Does anyone remember this card game? Anyone still have a deck set up or the rules? Starting to think I am the only one that has any of the cards.
I remember getting the starter set, with a few varied cards. Dragon King will live in infamy amongst my buds, just because it was the biggest monster we had then.
The game was simple, and between that and the complex rules of Magic (printed in that ridiculous little rules book--does anyone really know what banding does?) Spellfire was easier to kill a short amount of time with.
However, time was not kind to Spellfire. Each booster set (with the exception, maybe, of the second and third ones, Ravenloft and Dragonlance respectively), they just became increasingly overpowered. When cards had no "cost" to play, there was never a need to use even the weenies. It became a "he who spends the most, wins the most" kind of a game. Even better, we went from great artwork (like imagery from Larry Elmore paintings), to some weak module sketches, and finally, in the tenth or eleventh set, photographs of some dudes from some crappy Ren-faire.
Though an inglorious death, I was sad to see it go. However, it gave me the opportunity to pick up Magic one more time...and with the beautiful artwork for the Mirage set, I was not disappointed.
Does anyone remember this card game? Anyone still have a deck set up or the rules? Starting to think I am the only one that has any of the cards.
I just went through all of mine the other day, oddly enough. Found them in a tin of whatnots from my mom's house. There was some scuttlebutt back in the day that Spellfire was what drove WoTC to buy out D&D, but that may just be hearsay. Still some pretty lively Ebay auctions from what I can tell.
Does anyone remember this card game? Anyone still have a deck set up or the rules? Starting to think I am the only one that has any of the cards.
Whoa. Don't dig Spellfire back up. Get the biggest pillow in the house, place it firmly yet gently over the cards, apply pressure, and give them peace. Shhhhh shh shh shh shh, it's all over crappy little card game, it's time to rest.
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Does anyone remember this card game? Anyone still have a deck set up or the rules? Starting to think I am the only one that has any of the cards.
Still Have all of my Spellfire cards.
Back then I had alot of disposable cash and had a pretty active group of friends to play with. I played spellfire to the end and the only reason it died for me was because the other players moved onto new games.
I think I'm missing about 50 of the specials from the later sets and being a bit of a collector I don't intend on getting rid of them. I still keep an eye out for the odd booster for sale at conventions and stuff and perhaps one day will finally complete the set.
I've kept enough spares stored in boxes so that when my sons are old enough to understand the rules I'll teach them how to play :) Its a great way to get them into roleplaying ;)
Same goes for my Star Wars (decipher) and Babylon 5 collections.
I had a bunch of those, although I couldn't keep up with the insanely quick (or so I seemed to me) release schedule, and games typically boiled down to who got their land out first, and could defend it, and who could get the biggest creature out and pump it large enough. Made Magic's seem like a much longer period.
And Spellfire was a much better, and easier to understand game than Blood Wars (but then, I think brain surgery would be easier to understand than that mess). I even conned a friend into trying a game out with me on that one, and we still didn't have a clear grasp of the rules by the end.
Chief Technical Officer
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There was some scuttlebutt back in the day that Spellfire was what drove WoTC to buy out D&D, but that may just be hearsay.
AH-HAH-HAH-HAH-choke-HAH-HAH-gasp-HAH-HAH-HAH!
Spellfire's primary effect on Wizards was to induce lots of chortling laughter. Oh, and derisive comments about the "Master the Magic" subtitle. And about the "trade in your Magic cards for Spellfire cards" program, a key goal of which was apparently to increase the size of TSR executive Jim Ward's personal Magic: The Gathering collection.
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Chief Technical Officer
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Even better, we went from great artwork (like imagery from Larry Elmore paintings), to some weak module sketches, and finally, in the tenth or eleventh set, photographs of some dudes from some crappy Ren-faire.
Except that the great artwork was totally recycled from other products, often cropped to within an inch of its life, and printed incredibly cheaply.
(And a bunch of those "Ren-faire" dudes were TSR employees!)
Now, now Vic, just because Spellfire sucked the big one (and I'm sorry for fans of Spellfire, but it was absolute crap compared to Magic) doesn't mean you have to poke deserved fun at it.
Now spellfire as a magic system in the world of D&D fiction is another thing altogether. And as for the roleplaying side of spellfire, the powers are great, it's just a pity that the 3.0 mechanics for it suck (and haven't been touched by 3.5)!
a key goal of which was apparently to increase the size of TSR executive Jim Ward's personal Magic: The Gathering collection.
That's pure genius there.
Contributor
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Ah Spellfire. My brother bought a crapload of those cards, and a crapload is what they were.
I remember at Gen Con, he talked to some folks at TSR and told them that they needed to get original artwork and better atwork and better rules. They responded that original art work was to expensive to be financially viable. He pointed to the mile-long line at the WotC booth and said "They seem to be making it work. If you can't do better, they are going to eat you alive." He didn't know how right he was.
Worst game ever. I'd rather play Hi-ho cherry-O or Candyland.
I did end up selling my whole box full of nigh 1000 cards to someone for $5. Best $5 I ever made.
Still Have all of my Spellfire cards.Back then I had alot of disposable cash and had a pretty active group of friends to play with. I played spellfire to the end and the only reason it died for me was because the other players moved onto new games.
I think I'm missing about 50 of the specials from the later sets and being a bit of a collector I don't intend on getting rid of them. I still keep an eye out for the odd booster for sale at conventions and stuff and perhaps one day will finally complete the set.
I've kept enough spares stored in boxes so that when my sons are old enough to understand the rules I'll teach them how to play :) Its a great way to get them into roleplaying ;)
Same goes for my Star Wars (decipher) and Babylon 5 collections.
D'oh, I may have been able to help you out. I just gave away (just a few months ago) my big box of spellfire cards when I had to downsize my rpg collection (the excess going to the kind folks at Goodwill). I remember when I was in high school I wanted to get 'one of these new card games' and went in to the local hobby shop. There was magic and there was spellfire. I went with spellfire since I already played D&D. I had a great time with it for a bit, sort of like a gateway drug, then it was time to move on to the hard stuff: first there was Magic, then there was Jyhad (before the name was changed), Rage...
I can't beleive how easily I became addicted to collectible trading card games back then. I'd never fall into that now... now I'm addicted to D&D minis and Heroclix :)
Two friends of mine played this game to death, buying new cards like you would not believe and passing extras and unwanteds on to me. The same thing happened in Magic: The Gathering. Thing is, the poor kid with cast-off cards could still win at Magic. Spellfire was for the lucky (who happened to get the right card) or the biggest money (which could outbuy the competition.) I BARELY play magic any more, so I don't know if it is still true that a simple suite of the right commons (Lightning Bolt, Shatter, Tranquility and Giant Growth, for example) can get you out of most messes, or if game effect is still determined by mana cost rather than rarity - but I assume it is still the case. Spellfire, by contrast, could offer you two cards: One card offered +2 and no other benefit (or in-game cost.); the other offered +5 and no other benefit (or in-game cost). The second card is CLEARLY better. Anyone with a choice will use it over the first. That's just a bad way to make a game based around customizable decks.