Pyramid Pick
Mystick: Domination
Published by Anoch Game Systems
Game Design by Eric M. Lang
78 card Basic Deck, $19.99
78 card Power Deck, $19.99This new card game from Anoch was a refreshing change from the usual glut of collectable card games (CCGs). Rather than wizards summoning creatures and spells, you play secret masters controlling the fate of the world by manipulating pawns. Who wouldn't be attracted to as game that uses tarot cards and acknowledges you one of the world's secret masters?
Each boxed set contains 78 cards, 2 11x17 playmats, a rulebook and a tutorial booklet. Each set contains enough cards and assorted paraphernalia for two players. You will require a number of tokens in addition: from 14 for 2 players up to 29 for 5. Anything can be used as tokens: coins, paper clips, M&Ms etc… Having tokens on hand is a simple matter. I suppose the game could still be played, it would just be incredibly unwieldy, more so than carrying 29 tokens.
There are a number of components to the game, and I'd like to take a moment simply to examine each one. The cards are each named after a different Tarot card: Page of cups, six of rods The Magician and so on. In play the cards are either Pawns, Actions, Environments or Major Arcana. The card stock solid, the printing clear and the art very nice. At first I was surprised by the choice of art from the 14th to 18th century, but once I understood the game it complements the atmosphere very well, . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: July 28, 2000
Copyright © 2000 by Steve Jackson Games. All rights reserved. Pyramid subscribers are permitted to read this article online, or download it and print out a single hardcopy for personal use. Copying this text to any other online system or BBS, or making more than one hardcopy, is strictly prohibited. So please don't. And if you encounter copies of this article elsewhere on the web, please report it to webmaster@sjgames.com.