In many ways the Head Sage has the simplest objective: win matches. That's easier said that done with 17 other teams looking to defeat you and your band of magicians. Being a Head Sage requires study, diligence, and, as the name suggests, a little fortune telling. It is a difficult role to take, but possibly the most rewarding. Because, at the end of the day, the thrill of victory will come because of you.
Matches
A Head Sage's primary duty is the magical management of Magicians on your roster, and the practice of predicting and planning for upcoming matches. In this section we'll cover the important aspects of preparing for a match and some high level rules for the game of Ludomancy.
Set Your Lineup
On Match Days, your primary action will be to decide which magicians will play, and the formation they will take during a match. You'll first select the match you'd like to work on (if there are multiple matches happening that day). Then you will assign a path number to up to six(6) Magicians from your roster. You may change your mind up until the match deadline after which your decision will be locked in. The match will them be processed against your opponent and the results will be tabulated by OWL Officials. All match results will then be provided the next day.
At its core, the action is simple, but there are considerations that may affect how you'll want to assign your magicians. Ahead of a match, you'll know the following:
Who you will be playing against
The Ludomancy Arena you will be playing in
The Time of day the match will take place (day or night)
The number of gems on all paths in an Arena
Astrological Advantage
This is what you will know on Match Day
The available magicians for both your team and your opponent
The weather conditions for the match
If there are any special events occurring during the match
Some of the items above may be discoverable prior to a match through news reports or other world information. Looking out for this information may give your an advantage as you make your plans. Additionally, teams may find magic items or curve world events to change the match environment slightly. However, one thing that will not change are Magicians' stats during game day. The stats that they start with on match day will be the stats that will play with. Additionally all available magicians will be known for match day. There will be no hidden magicians and injured magicians will remain unavailable throughout the match day.
The biggest determining factor for winning will be predicting how your opponent will react to you and the match environment. Reading previous match reports will help provide insights on your opponents and create counter strategies. Additionally, trying for different strategies throughout the season will make yourself less predictable to opposing teams.
Further details on the rules of Ludomancy can be found here. Be sure to browse over it before Opening day!
Magicians
Your team of magicians will be taking you to victory, so you have to be sure you know the ins and outs of your magicians and how to make sure they'll be ready for the big match. There are 5 main statistics that you'll need to know:
A Magician's Class
A Magician's Base Star Value
A Magician's Heart Value
A Magician's Alice Quinn Ranking (AQR)
A Magician's HP (Health Points)
These 5 stats will have the most affect on your team's success during a match. Points are most directly earned based on Magicians' Star and Heart Values. A Magician's Class will also have an affect on scoring that may well be the thing decides close matches. Additional gems can also be scored based off Magician Heart Values and an individual Magician's Ranking (AQR).
Lastly, you'll want to consider a Magician's HP when considering matches across an entire season. A Magician will lose at least one HP per match and can potentially lose more if the magician becomes cursed during a match. Additionally Magicians may lose HP when going on Quests, so make sure to coordinate with your Team's Hand if a Magician's HP is low. If a Magician's HP goes below 4 HP they will be considered "Injured" and unable to play.
Trainers
On Match Days you may also set Magicians to work with trainers to possibly improve one of a Magician's primary stats. You'll only be able to assign a trainer to a magician once per match day even if you're playing multiple matches on a day. The following are the different types of trainers that are available:
Clerics - Heal a magician. (Gain HP back based on Con)
Wizards - Study Arcana. (Gain Star Stat Points(SP) based on Int)
Artificer - Work on magic casting ability and form. (Gain Star Stat Points (SP) based on Dex)
Astral Projector - Travel and gain insight. (Gain Heart Stat Points (SP) Points based on Wis)
Monks - Strength Training. (Gain Heart Stat Points(SP) based on Str)
Please Note: All improvements gained through training will be calculated after matches are processed. Magicians will always play with the stats that they began the match day with.