Mage Knight | Solo Conquest | With Colin 

I am a little late to the party... I watched the Colin playthrough twice and along with reading the rulebook multiple times, it taught me how to play this game. After two days of analyzing every move, I just completed my first Solo Conquest game using Tovak and I scored... 147 from fame track, +20 +15 fame from 2 cities, +5 End of Round, +14 +15 Knowledge, +6 + 3 Loot, +17 Leader, +16 Conqueror, +6 Adventurer, 0 wound cards = 264! I will probably never beat this score lol A few notes: from the video I learned the importance of conquering Keeps of which I had 4, including one that was perfectly located between both cities. I used the Temporal Portal to increase my hand limit whenever possible. I also never took a wound card that I could not heal during the same turn ;-)

Ultra illustrative way of explaining an outstanding brain breaking boardgame (my favorite solo boardgame)... thanks for that simple and straightforward explanation, just 90 minutes for a 2 to 3 hours game... I Love Mage Knight!

Brilliant play through. Great format, very watchable. Thanks for taking the time to put this video together.

Haha, loved the fire-animation at 44:32! Love these playthroughs Colin. And I can see how much time and energy is involved with all those cross-fades and cuts to get to these lean, engaging videos

Thanks for posting another Mage Knight video. Every time I see another play thru I learn more strategy tips. Colin your videos are all excellent. Keep the MK and S&S videos coming!

Please do another playthrough as that was very helpful. I've only played the walkthrough scenario a few times and after watching this I think I'll take on a solo conquest. The city battles are a little overwhelming, but watching you do it makes it easier to understand. I also really enjoyed the pace, editing, and general clarity of the video. Thank you!

Really enjoy your sense of humor clear joy you experience while playing this game. Also, your explanation of your decisions really helps tie the game together for a new player. Thank you for posting these.

I currently have two unsuccessful (and veeeery sloppy) games under my belt, and each time I come back and watch another video from you to learn more and go "oooooh, THATS how that works" lol thanks for these playthroughs!

Very good conquest. Very fun to watch. Your making me get my MageKnight on the table, Thanks. Best solo game ever!!

This is an amazing video. I never played the game or saw a playthrough of the game but this was easy to follow and made me very hyped to play it for myself. Great job.

So much fun to watch Colin! I've had Mage Knight forever. I've played it a few times, and just haven't quite figured it out yet. Watching this makes me want to pull it back out and give it another go, because the game is just so cool. Great job!

Love your playthroughs, Colin. I think one of reasons I'm so drawn to MK is the absolutely stellar artwork.

Really good playthrough. I enjoyed how excited he gets when he receives/draw good cards. Excellent video to watch.

Hey Colin, thanks for the playthrough. MageKnight and RickyRoyal's videos are what got me started on my solo and cooperative boardgaming hobby. Shortly before finding the One Stop Co-op Shop channel and countless hours of entertainment :)

Your Ares Expedition video inspired me to play engine builders and I had a blast. After watching this video I finally stop procrastinating my MK journey. Woah that's totally amazing! Thank you and thank you!

Always love your playthrough videos! Can see text and everything clearly. Keep doing them!

You do this so well. Great audio, well played, well explained and just a touch of emotion about choices!

I got the game today. The way you explain what your doing and how you do it makes it 10 times easier to understand. Ive only played two solo conquests but my favorite mage is probably tovak.

Such an awesome playthrough. Thanks for this Colin

It was about time!!! My fav channel and fav game!

"I have so many wounds." *laughs in 12 wounds from a game I played last month.

Yes!!! I need a break from JotL and this has tempted me into playing the game that started it all for me. Thanks, Colin.

Thank you for the video. I played this game about 15 times and I have always been playing many parts wrong lol I use to add both the advance action and the spell to the dummy player's deck. He's deck was bigger, but he would also draw cards of the color of a crystal more often. Also, I only used advanced units after revealing a core city tiles, and many more little things. Thanks again!

Nice!!! Perfect for me to finally get my copy to the table and learn it properly! As much as I love Frontiers, I need to forget that while I play Mageknight so I don't get the rules wrong!

Wow, this is just what i needed to watch right now, an efficient, elegant and enjoyable MK playthrough, thanks !

Very nice play through, AND, I learned a new rule: I always drew 1 additional card, no matter how many keeps I owned, which I now see, makes a BIG difference for the end-game. THANKS!

I love this game! Thanks for the playthrough, Colin!

