tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63506114405050591462024-03-17T20:03:19.025-07:00Always Board Never Boring<big>
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<p align="left">Reviewing board games, fighting dragons, and drinking tea since 2012...</p></b></big>
Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-7804563068414564672020-08-22T12:03:00.002-07:002020-08-22T12:22:26.252-07:00Video Review - Candy Chaser<p><i>Designed by Masao Suganuma<br /></i><i>Published by Iello<br />For 2-4 players, aged 8 to adult</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Candy Chaser is an incredibly quick filler game about toddlers smuggling candy. In this video review, we find out if there's anything here to sink your teeth into.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qzollEYEGJY" width="320" youtube-src-id="qzollEYEGJY"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For more news, reviews, painting guides, and unboxing videos, please head over to YouTube and subscribe to my channel:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/kevinoutlaw">https://www.youtube.com/kevinoutlaw</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-48633378469747967332020-04-09T04:02:00.000-07:002020-04-09T04:10:56.616-07:00Review - Castle of Mind<i>Designed by Torok-Szabo Balazs</i><br />
<i>Published by the Fontanus Scientific Methodology Research and Education Center</i><br />
<i>For 2 players, aged 8 to adult</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZhYag9lK4/Xo736bQvqsI/AAAAAAAAA6U/x3dTOkigsrEekq9UwMksnoNZBw_ITcs8QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CastleBox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Castle of Mind" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZhYag9lK4/Xo736bQvqsI/AAAAAAAAA6U/x3dTOkigsrEekq9UwMksnoNZBw_ITcs8QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CastleBox.JPG" title="Castle of Mind" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have you ever played "Pan in the Sink" before?<br />
<br />
I bet you have. You may not have realised it. But you have.<br />
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You know after you've eaten dinner, and you're washing up, and there's that one pan left? You know the one. The one with the really crusty, baked on black stuff. The one that's going to take about half an hour to clean.<br />
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Sure, you could scrub it. But you don't. Instead, you fill the sink with water and drop the pan in there. If anybody asks, it needed to soak.<br />
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And soak it will.<br />
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For how long depends entirely on how good you (and the people you live with) are at playing "Pan in the Sink."<br />
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You see, the aim of the game is simple: Don't be the one that actually cleans the pan.<br />
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It's really just a waiting game. Seeing whose will breaks first.<br />
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How stubborn can you be? How determined are you to keep the pan sitting there?<br />
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If you win, you get the joy of not having to clean the pan. But if you lose...<br />
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Losing is the worst, because not only do you have to clean the pan, you also have to clean all the other stuff that has built up beside the sink while the pan was stewing. It's a chain reaction. A domino effect of cleaning.<br />
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And you may be wondering why I bring up "Pan in the Sink" at all. Well, besides the fact I'm currently the reigning champion, and in the middle of a game as I type, it also reminds me very much of Castle of Mind.<br />
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Let me explain...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Castle of Mind is an abstract two-player game, in the vein of Draughts (Checkers), but with an unusual twist. Rather than taking your opponent's pieces by landing on them or jumping over them, you instead take your opponent's pieces by landing on spaces of the board that match the colour of the piece you are moving and the colour of the space the opponent piece is on.<br />
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Sound complicated and convoluted?<br />
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It's really not. It's just one of those rules that's difficult to explain concisely without an example. So, here's an example:<br />
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If I move a green piece onto a green space, I'm allowed to take an opponent piece that's also on a (different) green space.<br />
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That's the hook the game hangs off, and I have to admit, it's a pretty clever hook.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Nh4OxPf434/Xo73-ANxOgI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/1Ezay1hCBo81HTX_otCA58JJC8vxtowSQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CastleRules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The rules sheet from Castle of Mind" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Nh4OxPf434/Xo73-ANxOgI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/1Ezay1hCBo81HTX_otCA58JJC8vxtowSQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CastleRules.JPG" title="Castle of Mind rules" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the start of the game, each player has 17 pieces: Two white, two grey, four yellow, three green, three blue, and three red. They all start around the edge of a board comprising coloured sections divided into smaller spaces. The red pieces are the most important, and start in little red gates. On a turn, a player selects one piece of any colour to move, following a simple set of movement rules:<br />
<br />
1. Pieces move one space in any direction.<br />
2. Only one piece can be on a space.<br />
3. If a piece is on a space that matches its colour, it cannot move to another space of that colour.<br />
4. Red pieces are not allowed to return to gates once they enter the main board.<br />
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Rule three above is the clever bit, because it prevents you from making consecutive captures with the same piece. For example, if you capture a piece by moving a green piece onto a green space, on the next turn you can't move that same green piece onto another green space to make another capture. You would first need to move the green piece to a space of any other colour, thereby giving your opponent an opportunity to react and move pieces that are at risk into safer locations.<br />
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The aim of the game is to position one of your three red pieces on the red target space in the centre of the board, or else eliminate your opponent's red pieces, or simply force your opponent into a position where he or she has no legal moves available.<br />
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It's all pretty self-explanatory, and after a few turns you'll be into the swing of it. And overall, it's not a bad little game. The twist is unique, and gives you something completely new to think about. You can't focus on any one area of the board; you have to constantly consider every possible action your or your opponent may take. It takes a little bit of mental gymnastics to get good at identifying danger when it comes from somewhere on the other side of the board. You need to be prepared for countless "gotcha" moments as you adapt to a whole new way of thinking and develop the skills necessary to win.<br />
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It really is pretty darned clever.<br />
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Unfortunately, the game is not without its flaws. Three flaws, in fact.<br />
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The first flaw should be pretty self-evident, particularly to any colourblind readers. This game relies on players being able to identify colours. Both the colour of the board spaces and the pieces are vital, and if you can't clearly identify red, green, blue, yellow, grey, and white spaces, you really don't have any chance of winning.<br />
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This is, sadly, going to be a deal breaker for some people. It's also made infinitely worse by the quality of the playing pieces (which just so happens to be the second major flaw). This isn't a game from a mainstream publisher, and the quality takes a hit as a result. The board itself isn't too bad, but the actual playing pieces are small wooden discs with poor printing and a terrible design They really put the "DIY" in indy games.<br />
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(And yes, I realise I've misspelled indie games just to make a bad dad joke. What can I say? I need better material.)<br />
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The biggest problem with the pieces isn't the size or the poor colouration. It's the art design. For some reason (and I imagine the reason was, "This is the easiest option,") the designer chose to make the two sets of pieces with inverted designs. One set has coloured rings with black dots in the middle, while the other set has black rings with coloured dots in the centre. This may sound straightforward enough, but I must have some kind of colour dyslexia because I continually mistook my pieces for my opponent's pieces, and in the heat of a serious game I found it way to easy to make mistakes that could cost the match.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zn84gdjCLGc/Xo74CVVqQOI/AAAAAAAAA6c/iOomZegT1kYy7q9MKSPxyyMvqRNhES51QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CastlePieces.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of pieces from Castle of Mind" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zn84gdjCLGc/Xo74CVVqQOI/AAAAAAAAA6c/iOomZegT1kYy7q9MKSPxyyMvqRNhES51QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CastlePieces.JPG" title="Castle of Mind pieces" width="320" /></a></div>
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What hurts the most about these first two flaws is that they're relatively easy to work around. The publisher just needed to introduce unique symbols that marry up with the colours. For example, every green space and green playing piece could have a leaf symbol. Every red space and red piece could have a flame symbol. And so on. Such a change would have involved a little more work in terms of graphic design and production, but would have instantly made the game colour independent and would have made it more accessible to a larger audience. I can't help but feel this was somewhat of an oversight.<br />
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However, even with a graphic overhaul, there's still the third and final flaw to contend with: This game is (in case you were wondering what the heck my introduction was all about) "Pan in the Sink."<br />
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In the early part of the game, it feels like not a whole lot is happening. Players spend their turns moving pieces into position to make captures on later turns. One person moves a green piece to a white space next to the green section of the board, the opponent does the same, so the first player moves a white piece to a blue space of the board next to the white section to take the opponent's green piece, but then the first player moves a blue piece to a grey space next to a blue section ready to retaliate.<br />
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And nobody actually takes anything.<br />
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Instead, they construct a delicate house of cards.<br />
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Eventually, someone's going to make a move that brings the whole house down, making a capture that starts a chain reaction, wiping out multiple playing pieces. You don't want to be the person to make that play, so the focus of the game becomes how to make threatening yet ultimately stalling actions.<br />
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Now, to be fair, this isn't necessarily a flaw. This is the game working as intended. For a lot of people, that sense of being poised on the edge of disaster, one wrong move from defeat, is going to be quite thrilling. I'm sure many people will enjoy the knife-edge play, and the meticulous way in which it's possible to orchestrate a series of moves that will trigger one after another to bring down an opponent.<br />
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The theory's sound, after all.<br />
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And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that sounds the same as every other game of this type. They're all about early positional play, setting up those traps that you intend to spring later on.<br />
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And you're not wrong.<br />
<br />
But...<br />
<br />
But for me, personally, there was more frustration than tension, and after a few plays it felt like every game slotted into the same routine. Players begin to position their pans. The sink fills up. And both players are just waiting for someone else to make a move that triggers the end game.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZE2YMsfqe8/Xo74FicXcAI/AAAAAAAAA6g/mo6JKsucSxMoKfBrtRe2DkuFGujO7xMqQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CastleBoard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The colourful board from Castle of Mind" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZE2YMsfqe8/Xo74FicXcAI/AAAAAAAAA6g/mo6JKsucSxMoKfBrtRe2DkuFGujO7xMqQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CastleBoard.JPG" title="Castle of Mind board" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once someone makes that first definitive action - once the first domino falls - the game becomes more exciting. Players take pieces in quick succession. Carefully laid plans go out of the window. You gnash your teeth as a perfectly positioned piece takes the hit because you weren't paying attention to a developing situation across the board. The whole nature of the game transitions from strategic to tactical as you quickly reevaluate the current state of play and make immediate adjustments based on your opponent's actions. Things heat up, and it starts to feel more entertaining.<br />
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But once you hit that point in the game, it's almost always nearly over. Most of your time is spent in the buildup, dancing around the sink, stacking up dirty plates and cups on the draining board and then sneaking back out before anybody catches you in a compromising situation with the saucers.<br />
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Again, I would stress this isn't really a flaw. It's not a failure in the system. It's just a failure in the system's ability to consistently engage me in a way that I found fun from the beginning to the very end.<br />
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This isn't a bad game. It's very clever, and I do suggest that anybody with an interest in two-player strategy games (who isn't colourblind) at least checks this one out, if possible. It's a game that does exactly what it sets out to do, and while I admire it, in the end, there's just too much risk of the game dragging in those early stages, and losing a lot of its appeal. Because the truth of the matter is, nobody really likes "Pan in the Sink." Nobody really wants to play it, and the longer it goes on the worse it gets for everyone. Sooner or later somebody has to do the cleaning; otherwise the game just stinks.<br />
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<i>This game was kindly provided for review by the publisher.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-21668987038031169672019-10-06T02:38:00.001-07:002019-10-06T02:38:56.351-07:00Review - Caper <i>Designed by Unai Rubio</i><br />
<i>Published by Jumbo</i><br />
<i>For 2 to 4 players, aged 12 to adult</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LY2TH9cxaiU/XZmlWX4u7hI/AAAAAAAAAYM/4fZEeginWLMznzWNyiSvYNZQPqtvPxksQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CaperTitle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Caper, a card drafting game for thieves" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LY2TH9cxaiU/XZmlWX4u7hI/AAAAAAAAAYM/4fZEeginWLMznzWNyiSvYNZQPqtvPxksQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CaperTitle.JPG" title="Caper" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a father of two, I spend a lot of time playing with LEGO (and yes, I'm going to neatly sidestep the fact I'm using my children as an excuse for playing with LEGO as if I didn't play with it before I even had kids). Children have a very particular way of playing with any kind of construction toy. They like to build towers; but they aren't towers that just go up. They go up, and out, and around. Bits hang off, the sides, and extra bits get bolted wherever they fit, often in complete defiance of gravity. The result is something unique, experimental, incredibly fragile, and messy. If it stands up, it's a bit of a miracle.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QS9NGDT/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07QS9NGDT&linkId=d33f2a21a7d786afd44a32db2247e4ab" target="_blank">Caper</a>, </i>which was kindly provided for review by Jumbo, reminds me very much of playing LEGO with the kids. It's a two-player card game (with tagged on rules for three and four players that significantly change how the game works) combining set collection, card drafting, resource management, gotcha mechanisms, and area control. And it's all smothered with a thick layer of incredibly obscure language-independent iconography that requires it's own supplemental rules book to explain.<br />
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It's a LEGO tower. It's a bit of everything. And the fact it still stands up is a testament to the designer.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The problem is, board games are like garden parties. A board game that does everything, trying to please everyone, never gets an opportunity to do one thing well. More often than not you end up with a game that works, but which also feels like work. You spend your time struggling with, and balancing, the many vying mechanisms, spinning plates and juggling and worrying so much about how you're going to keep the show going you never have an opportunity to stand back and enjoy the spectacle.<br />
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But I'm getting ahead of myself here, sneaking in my conclusions first. So, as this is a game all about globetrotting thieves attempting heists throughout famous cities, let's insert a record scratch and do a Guy Ritchie-inspired fast-talking flashback...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-lHLdM0g4w/XZmlfpWDKOI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/4astJHuLmfgJAgpl--8CnZQekcSevE-KACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CaperBox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box for Caper, featuring beautiful artwork from Emrich" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-lHLdM0g4w/XZmlfpWDKOI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/4astJHuLmfgJAgpl--8CnZQekcSevE-KACKgBGAsYHg/s320/CaperBox.JPG" title="Caper board game" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Caper</i> is a smooth criminal. It arrives with a glinting smile, a smart suit, and no small amount of swagger. You will immediately notice the stunning box artwork by Emrich, which perhaps leans a little too heavily on stereotypes but which nonetheless sets the right tone for an international crime caper. The cover features pictures of ne'er-do-wells hung on the wall of a museum (they'll all claim they were framed if they get caught, after all). The characters are beautifully realised, and look like they've stepped straight out of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IVP6NQ6/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00IVP6NQ6&linkId=7324f4594ae8e3770db35b6cc49c24f2" target="_blank">Les Triplettes des Belleville</a>.</i><br />
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Of course, this artwork is continued through the decks of cards that comprise the core of the components.<br />
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But that's just the beginning. The box also includes some thick boards to help you organize the tableau of cards in play, wooden cubes, cardboard coin tokens, a rules book, and a special "catalogue" of devious devices for thieves to invest in (basically an explanation of the game's iconography, but presented as a mail-order brochure from an ACME-style company that caters to those people who don't normally buy what they want).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQug1XY9Yzc/XZmmvAhclvI/AAAAAAAAAY8/zPiDaS0BELs6f4PfHel72xnZzvW314N2wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CaperRules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The reference manual for Caper's iconography." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQug1XY9Yzc/XZmmvAhclvI/AAAAAAAAAY8/zPiDaS0BELs6f4PfHel72xnZzvW314N2wCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CaperRules.JPG" title="Caper gear catalogue" width="320" /></a></div>
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And it would be a crime if I didn't mention the box insert, which is a real treat. The card wells have embossed safes at the bottom, and there are grooves in the top that secure the boards tightly in place to prevent the cards and tokens from falling out during transit. I'm not convinced the wells are big enough for sleeved cards, but as I don't sleeve cards anyway that's of little concern for me personally.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ySBYfzn6zN0/XZmloOMAN4I/AAAAAAAAAYU/Vjgb1pUZq_Adr_VyZTxIgCq9WqvUUyz-QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CaperInsert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box insert for Caper, showing the moulded card wells that look like safes." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ySBYfzn6zN0/XZmloOMAN4I/AAAAAAAAAYU/Vjgb1pUZq_Adr_VyZTxIgCq9WqvUUyz-QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CaperInsert.JPG" title="Caper box insert" width="320" /></a></div>
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But this bright, breezy, cheerful style is just a facade. It's a front for a rather devious, tricksy little game that has as many moving parts as the most convoluted Hollywood crime thriller. Behind the smile, the cogs are whirring.<br />
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The problem is, it's hard to figure out exactly how. Or even why.<br />
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This game, much like a cleverly plotted crime caper, seems incomprehensible from the outside. The rules are relatively straightforward, but they're presented in a 30-page book nestled among four different languages. The way the rules are written is seemingly designed to obfuscate, omitting such information as what constitutes a "set" of cards, never clearly defining why you have the option to choose between three international cities to run your heist, and liberally dropping icons into the middle of the paragraphs (of particular note is the coin icon, which shows a coin of value "1" but which actually denotes a coin of any value, except for when it really does denote a coin of value "1").<br />
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And then you have the language-independent game cards: Cards with iconography so dense it requires a completely separate catalogue to explain it all. While the presentation of the catalogue is cute, this is a terrible barrier to entry. There are pages of icons, many of which aren't very clear at all. Some cards have more than one icon. Some cards have icons in multiple areas of the card. Oh yeah, and some cards have icons on the icons.<br />
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Let's look at an example of one of the thieves cards.<br />
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This is The Driver.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ztpnn8uAay0/XZml04aoalI/AAAAAAAAAYY/_o2NVc3tdcQHhbMLDuaKdvnu_B2agZJMQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CaperDriver.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Driver, one of the thieves from Caper." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ztpnn8uAay0/XZml04aoalI/AAAAAAAAAYY/_o2NVc3tdcQHhbMLDuaKdvnu_B2agZJMQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CaperDriver.JPG" title="Caper Driver card" width="320" /></a></div>
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The clock and coloured card icons mean that after you discard your last gear cards in the final round, you can play a gear card from your discard pile into this location. The directional compass arrow icon confirms that the icon affects you and your side of the board, rather than your opponent (always pay careful attention to which way these arrows are pointing, as it makes a big difference). The symbol in the lower left indicates you only use this thief card if you have selected to play in Rome. Finally, the coin symbol at the bottom means you receive one coin when you play this card.<br />
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Clear? How about we take a look at a gear card.<br />
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This is the Hollow Book.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Weus3wV3c3A/XZml3Y0HEEI/AAAAAAAAAYc/My967pJnok44skEkJM5pho_hExOsXMYKACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CaperHollowBook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Hollow Book, one of the gear items from Caper." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Weus3wV3c3A/XZml3Y0HEEI/AAAAAAAAAYc/My967pJnok44skEkJM5pho_hExOsXMYKACKgBGAsYHg/s320/CaperHollowBook.JPG" title="Caper Hollow Book" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sneaky man icon means you receive a caper (a nebulous measure of influence to indicate which player controls a specific location). The locked card icon indicates green cards in the same location as this card cannot be flipped. The compass indicates that the card is only protecting your green cards, and not your opponent's. The tower icon in the lower left means you only use this card when you are playing in London. The coin in the top left means you have to pay one coin from your stash to play the card.<br />
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And just to clarify, I don't mean one or two cards are like this. They're all like it.<br />
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Your first few games are going to consist of looking at your hand of cards, and then flipping through the catalogue to find each card and figuring out what it does (and then waiting while your opponent flips through the catalogue to do the same).<br />
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It makes learning the game quite intimidating. It also pretty much ensures your first few games are slow slogs with lots of rules referencing, plenty of mistakes, and far too much analysis paralysis. And this is before you even start grappling with the actual strategies needed to win.<br />
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It makes the game feel like hard work. It makes the game unwelcoming. And in the fast-moving world of board games, where everyone is always looking for the next new thing to be excited about, I fear that many people may never get beyond those learning games to fully appreciate what's going on underneath.<br />
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But if you do manage to drill into the rules, like a criminal mastermind drilling into a bank vault, the rewards may be worth it.<br />
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The main idea of the game is that two players are vying to steal the most valuable items from three different locations, represented by a row of cards in the centre of the table. You achieve your objective by playing sets of cards at each location to generate capers, thereby asserting control. However, along the way there's also an opportunity to accrue money, earn additional treasure, or screw with your opponent's plans.<br />
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Without going into excessive detail, the game plays out in rounds, with players acquiring cards through a drafting mechanism. Players place a thief card from their hand at one of three locations, and then they swap hands. They repeat this process until they each have one card left at which point leftover cards are discarded and the game proceeds to the next round, where the same thing happens with gear cards. This continues through three thief rounds and three gear rounds.<br />
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You can only place thieves at locations that have less than three thieves on your side, and you can never put thieves on top of other thieves. You can only place a gear onto a thief, and only if that thief has less than three gear. If you don't want to place some gear (or can't) you can discard a card to gain one coin. This is important because some gear has a cost in coins to use it.<br />
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The idea is to put the right thieves on the right locations with the right gear to control the location while also generating the right resources and doing whatever you can to hamper your opponent. And in practice is sounds pretty straightforward. It's not though.<br />
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It's really not.<br />
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You see, cards you play may generate capers. If you have the most capers at a location, you gain control of that location and will get any rewards for that location at the end of the game. Some cards will just give you a caper, but others will give you capers based on specific requirements, such as having certain colours of gear cards at your location, or even certain combinations of colours of gear cards. There are seven different colours, and you will have five in play at any one time (four regular colours, and one colour based on the country you select to play in).<br />
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And yes, this is a game where card colour is important, yet they chose nice muted pastel shades. If you're colour blind, or just playing in poor light, that's something you need to be aware of.<br />
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So, just the capers and colour sets is quite a lot to think about; but that's not even half of it. Some cards generate coins, which you need for the better gear cards. Some cards generate victory points, which you need to win. Some cards generate one of three different types of stolen goods (or a fourth wild type that subs for any of the other three) that in turn generate victory points depending on how many sets of them you have at the end of the game.<br />
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And then there's the "gotcha" icons that let you flip your opponent's cards so those cards no longer generate their resources or apply their special effects.<br />
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Of course, once the game is over, you get a big points salad to enjoy. You know the drill: Ten minutes of working out and totting up the points you generated from half a dozen different sources. Each player gets points from location rewards, thief abilities, gear cards, and their sets of stolen items. If their's a tie, the player with the most coins wins.<br />
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And that's the two-player version.<br />
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With three players the rules change as one player becomes a snitch who aims to make the other two players score as equally as possible.<br />
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With four players, the game becomes a team experience, where one player on each team becomes a lookout and controls the drafting process.<br />
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It's impressive that the game has so many options, and caters for different player counts. And it's clever. But each new mode is yet more things to think about.<br />
<br />
More stuff.<br />
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This is a kid's LEGO tower. It's impressive. Inventive. Unique. But it's just got a bit too much of everything in it, and it's just a bit too much to comprehend.<br />
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I think if you had a regular player - a nemesis, if you will - and you played all the time, this could become a challenging and engaging experience. A way to sharpen your minds and duel like Sherlock and Moriarty. But you really do need to play against someone with prior experience, who understands the iconography and already knows how to win. The learning curve is just too steep and frustrating for casual players.<br />
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Oh, and one more thing. If any of this sounds familiar, it may be because this game is a reimplementation of the earlier game, <i>It's Mine</i>. I've never played that version though, so I'm not in a position to compare them. Which means that's pretty much all I have to say.<br />
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For me, this one was a miss. I love the concept and the artwork, but I really wanted a more streamlined and accessible experience. I was looking for a game that did a few things really well rather than trying to spin a wicked web of deceit. But for people prepared to put in the groundwork, this might be something worth checking out.<br />
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So, it's conclusion time...<br />
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<i>Caper</i> is, perhaps fittingly, like a twisty-turny heist. It is, like all plans (and some killer queens), fastidious and precise. Playing requires a firm grasp of the big picture as you deftly control the minutiae. It necessities preparation and study, and familiarising yourself with patterns and symbols. It asks you for your utmost concentration. But even that might not be enough, because there's just so much going on. And ultimately, as clever as I think it all is, and as much as I can see glimpses of fun, the iconography, densely packed mechanisms, and points salad finale mean taking on the role of career criminals feels too much like work for me. Unfortunately, this isn't the big score I was hoping for.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QS9NGDT/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07QS9NGDT&linkId=d33f2a21a7d786afd44a32db2247e4ab" target="_blank">Caper</a> was provided for review by the publishers. It's available now from good games stores and online stockists.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-13293800609736173282019-07-16T13:03:00.001-07:002019-10-06T03:11:13.856-07:00Review - OverbookedDesigned by Daryl Chow<br />
Published by Jumbo<br />
For 1 - 4 frequent fliers, aged 8 to adult<br />
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I'm not a frequent flyer.<br />
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I mean, to the point where I had to check it wasn't spelled "flier." Which it is, apparently. Apart from when it's not.<br />
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I got confused.<br />
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It's not that I hate flying. There's something incredible (magical isn't really the word) for that moment you hurtle down the runway, and the plane leaves the ground, and every fibre of your body is screaming, "This is against God." Flying is, perhaps, the ultimate testament to humankind's achievements.<br />
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But flying comes with its own baggage, and as someone with anxiety issues, I can't think of anything more stressful than airports: Dragging your case into the overcrowded foyer, the sinking feeling you get the moment your luggage disappears from sight on the conveyor belt, the pre-flight, nerve-killing, slightly overpriced drink at the bar, your last desperate patting of pockets to ensure you have your passport, and the waiting.<br />
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Just so much waiting.<br />
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Every step of the process is an individual agony to endure.<br />
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And so it's with some surprise that I can report someone, somewhere, somehow, has managed to take this most arduous element of any adventure and transform it into something truly enjoyable. That someone is games designer Daryl Chow. The somehow is his really rather lovely game, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QVSZ8S4/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07QVSZ8S4&linkId=336131bd7d5a595ce2daca64a05a34ae" target="_blank">Overbooked</a></i>. And the somewhere is my house (since I received a copy from the publishers for review and sometimes the world is awesome).<br />
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<i>Overbooked</i> puts you in control of an airline with one simple goal: Fill one plane to maximise profits on the flight. And if that sounds pretty straightforward... well... it is. One of the game's biggest strengths is just how accessible it is. It's one of those games that you can set up in a few minutes, and after you've played a single round you know exactly what you're doing. The box says it's suitable for gamers as young as eight, and having played it with my eight-year-old daughter, I can testify to that.<br />
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Each player (up to four) has a board representing the interior of a plane, with little rows of little seats to fill. In the centre of the table, there's a separate board showing the departure lounge where there are four face-up cards in a row representing the queue of passengers outside the boarding gate. Each card shows a specific arrangement of coloured suitcases, with each colour corresponding to a particular type of flyer. On your turn, you simply take one of the cards from the departure lounge, take matching coloured passenger tokens, and then arrange those passenger tokens in your plane. Finally, you shuffle up all the passenger cards left in the queue, and add a new one to the end.<br />
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And that's basically it.<br />
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It sounds simple.<br />
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It is simple.<br />
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But it's not easy.<br />
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First of all, you can't just take whichever card from the departure lounge you need. You can take the card at the front of the queue for free (after all, they are next to board), or you can take any card from further back in the queue if you place a food voucher from your limited supply on each card you skip. Whenever someone takes a card, they also get any food vouchers on that card as an added bonus. This is a clever balancing mechanism that means there are never any simple choices. Sure, you can take the first card, but it's rarely going to be the one that's most beneficial to your requirements; however, if you take a different card, you're spending your vouchers and potentially gifting them to your opponents, which gives them a lot more options later in the game. And, of course, later in the game is exactly when you need the most options, because it's when your plane is almost full and you need to be extra careful about which cards you pick.<br />
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But why, exactly, does it matter which cards you pick?<br />
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As I already mentioned, each card shows a number of coloured suitcases in a specific arrangement. You need to position the corresponding passengers in your plane in that exact arrangement, making sure you don't split the pattern across an aisle or put a new passenger in a seat that's already taken (which kicks the existing passenger off the flight and costs you victory points at the end of the game). To begin with, this is relatively straightforward; but as your plane fills up it becomes more difficult to slot the shapes into the room you have left.<br />
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So yeah... It's <i>Tetris</i>.<br />
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Without the catchy tune.<br />
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And, of course, you aren't just trying to make rows here. The aim of the game isn't just to fit the passengers in, but to fit them in so that they're positioned in a way that scores you the most points.<br />
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Red passengers are romantics, who want to be seated in couples with no other romantics adjacent to them. White passengers are minors who must be completely surrounded by adult passengers so they feel safe. All other types of passengers just like to be in large groups of their colour. If you are able to seat the passengers based on their requirements, then you score points. At the end of the game you tot up your points for each type of passenger, add some points for any leftover food vouchers you have, then deduct points for each passenger you kicked off the plane. Highest score (as if I need to say this) wins.<br />
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It really is a beautifully streamlined gaming experience. But what makes it even more interesting is the designer added a few "advanced" modules to plug in when you want to add some extra challenges. These modules comprise a set of extra hard passenger cards to shuffle in with the regular cards, and some event cards that provide objectives for scoring extra victory points at the end of the game.<br />
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There are also symbols in the corners of the passenger cards that you ignore in the basic game, but which provide additional benefits if you choose to play a more advanced game. Benefits include extra points at the end of the game, the option to ignore one passenger on the card, or being allowed to split the pattern across an aisle. These symbols are incredible powerful, and have the potential to change a useless card into one you're happy to take.<br />
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Being able to use these modular advanced rules to tailor the experience for your players without dramatically changing how the game actually plays is one of my favourite aspects of <i>Overbooked</i>. Not my absolute favourite aspect though.<br />
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My absolute favourite aspect is the art.<br />
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I mean, just look at it! It's utterly charming. The departure lounge is bustling with funny cartoon characters, including a superhero who looks suspiciously like Iron Man having trouble with the metal detector. Each player's check-in counter also features some fun characters, including Dracula with his pet werewolf, and someone who may well be trying to smuggle Cthulhu through customs. The passenger tokens are equally delightful; and every single one is unique. There's also a cool 3D radio tower to use as a first player token.<br />
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Ultimately, this game would work just as well as a themeless abstract game, but the theme is applied so cleverly it elevates the gaming experience. Buying off passengers with food vouchers so you can usher other passengers to the front of the queue, ensuring amorous couples are kept in pairs well away from other couples to preserve their intimacy, the way some passengers have a preference for an aisle or window seat: It all just works.<br />
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And you can say that about the whole game. It just works.<br />
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It's not a revolutionary game. It's unlikely to wing its way into your top 10 games of all time. But it does what it set out to do incredibly well. It's... safe. (Which may not be the highest praise you can give a game; but it is pretty damned important when you're running an airline.)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wfp97gOKVgM/XZm9mT9qkGI/AAAAAAAAAZs/cGieoUXfxaA8i6FITfofTptV4LH19KjxQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/OverbookedCards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of passenger cards from the Overbooked board game." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wfp97gOKVgM/XZm9mT9qkGI/AAAAAAAAAZs/cGieoUXfxaA8i6FITfofTptV4LH19KjxQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/OverbookedCards.JPG" title="Overbooked passenger cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Overbooked</i> is solid. Fun. Quick to play. Easy to learn. Something the whole family can get involved with. Not that you need a family to play, because the designer even included a solo variant. It's much the same as the standard game except you can take any passenger card you like without spending a dinner voucher (the vouchers are used instead to discard a card you have no use for), and you play to a scenario, such as the "romantic city break" where you win if you have at least five pairs of romantic passengers on board along with a specific combination of other flyers.<br />
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The game does lend itself rather well to solo play for two main reasons:<br />
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1. There is some potential for analysis paralysis. With so many cards, and so many ways to fit the passengers into your plane, some players may take a little too long to make a play.<br />
2. There isn't really any kind of direct competition.<br />
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It's this second point that may be the biggest mark against the game for some people. There's no way to "attack" the other players, steal their passengers, or otherwise be a nuisance. The only way you have of interfering with a player's plans is to take the cards you know they need while denying them access to your food vouchers as much as possible. You're going to spend most of your time focusing on solving your own puzzle, and that's certainly going to be a problem for people who prefer a more confrontational, interactive, or social gaming experience.<br />
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Really, it just depends on your outlook.<br />
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The term "multiplayer solitaire" is often used in a disparaging way, and while I would suggest the cap fits here, I don't personally see it as a problem in this particular instance. This is a light, family game. It's something you can play with your kids. The lack of direct interaction makes it all a bit more laid back, and you don't have to pull your punches or refrain from taking actions that would be particularly damaging to the younger players at the table. This is a game where you can work at your own pace, on your own puzzle, and then sit back and enjoy watching your children working out their own solutions without the risk of someone snatching their personal victories away.<br />
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And that's just nice.<br />
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Which is something I thought I would never say about spending my time at an airport.<br />
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<i>My copy of Overbooked was provided by the publisher for review. You can get your own copy from good games stores and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QVSZ8S4/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07QVSZ8S4&linkId=336131bd7d5a595ce2daca64a05a34ae" target="_blank">online retailers</a>. </i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-64994067617842611942019-06-30T12:59:00.000-07:002019-10-06T03:15:13.466-07:00Review - Detective Stories Episode 1: The Fire in AdlersteinDesigned by Alexander Krys<br />
Published by iDventure<br />
For 1 or more players, aged 13 to adult<br />
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Sometimes people ask me why I love board games so much. To this question, I invariably proffer a raised eyebrow and a vaguely dismissive response along the lines of, "Everything."<br />
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And "everything" is true, of course.<br />
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But the one thing that really makes board games so special for me is their capacity to tell stories, or more accurately, their provision of the tools you need to craft your own stories.<br />
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The notion of a game as a storytelling device usually suggests a strong theme, and I absolutely love thematic games; but the simple application of theme alone isn't the same as good storytelling. Reading a few lines of text off an item card, or flipping an "event" card as you enter the next room of a dungeon, is only the window dressing. The story isn't what you read or see or do; it's what you feel. A truly great game knows this, and weaves narrative within the mechanisms, making them so intrinsically linked it's impossible to play the game without truly experiencing the world the game seeks to create.<br />
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When I think of games that blend story and gameplay seamlessly, I think of <i>Tash-Kalar</i>, <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/role-playing-games-books/fantasy-rpg/dungeons-and-dragons/dungeons-and-dragons-rpg-starter-set-ddn?d=10189" target="_blank">Dungeons and Dragons</a></i>, <i>Winter Tales</i>, <i>Fireteam Zero</i>, and <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/card-games-board-games-and-more/board-games/party-and-large-group-games/sherlock-holmes-consulting-detective-2017-edition?d=10189" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective</a></i>. And I think, perhaps in time, I may be able to add <i>Detective Stories</i> to the list.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Now, for the sake of full disclosure, I was recently contacted by the good folk at iDventure. They asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy of <i>Detective Stories Episode 1</i> to playtest and review. The game has been available for some time in a German language edition, but it's now being localised for other territories, so they wanted a fresh pair of English-speaking eyes (?) to look it over.<br />
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I always take it as a huge honour when someone asks me to check out their game, so I obviously accepted; and that's how it came to pass that last week I received in the mail a box containing a police case file, some bagged evidence, some seemingly random photographs, and a letter from one Mr Notebeck pleading with me to prove his innocence. I can't speak to the overall quality of these materials as I was playing a pre-production copy, but I could instantly see the potential for a truly immersive experience based on the unusual mixture of components.<br />
