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Hopefully this write-up will offer a short and helpful pro/con review for those trying to make their mind up about playing or purchasing this expansion.
GAME: SETTLERS OF CATAN CARD GAME (1996)
EXPANSION: WIZARDS AND DRAGONS
PUBLISHER: MAYFAIR GAMES
PROS 
- Changes the game in an interesting way. Unlike some of the expansions present in the SoC: Card Game expansion box, Wizards & Dragons (W&D) isn’t just a set of new cards that slightly changes the basic strategy. W&D adds a whole new layer to SoC:CG by adding a new resource (Magic Powers), a new Development Card to harness the power of the Wizards (Citadels), and of course, the Wizards, each with their own leaning towards a particular type of resource. As well, there are the Magic Books, which offer players spells that can be used to screw with the basic rules of the game. W&D doesn’t merely augment the base game, it reinvents.
- Thematically solid. The W&D expansion changes the thematic feel of SoC:CG. Like its father game, the Card Game has a very medieval feel, grounded in the reality of struggle and development. W&D paints a whole new picture onto it, adding the fantasy elements of magic and myth. All the new cards have fantastical elements and are illustrated nicely and many are well thought out mechanically. Citadels are like cities, giving 2 VPs, but only if a wizard is present; wizards are tuned into the power of different resources; Magic Actions require the presence of wizards to cast. Similarly, Magic Books require the power of wizards. With more wizards in your principality better and more powerful cards are available to you (e.g., Materialization – which allows you to change a settlement into a city with at least 2 wizards.) Lastly, dragons are the new knights, bringing great strength and protection (although, as there are only two dragons I am not quite sure they deserve a place in the name of this expansion.)
- High replay value. The W&D expansion is not novel. You do not just feel it was just a “neat” idea that may or may not get use. W&D adds a whole new dimension to the Card Game, and injects a theme into it that I’m sure most lovers of Catan would enjoy. It works well with the base game and brings the Card Game to another level for those who are tired of playing the base game and want something more than just the usual tweaks some of the other expansion cards may offer.
CONS 
- “Comet” Event Card. The “Comet” forces players to discard their entire hand and draw a new one. Personally, this adds a level of chaos to the game which I don’t personally enjoy. Working out your hand is half the battle in this game, and although the “Comet” card forces you to use your cards faster and develop a flexible strategy, there is just something a bit disappointing every time the comet comes up.
FINAL COMMENT
Without playing all of them yet, W&D is my favourite expansion available in the Expansion Set so far. It adds a level of complexity and theme to the base game that makes it feel fresh and engaging. There is more interaction and “screw-your-opponent” stuff going on, but it rarely feels unfair or frustrating. Other than the above mentioned Event card, W&D balances out the new level of strategy and the effects of chaos well enough that this is an expansion I would definitely use with regularity!
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