Below is a quick outline of the game's components. This section can always be referenced later, but the rules here are only a summary - details can be found in the Game Phases chapter.
Game elements and concepts that are not part of the base game are always highlighted with this color.
Trick Cards
Trick cards come in four different categories:
Magic Tricks are the centerpiece of Trickerion. The core flow of the game consists of learning these Tricks, obtaining Components for them, preparing them, and finally combining them to compose breathtaking Performances in the Theater.
Each Trick needs a certain amount of Components to be prepared and Performed. There are three categories of Components in Trickerion: Basic, Advanced and Superior, costing 1, 2 and 3 Coins respectively. They can be bought at the Market Row and are kept in the Magician's Workshop.
Detailed rules for Components can be found in the Market Row, Workshop, and Prepare Trick sections.
Assignment Cards
Assignment cards are used to plan a player's turn in the 'Assignment' phase. Each one represents a Location, where a Character will be placed. There are four Locations in the base game: the Downtown, the Market Row, the Workshop and the Theater.
The fifth Location, the Dark Alley, is not used in the base game. There are two types of Assignment cards: Permanent and Special.
Permanent Assignment cards
Permanent Assignment cards are part of the players' starting setup. Special Assignment cards can be obtained at the Dark Alley. See the 'Assignment' phase for details on how to use Assignment cards.
Wooden Character Disks
The wooden disks that can be placed during the game are referred to as Characters. They are sent to different Locations using Assignment cards, where they spend their available Action Points (marked with a 5 symbol) to carry out one or more Actions.
There are three types of Characters: Apprentices, Specialists and the Magician, each with a different Action Point value. There are three sub-types of Specialists: Manager, Assistant, and Engineer.
Main Game Board
Most Locations are found on the Main Game Board. All Locations have Character slots (with ! modifiers), where the Characters can be placed. Fame points gained during the game are immediately measured on the Fame Track around the Theater.
The Main Game Board is double sided - the side marked with the black cat symbol is only used with the Dark Alley expansion.
Downtown Dice
These dice are rolled at the beginning of each turn to determine the options at the Downtown Location for the turn. See the 'Roll Dice' phase for details.
Player Game Boards
The Player Game Board is the Magician's headquarters. This is where the Assignment cards are placed during the 'Assignment' phase, and where the player's Components and Tricks are kept. It also serves as the Workshop Location.
The Player Game Board can be extended to the right by hiring Specialists.
The Player Game Boards are double sided - the side marked with the black cat symbol is only used with the Dark Alley expansion.
Specialist Game Board Extensions
These mini boards serve as extensions for the Player Game Boards. Each one is associated with a Specialist.
The Engineer's extension has an additional, special Trick slot. Whenever this Trick is Prepared, the player receives an additional Trick Marker on it.
The Manager's extension has two Multi Component slots. Component piles on these slots count as if they consisted of one more of that Component.
The Assistant's extension lets you have an extra Apprentice who does not have to be paid for in the 'Pay Wages' phase.
At the end of the turn in which a Specialist is hired, the player receives its respective board extension together with the wooden Character disk, and places it next to his or her player board. See the 'Hire Character' Action and detailed rules.
The Magician Cards
These cards represent your chosen Magician. Each has a Favorite Trick category printed above his or her name, which is relevant when learning Tricks.
The card's side with the black cat symbol is used only with the Dark Alley expansion.
Magician Poster Cards
Magician Posters are used to Advertise after the 'Set Initiative Order' phase (see the 'Advertise' phase).
Player Markers
The purpose of these colored player markers is to track the players' Initiative Order and their progress on the Fame track.
Trick And Symbol Markers
Each player has four sets of Trick Markers with different symbols. Trick Markers of a specific symbol always belong to, and identify, a Trick card. A Symbol Marker belongs to each set of Trick Markers, which is placed on the Trick card when it is learned, assigning the chosen Symbol to the Trick. During the game, Trick Markers can be moved from the Trick card onto Performance cards.
Performance Cards
These cards are located in the Theater and each symbolizes a Performance, consisting of one or more Tricks, which are represented by the Trick Markers on them. Trick Markers can be moved onto these cards by taking the 'Set Up Trick' Action in the Theater. The Performances created this way are the main source of Fame points and Coins. As the game progresses, these cards will symbolize more and more prestigious Theaters.
The Magnus Pantheon cards are only used with the Dark Alley expansion. The Performance cards with gray Trick Markers printed on them are only used with the optional two-player Duel of Magicians rules.
Coins
Coins are the basic currency in the world of Trickerion, available in denominations of 1 (silver) and 5 (gold).
The main source of Coins is the payment received in the 'Performance' phase, but there are various other sources, such as the Bank in the Downtown and Trick Links.
Coins are typically spent on buying Components at the Market Row and paying Wages.
Trickerion Shards
These shards are pieces of the legendary Trickerion Stone, and serve as the third resource next to Fame and Coins.
They are awarded for performing certain Tricks, creating Trick Links on specific slots on Performance cards, or having your Engineer in the Theater when you perform.
In the base game, Shards can be spent to buy additional Action Points (9. Excess Shards at the end of the base game are worth one Fame point each.
Trickerion Stone
The Trickerion Stone functions as the Turn Counter. At the end of each turn, it is advanced one step forward on the Turn Counter track. The base game ends after five turns.
Magician Workbook
The Magician's Workbook contains an image of all available Tricks that can be learned, as well as a description of each Prophecy, and a breakdown of the phases of each turn. It helps players plan in advance what Tricks to learn and what Components to buy.
Prophecies
Prophecies are not part of the base game - they are only used with the Dark Alley expansion.
The purpose of the Prophecy tokens is to alter certain game rules turn by turn. At all times, the Prophecy next to the Turn Track is the Active one, and it affects the game during the given turn, while the other three (inside the crystal ball) are the Pending Prophecies, which will take effect in the three subsequent turns. A detailed explanation of Prophecies can be found in the Magician Workbook of each player.
Magician Powers
Magician Powers are not part of the base game - they are only used with the Magician Powers expansion (see Expansions).
No two Magicians are the same. As they strive for greatness, they can learn powerful abilities to specialize themselves in their art. In the game, these abilities are called Magician Powers.
Turn Setup Cards
Turn Setup cards are only used with the Duel of Magicians optional rules. They are used to set up the available Character slots at each Location at the beginning of each turn.
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