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The letter from Mr Notebeck briefly outlined how he was driving through town and saw a burning building. He stopped to take photographs and then left, only later discovering that someone inside the building perished. Now he's banged up for a crime he (possibly?) didn't commit, and is relying on me to sort out what really happened.<br />
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And that's basically it in terms of guidance. Really, you're on your own. (Well, I wasn't. I was with my wife, a large notebook, a laptop computer connected to the Internet, and a bottle of wine.)<br />
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The conceit is simple: The designer wants you to feel like a real detective. You have a case file full of paperwork (travel bookings, medical records, legal documents, statements from witnesses), bags of evidence (crumpled scraps of paper, books of matches, photographs, prescription tickets), access to any real-life website or resource obtainable online, and your own ability to piece together clues and solve puzzles. Once you know who the criminal is, you go to the official <i>Detective Stories </i>website and enter the name to find out if you're right. Get it wrong, and it's back to the drawing board. Get it right and you get to grab yourself a doughnut. (Doughnuts not provided. Other stereotypes are available.)<br />
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I sat down to solve this mystery with my wife, and this sort of thing is made for us. My first two published novels were crime mysteries, and my wife works for the police. Solving this case was absolutely a matter of honour and we tackled it with gusto. My wife immediately started making a timeline of events leading up to the crime, and I began poring over various documents to start working out a list of suspects.<br />
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And yes, before you ask, we did solve the case. It took us three hours, some late-night mental arithmetic, and a lot of scribbled notes, but we got there in the end. And yes, there was a real sense of achievement in getting the right answer.<br />
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Unfortunately, I can't really tell you much more than that. The whole nature of the game demands that you approach it without any prior knowledge, and talking about what we did to get to our answer in anything but the vaguest terms would surely ruin the enjoyment of the experience. I can't even really share pictures of the components with you.<br />
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What I can tell you is that this is a very finely crafted puzzle. It has an interesting narrative, comprising the stories of multiple people who all have reason enough to want to see the world burn, and everything slots together in a very satisfying way. There were even standout moments that genuinely thrilled (notably a brief foray onto Facebook for a bit of social snooping, and an instance of a seemingly irrelevant scribble proving to be part of a larger picture that provided an alibi for a key suspect).<br />
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Unfortunately, there were a few elements that tarnished the experience. Particularly, I don't feel the game leaned heavily enough into the idea of using the Internet to access additional resources and real-world information, especially in one case where a seemingly important website listed on a piece of evidence provide to be a fictitious site with no real-world counterpart. It would have been very satisfying if the designers had created the site and laced it with additional information. Additionally, a few clues were perhaps a bit too obviously signposted, and there was one maths-based puzzle that erred on frustrating rather than challenging, and which undermined the sense that we really were working a case.<br />
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But perhaps these minor glitches can be ironed out prior to publication, or at least in time for episode 2? I, for one, am very keen to find out, as I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this first installment.<br />
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Of course, it's also worth mentioning that, as with other games of this type such as the popular "escape room" games, there's no replayability. Once you've solved the case, you can't go back and do it again. If you get the wrong answer, you have the option of trying again, but winning means you're done.<br />
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This is going to be a problem for people who balk at the idea of spending money on a game that might provide only two or three hours of enjoyment. This is a prickly issue, and really it's going to come down to personal taste. As long as the game is priced reasonably, I don't see a problem with paying for something that might only provide one evening of entertainment, as long as it's fun. I would much rather have one truly enjoyable gaming session, which creates lasting memories, than several mediocre gaming sessions.<br />
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Games don't have to last forever, as long as their stories do.<br />
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Besides, Prince may once have said there's joy in repetition, but there's also joy in regifting. Especially if you get a chance to be smug when your mates can't crack the case.<br />
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<i>Detective Stories Episode 1 was kindly provided for review by the publisher. It's already available in a German language edition, and will be available in other languages later in the year.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-75959217103650488472019-05-09T05:25:00.001-07:002019-10-06T04:16:39.525-07:00Review - How to Rob a Bank<i>Published by Jumbo</i><br />
<i>Designed by Prospero Hall</i><br />
<i>For 2-4 players, aged 10 to 99 years</i><br />
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I think most parents would like their young children to be interested in board games. After all, gaming promotes a range of important life skills, including mathematics, logical thinking, and social interactions. But I imagine the desire to have gamer kids is strongest among parents who are themselves gamers, with the ultimate goal being to play games with the whole family without having to endure the likes of <i>Snakes and Ladders</i> or <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MQRG3QU/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01MQRG3QU&linkId=a2501e542deadb14fd2241b964c66a50" target="_blank">Monopoly Junior</a></i>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>In this regard, I am truly blessed. I never actively pushed my daughter to be a gamer, but from a very early age she started to show an interest in my hobby. Although, perhaps in my case, calling gaming a "hobby" is a gross understatement and it's not all that surprising she would want to know more about the stacks of colourful boxes all around my house. By the time she was four or five, we had already progressed to more serious games; and by the time she was seven she was playing <i><a href="https://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2017/08/review-warhammer-40000-first-strike.html">Warhammer 40,000</a></i> with me (with some assistance). She has become quite the little gamer, and she does beat me far more often than I care to admit. Her enjoyment of games has even expanded my own experiences, encouraging me to try titles I might otherwise have passed by, such as the elegantly simple <i><a href="https://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2018/12/review-timeline-british-history.html">Timeline</a></i>, which I reviewed a few months ago.<br />
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But having a young gamer daughter does come with its own challenges. Many games aimed at that age group are overly simplistic, working well for children yet being something of a chore for adults; while more sophisticated games are too complicated even for the most advanced young gamers, or have inappropriate themes. I really don't want my daughter facing the visceral horrors of <i><a href="https://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2016/02/fireteam-zero.html">Fireteam Zero</a></i> or the brain-hungry zombie hordes in <i>The Walking Dead: No Sanctuary.</i><br />
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Fortunately, we live in an age where savvy designers (and publishers) are making wonderful family games that are easily digestible for children and non-gamers, while still offering plenty of crunch for hardened gamers to get their teeth into. And yes, I'm still talking about games; not granola bars.<br />
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One such publisher is Jumbo, whose distinctive elephant logo has long been recognised in my home as a mark of quality for traditional forms of entertainment, such as jigsaws and board games. So, when Jumbo approached me and asked if I would like to review some of their family-friendly strategy games, I obviously jumped at the opportunity.<br />
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And now here I am, reviewing the family-friendly, not-at-all-controversial, totally wholesome strategy game <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DL8NKQ7/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07DL8NKQ7&linkId=c62d24ef8ab162599e838c1a0c53ae6f" target="_blank">How to Rob a Bank</a></i>.<br />
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Okay, okay. Bear with me.<br />
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It may be a slightly unusual theme for a family game (unless you're Mr. Creep from the <i>Happy Families</i> books), but the subject's handled in a comical, light-hearted fashion. Think <i>Victor and Hugo</i> more than <i>The Usual Suspects</i>.<br />
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Besides, it's not like the game's actually going to teach you how to rob a bank for real. I mean, it even says as much in the rules.<br />
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But then, the rules would say that, wouldn't they?<br />
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So the game in question is a fun romp from Prospero Hall (who, with a name like that, will surely become a criminal mastermind if the game designing gig doesn't pan out), for two to four players aged 10 to 99. I assume the upper age limit is because crime's a young person's game. Unless you're <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007371462/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0007371462&linkId=12c6cdbe82a41dd74c53f3baefc7f707" target="_blank">Gangsta Granny</a></i>.<br />
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It's a classic "one against many" experience, with up to three players working together in the role of daring robbers preparing to go on a series of bank heists, facing off against one player who takes on the role of the bank security team (comprising either two or three guards, depending on the number of robbers in play).<br />
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And I have to admit, the game does a pretty good job of capturing the theme. (Ha! See what I did there?) It plays out over three rounds, each of which is divided into three distinct sections that mirror, in an abstracted way, the steps in performing a real-life heist.<br />
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First, the criminals "explore" the bank. This involves the security guard player creating a circuitous road board from four jigsaw pieces, placing the empty game box in the centre of the road board, and then dealing out nine tiles in a three-by-three grid inside the game box to form a pleasing three-dimensional bank. The artwork on the tiles, box, and road boards mimics the blue and white line art of building blueprints: The kind of thing you might be studying if you were figuring out how to enter a bank vault. Nice touch.<br />
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The tiles representing the bank's interior feature a variety of symbols indicating the locations of bags of swag and an alarm, plus the start space for each security guard, the start space for the robbers, and a few walls that break up the open-plan design and pose an additional challenge for any ne'er-do-wells scurrying around after close of business.<br />
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It's worth noting at this point that in a two player game, one player controls two robbers while the other player is the security team and controls two guards, so it plays in exactly the same way as a three-player game. Only with the introduction of a fourth player (and a third robber) does the game change, removing one bag of loot from the board and replacing it with another security guard to counteract the increased level of criminal activity.<br />
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Once the board has been created, a money token is placed on each swag bag symbol, and the alarm token is placed on the alarm symbol. These chunky wooden tokens are double-sided, with a padlock symbol on the reverse. This is important for later. The robbers (cute little meeples with eye masks) and guards (even cuter little meeples with security badges) are placed on their starting spots. Finally, a getaway car (a carple?) is placed on the road that runs around the bank, positioned as far away from the robbers' entry point as possible. Clearly there's been a breakdown in communication with the driver.<br />
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With exploration concluded, the robbers know everything they need to know about the bank and the position of all the loot. This is the point where things get interesting, because now the robbers must plan the steps they need to go through to get the cash, while the security guards plan their defence. This is all done through movement and action programming, a mechanism that's the perfect fit for the theme.<br />
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Each player has his or her own card deck (if one person is controlling two robbers then that player gets two decks), and starting with the security player, each player selects one card from a hand of eight and places it face up so that everyone can see what it is.<br />
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The security team cards feature actions such as running, tackling a villain, or locking a bag of loot or an alarm (flipping the token to the locked side). Most cards have at least two actions on them, and you can perform them in any order, and split them up between the guards however you want.<br />
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The robber cards feature actions such as grabbing an unlocked bag of loot, crawling through an air duct, running, using pepper spray to incapacitate a guard, or unlocking a locked bag of loot or the alarm. As with the security team cards, some cards have more than one action, and you can perform those actions in any order.<br />
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However, once everybody has placed one card, they don't actually carry out any of these actions. Instead, they go round again, with each player picking a second card and placing it on top of the first, and so on until each player has a stack of five action cards. With that done, the stacks are flipped over so the cards will be drawn from the stacks in the order they were played.<br />
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It's now time to "rob the bank."<br />
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Starting with the security guards, players in turn reveal the top cards of their decks and perform the actions. Some actions are mandatory, but most aren't.<br />
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This is the magical moment in the game where everybody's best-laid plans fall to pieces.<br />
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If you've ever played a programmed movement game before, such as the excellent <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/colt-express?d=10189" target="_blank">Colt Express</a></i>, you'll know the drill. Because you've selected all of your actions in advance, you've had to predict where everybody is going to be on each of your turns. And nine times out of ten, you've predicted incorrectly.<br />
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You selected a card to steal a loot token, but before you got there one of the security guards locked it.<br />
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You selected to pepper spray a security guard, but before you could move into his space, the guard tackled you and knocked you out.<br />
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And so it goes on.<br />
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There's also a little rule that if your robber is unconscious on your turn, you have to burn your card to wake up, completely foregoing your actions for that round. There's a similar rule in place for the security team, except burning a card wakes up all of the unconscious guards, and is only a mandatory action once all of the guards are taking a nap.<br />
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As you can imagine, things can get a little crazy as plans unravel. But here's the thing... And this is what makes <i>How to Rob a Bank</i> an excellent family game... It's incredibly forgiving compared to some other games involving programmable movement. Once your plan has come into contact with the enemy and everything's gone wrong, you don't just have to sit there and watch the chaos. The game has built in a number of mechanisms to mitigate such disasters by allowing you to shift from playing strategically to playing tactically turn by turn.<br />
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The most important thing to keep in mind is, as already mentioned, most cards have more than one action, and you can play those actions in any order. Furthermore, the security team player has the option to split actions up across multiple guards, adding a greater level of flexibility for moving to counter the robbers' strategies.<br />
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Additionally, on each of their turns, robbers have the option to play one special action from a list of four that are always available. They can make a special action before or after playing a card, with the only exception being when they have to burn a card to wake up after being tackled. The actions are:<br />
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1. Move the getaway car one space along the road in either direction.<br />
2. Throw a bag of money into the getaway car from an adjacent bank space.<br />
3. Pass a bag of money to another robber.<br />
4. Set off the alarm if the robber is standing on the alarm space (this immediately draws all guards in the building to that space).<br />
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All of these actions are essential to success, and by separating them out from the card play, it ensures the robbers almost always have something they can do to right a sinking ship, and they usually have enough options to make some interesting tactical plays.<br />
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With these failsafe mechanisms, the designer has made the game more forgiving, less frustrating, more accessible, and less chaotic than it otherwise might have been, and that makes it a fantastic option for children and non-gamers who may be struggling to plot their moves five turns in advance.<br />
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What also makes <i>How to Rob a Bank</i> a fun family experience is the way in which the two sides operate. The robbers have many more options available, which may be daunting for younger players; but because all the robbers work together they have the option to team up and seek assistance from older (possibly wiser) players. Meanwhile, the security team has less types of actions available, and much greater flexibility in how to use those actions on any given turn due to the presence of up to three guards; and that makes it easier to play effectively. My daughter always chooses to defend the bank, and she does a fantastic job most of the time.<br />
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Once all the players have played their cards, the round ends and a new round begins, repeating all of the "explore," "plan," and"rob the bank" phases. The robbers win the game if, at the end of a raid, they have accumulated a prescribed amount of loot: Four bags of loot in a two- or three-player game, and five bags of loot in a four-player game. The security team wins if, by the end of the third raid, the robbers have failed to meet their quota of filthy lucre.<br />
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It's definitely a great little game; but of course, it's not without its faults. After all, no plan ever goes off without a hitch.<br />
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I've mentioned that the use of programmed movement is a great way to thematically represent a bank raid, but do keep in mind that while the theme of the game is strong, it's only strong in that Saturday morning cartoon kind of way. This isn't a gritty recreation of your favourite <i>Mission Impossible</i> episodes, this is more like the greatest hits of <i>Scooby-Doo. </i>Everybody is running around, bungling into scrapes or cheesing it from the security team; loot is left lying on the floor in bags conveniently labelled with large dollar signs; and getting the loot out of the building involves throwing it out of the window and hoping the getaway car has the sunroof open.<br />
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Of greater concern is the lack of variability, which I assume is intentional in the design to keep the game bright and breezy for younger players. <i>How to Rob a Bank</i> comes with 10 single-sided tiles to create the bank's floor plan, of which you will always use nine. The one you leave out isn't random; it's based on how many players are in the game. The remaining nine tiles don't offer quite as much variety in level design as you might hope for. Even though they are placed randomly in a three-by-three grid, and may have any orientation, many of the tiles are completely open on all four sides, so it really doesn't matter in which orientation they go, and tiles with walls must be arranged so that they don't cut off any areas of the map. On top of that, you raid up to three banks per game. It's true that in each raid you're only picking five action cards from a randomly pulled eight cards, so there is variability built into what you can do as well as where you can do it; but once you've played a few times, you start to feel like you've seen everything the game has to offer, and you start to formulate certain strategies to cope with particular bank layouts.<br />
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One of the game's greatest blessings - the more forgiving design that makes it a great family option - is also one of the game's greatest curses. At times it just seems a bit too forgiving. You don't often get those agonising groans and moments of hilarity as your whole plan comes crashing down. The stakes don't always seem quite as high as they could be.<br />
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But the biggest black mark against the game is that sometimes you just don't get to do anything. If you're a robber and you get knocked down, your entire turn involves burning your next action card. There's no decision point in which card to burn, or when you burn it. You just give up your turn to stand up your playing piece. Turns move quickly, and the security team doesn't have the same problem as it's only necessary to burn a card when all of the guards are unconscious, but it's still never an enjoyable experience to spend your turn completely inactive. You don't even get to use one of the bonus robber actions.<br />
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Overall, these small niggles aside, this is a fun game with just the right mix of planning, bluffing, and chaos for the whole family to enjoy. Plus, it's easy to set up, and it plays quickly enough to fit perfectly in that twilight time between when the kids get home from school and when they have dinner. So, I guess <i>How to Rob a Bank</i> does exactly what it sets out to do. Unless, of course, it really is trying to teach you how to rob a bank, in which case it's a total failure.<br />
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Unless I'm just saying that to throw you off the scent.<br />
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Now if you'll excuse me, my daughter's studying some blueprints and I need to bring the car around.<br />
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<i>Thank you to Jumbo for providing my copy of How to Rob a Bank for review. If you want to get your own copy, you should be able to find it from <a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">online retailers</a> and in all good game stores.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-77534896400439059092019-04-19T02:19:00.002-07:002019-10-06T05:07:46.169-07:00Review - AvP: The Hunt BeginsPublished by Prodos Games Ltd<br />
Designed by Jarek Ewertowski and Grzegorz Oleksy<br />
For 1 to 3 players, aged 12 to adult<br />
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Recently, I was approached by a website asking if I would write board game reviews for them. It was a huge honour, but I had to decline. You see, although they said they loved my style, they would insist that I make a few changes to adhere to their particular company direction. Namely, they wanted me to break reviews into sections with headers, give standardised ratings for each element of a game (art, components, replayability), give a final overall rating, and then include a list of recommendations for other games the reader might like.<br />
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Now, in my day to day job I frequently have to produce content based on different client style guides, and that's no big deal. But board games are my passion. Reviewing games is a chance to do things my way. It isn't something I do to make a living; it is living.<br />
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I don't want to break up my stories with sub-headings. It would be like breaking up a Curly Wurly. It might taste the same, but it wouldn't be curly or wurly anymore, and that's kind of the point.<br />
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I don't want to give numerical ratings to anything because they're just arbitrary numbers that don't really mean anything. A nine to me might not be a nine to you. Besides, the reason I would rate <i>Space Hulk</i> a nine out of ten isn't the same reason why I would rate <i>Tash-Kalar</i> a nine out of ten. I just don't define games in that way.<br />
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But most of all, I don't want to give people recommendations. How could I possibly tell other people what they would like when I can barely figure that out for myself? I mean, I like what I like. Except when I don't. There are countless games in the world that look like they should be exactly my sort of thing, but which I end up disliking anyway. When I do like something, often I'm not really sure why.<br />
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Take <i>AvP: The Hunt Begins (Second Edition)</i> for example. It is maddeningly flawed, but I find it deeply engaging. It is overly complicated and fiddly, with a rules book that seems like it wants to actively dissuade you from playing, but I enjoy every second I'm playing it. I honestly don't know whether I could recommend it to anyone; but I love it.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>So why is that? Why am I able to look beyond such obvious flaws?<br />
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I'd be lying if I said the beautiful miniatures weren't part of it. For this second edition, Prodos Games Ltd employed their relatively new unicast resin production system, and the results are simply breathtaking. You get single piece resin models that are every bit as detailed as the multipart kits you get from companies such as Games Workshop. And I don't mean they're stilted miniatures rendered mainly in two dimensions to allow for simple one-piece casting. These are fluid, dynamic creations, weaving and clambering over intricate (integral) scenic bases. The aliens are leaping and crawling, the marines are ducking behind terrain, the predators are captured beautifully in moments of visceral violence.<br />
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Every model is packed with character - a miniature masterpiece - and that it's even possible to get this kind of detail and characterisation in single piece miniatures is something of a marvel.<br />
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The game includes a squad of five marines, three predators, five stalker aliens (think <i>Alien 3</i>), and 10 infant aliens (think <i>Alien</i>), and I have instantly preordered new unicast miniatures every time Prodos has announced them, including an alien queen, alien eggs, a predalien, alien warriors, alien spitters, berserker predators, female predators, Weyland Yutani commandos, convicts, synthetic humans, and much more. From the towering alien queen squeezing through the wreckage of a tunnel to the ships cat gnawing hungrily (and foolishly) on the carcass of a facehugger, each piece has earned a place in my miniatures collection.<br />
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But miniatures can't be everything. I've always said that while I love good miniatures, I won't collect them for the sake of it. My paint queue is too long, and my time on planet Earth too short, to take on collecting and painting models that won't see table time.<br />
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Fortunately, <i>AvP: The Hunt Begins</i> has become a firm favourite, despite of... perhaps because of... its flaws.<br />
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Let me try to explain...<br />
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The game is, quite honestly, a bit of a mess; and that mess is baked right into the rules book. It's wordy where it doesn't need to be, glosses over important concepts, misses other concepts completely, seems to contradict itself (sometimes within the same paragraph), and scatters information haphazardly across multiple sections making it a real chore to find the answers to your questions; and that's before you even get to the sections that have incorrect information, or the diagrams that use the wrong damned graphics and therefore only serve to confuse. And it's not like there are any included player aids to help, either.<br />
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When you finally do figure out what's going on, you realise the game itself is a bit of a shambles. I've said it before and I'll say it again: "It's so clunky, the wheels barely go round."<br />
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The basic concept is simple enough: Forces of marines, xenos, and predators meet in the cramped tunnels of a pregenerated space craft comprising interlocking room and corridor tiles, and then all hell breaks loose. First there's a swingy-as-all-heck initiative phase to determine turn order based on the roll of a D20, and then the game is afoot (or a small mouth inside a larger mouth). Each model in a force gets two action points, and when you have initiative you must pick one model to activate. There's a selection of universal basic actions that cost a single action point (move, shoot, make a close combat attack, interact with something) and a list of universal extended actions that cost you both of your action points (running, or going on sentry to gain the ability to act out of sequence later in the turn). On top of that, there are faction-specific abilities and unit-specific abilities you may have access to (welding doors shut, using grenade launchers, or treating wounds).<br />
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And that's really the heart of the game. You activate a model, then initiative moves to the next player, who activates a model, and so on. There are 10 missions to play through, each of which forms part of a continuing narrative and sets individual challenges for each team. For example, marines may have to reach the armoury and load up on weapons, fix the ship's engines, or murder passengers in cryosleep who have been impregnated. The aliens may need to destroy certain locations, or capture enemies to take back to the nest. Meanwhile, the predators are enjoying the thrill of the hunt, with missions often involving collecting a certain number of "trophies." Additionally, there are rules for making your own missions, and a "Last Stand" mode that lets you play solo against AI-controlled xenos.<br />
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Combat is the main focus, and it's a stat-heavy affair, often involving multiple buffs and debuffs that you have to factor into the calculations. For example, making a basic shooting action involves rolling a D20 and trying to score less than or equal to your Ranged Skill (RS), but your RS may be higher for the attack due to a special ability, or lower due to environmental effects, shooting at engaged enemies, or shooting through tiles where other units are fighting. If you're successful, the target makes an armour test, rolling a D20 and trying to score equal to or less than its armour value. Armour is often reduced based on the Strength of the attack, but some models have impenetrable armour that can't be reduced, or else they have access to special armour buffs. And so it goes on.<br />
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The maths involved isn't serious heavy lifting, but expect to run the numbers every time you make an attack; and be prepared to forget a few modifiers until you've got the hang of it all. In my first few games I consistently forgot that shooting at aliens on infested corridors confers a -4 RS modifier and attacking marines on regular corridors confers a -2 modifier, while there are no modifiers involved at all when making attacks in rooms. I suppose it didn't help that this choice bit of information wasn't listed in the rules under faction skills at all.<br />
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Overall, the core engine is solid enough, if rather uninspired. It's pretty much the same thing you've seen before in other games. The only possible sidebars to a rather traditional formula are the use of movement by tile rather than by square, and the fact the game is set up to play with three players, which is a somewhat underrepresented player count for this sort of game. The problems come from the extra fiddly details the game introduces as flavour, many of which are overwrought, unnecessary, or just a bit confusing.<br />
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For example, there's the ping token system. When you begin a new game, you don't put any miniatures on the board; instead you place one ping token for each miniature. These pings activate in the same way as models, and you only replace them with miniatures if you choose to, or if the ping tokens are seen by an enemy player.<br />
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It seems straightforward enough. It seems sensible enough. It seems like a rule you would absolutely expect to find in an <i>Aliens </i>game, where the motion trackers are such an instantly recognised aspect of the franchise.<br />
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But...<br />
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<i>AvP</i> sort of half-asses the whole thing.<br />
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Ping tokens are intended to create uncertainty, but in this game most of the time they just create extra head-scratching and bookkeeping. For a start (and it should be noted this is really only a concern once you start playing with expansion characters), the ping tokens are different sizes. The ping token for a queen is massive; the ping token for a facehugger is not. If you're opponent is marching a massive ping token towards you, it's a fair assumption your day is about to get worse. Then you have to factor in that this is a three-player game. If the predator player spots one of your xeno ping tokens, you have to replace it with a miniature, and then the marine player also gets to see what it is, even though he or she shouldn't be able to.<br />
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Of course, you also have to consider that if you want a unit currently represented by a ping to do something specific to that unit, such as using a flamer unit to torch a location, you have to reveal the ping anyway.<br />
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And then there are the special predator vocal mimicry pings. You can pay to add them to your force to run interference, making your opponents uncertain where your real predators are hiding... Or, at least, that's the theory. In reality, vocal mimicry pings can only move or run. They can't open doors, and they can't reveal enemy pings they come into line of sight with. Worst of all, the initiative system almost dictates that you're going to move mimicry tokens first, because on your turn you must activate a unit and in many cases you're going to want to activate your real predators last, at the point when you've already seen what some of the enemy units are doing. Ultimately, it's quite common to instantly know in every game which pings you can ignore.<br />
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And this is just one aspect of the game.<br />
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Another problematic area is the use of the D20. I understand why they implemented it, as it allows for a more granular system where it's possible to layer on the modifiers to create more intricate tactical situations; but it also makes things swingy. It wouldn't be so bad if you were rolling lots of dice at once, but in many cases you roll a single dice for attack. You don't really see partial successes, as you might when rolling buckets of dice. You either succeed, or you fail.<br />
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I could keep going like this, running through long lists of complaints. Things that make the game a little less smooth to play than it should be; things that make the game feel a little older than it is; things that make the game feel a little bit underdone and in need of at least one more pass by the testers and editors. Yet for all those complaints, I still love the game.<br />
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I shouldn't love it. I know I shouldn't. There are so many vague rules. So many incomplete ideas. So many potentially fantastic elements that don't quite hit the mark. And so many fiddly details.<br />
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I've said so many times in previous reviews that I dislike games that have too much fiddle. Little tokens, constant bookkeeping, regular rules referencing for edge case scenarios... Those are the things that draw me out of the experience. Those are the things that make me remember that I'm playing a game.<br />
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But for this game, I just don't care.<br />
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And yes, I think that part of the reason I enjoy the game as much as I do is exactly because of its many weird and wonderful flaws.<br />
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It's hard to explain, but struggling with the rules brought me closer to the game. In a strange way I got a sense of ownership. It became my game: My discovery. I'd nurtured it; I'd helped it to achieve its potential. I'd earned the right to enjoy it. Then I started to paint the miniatures, and that brought me closer still. There is something very special about painting game components. It's a way of personalising your experience. It's a way of saying this is a game I care about, and I want to put my own mark on it. Buying new miniatures had a similar result. Having the ability to tailor forces to create my own tactics and narratives helped me to make the game my own.<br />
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Furthermore, there's something so joyously retro about the whole thing. It reminds me of old war games, with their densely packed rules books full of cross-references. There's something just a little bit magical about a rules book that asks you to "see section 2.6.1." And the D20 combat system, with it's maths-heavy modifiers on every resolution, feels like something out of another time.<br />
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I've been a gamer for over 30 years, and I've often spoken about how important gaming was to me growing up. This is just one of those games that makes me feel like I did then, when I would spend hours making up house rules, painting miniatures, and creating my own scenarios. Playing this game is a little bit like reading a book about dinosaurs.<br />
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But even that doesn't fully explain why I like this game as much as I do; because if I'm honest, the main reason - the reason I keep going back to this game again and again - is the meticulous way in which the designers have captured the theme.<br />
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There are countless little rules layered into the cake, all of which help to build the reality of the <i>AvP</i> universe. These rules most obviously manifest in the unique skills and actions available to the factions.<br />
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The marines are highly trained and have excellent equipment, so they are able to make use of their environment in corridors to gain a tactical edge. They can weld doors and air vents shut, creating choke points or blocking access routes. They can use their military training to take aimed shots or perform rapid fire attacks, burn whole board tiles with their flamethrowers, use their medics to negate the effects of deadly attacks, or bust out some shotguns for close encounters. There are (of course) also rules for securing your perimeter to dissuade aliens from trying to break down doors, or for setting up gun emplacements.<br />
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The xenos are a horde. They don't have limitless numbers, as you might expect, but they always outnumber their opponents. They're incredibly fast. And they're sneaky. I mean, really sneaky. They have abilities that allows them to scurry along the ceiling to avoid combatants below, they can hide in infested tiles, or use the terrain in infested tiles to make it more difficult for enemies to target them. They have a skulking advance that lets them revert to a ping token and move into an infested tile, blending into the hive terrain. They can dodge attacks and have access to rapid movement skills. Basically, they're incredibly hard to target. And why would you want to anyway? Kill the damned things and they spray acid everywhere, injuring opponents and even damaging the environment.<br />
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But the xenos are no slouch in combat either. Some can spit acid, others go into a paroxysm letting them attack with claws and tail in a single deadly flurry. Of course, the facehuggers may latch onto a target, spawning a new alien based on the type of target. So, you could kill a grunt to get a new alien infant, kill a hell hound to get a stalker, kill a marine leader to get an alien warrior, or take down a predator to get a shiny new predalien to swell your ranks. Facehuggers are also tiny, so they can hide in the air vents where larger foes cannot enter.<br />
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Then you have the predators. Sometimes they fight alone, or in small packs of two or three, so they're always outnumbered, but they have so much firepower to bring to bear and can soak so much damage they are rightfully feared. Predators have multiple wounds, and access to field treatments that allow them to recover from damage. If you reveal a predator ping token, you can use the seasoned hunter skill to spawn the predator one tile away from where the ping token was, positioning it so it's still out of sight. They have the most devastating weapons, such as the smart disc that slices through multiple targets and the plasma caster that burns through armour, and their impenetrable armour allows them to take incredible amounts of punishment. Of course, some also pack a self-destruct mechanism. You wouldn't expect anything less.<br />
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And these are just the elements from the base game. The <i>Hot Landing Zone </i>expansion introduced a whole host of additional mechanisms, including using a drop ship to achieve your mission objectives or making it easier for predators to conceal themselves in jungle environments.<br />
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On top of all that, each faction has access to a deck of strategy cards, and each faction can play up to two cards each turn. These strategies are suitably thematic, such as giving marines the chance to set booby traps, aliens the chance to cause additional acid damage, and predators additional combat bonuses.<br />
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And then (phew), on top of all that, there's a deck of environment cards. You draw one each turn to simulate random effects, such as the gravity system shutting down, bulkheads sealing, fires breaking out or lights going off.<br />
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There are so many little details that do such a great job of making sure every engagement with the enemy is thrilling and thematic. Of course, all those little details mean more rules to forget or play incorrectly. Whether it's ultimately a good thing or a bad thing is up to you. And at least you can simply leave out the environmental and strategy cards if you think they're adding too much chaos for too little gain.<br />
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Just writing about the many (many, many) ways in which the game seeks to bring the theme to life gets me excited to play again, and I'm still not finished. Because I haven't mentioned the most thematic element yet, and that's just how damned tense this game is. And it's not just tense for the marines. It's tense for everyone because each faction has incredible strengths, yet also very exploitable weaknesses.<br />
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The marines are highly trained, and when they work together and keep the enemy at range they are devastating. Their smartgunner should be feared. But they're incredibly squishy and lose combat effectiveness if you can isolate them. Separate a few models, get in close, and watch their perfect military training amount to nothing.<br />
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The xenos have weight of numbers, and they're difficult to target. But keep them at range, and you can mow them down leisurely. They don't have infinite numbers, and they do need to get in close, usually in large numbers, to win a fight. Watching as a marine pings them off one by one is real heart-in-the-mouth gaming.<br />
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Finally, there are the predators. They're murdering machines, but you don't have the numbers for sloppy play. Get caught in the open by a smartgun, and you're probably going down. And because you have to activate a model each time you have initiative during a turn, you usually end up making all your moves before your opponents have finished, and that leaves them with plenty of activations to respond to what you've done. It's surprisingly easy for them to get the jump on you if you aren't thinking ahead.<br />
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The tension is highlighted by the sheer brutality of the combat. Most models only have a single wound, and many attacks are powerful enough to cut through armour with ease. And here, the D20 system is as much a blessing as it is a curse, because every roll is dramatic. Every time you pick up that dice you start to sweat. You're either going to cry triumphantly or die pathetically. You'll never know for sure; but you can be sure your heart is pounding when the dice hits the table.<br />
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Ultimately, the game's just fun.<br />
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And really, that's what it's all about. What any game should be about.<br />
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So, having said all that, do I recommend <i>AvP: The Hunt Begins</i>?<br />
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How can I?<br />
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I can see so much wrong in the game. Perhaps the fact I can overlook all those problems and enjoy it so much is testament to the game's design. Or then again, maybe it says more about me than it ever could about the game.<br />
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After all, I like what I like. Except when I don't.<br />
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So I'm going to wrap this review up now, with a bit of vague hand-waving. Oh, and just one more thing...<br />
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Astute readers may have noticed I haven't mentioned the Kickstarter campaign. That's partly because I'm reviewing the second edition, and it's partly because it's a can of worms that I'm not sure I really want to pop open and deal with. Let's just say, the campaign is something of a blot on the game's history; a stain that remains to this day. I wasn't involved in that Kickstarter or the ensuing fallout; I got to watch from a safe distance. But it did dampen my enthusiasm for the game. I may never have owned it at all if my wife hadn't purchased it for me as a birthday gift; and I only became more enthusiastic for the game over time, after assurances from the company, company insiders, and some backers that efforts were being made to do right by the initial backers (although I understand a few people may still be out of pocket).<br />
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And now, from those rather questionable beginnings, the game is going to die in equally dramatic fashion. Prodos Games Ltd have announced that the rug has been pulled out from under them, and they've lost the licence following Disney's acquisition of Fox.<br />
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The life cycle of the game has been short, and far from sweet; and in many ways it has mirrored the violent life cycle of the xenomorphs. The original kickstarter campaign was a facehugger, latching on to those brave backers who answered the call for aid. It was those backers who birthed the first edition, and suffered for it. Gradually, the first edition evolved into the second edition, becoming a streamlined, more efficient beast that rapidly expanded, adding more miniatures to the product line and even a big-box expansion. It had survived in a harsh environment. Even thrived in it. It looked like it was only going to get stronger.<br />
