Mage's Tower

A game entry for the Single Card Challenge.

2 players square off using only a handful of coins and a single card. Will the Mage be victorious in defending their tower? Will the General be able to sneak a single soldier through and win?

Equipment: This card & 9 coins (3 in 3 different sizes - e.g. 3 nickels, dimes & quarters).

One player (General) uses troops (coins) to attack. The other (Mage) uses spells to destroy them.

Setup: General shakes coins to randomize which heads / tails are up and places on the table, hidden from opponent. Table is divided in 4 imaginary zones.

Soldiers have health (large coins = 3 health, medium = 2, small = 1). If the coin is tails side up, it has a shield which protects from the first point of damage they are dealt. If they are damaged, flip them. If a soldier is damaged the same or more than their health, they are removed. They regain full health each turn.

Gameplay: General plays first. General puts 1 - 3 of their coins onto the Field zone. Each turn they may advance 0 - 3 coins from each zone to next (zones hold any number of soldiers). Each turn, General may flip 1 coin (giving them a shield). This coin may be in play or camp (hand). After playing coins, and flipping one, they end their turn. If one coin reaches the Mage’s Tower (advances off the table from zone 4), the General wins.

Mage holds card in both hands, left and right thumbs at top, covering circles. Mage casts 1 spell / turn. To cast, Mage moves down left thumb as far as they like to pick damage, then right thumb as far as they like to pick a spell. (Doesn't have to be in the same row: e.g. 4 damage could be for any spell). Mage cannot move thumbs back up, so be careful when choosing.

Deal X damage equal to last damage number uncovered using the spells below. Mage may skip their turn once per game. If all soldiers are killed, Mage wins.

Spells

Lightning: X damage split any way among targets from 2 zones.

Fireball: X damage to 1 target in all zones. All must be the leftmost, or rightmost in all zones.

Wave: X damage to each target in 1 zone, move all soldiers in that zone back one.

Tome: X damage to 1 target then reset both thumbs to top of the card, resetting the spellbook. May only be cast once per game.