Just watching a rules video wasn't enough to convince me to play MK. Your playthrough did it. About to get my own copy! Thanks for this!

The best Mage Knight gameplay I've ever seen on video!

Excellent showcase of the power trip that is Mage Knight.

Great playthrough! Would gladly watch another with different mage 😀

Thanks for a new playthrough. I love how quick you get into the game and get into the action. Also great resolution to your video - very easy to see the cards and map. One good optimizing tip since moving and exploring is so critical in solo conquest (thus kudos for taking the movement skill). The threaten card sideways should have been used for one movement to get into the magical glade, or if still wanting to use swiftness, then the extra remaining movement point not to lose it, using threaten sideways would have allowed you to reveal a new tile before confronting the rampaging orc at 9:40 since exploring is still part of the movement phase. I have never taken so much wounds as you did, but man the way you powered through - you sure it wasn't Arythea that you were playing as! As for scoring, I am sure you got more than than 160. First off, once both cities are conquered, the dummy player does not get another turn, but you do so his remaining cards in his deck would give you +3 and an additional +5 for no end of round called. But loved your game. I have only ever scored over 200 once myself and when I do take out both cities usually around 170. Hope to see more, and Happy New Year.

@1:35:08 when you move into a city you only need 2 movement not what is shown on the tile. loved the playthough.

One of my favorite boardgame. I do love it!

Exquisite editing and game strategy

Thank you for doing another Mage Knight video. For those who want to try learning the game, I definitely second the recommendation for Ricky Royal's videos. Colin's Volkare's Returns videos are also great to watch(less technical but more entertaining). If anyone has any questions please post them on Boardgamegeek's Mage Knight section. There are plenty of people who are willing to answer questions there. Here are things to remember that may help ease into the game: -Before you start using a map shape for the first time try to practice laying out the map first. I only found out I did the wedge shape completely wrong after the first 5 games. -A card played sideways will provide a value of 1 for move, attack, block, or influence. Think of your Mage Knight as a general leading their army across the land, sometimes you don't have exactly what you need to accomplish the task at hand and you are improvising to succeed at all cost. Not the most efficient way to do things but sometimes it had to be done. -Night time makes exploration more difficult. Forests will be harder to traverse(but deserts will be easier since it will be cooler), remote fortifications such as keeps and mage towers are impossible to scout at night because everyone went to sleep. However, cities are central hubs of the empire so the guards will be on watch 24/7, that means you can reveal city enemies even at night. -Rampaging enemies are nuisances to the population and they would be happy if you get rid of them, so you will always know who they are whether it's day or night and gain reputation for defeating them. They are itching for a fight so you can always initiate a fight by being next to them. Note that orcs and draconums that are not rampaging in the wilds do not count as rampagers and defeating them do not increase reputation. -Attacking a fortification will always require paying for movement since you are trying to invade the place, and you will always slide your reputation once to the left because the locals do not approve of you trying to destabilize the peace. I will keep a watch on the comments and I will do my best to answer any questions people may have.

Fantastic play. Did awesomely Colin! I hate to think how much thinking you did between actions. YES TO PLAYING AGAIN!

Couldn't believe my eyes! The man that taught me Mage Knight is pkaying it AGAIN?! Sorcery! Thank you!

That dungeon in the beginning was clutch! Love this game and love all your play throughs Colin..

Well done Colin! Fantastic job.

Please bring more of mage knight! This game is amazing to watch!

Great video, as always ! I love Arythea's skills. But Tovak's skills are great too. Specially the attack and defence ones. Yes for another Mage ! I really love Norowas. Arcane immunity doesn't meen that we can't use spell ;-) Rulebook : Arcane Immunity - The enemy is not affected by any non-Attack/Block effects. Effects that directly affect enemy attacks still apply.

I would love to see more mage knight! Any cenario!

MITICO COLIN 😊👍 ti seguo dallitalia e mastico poco l'inglese, ma nonostante questo, ti fai capire. Ottime riprese, super gameplay. Ho imparato questo giocone complesso anche grazie a te. Si vede che ci metti passione e sorriso, non ci si annoia mai vedendoti. Grande continua così. Saluti dall'italia 🖐️

Oh my... can't wait to watch this one. My favourite game!

I think this was the best MK video I've seen, well done! At 1:26:45 you choose to discard 3 cards just to cycle, I think you could have used them as movement with a wound to move next to your keep.