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And then one day, Disney just blew it out of the god damn airlock.<br />
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So that's it. Game over, Man. Game over.<br />
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After several tempestuous years, the game and the miniatures line comes to a sudden and ignoble end. Anybody interested in getting the game (or any of the expansion miniatures) has until the 30th April 2019 to place their order. After that, Prodos Games are shutting down the furnaces. Everything's being closed and sealed. Maybe the remaining refining equipment is going to be sold as scrap.<br />
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This is Always Board Never Boring. Signing off.<br />
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<i>AvP: The Hunt begins ceases production on 30 April 2019, but you may still be able to find the base game and expansions after that date in games stores and from <a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">online retailers</a>. If you would like to learn more about the game, then please consider visiting my AvP play list on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAQolUw4ytGVJpjIXlqSnWw" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, where I unbox all of the unicast miniatures, the base game, and the Hot Landing Zone expansion.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-19266967704903220992018-12-23T07:05:00.000-08:002019-10-06T05:18:56.187-07:00Review - Timeline (British History)<i>Designed by Frederic Henry</i><br />
<i>Published by Esdevium Games</i><br />
<i>For 2 to 8 players, aged 8 to adult</i><br />
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Not a lot of people realise, but I'm a big old bag of insecurities and anxieties. When I'm in public, I put on a decent show, I'm not agoraphobic or anything like that, and it's not like I hate people (I happen to think that, in theory, the idea of people is quite a good one); but I'm uncomfortable in crowds, loathe public speaking, and really don't like getting too close to people until I know them really well. Put it this way: It's no coincidence I've ended up working a gig that means I don't ever have to leave my house and I can comfortably hide behind my words.<br />
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However, I am a parent, and that entails certain responsibilities that involve interacting with the community, especially during the festive season. It's currently the last week before Christmas, and I've already marched with my daughter in a lantern parade in front of hundreds of people, culminating in the illumination of the town lights (I can't believe Santa was there!) and a fireworks display. I've been to the mayor's carol concert where I watched her sing a selection of festive songs as part of her school choir (during which I absolutely didn't tear up at any point, just so you know). I've taken her ice skating, where I did my finest impression of Bambi, I've gone shoulder's deep into the crowds at Christmas fayres, and I've stood in the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree to sing a rousing version of <i>Jingle Bells</i> with her school friends.<br />
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And that's the wonder of being a parent. It forces you out of your comfort zone. You end up doing things you never thought you would do.<br />
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Playing <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/search?q=timeline+british+history?d=10189" target="_blank">Timeline</a></i>, for instance.<br />
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<i>Timeline </i>really isn't my sort of game. It barely classes as a game at all. It's more of an activity: a way to kill five minutes. I had no intentions of ever owning, or even playing, the game. But it just so happens that my daughter loves history. Her favourite subject at school is history, her favourite books are the <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1407177613/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1407177613&linkId=6d6a7416438de1b28cc06ef79c881c66" target="_blank"><i>Horrible Histories</i> books</a> by Terry Deary (seriously, check them out, they're absolutely brilliant), and her favorite television show is (perhaps unsurprisingly) <i>Horrible Histories </i>and <i>Horrible Histories: Gory Games </i>(hosted by the always excellent Dave Lamb).<br />
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My daughter's love of history has even reignited my own interest in the past; something I thought my A-level history classes had murdered years ago.<br />
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Seeing her fascination for the subject, and being one of those people who never misses an opportunity to spin someone's interests into an excuse for buying games, I started looking for some board games to get her for her eighth birthday. That's how I ended up owning a copy of <i>Timeline</i> (the <i>British History</i> edition). I found it in a discount store for about £5, and it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up, even if it wasn't a game I personally found particularly appealing based on what I already knew about it.<br />
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And now here I am, reviewing said game. Let's find out what it's all about...<br />
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<i>Timeline</i> is a very simple card game. In fact, for your money, all you're getting is a pretty small deck of pretty small cards in an embossed tin (and seriously, publishers, stop putting your games in tins; they're board games, not biscuits).<br />
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Each card has a picture on the front of an historical event and the same picture on the reverse that also includes the date of the event. The cards cover all the gory and glory of British history, including such things as the first viking invasions of Britain, the invention of the top hat, and the founding of the Bank of England. I should imagine any future editions will include Brexit, the first series of <i>The Only Way is Essex</i>, and that time Jeremy Corbyn allegedly called Theresa May a "stupid woman."<br />
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They just don't make good history like they used to.<br />
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Each player gets a hand of five cards, and one card is placed on the table with the date showing to start a timeline. Players then take it in turns choosing one of their cards and placing it on the timeline. The first turn is relatively straightforward: Pick an event that happened before or after the only other event in the timeline. But as the game goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult as you can place at the beginning of the timeline, the end of the timeline, or any spot between two existing events in the timeline. You might know for sure that the introduction of income tax was after the great fire of London, but was it before or after the introduction of gas lights?<br />
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And how do you win? Easy. If you place a card correctly in the timeline, you flip it over so the date is showing, and play continues with the next person in line. If you place a card incorrectly, you discard it from the timeline and draw a replacement into your hand. The first player to successfully place five cards is the winner.<br />
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Like I said, it's an incredibly simple game. It's pure trivia. And that's a blessing and a curse. On the one hand you have a game that's exceptionally easy to teach, accessible for people of all ages, and plays in just a few minutes, making it an excellent filler. One the other hand, you have a game that doesn't offer any diversity in gameplay and strategy, only has a limited number of cards and therefore a limited amount of replayability, and which (as with any trivia game) heavily favours those players with a greater knowledge of the subject matter.<br />
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Fortunately, the cards are very cleverly constructed to provide context clues so you don't have to rely 100 percent on your knowledge of history (thankfully). For example, one event is the creation of the top hat, and several other cards depict people wearing top hats. One event is the execution of a king who may appear on several other cards if you look carefully enough. It's a great way to help people make educated guesses, and goes some way towards levelling the playing field.<br />
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Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to help me. My daughter regularly beats me soundly.<br />
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The other good thing about the game's design is that it's easy to expand. You simply buy any of the other versions of the game (<i>Inventions, Discoveries, American History</i>) and shuffle all the cards together to create the history of life, the universe, and everything. The game is as boundless as time itself. There are always new events happening in the world, and new discoveries about old events. The well never runs dry, and you can tailor your game of <i>Timeline</i> to reflect your interests. You can just keep adding to it.<br />
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And yeah, normally I wouldn't rate this game that highly. Normally I wouldn't even consider playing it. But my daughter has requested to play many times since she got it for her birthday, and I have no intentions of missing a single one of those opportunities. After all, I can't think of very many people I enjoy spending my time with quite so much.<br />
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So, this Christmas I want to thank my beautiful, funny, caring daughter for every second we spend together. I know she won't always want to play these games with Daddy. One day she won't want to march in the lantern parade to light up my world. One day she won't want to lift up her voice to lift up my heart.<br />
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She will be a young adult (hopefully one more outgoing than me). But I hope she will look back on these days fondly, and maybe once in a while she'll pull up a chair, open some cards, and relive a little bit of history.<br />
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And by then, her baby brother will be at school. So I will march in the parades with him, and sing Christmas songs with him.<br />
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Maybe we'll even play board games together.<br />
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Because these family moments are the important events that have created my own timeline. And I'm truly blessed because, much like the game, I can just keep adding to it.<br />
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Merry Christmas, everybody.<br />
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<i>Merry Christmas to all of my readers. Thank you for your continued support. I hope you have the very best of everything the festive season has to offer, and you can fill your timeline with all good things. If you would like one of those good things to be a copy of <a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/search?q=timeline+british+history?d=10189" target="_blank">Timeline</a>, you can find all of the different versions online or at your local games store.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-30471142750132197962018-12-02T15:31:00.000-08:002020-04-09T04:10:36.158-07:00Review - Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault<i>Published by Games Workshop</i><br />
<i>For 2-4 players, aged 12 to adult</i><br />
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I don't watch much television, but I always make a point of watching <i>The Apprentice</i>. It's pure train wreck TV; a show designed to make people look as bloody stupid as possible. I'm sure you've head of it. A bunch of hopefuls get put through the wringer in a series of implausible business scenarios designed exclusively to make them look like complete pillocks ("You have 12 hours to launch a new international superstore with 50p and a stick of chewing gum") . Cameras follow them, recording everything so it's possible to recut the footage exclusively to make them look like complete pillocks. And then at the end, Alan Sugar talks about himself a bit, says how hard he is to please, and then reads from a script of insults designed exclusively to make him look like a complete pillock while all the contestants simper, stab each other in the back, and call him "Sir" like they're a group of naughty schoolchildren.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I only bring up my fascination with this show because in a recent episode (warning, spoilers ahead) one of the contestants was told he was on his "last chance." The other contestants, smelling blood in the water, suggested he should be the project manager for the next task. Now, that's a pretty crappy thing to do to someone who's already at risk of being hanged by his own business tie, because whatever he does, he's doomed. If he agrees to be project manager, and the team loses the challenge, he gets fired without hesitation as he's burned his last chance. If he doesn't agree to be project manager, and the team loses the challenge, he gets fired because he didn't step up to the plate and prove he was a true leader.<br />
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It's a classic "damned if you do, and damned if you don't" scenario.<br />
<br />
And I should imagine games designers face a similar situation when they make an expansion, a new edition of a popular game, or (as is the case with <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/games-workshop/new-warhammer-age-of-sigmar/warhammer-underworlds-nightvault-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault</a></i>) a new "season" of product releases. They can be bold, taking the game in a new direction but putting themselves in the crosshairs if something goes wrong, or they can play it safe and do more of the same, risking accusations of cowardice or laziness.<br />
<br />
The problem is, different people expect different things. There are people who loved the original, and want more of that experience. There are people who thought the original was lacking, and want something extra. And then there are people like me, who don't know what they want and ultimately have to accept the fact they're difficult to please.<br />
<br />
Now, you may have sensed that I'm dancing around the point a bit with this introduction, and you'd be right. Truth is, I'm finding this review quite difficult to get through, because I'm struggling to be positive.<br />
<br />
Why's that such a big issue?<br />
<br />
Because my complaints about <i>Nightvault </i>pretty much boil down to "I have too much of a good thing," and the absolute last thing I want to do is write a negative review complaining about Games Workshop actually supporting a game for the long haul.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FKnMrQPUX8/Xo8BqO_6kfI/AAAAAAAAA68/0Npowhn-BB4DE-aVdjb7ZB4sobW3LMzdwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultBox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The beautifully illustrated box for Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FKnMrQPUX8/Xo8BqO_6kfI/AAAAAAAAA68/0Npowhn-BB4DE-aVdjb7ZB4sobW3LMzdwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultBox.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault box" width="320" /></a></div>
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I guess, what I'm trying to say is, I have a problem with <i>Nightvault.</i><br />
<br />
And that problem is me.<br />
<br />
A bit of context might help...<br />
<br />
When it came to <i>Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire</i> (the original core set for the <i>Warhammer Underworlds</i> game system) it was love at first sight. I was instantly hooked by gorgeous miniatures (obviously), beautiful artwork, clever game mechanisms, and fun deckbuilding that opened up the potential for multiple paths to victory.<br />
<br />
(Side note, if you would like to know more about the game system and why I love it quite so much, you might want to take a brief detour to read my <i><a href="https://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2017/11/review-warhammer-underworlds-shadespire.html" target="_blank">Shadespire</a></i> review. It covers a lot of ground on the core mechanisms and how to play, which I'm not planning to cover again here for the sake of brevity. Apologies for any inconvenience.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, everything was amazing. And the icing on the cake was the promise of long term support from Games Workshop.<br />
<br />
Sure enough, within days there were new warbands on the way. I bought them all. Each warband expansion comprised stunning easy-build miniatures, including some of the finest skaven and skeleton miniatures I've ever seen, and a fistful of cards to open up the deckbuilding options and the scope of in-game tactical play.<br />
<br />
But, like most things, I did start to feel like the release schedule was a model of diminishing returns. By the time the last two warbands went to retail, I was mainly buying them to complete the set. Then I bought the pack of leader cards because I thought it might mix things up a bit (I still don't think I've used any of those cards). And finally I bought the map pack because I wanted extra boards for multiplayer games.<br />
<br />
At that stage, I honestly felt like I had enough. I don't play the game at a competitive level, I don't travel to tournaments, and I had so many cards I could comfortably whip up a deck for any occasion, or even create several static decks for my favourite warbands.<br />
<br />
I was done. There was nothing more the game could offer me.<br />
<br />
And then <i>Nightvault</i> happened.<br />
<br />
And it turned out there was something the game could offer: Nighthaunts.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytwNRzh_ToE/Xo8BzNtokSI/AAAAAAAAA7A/o3zxMWZBK5khuXlV7igumTIR8O_GoT_qgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultNighthaunts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The terrifying nighthaunt team from Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytwNRzh_ToE/Xo8BzNtokSI/AAAAAAAAA7A/o3zxMWZBK5khuXlV7igumTIR8O_GoT_qgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultNighthaunts.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault nighthaunt team" width="320" /></a></div>
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Having recently bought into the <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/games-workshop/new-warhammer-age-of-sigmar/age-of-sigmar-soul-wars-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Soul Wars</a></i> starter set for <i>Age of Sigmar</i>, I was already invested in the concept of the nighthaunts, and <i>Nightvault</i> had some really lovely models to add to my collection.<br />
<br />
Additionally, this new core set arrived with new game mechanisms. Namely, magic.<br />
<br />
Who doesn't like magic?<br />
<br />
Oh, and scattering.<br />
<br />
Who doesn't like scattering?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDaUyZ078z0/Xo8B5tdnLjI/AAAAAAAAA7E/IYXNPCJm2IweE-3nxEb-W4cv5FZz3dhlwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultRules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An excerpt from the Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault rules book" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDaUyZ078z0/Xo8B5tdnLjI/AAAAAAAAA7E/IYXNPCJm2IweE-3nxEb-W4cv5FZz3dhlwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultRules.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault rules" width="320" /></a></div>
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There were also boards featuring lethal hexes (something that didn't exist in the original core set). However, as I'd already purchased the previous map pack which is where lethal hexes first appeared that wasn't really pushing my buttons.<br />
<br />
But long story short: I was hooked again, and I dutifully paid the admission price for this brand new core set product.<br />
<br />
And then I was a bit disappointed.<br />
<br />
I'll get to that in a moment, but before I do, I wanted to briefly go through exactly what <i>Nightvault </i>is, because sometimes it still causes a bit of confusion. Basically, this is the new core set for the <i>Underworlds</i> product line, replacing <i>Shadespire</i> which is now no longer in production. It's the entry point for new players, and also a flagship release to signal the beginning of a "second wave" of warbands.<br />
<br />
The core set itself contains two warbands (nighthaunts and stormcast battle mages), two double-sided boards, all the tokens and dice you need to play, a tightened up and slightly clearer rules book, and a wedge of cards. Most of the cards are reprints of cards that came in the <i>Shadespire</i> box, and they're the ones that are often the "backbone" of a deck, such as cards for holding single objectives and very basic but always useful power cards.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhPjA-BfuK8/Xo8CAaiKQhI/AAAAAAAAA7I/267fwugzXS8yEPS4IzDw-L_ywKmXKK0PwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultTokens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Some of the tokens from Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhPjA-BfuK8/Xo8CAaiKQhI/AAAAAAAAA7I/267fwugzXS8yEPS4IzDw-L_ywKmXKK0PwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultTokens.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault tokens" width="320" /></a></div>
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In total, five cards were dropped from Shadespire: Healing potion, Shardfall, Sprint, Disengage, and Total Offence.<br />
<br />
Those five cards were replace with: Determined Effort, Grinding Earth, Vital Surge, Escape Artist, and Lucky Trinket.<br />
<br />
So, effectively, <i>Nightvault </i>replaced <i>Shadespire, </i>and everything in <i>Nightvault</i> is compatible with everything that came before it<i>. </i>However, if you already have <i>Shadespire,</i> it's probably still worthwhile buying <i>Nightvault</i> because you get two new warbands, two new boards, access to the new magic and scatter mechanisms (and the dice and tokens to use them), and an extra set of the really useful cards that make it easier to preassemble working decks before your mates come over to play (plus a few new cards you won't have seen before).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65D568SIMXs/Xo8CFXoyPqI/AAAAAAAAA7M/htuGMUB8hYg0aI1GGu4f8LlsEZiW1mztACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultCards2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of objectives from Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65D568SIMXs/Xo8CFXoyPqI/AAAAAAAAA7M/htuGMUB8hYg0aI1GGu4f8LlsEZiW1mztACKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultCards2.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault objective cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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Conversely, if <i>Nightvault</i> is your entry to the game, you might still want to pick up <i>Shadespire,</i> if you can find it, for most of the same reasons. But don't worry if <i>Shadespire</i> is sold out by the time you read this. The boards and warbands are available as separate purchases, and the warbands have even had an exciting makeover with new cards that weren't in <i>Shadespire</i>.<br />
<br />
(As an aside - yes, another one - if you previously bought <i>Shadespire</i> you won't need to buy the two warbands again to get the new cards, you can simply buy the <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/games-workshop/new-warhammer-age-of-sigmar/warhammer-underworlds-echoes-of-glory-card-pack-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Echoes of Glory</a></i> card pack, which gives you all the new cards and saves you some cash.)<br />
<br />
Phew.<br />
<br />
Is that everything?<br />
<br />
I think that's everything.<br />
<br />
Where was I?<br />
<br />
Oh yeah... So <i>Nightvault</i> is a new beginning; the start of a second leg in the game system. As such, it has all the same great stuff going for it that <i>Shadespire </i>had. That being the case, why have I ended up a bit disappointed?<br />
<br />
Primarily, I think it's burnout. I already mentioned, I was beginning to feel like I had a complete game by the end of the first wave of products, and seeing a lot of the same cards again, and a lot of new faction-specific cards that felt very similar or even identical to cards from other factions I already owned, somewhat deflated my general enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest problems is actually a strength of the game: The designers wanted to give you options for different routes to victory. That's great in principle, but in practice it means that many of the warbands end up having similar cards. Most of them have cards that score glory for holding objectives, most of them have cards that score glory for killing the enemy leader, most of them have cards that score glory for having a certain number of models left on the field. Basically, whatever tactic you want to try, there are cards for it. Of course, certain warbands favour certain strategies that play to their strengths, and I'm certainly not suggesting that all warbands play the same, because they really don't; but it's hard for me not to feel like I've seen it all before.<br />
<br />
Admittedly, there are some interesting looking warbands in this second wave. The grots and the troggoth faction in particular look like they bring some new ideas to the table. But I'm still predicting I would see a lot of cards in those expansions that feel like cards I already own, and as much as I love the look of those warbands, I think it's time to listen to my gut.<br />
<br />
I'm just not excited anymore.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aa--WqgfTHo/Xo8CNuvgDWI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/2b3edsNLYucMJ2U3qNHwUbXsKJ7exWqqQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultGameplay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stormcasts and Nightvaults battle to the (un)death in Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aa--WqgfTHo/Xo8CNuvgDWI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/2b3edsNLYucMJ2U3qNHwUbXsKJ7exWqqQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultGameplay.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault gameplay" width="320" /></a></div>
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But, I hear you cry (or maybe that's just the voices in my head), there are new game mechanisms. What about the magic?<br />
<br />
Yeah, well this is the bit where I just prove that I'm hard to please and really emphasise that the problem is with me and not the game. After complaining about the things that feel the same, I'm now going to complain about the biggest change.<br />
<br />
I really don't like the introduction of magic.<br />
<br />
In theory, there's nothing wrong with the idea; in practice, it's over-egged the pudding. But it's not mechanism itself that's the problem. Simply put, there are now magic spells that only a magic user has access to. You roll a number of special magic dice equal to the power level of the magic user, and apply the affects of the spell if you match the necessary symbols. These new powers tend to be stronger than basic ploys, but they come with a risk that they might not work, and your magic user may even take a wound in the process if you roll multiple critical successes.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28HYRS42H0c/Xo8CT2KbLeI/AAAAAAAAA7U/U2FNrzH0lXoSyX-1s84cAG5VqVZmp18yACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultDice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The custom dice from Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28HYRS42H0c/Xo8CT2KbLeI/AAAAAAAAA7U/U2FNrzH0lXoSyX-1s84cAG5VqVZmp18yACKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultDice.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault dice" width="320" /></a></div>
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The problem is the knock-on effect magic has for power cards and deck construction. Ploy cards are now a subset of a new type of card called gambits, with spells being the other subset. So, a gambit can be a spell or a ploy, but a ploy is only a ploy, and a spell is only a spell. Furthermore, attacks are now divided into attack actions and spell attack actions. This immediately causes some confusion, creating extra opportunities for mistakes and misunderstandings. For example, your opponent may cast a spell, and you look at your hand and think you have the perfect counter; but once you play your counter you realise it only works against ploys and not against spells. This is particularly a problem when you're using cards from the first wave of releases which all refer to "ploys" and therefore don't interact at all with the new spell cards.<br />
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Worse than that, the introduction of magic also introduces something far less exciting: Redundancy. Prior to the release of <i>Nightvault</i> it was very rare to have a card in your deck that was worthless. There were a few objective cards that said things like "kill at least five enemies", which were no good if you ended up facing a small warband such as the stormcast eternals; but it was easy to build that kind of redundancy into your objective selections. The problem now is magic means it's possible to have power cards in your hand that simply have no purpose if you face a particular enemy.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjJKeO3tKZM/Xo8CYvEG6CI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/iPMT8XEe3-gOLk8UJHG1oOqTsJhJM4O1gCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultCards3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of power cards from Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjJKeO3tKZM/Xo8CYvEG6CI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/iPMT8XEe3-gOLk8UJHG1oOqTsJhJM4O1gCKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultCards3.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault power cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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What good is an upgrade that gives you a bonus when fighting wizards when you're facing a warband that doesn't have any wizards? What good is an amulet that allows you to resist a spell when you're opponent won't cast any spells?<br />
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In <i>Warhammer Underworlds</i> you don't know which warband you're gong to face in advance, and now there are so many situational cards it's much more difficult to tailor a deck to be effective. Decks revolving around wizard hunting abilities are going to be all-or-nothing deals, where you don't even bother to put your eggs in a basket you just juggle them while running. It's not like there are even rules for a sideboard that allows you to swap out a selection of cards depending on which opponent you face.<br />
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One or two cards that aren't effective in a particular skirmish may not seem that damning, but this is a game with a very tight design. Keep in mind, you only get 12 actions in the whole game, and often you'll only have a deck of 20 power cards to play with. The game is so small and compact it makes every decision huge, and finding out that even one of your cards is taking up dead space in your deck has serious repercussions.<br />
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Oh, and I don't like lethal hexes either. They're spaces on the board that cause one unblockable damage when you enter them. But at least one side of each of the double-sided boards is free of lethal hexes, so I can't really complain all that much about them, can I?<br />
<br />
And that's really what I'm doing here. Complaining. Probably a bit unfairly.<br />
<br />
I really shouldn't complain about the game giving players enough options to choose how they want to build their strategy. I shouldn't complain about the designers introducing a robust new magic system to add a new twist to standard play. I shouldn't complain that Games Workshop is showing an honest commitment to supporting this game and keeping things fresh, rather than putting out weak releases or forgetting about the game completely.<br />
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I shouldn't. And I feel bad for doing it. This whole review has made me feel bad.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CR5BAGmLuaI/Xo8CfPhRQnI/AAAAAAAAA7c/dmo_u7emPdwaf-Ok50BGZQy020TZj2nGwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultCards1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stormcast character cards from Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CR5BAGmLuaI/Xo8CfPhRQnI/AAAAAAAAA7c/dmo_u7emPdwaf-Ok50BGZQy020TZj2nGwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultCards1.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault character cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, on reflection, this second delve into the Warhammer Underworlds in search of shadeglass is the end of the line for me. I'm destined to walk the mazes of the Mirrored City countless more times - perhaps forever - but I'll be in the company of old friends and ghosts from the past. I don't need any more new warbands, I don't need any more cards that do very similar things to cards I already own, and I don't need more new rules and keywords to clutter up my games.<br />
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But (and this is incredibly important) that doesn't mean I think <i>Nightvault</i> is bad. It's not bad. It's exceptionally good. My complaints are personal, and say more about me and my tolerance for expanding a single game line than they do about the quality of the game itself. I may feel like magic and lethal hexes have diminished my personal experience, but that doesn't mean they're poor changes. And while I may be growing tired of seeing very similar objectives and power cards, that doesn't mean those are bad cards. Indeed, for anybody using <i>Nightvault</i> as their entry point to the system, these differences and similarities won't mean anything at all.<br />
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Besides, if you don't like the magic, you can always buy some of the older warbands and just play without wizards. Because most importantly, at the heart of it, <i>Nightvault</i> is still the same game. It offers the same (different) deckbuilding possibilities, the same (different) great miniatures, and the same (different) tactical play. This is an amazing game, and I do think people should give it a try; but my enthusiasm for collecting a second wave of warbands has disappeared like breath on a mirror. I think that, much like the doomed warriors traversing this dark domain, while the game still has some life in it, too long in the Mirrored City has left it diminished.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYizHkR8xqo/Xo8CmwmeGMI/AAAAAAAAA7g/UYzhTBxFbwMBUJXWPt2Na0Gl_ZhGYTjGACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/NightvaultCards4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The nighthaunt character cards from Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYizHkR8xqo/Xo8CmwmeGMI/AAAAAAAAA7g/UYzhTBxFbwMBUJXWPt2Na0Gl_ZhGYTjGACKgBGAsYHg/s320/NightvaultCards4.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault nighthaunt cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Or then again, maybe I just need to accept that I'm awkward. Maybe I just need to take a good long look at myself and realise that I'm simply very hard to please. And actually quite annoying. And probably a bit of a pillock.<br />
<br />
Not unlike Alan Sugar.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/games-workshop/new-warhammer-age-of-sigmar/warhammer-underworlds-nightvault-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault</a> and Underworlds expansions are available from good game stores and online. You may even be able to find a copy of Shadespire knocking about.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-51221803605635217592018-10-31T07:04:00.000-07:002019-11-02T12:35:59.162-07:00Review - Labyrinth: The Duel<i>Designed by Marco Teubner</i><br />
<i>Published by Ravensburger</i><br />
<i>For 2 players, aged 8 to 99 years, apparently</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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Is there anything more terrifying than being lost in a dark maze, where the walls are constantly shifting, and you never know which way to turn? Well... probably, yes. Probably lots of things. Spiders, clowns, spiders dressed as clowns. The list is almost endless. But the truth is, it's Halloween and I should be reviewing something suitably creepy such as <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/games-workshop/new-warhammer-age-of-sigmar/warhammer-underworlds-nightvault-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault</a></i> right now. Unfortunately my photographs aren't ready, and that means you get stuck with a review of <i>Labyrinth: The Duel</i> which I'm ham-fistedly trying to cram into a spooky framework.<br />
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So, let's all just pretend this is a really creepy game and we'll say no more about it...<br />
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Good?<br />
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Great.<br />
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Here goes...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>When I was young I had a recurring nightmare. I was a dot, travelling along a line. Frequently, the line would branch, and I would choose one of the paths. And at each junction, the noise of static would grow. It would grow and grow, until it was almost deafening. And then suddenly I would be at the end of the line, and I would realise with terrifying certainty that I had made some wrong choices in my route and I was in completely the wrong place.<br />
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Then I would wake up, with the sound of static in my ears.<br />
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Those were the worst dreams; the dreams that had a lasting impact on my life. They were the dreams I took as a warning.<br />
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These days, I analyze every choice in my life carefully. I don't ever want to hear that static and realise I'm not waking from a dream, and the path I've taken is the wrong one.<br />
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But I can't imagine I'm the only person to have had dreams like that. I think we all have that fear: The fear we're making the wrong choices, walking the wrong paths.</div>
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But what has this got to do with <i>Labyrinth: The Duel</i>?</div>
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Remember, this is all about ham-fisted cramming, and some extreme mental gymnastics. (I feel there's an actor and a bishop gag here somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it... as the actor said to the bishop.)</div>
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(Deep breath.)</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00000J0JF/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00000J0JF&linkId=789431c398501454f29670c01cdac150" target="_blank">The aMAZEing Labyrinth</a></i> from Ravensburger is a fascinating game for up to four players in which each player is searching for objects in an ever-shifting maze. On your turn you push a piece of the maze into place, and this shunts a different piece out of the maze. The next player then pushes that piece into the maze, which pushes out something else. And so on.</div>
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It's like a microcosm of our everyday existences: Our struggles to forge the correct path, our efforts to balance what we need against what we can afford to give away, our endless endeavours to find everything we need on a checklist of treasures as we make decision after decision and battle against the changes we can't control.</div>
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It's elegant, simple, and works with players of all ages.</div>
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It's so perfect I hear static when I play. </div>
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But success is a curse, and the original <i>aMAZEing Labyrinth </i>has spawned a franchise (yeah, the "F" word). There are now countless versions, including simple branded rethemes (<i>Lord of the Rings, </i>anyone?), and also versions that introduce new rules or completely new styles of play. One such iteration of the theme is <i>Labyrinth: The Duel </i>(which I'm going to call <i>Duel</i> from now on, because life's too short, and this introduction is way too long).</div>
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<i>Duel</i> takes the basic premise of the shifting maze, but takes it in a new direction. The best way to describe it is to ask you to think back to when you were a kid and you went to a friend's birthday party. Do you remember those party bags you used to get? Piece of cake, a few sweets, and then a small sliding tile puzzle. You know the ones, with a 3x3 grid comprising eight tiles and one space that allows you to move the tiles around to create an image.</div>
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I bloody hated those things.</div>
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And that, unfortunately, is pretty much what <i>Duel</i> is.</div>
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The game is a head-to-head battle for two players, in which each player has a 4x4 board with 15 tiles on it depicting lengths of tunnel, leaving one space empty to slide them around. On each edge of the board there are images of treasure, which match images on a deck of cards.</div>
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To start the game, each player positions their 15 tiles within the grid following some simple guidelines, and then one player flips a card to show the starting treasure on which each player places his or her pawn. A second card shows the treasure the players must reach by moving the tiles around on their boards to create a continuous network of tunnels.</div>
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And then they're off... Because, yeah; this is a speed game.</div>
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Players scramble to slide tiles around, frantically building and breaking paths, until someone creates a route to the treasure, at which point play halts.</div>
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The successful player moves his or her pawn along the path to the treasure, takes the corresponding treasure card as a reward, and flips a new card. This continues until one player has accumulated eight treasure cards, or (if you're playing with me) someone decides this is one of the worst ways possible to spend time and looks for a better game. Like Russian Roulette.</div>
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Now, you may have picked up from a few subtle hints that I'm not a fan of this game. That's true enough. I think the game is fundamentally flawed and doesn't create a fun experience for the players. But before drilling into the negatives too much, let's look at the positives...</div>
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The tiles have nice artwork, which is free of clutter so it's very easy to tell quickly where your paths are going (essential for a game based on speed). Additionally, the tiles are sturdy cardboard pieces set into thick plastic frames, making them durable enough to withstand all the rapid shunting and pushing that occurs during a game. And the little gold-coloured plastic pawns are cute. Oh, and the game is incredibly easy to learn and teach. Most people are going to get to grips with what they need to do almost immediately, simply because most people have played this kind of sliding puzzle before.</div>
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And...</div>
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And...?</div>
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And yeah. I think that's about it for positives.</div>
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When it comes to negatives, I really only have two complaints. But they're so big, and so intrinsic to the design, I simply can't overlook them or derive any fun from playing the game.</div>
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The first, quite obviously, is this is basically a solitaire game. Each player has a board, and there's no way to screw with your opponent. You focus only on moving the tiles on your board as quickly as possible. In fact, it's such a solitaire experience, the game includes solo rules which don't change the way you play at all; they simply tell you to play against the clock to see how many treasures you can claim within a fixed time limit.</div>
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Now, I don't think every game needs to have in-your-face opposition; but I do feel like players should be operating within the same world. In <i>Duel, </i>both players cast their eyes down, focus solely on moving tiles on their own board, and don't even need to know what their opponent is up to. And because it's timed, you can't even talk to your opponent. All you can do is concentrate on the sliding tiles. </div>
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When I get friends together to play games, I do so because I want to spend time with those people. The games facilitate a social engagement. They provide something to do, something to talk about, something to puzzle over, something to solve, and something to challenge us while we enjoy each other's company.</div>
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<i>Duel </i>is the exact opposite of what I look for in a game.</div>
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That, really, is enough to bury <i>Duel</i>; but there's another serious flaw in the design, and it's this flaw that drives a stake through the game's heart. As soon as one player has completed a route to the current treasure, gameplay stops. That player moves his or her pawn along the path to the treasure, and then draws the next treasure card, at which point play resumes. </div>
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See the flaw?</div>
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The winner of each round has a distinct advantage because he or she already has a complete route leading from his or her current treasure space. It may only take sliding one or two tiles to rearrange the path to reach the next treasure. Meanwhile, the loser may still be floundering with a completely broken path.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FSOTczb3TSA/Xb3aV8Lx-cI/AAAAAAAAAh8/KAgdEk7aMDk4ecR1qQxaGDaRAUdD5PMGQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/LabyrinthCards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An attractive arrangement of treasure cards from Labyrinth: The Duel." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FSOTczb3TSA/Xb3aV8Lx-cI/AAAAAAAAAh8/KAgdEk7aMDk4ecR1qQxaGDaRAUdD5PMGQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/LabyrinthCards.JPG" title="Labyrinth: The Duel treasure cards." width="320" /></a></div>
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It's a classic rich get richer design. Winning a round gives you a serious leg up for winning each and every future round. Of course, you aren't guaranteed a win just because you're ahead; the random draw of the treasures may fall perfectly for your opponent. But given the choice between having an assembled path leading from my current space or being completely stranded with no clear route off my current space... Well; it's not much of a choice, is it?</div>
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Now, I'm sure there are some people who will get a kick out of this game. There always is. Some people will enjoy the easy accessibility of the streamlined rules, allowing them to play this with gamers and non-gamers alike; and the pure contest element of the head-to-head implementation is going to appeal to people who enjoy throwing down a gauntlet. I'm sure there are even some people who like the cerebral challenge of these sliding tile puzzles. Although I've never met any of them.</div>
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So, sure. Some people may enjoy it. But frankly, this game is a shadow of it's predecessor. It's taken the premise of a much better game, and ripped it's soul out. What's left, is a hollow and empty thing that I simply can't recommend when you could go out and buy <i>The aMAZEing Labyrinth</i> and have a much more engaging, interactive experience with your family and friends.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNS7qUxXQFQ/Xb3ajxvZK7I/AAAAAAAAAiA/1M2TekxnfTIJF42ILlC0Bii3P5wwljsZwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/LabyrinthPawn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A game of Labyrinth: The Duel in action." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNS7qUxXQFQ/Xb3ajxvZK7I/AAAAAAAAAiA/1M2TekxnfTIJF42ILlC0Bii3P5wwljsZwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/LabyrinthPawn.JPG" title="Labyrinth: The Duel gameplay" width="320" /></a></div>
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In attempting to use the (amazing) <i><a href="https://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2013/04/the-amazeing-labyrinth.html">aMAZEing Labyrinth</a></i> as a springboard for designing a different style of sliding maze game, the designer has made a poor decision. He's taken a wrong turn, and lost his way. The result is a game in which two players sit with their eyes down in near-silent contemplation, endlessly changing and rearranging a maze of tiles while the clock's minute hand spins, inexorably cutting away at their lives like an executioners axe, stealing precious moments that could be used to actually enjoy the company of others.</div>
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As gaming experiences go, it's hard to think of anything scarier than that.</div>
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Happy Halloween, everybody!</div>
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<i>Labyrinth: The Duel isn't currently in production, but you may be able to find a copy in a charity store or on eBay. There are much better gaming experiences available from local game stores and <a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">online retailers</a>. I recommend checking out those instead.</i></div>
Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-80815668793576934302018-10-15T13:46:00.001-07:002019-11-02T12:41:16.337-07:00Review - Sh!thead and the Dares (Shithead, Palace, Karma, etc.)<i>Published by Imagination Atlas Ltd</i><br />
<i>For 2-5 players, aged 13 to adult</i><br />
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A little while back, I invited a group of friends to come over to play board games. It's the sort of thing I do.<br />
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It was one of those lightweight games and heavyweight beers sort of events, and as the evening drifted into the night, several guests drifted away.<br />
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By about 3am, there were just three of us left. One of the remaining guests produced a deck of cards and suggested we play a little game he knew. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But it was late at night (or early in the morning), I'd had one too many sherbets, and what followed was something akin to a game of <i>Go Johnny Go Go Go Go.</i><br />
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It turns out, the game my guest tried to teach me was actually <i>Shithead</i>; a game I'd played a few times before, but with slightly different rules, and with slightly more blood in my alcohol stream.<br />
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And that's the thing about <i>Shithead</i>: Most people have probably played it at some point. Only it might have been called <i>Karma</i>, or <i>Palace</i>, or <i>Ten-Two Slide</i>, and it might have had slightly different rules. You might even have played a version where you have to complete a forfeit if you lose (most likely downing your pint, because <i>Shithead</i> is often a drinking game, which is why it should really be called Shitfaced).<br />
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You see, like many games you play with a regular deck of 52 cards, <i>Shithead</i> isn't new. It's ancient, and globe-spanning. It's a game for social gatherings, but it's also a game that backpackers play as they huddle with strangers in hostels. It's well-travelled, and just as with people, travel has changed it. There are now countless slightly different versions.<br />
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One of those versions is <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BQTQSLB/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07BQTQSLB&linkId=ef568c9794fe032fb9c969531edbac6d" target="_blank">Sh!thead</a></i> (with an exclamation mark). Or to give it what appears to be its full title: <i>Sh!thead and the Dares</i>.<br />
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That's the version I'm reviewing here.<br />
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Oh... And for the sake of full disclosure, I didn't pay for my copy. I was recently contacted by the publishers and asked if I would like to receive a review copy. That was quite a nice turn of events considering the initial email I received had the subject line "Shithead." Usually there's only one way that sort of dialogue goes.<br />
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Anyway, I was happy to receive a copy in the post, but have to admit, I was questioning what the USP for the product might be. After all, <i>Shithead</i> is an old game you can play with any old cards you have around the place; why would you need to buy this version?<br />
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Turns out there are several reasons. Whether you consider them compelling or not is up to you.<br />
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First of all, this is a custom deck specifically for playing <i>Sh!thead </i>(note that exclamation mark again). If you've ever played a regular game of <i>Shithead</i> where sevens are glass, and eights make the order of play reverse, you'll know there's a potential for confusion, especially with new players. There's no chance of that here, because the special cards have relevant iconography and the rules printed right on them.<br />
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Speaking of rules, I'll briefly run through them here, because they're a specific mix of base rules and variants you may not have played before (which would be the second reason why you might consider picking up this version of the game).<br />
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The deck of cards comprises four sets of cards numbered one through 10, and four each of three power cards. Additionally, there's a second deck of cards, ominously labelled "The Dares" (but more on those in a minute).<br />
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To play <i>Sh!thead</i>, each player receives three face down cards, each with a face up card on top of it, and a hand of three cards. The player with the lowest card in hand starts, placing it in the centre of the table. Play then proceeds clockwise, with each person trying to match or beat the current card on the stack. If you can play a card (or multiples of the same value card) you do so, and then draw back up to three cards in hand. If you can't play a card, you have to take the whole stack into your hand, and play continues with the next player starting a new stack (probably, because the rules omit this rather important detail).<br />
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So far, so mundane.<br />
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Wild cards and power cards add a wrinkle to proceedings. If you play a four, the next player must go lower; if you play a six, the next player misses a go; if you play an eight the order of play reverses; if you play Reset, you set the value of the stack to zero; if you play Invisible, the next player must play as if your card wasn't there; and if you play Burn, you wipe out the stack and then play another card to start a new stack.<br />
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Once the deck is depleted and you've played all the cards from your hand, you play with the face up cards you were dealt at the beginning. Once you're out of face up cards, you have to start playing with your blind cards, which can really screw you up because you don't know what those cards are until you play them.<br />
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And that's it.<br />
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Play continues in this manner, not until there's a winner, but until there's a loser. In other words, you play until only one person has any cards in hand. That person is the <i>Sh!thead</i>.<br />
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Now, as previously mentioned, the loser often ends up having to sup an ale or something similar, but in <i>Sh!thead </i>the publisher has gone one better and introduced a deck of dares. The idea is, you draw a dare at the start of the round, and the loser has to complete that dare.<br />
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It's an attempt to make this into more of a party game, and to create opportunities for hilarity as your friends do dumb stuff. Unfortunately, I'm really not keen on this sort of "enforced fun," where rules exist solely to encourage wacky behaviour....<br />
<i><br /></i>
You know, I should probably elaborate on that point a bit. Indulge me...<br />
<br />
Party games aren't at the top of my list when it comes to a preferred way to spend my time. There are some I love, but there are lots I dislike. For me, a great party game is one that encourages people to be funny and creative in their own way. <i>Cards Against Humanity</i> fails to hit the mark, because you don't get to be creative, you just get to say something written on a card, while <i>Snake Oil </i>and <i>Deadpool vs the World</i> are right on target because they give you the tools to create your own fun. You get to be as funny and silly as your imagination allows, because the game inspires you rather than constrains you, and you have the freedom to express yourself. This is in complete contrast to games that ask you to gargle the national anthem or crack an egg on your head. Party games work when the humour comes from you, not when you're asked to do something zany.<br />
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Even if I did enjoy the concept of the dares, I'm not sure the ones in <i>Sh!thead </i>would do it for me. A few seem to have potential for a chuckle (ring someone and sing Happy Birthday to them), but many aren't particularly inventive, with one especially lazy card going so far as to say, "make up your own dare." Other dares, such as hopping on one leg through the next round sounds like gruelling torture and is going to be a bloody nuisance for everyone at the table, and dares asking you to teach a stranger <i>Sh!thead</i> or to cook one of your opponents dinner are clearly working on the mistaken belief that someone is going to honour their commitments to the dares in the days or weeks following the game. That seems unlikely.<br />
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But it's an interesting idea, none-the-less, and a valiant attempt to give the traditional game a more modern (and structured) style.<br />
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Really, that's what this product is all about: Putting a modern spin on a classic. And it really does feel quite modern, from the minimalist card design and streamlined play to the slightly tongue-in-cheek voice of the rules leaflet.<br />
<br />
And that's no bad thing really.<br />
<i><br /></i>
Honestly, I'm really in two minds about this one. I see the benefits of having a custom deck, and I can see why some people would enjoy the dares, even though I don't. That being the case, let's sum up by talking to two different personas.<br />
<br />
Persona A:<br />
<br />
<i>Sh!thead</i> benefits from all the pros of any other variant of the game you've played before. It's quick, it's portable, and a lot of people already know it. It's the perfect little game to take on your travels or for playing down the pub. On top of that, it has the added benefits of a rules set that's a little easier to grok than some more traditional variants, a clean graphic design that makes it immediately apparent what each of your special cards does, and an additional deck of dares to add an element of risk to play. There's even a deck of "adult dares" available as a separate purchase. Overall, it makes a classic game a bit more accessible and much easier to learn.<br />
<br />
Persona B:<br />
<br />
<i>Sh!thead</i> suffers from all the cons of any other variant of the game you've played before. It's a simple filler game, or a silly drinking game. It isn't completely without strategy (there's a certain level of skill involved in taking the card stack to get good cards in your hand for later play or burning the stack to jettison cards that are going to cause you problems if someone else claims them); but how much deep thought can you really employ when the end game involves blindly flipping cards you drew at random? With just two players there are a few opportunities for tactical play, such as playing a six to get back-to-back turns, but with four or five players it's difficult to formulate any kind of strategy. This new version uses custom cards, which makes it easier to learn, but denies you the flexibility that comes from using a regular deck, thereby making it harder to introduce your favourite variants (and in fact, there aren't any variants in the rules leaflet, which is a bit of a missed opportunity). Furthermore, while the graphic design is clean, it's not particularly exciting. Finally, the introduction of the dares creates a kind of enforced silliness that's going to fly or die depending on your crowd.<br />
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And having said all that, I guess the big question is, which persona are you?<br />
<br />
For me, I would say I'm happy to have a copy in my collection, and I'd willingly whip it out in the pub with friends (not the first time I've said that). I'd leave the dares in the box, though. I would say that for the £10 asking price on Amazon it's not a bad buy, and it could well be the perfect gift for any students heading off to university who might need a fun way to break the ice with new people. It's certainly a hell of a lot better than <i>Go Johnny Go Go Go Go</i>, anyway.<br />
<br />
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<i>Thank you to Imagination Atlas Games, and in particular Clark Beecroft, for providing my review copy of Sh!thead. You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BQTQSLB/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07BQTQSLB&linkId=ef568c9794fe032fb9c969531edbac6d" target="_blank">get your own copy</a>, plus the additional adult dares deck, by visiting Amazon.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-28717012679456526192018-09-11T13:51:00.003-07:002019-11-02T12:51:01.326-07:00Review - The Walking Dead: All Out War<i>Published by Mantic Games</i><br />
<i>Designed by Mark Latham</i><br />
<i>For 1 or 2 players, aged 14 to adult</i><br />
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So, I work from home (if what I do all day really counts as work). I have a little nook all my own, which is actually an extension on the front of my kitchen. It's quiet for most of the day, it's nice and bright, and most importantly of all, I'm incredibly close to my kettle. Because tea is basically the thing that makes me function on a level that closely approximates the way I have determined other humans are supposed to act.<br />
<br />
But I'm not precious about my tea. I don't use loose leaves, I don't use a teapot, and I don't think I even own a cup and saucer.<br />
<br />
No, I brew my tea in the mug I'm going to drink it from. I squeeze the teabag, and tannic acid be damned. I even add the milk before I take out the teabag. It's not like anybody else is here to see me do it.<br />
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Part of the reason for my complete disregard for any kind of etiquette.... drunkiquette?*... is because I'm always in a hurry. And being in a hurry comes with it's own tea-related problems. For example, quite often I'll put the teabag and the water in a mug, and then I think, "I'll just leave that to brew for a minute." And then I'll go off and do something else.<br />
<br />
Eventually I'll come back to my tea to discover it's completely stewed. It'll have that gross film over the top that breaks up and sticks to the sides when you stir it, and it'll be just the wrong side of drinking temperature. And I'll make a sort of half-hearted attempt to sip at it, but really I've left it just a bit too long, and my hearts not in it, and the idea of tea isn't quite as appealing as it was 20 minutes ago.<br />
<br />
Then I'm a bit sad.<br />
<br />
And this, if you hadn't figured it out, is an incredibly laboured metaphor for my review for <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/mantic-games/the-walking-dead-miniatures-game/the-walking-dead-miniatures-game-core-set?d=10189" target="_blank">The Walking Dead: All Out War</a></i>. And by "my review," I mean this review. The one you're reading. The slightly lukewarm one that my hearts not really in.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I was going to write this review last year, but I decided I needed just a little bit more time with the game before I could formulate my opinions into a written review. Then I thought I needed some expansions to really get a feel for the system. Then I played it a bit more and didn't like it, and I lost my interest in buying expansions or even reviewing the base game. And then I left it just a bit too long, and now here we are...<br />
<br />
Drinking stewed tea as I write a stewed review.<br />
<br />
But I've got to do it. I've got a lot of reviews I want to write, and I'm not letting myself write them until I've got this one out of the way. So here goes...<br />
<br />
I don't like <i>The Walking Dead: All Out War</i>.<br />
<br />
But I should.<br />
<br />
I mean, it's got all the makings of a game I should like. It has nice miniatures (sort of), and a cool IP (sort of), and some interesting rules (sort of).<br />
<br />
Let me explain...<br />
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The <i>Walking Dead: All Out War</i> is a skirmish game, pitting two groups of survivors against each other in an uncomfortably claustrophobic arena crawling... er, walking... with zombies. It's a pretty tantalizing pitch, and as I'm always on the lookout for "that" zombie game (you know the one; the one that doesn't exist other than in your head), I felt it was worth paying £30 plus change for the starter set.<br />
<br />
Now before I go any further, I need to briefly mention the theme, and admit that I haven't read <i>The Walking Dead</i> graphic novels (other than <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1582406723/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1582406723&linkId=abe6c53cf7a7161301ac9b1775d9d06c" target="_blank">the first volume</a>, which I didn't really care for all that much). I'm one of those horrible, unwashed heathens who's never read the source material but loves the television show. Normally, that wouldn't really matter; after all, whether you're talking about the show or the books, you're talking about shambling undead folk trying to munch on shambling un-undead folk. But I mention it because Mantic Games has done a really terrific job of capturing the style of the books. The artwork is from the books, the characters are from the books, and perhaps most significantly for a tabletop skirmish game, the look of the miniatures is from the books. If, like me, you're not a fan of the art, it's unlikely you're going to find this game particularly attractive. You may even think the slightly squat, slightly cartoonish, slightly out of proportion miniatures are slightly silly.<br />
<br />
I was prepared to look past that, though. I was prepared to accept I didn't enjoy the aesthetics of the game, because there was a chance that this was "that" zombie game.<br />
<br />
And I suppose we should address the ever-present issue with zombie games: There's a heck of a lot of them. Mainly because there are a heck of a lot of people who like zombies. It's a craze that doesn't seem to want to die; and everybody wants to cash in, even if they aren't entirely sure what they're cashing in on. I remember many years ago, I was commissioned to ghost white (zombie write?) a book about the dead rising from their graves. I put together the first draft and sent it across, and then waited for the feedback, which basically comprised of, "I love it, but you keep using the word undead and I don't know what that means." Even back then, it was obvious the person writing my cheque was trying to ride a wave; he just didn't have a surfboard.<br />
<br />
Now, for fans of all things zombie (the genre, not the game), having all of these different tabletop experiences to choose from is fantastic; and I would say that <i>All Out War</i> is a worthwhile addition to the corpse pile. But if you're the kind of person who rolls their eyes when someone mentions the undead, it's probably best to just move on. Loose eyeballs and hungry zombies is a bad combination.<br />
<br />
But let's assume you like the theme. Are you going to be pleased with your purchase of the starter set for <i>All Out War</i>?<br />
<br />
The answer is, somewhat predictably, "sort of."<br />
<br />
Let's do this as a compliment sandwich. Everybody likes sandwiches...<br />
<br />
At the price point, you get a pretty decent introduction to the game system, with enough components to run small skirmishes between rival gangs, with plenty of zombies thrown into the mix. You get unit cards for all the characters, a selection of item cards that make it possible to tailor your gang to suit your play style or mission objectives, a fistful of very nice custom dice, and a paper mat with a selection of 2D cardboard terrain to help you set up your first game quickly without having to worry about where you're going to get a miniature Winnebago.<br />
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Obviously, in any miniatures game the spotlight is always on the little plastic dudes, and <i>All Out War</i> is no exception (Mantic even packaged the game with a window on the front of the box to show off a selection of the best the game has to offer). There are 18 miniatures in total, and every one is unique. This is a refreshing touch for a zombie game, where you're normally facing hordes of identikit coffin dodgers; but I can't help feeling the expense in sculpting and tooling all those different zombies might have been put to better use elsewhere. I mean, do you really need 12 different zombie sculpts? Zombies all still zombies, even if they're in different hats, and they all still look a bit similar. Besides, while the zombies are important, they're not really the main attraction. Everybody's more interested in the real walking dead: The humans. And here... Well... I have to say the starter set fails to live up to its potential.<br />
<br />
It wasn't so very long ago Fantasy Flight Games released an expansion for <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/christmas-gift-ideas/special-gifts/star-wars-imperial-assaultgame?d=10189" target="_blank">Star Wars: Imperial Assault</a></i> that featured Boba Fett on the front cover. Boba Fett was indeed a character in the expansion, but there was only a token to represent him in-game. You had to buy the pretty miniature separately. Mantic Games has gone one better than that. It's put a load of characters on the front of the box that aren't inside the box at all. In fact, of the eight heroes prominently displayed on the cover, only two are included (Rick and Coral). Of course, Michonne is on the cover (or, Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Game, as I like to call her), and I'm pretty sure that at the time the game launched, she wasn't even available in expansions.<br />
<br />
But if you don't get Glenn, and you don't get Andrea, and you don't get Michonne, and you don't get Dale, and you don't get Lori... Who do you get?<br />
<br />
Well, turns out Rick and Coral are man and boy enough to take on all-comers, because they're the only heroes you do get. The remaining four characters are villains for the opposing team, called the Scavengers. This being <i>All Out War</i>, Negan is obviously... Not present. But it's okay, because you get to create a warband from some of the best of the bad in the books: Derek, Patrick, Liam, and Sandra.<br />
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You may need to fish out <i>Walking Dead: Volume One</i> and take a close look to find these characters. Calling them bit players is an insult to bits.<br />
<br />
Okay, the characters aren't from the A-list. That's not the end of the world (not like a zombie apocalypse is the end of the world). At least, it wouldn't be the end of the world if you had the tools to use those characters to make some interesting survivor groups. But the starter set is woefully lacking in gang-building options.<br />
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Building your survivor group works on the tried and tested method of using points. You simply decide what points level your game is going to be, and then select characters and starting equipment until you reach that point level, with around 100 points being the smallest points value that still gives you a halfway decent gaming experience (and incidentally, the maximum points level you can realistically make using a single starter set with no expansions).<br />
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But here's the thing... Rick is worth 50 points and Coral is worth 12 points. That puts you at 62 points with 38 points left over for equipment (hooray for maths!). For the Scavenger gang, you get four characters totalling 85 points, leaving you 15 points for equipment unless you decide to drop one or more characters (pro tip: drop Liam). So far so good; and then you look at the equipment cards. All eight of them.<br />
<br />
Yeah. The game includes exactly eight pieces of starting equipment.<br />
<br />
And there are no duplicates.<br />
<br />
There just aren't enough cards to feel like you're making meaningful decisions about how you're kitting out your team. I mean, the Lucky Hat is exclusively for Coral's use, so it seems silly not to take it, and then you've got just enough money left to give Rick and Coral a weapon each (probably a .38 revolver and a hatchet, because then your team total is 99 points). For the Scavengers, you've got just enough points for a hand weapon and some bandages, unless you drop Liam (pro tip: I'm serious, drop Liam). Without Liam, you'll probably end up with some bandages, a .22 revolver, and a baseball bat (because baseball bats give an advantage to "bruisers" and there are two "bruisers" in the Scavenger gang).<br />
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And that accounts for six of the eight equipment cards.<br />
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You see. The choices seem obvious, because there aren't really any choices at all. Several of the items clearly telegraph which character (or which class of character) should use them, and the rest just seem to fit snuggly in the 100 point limit.<br />
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I should mention that once you start playing a game, characters may find supply tokens which do mix things up a bit by allowing some additional customisation on the fly. When you reveal the tokens, you draw from a dedicated supplies deck. You might get a new weapon that wasn't initially available, or you might disturb a zombie. You might even get "nothing", one of the most exciting things to happen in any game.<br />
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But what does happen in a game?<br />
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As I mentioned previously, each game is a closely fought skirmish on a compact battlefield. In fact, the total playing field size for matches up to 300 points is just 20 inches square, which means you're virtually breathing down your opponent's neck from the first turn, and there's really nowhere to hide from the shambling zombies.<br />
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Games are scenario-driven, but Mantic has only included a basic supply run scenario in the base set, which involves two teams going head-to-head in a mad dash to recover some supply tokens scattered around the location.<br />
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And the basic rules are pretty simple and streamlined really. They're pretty much what you would expect from a tabletop game like this, and there are a few shadows of Mordor here and there, with a couple of rules (not many) that felt familiar to me as someone who has played the <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/games-workshop/MESBG/lotr-battle-of-pelennor-fields-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game</a></i>.<br />
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The turn structure uses alternating activations, with each character on the battlefield working as an independent unit. So, at the start of a turn, the player with initiative selects one character and takes two actions, then the player who doesn't have initiative actives a character. These actions cover all the usual suspects, such as moving, shooting, searching, performing character-specific skills, or making some noise to attract zombies.<br />
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This continues until all character have had their actions, at which point there's an event phase where the zombies get to act and you draw an event card to see if there are any environmental effects or arriving brain munchers to worry about.<br />
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Close combat isn't a specific action. Instead, it gets its own melee phase, where any characters in base combat with rival gang members or zombies have a bit of a scrap. And then there's an end phase where you do all the general bookkeeping, such as tracking infected bites, bringing dead characters back as zombies, and alternating initiative with your opponent.<br />
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Combat involves custom dice in three different colours, with each side of the dice showing combinations of hit symbols and exclamation marks. The colour of the dice determines your chances of success, with blue dice having more hits and exclamation marks than white dice, which in turn have more success icons than the red dice. There's also a black dice that you roll for activities that have a 50/50 chance of success, such as jumping walls, or bringing corpses back from the dead to feast on the living. You know, all the normal stuff.<br />
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Oh, and there's a yellow panic dice with six unique icons on it. We'll get to that in a minute.<br />
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So, overall, the basic framework of the game is simple. It's an I-Go-U-Go system with custom dice and single-character units duking it out for (in the basic game, at least) control of objective tokens in a confined space.<br />
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But that's just the beginning of the story; because over that basic framework Mantic Games has draped the bloody skin of a zombie game, creating an interesting way (a potentially groundbreaking way) to model the apocalypse.<br />
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Now, as far as I'm concerned, the reason most zombie games don't end up being "that" zombie game is because they never truly capture the elements that make a zombie apocalypse terrifying. They don't capture the heartpounding dread of a swarm of relentless monsters hounding your every step, following you mercilessly no matter how many shots you put into them, while you struggle to find food in a world where other humans are also a threat.<br />
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But <i>The Walking Dead: All Out War</i> does a bloody (ha!) good job of doing just that. It has a series of small rules and wrinkles that add depth and texture to the basic skirmish framework and help to accurately model an apocalyptic scenario. I would probably go as far as saying this game is the best interpretation of this theme to date, due to the interesting mechanisms in place that make zombies so much more than walking targets for your sharpshooters to deal with.<br />
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The problem is, perhaps surprisingly, I don't actually like any of those rules. Which goes to show how difficult it is to find "that" zombie game. Because sometimes even "that" game isn't "that" game. And that's that.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fiOPhhhVWe0/Xb3deFfdRLI/AAAAAAAAAkc/H_NI57UkyXYZ34K3H3hQ4hOOjFJzQ2f-ACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/TWDRules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A section from the rules book for The Walking Dead: All Out War miniatures game" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fiOPhhhVWe0/Xb3deFfdRLI/AAAAAAAAAkc/H_NI57UkyXYZ34K3H3hQ4hOOjFJzQ2f-ACKgBGAsYHg/s320/TWDRules.JPG" title="The Walking Dead: All Out War rules" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let's run through some of the cool ways the designers help to breathe life into the undead:<br />
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The first thing to note is that the zombies aren't there as part of your objective. You don't go into the game with the aim of killing them. They're just moving environmental hazards. Your focus (at least in the base game scenario), is finding supplies and beating up the opposing gang. It just so happens there's a bunch of zombies milling around getting in your way. And they really do get in your way, because the battlefield is so flipping small. It feels like you can't ever move without some zombie chancing its arm to take a bite out of your hand, and it doesn't ever feel like your safe. The main concern you're going to have is that a lot of the things you do in the game create noise or mayhem. For example, if you run, you create noise. When that happens, the closest eligible zombie within 10 inches lurches towards you.<br />
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Where mayhem is involved, which usually involves firing a gun, things get even worse. You have to increase the threat level (I'll get to that in a minute) and then every eligible zombie takes notice and comes towards you.<br />
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But this is where it gets really clever... or really dumb, I guess... Zombies are mindless. They walk in a straight line, and will stumble into walls and cars, or happily start munching on any characters unlucky enough to be in the way. This creates a fascinating positional puzzle to unravel. You end up with situations where you quickly run past enemy characters, so that a nearby zombie staggers into them and starts chomping; or you'll fire a gun from behind a parked vehicle to lure the zombies away from your allies on the other side of the battlefield.<br />
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You're in a constantly shifting arena of death, using the zombies as mobile attack units and road blocks to hamper your opponents and aid your own schemes.<br />
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It really is a very interesting concept, and figuring out how best to rearrange the battlefield to your advantage is rather satisfying. Unfortunately, it's also a bit of a pain. For a start, the battlefield is really small, and the game uses an alternating activation system. That combination means you never really feel like you can take full advantage of manipulating the zombie menace. You might make a move that positions things in your favour, but often the very next move in the game will undo your carefully constructed scheme. But the biggest issue for me is it just creates so much extra busy work to deal with. Every time a character moves or attacks, you have to check for noise, check for eligible zombies, check which zombies are closest, and then move one or more following the zombie movement rules. This problem is compounded because zombies also get their own activation phase, where you measure to see if characters are within a zombie's kill zone, move any zombies in attack range, then draw an event card and possibly spawn and move additional zombies.<br />
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It feels a little bit like you're spending more time fiddling about with zombies than anything else, and it really breaks up the flow of the game and starts to become a bit tiresome. If you've ever played <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/zombicide-black-plague?d=10189" target="_blank">Zombicide</a></i> and got a bit cheesed off towards the end of the game when you're moving a hundred miniatures around the board, you're probably going to find <i>All Out War</i> an exercise in frustration and tedium.<br />
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Unfortunately, this isn't the only example of the game introducing a degree of micromanagement to each turn to better simulate the nature of a zombie apocalypse. There's this little threat tracker thing, and at certain points, it goes up. It goes up when someone creates some mayhem, and it goes up when people panic, and it goes up when someone goes berserk, and it goes up if anybody is involved in a bit of fisticuffs. But it sometimes goes down. Characters have the option to try to calm the situation, and certain characters such as Rick Grimes are particularly good at this. So, over the course of the game you put the threat up a bit, down a bit, shake it all about a bit.<br />
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And it's a clever little mechanism; don't get me wrong. But dammit if I didn't feel like I was trying to tune a radio rather than play a game.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C288lrxh4cg/Xb3dmhsXTsI/AAAAAAAAAkg/NNCalWYNGq4Fstigy2_joOpSLaytql1QgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/TWDThreatDial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The threat tracker dial from The Walking Dead: All Out War miniatures game" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C288lrxh4cg/Xb3dmhsXTsI/AAAAAAAAAkg/NNCalWYNGq4Fstigy2_joOpSLaytql1QgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/TWDThreatDial.JPG" title="The Walking Dead: All Out War threat track" width="320" /></a></div>
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Threat determines the severity of certain event cards drawn in the event phase, but one of the most important things it does is induce panic in the characters. Whenever you choose to activate a character you have to check his or her nerve value. If the nerve value is less than the current threat level, you have to take a panic test. You roll the special panic dice to decide what you do, with results ranging from fleeing uncontrollably and taking no further actions to going into a berserk rage and gaining a combat bonus.<br />
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It's a bit like the old animosity rules from <i>Warhammer Fantasy Battle</i>. A dice roll that determines whether you get to play the game or whether the game gets to play you. It's a neat idea; there's certainly something fun about one of your characters going into a screaming fit and unintentionally attracting nearby zombies, or refusing to do anything noisy in an attempt to stay hidden; but at the same time you're creating extra bookkeeping as you constantly fiddle with the threat level and check it against your nerve level. Worst of all, it makes characters with a low nerve value almost useless (looking at Liam again, a character so utterly worthless the flavour text on his character card is his death rattle). Threat has the potential to increase so quickly, anyone with a low nerve value ends up acting randomly very early on, making it difficult to use them effectively.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0H1kpmkQUks/Xb3dwzZLdiI/AAAAAAAAAkk/aCBWkN9yCt8mTiBtJTuP6xlkR3Rb4H59wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/TWDLiam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Liam from The Walking Dead: All Out War miniatures game comes under attack from zombies" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0H1kpmkQUks/Xb3dwzZLdiI/AAAAAAAAAkk/aCBWkN9yCt8mTiBtJTuP6xlkR3Rb4H59wCKgBGAsYHg/s320/TWDLiam.JPG" title="The Walking Dead: All Out War Liam character" width="320" /></a></div>
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With all these zombies hanging around, sooner or later you're going to have to fight them, and they're pleasingly robust, making them a genuine threat to life and limb (and brain). You aren't going to be mowing down armies of the undead. More often than not you're going to end up knocking them over or slowing them down just long enough for you to focus on your primary objective. If you want to ensure the dead stay dead, you need to roll an exclamation symbol on your attack dice, which signifies a head shot and removes the zombie from play permanently. Of course, getting a head shot against your living rivals is also worthwhile, because otherwise they come back as zombies when you defeat them.<br />
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The final rule that helps to complete the zombie experience involves the risk of infection. When zombies attack, the same exclamation mark symbol that spells their doom is also the symbol that signifies if a survivor becomes infected. From then on, at the end of each round you have a 50/50 chance of taking damage before eventually succumbing to the disease and becoming one of the undead. It's all simple enough, but layers a bit more dice rolling and admin' onto a game that really does start to have just a bit more bookkeeping than absolutely necessary.<br />
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And I feel I need to reiterate that I'm not saying these are bad rules. They're actually very effective rules for modelling a zombie outbreak. But for me, they break up the flow of the gameplay a bit too much, a bit too often, making the whole thing slightly disjointed and a bit of an ordeal.<br />
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In that regard, I guess the game is a thematic triumph. Nobody said the zombie apocalypse was going to be fun.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iryg_cbadE0/Xb3d3cgkgvI/AAAAAAAAAko/Mg1wCUKScGgJ2Vcl3sp5isrl78kcpre5wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/TWDRick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Carl and Rick Grime fight off the zombie horde in The Walking Dead: All Out War miniatures game" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iryg_cbadE0/Xb3d3cgkgvI/AAAAAAAAAko/Mg1wCUKScGgJ2Vcl3sp5isrl78kcpre5wCKgBGAsYHg/s320/TWDRick.JPG" title="The Walking Dead: All Out War Rick Gimes and Carl" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, this seems like a good place to wrap things up... hold on, that's a mummy joke.<br />
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Er...<br />
<br />
So, let's put a nail in this review's coffin... er... that's probably better for a vampire game.<br />
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Screw it.<br />
<br />
Let's summarise...<br />
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Overall, this is a pretty solid skirmish game, with some good miniatures, a good IP, and some interesting new ways to transfer the zombie threat into a tabletop experience. On paper, I love it. In reality... not so much. But despite it not being my cup of (slightly stewed) tea, I do think a lot of people will really get a kick out of it. If you've read this far and think my complaints are unfounded then you're probably one of those people and shouldn't waste any time giving <i>All Out War</i> a try.<br />
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Just be advised, your base game purchase isn't going to be the only purchase you make. If you don't buy more stuff your games are going to involve the same two gangs, with the same items, fighting in the same location, doing the same thing. It's almost the definition of madness.<br />
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But let's be fair. This is a starter set. It's not supposed to be all you buy, and it's not supposed to give you everything the game has to offer. It's supposed to showcase the experience, and encourage you to buy more. Viewed solely through that lens, you have to admit the box does what it sets out to do. You get to play a full game, using all of the rules (including the advanced rules for terrain, thanks to the inclusion of cardboard terrain tiles), and there's even a fudgy way to play the game solo, although if you do that it's one group of survivors against the zombies, which really doesn't feel like the way the game was intended to play. If that's enough to scratch your zombie itch (I'd get that checked out if I were you) then you'll probably be in the market for some expansions.<br />
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Which seems a suitable point to segue into talking about expansions.<br />
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For me, expansions fall into two main categories: Expansions you feel you want to buy because the base game is so good, and expansions you feel you need to buy, because without them the base game seems lacking.<br />
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In my opinion, <i>All Out War</i> expansions fall into the latter category; so after playing a few games with the starter set, I briefly looked into what expansions you might need to round out the experience. Then I stopped looking.<br />
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At first blush, the expansions seem pretty reasonable. Most of them are character boosters that retail for around £12 and usually comprise a main character, a secondary character, a unique zombie (really, more?), and a handful of equipment cards.The rest of the expansions are larger scenario packs that include more characters and zombies, more equipment, and some additional locations, terrain, and scenarios.<br />
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But the more I looked at the expansions, the more I started to get that itchy feeling. You know the one... that creepy crawly feeling that you're on the brink and you need to turn back now. Because, as far as I'm concerned, those expansion packs aren't put together in a consumer-friendly way. Let's look at some reasons why:<br />
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1. At the time I was browsing, the only way to get a decent enemy for the game (Negan, who really should have been in the starter set) involved buying a £25 solo expansion. That expansion has no other characters, but it does have a bunch of elements that double up on what comes in the starter set, making it feel like it isn't a justifiable purchase. Besides, there are solo rules in the starter set, so I'm really not sure why there's a solo expansion at all.<br />
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2. The first major expansion at that time was called "Days Gone Bye." It comes with Dale, Jim, Allen, and Donna. Surely four of the characters at the top of everyone's "must have" list. Unfortunately, it doesn't contain any miniatures for the Scavenger gang, just a few unit cards that gave you the chance to take "veteran" (i.e., better) versions of the characters from the base game.<br />
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3. The "Days Gone Bye" expansion also includes a series of narrative scenarios. These are much needed, because the starter set only comes with a single scenario. The problem? The recommended survivor groups for the narrative scenarios contain characters from the individual character boosters, so even after buying an expansion to unlock new scenarios, you still have to make additional purchases to play them without subbing in alternative gangs.<br />
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4. Each booster comes with a few equipment cards (I think it's about four in each character booster, and slightly more in the scenario packs). As already stated, you really need those extra cards for your army-building options, because the base set doesn't have enough. But you don't get a lot of options with each new booster either, and it's incredibly inconvenient if you want a specific item and have to buy a character pack you don't want just to get it.<br />
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5. And on the subject of cards, character packs also include extra character cards for miniatures that aren't in that pack. For example, the Shane booster pack comes with a character card for Shane, but if you want his special leader variant that grants him special bonuses while he's leading your group (and seriously, who wouldn't want Shane leading their group?), you have to buy the booster pack that has Rick Grimes on his horse. That means, to get leader Shane, you need to buy two different, unrelated character packs.<br />
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I could go on, but I think you get the point. Things may have changed with some of the newer expansions, but with the first wave at least, the expansions are carefully constructed products that have a relatively low buy-in, but which combine to encourage multiple purchases.<br />
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And for some people, that won't be a problem. Some fans are going to want every character, and every variant of every character; and they're going to be quite happy buying a few boosters a month to fill out their dream rosters.<br />
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And that's cool. If that's you, then you're all set.<br />
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But it's an issue for me.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtrQLlFL0HA/Xb3eDxNIAoI/AAAAAAAAAks/P_wOkDGzJLkrYV9gihZjHGYVByhrx_sSQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/TWDScavengers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Scavengers gang from The Walking Dead: All Out War miniatures game" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtrQLlFL0HA/Xb3eDxNIAoI/AAAAAAAAAks/P_wOkDGzJLkrYV9gihZjHGYVByhrx_sSQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/TWDScavengers.JPG" title="The Walking Dead: All Out War scavenger gang" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I guess that really sums up my feelings on the game. I can see the game's been put together well; I can see how it quite accurately recreates the situation of being under constant threat from zombies; I can see why some people are going to really enjoy the collection aspect of getting all the miniatures and all the cards.<br />
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I can see it. I just don't feel it.<br />
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The name "The Walking Dead" is an oxymoron, so perhaps it's fitting that I see this game as oxymoronic. There are just so many contradictions woven into the very nature of the product:<br />
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It has a theme I like (The Walking Dead! Zombies!) but it's a theme I don't like (the graphic novels).<br />
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It's called "<i>All Out War</i>," a story line from the books that features an epic conflict involving all the main characters; but what you get is a knife fight in a phone box with a couple of Z-list characters you may not even recognise.<br />
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It has nicely made, varied miniatures that I think are ugly and look too similar.<br />
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It has interesting, clever rules that I find clunky and dull.<br />
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It offers a comprehensive introduction to the game system, which still somehow feels lacking.<br />
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The expansions are relatively cost-effective, and break up characters into smaller purchases so you can pick and choose what you want; yet the way the expansions are constructed it feels like missing out on certain characters you don't want denies you access to stuff you might need.<br />
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And I just can't bring myself to like it.<br />
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Unfortunately, after stewing on it for I while, I've decided this wasn't "that" zombie game. Not for me, at least.<br />
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But maybe it will be for you.<br />
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Now if you'll excuse me, I left a teabag in a mug somewhere.<br />
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*Warning: Wiltshire dialect joke. May not translate into the written word.<br />
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<i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/mantic-games/the-walking-dead-miniatures-game/the-walking-dead-miniatures-game-core-set?d=10189" target="_blank">The Walking Dead: All Out War</a> core set (and a wide range of expansions) is available from all good game stockists and online retailers.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-84473226609418531702018-07-26T07:05:00.000-07:002019-11-02T12:58:21.599-07:00Review - Welcome to the Dungeon<i>Designed by Masato Uesugi</i><br />
