Via Magica Augustus
Welcome students of magic. You must use your knowledge of the small, powerful animus nature spirits to be the first to open seven magic portals. The most diligent student will receive the coveted title of Junior Mage.
Via Magica re-implements the 2013 Spiel de Jahres nominee Rise of Augustus.
Number of players: 2 - 6
Game duration: 8 mn
Complexity: 2 / 5
Play Via Magica and 949 other games online.
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With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Play Via Magica and 949 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
Object of Game
Score more points than the other players for your portals. Portals are completed by applying matching crystals to every slot. The game ends once someone completes their seventh portal.
Game Basics
Select Starting Portals (Cards)
Game Rounds
- Draw Animus Token
- Play Crystal to Matching Animus Spot on Portal
- Open Portals – “Incantum” (Complete cards)
- Performing instant actions for Yellow Portals
- Adjust permanent abilities based on Blue Portals
- Take and/or offer bonus if available
- Select a New Portal
- Check if a player has seven (7) portals – End Game
- Repeat
End Game
- Total Bonuses + Portal Points
- Apply End of Game Scoring
Powers of Portals
- Purple (Crown) – Scoring Only
- Yellow (Lightning) - Instant Effects
- Blue (Infinity) - Permanent Abilities
- Green (Hourglass)– End of Game Bonuses
Select Starting Portals
You start with seven (7) crystals which are used to place on your portals. Choose from three of the six portals that are available to you. Read each of their ability, note the purple (crown) portals have no special abilities. Completing a portal can give you additional abilities that can make completing other portals easier or improve your score at the end of the game.
Game Rounds
Draw Animus Token
A single animus token is drawn at random from the bag - below are the total of each
(6) Air - White (5) Water - Blue (4) Earth - Brown (3) Life - Green (2) Fire - Red (1) Shadow - Black (2) Wild - Multicolored
When a wild card token is drawn all the tokens get returned to the bag and the next player draws from it at the end of the turn.
Play Crystal to Matching Animus Spot on Portal
Players than select a spot for one of their crystals that match the drawn animus. If the player has no crystals left they may move one of their crystals from one of their cards to another of their cards of the animus type.
Player may also pass if they do not wish to play a crystal, do not have a portal with a matching crystal of that animus, or have no crystals to play.
Open Portals (Complete Cards) – “Incantum”
If a player has filled in all the spots for a portal they call “Incantum” to indicate they completed a portal.
Player in order of Incantum being called perform any of their bonus actions or adjust their abilities.
Yellow - Instant actions occur first and typically allow you to gain, add or move crystal to other spots on other portals that have yet to be completed.
Blue - Permanent abilities typically allow you to treat specific animus as wildcards.
Order of portal opening
- Player starting with the catcher and then proceeding sequential order perform the following
- Perform any yellow bonus actions.
- If you complete a bonus on the top row and it has not already been taken, you gain it automatically.
- From the available portals choose a new portal to replace the one you completed.
- To score a bonus from the bottom row you must choose to take it when offered. Once you select one from the bottom row, you may *not* take another nor can you take a less valuable one.
- If you complete another portal you then fulfills that portals abilities and repeat these step.
If seven (or more) portals have been created by any player, all other players complete any other pending invocations for this turn and the end of game occurs.
End Game
Points are added up for each portal each player created. Additionally bonus points are added for any bonuses the player scored during the Incantum round.
Score Green Portals - Your green portals allow you score more points off the portals you have completed/opened. If a card references an animus, you score for each animus on the completed portal card.
In the case of a tie, the player with the most portals opened wins, the total is still tied both players win.