Taylor Jiy is a witch who is known for her powerful and mysterious abilities. She lives in a hidden cottage in the depths of the enchanted forest, where she practices her craft and connects with the elements of nature. With her long flowing hair, crystal blue eyes, and flowing robes, she looks like she stepped out of a fairy tale. Taylor possesses the ability to control the elements, manipulate energy, and communicate with spirits. She can summon storms, create fire with a flick of her finger, and heal wounds with her touch. Her connection to the earth is strong, and she uses her powers to protect the forest and its inhabitants from harm.
I was already on my second drink of the evening before we had the board set up, after a full 45 minutes of reading the rules and setting up the pieces. We each selected a planeswalker avatar to lead our plastic squads around the hexagonal spaces on the board. “Wait, so this is Warhammer ?” my husband quipped, referring the extremely complex table-top game, in which hardcore players move miniatures around an arena and talk battle tactics.
my husband quipped, referring the extremely complex table-top game, in which hardcore players move miniatures around an arena and talk battle tactics. There are terrain rules for water, cryptoliths, roads, and the sand tiles, but in general, they either cost more movement points to traverse or give you more movement points.
Her connection to the earth is strong, and she uses her powers to protect the forest and its inhabitants from harm. Despite her formidable powers, Taylor is gentle and kind-hearted. She believes in using her abilities for good and helping those in need.
I Played 'Magic: The Gathering -- Arena of the Planeswalkers' And All I Got Was Drunk
I am a huge fan of Magic: The Gathering. This collectible card game by Hasbro -owned Wizards of the Coast has been around nearly as long as I have. So when Hasbro offered to send me a review copy of Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers ($29.99), I thought it was my lucky day.
However, Magic: The Gathering it ain’t. I encountered a significant learning curve that my years of play experience did little to alleviate. This is a game for people who are serious about board games—people who aren’t swayed by lots of little pieces or 20 pages of rules. I recently tested out the game with some friends, and this is how it went for us.
The box is on the larger side when it comes to board games—about 15 inches long—and is packed to the brim. It came with four hexagonal-gridded boards that fit together, 11 dice, dozens of tiny red damage counters, five plastic player avatars (AKA “planeswalkers”), and two groups of “squad” avatars—which serve as armies—for each player. The avatars were split into five colors—white, blue, black, red and green—just like in Magic: The Gathering. Unlike in Magic, there’s no creative deck building. You have to devote yourself to just one color and stick with it.
Of course, the heart of the game lies in the cards that came with all this, 12 enchantment spells, two creature spells, and one planeswalker card per color. I’m certain this sounds like gibberish if you haven’t played the card game, hence the enormous rule tome. We learned that the object of the game is to use our planeswalkers and squads to outmaneuver opponents for tactical advantages in key locations in the play area. "Be the last Planeswalker standing to win!" the game suggests.
Acquiring my husband and two of our friends—who love Magic: The Gathering as much as I do—was the easy part. Keeping everyone entertained long enough to through the 20-page rulebook was more difficult. I found that plying everyone with alcohol was a fitting solution. Keeping with the colorful theme of Magic: The Gathering, I fixed green Gin and Tonics with extra lime and red Whiskey Sours with extra cherries. If the game had kept going, I would have graduated to Blue Hawaiians.
I was already on my second drink of the evening before we had the board set up, after a full 45 minutes of reading the rules and setting up the pieces. We each selected a planeswalker avatar to lead our plastic squads around the hexagonal spaces on the board. “Wait, so this is Warhammer ?” my husband quipped, referring the extremely complex table-top game, in which hardcore players move miniatures around an arena and talk battle tactics.
The Gameplay
As you might expect for a game with so many components and rules, turn-taking is pretty complicated in Arena of the Planeswalkers. Each person’s turn was split into five parts. Draw a card from your enchantment deck and cast up to three cards from your hand if desired, choose an army (or your planeswalker) to complete an action this turn, move, attack, and cast more spells if you haven’t hit the three-spell limit yet. If an attack does occur, that’s another interaction, with the attacker and defender rolling a set of dice to randomly determine how much damage has been done. Whew!
Our starting positions influenced our aggressions throughout the game. I, the green player, spent much of my time attacking blue, while red and black went after each other. It reminded us all of the way Magic: The Gathering is intended to be a two-player game, and we suspect that Arena of the Planeswalkers is also ideal that way. Because of the limited movement and attacking we could do per turn, it made sense to focus on just one person instead of to force yourself to fight a war on three fronts. The biggest reason for this is that you can’t cast defensive spells when it isn’t your turn. Instead, you’d have to wait while three different armies have their way with you before you can come up with a response.
Calling It Quits
The game says that a 4-player game should continue for 48 turns. But after three hours and 25 turns, we were all Planeswalkered out. Since everyone knew this was my review copy, I then spent another 30 minutes listening to my friends’ praise and criticism for the game.