<i>Published by IELLO</i><br />
<i>For 2-4 players, aged 10 to adult</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FL9GW8ax1ug/Xb3e_1hwNSI/AAAAAAAAAlg/VZbGRnAVibY2WFjCeESYQofCeOb1gYWYACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/WTTDTitle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Welcome to the Dungeon title art." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FL9GW8ax1ug/Xb3e_1hwNSI/AAAAAAAAAlg/VZbGRnAVibY2WFjCeESYQofCeOb1gYWYACKgBGAsYHg/s320/WTTDTitle.JPG" title="Welcome to the Dungeon" width="320" /></a></div>
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My mum has this saying: "Little things please little minds, little trousers fit little behinds."<br />
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My mum's weird.<br />
<br />
But she's half right, at least. Little things are pleasing; but not only for little minds. Everyone likes little things, right? I mean, that's what I keep telling myself...<br />
<br />
Thinking about it, it's probably not true. Only the other day I saw someone on <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/" target="_blank">BoardGameGeek</a> arguing that one game was better value compared to another because it physically weighed more.<br />
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But anyway, for the sake of this bit, let's say that most people like little things. Babies, kittens, Fun Size Mars Bars... You name it. Just don't name mobile phones. They seem to be getting bigger again. Like they were in the 80s.<br />
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Everyone liked big stuff in the 80s.<br />
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I feel like this intro is getting away from me, so I'm going to press on.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Everyone likes little things. Surely that's part of the reason micro games are so popular. There's something very special about being able to generate hours of entertainment out of just a few cards and a lean rules set. Games like <i>Coup</i> and <i><a href="https://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2013/09/love-letter.html">Love Letter</a></i> are obvious examples, but one that really stands out for me is <i><a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/welcome-to-the-dungeon?d=10189" target="_blank">Welcome to the Dungeon</a></i>.<br />
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Which is convenient, because that's the game I'm reviewing.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AxoHRjjrQ0k/Xb3fG2L7SAI/AAAAAAAAAlo/IOVRZuRQnLgJNja-GWqfLxk_3O7OZqM5QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/WTTDBox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The game box for Welcome to the Dungeon, published by IELLO." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AxoHRjjrQ0k/Xb3fG2L7SAI/AAAAAAAAAlo/IOVRZuRQnLgJNja-GWqfLxk_3O7OZqM5QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/WTTDBox.JPG" title="Welcome to the Dungeon game box" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Welcome to the Dungeon </i>is a little game of little decisions in a little timeframe, with a big payoff in fun. In terms of components, you get a handful of chunky tokens depicting four archetypal heroes and a selection of their equipment, and a small deck of cards depicting the denizens of the dungeon. All your usual suspects: Goblins, orcs, skeletons, dragons. That sort of thing.<br />
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Everything is good quality, but the artwork bears special mention. It's a wonderful, cartoon style of art that conjures memories of being a kid and watching Saturday morning television while eating Sugar Puffs (other cereal brands are available, check your local stockist for details). In fact, just briefly flicking through the cards is enough to tickle the old nostalgia gland to the point where you'll start wondering why you don't eat Angel Delight anymore...<br />
<br />
Why don't I eat Angel Delight anymore?<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's pretty much it for game components, besides a few cards for tracking successes, and four player aids that list all of the monsters in the monster deck, their exact quantities, their power levels, and any weapons they're weak against. We'll get to that in a moment.<br />
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To start playing your first game, you shuffle the deck of monster cards, pick a hero, put the appropriate hero token on the table, and then lay out the six equipment tiles associated with that hero.<br />
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And then you have a long conversation with everyone as they furrow their brows and scratch their foreheads and try to comprehend the idea of a communal hero that isn't really a communal hero in a dungeon crawling game that isn't really a dungeon crawling game.<br />
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Yes; this is a game for up to four players. Yes; there are four heroes in the box.<br />
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No; players don't control their own heroes.<br />
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There's only ever one hero in play at any one time, and at the start of the game, no player is controlling that hero. A player only takes control of a hero following a round of bidding-type-bluffing-type-pushing-your-luck-type-shenanigans.<br />
<br />
I do love a good shenanigan.<br />
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Here's how the shenanigans work:<br />
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The hero token just has a picture of the hero on it, and a number of hit points. Each of the six equipment tokens provide bonuses for the hero, such as additional hit points, or the ability to instantly slay a monster of a certain type.<br />
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So, at the start of the game you have a badass hero with a combination of tools and weapons ensuring any monsters don't stand a chance. Fortunately, this rather dull situation won't last long, because you're now ready to bluff and bludgeon your way through the dungeon.<br />
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Or not.<br />
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On your turn, you either pass (in which case you take no further part in the round), or you draw the top monster from the monster deck. If you draw a monster, you make a simple decision: Either add the monster facedown to a pile representing the denizens of the dungeon, or remove the monster from the game. Either way, only you know what monster is on the card.<br />
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And here's the hitch: If you remove the monster from the game, you also have to remove one of the hero's equipment tokens.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybV7Kp4qqSc/Xb3fNmYcO2I/AAAAAAAAAls/uH8LAcI9W-wHeGZC1b9kTH9LEx_N3qr7QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/WTTDRules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An excerpt from the Welcome to the Dungeon rules book, showing a selection of the hero equipment." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybV7Kp4qqSc/Xb3fNmYcO2I/AAAAAAAAAls/uH8LAcI9W-wHeGZC1b9kTH9LEx_N3qr7QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/WTTDRules.JPG" title="Welcome to the Dungeon rules" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eventually all the players except one will pass, at which point the sucker... I mean, brave hero... has to go into the dungeon. Our intrepid adventurer, who is probably wearing a red shirt, starts flipping the monster cards added to the dungeon throughout the course of the round, and deals with them one by one. If the hero has a piece of equipment to help, the player has the option of using that equipment; otherwise, the hero takes damage equal to the power level of the monster. If, at any point, damage exceeds the hero's hit points, the hero dies and the controlling player loses a life. If a player loses two lives, he or she is out of the game.<br />
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But...<br />
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To the victor goes the spoils.<br />
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If the hero fights through the dungeon and slays all of the monsters, the player gets a success card. Two success cards wins the game.<br />
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Regardless of whether the hero lives or dies, a new round then begins. The monster deck is reshuffled, and a new hero selected.<br />
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And that's all there is to the game. Basically, you make (a maximum of) two decisions.<br />
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Pass; don't pass.<br />
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Add a monster to the dungeon; remove one of the hero's items.<br />
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But that's not really all there is to the game. Not at all.<br />
<br />
This game is about taking a long look at a card. Narrowing your eyes slightly. Smirking at the other players. Casually dropping the card into the dungeon deck. Sipping your drink while your opponents do the same. Ditching the next card you draw without much more than a sideways glance, and then removing the dragon-slaying spear from the hero's available equipment. Sitting quietly while all the other players drop out of the round because you've obviously loaded a dragon into the dungeon. And then grinning like an idiot as you reveal you only put a weak goblin in the dungeon making it possible for you to waltz to an easy win.<br />
<br />
Because you don't play this game. You play your opponents.<br />
<br />
This game isn't about what's happening on the table; it's all about what's happening in your mind. More importantly, what everybody else thinks is happening in your mind.<br />
<br />
You see, if you pass, you're out of the round. If you're too cowardly - if you never put your neck on the line - you're never going to be in with the chance of winning a success card. But maybe that's okay. If all of the other players die twice, you win by default (the two sweetest words in the English language). So, maybe the meek inherit the Earth (or at the very least, inherit a dungeon full of heroic corpses). Maybe all you have to do is loiter at the back while people braver and more foolish than you throw themselves into the meat grinder. But, then you've got another concern... When, exactly, do you throw in the towel? You don't want to pass immediately, because then you're putting all your chances of winning into the hands of the other players, giving up all the agency that comes from being the one calling the shots. You want to stay in the round for a while, making sure you add some tough monsters to the dungeon or take away the most useful equipment. You want to set the dungeon like a trap. But, what happens if you're still priming the trap when everyone else wanders outside for a cigarette break? If you stay in the round too long, you may end up having to face insurmountable odds with only your winning smile and can-do attitude to see you through. You could be your own worst enemy, crushed in your own carefully constructed trap like Wile W. Coyote crushed under one of his ACME-branded boulders.<br />
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Then again, you may decide that discretion isn't the better part of valour. After all, every time you draw a monster and add it the dungeon, you have valuable information about what's awaiting you in the dark; and you know what equipment you need to defeat it. You have a better idea of when to cut your loses, but you also have a better idea of when the dungeon is ripe for the taking. If you know you've added strong monsters, but the tools for dealing with those monsters are still available, you can bluff it out. You can watch as weaker players balk at the challenge and flee, leaving you to stride into the gloom to meet your destiny.<br />
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I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_SESkwEv5Nk/Xb3fUCPZWSI/AAAAAAAAAlw/tQB_LQvKaeU6kO8h10ywlhJTgMtvaVtwwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/WTTDMonsters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An attractive arrangement of some of the monster cards from Welcome to the Dungeon." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_SESkwEv5Nk/Xb3fUCPZWSI/AAAAAAAAAlw/tQB_LQvKaeU6kO8h10ywlhJTgMtvaVtwwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/WTTDMonsters.JPG" title="Welcome to the Dungeon monster cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a game about thinking and double thinking. About out-thinking your opponents. And then rethinking your life choices.<br />
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And yet... it's also not really a game about thinking all that much at all.<br />
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While it's fun to play psychological games with your friends, at the end of the day, this is still a filler game. A micro game.<br />
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It's not a brain burner.<br />
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It's fast and fluffy. An excuse for smack talk and bawdy tavern tales. A way to kill 10 minutes while you're waiting for the rest of your gaming group to arrive. You aren't going to agonize over your choices all that much. You aren't going to spend minutes plotting your optimal move. Because while this game gives you perfect information about what may potentially be in the dungeon, it provides incredibly limited information about what actually is in the dungeon. While the two-player game offers some interesting scope for mind games and some tactical play, once you're playing with four players it all becomes a bit crazy and chaotic. With four players, for every card you put in the dungeon, there are up to three cards you don't know anything about, making it very difficult to measure your chances of success. Furthermore, with three players taking actions between each of your turns, your window for bailing out of the round is very narrow indeed. Sometimes it's non-existent, and you have to pass earlier than you really wanted to just to ensure you don't get lumbered with dangerous dungeon duties.<br />
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For me, three players is the sweet spot. With two, the game is suitably cutthroat but also very brief as each round is over as soon as one person passes; and with four it's much harder to get an idea of what's going on inside the dungeon. With more players, there's also more risk of player elimination, with one or two players having to sit out a few rounds.<br />
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Really, that makes <i>Welcome to the Dungeon </i>a bit of an odd duck (or a platypus). A social game that seems to play better with fewer people (or, at the very least, plays differently; you may very well prefer the added chaos and confusion from having a full complement of players attempting to stab each other in the back). A game that's a bit too thinky to play thoughtlessly, yet far too lightweight to play endlessly.<br />
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And honestly, I don't think this game stands up to extended play. It's a fun five minutes. One of those games you keep around to fill a space in your schedule; not one of the games you build your schedule around. It doesn't offer endless replayability. At best, it offers four heroes that play quite differently (unless you invest in <i>Welcome Back to the Dungeon</i>, which gives you another four heroes).<br />
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That's a point, I should talk about the heroes. They're all quite fun and thematic, and the hero you pick for each round completely changes your strategy. They aren't all created equal.<br />
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For example, the warrior is a blunt instrument of destruction. He's a very basic character, with weapons that provide very limited ways to tackle the dungeon:<br />
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Plate armour: +5 hit points<br />
Shield: +3 hit points<br />
Torch: Defeat monsters with strength 3 or less (that's goblins, skeletons, and orcs)<br />
Holy grail: Defeat monsters with even-number strength (that's skeletons, vampires, and the lich)<br />
Dragon spear: Defeat the dragon<br />
Vorpal sword: Defeat one monster you select when entering the dungeon.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yt-vWL7eVH4/Xb3faBsbnLI/AAAAAAAAAl0/__HQFhACwRsGkTF1tSnQSj25iDWq2IopwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/WTTDWarrior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The warrior tokens from Welcome to the Dungeon." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yt-vWL7eVH4/Xb3faBsbnLI/AAAAAAAAAl0/__HQFhACwRsGkTF1tSnQSj25iDWq2IopwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/WTTDWarrior.JPG" title="Welcome to the Dungeon warrior tokens" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see, most items kill a specific enemy, and once he's going into the dungeon, the only decision he has to make is which type of enemy the vorpal sword can kill (assuming he still has the vorpal sword). Once he's in the dungeon, it's just a matter of flipping cards and muscling through the opposition.<br />
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By contrast, the mage requires much more finesse, with a selection of equipment that provides several ways to make it through the dungeon (and many more ways to die horribly):<br />
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Wall of fire: +6 hit points<br />
Bracelet of protection: +3 hit points<br />
Holy grail: Defeat monsters with even-numbered strength<br />
Demonic pact: Defeat the demon and the monster immediately after it<br />
Polymorph: Replace one monster you draw with the next monster from the deck (once)<br />
Omnipotence: If all the monsters in the dungeon are different, you win<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xuaWUIBhBdk/Xb3fgh00DeI/AAAAAAAAAl4/2yZVQFBibU0lO_WPNi8-91txm3lNu9ZywCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/WTTDMage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The mage tokens from Welcome to the Dungeon." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xuaWUIBhBdk/Xb3fgh00DeI/AAAAAAAAAl4/2yZVQFBibU0lO_WPNi8-91txm3lNu9ZywCKgBGAsYHg/s320/WTTDMage.JPG" title="Welcome to the Dungeon mage tokens" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
But while the heroes may be different, in most games you're going to end up using all four of them anyway; and each of those games is still going to boil down to those same two decisions:<br />
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Pass; don't pass,<br />
<br />
Add a monster to the dungeon; remove one of the hero's items.<br />
<br />
For all their sparkly weapons, wands, and wi... we... wa...<br />
<br />
Widgets?<br />
<br />
For all the different stuff the heroes have access to, each game round is effectively the same as the last. The game doesn't change things up all that much, and that means you have to change things up for it. And the only way you can really do that is to change the people you're playing with. Play for long enough with the same group of people, and there's a good chance that group will settle into certain patterns. You know that Jim always puts in the dragon. You know that Sally always drops out once there are eight cards in the dungeon. You know that John thinks the rogue is the weakest hero and is going to play the waiting game to hope everyone else dies first.<br />
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Of course, play with a fresh group, and you're in uncharted territories. How well do you really know these people? How can you bluff people when you don't know their tells?<br />
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And that's <i>Welcome to the Dungeon</i> in a nutshell: A game all about finding the right balance in all things.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, it ticks all the right boxes for what it's trying to achieve. It's compact, portable, easy to teach, quick to play, encourages players to constantly engage with what's going on, and offers just enough decision points to keep things interesting without slowing down gameplay.<br />
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And I do love it.<br />
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Of course, it's not going to be everybody's cup of tea with a custard cream on the side. But if you like filler games that squeeze a lot of laughs out of just a few rules and components, this one has to be worth consideration.<br />
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<i>Welcome to the Dungeon </i>is not a game you're going to play all the time; it's not even a game you're going to play most of the time; but it's a game you can play anytime. And it's always going to make you feel at home; just so long as you don't outstay your welcome.<br />
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<i>Great games like Welcome to the Dungeon are available from all good (and some rubbish) games stores, and they're also available online from lovely people like the folk at <a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">Element Games</a>.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-19376354475841972022018-06-04T02:57:00.000-07:002019-11-02T13:03:47.619-07:00Review - Candy Land<i>Designed by Eleanor Abbott</i><br />
<i>Published by MB Games</i><br />
<i>For 2 to 4 players, aged 3 to 6 years</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JW0xYEwQfO4/Xb3gcjzekYI/AAAAAAAAAm4/WwClDIeKPowPK9eyrS44Ib2-KScNq1TKgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CandyLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candy Land" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JW0xYEwQfO4/Xb3gcjzekYI/AAAAAAAAAm4/WwClDIeKPowPK9eyrS44Ib2-KScNq1TKgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CandyLand.JPG" title="Candy Land" width="320" /></a></div>
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Recently, for the first time in my adult life, I discovered I couldn't fit into my regular jeans size. I haven't stacked on massive amounts of weight though; just enough to nudge the needle to the point where it's a little bit difficult to breathe when the button's done up. It's not a big deal; these things happen. The real problem is, jeans in the next size up are too big. I need to hoist my belt to within an inch of its life to prevent myself from dropping trou when I don't intend to (because, obviously, sometimes I intend to).<br />
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Naturally, this situation leaves me in a quandary (in front of the laundry).<br />
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Do I curb my enthusiasm for biscuits to get back to my original jeans size, or do I commit to the cause and fill out my new jeans size?<br />
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Now, I know what you're thinking: What has this got to do with reviewing board games?<br />
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The answer, of course, is nothing much, really. I just felt I needed to justify why I'm eating custard creams while I'm writing.<br />
<br />
Oh yeah... and I'm reviewing <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TLEMSVK/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00TLEMSVK&linkId=5532b2a4e3618d7d12f7802a9b29680b" target="_blank">Candy Land</a>.</i> I figured an intro about gaining a small amount of weight was slightly more tasteful than an intro about diabetes.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>And I know what else you're thinking (this is getting spooky). You're thinking, <i>Candy Land</i> isn't even a game. It's a joke. An insult. It's the label you put on any game that has dumbed-down design, old-fashioned "roll to move and miss a go" mechanisms, and limited (or no) in-game decisions other than whether to bother actually finishing.<br />
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It's a game held in utter contempt, looked down upon by every serious gamer... and really, I just realised what an oxymoron "serious gamer" is... I mean, it's just rubbish, isn't it? There's no way I'm going to review it seriously, is there?<br />
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Well, I sure as heck am going to review it seriously (or at least as seriously as I review anything). Because honestly. <i>Candy Land</i> isn't a bad game.<br />
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[Drops mic'. Leaves the stage.]<br />
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[Returns to stage. Sheepishly recovers mic'.]<br />
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I've written before on my blog about judging games based on what they are, not on what they aren't, and never has that sentiment been more appropriate than when considering what <i>Candy Land</i> brings (or more accurately, doesn't bring) to the table.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NdbLCzjVofw/Xb3ggry0AvI/AAAAAAAAAm8/e0c0HEX6pkw_4unnthLtZC8fZOTm9HCJACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CandyLandBox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box for Candy Land, showing excited children racing on the rainbow road." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NdbLCzjVofw/Xb3ggry0AvI/AAAAAAAAAm8/e0c0HEX6pkw_4unnthLtZC8fZOTm9HCJACKgBGAsYHg/s320/CandyLandBox.JPG" title="Candy Land box" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, for anyone who doesn't know (and really, is there anyone who doesn't know?), <i>Candy Land</i> is a game for toddlers. It's baby's first board game. <i>Snakes and Ladders</i>, but without the snakes, the ladders, the dice, the numbers... You know what? Forget that.<br />
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<i>Candy Land</i> is basically <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2017/08/review-warhammer-40000-first-strike.html" target="_blank">Warhammer 40,000</a></i>. Look the game up, and all you'll see are people saying it's terrible, and it's basically dying out. But someone keeps buying the damned game, because it's been an indelible mark (some would say stain) on gaming for decades. And people are buying it because what it sets out to do, it does very well.<br />
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Incidentally, the original <i>Candy Land</i> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MC5X94A/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00MC5X94A&linkId=ba0fbd90c88c329089237d3c5fbb2f1c" target="_blank">dates back to the 1940s</a>, and there have been quite a few iterations since then. Graphic design has changed, components have changed, even a few rules have changed; but for this particular review, I'm talking about a 2004 copy from MB Games that I picked up for the princely sum of 50p in a toy shop clearance.<br />
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The premise of the game is simple: The King of Candy Land has invited you to his castle, probably for lunch. You're a gingerbread man (obviously), so the King's intentions might not be entirely honourable. Anyway, you and your gingerbread buddies have decided to accept the invitation and skip merrily to your doom along the rainbow road through Candy Land, stopping to say "Hi" to all the colourful characters on the way (my personal favourite is Jolly the Gumdrop Dragon; he's fricking adorable).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIduMyD2Srg/Xb3gpIWkiWI/AAAAAAAAAnA/r14dAd7v-NMYVFBHM0HMx7ZsV3ZSh7zCwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/GumdropDragon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jolly the Gumdrop Dragon, one of the cute characters from Candy Land." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LIduMyD2Srg/Xb3gpIWkiWI/AAAAAAAAAnA/r14dAd7v-NMYVFBHM0HMx7ZsV3ZSh7zCwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/GumdropDragon.JPG" title="Candy Land Jolly the Gumdrop Dragon" width="320" /></a></div>
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To play the game, you simply draw from a deck of cards, and move your super cute gingerbread man pawn along the path on the board accordingly. If you drew a card showing a coloured block, you move forwards on the path until you reach a space matching that colour. If you drew a card showing two coloured blocks, you move along until you reach the second space ahead matching that colour. If you drew a picture card, you move directly to that picture. This is your opportunity to meet all of the fun <i>Candy Land</i> characters, such as the aforementioned Jolly, or the almost-as-wonderful Gloppy in the chocolate swamp.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsYcrqcnVbs/Xb3gwEvAHcI/AAAAAAAAAnE/6GRWtPtkGE0zMivESTsUJOdvkJTurU9uQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Gloppy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gloppy, one of the adorable characters from the Candy Land board game." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsYcrqcnVbs/Xb3gwEvAHcI/AAAAAAAAAnE/6GRWtPtkGE0zMivESTsUJOdvkJTurU9uQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Gloppy.JPG" title="Candy Land Gloppy" width="320" /></a></div>
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Along the way you may land on some liquorice. If you do, you miss a turn.<br />
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Along the way, you may also land on a shortcut. If you do, you cut the short.<br />
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And that's it. It's stupidly simple. Of course, that's its greatest strength, and also its greatest weakness.<br />
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<i>Candy Land</i> is probably one of the first games most children play, especially in America. And there's a good reason for that. As an introduction to gaming, it's pretty much perfect. I'm serious. It has so much going for it:<br />
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1. It's incredibly quick to set up: Unfold the board, shuffle the cards, pick a gingerbread man, and you're ready to go.<br />
2. It's incredibly fast to play: You should be able to hammer through at least three games in half an hour, even with very young children.<br />
3: There's no skill: This may sound like a negative point, but it also means everyone is on a level playing field. This is really important with games for young children. You don't need to worry about handicapping yourself, and you don't need to worry about children failing to understand complex strategies. Everyone is just picking a card and moving to the relevant colour or picture, and even the youngest child gets to experience the thrill of winning.<br />
4. It teaches important gaming skills: Everybody starts somewhere, and <i>Candy Land</i> is a great game for teaching taking turns, fair play, moving pieces around a board, and being screwed by fate's fickle ways.<br />
5. It's educational: Colour recognition is a core game mechanism. Additionally, although counting isn't necessary, you have the opportunity to encourage children to count out the spaces as they move to the next colour on the path.<br />
6. It's for families: Nothing is more important than finding ways to bring the family together, and in the hectic modern world it isn't always easy. A simple game where even the youngest member of the family gets a chance to be actively involved is a wonderful way to spend a few minutes together, simply laughing at each other's misfortune and cheering when someone leaps forward on the rainbow path.<br />
7. It's actually fun: Really, this is a fun game. I'm not being stupid. It's fun. Because it doesn't outstay its welcome, and because the whole family is involved, and because everybody is getting screwed by shonky card pulls, and because your little ones are going to be in fits of giggles as they race past daddy who was absolutely certain that he was going to bloody win this time if it wasn't for that damned, bloody, "miss-a-turn," bull-crap, liquorice space that he's somehow managed to land on four times already.<br />
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As far as I'm concerned, those are all great "out of the box" reasons to give <i>Candy Land</i> a shot. But there's something else about the game that makes it even more appealing: It's easy to house-rule, so the game grows in line with how your children grow.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urWyuUPZeRg/Xb3g1nVlR3I/AAAAAAAAAnI/bJRnyE1BvvUtGWxEP-NwyRMZYfRpcIN1wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Gingerbread%2BMen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A game of Candy Land in play, with happy gingerbread characters on a colourful trail" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urWyuUPZeRg/Xb3g1nVlR3I/AAAAAAAAAnI/bJRnyE1BvvUtGWxEP-NwyRMZYfRpcIN1wCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Gingerbread%2BMen.JPG" title="Candy Land playing pieces" width="320" /></a></div>
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For a start, the rules include a couple of variants. One is for younger children, and suggests you always move forwards on the path, regardless of what card you draw. The second variant (which I think is really how the game should always be played rather than a variant) is for older children, and suggests that on a turn you draw two cards, play one, and discard the other. This adds an extra bit of interest, and adds a decision point that encourages children to count out the spaces and make solid in-game choices.<br />
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Here are a few other house rules I've tried out in the past:<br />
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Draw two cards and pick one. If both cards show the same colour, add all the blocks together. This variant means you can end up moving from one to four spaces, depending on your draw, and builds in more counting. When playing with this version, I also add the rule that if you pull a picture card, you must play that picture card. If you pick two picture cards, you get to choose.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atP7ZPNbsPo/Xb3g9zv_c1I/AAAAAAAAAnM/4m6pfOJxSAAzfWsrpt-833D5X9K4OEptwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CandyLandGame.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Someone playing Candy Land with the two-card variant." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atP7ZPNbsPo/Xb3g9zv_c1I/AAAAAAAAAnM/4m6pfOJxSAAzfWsrpt-833D5X9K4OEptwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CandyLandGame.JPG" title="Candy Land cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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Draw one card, move, and then push your luck. You can keep drawing as long as you pull cards of the same colour as your first card. If you pull a different colour, you have to move backwards to the most recent space of that colour and your turn ends. If your first pull was a picture card, you don't get to push your luck. This variant adds more decision points and teaches risk versus reward.<br />
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Draw two cards, keep one, and pass one. You draw two cards, play one for yourself, and give the other one to another player to play immediately. This adds another decision point, and introduces younger players to the idea of "gotcha" cards.<br />
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And that's just three. I could probably sit here all day suggesting other ways to use the cards to create different entertaining and educational situations.<br />
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But I won't.<br />
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Just doesn't seem like a particularly constructive way to spend a day, does it?<br />
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Anyway...<br />
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I'm not saying <i>Candy Land </i>is a masterpiece. I think it's something most children are going to grow out of very quickly. There's only so many times you can travel along that rainbow path, after all. But every journey starts somewhere.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgmpTnLegCY/Xb3hEhiz34I/AAAAAAAAAnU/FXtdZlYy3wE7ctuERewGZevWWyNVreQegCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/CandyLandBoard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=""Bye bye" from all the cute gingerbread men in Candy Land." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgmpTnLegCY/Xb3hEhiz34I/AAAAAAAAAnU/FXtdZlYy3wE7ctuERewGZevWWyNVreQegCKgBGAsYHg/s320/CandyLandBoard.JPG" title=""Bye bye" from Candy Land" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a first step for introducing board games to very young children, a trip to <i>Candy Land </i>really isn't a bad idea.<br />
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<i>Candy Land is a good place to start discovering games. For more excellent games for all ages, check out <a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">Element Games</a>. You get good games from good people, and you get to help out my blog a little bit too. Sound good?</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-76994606013738413492018-05-23T08:47:00.000-07:002019-11-02T13:11:34.086-07:00Review - The Game of Inns & Taverns<i>Designed by Sara Finch and Leslie Scott</i><br />
<i>Published by Oxford Games Ltd</i><br />
<i>For 2 or 4 players, who are adults because "it is illegal for British pubs to serve alcoholic beverages to persons under 18 years of age"</i><br />
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Do you like beer mats? Do you like inns? Do you like taverns? Do you like pub crawls? Do you like board games?<br />
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Do you like board games about going on pub crawls around inns and taverns collecting beer mats?<br />
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If you do then... you have very particular tastes, and probably find it very difficult to find games that appeal to you.<br />
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Furthermore, you're going to hate <i>The Game of Inns & Taverns</i>.<br />
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Seriously. Hate it.<br />
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I mean, sure, it's probably the first game you've ever found that's tailor-made for your particular peculiarities. But that just means it's going to hurt a little bit more when you find out it's absolute dross.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Yes, ladies and gentlemen; I've been away from my keyboard for a little while, and I'm feeling feisty. That means only one thing. It's time to review something awful.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5J2BkCN-Pk/Xb3iRwE2KLI/AAAAAAAAAoc/H54TzASZEc46ufWWBqoBExUjf7QpS_ULACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box for The Game of Inns & Taverns" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5J2BkCN-Pk/Xb3iRwE2KLI/AAAAAAAAAoc/H54TzASZEc46ufWWBqoBExUjf7QpS_ULACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box.JPG" title="Inns & Taverns box" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today's victim is <i>Inns & Taverns,</i> which is one of those games that isn't really a game. It's an activity. Something to do with your hands in polite company that won't get you arrested. It's not even a very good activity. Certainly not compared to many of the other hand-related activities you could be doing instead. It's the kind of activity that (somewhat ironically) doesn't even get better when you're slightly inebriated.<br />
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I know. I tried.<br />
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It's also one of those games that sounds quite fun when you first look at the bits and read through the rules.<br />
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The game (which seems to be primarily for two players, with an odd-duck four-player mode tacked on for good measure), involves moving your little plastic pawn around a playing board featuring a path of famous pub signs. It should be noted that the artwork for the signs is actually rather quite pleasant, and the publishers have gone the extra mile by including some background information on the origin of the pub names and signs in the rules. It's a lovely little touch; and reading the history of the "Two Necked Swan" or "The Royal Oak" is infinitely more interesting than actually playing the game.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YaNim5XpuDk/Xb3iX50RJVI/AAAAAAAAAog/UrOwHhURLRkaj4IGKJQ5DSJ6aHmQlxR9gCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Signs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Notes on the reverse of the rules for Inns & Taverns discuss the history of famous pub names." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YaNim5XpuDk/Xb3iX50RJVI/AAAAAAAAAog/UrOwHhURLRkaj4IGKJQ5DSJ6aHmQlxR9gCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Signs.JPG" title="Inns & Taverns notes" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, your plastic pawns start at "The Tally Ho!" (I know this, because it says on the back of the box, not in the rules), and on each turn you have an opportunity to advance along the street of pub signs on a "pub crawl." Each sign has a cute little beer mat on it, and if you land on the sign, you get to keep the beer mat. This continues until one player reaches "Ye Olde Lion and Lamb" at the end of the path, and shouts, "Time!" at which point the player with the most beer mats wins.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb_Gz5IeXa8/Xb3ieKKzVHI/AAAAAAAAAok/dXfdueMD23Usf3hQe45iGYZSpZPxoKtUACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/beer%2Bmats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of beer mat tokens from Inns & Taverns." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb_Gz5IeXa8/Xb3ieKKzVHI/AAAAAAAAAok/dXfdueMD23Usf3hQe45iGYZSpZPxoKtUACKgBGAsYHg/s320/beer%2Bmats.JPG" title="Inns & Taverns beer mat tokens" width="320" /></a></div>
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Alternatively, this continues until someone suggests going on a real pub crawl, or casually sweeps the game off the table to make room for something better. <i>Straight From the Heart, </i>the Jason Donovan board game. Something like that.<br />
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Anyway, so far, so ordinary. But the heart of the game - the bit that makes it sound quite interesting - is the bluffing and deduction mechanism for movement. Each player has a hand of six plastic poker-style chips, numbered (rather shockingly) one through six. When it's your turn to move, you don't roll a dice; instead, you secretly select one of your chips and place it face-down in front of you. Your opponent then selects a chip. You both reveal your chips at the same time, and compare the numbers. If you both picked the same number, you can't move this turn. If you picked different numbers, you're allowed to move the difference between the two values. For example, if you played a three and your opponent played a six, you could move the difference of three spaces.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XKX_iedm16A/Xb3ikaJMVNI/AAAAAAAAAoo/abVKu7pifCowBLknZfN2dgtMnraluPjHwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Chips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Movement in Inns & Taverns is determined through the use of movement poker chips." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XKX_iedm16A/Xb3ikaJMVNI/AAAAAAAAAoo/abVKu7pifCowBLknZfN2dgtMnraluPjHwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Chips.JPG" title="Inns & Taverns movement chips" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here's the really interesting part: After you've played a chip, you aren't allowed to use it again until you've used the remaining five chips (at which point your hand refreshes). So, at the start of the game, you have all six numbers to choose from; but gradually your options dwindle, and a savvy opponent is going to remember what you've played and use that knowledge to cancel out your subsequent moves.<br />
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Now, I have to admit, on paper I thought that sounded pretty neat. It seemed like it had some real potential for interesting, thoughtful gameplay. I mean, let's just think about it for a minute...<br />
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At the start of the game, every space has a beer mat on it, and you have all six numbers to choose from. So, how do you want to play? You probably don't want to play a one or a six, as your opponent could play the opposite end of the spectrum and force you forwards five spaces, so you miss all the early beer mats. Splitting the difference and playing your three chip seems like a good idea, as you have a higher chance of an average move of two or three spaces. But will your opponent guess that's your plan and play a three chip too? Later on, as the number of beer mats on the board reduces, and if you've remembered what your opponent played, there's more opportunity for bluffing and deduction. Will your opponent play the obvious chip to ensure he or she lands on that beer mat two spaces away? If you're certain which number your opponent is playing, do you want to match it to cancel his or her move, or would you rather keep your matching number back, so that when you play it on a subsequent turn you know there's no risk of being blocked because your opponent has already used that number?<br />
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I could go on, but I think you get the point. It seemed like the potential is there for some serious mind games. Theoretically, there's something crunchy about this simple pub crawl game. Something which has nothing to do with pork scratchings.<br />
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But there's a reason why theory-crafting is no substitute for experience. Once you start playing <i>The Game of Inns & Taverns </i>it becomes very apparent that there really is no opportunity, or indeed necessity, for deep thinking. Mainly because of the inclusion of two rules:<br />
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1. You can move forwards or backwards on the path.<br />
2. The first person to reach the end of the path gets to claim every beer mat left on the board.<br />
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The first rule seems innocent enough, but it robs the game of strategic options. You can't force a player to move too fast down the path, overshooting early beer mats to deny them points, as they simply have the option to backtrack on subsequent turns. Furthermore, it makes the game slightly too forgiving. Someone scuppered your plans to move forward this turn? Never mind; maybe you can hop back a space and pick up that previous beer mat you missed.<br />
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But it's the second rule that's the real kicker. The game is supposed to be a race, but the incentive to be in front and to finish as soon as possible is just too strong. While you're at the front of the pack, every move you make lands you on a beer mat, so you don't need to think too hard about what chips to play; meanwhile, your opponents behind you have to carefully plan moves to land on the beer mats you've left for them. And once you finally get to the end of the path, you get to immediately claim any beer mats you missed getting there. They should have called this <i>Runaway Leader: The Game</i>.<br />
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In fact, I played this game with someone who managed to get slightly ahead of the other players. For the rest of the game, he didn't even look at the chips he was playing. He drew them randomly. It made it impossible to out-bluff him, and it hardly mattered what he played because every move he did make landed him on another beer mat because nobody could get ahead of him to create some gaps in the path.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jcv1ao8p1_M/Xb3ixilwIxI/AAAAAAAAAow/B5LT9Hm_v88N4IQ0qqQumIpXOZgz01gbwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Game%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A two-player game of Inns & Taverns. The red player is far ahead of the blue player." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jcv1ao8p1_M/Xb3ixilwIxI/AAAAAAAAAow/B5LT9Hm_v88N4IQ0qqQumIpXOZgz01gbwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Game%2B2.JPG" title="Inns & Taverns 2-player game in progress" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ultimately, the game seemed to devolve into trying to move as fast as possible, rather than trying to move as accurately as possible. I'm not even sure how possible it is to be accurate with your movements. After all, if you have six chips, your opponent has six chips, and you want to move exactly two spaces, which chip would you play? Whichever number you choose, it's the number your opponent counters with that determines your movement.<br />
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Half the time it feels like you might as well just roll a dice.<br />
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And maybe I'm being unfair.<br />
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Maybe I just don't see the nuance in the design.<br />
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I thought I did. Reading the rules, I thought the game sounded pretty interesting. But the reality is, it's just a bit boring, and the central mechanism - the bit the whole game hinges on - doesn't provide the meaty decision-making I thought it would.<br />
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At least, not for me. Not for my gaming group.<br />
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Oh, and that four player game: It just involves playing in two teams, with teammates sitting opposite each other. Play continues exactly as normal, but at the end of the game, teammates get to add their beer mats together.<br />
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It's no more fun than it sounds.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZe__mbIV80/Xb3i535RFYI/AAAAAAAAAo0/oCAK_CSKezgCSpkNtvcM45K_nj2vGdp2wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Mats%2Bin%2Bhand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A hand of beer mat tokens from Inns & Taverns, including The Queen's Head." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZe__mbIV80/Xb3i535RFYI/AAAAAAAAAo0/oCAK_CSKezgCSpkNtvcM45K_nj2vGdp2wCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Mats%2Bin%2Bhand.JPG" title="Inns & Taverns beer mat tokens in hand" width="320" /></a></div>
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And so, I can't recommend <i>Inns & Taverns</i>. Although, I did quite enjoy putting my feet up with a beer and reading through the notes on the history of signboards and the different pub names.<br />
