Summoner Wars: Phoenix Elves vs Tundra Orcs

Fire against ice, and a wasteland where a paradise used to be. This 2009 starter set puts two factions in your hands: the Phoenix Elves, volcanic magic-users out for revenge, and the Tundra Orcs, frozen raiders with grisly plans. Everything sits in two decks. You summon units onto a small grid with magic, move them forward and roll dice to hit. Whoever brings down the enemy Summoner wins. It plays like a card game with a chessboard attached, wrapped up in roughly half an hour. Both decks arrive complete, so you can start a fight straight from the box. It is a game for two, although the box lists up to four.