Great stuff, just got MK yesterday and gave the first reconnaissance a go and I’m so excited. Your play through was great, loved the explanation of choices and thought processes. Only thing that was gutting was the expansion stuff I don’t have! 😂

Love mage knight ..... about to play it after watching. Would love to see another scenario. Any of them!

Great playthrough of my favorite solo game ever! Always a blast to play, isn’t it? Just a really small rules mistake: at 1:30:50 you should have only rerolled the gold and black dice, basic color dice always stay as rolled. Not that it’d make a big difference...

Great playthrough Colin! (finally)

Just comment (for future generations) on small mistake at 16:16 as you counted your Cold Toughness as 6 block, but it is 7 actually. 5 base, +1 for ice attack of enemy, +1 for resistance of enemy. Also move into the city always cost 2, regardless of terain printed underneat it Great game tho!

Awesome game. I have really enjoyed it.

I have just played earlier today, I usually start by doing a 'standard' solo conquest to warm up my mage muscles, and then move on to other scenarios. one I would definitely recommend is 'Dungeon Lords' from the base game - mainly because it leads to a very strong deck in a short time.

Awesome cideo Very well made!!

1:13:07 😂 that's really a fun way of looking at your wounds. Influence! 🧐

Playing solo right now....this playthrough helped immensely!

That was a great watch, Colin, thank you. I don't know if anyone pointed that out yet, O couldn't find it in a quick scan of the comments, but you could had not have targeted the familiars with a Call to Arms effect. That's what the ! Symbol on the card is supposed to remind us. Thematically, they are extraplanar creatures that can be summoned when you recruit then, but they are hanging around to be affected by these other effects.

I just bought the Ultimate Edition and was considering how best to tackle the rules. Watching this video will greatly reduce the time to learn the game...thanks!

First time I've checked out your channel. I've been interested in this game for awhile, and it's nice to see it played. I have to admit, I am very impressed with your video. Excellent camerawork, great audio, and you explain the game very clear and succinctly. Overall, I'd give this a 10 out of 10... I couldn't find a thing wrong with how you presented the game. I'm primarily a solo player, so I love videos on solo games so I can see how they work. Just by watching this play through, I will say you have a new subscriber. I'm going to check out the rest of your channel and see what else you have. Thanks for this playthrough!

Nicely done Grasshopper :)

Awesome playthrough, as always! I wish you would also show the First Recon-Mission as well... ;-) Maybe another time? Loving your videos!

YOU ARE AWESOME! ❤❤❤

Colin always has the best content in this channel. Mage Knight is notoriously complex but you made it look so easy!

I'm an MK beginner and I gotta say this video was very well made and helpful. Man, do I suck at this game, the last scenario I played I was carrying like 12 wounds on me and wasted so many turns to heal them up, because I didn't have any skills available to remove them. Wish I had a playthrough like yours. You were kinda lucky with the dummy player through most of the game though.

Awesome job, love watching this game.

Ok, finished the vid. I loved how everything came together for that last city attack. Super cool to see those wounds coming in for the save as well! Any plans to post another MK vid?

I have never played this before so I may be wrong but I believe around 1:36:42 when you are blocking you used 1 extra card than you had to since you had 6 block and used the wound for 2 then another makes 9 and you only needed 8. I would like to see another video with this game if you are still wanting to do more!

Awesome video Colin! FYI on the intial Planning tactic you drew, wounds do NOT count toward your cards in hand in this case. So after you defeated the second marauding orc, you should NOT have drawn an extra card. You technically only had one card in hand since wounds do not count to hand size bonuses.

Happy to be watching your playthrough! I’ve been intimidated by MK, but seeing you play makes the game appear simpler than the rulebook makes it out to be. I keep hearing to not be afraid of wounds; seeing how well off you are by the end of the first night, I’ll play more risky and hope to beat a Conquest this month!

Nevermind the previous question, just realized you already used up the catapult by then. Anyways, great video, learnt a lot about the game rules here.

Still the best solo game going! Good choice on Planning. It's almost always my starting choice. Bummer on getting a spell on the dungeon instead of an artifact, although those are some great spells. When you went from healing glad to healing glade, why didn't you use your +2 walk token instead of pitching 3 cards?

not my favourite game by a long way, but I LOVE that you're still featuring old games. So many concentrate on the Cult of the New.

At 1:22:00 when you are going to get the artifacts: you have won two. If you win 1 artifact, you can take 2 and choose 1. I'm almost sure that, if you win 2, you just take 3 and choose 2 (not take 2 and choose 1 and again take 2 and choose 1). Just to let new players know 😉

Yeah, Baby!

