Magical Athlete: Second Wind Racers and Powers Guide

Bite Mark to Hotel

Bite Mark

A low roll on its main move can transform Bite Mark into a racer that eliminates pieces it passes.

Before that happens, watch the space between it and the racers in front. After it happens, those same gaps tell you who could be exposed on a future pass.

At the table. Imagine one rival just ahead and another several spaces away. Keep the pieces in place while you check the transformation and the path of the move.

The important question is which pieces Bite Mark actually passes, especially if another power also changes its position.

Blunderdog

This racer changes direction depending on its position. The fan reference describes triple movement while last and backward movement otherwise. The difference is large enough that a change in relative position before the roll can matter more than any prediction you made when recruiting.

At the table. Compare being one space behind the nearest rival with being one space in front.

Use those two positions as a teaching example, then check how the rulebook treats ties for last. Avoid planning two turns ahead as though Blunderdog will stay in the same mode.

Cheatah

Cheatah selects a die value in secret in place of the usual roll. A particular neighbouring player can stop the move by guessing the chosen value. It makes the relationship between two seats part of the race.

At the table. If four spaces would reach an important position and six would simply move farther, consider which number the guesser expects.

Teach who makes the guess and when the die is revealed before you try a practice turn. An open discussion after the choice defeats the point of the hidden decision.

Critic

Critic pressures racers in front by interfering with their main-move rolls. The relevance of the power changes as pieces trade positions. Before a roll, identify whether the other racer is ahead and whether the timing limit on Critic’s card has already been used.

At the table. For an example, put Critic behind two rivals, then imagine one falls behind it.

Ask the table to identify which of the two can still be affected. This is a cleaner exercise than starting with an argument about how desirable someone’s roll was.

Diva

Diva uses last place as a pivot. The fan reference describes a swap with the leader when Diva starts its turn in last place and a swap with the last-place racer otherwise.

A good position at the end of someone else’s move can therefore be a very different proposition when Diva acts.

At the table. Set up three pieces at different positions and move Diva from the back to the middle. Ask which piece the card points to in each arrangement. Check the rulebook before adding a tie or treating a swap as a pass.

Doppelgängster

Doppelgängster interferes with the apparent first-place finish and acquires the affected racer’s ability. It changes what players need to check before handing out awards. The player with the piece closest to the finish has a strong reason to know that this card is active.

At the table. As a teaching example, pause a move just before crossing the line and have someone read this card aloud.

Check the sequence for removal, power acquisition and what happens to the race. This makes the example useful without assuming that the next piece automatically earns a particular award.

Gloth

Gloth gives up some ordinary movement and may earn points for staying on the earlier part of the track until the race ends. Its objectives pull in different directions from a racer built to win a sprint. Look for the second corner before choosing it.

At the table. Picture a race that is about to end with Gloth still near the relevant corner. Check the exact boundary printed on the card before counting any award.

The lesson for the draft is that a racer can contribute to your overall result even when it spends much of the race behind the leaders.

Hog Knight

Hog Knight begins on a mount that improves its rider’s main move. The mount can change hands when another racer stops on its space. Keep track of the mount as well as the original rider, because later turns can depend on who has it now.

At the table. Use two test moves. In one, a racer stops on the relevant space. In the other, the racer moves beyond it.

Read the actual card to decide whether either move transfers the mount. That distinction matters more than memorising how far the next rider might travel.

Hopfrog

Hopfrog can take another turn when it finishes its turn just behind another racer. A single occupied space can therefore make the difference between a routine move and another opportunity to move. When selecting it, think about how closely the field is likely to travel.

At the table. Put a rival one space ahead at the end of Hopfrog’s turn, then change that gap to two spaces.

Compare the two positions and check the card before the next player rolls. If another power moved either piece, establish which positions apply at the relevant moment.

Hotel

Hotel makes its own space costly to stop on. The reference describes a point payment from an arriving racer and a trip when the payment cannot be made. The player teaching the race should keep the board position and the other player’s available points separate.

At the table. Compare a racer stopping on Hotel’s space with one continuing past it.

Then use a player who has points and a player who has none to illustrate the two possible consequences. Follow the card for the exact amount and the rules for what a trip changes.

Icarus to Mush

Icarus

Icarus has a substantial main-move boost paired with the risk of elimination on a particular roll. It appeals when you are happy to trade reliability for the chance to close a gap quickly. Tell new players about the risk before they choose it.

At the table. One useful exercise is to compare two rolls where one triggers the elimination and the other produces ordinary boosted movement.

Keep the die visible while resolving the power. If the group is also using a reroll effect, look up which roll determines the outcome before moving the piece.

