Mage Guide
Spell-driven growth, plus the type with the most Support characters.
What Mages do
Mages reward casting spells and standing in the right back-row slot. Mage's Apprentice gains +1/+1 permanently whenever you cast a spell, Hexbound Weaver gains +1 Attack permanently for each spell, and Runeburnt Sage raises every Mage you control when you cast. Stormborn Scion gets +2/+2 for each spell you have cast this game, and Ash-Marked Girl upgrades herself after four spells.
The other half of the type is Support. Warty Hex, Sunmeadow Witch, Eastmarch Hag, Misty Oracle, Sparkjaw Imp, Hut-Walker Hag and Powderkeg Crone all give their bonus to the front-row characters they cover, and several are Ranged so they can attack from the back without taking counter-damage. Hut-Walker Hag also makes Slay abilities trigger one additional time for the characters it supports.
Because Mages are spread across alignments, the Support options include Good-only and Evil-only versions as well as unconditional ones. Choose the Support that matches the alignment of the front row you have built.
The shop sells 17 characters of this type, across tiers 2 to 6. 7 have a Support ability, 0 start with Flying and 6 start with Ranged. The tables below come straight from the game’s data.
Mages by tier
Tier 2
| Character | Tier | Attack/Health | Alignment | Rules text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ash-Marked Girl (also Royal) | 2 | 2/2 | Neutral | Quest: cast 4 spells. Reward: Upgrade me. |
| Mage's Apprentice (also Animal) | 2 | 1/1 | Neutral | When you cast a spell, gain +1/+1 permanently. |
| Warty Hex | 2 | 0/3 | Evil | Support: +3 Attack. |
Tier 3
| Character | Tier | Attack/Health | Alignment | Rules text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastmarch Hag | 3 | 3/2 | Evil | Evil Support: +3/+2. |
| Hexbound Weaver | 3 | 1/3 | Evil | Ranged. When you cast a spell, gain +1 Attack permanently. |
| Sunmeadow Witch | 3 | 2/3 | Good | Good Support: +2/+3. |
Tier 4
| Character | Tier | Attack/Health | Alignment | Rules text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessing Fae (also Fae) | 4 | 4/4 | Good | Your other Good characters have +2/+2. |
| Grieving Magus | 4 | 4/2 | Good | Ranged. When one of your Royals is attacked and killed, I make a bonus attack. |
| Grimoire Beast (also Monster) | 4 | 7/3 | Evil | Last Breath: cast a random spell. |
| Mimic Hound (also Animal) | 4 | 2/10 | Neutral | After I attack, trigger the Last Breath of the characters behind me. |
| Misty Oracle | 4 | 2/2 | Good | Ranged. Support: +5 Health. |
| Sparkjaw Imp | 4 | 2/2 | Evil | Ranged. Support: +5 Attack. |
Tier 5
| Character | Tier | Attack/Health | Alignment | Rules text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hut-Walker Hag (also Monster) | 5 | 3/6 | Evil | Ranged. Support: +3 Attack, and Slay abilities trigger 1 additional time. |
| Runeburnt Sage | 5 | 6/12 | Evil | Slay: Next turn spells cost -1. When you cast a spell, Mages you control gain +1 Attack permanently. |
Tier 6
| Character | Tier | Attack/Health | Alignment | Rules text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powderkeg Crone (also Monster) | 6 | 10/5 | Evil | Ranged. Support: +10 Attack. |
| Stitchfur Beast (also Animal) | 6 | 7/10 | Good | Your other Animals have +2/+2. When you summon an Animal in a brawl, double its Attack and Health after Treasure bonuses. |
| Stormborn Scion | 6 | 2/2 | Neutral | +2/+2 for each spell you've cast this game. |
What buffs Mages
No other shop character mentions Mages in its rules text, so Mages are not buffed by name. Alignment buffs for Good and Evil characters still apply, and the character guide lists them.
Positioning
Slots 1 to 4 are the front row and slots 5 to 7 the back row; the rules guide explains how rows decide who gets attacked.
- Support characters work from the back row, where enemy ordinary attackers can only reach them once your front row is gone. Slot 5 covers front slots 1 and 2, slot 6 covers 2 and 3, and slot 7 covers 3 and 4.
- Sunmeadow Witch and Eastmarch Hag give their bonus only to Good and Evil characters respectively, so check the alignments in front of them before choosing.
- Spell-scaling Mages such as Stormborn Scion start small and grow with each spell you cast, so they are worth most once you are casting spells regularly.
Looking for a full plan? The strategy guide covers turn-by-turn play, and the weekly meta report shows how boards built around each type have placed.