The Magicians, Rabbits, and Top Hats of Trickerion
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world behind magic tricks with the intricate strategies of Trickerion.
With my very first victory properly recorded, I was ready to up the difficulty level with Trickerion: Collectors Edition! My time as Yoruba Spiritmaster came to an end, at least for the moment. There were many other tricks to learn as I continued to improve my strategies. But first I had to remember how to outperform my nemesis… Orpheo!!!
Game Overview
Game Name: Trickerion: Collector’s Edition
Publication Year: 2019
Designers: Richard Amann, Viktor Peter, and Dávid Turczi
Artists: Villő Farkas and László Fejes
Solo Mode: Included in Trickerion: Dahlgaard’s Academy
As I randomized the magicians again, I stuck with the spiritual realm as the Priestess of Mysticism. Orpheo took on a different form this time around as the Red Lotus. The theater was all prepared, and off I went to take on the normal difficulty level of the base game! Only time would tell how this magical duel was about to unfold.
First Play
June 15, 2020
Complexity
5
Latest Play
August 9, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
7
Play Time
1 Hour & 30 Minutes
High Score
156
Game Area
52" x 34"
Low Score
45
Concerned Specialists
The specialist portraits may be static, but their expressions can sometimes be interpreted in different ways. This duo helped out immensely with the tricks!
However, they were pretty unimpressed with how I managed the Priestess of Mysticism. See that doubt?!
Or there might have been a question about the extreme differences in these bow ties. Unique styles abounded!
Hiring specialists has been a limited activity for me. The dice haven’t been kind, but there are always so many other options. Maybe that caused my early downfall?
In the City of Magoria
In the base game, there aren’t too many spaces to choose from. It all comes down to having a plan and knowing how to adjust to nuances every round. I’m… Still learning!
Although far from perfect, my grasp of when to buy the components seems to be much better. I usually know what I want to buy and order for future purchases.
However, getting comfortable with one area of Magoria doesn’t necessarily equate to a winning strategy!
There was a lot of growth needed before I could pull off some impressive scores. But I just had to beat Orpheo…
The Curse of the Rabbit
We all remember my exciting finale during a loss when I saved my best trick for last… Which was pulling a rabbit out of a top hat and being laughed off-stage forever.
Somehow I thought it would work out for me in this sense. The components worked, and the prestige was tempting!
Alas, I think this decision caused me to lose in round 3-4. There was something evil about that cute little bunny. I think Orpheo tampered with my top hat. That guy!
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story: The Tale of the Cursed Rabbit. Ha ha!
The Dangerous Lure of Low-Level Tricks
Throughout the game, prestige builds up and slowly unlocks different levels of tricks. These happen at 1 prestige, 16 prestige, and 36 prestige. The lowest level is always available from the start, but a magician must earn the ability to learn the mid-level and high-level tricks. Why not just learn everything? Because only 3-4 tricks may ever be learned.
These magicians are talented, yet they can only master a handful of amazing tricks! I like to think that they know others, but pull off flourishes and awesome moves with their special tricks. Voila! Is this your rabbit? Ugh, Orpheo!!!
Sometimes, it’s tempting to just stick with the starting trick and wait to get the high-level tricks. However, that means prestige builds up pretty slowly and it can take a long time to even have the chance to learn those tricks. But what about loading up on low-level tricks? I think I’m gravitating towards this idea, but it isn’t working out so well.
Learning a trick requires action points. Replacing a trick later on is possible, yet it usually leads to a pretty substantial waste. Special assignment cards definitely help… But it’s impossible to fully rely on them. Tricks can be truly tricky!
As the Curtain Falls
As the last round drew to a close and the final performances took place, I knew I had fallen to Orpheo. He beat me out in many ways, including his Saturday choice.
I had the chance to prepare more tricks, thereby placing additional trick markers, but it didn’t go well.
Orpheo had the chance to perform all by himself, courtesy of some very poor planning on my part. I think I left town after my Thursday debacle with that rabbit trick. Awful!
As I started to tally the final scores, I was overcome with some frustration. How did I do this horribly?! Orpheo!!!
Session Overview
Play Number: 4
Solo Mode: Included in Trickerion: Dahlgaard’s Academy
Play Details: Normal Difficulty Level with the Base Game
Required Play Space: 46″ x 34″
Setup Time: 10 Minutes
Play Time: 1 Hour & 40 Minutes
Outcome: 85-137 (Loss)
A lot of it actually came down to the prophecies. As the Priestess of Mysticism, I had the special ability to control this area much more than usual. I just… Didn’t, and then gave Orpheo all the bonuses. I blame the rabbit. Ha!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 50%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the normal difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
Do you enjoy the theme and mechanics of Trickerion: Collectors Edition? Are there any areas where you struggle a lot? I experienced some unusual frustration after this play, likely due to a loss of concentration. Still, I’ll take a little break so as not to ruin it for myself. Maybe that will cleanse Orpheo’s presence from the theater, too… And the rabbit’s. Ha ha!
I’m excited to see what you think of the Academy expansion. I didn’t really “get” it at first, but after a few plays, it’s one of my favorite things about the overall game.
That’s awesome to hear, Jordan! I’m currently playing a few other games at the moment, but this is definitely not leaving my table for too long… I hope. Adding in the expansion looks like it should add a lot more depth to the experience. I’m looking forward to it, and will have plenty of thoughts to share when I get it to the table!