“I had a fun time playing the game. but I’m not sure if we were playing it right,” said the black player. She probably would have come out on top if we kept going.
“I wish there had been more detail in the avatars, like with HeroClix ,” the blue player observed. HeroClix are game pieces, but they double as collectible miniatures. As seasoned Magic players, my friends know that the value of a single card can rise into the tens of thousands . To attract the same collectors that Magic does, Wizards of the Coast might want to devote as much quality to the board game pieces as it does to its beautifully detailed cards.
“Maybe we wouldn’t have wasted as much time if there was a Quick Start Guide,” the red player said. “Or if the rulebook had an appendix where we could look up all the terms.” Learning to play a new board game is always tough, and our experience indicated that even if you already play Magic: The Gathering, you don’t get a free pass with figuring out the board game.
Overall, I’d recommend Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers to seasoned Magic players with plenty of free time looking for a completely different way to interact with the characters, creatures, and spells they already know and love. But if the passion for Magic isn’t already in you somewhere—or you've been drinking and don't have the mindset for plenty of rules—you’re better off playing something less complicated.
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers has been rated 7.7 out of 10 on BoardGameGeek . Have you played, and if so, what did you think of it?
Attacking is also very simple. You choose a target, see if you can see the target (from the figure’s point of view), and then roll your power dice for that figure. The defending figure rolls dice equal to their toughness. Spells, enchantments, special abilities, and terrain can all modify how many dice you roll, but you compare the amount of hits you have with the amount of shields your opponent has, then that figure receives wound markers equal to the difference. Unless you have a special ability that says otherwise, only the attacked figure receives damage, unlike the card game. If a figure receives damage equal to its life total, it is destroyed and the figure is placed in your graveyard.
She often uses her gift of healing to assist injured animals or cure illnesses in the nearby village. People who have encountered Taylor describe her as wise and mysterious. She has a wealth of knowledge about ancient spells, potions, and rituals. Many seek her guidance and wisdom, seeking answers to their most pressing questions or looking for solutions to their problems. However, Taylor's powers are not without their challenges. She must constantly balance the forces of light and dark within herself, ensuring that she uses her magic responsibly and avoids the temptation of darker paths. She is aware of the consequences that come with abusing her powers and remains cautious of the potential dangers. Despite the secrecy and mystique surrounding her, Taylor is not shunned or feared by the neighboring villagers. On the contrary, they respect and admire her for her selflessness and willingness to help. They view her as a protector and guardian of their community. Taylor Jiy, the witch, is a symbol of power, wisdom, and harmony with nature. She reminds us of the importance of using our abilities for good and embracing the magic that resides within us all. In a world where darkness can sometimes prevail, she serves as a beacon of light and hope, reminding us that even the smallest actions can make a difference..
Reviews for "The Witching Hour with Taylor Jiy: An Interview with the Magical Influencer"
1. Emily - 2/5: I was really disappointed with "Taylor the Witch". The storyline felt cliché and predictable, and the characters lacked depth. The main character Taylor was supposed to be this powerful witch, but she came across as weak and indecisive. The writing style was also lackluster, with repetitive dialogue and description. Overall, I found it hard to connect with the story and was left feeling underwhelmed.
2. David - 3/5: "Taylor the Witch" had some interesting elements, but it fell short for me. I found the pacing to be slow, with the plot dragging at certain parts. The world-building was limited, and I wanted more detail and explanation. The romance between Taylor and the love interest felt forced and lacked chemistry. While the concept was intriguing, the execution fell flat, and I struggled to stay engaged throughout the book.
3. Sarah - 2/5: I was excited to read "Taylor the Witch" but was ultimately disappointed. The book had a lot of potential, but it failed to deliver on its promises. The characters were one-dimensional, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The plot felt rushed and poorly developed, with unexplained magical elements and plot holes. The writing style was also choppy, making it difficult to follow the story. Overall, I found "Taylor the Witch" to be a lackluster read that didn't live up to my expectations.
4. Jason - 1/5: I couldn't finish "Taylor the Witch" as it was simply unbearable to read. The writing was amateurish, filled with grammatical errors and awkward sentence structures. The characters were uninteresting, and their actions often made no sense. The plot lacked cohesion and direction, with random events thrown in without any clear purpose. It felt like a poorly written first draft rather than a polished novel. I would not recommend "Taylor the Witch" to anyone looking for a well-crafted and engaging book.
5. Megan - 2/5: I was unimpressed with "Taylor the Witch". The story started off with an interesting concept but quickly became repetitive and predictable. The characters lacked depth and failed to elicit any emotional connection. The dialogue felt forced, and the interactions between the characters were unrealistic. The book also ended abruptly, leaving many loose ends untied. Overall, I felt let down by "Taylor the Witch" and would not recommend it to others.