically labeled by letter, with the first space "A" and the last "F". So, for example, the formation looks like:
A
B C
D E F
CHAMPIONS - During his turn, the player may play champions into his "pool." He may also outfit them with magic items and artifacts. Champions are probably the most important cards in the game, as they are used to attack and defend realms. The types of champions in the original game were heroes, monsters, clerics, and wizards; later, psionicists, regents, and thieves were added.
If the player at any time had no realms, razed or unrazed, in his formation, all of the cards in his pool would be discarded at the end of his turn.
[edit] References
- ^ "The History of TSR". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wizards.com%2Fdnd%2FDnDArchives_History.asp&date=2008-10-04. Retrieved 2005-08-20.
- ^ The Spellfire Community Page
- ^ CrossFire Frames
