Grand Tribunal: The Ars Magica Board Game Review
By Ian Strelec, Staff Reviewer
Initiative Round
“Since time immemorial, wizards from all corners of the world have met in secret conclaves called Tribunals. The most important of these is the Grand Tribunal; held every thirty-three years, the Grand Tribunal draws magi from far and wide to display their magical creations for the approval of the archmages. These powerful judges vote on their choice for which three magic items are the best at each Tribunal, and award only the very best wizard the title of archmage at the Grand Tribunal. The next Grand Tribunal is fast approaching, and it’s your chance to prove yourself as a true master of ars magica - the art of magic!
In Grand Tribunal, players use Vis (wees) tokens to activate cards representing magic item types, spell categories, and resources, which they then assemble into powerful magic items. Each round, players place their votes for the item types and spell categories they’re most likely to be able to play. Three times during the game – at the periodic Tribunals – players are presented with 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd- place awards for creating magic items with item types and spell categories that match those with the most votes. The player with the most points at the end based on those awards wins the game!
Grand Tribunal is a board game for three to five players inspired by the Ars Magica roleplaying game. It takes approximately 60-90 minutes to play, and is designed for players ages 12 and up.”
Allow me to begin by saying that this game is somewhat complicated. The entire point is to build these magic items, using power obtained through Vis, which can be obtained during your action. The choice essentially comes down to gathering in resources on your turn, or expending those resources to produce your items. Eventually, the game is decided by the items you have at the end, as well as any awards these items won.
Critical Hit
Strengths for this game include a surprisingly involved and entertaining gameplay system, as well as high quality playing materials. The cards are durable, the board made of strong material, and the tokens gamer-friendly glass beads. The game itself, while long, is also engaging in a way many may find unexpected in a game about building things instead of blowing them up.
Critical Fumble
Unfortunately, the game is complicated, and also long. These can easily lead to boring people or turning them off even before the game gets started. The premise may also throw off people. But if you can get them to sit down and play a few turns, things should be fine.
Coup de Grace
So, we have a game that is, while slightly lengthy and complicated, surprisingly fun to play and made high-quality. Definitely worth it if you’re a board-game fan, but it’s not altogether extraordinary.
Final Grade: B