Kingtripper

Kingtripper can affect the leader when its own turn begins. The current leader matters at that moment, even if a different racer was ahead when the previous round of turns started.

Its presence gives everyone a reason to keep track of who is out in front.

At the table. Set one rival ahead of the rest and read the card before rolling for Kingtripper.

Then put two pieces in contention for the lead and check the rulebook’s position and tie instructions. That second exercise is a reference check, because the card’s broad description alone does not settle a tie.

Kraken

Kraken has a once-per-race effect that can bring the other racers to its location and trip them. It is a commitment you can save for a later position.

Keep a simple reminder of whether the effect is still available, particularly if the race is long or several interruptions occur.

At the table. Compare using it while the group is tightly bunched with using it after a leader pulls away.

The difference is the starting spread of the field. Check which pieces are still racing, where they end up and what the trip rules require before continuing.

Le Saboteur

Le Saboteur makes a particular main-move roll send other racers backward. For that reason, the table should establish whether the die result belongs to an affected racer and whether the roll is the main move. The direction of the move follows from those checks.

At the table. Demonstrate it with a rival rolling the relevant number on a clear part of the board.

Then repeat the exercise with a roll made for a different effect. Read the card’s scope before applying the same outcome. This is an easy way to catch an overbroad interpretation.

Magical Athlete

The namesake racer replaces a simple die result with a menu of different effects. Some outcomes move its own piece, while others change a rival’s position or what happens after the move.

Keep the card close because a quick summary is a poor substitute for looking up the specific face.

At the table. Before rolling, make sure players know who is leading and who is behind. Once the die settles, look up that result and resolve it in the stated order.

Walk through a result that affects a rival before asking new players to remember several outcomes at once.

Mole

Mole can use a fixed move instead of rolling when there are no racers close enough to block the option. Its appeal depends on room around the piece, so the location of the nearest rival matters before the turn begins.

At the table. Place Mole in a clear patch of track, then put another racer next to it and compare the available choices.

That pair of examples is enough to show why a wide gap can be valuable. Check the distance on the printed card if a rival is at the boundary.

Mr. Dice Guy

Mr. Dice Guy rolls a handful of dice and looks for repeated values for its main move. The useful information is the frequency of each number. A high die face is only a candidate if it meets the duplication requirement.

At the table. Lay out an example with a pair of twos, a pair of fours and two single numbers.

Ask the player which values are eligible before discussing which would reach the better space. If the dice show no eligible repeat, consult the instructions before substituting a move of your own.

Mush

Mush can gain another racer’s power after a low main-move roll. Its value can change as the race goes on because the abilities available to it change. Keep any acquired cards visible beside Mush so everyone can review the effects currently in play.

At the table. A good teaching case begins with one acquired power and a normal turn that might trigger it.

When a second ability enters play, read both before resolving a situation where they could overlap. Use the game’s timing reference for that interaction and keep acquired cards separate from racers you have yet to field.

Nemesis to Re-Runner

Nemesis

Nemesis can react when other racers roll for their main move by trying to match their result. This gives its owner something to consider on other players’ turns and makes it useful to leave the triggering die visible until Nemesis has decided.

At the table. Ask one player to make a main-move roll, then demonstrate a match and a miss with Nemesis.

The key difference is the comparison between the two rolls. If the first roll is rerolled or altered by another effect, check when Nemesis may respond before continuing.

Nepo Baby

Nepo Baby starts farther along the course, at the first corner according to the character reference. The advantage is already on the board before ordinary movement begins. Identify the correct landmark each time you change tracks.

At the table. Compare the normal start area with the first corner on the active course. Ask the teacher to show both locations before placing pieces.

A head start can change which rivals are close enough to interact on the opening turns, so give players time to look at the whole lineup after setup.

Null

Null affects racers ahead of it, slowing their main move and suppressing their powers according to the reference.

Its influence can change after any move that changes which racers are in front. This is one of the cards worth reading to the whole table at the start.

At the table. Take one rival that begins behind Null and move it into a clear lead over that piece.

Check when the effect applies to the new position. For a situation where a power is already resolving, read the rules before assuming it continues or disappears halfway through.

Overtaker

Overtaker’s move improves with the number of racers ahead. The card gives you a reason to count pieces before movement rather than relying on the apparent size of the gap.

A crowded field can present a different opportunity from a race with only a single distant leader.

At the table. Put three racers in front and count them, then repeat with one in front. The exercise shows what changes without inventing a rule for tied positions.

If two pieces are on the same space, check the game’s position definitions before choosing which racers to count.