Apologies if it's already pointed out but -- 1:03:30 Range attacking fortified enemy, chained with normal attack ? It's night so you could use siege attack variant of spell to deal 5+ damage given black mana.

ALOHA 🤙🏝️ Very good vidéo 👌👌👌. Very good caméra plan👍👍👍. Just few things , you must refresh monastery before with advanced cards 😊. And AT 45'30 you can't one shot the mage tower with ranged attack😅. It's fortified ! I love this monument ❤❤❤. Thanks for the vidéos 🙏🙏🙏.

Play another mage and another scenario, please! Very good video!!!

Hello, Thanks a lot for your video. Just a question, when you play the "freedom of the mines" scenario in solo, do you do it in 2 day/2 nights or 3 day/3nights ?

46:16 The advanced action stays in the offer until the next day/night round as far as I know. It simply won't get replenished when starting a new round.

4:55 Three heads? I see 6! :D

Loved the video. One of my favourite games. What about one of the fan created scenarios on BGG?

57:30 Tovak: I feel no pain. *draws a wound* Tovak: GodDAMNit…

I've never played before but on day 1 picking movement over attack seemed the better choice since you move more than you attack

This game started it all for me!. It is fantastic as a solo game. I can see you have played this a lot. You know exactly when to take risks and wounds, and also how to deal with them. Impressive play! Would you rather play this or LOTR card game? I haven´t yet tried the latter.. /Erik

That was awesome! I'm tempted to repurchase this game. Are all solo games like this? This was pretty exciting imho.

Woah...burning the monastery? Colin has come a long way since spreading the Church in the Mediterranean in Commissioned!

Was very fun to watch, would definately watch more vids like this. Question: you did not play with volkore but you did use the map tiles and monsters from the expansion. Did you mix everything from the expansion together? I tend to keep them seperate.

1:36:31 I don't think you needed to block the Altem Mages. You could have let that attack go unblocked and assign the damage to your recruited Altem Mages. I believe they're resistant to Cold Fire and wouldn't have taken a wound. But I guess in the end it didn't really matter because of the massive hand you had. Great playthrough! Looking foreword to some more old school gaming!

I think modern cardboards tutorials are the best so far. Used to be ricky royal but imo not anymore

As always, excellent playthrough! Mage Knight is a BLAST!! Btw, just want to ask how do you do your recording, any tips you can share for someone who would like to try the same thing like me? Also, any starting or basics equipment/tools need in a more beginner and budget-friendly(e.g. cam/phone, stand, lights, mic)? Just like how you start off :)

Ok I am sold I am going to buy this game soon

Hey there Colin! Nice video, I recently got into Mage Knight and I'm loving it! I just had a question though: near the beginning of the video after defeating the first enemy, you drew a spell and an advanced action card. Don't you only get a spell from defeating the enemy in the dungeon, not an advanced action? Edit: silly me, I didn't realise that when levelling up you get a skill and an advanced action 😅

Again, an excellent video! 👌 May I ask, Colin, how long you played and much time you used in post production for this video?

Colin, I think you have moving into a city wrong. It just costs 2 to move into a city. The terrain doesn't matter. At least that's the way I've always understood it.

id like to see arethea to see if u finish with more wounds as her skills kinda play on it

Great video! Thanks. How many scenarios in the ultimate edition are for a solo mage?

How strange that literally last night i cracked out a solo conquest of this after being on the shelve and not played since last November only to discover a play through within hours! coincidental board gaming! needless to say im not too great at mage knight. one city fell as opposed to two and a score of 104. you know ill take that! and i had a blast playing it. so who cares!

Even though it's awhile since you made this video, it's still great! I have the Ultimate Edition, but can't even reach a city in Solo Conquest (even with Goldyx or Tovak), let alone defeat two cities at any strength. I'd love to use your strategies, but I'm at the mercy of the offers. I can't use cards that don't come up! Also a question: At 1:30:50, should you only reroll the gold an black dice (not the blue)?

At the end when dealing with the mage in the City you had 6 block from your units and then said "2 block from the wound so thats 7", so i think you didnt need to play the Swiftness sideways to get enough block

Hi..At 12.23 you moved next to rampaging enemy and had him immediately attack you.. I thought the only way to initiate battle was to use ranged attack or move into another space adjacent to him which activates the enemy attack..