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I guess, if I was being generous (or damning with faint praise), I would say that when it comes down to it, the game captures its theme perfectly. Pub crawls always sound like a good idea, and when someone suggests one there's always a moment of anticipation. But once you're out, you realise that trudging between pubs isn't particularly exciting, and the whole endeavour is a bit random and silly. It doesn't take long before you start wishing you'd decided to do something else instead. Like reading a good book.<br />
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<i>The Game of Inns & Taverns was published in 1995, and is no longer in print (to the best of my knowledge). However, you can <a href="https://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">buy loads of much better games</a>. I suggest you check out some of those instead.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-70462986929949540812018-04-19T08:11:00.001-07:002019-11-02T13:17:47.730-07:00Review - Doctor Who: Exterminate! The Miniatures Game<i>Designed by Wayne P. Bollands and Ricard Fortun</i><br />
<i>Published by Warlord Games</i><br />
<i>For 1 or more players, aged 12 to adult</i><br />
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Hey, everybody, I'm back! Did you miss me?<br />
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Probably not. But I'm going to pretend you did, because it makes me feel better.<br />
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Crikey, I've been busy. Arrival of child number two, combined with my wife having surgery, work commitments piling up, and my continuing efforts to get my YouTube channel off the ground have started to take a toll.<br />
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It would be great to have a TARDIS, wouldn't it? Of course, I wouldn't use it for zipping around the universe saving planets. I'd just use it to squeeze a little more out of each day. You know... catch up on the ironing, finish an extra article for work, maybe paint a miniature or two. I'd invariably have to cross my own time stream, creating terrible paradoxes and probably destroying the universe in the process; but there isn't much I wouldn't do for an extra hour in bed on a Sunday.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>If I did have a TARDIS, I'd have written this review already. Weeks ago, actually. It wouldn't be old news. By the standards of the Internet, it would be ancient. Unfortunately, all I've got is a TARDIS made out of LEGO, and that's definitely not bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. I know. I checked.<br />
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But that's all besides the point, because we're all here now... or then, if you're reading this in the future... which I suppose you must be, because I'm only just writing this now... which is then for you...<br />
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Moving swiftly on...<br />
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<b>"Rule one: The Doctor lies."</b><br />
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Before we begin; I know what you're thinking. <i>Doctor Who</i> is (some would say arguably, I would say undoubtedly) one of the most quotable shows on television. The problem with that is when it comes time to review a product relating to the Whoniverse, it becomes far too tempting to start dropping quotes. And that's always a bit cringey, isn't it? I'm not a fan of that kind of content, so I'm making a promise right here and now, I won't be using a ridiculous amount of catchy quotes and zingers within this review.<br />
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I promise.<br />
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<b>"First things first; but not necessarily in that order."</b><br />
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Right. Here's the deal. Way back in the mists of time, when I was a wee lad, I loved <i>Doctor Who</i>. Due to my age, I started watching it towards the end of its first life, when Sylvester McCoy was at the helm of the TARDIS. Even then, I knew it was something special; although it wasn't until much later that I realised why. There is something magical about a hero who resolves problems with his mind rather than his fists, who cures rather than kills. I mean, you're making one hell of a statement when you create a show where one of the hero's defining traits is having two hearts.<br />
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I subsequently made appointments to visit previous incarnations of the Doctor, and developed quite a fondness for Peter Davison; and years later, when the BBC announced the show's regeneration with Christopher Eccleston in the leading role, it's safe to say I was excited.<br />
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And then I watched the show.<br />
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I never made it through that first season with Eccleston. I hated it. I know it's a controversial stance, but Eccleston ruined the whole thing for me; and Billie Piper and belching bins didn't do anything to help matters.<br />
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I stopped watching.<br />
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I stopped watching so long I missed almost all of David Tennant's tenure.<br />
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And then, one Saturday when my wife was at work, I flicked on the television (which is something I rarely do), and there was this fantastically physical actor bouncing around the screen. It was Matt Smith. And as I watched him, I remembered... I remembered what it was that makes <i>Doctor Who</i> so special.<br />
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I was hooked.<br />
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Turns out I was halfway through Matt's second season when I saw the light, and I haven't missed an episode since. I even went back and watched all of Eccleston's and Tennant's episodes.<br />
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(For the record, I still don't like Eccleston's take on the character, and I think Tennant only got into full swing halfway through his second season once Piper was (mainly) out of the picture and we were gifted with episodes like "The Family of Blood.")<br />
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And, after that brief tour around my past, here we are (or there we were) in the present (or recent past). I'm still not the show's biggest fan... I don't wear a fez and watch re-runs every evening... I don't have a wardrobe painted like the TARDIS... But I'm a big enough fan to have a copy of <i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/warlord-games/doctor-who/exterminatevortex?d=10189" target="_blank">Doctor Who: Exterminate!</a></i> in semi-permanent residence on my table. And I'm writing this while eating jelly babies, you know.<br />
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Additionally, I'm a big enough fan to be frantically saving my pennies to buy a lot... and I mean a lot... of <i>Doctor Who</i> miniatures to expand my gaming experience.<br />
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But it was nearly a very different story...<br />
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<b>"It's got my name written all over it."</b><br />
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<i>Doctor Who: Exterminate!</i> (or <i>Exterminate, </i>from here on out) is a tabletop war game based on the popular BBC television series. It involves beautiful, screen-accurate miniatures that you paint yourself, duking it out in various scenarios, often for the fate of the universe, or at the very least the fate of a bowl of fish fingers and custard. In short, it has my name written all over it. As a fan of the show, a fan of miniatures games, a fan of war games, and a fan of painting... Well, when I found out about this game, there was so much fanning going on I nearly ended up in Oz.<br />
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Unfortunately, once I had the game in hand, my enthusiasm rapidly diminished. The designers decided to split the rules across three books: The basic rules, rules for the factions included in the box and scenarios, and rules for including the Doctor. It sounds like a good idea in theory, but in practice it makes the game a complete pig to learn. Information is liberally scattered across the books, often without rhyme or reason, making it difficult to locate specific rules. Worse still, I don't think there was any kind of proofreading, because rules are contradicted across books (and even within the same book), information is missing, rules in the books don't reflect the rules on the included character cards, keywords have no consistency either in terms of how they work or even how they're spelled, and... Okay... You get the point.<br />
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After struggling with the game for a while, I had a list of questions as long as my arm. I decided to contact Warlord Games, and I was told my questions would be passed to the design team and I would get a response eventually.<br />
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Then I waited.<br />
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I waited for over six months.<br />
<br />
Sitting beside my <i>Exterminate </i> box.<br />
<br />
I was the boy who waited.<br />
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Eventually I gave up on the game and shelved it, but it never completely left my mind; and eventually I decided to head to Board Game Geek in the hope of getting some answers. I posted a forum thread, knowing that I'd seen some of the design team kicking around there.<br />
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And then I waited.<br />
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Nothing.<br />
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However, I was told that the official Facebook page might be the best place to get some answers. So, off I went; and finally, I had some success. It turns out the Warlord Games Facebook crew are excellent people. They responded promptly, passed on my queries; and I finally got some answers. Although, in many cases, the answers were along the lines of, "Yeah, that's wrong. We need to change that for the next edition."<br />
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As a first experience with a product line, it was almost unforgivable.<br />
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Almost...<br />
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<b>"What's the point in two hearts if you can't be a bit forgiving now and then?"</b><br />
<br />
But this is <i>Doctor Who</i>. This is a miniatures game that gives me a chance to play in that universe (or, those universes, I guess). With my newfound knowledge, I decided to tackle the game again. I worked at it, because I wanted it to work.<br />
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And finally, I mastered it. Well, close enough, anyway. I was confident enough with the rules that I even hosted a full playthrough video on my YouTube channel, and that's not something I tend to do that often because you always get some smart arse pointing out some minor mistake you made, failing to take into account quite how much work is involved in making such a series, and quite how many things you need to remember when you're going through rules on camera.<br />
<br />
But I digress.<br />
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I think it also helped knowing that the good folk at Warlord Games were working on a FAQ (now available), possibly an updated rules book, and new updated cards for all of the available characters and factions. Simply knowing a game has some support, and will continue to evolve, goes a long way towards making me confident enough to invest my time in it.<br />
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And is the game worth that investment?<br />
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Yeah. I think so. On balance.<br />
<br />
<b>"A pile of good things and bad things."</b><br />
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The rules are taken from Warlord Games' zombie skirmish game, <i>Project Z.</i> Surprisingly, they're relatively simple; it was just the presentation doing its best job of making them seem convoluted.<br />
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You start by building your forces. Unlike games such as <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2017/08/review-warhammer-40000-first-strike.html" target="_blank">Warhammer 40,000</a></i>, where every unit costs a certain number of points, and you purchase units until you reach an agreed total, in <i>Exterminate</i> you use a unit card system. Based on the scenario you're playing, you get a specific card allowance, and then you use those cards to build your team. For example, one card may give you a Dalek Patrol Leader to lead your army, while another card may give you three regular Daleks to bolster your ranks. I'm not entirely sure these cards are particularly balanced. I mean, one card grants you the Doctor, and another card grants you Wilfred Mott. Now, I know Mott is an absolute legend, but if you've got one card slot left, which of those two characters would you want to fill it?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6CPsTGGbks/Xb3jowbGdVI/AAAAAAAAAps/R4Ly0naWR_AHpkOpG_n3t0-wug3VHiLnQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Cyberman%2BCards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of cybermen character cards from Doctor Who: Exterminate!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6CPsTGGbks/Xb3jowbGdVI/AAAAAAAAAps/R4Ly0naWR_AHpkOpG_n3t0-wug3VHiLnQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Cyberman%2BCards.JPG" title="Dr Who: Exterminate! character cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also think it's difficult to balance a character like the Doctor within the confines of a war game. In the show, he's quite capable of destroying all the Daleks; but in this game, there are only a few rules that (somewhat abstractly) reflect the Doctor's unique skills, such as giving him an abundance of Fate tokens, which are special tokens you spend for a range of benefits, such as avoiding being exterminated or rerolling dice. The difficulty in portraying a character who resolves conflict through ingenuity means he actually tends to get a bit of a slapping when faced with Daleks, so when you have one card that lets you take the Doctor, and your opponent gets one card that lets him take three Daleks, there's a good chance there's a world of hurt coming your way.<br />
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I'm also not sure the game does a good enough job of differentiating between the skills of some characters, or indeed, making those characters seem interesting enough. There is a huge selection of keywords that are linked to special abilities, and villains such as the Daleks and Cybermen seem to feel suitably thematic; yet when it comes down to it, you tend to see the same few keywords recycled again and again, and it means some characters don't feel truly unique. For example, the 12th Doctor is exactly the same as the 10th Doctor, except 10 gets +1 dice in melee, while 12 gets a bodyguard ability that allows him to take hits for characters within one inch. Meanwhile Jenny Flint and Madame Vastra are absolutely identical. Considering those two characters are regularly going to team up, it would have been nice to see them have some team-based abilities that allow them to play off each other in interesting ways. As it is, they don't feel like they're living up to how wonderful those characters are in the show.<br />
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As part of your force selection, you are allowed to choose a number of adventure cards. These are (usually) one-off abilities that do something cool, inspired by events from the series, and many are faction-specific, which helps to add some much needed flavour. As Warlord Games produces more miniatures, they're also releasing more of these adventure cards, which can only be a good thing; but I also hope that new miniatures will herald the arrival of new special powers, and we'll see a lot more interesting combinations going forwards. After all, the basic framework of the rules is so simple, it lends itself perfectly to layering on more options.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TU2UE0BAQqY/Xb3jvSrIgwI/AAAAAAAAApw/VrWuCzSfbB8zhRbnh1_eKX6x78Fo-loHQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Adventure%2BCards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of adventure cards from Doctor Who: Exterminate!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TU2UE0BAQqY/Xb3jvSrIgwI/AAAAAAAAApw/VrWuCzSfbB8zhRbnh1_eKX6x78Fo-loHQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Adventure%2BCards.JPG" title="Dr Who: Exterminate! adventure cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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Incidentally, as I'm playing this game mainly narratively and don't give two figs about balance, I'm going to be introducing plenty of scenario-specific special actions and events to help recreate more of that <i>Who</i> flavour. More on that in a bit.<br />
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<b>"You just killed someone I like..."</b><br />
<i><br /></i>Anyway. You pick your forces, choose a scenario from the book (or invent one), set up the battlefield, and you're good to go.<br />
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Turns more swiftly. You start with a dice roll for initiative to determine the active player, and then there's a movement phase, a shooting phase, a melee phase, and a cleanup phase. Interestingly, <i>Extermine</i> eschews more traditional turn sequences, such as alternating turns or alternating unit activations, and instead has alternating phases. So, first the active player moves all of his or her units, and then the other player moves.<br />
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Next, the active player shoots, if possible. You check for range and line of sight, and then you roll attack dice equal to your weapon's attack value, modified by distance, the presence of obstructions, and any bonuses on unit cards. Rolls are made with custom dice which have hit symbols, surge symbols, and armour symbols. Only hits count, unless you're using an energy weapon, in which case you count surges too. The target rolls defence dice, modified by any armour or cover bonuses, and cancels one hit for each armour rolled. For each hit that gets through, you roll for damage using the same dice. Armour represents a glancing blow (no effect), a hit symbols means the target is shocked and is inactive for the remainder of the turn, and a surge symbol kills the target (or removes one wound for the special characters with multiple hit points).<br />
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Units that don't die gain an Under Fire token if they took at least one hit (even if they saved the damage). One Under Fire token stops you shooting; two Under Fire tokens stop you shooting or moving.<br />
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It's a very intuitive combat system, which is easy to work out, and it's made more interesting because both players have a hand of battle cards, which are refreshed each turn. These cards offer benefits such as additional hits, chances to reroll, additional Fate tokens, or the ability to cancel all damage from a single attack. Knowing when to play these cards can make all the difference between success and failure.<br />
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If you have units that don't want to shoot (or can't shoot), you can run with them instead. This just means they give up the chance to fire to make a second move action. This is a much more predictable way to gain extra movement than the advance actions seen in other games, because you don't need to roll to see how far you travel. Furthermore, you make your decision to run in the shooting phase and not in the movement phase, so you get a chance to see exactly how the battle is unfolding before you have to decide whether or not to give up your chance to attack. I really like that, because it enables you to adapt your plans on the fly, making split-second decisions when it matters based on the current state of the battlefield. It feels very <i>Whovian</i>.<br />
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But then, it's a rule about running. Of course it feels very <i>Whovian</i>.<br />
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After shooting there's a melee round. All units within engagement range (usually two inches) move into base contact with targets and then there's a bit of fisticuffs. In these skirmishes, both sides roll simultaneously and count up hits. Most hits wins, and the difference is the number of times you roll for damage on the target.<br />
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Melee is much more deadly than ranged combat because you don't cancel hits with armour rolls, and if you're shocked, your opponent has the option to pay a Fate token to kill you instantly.<br />
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Ouch.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-OpQKTamHs/Xb3kAHI8PNI/AAAAAAAAAqA/VDUdUrr3j4cr1kRCBBTREj_BEtYUzDbqwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Game%2Bin%2BProgress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A tense conflict between cybermen and daleks in Doctor Who: Exterminate!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-OpQKTamHs/Xb3kAHI8PNI/AAAAAAAAAqA/VDUdUrr3j4cr1kRCBBTREj_BEtYUzDbqwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Game%2Bin%2BProgress.JPG" title="Dr Who: Exterminate! game in progress" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, there's a cleanup phase where shocked units recover, you replenish your hand of combat cards, you have the option to gain adventure cards, and you roll to see if you can remove Under Fire tokens from pinned units.<br />
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This cycle then repeats until you've played the allotted number of rounds based on your scenario, or one player fulfills the win condition.<br />
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I have to say, on paper it doesn't sound like much... I don't think it really is much... but there's something to be said for a rather basic rules set that plays smoothly, and is straightforward enough that you can add special abilities without breaking anything. I particularly like the turn sequence, because it allows for interesting decision points. For example, if you're the active player, you get to shoot first, but you also move first; that means your opponent moves after you move, but before you fire, so he or she has a chance to react to what you do, ducking out of line of sight or moving out of range. Moving second also means your opponent may have the chance to move out of engagement range, avoiding a deadly melee attack. Being able to choose to move instead of shooting creates more of these situations, as even if your opponent gets the drop on you and moves into engagement range, you have the ability to drop your weapon and head for the hills if you need to.<br />
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Speaking of heading for the hills, the game really does focus strongly on movement, which feels perfect for a game with this theme. With rolls to hit, rolls to block damage, rolls to wound, Fate tokens that cancel damage, adventure cards that cancel damage, and battle cards that cancel damage, it's surprisingly difficult to exterminate targets, so instead you play positionally. You shoot targets to pin them with Under Fire tokens rather than kill them, and you frequently sacrifice your shooting action to jockey for a better position on the table.<br />
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<b>"Don't be lasagna."</b><br />
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Taken at face value, the <i>Exterminate</i> "out of the box" experience is surprisingly generous, and easily breaks down the common barriers to entry with miniatures games. It includes 12 Daleks and 12 Cybermen with their Cybermat friends, a double-sided paper mat, flat cardboard terrain for creating an instant battlefield, cards for all of the miniatures in the box, plus cards for a bunch of other miniatures that are available at retail, enough dice for two players, and a good selection of scenarios. As an added bonus, the included miniatures are push-fit, and they're in coloured plastic, so you don't have to worry about glue or paint.<br />
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In other words, the contents of the <i>Exterminate </i> box is all you need.<br />
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This is the ready meal of miniatures games: Pop the lid, and you're ready to play in just a few minutes.<br />
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But of course, we all know that ready meals aren't a satisfying dish. They're quick, they're convenient, they're inexpensive, and they get the job done; but they don't taste great, and when you're finished, you're probably going to feel like you wish you'd eaten something a bit more filling (or something containing a more easily identifiable protein). Fortunately, this game has no intentions of being just a quick, flavourless fix.<br />
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<b>"No, Sir... All thirteen."</b><br />
<i><br /></i>Miniatures games often thrive or fail based on the amount of additional content available, and here <i>Exterminate</i> excels. The box set is a good introduction to miniatures games, and has enough content to keep you entertained for a while; but Warlord Games has already produced a wealth of extras to help you expand your universe, recreate your favourite <i>Who</i> episodes, or create "what if?" scenarios on your tabletop. Many of the Doctor's incarnations are available in boxed sets with with four companions, and many of the iconic races are presented in wonderfully detailed metal miniatures, including Dominators, Quarks, Tetraps, Clockwork Droids, various iterations of the Daleks and Cybermen, Ice Warriors, and Sea Devils. In addition to being compatible with the game, these miniatures are superb collectors' pieces in their own right, as they're screen accurate from specific periods of the show's history. For example, the excellent Tomb of the Cybermen set features the memorable 1960s style cybermen, while the Nightmares in Silver box contains 10 different styles of Cybermen covering the period 1966 to 2013.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lA80aotZ1JM/Xb3kPBbhG0I/AAAAAAAAAqI/XfGZbScebFMd58TKdnVZBitoVoX4QE20gCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Daleks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An invastion of daleks, lead by a patrol leader, in Doctor Who: Exterminate!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lA80aotZ1JM/Xb3kPBbhG0I/AAAAAAAAAqI/XfGZbScebFMd58TKdnVZBitoVoX4QE20gCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Daleks.JPG" title="Dr Who: Exterminate! dalek invasion" width="320" /></a></div>
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And did I mention these miniatures are lovely? I should have mentioned that, because they are. They're predominantly single-piece metal miniatures, so there isn't a lot of clean-up or assembly to worry about, and the detail is superb. There's even a resin TARDIS out now. I really want that resin TARDIS.<br />
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But anyway, the point I'm trying to make, if there's any point at all, is that you're not going to be short of options or inspiration. You may just be short of cash, because with this much great stuff on offer, there's a risk you'll want it all, which is something that isn't normally a concern for games where you only collect one army or faction.<br />
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I mean, you're going to want all the Doctors at least. Right? Then you're going to want a good range of villains to encounter.<br />
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And then you're going to need a battlefield.<br />
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<b>"So, where do you want to go?"</b><br />
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Basing a miniatures tabletop game on the <i>Doctor Who </i>franchise is incredibly liberating. It allows unfettered creativity, and rewards imagination. It opens up opportunities for new craft projects, and gives you the chance to use all the scenery and accessories you wish you had more time to use. When you've got a TARDIS, any planet in any time is fair game. You can set up your <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2014/09/space-hulk-third-edition-2009.html" target="_blank">Space Hulk</a> </i>tiles for a deep-space battle on a stricken craft, use your <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2018/02/review-necromunda-underhive.html" target="_blank">Necromunda: Underhive</a> </i>tiles to create a sewer system in a dystopian future, create an historical battlefield with your <i>Napoleonics </i>scenery, or recreate famous battles with your <i>Bolt Action</i> terrain. Your <i>Warhammer 40,000</i> scenery is perfect for bombed futurescapes or industrial complexes, and your modern buildings are ideal for present day skirmishes to control a township. Pick a neoprene mat from any company, and I'll show you a world to conquer or save.<br />
<i><br /></i>And that really is only the beginning. Want to have a prehistoric adventure? Crack open the kids' collection of toy dinosaurs. Want to see how the Doctor fairs in the trenches? That tub of green army men would be perfect. The options are there, and they're endless... infinite. You can go anywhere. Do anything.<br />
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See something awesome.<br />
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<b>"Good men don't need rules."</b><br />
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Most importantly of all, <i>Exterminate</i> has a rules set that's incredibly simple and streamlined. Some people are going to think simple rules are a bad thing, but here it's the best choice possible, because that simplicity makes it so much easier to create your own scenarios and play with the format. You can pour as much theme-flavoured custard over your fish fingers as you want; and you can easily adapt the elements you don't like.<br />
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Because let's be honest, how many people buy a <i>Doctor Who</i> game to control huge armies of aliens in pitched battles? Who wants to play a game where the Doctor runs around like John Rambo taking down Cybermen with his pump action screwdriver?<br />
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I actually think the concept of a tabletop skirmish game is strangely at odds with the intellectual property, and I would go as far to say that trying to translate <i>Doctor Who </i>into a war game is a bad idea. I think the experience you get out of the box - Daleks fighting Cybermen - isn't really the experience the game should provide.<br />
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And yet... Warlord Games have put this game together in such a clever way, it's impossible not to be in awe of their audacity. They didn't create a new rules set, they just lifted the rules wholesale from their previous zombie skirmish game; yet rather than appearing lazy, this is something of a stroke of genius. By using generic, simple rules, it's possible to add flavour through special unit powers, and event cards. And because the rules are so very generic, it's the easiest thing in the world for players to create narrative scenarios that embrace what <i>Doctor Who</i> is all about.<br />
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<b>"This is my spoon."</b><br />
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As a simple example, consider the sonic screwdriver. In this particular game, they decided to make the sonic screwdriver a weapon. You use it to hit enemies, but there's a special rule that ensures any such attacks are non-lethal. In effect, the sonic screwdriver is a big, foam mallet. Now, everybody knows the sonic screwdriver is a serious bit of kit, with capabilities far beyond that of zapping naughty aliens, so at first glance, the rules in <i>Exterminate</i> fall well short of the mark. However, the simplicity of those rules serve as a strong foundation for scenario-specific events. For example, you could create a scenario where you have to use the sonic screwdriver's "attack" on several computer terminals scattered through a maze in order to open a sequence of doors for your companions. You don't need to change any actual rules at all, you just have to imagine a new outcome for the success of the attack.<br />
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And you can extend this concept in any direction you choose. You can go mad and create narrative-driven scenarios that drop the Doctor in all kinds of bother and make unique situations to resolve conflicts. And you should definitely do that. I'm going to be doing that. This is a game crying out for homebrewed scenarios. This is a game that needs a spark of creativity to ignite gaming sessions that echo through time. Because that's what a <i>Doctor Who </i>game should be like. It shouldn't be about armies killing each other. It should be about a mad man with a box finding ways to make sure they don't.<br />
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<b>"I Hate Endings"</b><br />
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Beating one of my reviews into some kind of coherent shape is never easy. I write like the Doctor saves the universe. I dip in and out, I go back to the beginning, I skip to the third act. I'll stop halfway through a sent<br />
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But the endings are the worst. I find it difficult to summarise coherently, or to give someone a meaningful conclusion they could actually use to make some kind of decision. And sometimes I just have several sign-offs that I believe are oh so clever (because I'm such a clever boy), but I can't decide which one to use. Well, today we're dealing with time travel. Today we're going always, so take it all, baby...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27MtrpYRn2I/Xb3kWVEHMpI/AAAAAAAAAqM/yqN4HdW-uKE9IfqzsKEXElu9VcoeejnWwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Tardis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The TARDIS materialises in the heart of a battle in Doctor Who: Exterminate!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27MtrpYRn2I/Xb3kWVEHMpI/AAAAAAAAAqM/yqN4HdW-uKE9IfqzsKEXElu9VcoeejnWwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Tardis.JPG" title="Dr Who: Exterminate! TARDIS token" width="320" /></a></div>
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... By appearances, the TARDIS is a broken machine. The chameleon circuit is on the fritz, it never goes where it's supposed to, it's constantly crashing or exploding or running away, and it makes that noise from being driven with the brakes on. And yet... somehow... it works. It goes where it needs to go, and its iconic sound and image are forever etched in the memory of humankind as if it was always supposed to be that way. Most importantly, the TARDIS is fun. For me, <i>Exterminate</i> is much like the TARDIS. On the surface it doesn't work, it doesn't fit, it doesn't even sound right. But open the box, and a world of adventure awaits.<br />
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... <i>Doctor Who</i> is about a mad man with a box, and that's how I feel right now. I have a game in a box that represents the potential for countless adventures. I have a box that looks so unassuming, and contains such a simple rules set, and yet which is undoubtedly a portal to other worlds. But that box can't do it alone; it needs someone at the helm with at least half an imagination. Much like the Doctor and the TARDIS are in a relationship that runs much deeper than the partnership between a pilot and his ship, <i>Exterminate</i> requires someone who wants to go for the ride, and is prepared to give as much as he or she gets. You need to be prepared to put in some legwork, to run with it (because you should always run), and work with the tools provided to make something special. Because otherwise it's just a box. A small box for a seemingly small game. You need to explore a little more to realise it's a box that's bigger on the inside.<br />
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... <i>Doctor Who</i> is a show about stories. Stories that shape the world, and change the future. <i>Exterminate</i> is no different. It's a storybook; a sandbox; a toolkit; a sonic screwdriver; maybe even a machine that goes ding. It's everything you need to make your stories, and we're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one.<br />
<br />
<b>... Allons-y!</b><br />
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<i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures-by-manufacturer/warlord-games/doctor-who/exterminatevortex?d=10189" target="_blank">Doctor Who: Exterminate!</a> is available online from all good game stockists, and probably from some mediocre ones too.</i><br />
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<i>Please note: Images for this review include my painted miniatures. The miniatures for this game come unpainted, but they are in coloured plastic, so you don't need to worry about painting them straight away.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-86124555550137901652018-02-07T15:58:00.001-08:002019-11-02T13:39:16.760-07:00Review - Necromunda: Underhive<i>Published by Games Workshop</i><br />
<i>For 2 or more players, aged 12 to adult</i><br />
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Games Workshop is having a bit of an identity crisis.<br />
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Have you noticed?<br />
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I've noticed.<br />
<br />
And I mean "identity crisis" in the best way possible.<br />
<br />
The company is in the midst of a serious transition, and that transition is vitally important.<br />
<br />
You see, many moons ago, Games Workshop lived up to its name. It made games. It made the very best kind of games, because they weren't like games at all.<br />
<br />
They were doorways.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>A product like <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2014/10/warhammer-quest.html" target="_blank">Warhammer Quest</a></i> was a whole world in a box. You could step inside and explore distant lands, using a rules set so streamlined and compact it hardly ever intruded on the fantasy. You could immerse yourself in epic lore, and become truly heroic. And between adventures, there were models to assemble and paint, new adventures to create, and new stories to fashion. These were games that didn't end when you put the lid on the box. They lived on; they grew; they bled into your day-to-day existence.<br />
<br />
They were a sword against the boredom of school classes; a shield against hurtful names in the playground. They were an enchantment: A cure for loneliness, a creative outlet, and a source of constant joy.<br />
<br />
They were the foundation on which I built the man I am today.<br />
<br />
But over the years, Games Workshop evolved... Or maybe, devolved. It lost sight of what gaming meant, and focused far too much on being a workshop. Eventually, the executives went on record as saying they were primarily a miniatures manufacturer.<br />
<br />
That's a horribly reductive way to look at a company that worked so hard, and for so long, to create worlds so magical they could literally transform the people who visited them.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, in recent years, the pendulum has swung.<br />
<br />
And it's still swunging.<br />
<br />
And only Games Workshop knows how much farther it has to go until it's swunged all the way.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, we just have to hang on for the ride.<br />
<br />
Because the games are back; and they're back in a big way. Games Workshop has lit a fire (and I don't mean the one that guy lit when he burned all his <i>Fantasy Battle</i> miniatures in a protest against <i>Age of Sigmar</i>).<br />
<br />
I look at my shelf now, and I see the Games Workshop brand on some of my favourite games. <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2017/03/warhammer-quest-shadows-over-hammerhal.html" target="_blank">Warhammer Quest</a></i> is back, bringing with it such bitter-sweet nostalgia it's hard to think of it as merely a game. <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2015/11/the-horus-heresy-betrayal-at-calth.html" target="_blank">Betrayal at Calth</a></i> arrived without fanfare, and quietly swept away the opposition. <i>Blood Bowl</i> returned to reclaim a trophy some pretenders had been keeping warm, and <i>Space Hulk</i> is still hard to top when it comes to two-player miniatures games. Then there's <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2016/10/gorechosen.html" target="_blank">Gorechosen</a></i>, a game so good that <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2017/11/review-warhammer-underworlds-shadespire.html" target="_blank">Shadespire's</a></i> ability to make it seem diminished is testament only to how good the latter game is.<br />
<br />
And, of course, <i>Necromunda</i>.<br />
<br />
Or, to be more precise, <i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/games-workshop/warhammer-40k/necromunda/necromunda-underhive-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Necromunda: Underhive</a></i>.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4J3w5es8iU/Xb3oKidWtkI/AAAAAAAAArE/awGcpd35iyAVM32VGhuXut9K2JeAkIsegCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Necromunda: Underhive box, showcasing the fantastic cover illustration." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4J3w5es8iU/Xb3oKidWtkI/AAAAAAAAArE/awGcpd35iyAVM32VGhuXut9K2JeAkIsegCKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1977.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive box" width="320" /></a></div>
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For those of you who don't know (and I'm sure you must all know), <i>Necromunda</i> was a brilliant little skirmish game involving small gangs fighting turf wars in a futuristic wasteland. You would start off with a small band of hopefuls, and then over the course of several games, gain money and experience to become a terrible (or in my case, terrible) fighting force.<br />
<br />
I loved <i>Necromunda </i>back in the day. It's post-apocalyptic vibe, cool gang designs, deep campaign play, and immersive rules made it an instant favourite. And only needing a few models meant I could finally play a game where I fielded a fully-painted army.<br />
<br />
So, the long-awaited return of <i>Necromunda</i> was a big deal for me. I'm sure it was for many people, from those like me who enjoyed it the first time around to those newer or younger gamers who had only heard the stories.<br />
<br />
And Games Workshop must have known the appeal of the product; not just for miniatures gamers, but for board gamers in general. It must have known, because it clearly made considerable efforts to make the game more accessible than some of its other products. And yet...<br />
<br />
Like I said, the company is having an identity crisis.<br />
<br />
On one hand Games Workshop wants to be a miniatures hobby company, catering to fans of complicated, insanely detailed (often insanely priced) miniatures, while ensuring a healthy bottom line for investors. On the other hand, it now wants to be a games company that puts out high quality, fun games with mass appeal while interacting with the community to support a healthy, happy fan base. It wants to be more diverse and progressive, while at the same time it wants to be the big old boys club it once was.<br />
<br />
It's possible to be both; but Games Workshop is still figuring out exactly how. It's making the effort, but sometimes the results are... confused. Almost schizophrenic.<br />
<br />
We've seen it to a certain degree with <i>Blood Bowl</i>, but the effects are far more pronounced with <i>Necromunda. </i>The original game was a tabletop skirmish game played across a 3D landscape, with detailed rules for falling off ledges, climbing ladders, and leaping chasms. The new game is still very much that game, but... well... you wouldn't think it just from looking at the contents of the base game.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest barriers to entry for a tabletop game is a playing surface. A starter set may give you a paper mat for a bit of colour and flavour, maybe even a few punchboard scenic items such as a pond, but for a tabletop game to really shine you need lots of scenery. You need to create your miniature world on the tabletop; and that's no small task. <i>Underhive</i> neatly sidesteps that whole situation by presenting itself as a tabletop game played across beautifully illustrated map tiles. You still measure distances, you still jump chasms, and you still hide behind walls; but now all the scenery is on the tiles (except for a few plastic objective markers, barricades, and doors), so there's nothing in the way of getting your game to the table quickly...<br />
<br />
Well, almost nothing. More on that in a minute.<br />
<br />
As an added bonus, the map tiles all have grids on them. That means they're instant new terrain for <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2014/09/space-hulk-third-edition-2009.html" target="_blank">Space Hulk</a></i> or whatever sci-fi dungeon-crawling adventure you might be playing at the moment. I'll be using them for the <i>Doctor Who: Exterminate! </i>game; but then, I'm going to be using everything I own for that game.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QofjDbCkNzc/Xb3ohqtxaaI/AAAAAAAAArQ/rv3JDETEE1IbNDts3YlSuOltZw8mmksDACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two Escher gangers sneak through the underhive in Necromunda: Underhive." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QofjDbCkNzc/Xb3ohqtxaaI/AAAAAAAAArQ/rv3JDETEE1IbNDts3YlSuOltZw8mmksDACKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1979.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive Escher gangers" width="320" /></a></div>
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By presenting <i>Underhive</i> as a starter set with map tiles, Games Workshop has instantly made the game more appealing to a wider crowd. If you don't have a cupboard full of terrain, it doesn't matter. You don't need it. This game is, quite literally, levelling the playing field. But more than that, cutting the scenery off at the ground floor means Game Workshop has been able to cut the rules off at the ground floor too. All the extra twiddles and diddles that elevate gameplay through the use of elevated terrain have been surgically removed and packaged into the <i>Gang War</i> expansion book, so for now, you don't have to worry about them.<br />
<br />
A smaller rules set is less intimidating, and much easier to digest, especially when it's divided into quick start rules and advanced rules, which is exactly what Games Workshop has done here. The rules book may be 104 pages long, but a good chunk of that is background information to help players immerse themselves in the wonderfully gritty underbelly of the underhive. The actual basic rules are just 10 pages, and that includes sidebars, large illustrations, and copious diagrams.<br />
<br />
At the end of the basic rules, there's a small scenario to get you started. Empty your <i>Necromunda</i> box and you'll find the map for that scenario printed in the bottom. It's a tactic Games Workshop employed with the new <i>Warhammer 40,000 </i>starter sets, and it works wonderfully. When a company makes the game packaging part of the experience, you know it's a company thinking outside the box...<br />
<br />
(I'm sorry, I couldn't resist that one.)<br />
<br />
Once you're up to speed with the basics, you can look at the advanced rules section, which adds a few more concepts, such as running out of ammunition, interacting with terrain features, rolling for injuries using the nifty custom injury dice, using weapons with blast markers, and making nerve tests when under fire.<br />
<br />
These aren't the old <i>Necromunda</i> rules either; these are new, streamlined - yes, modern - rules. The old game derived its rules set from the second edition of <i>Warhammer 40,000</i>; this new game derives its rules set from the super clean and efficient eighth edition of <i>Warhammer 40,000</i>. It makes perfect sense, and the result is an action-packed and almost breathless game with minimal bookkeeping and almost no dicing off charts.<br />
<br />
Take a look at shooting, for example (you're going to be doing a lot of it). If you want to shoot someone, you look at your character's ballistic skill. You then need to roll equal to or greater than that number to hit (subject to a few modifiers for things like distance and cover). If you succeed, the target is automatically pinned as he or she ducks for cover. You then roll to wound, by comparing the strength of your gun to the target's toughness. If the strength is half or less of the toughness you wound on a 6+, if the strength is less you wound on a 5+, if the strength equals the toughness you wound on a 4+, if the strength is greater you wound on a 3+, and if the strength is double, you wound on a 2+.<br />
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It's that simple.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiJVL8ggAL4/Xb3optRQItI/AAAAAAAAArU/aSrQzdA5PqorzH7e2PY-FRp_AjxJnEhnACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Goliath lays down suppressing fire in Necromunda: Underhive." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiJVL8ggAL4/Xb3optRQItI/AAAAAAAAArU/aSrQzdA5PqorzH7e2PY-FRp_AjxJnEhnACKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive goliath" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the first time you resolve a shooting action, you won't need to reference the rules again. It'll be lodged in your brain...<br />
<br />
That's an unfortunate turn of phrase. Let's move on...<br />
<br />
Once you've mastered the advanced rules, it's time to tackle the super advanced rules. Up until this point, you've probably been using pre-generated characters (the game ships with enough character cards for two 10-person gangs); but now you can look at rules for making your own gangs. There are some basic rules for buying gangers and arming them accordingly, and some simple rules for linking together the included scenarios to create a basic campaign. But (and this is important), these aren't the full <i>Necromunda </i>campaign rules.<br />
<br />
And yeah... that's an odd choice.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Necromunda </i>had three elements that made it special: Detailed rules for simulating the finer details of small-scale combat, a heavy focus on fighting vertically and the perils associated with death-defying high-rise conflicts, and a robust campaign system that let you transform a ragtag band of lowlife scum into a slightly better ragtag band of lowlife scum.<br />
