We've almost arrived at our final destination in this tour of some of the wondrous and strange creatures found in Cosmic Incursion , the upcoming boxed set expansion for Cosmic Encounter . Today's preview begins with a warning to keep your eyes on your prized possessions and anything else of value, for we're about to meet the Magician.

The tricky Magician is a never-before-seen alien designed by the unfailingly clever Bruno Faidutti, creator of Ad Astra and Letter of Marque . Let's look at what this alien brings to the table, and mind your pockets - he moves quickly!

The Magician has the power of Prestidigitation, the skillful slight of hand utilized by magicians from time immemorial. Using a combination of dexterity, misdirection, and psychology, an accomplished practitioner of the art of prestidigitation can make objects appear and disappear, at will.

Here's the background information about these masters of manipulation:

Lacking any natural weapons with which to defend themselves, the Magicians had to use their keen intellect to survive. Confusing and confounding their enemies became second nature to the wily Magicians. Indeed, many a would-be Cosmic conqueror has found occasion to curse the day that the Magicians swindled a visiting alien out of his spaceship and soared into the Cosmos.

During the Planning phase the Magician may force his opponent to play two encounter cards from hand face down on the table, instead of one. The Magician then selects one of these cards at random, and adds it to his hand.

The remaining card stays face down on the table and becomes the opponent's card for that encounter. As the Magician, you now choose and play an encounter card as normal.

The Magician's Card. Click to Enlarge.

Opponents of the Magician must think carefully, weighing their options as you make their play. Do you push your luck and play one high and one low card, hoping the Magician draws the lesser card? Do you play two strong cards in an attempt to have a chance either way? Who's bluffing who? Find out when the Magician colonizes your galaxy in Cosmic Incursion , now shipping to distributors!

And be sure to check out the rulesheet for Cosmic Incursion (pdf, 488 KB) on our support page .

Cosmic Encounter is a classic board game for three to five players where fate and destiny collide against the unpredictable nature of the cosmos. With innumerable combinations of alien powers, and exceptional wheeling and dealing between players, this fan favorite game of galactic conquest is brimming with outlandish twists as players race to be the first to establish enough colonies to win.