Party Pooper

Party Pooper changes what happens when a six is rolled and can move as a result of the reroll. This can affect decisions even when someone else is acting, so leave rolled dice in place long enough for the table to identify the relevant effect.

At the table. Walk through a normal roll with no six, then a roll that shows one. Point to the reroll step and the resulting move separately.

If a second card also reacts to a six or to a reroll, stop at the first roll and check which trigger resolves when.

Penguin

Penguin trips when passed, but its card changes how it acts while tripped. That means a trip marker has a specific consequence for Penguin and should not be treated as a cue to skip automatically. Keep the piece’s state visible between turns.

At the table. Demonstrate another racer passing Penguin, then show Penguin reaching its next main move in the tripped state.

Look up the exact replacement on the card. If another piece stops next to Penguin without passing, check the trigger before treating the two situations alike.

Re-Runner

Re-Runner can return as an additional racer in the races after its first appearance. The timing of that first appearance is therefore part of the decision to recruit it.

The player should keep the card and piece accessible even after its first result has been recorded.

At the table. Compare fielding it early with holding it back. An earlier first race leaves more later races in which the effect could matter.

Before using it in a two-player or combined game, check the rules for what happens when a player is already controlling more than one piece.

Show-Off to Understudy

Show-Off

Show-Off can keep adding rolls to its move, but continuing after a good result risks losing the entire move if the next result is no higher. Think about what the move already achieves before deciding whether to continue.

At the table. Use a first roll of two and a second roll of four as a practice case. Ask whether the current total already reaches the desired space before considering a third roll.

Then discuss how a lower or equal roll would change the outcome. This turns the power into a clear decision for a first-time player.

Soulmate

Soulmate chooses an opposing racer before racing and can move to that racer’s space when the start-of-turn distance condition is met. The choice of partner should therefore consider where you expect the other piece to be, as well as how quickly it can move.

At the table. Choose a target in a practice setup and mark the pair clearly. Move the target just inside the relevant range, then outside it, and compare what Soulmate can do.

If an effect removes the target from the race, consult the card and rules before trying to select a replacement.

Speed Demon

Speed Demon converts the player’s existing points into movement, but an excessive lead when it starts a turn can eliminate it. An early race and a late race can therefore offer very different opportunities for the same player. Count the points and the lead separately.

At the table. Picture a player with several points sending it into a later race.

Compare a narrow lead with a lead at the card’s elimination threshold at the start of its next turn. A large move can create the very position that makes the next turn risky.

Spoilsport

Spoilsport can stop the race when every other racer is sufficiently far ahead at the beginning of its turn. The condition concerns the whole field. Checking only the leader’s distance can leave out the rival whose position matters most.

At the table. Set up three opponents, two comfortably ahead and one just in front of Spoilsport. Then move the nearest opponent beyond the threshold and compare.

Use the printed card for the award and the rules for the cancelled race, especially if some racers have already left the course.

Stepdad

Stepdad boosts the main move of a particular neighbouring racer and can gain points if that racer finishes first.

Confirm which racer the card refers to before the opening roll. It is one of the clearest examples of a power whose value depends on another player’s result.

At the table. Run a practice finish where the boosted racer wins and one where a different rival wins.

Compare the consequences for Stepdad’s owner using the printed card. This also gives the group a useful reason to identify the neighbour correctly before planning around the bonus.

Streaker

Streaker can gain points when it passes other racers. Its owner should pay attention to the occupied spaces along the move as well as the final destination.

A pass-based award can make a move valuable even if the racer still has a long way to go.

At the table. Practise a move past a single rival before trying one that passes several.

Read the actual wording to settle whether the award is counted per move, per trigger or per racer. Make a separate check for movement created by another effect before extending the same ruling.

Stunner

Stunner changes rolls made by nearby rivals. Its influence follows the piece on the track, so check the distance at the time of a roll. A racer that starts nearby may be in a different position by the time another effect asks it to roll.

At the table. Compare an ordinary roll from beside Stunner with a roll from farther away. Then consider a die rolled for a separate power.

Check the card’s wording for which rolls are affected and use the rulebook if another card would replace the result too.

Switcharoo

Switcharoo can exchange control of racers when it finishes a turn close to a rival. Track the owner of each card separately from the locations of the pieces. Other players need to know which racer belongs to them after the choice resolves.

At the table. Set up two pieces within the card’s distance and let Switcharoo’s player decide whether to use the option.

Point out which cards change hands and which positions stay on the track. Consult the rules before deciding what the exchange means for later recruitment or race records.