<br />
But of those three elements only the rules have made the transition to this new edition, and even they've been rebuilt from the ground up. If you want the "full" experience, you need to buy that <i>Gang War</i> expansion I mentioned before.<br />
<br />
Personally, I think that was a good call. By cutting out all the campaign rules and 3D terrain rules, Games Workshop has managed to offer something fun and accessible, with simple "pick up and play" rules, and the basic framework for stringing scenarios together to create a bit of a narrative. And they've managed to do that while keeping the price down. The lower buy-in makes the base game more appealing, and may encourage people who are normally turned off by Games Workshop's prices to try out this amazing system.<br />
<br />
And it really is an amazing system.<br />
<br />
What I love most about the rules is that they're so streamlined and yet still cleverly recreate the finer details of a small-scale skirmish. For example, this is a game that allows you to lob a grenade over a barricade to drive enemy fighters into the open. You can hit the dirt and crawl into cover to avoid a hail of gunfire, shoot blindly over the top of a barricade you're hiding behind, poison a knife, shank someone in the back, set a booby trap, accidentally pick off one of your own team with a stray shot, hack the terminal on a locked door, run out of ammo, leap a barricade, or assassinate an injured enemy. Games Workshop even threw in a little bit of card play in the form of tactics cards that give you one-off benefits, such as gaining remote access of a door, or fashioning some stylish new armour from the detritus scattered around the battlefield.<br />
<br />
And it's all so bloody simple. It's a masterpiece of efficient games design.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4fi728zzFKk/Xb3o4UJNd0I/AAAAAAAAArc/K8TlniVSjoYgVnbBQ45pkUYlEzMAbIjpQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roll the dice and take your chances in Necromunda: Underhive." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4fi728zzFKk/Xb3o4UJNd0I/AAAAAAAAArc/K8TlniVSjoYgVnbBQ45pkUYlEzMAbIjpQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1985.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive custom dice" width="320" /></a></div>
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Games Workshop has crafted a tabletop game played on a board, a detailed simulation with streamlined rules, and a detailed world with enough fluff in the rules book to make it comprehensible to outsiders.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, Games Workshop has created a game that tries to deliver on its promise. And I think it does. Mostly. It's a rich and rewarding combat simulation with a tight rules set and stunning production quality.<br />
<br />
And yet...<br />
<br />
I've said it before, I'll say it again.<br />
<br />
Games Workshop is having an identity crisis, and <i>Necromunda</i> is... honestly... a bit of an odd duck.<br />
<br />
Let's talk miniatures for a minute.<br />
<br />
After going to what appears to be considerable lengths to make the game as accessible as possible, Games Workshop then went and packaged it with some of the most obnoxious miniatures they've ever produced. The sprues have separate hair and face pieces, so you can create models with ever-so-slightly different heads for not a lot of reason. And one of the Goliaths has a separate cigar which is about 2mm long. Who thought that was a good idea?<br />
<br />
I've been dealing with miniatures games for a long, long time, so I'm all right, Jack. But for newcomers, it's going to be a baptism of fire.<br />
<br />
I wouldn't mind so much, but there are only five body types for each gang, so despite all the wacky little details, the miniatures still don't have as much customisation as they could have.<br />
<br />
Top tip: If you're going to make a fully customisable kit, focus on more weapons and posing options, not more hairstyles.<br />
<br />
(Oh, and as an aside, it's worth noting that while the <i>Gang War </i>supplement has rules for juves (juvenile fighters) you don't get any juve miniatures. I never really thought about it way back when, but I have to say, there's something a little bit unsavoury about young children fighting and dying in gang wars, so I don't expect to be seeing (and would be happy not to be seeing) any juve miniatures in the future.)<br />
<br />
What makes matters worse is Games Workshop has simultaneously taken a back-step in terms of the quality of the assembly instructions. Games like <i>Shadows Over Hammerhal</i> have beautiful colour-coded diagrams that define the assembly sequence and even tell you where to put the glue. For <i>Necromunda</i>, you get small, monochrome diagrams that don't even tell you what size base each miniature is supposed to go on.<br />
<br />
Speaking of bases:<br />
<br />
(Good segue.)<br />
<br />
<i>Underhive</i> introduces some lovely custom bases with molded terrain. That feels like another step towards making the hobby aspect more accessible, and it's one I applaud. But considering facing is important in this game, would it have killed them to mold the bases with some kind of "front face" indicator to facilitate smoother gameplay? A little plaque to paint your ganger name on would have been nice.<br />
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Another thing Games Workshop have done to make life a little bit easier is including two "army lists" comprising 10 pre-generated gangers. Anybody who read my reviews of <i>Betrayal at Calth </i>and <i>Burning of Prospero</i> will know that I had some choice words about the fact the included kits gave you loads of weapon options but no guidance for what choices made for a fun, balanced game. Here, Games Workshop has spelled it out nicely. The assembly guide shows you how to make the 20 named gangers, and there are character cards in the box listing all the relevant statistics and equipment. Of course, because this is Games Workshop and you can't have everything, the character cards don't have pictures of the miniatures on them, so it's not always obvious which miniature relates to which card during play.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdbvqqXN6Ag/Xb3pDHI7jdI/AAAAAAAAArg/GOIQtsz3VBkO6EkR_4XALgmxHzzmjPLIACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of character cards from Necromunda: Underhive." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdbvqqXN6Ag/Xb3pDHI7jdI/AAAAAAAAArg/GOIQtsz3VBkO6EkR_4XALgmxHzzmjPLIACKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1982.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive character cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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The two gangs are the Goliaths and the Eschers. The Goliaths are big, burly dudes and the Eschers are an all-female group of glam rockers with big heels, big guns, and even bigger hair. The inclusion of these two gangs is, in itself, a perfect example of the tightrope Games Workshop is walking right now. The company has long been thought of as a bit of a boys' club, and they don't have much in the way of diversity in their product lines; but this is something they have said they want to address, and including an all-female gang in a starter set is a massive step forwards.<br />
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But it's a massive step forwards in high heels.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C5qMw-e1WJ8/Xb3pJ7hpyLI/AAAAAAAAArk/yYmz16NRLzMg5wypZTwWbIepaNVJ_z0SACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An Escher ganger strides into battle in Necromunda: Underhive." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C5qMw-e1WJ8/Xb3pJ7hpyLI/AAAAAAAAArk/yYmz16NRLzMg5wypZTwWbIepaNVJ_z0SACKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1988.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive Escher ganger in battle" width="320" /></a></div>
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For me, the inclusion of the female gangers says more about Games Workshop's intent than the slightly questionable attire they wear. <i>Necromunda </i>has always worn it's inspirations on its sleeve, and a lot of the aesthetic is lifted from those schlocky, old-school, post-apocalyptic B-movies, where women with serious hair kick some serious ass. You know, stuff like <i>Dune Warriors </i>and <i>The Sisterhood. </i>Games Workshop has simply attempted to preserve those original qualities; and while I wouldn't hold this up as an example of the most progressive gaming world, I appreciate the women are there, taking on the men, and not playing by the rules.<br />
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Speaking of the rules:<br />
<br />
(Best... segue... evar...)<br />
<br />
The rules may be brilliant, they may look slick in their beautifully overproduced book, and they may present the game in manageable chunks for ease of learning; but for every instance of excellence, there's something equally perplexing. One moment, you feel like this game must have been a labour of love for everyone involved. The next moment, you feel like it was slapped together by a not-quite-infinite number of monkeys.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<br />
The rules specifically state you cannot measure for distance before shooting, but you are allowed to check for line of sight. The rules then suggest using the range ruler to check line of sight.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<br />
In the learning scenario, they give you a list of pre-generated characters to use, some of which have weapons that only appear in the advanced rules section.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<br />
The character cards list the stat lines for weapons the characters have... unless those weapons are grenades, in which case they don't bother.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<br />
There are only two leadership skills in the base game, and they still managed to get the name of one wrong on the character cards.<br />
<br />
It gets even worse once you dig into the <i>Gang War </i>supplement. It contains scenarios that seem to assume you won't be using the map tiles from the base game. It contains costs for weapons and items that contradict the costs in the main rules book. It completely omits the definition of the special rule "fear."<br />
<br />
And it goes on. Nothing major. Some things you won't even spot.<br />
<br />
But little things that add up.<br />
<br />
Little things that add up could actually be the advertising slogan for this game, because that's exactly the retail method Games Workshop has gone for.<br />
<br />
You buy the base game, then you need to buy <i>Gang War </i>to access the advanced rules. Want more gangers? That requires another purchase of a gang box; but if you want all the weapon options you'll need to buy an extra weapon frame from Forge World too. Want some tactics cards? They're extra. Custom dice? Extra. An Orlock gang? Extra. Rules for using the Orlock gang... Yeah. They're extra too.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0UpDCfsL-9s/Xb3pSa2MwhI/AAAAAAAAAro/Q44LzVkIff4LXcxcO4Awc4hzWHAseAstwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The first scenario from Necromunda: Underhive." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0UpDCfsL-9s/Xb3pSa2MwhI/AAAAAAAAAro/Q44LzVkIff4LXcxcO4Awc4hzWHAseAstwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive battlefield" width="320" /></a></div>
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Don't get me wrong. If I'm starting a new faction, I expect to pay, and things like custom dice are luxuries, not essentials. But Games Workshop is purposefully cross-pollinating products to make them "essentials" for everybody. Every pack of faction-specific tactics cards also includes neutral cards that any faction can use. The supplement for the new Orlocks gang also includes the rules for hired guns. And even though I paid for a supplement containing Goliath rules, it doesn't include all their weapon options; so at some point in the future, I'm going to have to buy another supplement for those.<br />
<br />
I was on board with the idea of separating out the campaign rules from the base game; but when Games Workshop releases a new set of map tiles for £25, and then puts the rules for using those map tiles in a separate £17.50 supplement, it's hard not to feel a little bit like the reason I thought the first supplement was a good idea wasn't necessarily the same reason why Game Workshop thought it was a good idea.<br />
<br />
In fact, the rapidly amassing pile of <i>Necromunda</i> products, and the promise of having to constantly shell out for little pieces of the rules has somewhat drained my enthusiasm for the whole idea. It's not just the cost; it's the sheer volume of it all. It feels like the game is steamrolling away from me. It's making me realise what a huge investment it is in time, money, and effort just to play this game right. To play it the way it deserves.<br />
<br />
And I do want to play it right. I do want full campaigns, with gang progression, and hangers-on, and bounty hunters, and hired guns, and custom scenarios, and turf wars. I want to promote my lowly gangers into brutish champions. I want to experience everything the underhive has to offer.<br />
<br />
I realise I don't have to buy it all (and I wouldn't be foolish enough to try), but I'm already feeling like I'm making concessions. I won't buy the hired guns miniatures because I don't want to buy the Orlock supplement. I can't buy the new map tiles for the same reason. I don't have access to a chunk of tactics cards because I won't buy card decks for gangs I don't intend to play with. I know there's going to be another supplement for weapons for my gang, and another one for pets, and another one for different settings, and another one, and another one...<br />
<br />
(Insert sigh here.)<br />
<br />
Games Workshop crafted a stunning miniatures skirmish game. It's a game I've been waiting for - a game I was excited to add to my collection - but it's a game in pieces, and I'm starting to question whether I really have the desire or patience to put it back together. I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth the effort. You can stick together a broken Ming vase, but the cracks are the fine line between priceless and worthless.<br />
<br />
So, I see all the shiny new things on the horizon, and I want them all. They all look so good.<br />
<br />
And yet...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAcSXQ8PEv0/Xb3pYTuPXsI/AAAAAAAAArs/rxc9Q9XFaJgzmAqdoh604i9Jw_jsYNhfQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_1983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The first player marker from Necromunda: Underhive." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAcSXQ8PEv0/Xb3pYTuPXsI/AAAAAAAAArs/rxc9Q9XFaJgzmAqdoh604i9Jw_jsYNhfQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_1983.JPG" title="Necromunda: Underhive first player marker" width="320" /></a></div>
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And yet I look at my <i>Underhive</i> base game, all snug and complete in its box with my <i>Gang War </i>supplement. I look at a game that offers glorious, in-depth yet fast-paced skirmishes over tiles or 3D terrain. I look at a game that offers pure blasts of instant adrenaline-fuelled action and asks for so little in return.<br />
<br />
And I wonder.<br />
<br />
And I wonder because Games Workshop has made me wonder.<br />
<br />
Do I really want more? Do I need it? Would I even use it? In my busy life, do I really have time to run a full campaign?<br />
<br />
I'm delighted <i>Necromunda</i> is back; I'm delighted it's going to be supported for years to come; and I'm delighted with the rules.<br />
<br />
I'm delighted to own a copy.<br />
<br />
But do I already own enough?<br />
<br />
If I don't buy any more products, did Games Workshop make the right call with their retail model, or did they create a self-fulfilling prophecy?<br />
<br />
Am I in love with <i>Necromunda</i>, or am I in love with the idea of <i>Necromunda</i>?<br />
<br />
Now I'm the one having an identity crisis.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/games-workshop/warhammer-40k/necromunda/necromunda-underhive-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Necromunda: Underhive</a> is available direct from Games Workshop, and from all good game stockists.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-43762689588178903512017-12-23T14:02:00.001-08:002019-11-02T16:13:15.534-07:00Review - Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Trading Card Game<i>Designed by Andrew Parks and Zev Shlasinger</i><br />
<i>Published by NECA</i><br />
<i>For 2 or more players</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtKsSvIMY6Y/Xb4MZjGJP5I/AAAAAAAAAss/tfPi-RRKWrQWA-QfA0SDEzSFTPHAEI8wQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG box." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtKsSvIMY6Y/Xb4MZjGJP5I/AAAAAAAAAss/tfPi-RRKWrQWA-QfA0SDEzSFTPHAEI8wQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box.JPG" title="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ah, Christmas... It's a time to reflect on the past; it's a time to look to the future (it's only just begun, after all); but let's be honest, most of all it's a time to unwrap presents.<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
Bloody Hell, that's a corny intro. I'll be expecting a visit from Krampus after that.<br />
<br />
Moving swiftly on...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>There's no avoiding it. Regardless of how much we might want Christmas to be about peace on Earth, goodwill to all, and holding hands around the tree to sing, "Welcome Christmas, Ba-hoo Bo-ray," the reason for the season seems to be predominantly about opening gifts and being vaguely disappointed with what's inside.<br />
<br />
So, bearing that in mind, I thought I'd review <i>Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Trading Card Game</i>, which from now on I'm going to refer to as <i>NBX</i>, because I'm down with the cool kids (and have RSI).<br />
<br />
My introduction for this review, it must be said, is slightly misleading. It makes it sound like I enjoy neither Christmas nor <i>NBX</i>, but nothing could be further from the truth. Christmas is absolutely my favourite time of the year, not least because it's the only time of the year when you don't mind a home intruder leaving a little present in your socks.<br />
<br />
When I was a kid, my favourite Christmas story was <i>How The Grinch Stole Christmas</i>. There was something magical about the story of a bitter and twisted creature trying to ruin everyone's fun, but eventually coming to realise that Christmas doesn't come from a store.<br />
<br />
I still watch <i>The Grinch</i> every Christmas Eve.<br />
<br />
I still love it.<br />
<br />
But in 1993, Touchstone Pictures released a movie that spoke to me. The story of Jack Skellington, and his ill-fated attempt to take over Christmas.<br />
<br />
As a huge fan of horror, animation, musicals, Halloween, and Christmas, <i>NBX</i> hit all the right notes (and not just those in Danny Elfman's bombastic score); and it's been my favourite movie ever since. In many ways it's similar to <i>The Grinch</i>, but it's so much darker. The Grinch wants to destroy Christmas; but Jack wants to own it in the most materialistic kind of way. The Grinch learns the true spirit of Christmas through seeing the strength of goodness in other people; Jack gets blown up with a missile, only seeing the error of his ways when he discovers how far humans will go to stop his nighttime terrors. Ultimately, The Grinch corrects his own mistakes; Jack defers to Santa in his utter defeat.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the most surprising thing of all is, in his defeat, Jack achieves what the Grinch couldn't. He successfully takes Christmas from the people, and he completely subverts it. As soon as he takes away Santa, the humans' Christmas cheer evaporates. They don't sing songs around the Christmas tree; they roll out the military. They revert to their base, destructive, stock response to any perceived threat.<br />
<br />
Jack reveals how thin the Christmas veneer is. Behind the gifts, the twinkly lights, and the carols, the world is just as broken as it's always been. Humanity is always just one button press away from mutual destruction.<br />
<br />
And does blowing up Jack save Christmas?<br />
<br />
No.<br />
<br />
The missiles blow holes through the holiday, leaving everything in tatters and creating a void in the hearts of those who witnessed it.<br />
<br />
Who, then, truly destroys Christmas?<br />
<br />
And sure, the movie ends all warm and fuzzy, and fills you with Christmas cheer; but you can say the same thing about <i>It's A Wonderful Life</i>, a feel-good movie about a man who tries to kill himself. These films shine a spotlight on why Christmas is so important, and also so dangerous. They remind us why, once a year, we drown ourselves in Christmas spirits. Sometimes the only way to silence the gunfire is to sing louder.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry if this introduction has become tiresome, but I felt it was important to talk a little about how much I love this film. I have watched it at least twice every year since it's release (once at Halloween, once on Christmas Eve, and any number of times inbetween), and it has become my daughter's favourite film too. Considering that, it's unsurprising that I'm always looking for new ways to explore its themes, even if those experiences involve elements that I loathe, such as blind packaging.<br />
<br />
And that's why I have a copy of the <i>NBX Trading Card Game</i>.<br />
<br />
Back in the day (I won't tell you which one), I used to play <i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/magic-the-gathering-duel-decks-mind-vs-might?d=10189" target="_blank">Magic: The Gathering</a></i>. I loved the game, but I hated the hunt for particular cards. Years later, I started trying to collect and play the <i>Aliens vs. Predator</i> card game. I gave up after spending a small fortune without finding a single one of the main characters from the film, or any of the decent weaponry. There's only so many times "unnamed grunt" with "pistol" can face off against the xenomorph hordes.<br />
<br />
I've never played a collectible card game since then.<br />
<br />
Well... not until now.<br />
<br />
This year, I finally decided that my love of <i>NBX</i> truly outweighed my hatred for the collectible card game format, so I bought a box of 12 starter decks from an American seller on eBay. Buying 12 boxes may seem odd, but this game actually has four different starter decks, themed around the four main characters of Jack Skellington, Oogie Boogie, Dr. Finklestein, and The Mayor, and buying a box containing three of each starter set worked out significantly cheaper than trying to buy a set of four from elsewhere.<br />
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Additionally (and rather unusually), this game is for any number of players, so it's a good idea to have a few extra starter decks kicking around.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PQFJrS0aWp8/Xb4MohlwUDI/AAAAAAAAAsw/yiKg6GEETaM08OcXxVMQ-oAtX4tw2U_3wCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box%2BStack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="All four starter decks from The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PQFJrS0aWp8/Xb4MohlwUDI/AAAAAAAAAsw/yiKg6GEETaM08OcXxVMQ-oAtX4tw2U_3wCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box%2BStack.JPG" title="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG starter decks" width="320" /></a></div>
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Each of these starter decks includes six locale cards (including a starting locale), and a deck of 40 cards comprising characters, creations, and surprises. Players lay out their starting locale face down, shuffle the remaining locales, shuffle their decks, and then randomly choose a Pumpkin King for the first round; and that's all you need to do to start your first game. (Well, that's not strictly true, you also need to rummage in the drawer for a token for each player to track pumpkin points, and a 12 sided dice to track the passage of the 12 turns of the game.)<br />
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And now, ladies and gentlemen, the obligatory rules recap. Drum roll please:<br />
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On the first turn of the game (a full game is 12 rounds, representing the 12 days of Christmas), all players reveal their starting locales and then draw a starting hand as defined on the locale card. In subsequent rounds, all players simultaneously draw locales from their locale decks and place them in their towns. New locales must either be added to the left or right of any existing cards in the town.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PMX0wGvnfjU/Xb4MwYrh47I/AAAAAAAAAs4/MWlQjWh70OwrNITyK3Fp39mxxpIptOFGgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Rules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A page from the rules book for The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PMX0wGvnfjU/Xb4MwYrh47I/AAAAAAAAAs4/MWlQjWh70OwrNITyK3Fp39mxxpIptOFGgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Rules.JPG" title="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG rules book" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next, the Pumpkin King selects a Pumpkin King activity. Each activity is free for certain players, while other players have the choice of using the activity by discarding a card. For example, the option to draw a card is free for the player with the least cards in hand. Obviously, the Pumpkin King wants to select an activity that he or she gets to use for free, or else pick an ability that hinders the other players in some way.<br />
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Then each player, starting with the Pumpkin King, takes a turn. These turns comprise performing one function on an active locale, and playing any number of cards. Players can play cards before or after a function.<br />
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Now, this is where it gets clever: Every location has a Scare Threshold, printed in the top left of the card, and every character has a Scare Number. A locale is only active if the total of the Scare Numbers on all characters at that locale matches or exceeds the Threshold. The exception is the starting locale, which is always active, providing permanent access to a selection of low-powered functions.<br />
<br />
But, a character's Scare Number is also the cost to bring that character into play, and paying that cost requires pumpkin points.<br />
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Where do pumpkin points come from?<br />
<br />
The functions on locales.<br />
<br />
So, the game has a lovely sense of escalation. You start with no characters in play, which means you only have access to the basic functions on the starting locale. Those basic functions give you access to a couple of pumpkin points, which you can then use to purchase a character. That character allows you to active locales with more powerful functions, such as the ability to gain extra pumpkin points, which in turn allows you to purchase even more powerful characters. As the game progresses, your town grows, your population grows, and your options grow.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest challenges is getting your characters into the correct locales. If you want to activate your Graveyard with Jack, you first have to get Jack to the Graveyard, and that involves activating a location that grants the Move action. The Move action gives you a number of move points, and each point equates to moving any card to an adjacent town locale. So, with three move points, you could move one character three locales, or three characters one locale each. The problem is, if you use a function to acquire movement points, you aren't acquiring pumpkin points. If you aren't acquiring pumpkin points, you aren't buying characters; and if you aren't buying characters, you aren't working towards your end game: Making Christmas creations to hand out to all the kiddies on Christmas Eve.<br />
<br />
You pay for creations in the same way as you pay for characters (with pumpkin points) and once you've played them they don't do anything else for the rest of the game; but at the end of the game, they're worth big victory points. Effectively, you're buying victory points.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4UvlY9MhM2s/Xb4M3yQ5jhI/AAAAAAAAAs8/vhaGvxOjwAUgvx2hugy0Bqyks83pYS1vQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Creations.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of creation cards from The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4UvlY9MhM2s/Xb4M3yQ5jhI/AAAAAAAAAs8/vhaGvxOjwAUgvx2hugy0Bqyks83pYS1vQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Creations.JPG" title="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG creation cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course, that creates additional problems. If you use all your pumpkin points to bring a new creation into play, you're banking points, but you're giving up a turn when you could be bringing more useful characters into play. Worse still, your hand doesn't replenish at the end of the round. If you want more cards to play with, you have to activate a locale function that lets you draw some new cards.<br />
<br />
As the game progresses, you're constantly facing tough choices. And whichever activity you choose, you're giving up something equally important for keeping your Halloween Town ticking over. Each turn you're choosing between drawing cards, moving cards, paying to bring characters into play, or banking victory points; and finding the perfect balance is like spinning plates.<br />
<br />
In the end, it's all about efficiency, and you stay efficient through that classic trading card game mechanism: killer combos.<br />
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Perhaps surprisingly, considering the theme of developing a town and then populating it to build Christmas presents, this isn't a game about creating an economic engine. It's a set collection game.<br />
<br />
You see, every character has a special ability: A way to manipulate the basic framework of the game to your advantage. Jack costs one less pumpkin point if you play him at his house; Zero follows Jack whenever he moves; and the members of the band let you draw cards when you play them in the same location. Most importantly, many of the characters discount the cost of certain creations. For example, the Jingle Bells cards costs four pumpkin points, but if you have all three members of the band in your Halloween Town, it only costs one pumpkin point.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AwseJia0bU/Xb4NC5TrZkI/AAAAAAAAAtA/YzmgOZzZmZklsCyRSIGLZtib-OCyUhW1QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/The%2BBand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A set of the band member character cards for The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AwseJia0bU/Xb4NC5TrZkI/AAAAAAAAAtA/YzmgOZzZmZklsCyRSIGLZtib-OCyUhW1QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/The%2BBand.JPG" title="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG character cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is where deck creation becomes a key consideration to your strategy. You can have multiples of characters and creations in your deck, which increases the likelihood of getting the combos you need, but you're only allowed one of each unique card in play. Take too many identical cards, and you're likely to end up with a lot you can't use. Take too few, and you need the stars to align to get the combos in play.<br />
<br />
It's just very, very clever.<br />
<br />
The final weapons in your arsenal are the surprise cards. These are the "gotcha" cards that give you the chance to screw over your opponents, or gain a one-off benefit to forward your own agenda. They don't cost any pumpkin points to play, but you can't play multiples of the same card in the same turn. Surprises are particularly good for getting your combos on the table, as many of them allow you to search your deck, keeping any cards that match certain keywords and discarding the rest, giving you a good chance to cycle your deck for important stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e4eTJBc3k3M/Xb4NKdQmXTI/AAAAAAAAAtE/MTsHWcW2aXgkfYmyKP2MrjWwhGpONqevgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Surprises.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=""Surprised, aren't you?" A selection of cards from The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e4eTJBc3k3M/Xb4NKdQmXTI/AAAAAAAAAtE/MTsHWcW2aXgkfYmyKP2MrjWwhGpONqevgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Surprises.JPG" title="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG surprise cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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The surprises add a bit of fun, cause a few groans, and help you to progress your strategy; but the most important thing they do is provide much-needed interaction between players. Without such cards, <i>NBX</i> would be the embodiment of "multiplayer solitaire," but just the occasional chance to mess up someone else's plans elevates the whole experience to a fun and challenging... er... challenge.<br />
<br />
And that's a bit of a surprise really. I was expecting this game to be riding on it's theme - one of those games I own simply because of my love of Tim Burton's warped vision - but I'm delighted to say the game is really good.<br />
<br />
It's probably better than that.<br />
<br />
It's probably almost great.<br />
<br />
I would say that's some kind of Christmas miracle, except the real miracle is that I was able to come to that conclusion playing exclusively with the preconstructed starter decks.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fj-c64Z0lVA/Xb4NTKJfP9I/AAAAAAAAAtI/zYFQe4D6NGwnI-FXf2X8g8hwVY2YQNcoQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Locales.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of locales from The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG, including Jack Skellington's starting locale." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fj-c64Z0lVA/Xb4NTKJfP9I/AAAAAAAAAtI/zYFQe4D6NGwnI-FXf2X8g8hwVY2YQNcoQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Locales.JPG" title="The Nightmare Before Christmas TCG locale cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have to admit, initially I was only intending to get those starter sets, because I had already heard that the decks were well-balanced and fun. That's pretty much unheard of with this type of game, which normally has horribly unbalanced starter decks that leave in just enough fun to make you want to buy some more cards from blind booster packs.<br />
<br />
Sure enough, the starter decks really are well-made. They don't feel like a sampler for the full game. They feel like the full game. You don't look at the decks and think they are sub-optimal. They contain decent combinations. They feel like decks that were preconstructed with winning the game in mind, not with showcasing the mechanisms and teasing you with possibilities you don't yet have access to.<br />
<br />
What I mean to say is, after playing, I didn't feel like I needed to buy more cards to enjoy the game. I felt like I wanted more cards because I already enjoyed the game.<br />
<br />
And so, inevitably, I bought more cards.<br />
<br />
Lots more cards.<br />
<br />
I went back to the same eBay seller that sold me the starter decks, and I ordered a crate of booster boxes. For the record, there are 12 cards in a booster pack, 36 packs in a box, and six boxes in a crate.<br />
<br />
Yup. I bought 2,592 cards.<br />
<br />
I was hoping to get one full set of cards to keep in pristine condition, plus at least one more full set for deck construction and gaming. Considering the full set of cards is only 50 common, 50 uncommon, 38 rare, and 12 ultra-rare, it didn't seem like too much to ask.<br />
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Want to know how many complete sets I got?<br />
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One.<br />
<br />
Just.<br />
<br />
I have hundreds and hundreds of common cards, but I could only scrape together a single set of the 12 ultra-rare cards (which dropped at the rate of three or four per box).<br />
<br />
It was agony.<br />
<br />
It was an unholy mess, and an aggressively unpleasant way to distribute the cards, completely undermining the wonderful job the starter decks had done in making the game so accessible in the first instance.<br />
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If you want to know more about my trials and tribulations completing the set, you can check out my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNfAEWf77PE" target="_blank">video on YouTube</a>, but for now, let's just say, I wasn't happy.<br />
<br />
NECA subsequently released a <i>Christmas Town </i>expansion, but I don't think it did very well. I mean, who would even try to collect them after how NECA handled the initial release?<br />
<br />
A third expansion based on the real world never saw the light of day.<br />
<br />
I can't say I'm surprised.<br />
<br />
And that's <i>Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Trading Card Game. </i>It's the ultimate Christmas present: Full of promise, and yet vaguely disappointing. Something beautiful that I love dearly, thinly spread over a money-making engine.<br />
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Merry Christmas, everyone!<br />
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<i>Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Trading Card Game has been out of production for years, but it's still possible to find starter decks and booster packs on eBay. Other card games, with more consumer-friendly distributions, are available from your local games store or <a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">online retailers</a>.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-1086494620142210402017-11-24T06:31:00.001-08:002019-11-02T16:23:57.865-07:00Review - Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire<i>Published by Games Workshop</i><br />
<i>For 2 players (up to 4 by purchasing additional components), aged 12 to adult</i><br />
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I was a Games Workshop kid.<br />
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I fell in love with the company's particular brand of grim-dark humour at an early age, and spent most of my time assembling and painting miniatures, theory-crafting armies for battles I never fought, and playing board games like <i>HeroQuest, <a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2014/10/warhammer-quest.html" target="_blank">Warhammer Quest</a></i>, and <i>Talisman</i>.<br />
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But there was a short period when <i>Magic: The Gathering</i> became a bit of a thing. I was still at school at the time, and quickly coming to the realisation that trying to sneak 3,000-points worth of metal goblins into the library wasn't working out. I was in search of some other way to pass the time between the point I'd finished my Dairylea sandwich and the point when the school bell signaled another humiliating afternoon of double P.E.<br />
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<i>Magic</i> was the perfect time-waster.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>So, every weekend I would head to the local game store and spend my pocket money on booster packs. I would excitedly open the boosters, sift through the contents, and then try to figure out how to incorporate my one new card into my deck.<br />
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I mainly played white and blue, by the way. Well... predominantly white. I threw in a bit of blue so I could always run the Prodigal Sorcerer (we called him Tim). My main opponent was my main man Dale, who's turned up in a couple of my YouTube videos. He tended to run a black deck, so I spent a lot of lunchtimes getting eaten by vampires.<br />
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Go figure.<br />
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Anyway, <i>Magic</i> ended up going the same way as my entire board game collection. It had been tucked away in a shoebox for a while, so when I went to university I sold it (the card collection, not the shoebox) along with everything else. I didn't get very much for it, and I'm pretty sure I ended up parting with a few pretty valuable rare cards. But, you know... it was a simpler time, when I played games without worrying about silly things like resale value and rarity. I mean, I didn't even have the Internet, so how was I supposed to know?<br />
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Whatever. Long story short, all the cards went, and the next few years slipped by in a bit of a blur while I had a thoroughly miserable time at university. When I eventually got back into games, I didn't get back into <i>Magic</i>. I didn't really get back into anything blind packaged at all, except I collected those <i>Lord of the Rings</i> miniatures from the now defunct Sabertooth Games for a while.<br />
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That was expensive.<br />
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But those heady days playing <i>Magic</i> still lingered in my memory, and I always thought about getting back into a card game that had a deck construction element. You see, I spend more time thinking about games, writing about games, talking about games, and researching games than I do actually playing them... and I spend a lot of time playing them. It always seemed like a good idea to get a game that would enable me to channel all that "between game" energy, and a card game with deck construction seemed like a good idea.<br />
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I should also mention I have a bit of a weird relationship with cards in general. There's something very pleasing to me about handling cards. The "flip, flip, flip" of dealing cards to the table, the slick action of drawing a card from the deck, and even the simple act of holding cards in hand appeals to me in a way that I can't really put into words for fear of sounding a little bit... not quite right. So we'll say no more about it, thank you very much...<br />
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The big problem was finding a card game that appealed enough for me to go to the effort of creating decks. For a while I toyed with picking up Fantasy Flight Games' <i>Lord of the Rings Living Card Game, </i>but I already feel like I'm so late to that party, trying to find a way of getting involved without feeling constantly behind the curve turned me off the whole idea. Besides, there was something about creating a deck to fight an AI that didn't feel satisfying to me, despite my general appreciation for solo and co-operative gaming experiences.<br />
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For a long time <i>Mage Knight</i> and <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2014/02/tash-kalar-arena-of-legends.html" target="_blank">Tash-Kalar</a> </i>have been the go-to games for getting my "hands-on-cards" fix (I thought we weren't going to say anything more about that?), but neither of those games involve deck creation.<br />
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The truth is, what I was looking for (what I'm always looking for) was a game that made me feel now like I did then. When I was a kid, board games and fantasy worlds were an escape. They helped me in ways that transcended wasting a bit of time or having a laugh with my limited selection of mates. Playing a game was something special. As an adult, I enjoy many, many different types of games, but only rarely do I find games that really key into that sense of childlike escapism.<br />
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The game that finally filled that niche (and just to clarify, I don't fill my niche with cards, my relationship with them may be weird, but it's not that weird), came from a rather surprising source: Games Workshop, a company hardly known for it's card-driven games.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-saXZulUrafg/Xb4Ohf1lemI/AAAAAAAAAuM/CCPM6Hz95Oo4VfChiAO81_on56QXRIg2QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box%2BCover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box art from Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-saXZulUrafg/Xb4Ohf1lemI/AAAAAAAAAuM/CCPM6Hz95Oo4VfChiAO81_on56QXRIg2QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box%2BCover.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire game box" width="320" /></a></div>
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But then, almost everything about <i>Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire</i> is surprising. It's a miniatures game with a dice-driven combat engine, and that sure sounds like a Games Workshop game; but it's smothered with a thick veneer of card game, the miniatures are colour-coded push-fit models that go together without glue, the game plays in under 30 minutes, and it's built from the ground up with organized tournaments in mind.<br />
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Oh, and it's pretty inexpensive too. Your're initial buy in is £40 retail (significantly less online), for the base game box, which gives you the cards and miniatures for two complete warbands, additional cards for experimenting with deck creation, and all of the boards and tokens for two players to jump right in. If you want more cards and warbands (and you will want more cards and warbands), they're available as expansions.<br />
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To put it bluntly, this is Games Workshop at it's most approachable. They've crafted a game that feels familiar to anybody whose dipped a toe in Fantasy Flight Games' murky waters, and they've packaged it in such a way as to break down all those barriers to entry that so many people hold up as a shield against the Evil Empire.<br />
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This isn't a game that requires a significant initial investment. This isn't a game that requires you to build armies of very expensive toy soldiers. This isn't a game that demands you paint the miniatures. Hell, it doesn't even demand you buy glue to put the miniatures together.<br />
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So... If it's not any of those things, then what is it?<br />
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<i>Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire</i> (hereafter referred to as <i>Shadespire</i> because life's too short) is an arena-based miniatures combat card game. That's nothing new in itself, <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2016/04/dungeon-command.html" target="_blank">Dungeon Command</a></i> did it (very well, actually, but incorporating a deterministic combat system that meant the time-investment to get the most out of the game was too excessive for me) and <i>Magic: Arena of the Planeswalkers </i>did it. In fact, there's nothing really groundbreaking in <i>Shadespire's </i>hybrid design, but that doesn't make the final product any less earth-shattering.<br />
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At this point, I've written quite a lot of words without actually getting anywhere. If I'm honest, I'm dancing around the point, because this is a difficult game to review. It's difficult to open the densely packed and closely-knitted elements to start unravelling the whole. There's no way to clearly tackle decoding what makes the game what it is. You see, this is a fighting game, but it's not. It's a miniatures game, but it's not. It's a card game, but it's not. It's a thematic, skirmish game, but's it's not. It's an Age of Sigmar game, but it's not.<br />
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This is a game of disparate elements, brought together so cleverly, so cohesively, it's almost impossible to separate them back out. It's a house of cards made from a game of cards (with wee little plastic dudes living inside). If you take out even one element, the whole thing comes crashing down.<br />
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Okay, I'll backtrack...<br />
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<i>Shadespire</i> is an arena-style fighting game in Games Workshop's popular (yes, it is) Age of Sigmar setting. Two warbands (or up to four warbands if you have extra boards, tokens, and miniatures) enter an arena setting in the titular city, a world of perpetual undeath, under the sway of the terrifying lord of the dead, Nagash. In the base game it's a bloodreaver warband (big dudes with big axes) versus a stormcast eternal warband (even bigger dudes with even bigger hammers); but there are already two expansions introducing orruks (massive dudes with massive axes) and skeletons (little fellas with a lot to prove).<br />
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The warbands are all there for different reasons - honour, redemption, or just a bloody good scrap - but once they've made contact with the enemy, it all amounts to the same thing. They're there to kill the other guys.<br />
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Only... they're not.<br />
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Like I said, this is a fighting game, but it's not. You can play the whole game without killing a single enemy fighter and still win. In fact, in many cases, getting stuck into a fight is a good way to suffer an ignoble defeat. It all depends how you've built your deck.<br />
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And let's not make any mistake about it: Deck construction is a massive part of this game. You need to know what you're doing to create an efficient, powerful deck that works with your warband. The base set includes two preconstructed decks to get you started, but after a few games, you're probably going to start itching to make your own power deck.<br />
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I'll get to that in a minute; first, I need to briefly explain how the game works.<br />
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Put simply, the game comprises three rounds. In each round, each warband gets four activations. An activation is moving a fighter, fighting with a fighter, charging with a fighter (which is a move and then an attack), going on guard with a fighter, drawing a power card from your deck, discarding one of your objective cards and drawing a new on, or passing.<br />
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Players alternate taking an activation, and between activations they have the opportunity to play ploy cards or upgrade cards from their hand of power cards. Ploy cards are one-shot effects that allow players to manipulate the flow of the game (some are even reactions that you use during someone's activation) and upgrades are permanent powers that attach to a specific fighter and remain accessible for the rest of the game.<br />
