Wizard Quest

Setup

1. Select Difficulty:
   Decide how many fairy cards you want to include in your deck based on your desired challenge:

   • Hard: Remove all Hearts (no fairies).
   • Normal (recommended): Include any one of the Hearts.
   • Easy: Include any two of the three fairy Hearts.
   • Very Easy: Include all three: King, Queen, and Jack of Hearts.

2. Deck Composition:

   • Always Include: All Spades, Diamonds, and Clubs (39 cards).
   • Fairy Hearts: Add the chosen number of fairy cards (0, 1, 2, or 3) to create your final deck.

3. Tableau:

   • Shuffle the final deck and deal 7 cards face up.

4. Draw Pile:

   • Place the remaining cards face down.

5. Discard Pile:

   • Create an empty discard pile.

6. Mana Pool:

   • Start with 7 mana.

Card Values and Roles

• Card Values:
  • Ace: 1
  • Number Cards: Their face value (2–10)
  • Face Cards (J, Q, K): Each is worth 10
  • Fairy Hearts: (K♥, Q♥, J♥) are valued at 10

1. Spades (Mana Source):

   • Effect: When played, add its face value to your mana pool.
   • Example: 6♠ gives +6 mana; King♠ (worth 10) gives +10 mana.

2. Diamonds (Spells):

   • Casting a Spell: Play a diamond and pay mana equal to its face value.
   • Targeting an Enemy:
     • If an enemy (Club) is present:
       • Choose an enemy whose face value is less than or equal to the diamond’s value. Subtract the mana cost and discard both the diamond and the targeted enemy.
     • If no enemy is present or no spell is high enough to cast on an enemy:
       • You “fizzle” the spell: discard the spell card without paying its mana cost.

3. Clubs (Enemies):

   • Effect: Clubs remain in the tableau as monsters, with their face value representing their strength.
   • Defeating an Enemy:
     • A Club can be removed only by casting a spell (Diamond) that meets or exceeds its face value,
     • Or, if available, by a fairy (see below) when the enemy’s value is 10 or less.

4. Hearts (Fairies):

   • Only Present if Chosen in Setup: King, Queen, and/or Jack of Hearts.
   • Effect:
     • Standard Use: A fairy can defeat an enemy on its own if that enemy’s face value is 10 or less. When used, both the fairy and the enemy are discarded.
     • Combo Option: Against an enemy with a face value greater than 10, you may combine a fairy with a diamond spell. In this combo, play the fairy and cast the diamond (paying its mana cost) to defeat the enemy, then discard all three cards.

Gameplay

1. Turn Actions:
   On each turn, you must play one card from the 7‑card tableau:

   • Spade: Play to gain mana equal to its face value.
   • Diamond: Cast it as a spell:
     • If an enemy (Club) is present: Target an enemy whose value is less than or equal to the diamond’s value. Pay the mana cost and discard both the diamond and the enemy.
     • If no enemy is present: You must “fizzle” the spell—pay the mana cost and discard the diamond, with no enemy removed.
   • Heart (Fairy):
     • Standard Use: If an enemy with a face value of 10 or less is available, play a fairy to defeat it; discard both cards.
     • Combo Option: To defeat an enemy stronger than 10, combine a fairy with a diamond spell (paying the diamond’s mana cost) and discard the fairy, the diamond, and the enemy.
   • Clubs (Enemies): These remain on the tableau until removed by a spell or fairy.

2. Refilling the Tableau:
   After playing a card (or a combination), remove the used card(s) from the tableau and draw new card(s) from the draw pile to maintain 7 cards (if available).

3. No Running:
   There is no option to run from a room in this version.

4. Winning & Losing:

   • Winning: You win if you eventually defeat all enemy cards (Clubs) in the deck and clear the tableau of threats.
   • Losing: The game ends in defeat if you attempt to cast a spell without sufficient mana or if no legal moves remain to remove the remaining enemies.

Strategy Considerations

• Difficulty Selection:
  • Fewer fairies (Hard/Normal) mean you’ll rely more on building mana and using diamonds wisely.
  • More fairies (Easy/Very Easy) provide extra options to remove enemies directly.
• Mana Management:
  • Although you start with 7 mana, play Spades early to build a robust reserve for costly spells.
• Spell Timing:
  • Avoid a tableau filled solely with diamonds; if no Clubs are present, you’re forced to fizzle spells and lose mana.
• Target Selection:
  • When multiple enemy cards are available, target the one that best matches your available spell or fairy strength to conserve resources.