Summoner Wars Second Edition fantasy card game coming “soon”
First major entry in the series since 2014.
A second edition of competitive card game Summoners Wars was teased on Twitter on February 16th by publisher Plaid Hat Games, revisiting its acclaimed competitive card game from 2014.
The tweet, posted early in the morning for the Dallas-based design studio, simply read, “Soon.” An attached image showed a particularly haughty paladin in silver and gold plate armour, a sword resting point-down in front of her.
Not much is yet known about how the second edition of the head-to-head card game will differ from the beloved original release. Designed by Colby Dauch, Summoner Wars pits equips two to four players with a themed deck of cards and tasks them with eliminating their opponent in a contest of summoning prowess. Players must protect their deck’s leader while also advancing their forces to surround and kill the opposing summoner – combat lanes and rules for movement and reinforcements reward strategy and forethought.
Each Summoner Wars deck is themed around fantasy races – elves, goblins, dwarves, etc. – and boasts unique powers and units to field in combat. As the original release grew in popularity, expansions introduced additional factions along with new units to bolster existing armies and wrinkle gameplay for longtime Summoners.
Plaid Hat Games recently announced a delay in production for its Ashes Reborn title due to pandemic-related infrastructure issues. It has not said whether similar concerns will affect the eventual shipping of Summoner Wars Second Edition. The publisher did mention that the second edition will feature art from illustrator Martin Abel. The paladin in the teaser tweet showcases Abel’s signature style, which focuses on strong characterization, bold colors and plenty of experience with fantasy aesthetics.
Abel previously worked with Plaid Hat Games on Crystal Clans, a 2017 card game released before it went independent after being repurchased by original founder Dauch from hobby giant Asmodee in 2020. At the time, Dauch said the studio would be working on a new Mice and Mystics game, along with now-confirmed second edition to Summoner Wars.
Dicebreaker reached out to Plaid Hat Games for more information ahead of the March 1st preorder page going live and will update this story as we learn more.