Archon II: Adept
A turn-based strategy sequel with real-time duels and magical resource management.
Archon II: Adept is a turn-based strategy game with real-time combat sequences, developed by Free Fall Associates and published by Electronic Arts in 1984. It is the sequel to Archon: The Light and the Dark, and was initially released for the Atari 8-bit computers and Commodore 64, with later ports to other platforms.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Free Fall Associates
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts (NA); Ariolasoft (EU)
- Designer
- Jon Freeman
- Paul Reiche III
- Anne Westfall
- Platforms
- Amiga
- Amstrad CPC
- Apple II
- Atari 8-bit
- Commodore 64
- ZX Spectrum
- Released
- 1984
- Genre
- Turn-based strategy, action
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
In Archon II: Adept, victory comes from seizing all six power points scattered across the board, wiping out every enemy piece, or triggering Apocalypse—a final showdown where transformed citadel pieces fight based on current board conditions. If a player cannot make a legal move on their turn, they lose immediately. The game works for two human players or one human against a computer, with options to pick sides randomly or by choice, and to apply handicaps. The board is built from concentric rings named Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, plus two Void squares and two decorative citadels. Each side—Order with yellow pieces and Chaos with blue—begins with four Adepts, spellcasters who can bring other pieces into play. During a turn, a player either moves a piece or casts a spell with an Adept. Adepts can teleport to any square, while other pieces travel freely within their own elemental band or step one square in any direction. No piece may land on an occupied square unless it ends its move there to start combat. An Adept standing on an elemental band can aim a spell at any square in that same band. When summoning, a new piece appears on any empty square of that band, or for extra magic cost, directly onto an opponent’s piece to force an immediate fight. Unlike the original Archon, this game uses a magic resource that must be gathered and spent. Magic flows from pieces stationed on power points: four points shift inward one band after each full round of turns, while two fixed points on Void squares yield less magic. The player who goes second starts with a bonus. Magic pays for an Adept’s movement and spells, plus a per-turn upkeep for every summoned piece. Summoning draws from four piece types shared by both sides and four unique to each side; there is no limit on how many copies of a type can appear or on which side. Adepts can also heal, damage, freeze or unfreeze (the freezer covers the frozen piece’s upkeep), or remove summoned pieces. With enough magic stockpiled, a player can cast Apocalypse, causing the citadels to uproot, turn into glowing Adepts, and duel in the Void arena to settle the match.
Reception
II Computing stated that the Apple II version of Archon II is even more challenging than its predecessor and features exciting innovations, concluding that it is good to see a sequel that extends the game's system. Ahoy! said the Commodore 64 version's graphics were excellent but found gameplay inferior, noting that the attempt to further differentiate the game from chess misfires and that Adept just is not as much fun. Computer Gaming World, reviewing the Amiga version, recommended both Archon and Adept for those interested in challenging strategy games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What platforms is Archon II: Adept available on?
Archon II: Adept was released for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.
Who designed Archon II: Adept?
Archon II: Adept was designed by Jon Freeman, Paul Reiche III and Anne Westfall.
More in Turn-Based Strategy Games of the 1980s
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