Blood Wars (card game)
{{Short description|Collectible card game by TSR}}
{{Infobox game
| subject_name= Blood Wars
| image_link= File:Blood Wars CCG card back.png
| image_caption=Artwork that appeared on the back of each card
| designer= Steven Schend
| publisher= TSR, Inc.
| players= 2-8
| ages= 12+
| setup_time=
| playing_time= approx 90 min.
| complexity=
| strategy=
| random_chance= Some
| skills= Card playing
Arithmetic
Basic Reading Ability
| footnotes=
}}
Blood Wars is an out-of-print collectible card game produced by TSR, based on the Planescape campaign setting from Dungeons & Dragons.{{Citation |last=Miller |first=John Jackson |title=Scrye Collectible Card Game Checklist & Price Guide, Second Edition | year=2003 |pages=99–102 |postscript=.}}
Publication history
The game was released in March 1995 as part of TSR's 20th anniversary.{{cite web| url=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDArchives_History.asp| title=The History of TSR| publisher=Wizards of the Coast| accessdate=2005-08-20| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924195557/http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDArchives_History.asp| url-status=dead| archivedate=2008-09-24}} The original release contained 334 cards in the set, sold in 15-card booster packs and two 50-card dual decks.{{cite magazine|title=Product news|magazine=InQuest|publisher=Wizard Entertainment|pages=4–8|date=1995}}{{rp|4}} Card art was designed by various artists, including Tony DiTerlizzi, Newt Ewell, Henry Higgenbotham, Jennell Jaquays,{{efn|name=Credited|Credited as Paul Jaquays.}} Dana Knutson, Rob Lazzaretti, Robin Raab, Robh Ruppel, and Dave Sutherland.{{cite magazine|title=Blood Wars checklist|issue=6|magazine=Scrye|pages=64|date=April–May 1995}}
A series of expansion sets called escalation packs were scheduled for publication.{{Cite web |title=Card Game Geek - Bloodwars |url=https://cardgamegeek.com/games/bloodwars |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Card Game Geek |language=en}}
| class="wikitable"
!Set{{rp|4}}{{cite magazine|title=Reports on trading card games|last=Varney|first=Allen|volume=3|issue=1|magazine=The Duelist|pages=19–21|date=February 1996}}{{rp|19}} !! Release date !! Cards in set !! Packaging !! Notes | ||||
| Factols & Factions | June 1995 | 134{{cite magazine|title=On the shelves|issue=2|magazine=InQuest|publisher=Wizard Entertainment|pages=13–16|date=June 1995}}{{rp|15}} | 15-card booster packs{{rp|15}} | |
| Powers & Proxies | August 1995 | 125{{cite magazine|title=Expansions Game Reviews: Powers & Proxies|last=Hannes|first=Jeff|issue=7|magazine=InQuest|publisher=Wizard Entertainment|page=50|date=November 1995}} | 15-card booster packs | |
| Insurgents of the Inner Plane | March 1996 | This set was not released. | ||
| Weapons & Warmongers | 1996 | This set was cancelled. | ||
| Hand of Fate | 1996 | This set was cancelled. |
Insurgents of the Inner Planes never materialized and was halted at the printer in February 1996.{{Cite magazine | last = Varney | first = Allen | title = Reports on Trading Card Games | page = 8 | magazine = The Duelist | date = May 1996 | issue =10}}{{rp|8}}
The player guide Warlord's Tactical Manual was published in January 1996.{{rp|19}}
Gameplay
Players use cards representing Warlords and Legions for combat to claim Battlefield cards.
Reception
The game was said to play "pretty well as a multi-player game, and it's much better than TSR's Spellfire" according to Allen Varney of The Duelist.{{Cite magazine | last = Varney | first = Allen | authorlink = Allen Varney | title = Inside the Industry| pages = 83 | newspaper = The Duelist | date = February 1997 | issue =15}}
Reviews
Legacy
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2018}}
Blood Wars was notable for the aggressive stance TSR took against fan websites displaying artwork from the game. The result was to suppress popularity of the game while it was still being published. This was in contrast to Wizards of the Coast, which allowed fair use reproduction of Magic: The Gathering copyrighted images online. The collectability of its chase cards was also notable across collectible card games, especially "The Lady of Pain."
The card game is not associated with the Blood Wars Polish online MMORPG, which is not based on Planescape.
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- [https://archive.org/details/ScryeMagazineIssue4-February1995/page/n19/mode/2up Preview] in Scrye #4
{{Dungeons & Dragons franchise media}}
{{Planescape}}
Category:Card games introduced in 1995
Category:Discontinued collectible card games
Category:Products and services discontinued in 1996
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