Wheel of Time CCG

Wheel of Time CCG adapts Robert Jordan's massive fantasy series exactly when it was at its commercial apex, between The Path of Daggers and Winter's Heart, with the hardcover print runs breaking into the millions.

The game

Released in 1999 by Precedence Entertainment, Wheel of Time CCG is a two-player duel where each player builds a party led by a channeler (Aes Sedai, Asha'man, Wilder) and supports them with warders and allies. Combat uses a Weave system where channelers combine elemental cards to cast effects, modelling the novels' One Power system.

The context

The Wheel of Time book line was the fantasy tentpole property of the late 90s and the CCG capitalised on the audience that had spent a decade reading the series. Robert Jordan was consulted on the mechanics and is credited on several expansions. Card art was commissioned specifically for the CCG rather than reused from book covers, which gave it a distinctive visual identity separate from the Darrell K. Sweet cover paintings.

The collector angle

Premier, Children of the Dragon, Dark Prophecies, and the unreleased Seanchan expansion are the published and planned runs. The line was wound down when Precedence folded around 2001, and Seanchan playtest cards are the trophy pulls. Signed cards from Robert Jordan convention appearances before his 2007 death are among the most valuable items in any Jordan-fandom market, far more sought-after by novel collectors than CCG players.