Tail

Tail can reposition behind the next racer ahead at the start of its turn. Look for the nearest eligible racer in front before counting the distance it might gain. The power gives a trailing piece a way to rejoin play after a gap opens.

At the table. Place two rivals at different distances in front of Tail and ask which is next ahead.

Then check the destination space and what the official rules say about warping before moving it. If rivals share a space, look up how to identify the target in that position.

The Hose

The Hose checks a die result at the end of its turn and can trip racers within reach ahead. The relative positions at the end of the move matter. It helps to count forward from the new position rather than from where the racer started.

At the table. Set one rival close and another farther away, then use a sample roll that reaches only the first. Repeat with a result that could reach both. Read the exact range and trip instructions from the card before changing either rival’s state.

Understudy

Understudy copies a power from an opposing racer before its race. The available options are tied to the opposition for that race. It can be useful to wait until you have read the actual powers in the lineup before deciding what you want to copy.

At the table. Compare copying a simple movement modifier with copying a power that has a special setup condition.

Check when the copy takes effect and how the rules handle the setup-dependent case. Keep the chosen reference visible so no one has to reconstruct the choice halfway through the race.

A repeatable checklist for any racer power

When a power seems complicated, start with six short questions. You do not need to memorise all 36 character descriptions to use them. The aim is to separate the ordinary race action from the exception written on the card.

1. Trigger: Does the power apply before a race, at the start of a turn, on a roll, during movement, on stopping or at the end of a race?
2. Target: Does it affect the racer itself, its owner, every racer in front, a single opponent or a specific track position?
3. Choice: Is the effect optional or required? If the text offers a choice, identify when the choice must be made.
4. Movement type: Is the piece making its main move, receiving extra movement, swapping places or being warped? The difference can affect other powers.
5. Duration: Does the effect end immediately, last until the current race ends, or remain relevant in later races?
6. Consequences: Does it change only location, or does it also change who controls a character, whether someone is tripped, or who earns points?

To test an uncertain interaction, stop the game just before the trigger, leave the pieces in place and read each relevant card. If multiple effects respond to the same event, use the Second Wind rules for their order. A helpful practice scenario is not evidence of an official ruling.

For example, the phrase “when another racer passes me” is different from “when another racer stops on my space.” A piece could stop on an occupied square without having passed someone. The exact meaning of passing, and whether warps or swaps count, must follow the printed rules rather than an assumption.

Another example is a power that adds a second move after a normal move. The first movement may be a main move while the second is an ability movement. Do not automatically trigger every main-move bonus a second time unless the card or rules support that.

Five Second Wind power matchups to check carefully

These are practice questions, not official rulings. When a combination appears at your table, read the actual cards first. The point of each example is to identify the question that matters rather than announce an unverified outcome.

Cheatah and Critic: is a chosen die value the same as a roll?

Cheatah’s fan description involves secretly selecting a die value instead of making the normal roll. Critic is described as interfering with main-move rolls. Does an ability that asks for a reroll apply when no conventional roll occurred? The exact wording determines the answer, so do not settle it by analogy.

Recreate the situation without changing the pieces: one racer is ahead, the other can affect its result. Read when each power activates and what counts as a main-move roll. If necessary, look for a publisher clarification specific to these cards.

Null and Soulmate: when can another power be suppressed?

Null’s reported effect limits powers for racers ahead. Soulmate’s reported effect uses another racer’s position at the beginning of its turn. The question is whether the position requirement and the suppression requirement are checked at the same moment or at separate moments.

Place three racers on the track, identify which are ahead of Null and read the exact text on Soulmate. Avoid saying that a warp must occur, or cannot occur, before confirming the official timing.

Penguin and The Hose: does being tripped always mean skipping movement?

The Hose can reportedly trip other racers under certain conditions. Penguin has an unusual power connected to the tripped state. Do not automatically apply a generic skipped-move explanation to Penguin: the specific card may replace what usually happens while tripped.

Check the triggering roll, the affected distance and the printed effect on Penguin. Record the tripped state before starting the next turn so no one mistakes it for a normal turn.

Re-Runner and Understudy: who keeps a power across races?

Re-Runner reportedly appears in later races following its first one, whereas Understudy copies an opposing power before a race. Both involve decisions beyond an ordinary turn, but they are not the same mechanism. An extra piece, a copied ability and a character’s identity should not be treated as interchangeable.

Identify each card’s duration and which racer it refers to. If a combined-box game changes the available roster, use its official instructions rather than assuming this index settles every copying case.

Diva and Tail: which racer is ahead at the beginning of a turn?

