Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle – Defence Against the Dark Arts

A two-player Harry Potter deckbuilding duel: buy Spells, Hexes and Allies and stun your opponent three times.

Designers: Kami Mandell, Andrew Wolf
Published by: The Op Games
Editions by: Rebel Sp. z o.o., Reflexshop, KOSMOS, REXhry, Gameology (Gameology Romania), Tabletop KZ, iHRYsko

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle – Defence Against the Dark Arts (2019) is a two-player, competitive spin-off of the co-op Hogwarts Battle, so it's a different game from the one you may know. Headmaster Dumbledore has ordered practical lessons in defending yourself, and you duel each other with a starting deck of Spells, Hexes, Items and Allies. Each turn you play cards for influence, then buy better ones from a shared row, and your deck gets stronger as you go. Hit your opponent with attacks and take-that effects, and the first to stun the other three times wins. It's a compact deckbuilder with a familiar wizarding theme, and it suits fans who want a head-to-head fight instead of a co-op campaign.

Competitive duel for exactly twoSpells, Hexes, Items and Allies to buyFirst to stun three times wins

Who it's for

You and one other fan want a head-to-head Harry Potter game that plays like a proper deckbuilder rather than a co-op campaign.

Not for you if…

You wanted the cooperative Hogwarts Battle campaign, or you play with more than two. This one is a duel only.

Vibe's take

Brisk and snappy, with the quiet satisfaction of a deck that gets better each round. You cast, you buy, you hit, and the duel keeps swinging.