SoZ is a 2-6 player euro-type game that enables players to train their young wizard. Whichever wizard is powerful enough, obtains the Sceptor thereby winning the game.

Overview

The basic premise of the game is to obtain magical energy by energizing gems and by using magic dust (both of which are your currency). The player can do any of the following main actions:

1. Obtain Gems- Purpose: when energized, they are used as currency to obtain other things and advance knowledge.

2. Obtain Magic Dust: Also used as currency, but is less efficient with regards to hand size limits (see below).

3. Obtain Artifacts (via auction)- Purpose: acquire special abilities, increase hand size, increase gem holding capacity, award VP's.

4. Obtain Sentinels (via auction)- Purpose: aquire lots of VP's.

5. Advance Knowledge - Purpose: increase certain abilities.

Game Turn

Phase I:
Check Turn Order. This is based on who has the most VP's. More VP's= earlier Turn Order. Note that Players 1 and 2 (the winning players) have penalties incurred, while players 5 and 6 (the losing players) have certain benefits.

During this phase, make available a number of artifacts (in the form of cards) available equal to the number of players (if any were obtained last turn).

Phase II
Each player gets energy (basically money) based on activated gems. each player has the initial capacity to hold 5 activated gems. This number can increase with certain artifacts and certain knowledge advancement.

There are 4 gems that collect "money". In ascending order of value: Sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and rubies. For each activated gem, a player recieves a card matching that gem. These cards have a number indicating their worth. Sapphires have the lowest range values, while rubies have the highest. Opals are special; they award players magic dust (which for all practical purposes is treated exactly the same as gem-acquired energy.

Phase III
These are where the players perform actions in turn order. A player can perform any/all actions he wishes with one exception: Knowledge can be advanced only once per turn.

1. Purchasing gems: All players can buy sapphires and opals. Only the players with the spellbook artifact can buy emeralds and only players with the elixer artifact can acquire diamomds. To buy rubies, you have to advance your Knowledge of Fire to level 4. Note certain other artifacts may give you a functioning gem you may not otherwise be able to buy (i.e. the chalice of fire artifact acts as 1 activated ruby per turn).

The cost of gems depends on your level oF Knowledge of Gems. You can also sell gems for half price of their value.

2. Obtain Artifacts via auction: Each artifact card has a minimum bid number. Auctions are continuous and end when all but 1 player passes. These cards are costly, yet they can be very improtant.

3. Obtain Sentinels via auction: Like Artifacts you can obtain sentinels. They are very very costly as they have a high minimum bid number, though they award lots of VP's (Think of them as similar to the large purple buildings in Puerto Rico).

4. Advance knowledge (once per turn): There are 6 areas of knowledge, each of which can be advanced from level zero to level 4. Note depending on your character, you start out at level 1 with a certain knowledge. The 6 areas are:

A. Knowledge of Gems: The further you advance, the cheaper gems are to purchase (consequently you get less if you sell them).

B. Knowledge of Energy Flow: The further you advance, the more "free" magic dust you are awarded each turn (during phase II).

C. Knowledge of Fire: Only when you make it to level 4, you then gain the ability to purchase rubies. Exception: the Druid can buy at most 1 ruby at level 3.

D. Knowledge of the 9 Sages: Each advancement awards a one-time bonus of 2 gem cards. The higher the advancement, the better the gem cards.

E. Knowledge of Artifacts: Artifacts/Sentinels are 5/10 units cheaper (level 2 and 3) or 10/20 units cheaper (level 4).

F. Knowledge of Accumulation: Advancing this level allows you to hold +1 energized gems (levels 2 and 3) or +2 energized gems (level 4).

Each successive advancement is more costly. Furthermore, if you are at level zero, you have to pay an additional amount to get a knowledge track marker available for use.

Placing a track marker initially on certain knowledge tracks can incur a +1 or -1 hand limit bonus/penalty.

Phase IV
Each Player totals his VP's. Note that VP's are not cumulative. Regardless of what you had last turn, you always start at zero. The only purpose of tracking VP's every turn is to determine turn order for the following turn. Also at the game end, the player with the most VP's wins. The game ends at the end of a turn when 5 of the 9 sentinels have been acquired. VPs are awarded for: activated gems, artifacts and sentinels. If the game does not end, check for hand limits and prepare for another turn; various material goes against hand limits, mainly energy cards and magic dust. Note that magic dust is least efficient in this regard in that fewer units take up more "space" in comparison to energy cards.

My overall Impressions

Theme: 7.5 I always like fantasy based games, though understand this is not a questing/adventure games typical of the genre.

Mechanics: 8 This game is not that complicated, though it can be real brain burner as to figuring out what to do with your resources. The knowledge track reminds me of Goa in that there are certain tracks and the further you advance, the better the rewards.

Rule Book: 7.5 Very easy to unnderstand. At first I was a little confused over what was what with regards to the player mats and the main boards. A few extra illustrations would have been helpful. Nonetheless the rules were clearly written without ambiguities.

Strategy: 8.5 There is a little luck in that your energy cards have various values. Otherwise its totally up to the player to choose their path to victory, of which there are many.

Aesthetics/components: 7.5 All the chits are firm cardboard. The player mats and main board are also pretty sturdy (like Puerto Rico). The artwork is pretty cool, though some of the characters look a little daft.

Overall fun factor: 8

This is a nice solid medium to heavy euro game. It's not heavy with regards to rules complexity, but it is heavier with regards to strategic options. I would liken it closest with Goa, since one of the main mechanics is advancement along multiple linear paths. There is also an auction phase as with Goa (though Goa is a single round auction). It is a long game that can also get quite "mathy," especially since you have to recalculate VP's at the end of every turn. You also finding yourself thinking "I pay x to advance here, this will reduce my cost by y over here".

This game, contrary to several posts, plays very well with 2. Despite there being an auction component, most players in a multiplayer game usually get their artifact or sentinel with minimal fuss, since there are always others to be had.

Other than the auction component, there is minimal player interaction. This may be a deterrent for those who don't care for "double solitaire" games. Personally I think there are enough stressful decisions to make every turn to not even notice this.

Getting back to 2 players, I would definitely change the end game to make it less drawn out, since the game-ending trigger is totally dependant on the number of players. Since the game ends when the 5th sentinel is purchased, in a 5 player game every player would average 1 sentinel; in a 2-player game each player would have 2 to 3 sentinels. I would recommend any of the following changes:

1. Pick 5 artifacts randomly for play. When 3 are obtained, the game ends.
2. Play with the "neutral" turn order tiles thereby ameliorating any imposed difficulties with regards to obtaining artifacts/sentinels.
3. Play to a set number of VP's (50 VPs would be my recommendation).

I like idea 1 the best. I also like idea 3, but it would make the game more "mathy".

Anyway, I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who likes heavier euro's such as Goa, Caylus etc. Enjoy!!