Diva’s ability depends on who leads or is last, while Tail’s ability involves the next racer ahead. On a crowded track, the relevant positions can change between consecutive turns even when neither of these racers rolled. Compare the actual positions at the moment each card is checked.

If two racers share a position, do not invent a tiebreaker. Keep the board as it is, read the official rules and use the rulebook’s handling of tied positions where applicable.

Choosing racers for your team

Start with a power you can explain in one sentence. For a first game, a racer whose condition you can see directly on the track makes a good teaching choice.

Overtaker cares about pieces ahead, for example, while a racer such as Understudy asks you to read someone else’s ability before you know how your own card will play.

Both can suit the same table. Choose the simpler explanation when everyone is also learning the basic movement and scoring.

Then consider how your other choices depend on the field. A team full of racers that all want a tightly packed group may give you fewer comfortable options if the other players pick abilities that spread the field.

A racer who benefits from open space, a racer who can rejoin a group, and a racer whose power affects someone else’s result ask different questions.

The purpose of that mix is to give you several ways to choose a runner when you see the course and opposition.

Save a note for powers that care about earlier races or current points. Re-Runner gives you a reason to think about when its first race happens. Speed Demon makes the standings relevant to the choice of runner.

Compare the remaining races, your available cards and the situation you expect on the board. The best time to field a racer can change when the earlier results differ from what you expected.

If you are choosing between similar cards, compare what each asks you to monitor. A movement modifier that depends on your own die is relatively easy to watch.

A power that reacts to neighbours or changes another person’s roll asks you to pay attention during more of the race.

Pick the type of decision you enjoy. If you are teaching, tell each player which other turns they should listen to before the first piece moves.

Three things to check when powers overlap

1. Position. Identify the pieces involved and where each stands. An effect that cares about the nearest rival calls for a different check from one that cares about everyone in front. Compare the specific spaces before changing the board.
2. Timing. Name the event that just happened. If one card cares about a roll and the other cares about a stop, you may be looking at two different parts of the turn. If both cards appear to react to the same event, use the rulebook’s timing instructions.
3. Control and score. Keep the piece, its card and the person controlling it straight. This matters with Switcharoo and any effect that refers to an award earned by somebody else. After resolving the power, check whether the position, the controller, or the score changed before passing play.

Use a die, a card and two pieces to recreate the moment if the table needs a second look. Move only the pieces involved and set them back when the example is over.

If the same question keeps recurring, place a removable note beside the card with the rulebook page or the timestamp you used to resolve it. That helps the next player reach the actual reference quickly.

Racer powers FAQ

Can I use this guide for the original roster?

This index covers the names listed under Second Wind in the research reference. Use the card from the box you are playing and see the edition comparison if you are sorting cards from both boxes.

Do the practice examples settle official timing questions?

They illustrate what to look for on the board. For a ruling, start with the printed card and the edition’s timing rules, especially when rerolls, swaps, extra turns or finishing effects interact.

Source status: which details are confirmed?

CMYK-confirmed information: the publisher’s Second Wind page confirms the title, independent or combinable format, two-to-six-player range, approximate duration and the existence of unusual racer powers. It names the publisher’s designers and artist. It does not provide all 36 final card texts for independent line-by-line checking.

Provisional character descriptions: the Magical Athlete Character Profiles reference calls itself unofficial. The names, descriptions and hypothetical positions in this article were prepared with that fan reference. They should help readers recognise what to look up, not replace the cards.

Video: the embedded Board Game Animal segment shows the new racers in a relevant third-party discussion. The creator is not affiliated with BoardGameArchive. The video is not a CMYK errata document or a source for definitive timing rulings.

Outstanding verification: a full comparison against every printed Second Wind card and official rulebook remains incomplete. Exact numerical thresholds and power-to-power conflicts should therefore be checked against the product in hand. Any publisher clarification should be added to the relevant character entry with its date and source.

Editorial review date: 12 November 2026. We update the existing guide when new evidence becomes available, preserving the character anchors and original URL so links from other BoardGameArchive articles continue to work.

Sources, scope and corrections

Edition scope: CMYK’s Magical Athlete: Second Wind. The original-box roster and fan-made expansions are outside this guide’s scope. Tactical examples are editorial illustrations, not claims of hands-on testing or official rulings.

Verification status: CMYK’s product information was checked on 12 November 2026. A complete official-card check of the character summaries is still outstanding. The third-party video covers the characters but does not establish every interaction.

• CMYK’s Second Wind product page and official tutorial
• Board Game Animal’s character video — third-party video, with the character segment beginning around 4:39.
• Unofficial Magical Athlete character reference
• BoardGameArchive’s Second Wind hub

Report a correction · Editorial policy