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The complications arise through the limitations imposed on certain actions. Fighters are only allowed to use a move action once per round, for example. That means fighters that move are rooted to the spot: They can't even charge. Similarly, fighters that charge aren't allowed to activate at all for the rest of the round: They can't move, fight, or even protect themselves by going on guard. These limitations, combined with the fact you only have 12 activations in the whole game means every decision you make is agonizing. One wrong move could put a fighter out of position for a full third of the game; a failed charge could leave a fighter exposed to multiple attacks.<br />
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Of course, this is where good deck construction plays its part. Power cards help to circumvent the natural flow of play, gleaning small advantages, like an extra move here, an extra attack there, or even pushing an enemy fighter once space so they're no longer in a position to fight you.<br />
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Unfortunately, while ploy cards are free to play, upgrade cards that stay in play cost glory to activate, and that means killing an enemy fighter (for one glory) or completing an objective card. Before the game you build a deck of 12 objectives, and you draw up to three for each round so you have something to work towards. Objectives vary significantly, ranging from killing an enemy to holding an objective on the board. And yes, it's possible to build a deck that doesn't have any objectives for killing enemies.<br />
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And that's the game in a nutshell, really. Players take alternating turns to activate fighters, fighting and moving around the board to achieve objectives and score glory, then using the glory to buy upgrades to make the fighters better at fighting and moving around the board to achieve objectives and score glory, while using ploy cards to take advantage of various opportunities as they arise to make the fighters better at fighting and moving around the board to achieve objectives and score glory.<br />
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It all sounds so simple.<br />
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It looks simple too.<br />
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And then you play your first round, and you realise there's nothing simple about this at all.<br />
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You're first experience with the game will probably be something like this:<br />
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It sure looks like a fighting game, so you'll charge one of your fighter's into an opponent. Maybe you kill the target; maybe you don't. It doesn't really matter. Either way, you're fighter is now exposed and in danger for the rest of the first round. That fighter probably won't survive.<br />
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So, on your next activation you try to be a bit smarter. If you only move, you're allowed to use that same fighter later in the round to attack. And a fighter is allowed to make multiple attacks, because attacks aren't limited actions.<br />
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Ha.<br />
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You've got this sussed out already. You activate a fighter and move adjacent to an enemy fighter.<br />
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The problem is... well, the problems are...<br />
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1. You've just been inefficient. Rather than squeezing a move and an attack out of a single activation, you've just used an activation to move, and will need to spend a second activation to attack. You only get 12 activations for the whole game.<br />
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2. Before you get to attack, your opponent has an activation. He uses it to attack the fighter that just moved, and suddenly things get awkward.<br />
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Being on the receiving end of an attack is almost always a bad thing. The game's neat combat system is crafted in such a way that the advantage is with the attacker, and the potential for one-shot kills pretty damned high. It uses custom dice, because... you know, everything uses custom dice... and it's probably a little bit too clever for its own good. By which I mean, it seems incredibly complicated on the surface, but it's actually a relatively clean and simple system.<br />
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Attack dice have a hammer symbol on two faces, and then one sword, one single support symbol, one double support symbol, and a critical hit. When you want a fighter to attack, you choose any of the fighter's possible attack actions that are within range (most require adjacency). The attack description tells you how many dice you roll, and what symbol you need (hammers or swords). The description also tells you how much damage you inflict if your attack is successful.<br />
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So far, so simple.<br />
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You roll your dice, and count up the number of hit symbols. The critical symbol counts too, and may trigger special effects.<br />
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After the attack, your opponent rolls defence dice for the target. They're different to the attack dice, because they have two shields in place of the hammer, and one dodge symbol in place of the sword. Now, in most cases, defence rolls are a single dice, meaning the target is almost always on the back foot. However, if the target rolls at least one critical, and the attacker doesn't roll any, the target fends off the attack as the fickle gods of fate show mercy.<br />
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But here's where it gets really clever: The attacking fighter counts any allies adjacent to the target as supporting, while the defender counts any allies adjacent to the attacker as supporting. The difference between the number of supporters has an impact on the combat resolution, as the player with the most supporters gets to count one or both of the support symbols on the dice as successes (depending on the number of supporters).<br />
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With all that mathematical jiggery-pokery sorted out, you compare successes. If the attacker has the most, the target takes the number of wounds specified by the attack's Damage statistic. This is often enough to straight up dead someone, but if the target is alive, you get to give them a little shove, moving them one space away from your fighter. You also get to drive them back in the case of a draw, as long as you rolled at least one success. If the defender has the most successes (or has more critical successes than you) the attack fails, and the target doesn't go anywhere.<br />
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It sounds complicated.<br />
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It looks complicated.<br />
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But it really isn't. By the end of the first round, you're probably going to have a pretty good idea of how it all works. Unfortunately, that will probably be right around the time you realise you shouldn't have just wandered your fighter up to stand next to the enemy.<br />
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You thought you were being smart. You thought you'd be able to get a couple of good swings on the enemy, rather than risking it all on a charge. But then the enemy activated, and they attacked you, and they pushed you back a space. Now you're fighters out of range, and isn't allowed to move again for the rest of the round.<br />
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Congratulations. You just wasted an action, possibly got your fighter injured, and ended up out of position anyway. Enjoy the counter-charge your opponent's about to make, and remember to send us all a postcard from that destination Ozzy Man keeps talking about.<br />
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It's about this time that you're going to start realising that this dumb-looking fighty game is a little bit more like <i>chess </i>than it has any right to be. Every decision you make is vital, and if you're thinking one step ahead that's not good enough, because someone else is two steps ahead and you've already lost.<br />
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So, what do you do? Do you charge to get the drop on your opponent, squeezing an extra action from your limited pool of activations and risking it all in the knowledge that if this goes wrong, you're in deep water? Do you dive into the action, walking your fighter into position and hoping he weathers the storm? Do you wonder why I, for no apparent reason, have included loads of water-related puns in this paragraph?<br />
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Or, do you flick through your hand of power cards?<br />
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Yeah, maybe you should have done that earlier, because look... Here's a card that lets you make a free attack after making a basic move action. Here's a card that lets you move an enemy fighter one space in a direction of your choice. Here's a card that lets you recover lost hit points.<br />
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And here's how you win.<br />
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<i>Shadespire</i> is a miniatures game; it's a game about careful positioning, thoughtful planning, and luck mitigation. But it's also a card game, and you could well have won or lost the game before your little fighters ever set foot in the arena.<br />
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Learning how to create a good deck is the only way to consistently perform. But here's the thing: This isn't a game about combo attacks. You aren't going to create an economic engine that generates additional activations or which exponentially increases the amount of glory you acquire in each round. Your card play is married with, and totally in sync with, what your fighters are doing on the battlefield.<br />
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Creating a deck (actually, two decks: a power deck and an objective deck), is a skill. It's a puzzle. A game in its own right. It's incredibly deep, incredibly rewarding, and surprisingly fun.<br />
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The rules are simple. You have to have a deck of at least 20 cards; all the cards have to be unique and playable by your faction; and no more than half your deck can be ploys.<br />
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Easy-peasy.<br />
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Oh, yeah, but wait... Some cards are faction specific, and some of the upgrades are character specific.<br />
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But other than that, easy-peasy.<br />
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Oh, yeah, but wait... Before you can even start thinking about putting together a deck, you need to understand how your warband functions.<br />
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Bloody hell.<br />
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Right, hold on...<br />
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A warband ranges in size from three to seven fighters. Each fighter has a movement value, a defence value, a number of wounds, and at least one attack; some have special abilities. Each fighter also has a way of becoming "inspired." An inspired fighter usually gets boosts to certain statistics, such as attack damage or defence, but some may get new abilities, or even extra attack options. Basically, you want all your fighter to be inspired, because that means they're stronger and more efficient, and at it's heart, this is a game about efficiency.<br />
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Studying your fighters gives you an insight into how you should use them. Are they glass cannons, or are they incredibly resilient? Do they rely on weight of numbers to gain supporting bonuses, or do they stand alone in defiance of the horde? You need to be able to answer these sorts of questions, and to keep the answers in mind as you start constructing your deck.<br />
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Character-specific upgrades are particularly interesting, because they are specifically created to enhance the battlefield role of that character. That makes them more powerful than generic cards, and means they are almost always useful. But if the character dies in battle, those cards in your hand die too, clogging up your hand until the end of the round when you get a chance to ditch them and redraw. It's a very clever balancing mechanism. Personally, I love taking lots of character-specific cards, because it's fun and fluffy; but it's a (poorly) calculated risk.<br />
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There are no easy decisions, and every card you choose keeps a dozen more out, because although there's no limit on your deck size, it really is a good idea to keep it as slim as possible to improve your chances of drawing the stuff you need when you need it.<br />
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The thing is, the first time you try your hand at deck construction, you're going to make mistakes. You're going to overlook a lot of really useful cards, mainly because you have to have a really good appreciation for quite how muscular and compact the whole game is. As I've already mentioned, this is a game where pushing a fighter can take that fighter out of commission for the rest of the round, so a humble (and seemingly boring) push card that lets you move a fighter one space could be a game changer.<br />
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With only 12 activations per side in a whole game, you're forced to re-evaluate what's truly important. A card that gives you bonus damage when you charge may seem incredibly powerful, but how many times will you use it? At most, three times; and only then if you manage to get the card into play early in the first round. Conversely, there's a glass sword upgrade card that grants the recipient a special attack that hits on the hammer symbol and has the potential to cause four wounds (which is pretty much instant death for anyone on the receiving end). However, once you land a successful hit, the sword shatters and you can't use it again. At first, I discounted the card because it seemed a waste to have an upgrade card you could only use once. However, I've quickly come to understand that with such short games, and with so few actions available, the chance to land a brutal insta-kill hit at the right time is incredibly valuable.<br />
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The brevity of each conflict is probably why every card in your deck must be unique. It prevents you from spam tactics, and keeps the game feeling vibrant and fresh without falling into the power play ruts that many card games end in. It's great for me, because I've always disliked card games where you have multiple instances of the same card in hand. I understand such duplication from a gameplay perspective, but I've always preferred seeing fresh artwork and unique rules coming out of the deck with each draw.<br />
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Whilst creating your power deck, you're also creating an objective deck. You can't create one after the other; they're intrinsically linked. They're two halves of the same whole, just like your miniatures and your deck are two halves of the same whole.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWQSa8nMv74/Xb4PoLa1tFI/AAAAAAAAAuw/nD-UMjNQGqUug0YkWa0N9bBLgWsxBSWDQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Objective%2BCards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of objective cards from Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWQSa8nMv74/Xb4PoLa1tFI/AAAAAAAAAuw/nD-UMjNQGqUug0YkWa0N9bBLgWsxBSWDQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Objective%2BCards.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire objective cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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The objective deck must contain exactly 12 cards. Each objective, when completed, awards glory points. These glory points are essential for buying upgrades, and also for determining the winner after three rounds. Some objectives are very easy, and award only one or two glory; other objectives are very hard, and award up to six glory (but are usually only available to score at the end of the third round when it's too late to buy upgrades). Here again, is a fiendishly clever conundrum to unravel. What mix of objectives do you take?<br />
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You obviously want to take things that key into how your warband plays, taking movement-based objectives for fast warbands, or murdering objectives for warbands that enjoy all the stabbing and wotnot. But you also need to balance getting enough glory to win against getting enough early glory to pay for upgrades. Pick lots of easy objectives, and you'll quickly score them and get upgrades in play, but you're limiting how much you can score overall. If you take lots of high-scoring objectives, you're never going to get your upgrades in play.<br />
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This sense of balance - of aspects being perfectly weighted and set against a counterweight of equal importance - is evident throughout the game. Consider the size of the warbands, for example. If a warband comprises of strong fighters, such as stormcast eternals, then it has fewer fighters in play. This means such warbands are generally outnumbered, and therefore cannot benefit from supporting allies when attacking or defending. Smaller warbands find it harder to meet objectives, and may end up with activations each round that they cannot use optimally, especially if a few fighters have died. But small warbands are easier to manage, and they give away less glory through kills.<br />
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The skeleton expansion is a fine example of a perfectly balanced system. There are seven fighters in total, so there's no shortage of bodies on the field; but with only four activations each round, some of those bodies are going to be nothing more than fancy window dressing. It's possible to get around this by using the skeleton leader's special ability, which for one action allows two other skeletons to move. That's all well and good until the leader dies, so you really want to keep him out of a fight. But of course, he's the best fighter of the bunch, so you need him to get stuck in sometimes. Luckily, he's one of the few fighters in the game with a ranged attack, giving him the ability to strike without facing retaliation.<br />
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Oh, and did I mention, skeletons are incredibly weak and squishy... er, brittle? One hit will cause most of them to crumble like crackerbread. The good news is, the leader can reanimate the fallen warriors, and the warriors that come back are now inspired. The yang to that yin is, of course, it costs an action to reanimate a warrior, so you really don't want to do it that often. Additionally, every kill grants your opponent a glory point. You don't really want to do that very often either.<br />
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And that's just what <i>Shadespire</i> is like: It's a constantly see-sawing equation that demands players fully understand the weaknesses of their warbands, and then use their warbands strengths effectively.<br />
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Anyway, at this point I'm sure you can see that I'm sold on this game. I've already got the two expansions, I've bought the official card sleeves (and I never buy card sleeves normally), and I've even picked up some extra dice. I'm going to buy each new expansion, and I may even buy a second base set for the boards and cards.<br />
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I'm a kid again.<br />
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But I'm not kidding myself.<br />
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<i>Shadespire</i> is amazing. It's one of the finest games I've played this year. But it's not without its faults.<br />
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At this point, I'm going to mention the box art.<br />
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Good Lord.<br />
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If there was ever an advertisement for not judging a book by its cover, this game would be it. (Read that sentence enough times, and it ceases to make any kind of sense at all.) All of the characters in the artwork are in weird, stilted poses, details on armour are weirdly flat, and the warped perspective on the main character's sword has me concerned a Hound of Tindalos is on the way.<br />
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And then there's Angharad, doing her bit for equality: Poor love made a huge leap forwards for diversity in Games Workshop by being only the second ever female stormcast eternal, and one of very, very few female heroes in the Age of Sigmar setting in general; and yet that leap still put her right at the back of the picture, barely visible behind a wall of hulking muscle men. Keep up the good work, Chick. You'll find yourself a handsome husband one day.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aItMGuT7Gus/Xb4Pxc6uhcI/AAAAAAAAAu0/z7G1-4_Zx08fAD6qlcN-C397jWyv6wRUACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Stormcast%2BEternals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The stormcast eternals from Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire form ranks against the enemy." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aItMGuT7Gus/Xb4Pxc6uhcI/AAAAAAAAAu0/z7G1-4_Zx08fAD6qlcN-C397jWyv6wRUACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Stormcast%2BEternals.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire stormcast eternals" width="320" /></a></div>
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The art on the cover is baffling, to say the least, because the artwork on the cards is universally excellent, with the various fighters brought to life in a range of artistic styles that makes every card a joy.<br />
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But art is art. I'm sure there are some people that like the box art.<br />
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I'm sure there are some people who like the artwork from <i>Ascension: Chronicles of the Godslayer </i>too. There's no accounting for taste.<br />
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So, I'll give Games Workshop a pass on that one; and say it's just not for me. What I won't give them a pass on is sloppiness in the rules book, and in the use of terminology across the cards. There's a general lack of focus to the writing, like the designers occasionally forget their own keywords. Cards that do very similar things have different wording, and sometimes terminology gets mixed up.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4hNJwdvH7Fc/Xb4P-KTOg5I/AAAAAAAAAu4/Z0C33icPNJ4ObqFTw3s05mGyK3O6uteVACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Rules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pages from the Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire rules book." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4hNJwdvH7Fc/Xb4P-KTOg5I/AAAAAAAAAu4/Z0C33icPNJ4ObqFTw3s05mGyK3O6uteVACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Rules.JPG" title="Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire rules book" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now, I won't say it's terrible - it's not a <i>Myth</i>-level disaster - but it just feels a little bit slapdash at times.<br />
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I'll cherry pick a few examples to illustrate.<br />
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The rules book makes a point of defining "Fighter" as being represented by a miniature and a fighter card. "A fighter can be friendly or enemy (and when a rule refers to "a fighter" without specifying friendly or enemy, it refers to both."<br />
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That seems straightforward enough. Now, let's take a look at combat actions: "An attack action with a Range characteristic of 1 can only be used against adjacent enemies. An attack action with a Range characteristic of 2 or more can be used against fighters who are within that number of hexes of the attacking fighter..."<br />
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Let's forget they've used the term "enemies" instead of "enemy fighters" which is the defined term per the rules. Let's focus instead on how this ruling, by the written word, says you're allowed to shoot your own teammates.<br />
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But don't panic. Later in the rules it clarifies you can't attack a friendly fighter. I'll let you dig out that single line of text from the 32 page rules book yourself.<br />
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Now, let's look at the term "activation." The rules state, "although most activations allow a fighter to make an action, activations and actions are different things. Players take activations while fighters make actions (which may or may not be part of an activation)."<br />
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That sounds okay, but then in almost the next paragraph the rules list "activations common to all fighters," and many cards in the game have timing triggers such as "at the end of a fighter's activation."<br />
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It's not exactly difficult to figure all that out and understand what the rules mean, but I'm sure they could have made it all a little less obtuse.<br />
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The cards are generally okay, but there are a few that are real headscratchers. For example, the card "Stumble" says, "Play after a friendly fighter's Attack action drives an enemy fighter back. They are driven back an additional hex in the same direction."<br />
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That card would be okay if the rules didn't already have a perfectly defined keyword "knockback X," which adds X additional spaces when you drive back a target. So... Why the hell doesn't the "Stumble" card say, "Play this after a friendly fighter's Attack action. The attack gains Knockback 1"?<br />
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You'll find plenty of other examples as you play. At best, you'll think, "Boy, that's ugly wording." At worst, you'll need to spend a bit of time working out exactly what the card means.<br />
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The other thing the rules book simply doesn't address with any deal of accuracy is timing, and for a card game, that's almost criminal. There are cards that trigger after an action, after a specific type of action, or after an activation, and that causes some confusion because the specific timing of those events isn't clearly defined. For example, if a player uses an activation to activate a fighter to make an attack, when does that fighter's activation end? Does it simultaneously end at the point the attack action ends, in which case reactions triggering off "after an attack" and "after an activation" would happen at the same time, or do activations act as a wrapper around actions, and therefore actions end before the activation ends? If you play a reaction after an action within an activation, is the reaction part of the activation?<br />
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These things are easy to address with a proper flow diagram in the rules; and they should have been from the start.<br />
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But I have to stress, there's nothing game-breaking here. It's not something that's harmed my enjoyment of the game, it's just something that I would like to see Games Workshop tightening up as they move forwards.<br />
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And I do want them to move forwards. I want this game to be successful. I want to buy the next four warbands they've announced (skaven, fyreslayers, more stormcasts, and Khorne blood warriors). I want every card for deck building, because...<br />
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Well...<br />
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As I'm writing this, I've got my orruk deck beside me on the desk. I've picked it up multiple times today. Shuffled it. Swapped out a card. Swapped it back. Pressed down on the top of the stack and then watched it slowly inflate as the air seeps back into the card sleeves.<br />
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I've got my "hands-on-cards" experience.<br />
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But better yet, I have a "hands-on-cards" experience that doesn't involve saving my pocket money, going down to the local games store, and shelling out a small fortune on cards I don't want or already have. <i>Shadespire</i> eschews the blind-packaged collectible format for a more straightforward expansion structure. Each new expansion includes a set of miniatures for a new warband, some cards specific for that warband, and some generic cards for use with any warband. Of course, some people are going to shout, "Shenanigans!"<br />
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(People still say "shenanigans," right?)<br />
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They're going to cry foul because to get access to all of the cards requires purchasing every warband; a tactic which seems particularly unfair when considering each warband pack contains a relic card from a set of six.<br />
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But I'm okay with that. Games Workshop have dodged a bullet by pricing the expansions incredibly fairly. They're £17.50 each, and considering you get 31 universal cards to play with, that doesn't seem too bad a price, even if you aren't interested in the warband. But as you get a new warband too, you get a chance to experiment with a new faction for a change of pace. Furthermore, Games Workshop is releasing free PDFs for each warband that allow you to use the miniatures in games of Age of Sigmar.<br />
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If even that doesn't impress you, you can sell the miniatures to someone who does play Age of Sigmar.<br />
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So, yeah, I'm okay with that.<br />
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Maybe it's just because I still remember sifting through pack after pack of <i>Magic </i>cards looking for a blue leviathan, and getting a sinking feeling when it didn't surface.<br />
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Dammit, I'm doing water puns again.<br />
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Look, if you're still with me at this point, I'll wrap this up as succinctly as possible: <i>Shadespire</i> is the card game I've been waiting for. I've spent hours playing it, and even more hours building decks and running test scenarios. I'm excited to see what each new expansion brings.<br />
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Genuinely excited.<br />
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Best of all, I can play games whenever I feel like it; and I never have to go out for double P.E. afterwards.<br />
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<i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/new-warhammer-age-of-sigmar/age-of-sigmar-essentials/boxed-sets/warhammer-underworlds-shadespire-english-?d=10189" target="_blank">Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire</a> is available from Games Workshop directly and all good hobby stores and online retailers.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-91620857976360983392017-10-30T16:28:00.000-07:002019-11-02T16:43:22.575-07:00Review - Goosebumps: Terror in the Graveyard<i>Designed by Craig Van Ness</i><br />
<i>Published by Waddingtons</i><br />
<i>For 2-4 players, aged 7 to beyond the grave</i><br />
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Recently I've been spending a lot of time trying to get a new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/RedMonkeyBoy" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> off the ground. I'd never really intended to start doing videos, but it just sort of happened, and now I'm just another victim of the machine: A disembodied voice in the vast expanse of the Internet, wailing, "Look at me!"<br />
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If I'm honest, I'm not good with cameras. I don't like having my picture taken, I don't like being the centre of attention, and even just recording my voice fills me with anxiety. I've always been more comfortable writing. It's no wonder I became a novelist; even less of a wonder I became a freelance content provider so I could lock myself away at home and project myself onto the world from the comparative safety of my computer.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Words are my safe place. They let me express myself in a way I'm far too awkward to do in real life.<br />
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But I don't hide behind my words. My words are the only way I have to show the real me.<br />
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And yet, recently I've been producing more videos than written content; because that's the way the world is turning. I don't like it, but I feel it in my bones... a definite shift in the audience. People don't want to fire up their computers to read.<br />
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Video killed the written review.<br />
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So, like a monster rising from its slab, we lurch stiltedly to the point of this special Halloween review: The future of the written word scares me.<br />
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Research conducted in 2012 revealed that one in five children in England cannot read well by age 11; and only 26 percent of 10-year-olds like reading.<br />
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That's crazy to me.<br />
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I fell in love with reading before I could talk. I devoured books in my spare time, and wrote my first novel when I was 16. I read anything, but fantasy and horror books were always my passion. I loved to vanish into worlds populated by myths and monsters; and the <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1416991379/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1416991379&linkId=0a4604705a6b0fd84d180f4cb02dcd25" target="_blank">Fear Street</a></i> books by R. L. Stine were always on my reading list. His spooky tales for teens weren't particularly deep or inventive, but they were all kinds of fun. In the 1990s, he started writing the <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1742839207/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1742839207&linkId=0f50a31c25b881a4ba6b5a3333a75d35" target="_blank">Goosebumps</a> </i>horror books for younger children. By that time, I was in my early teens and already reading the works of Stephen King and James Herbert (I was a weird kid), but I loved the idea of a series of horrible books for kids intended to give them a fright. It's an idea that has followed me throughout my life, and every book I write is informed by that idea of giving kids chills along with the thrills.<br />
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And so, in celebration of Halloween, one of my favourite days of the year, I thought I would celebrate the work of R. L. Stine by reviewing <i>Goosebumps: Terror in the Graveyard</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qL6tb7NJhSY/Xb4RWbB_CSI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/eohVXd8Haq4xaTFK4sgfGgfvAtOGb7TZQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game box." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qL6tb7NJhSY/Xb4RWbB_CSI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/eohVXd8Haq4xaTFK4sgfGgfvAtOGb7TZQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game box." width="320" /></a></div>
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This is one of a surprising number of games based on the popular franchise, but the only one I've ever played. I found it in a charity shop, and I just had to buy it. I mean, look at that box art! The classic <i>Goosebumps </i>logo, the spooky graveyard, the terrifying spectre rising from the mist to claim new souls...<br />
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Love that.<br />
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It's also a game with a gimmick, and anyone who's visited my blog before knows that I'm a big fan of games with mechanical components, voice boxes, or weird stuff crowbared in to encourage kids away from their video games for a while.<br />
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In this particular case, the gimmick is a board with constantly shifting spaces, and a ghost on a spring.<br />
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Yeah... I know... terrifying.<br />
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So, this is one of those old games where the instructions for assembling the board are actually longer than the instructions for playing. There are three sliding panels with various pictures printed on them, and they sit underneath the gameboard, which depicts the titular graveyard. There are holes in the game board that allows the pictures on the panels underneath to show through, and during the game you slide the panels up and down to make the pictures change. Kinda like those moving eye faces you used to make with empty matchboxes when you were a kid.<br />
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Everybody used to make those, right?<br />
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Right?<br />
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Anyway, the panels slide by pulling on one of three plastic tombs, which double as pit traps during the game. There's also a cool but completely cosmetic gate at the start zone, a cute hedge running around the board (also cosmetic), and a tomb at the far side housing the horrifying spook on a spring. This springy spectre is the Headless Ghost, although he's actually more of a Faceless Ghost if you wanted to be pedantic. Apparently, he's trapped various characters from the <i>Goosebumps </i>stories in the graveyard, and now they need to find a magic ring (because there's always magic jewellery) to banish the ghost and escape.<br />
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Of course, in true horror movie style, nobody's going to think logically and work together; so everybody is out for themselves, and they're more than willing to throw everybody else under the bus (or tombstone) to save their own necks.<br />
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Each player takes control of two pawns of the same colour (a boy and a girl), places them on the starting zone, and the game's a(disembodied, decomposing)foot.<br />
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Turns move quickly, and there's no surprise to find this is a roll and move game. Only there's a (Transylvania) twist. You roll two custom dice. One has symbols that match symbols printed on the three plastic tombs on the gameboard, and the other is a number dice. After rolling, you move the tomb matching your roll, and then you move one of your two pawns. It's that simple.<br />
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But the fun, of course, comes from how moving the tombs changes the spaces on the board. After moving a tomb, all players must check to see if their pawns are now standing on symbols that need to be resolved (some symbols only activate if you land on them when moving by dice roll). Additionally, if a pawn falls into the tomb pit, that pawn is permanently out of the game. Common space actions include being paralysed by a skeletal hand, advancing forwards, or drawing one of the special <i>Goosebumps</i> cards.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3dBlT9FBlw/Xb4SbeCjTYI/AAAAAAAAAws/sMBo7M_LG9MLX_sMPDwgTBWc9mp_n3zcACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Board%2Bdetail%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Detail of the board from the Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game, showing how the images on the spaces change during play." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3dBlT9FBlw/Xb4SbeCjTYI/AAAAAAAAAws/sMBo7M_LG9MLX_sMPDwgTBWc9mp_n3zcACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Board%2Bdetail%2B2.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board details" width="320" /></a></div>
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Drawing cards is how you find the magic ring you need, and there are several in the deck, because why wouldn't a ghost hang out in the graveyard where someone has carelessly discarded multiple versions of the magical trinket capable of destroying him?<br />
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Some cards also give you the opportunity to turn your "friends" into monsters. I have to admit, it's quite amusing to suddenly turn into a werewolf, or to discover you're actually a ghost that's been haunting the cemetery all along. Of course, the in-game rules don't really make as much use of this concept as they should. While you're a monster, you can't win the game or draw cards: You just have to wander around until you land on a magic potion that cures you.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbaElspxp5Y/Xb4T-TzCeBI/AAAAAAAAAw8/Dfu33oSn3mAFaJul6aV0aQsCl9CdMUkBwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Cards%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An attractive arrangement of cards from the Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbaElspxp5Y/Xb4T-TzCeBI/AAAAAAAAAw8/Dfu33oSn3mAFaJul6aV0aQsCl9CdMUkBwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Cards%2B1.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eventually, somebody reaches the Headless / Faceless / Brainless Ghost with a ring. When that happens you drop a little plastic skull into the ghost's tomb. It rattles down a chute, and either lands on an empty spot (in which case the game continues) or lands on a lever that fires the ghost up into the air and signifies the end of the game. And yes... if you think that sounds a little bit like the mechanism from <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2014/10/ghost-castle-aka-which-witch.html" target="_blank">Ghost Castle</a> </i>(or <i>Which Witch?</i> if you're not from around these here parts), that's because it is a little bit like that mechanism.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rme0YMhQUdQ/Xb4UE2oMNPI/AAAAAAAAAxA/Ak0PJtbmqiI0Oc1gs3eJizhjK9qbDywLACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Skull.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The skull piece from the Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game, used to determine a winner." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rme0YMhQUdQ/Xb4UE2oMNPI/AAAAAAAAAxA/Ak0PJtbmqiI0Oc1gs3eJizhjK9qbDywLACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Skull.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game skull" width="320" /></a></div>
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And that's your lot really. It's a pretty simple roll and move game, incorporating some "that that" elements with the card play, a pretty cool shifting paths mechanism, and some silly gimmicks to raise a few smiles as you raise the dead.<br />
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And yeah... It's okay.<br />
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Probably better than okay (especially when you look at it through the eyes of a child rather than through the eyes of a jaded middle-aged man).<br />
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To be honest, "okay" is the least I would have expected from designer Craig Van Ness. Yes: <i>That </i>Craig Van Ness; the man behind <i>Heroscape</i>, <i>Magic the Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers, <a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2012/04/as-i-have-already-posted-my-marvel.html" target="_blank">Iron Man Battling Card Game</a>, Star Wars: The Queen's Gambit, </i>and <i>Star Wars: Epic Duels</i> (to name just a few).<br />
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This is a designer who really knows how to make fun games. He's also a designer who really knows how to make games for a specific market.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TuoohJdAiOM/Xb4ULlwJmgI/AAAAAAAAAxE/TCaaecQtYq0jiMyI1u2G8dE6aCaqJrgPgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Dice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The custom dice from Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TuoohJdAiOM/Xb4ULlwJmgI/AAAAAAAAAxE/TCaaecQtYq0jiMyI1u2G8dE6aCaqJrgPgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Dice.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game custom dice" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Goosebumps: Terror in the Graveyard</i> pitches at the people who read the books, or should read the books. And it balances everything perfectly for that market. For example, the gameplay involves just enough reading to improve literacy without the words becoming a barrier to entry or slowing down gameplay; and the "take that" elements are exactly the sort of mechanisms that kids love because it gives them a chance to pick on mum and dad, and ensures there's always a chance for a last minute comeback when they're losing.<br />
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Best of all, the roll and move gameplay is luck-driven, but the board doesn't feature a linear path, so you have much more freedom of movement. Additionally, when it's time to move a tomb pit you sometimes have a choice of which direction to move it, so it's possible to shift the board in your favour. This creates decision points that aren't going to induce analysis-paralysis in younger children, while most of the game still leans heavily on luck so players of different ages can compete on a level footing.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ekkrD3DYfI/Xb4USniljhI/AAAAAAAAAxI/2rhLcZiDKq4-DReDx827_bHu-rj59pRZwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Girl%2Bpiece.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="One of the children races through the graveyard in the Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ekkrD3DYfI/Xb4USniljhI/AAAAAAAAAxI/2rhLcZiDKq4-DReDx827_bHu-rj59pRZwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Girl%2Bpiece.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game playing piece on board" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are, however, a few rules that don't sit well with me. In fact, the game includes two of my least favourite game mechanisms: Player elimination and missing a turn.<br />
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Player elimination is a result of falling in a tomb pit. Any pawn that falls down a hole is out of the game permanently. Lose both of your pawns, and it's time to start playing <i>Angry Birds</i> on your phone while you wait for the game to wrap up without you. Of course, having two pawns mitigates the effect of this rule, but I still don't think a game for this age group should involve situations where<br />
kids don't get to actually take part.<br />
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I dislike "miss a go" mechanisms for the same reason, and in <i>Terror in the Graveyard</i> this rule is particularly egregious because you could miss several turns in a row. If you land on a skeletal hand, you aren't allowed to move that pawn again until the hand goes away; and that's only going to happen when someone moves the tomb connected to that particular part of the board. Again, having two pawns mitigates this problem a bit; but if one of your pawns falls down a pit, and the other lands on a skeletal hand, you're going to have a rubbish time.<br />
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In the balance, I would say the game does more right than it does wrong. It's about what you would expect from a kid's game. From an adult's perspective it's playable. Sometimes even enjoyable. From a kid's perspective, it's something a bit more special.<br />
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It's a living world of spooky fun.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zPOADsjzuc/Xb4UaNkhfDI/AAAAAAAAAxM/3XsS331YmJ4B5GGyDEiHROCZLUUjH7z9QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Cards%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An arrangement of character cards from Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zPOADsjzuc/Xb4UaNkhfDI/AAAAAAAAAxM/3XsS331YmJ4B5GGyDEiHROCZLUUjH7z9QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Cards%2B2.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game character cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's also an advertisement to read. From the references to popular characters on the cards, to the "Reading is a scream" slogan on the box art, this game never lets you forget that when you've packed the game away, you still have a whole world of R. L. Stine's monstrous brand of mayhem to explore.<br />
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And as far as I'm concerned, any game that promotes reading is a good game.<br />
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After all, is there anything more terrifying than the vision of a future in which children don't read anymore?<br />
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What would they do instead? Watch YouTube videos?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmMGGdFK8j8/Xb4Ui2oirlI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/jO5TMIfyJFcj0V3WxXb8r13X3Y7eRCzZACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Headless%2BGhost.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The headless ghost is waiting for you in the Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmMGGdFK8j8/Xb4Ui2oirlI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/jO5TMIfyJFcj0V3WxXb8r13X3Y7eRCzZACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Headless%2BGhost.JPG" title="Goosebumps Terror in the Graveyard board game headless ghost" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Halloween, everybody!Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-48351704275280795512017-10-01T03:02:00.000-07:002019-11-02T17:07:08.682-07:00Review - Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle<i>Designed by Mike Langlois and Christian Leonhard</i><br />
<i>Published by Emergent Games</i><br />
<i>For 1-4 players, aged 14 to adult</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3lhaq1TvEw/Xb4XiFWIGYI/AAAAAAAAAyc/WXvSObLlozwImuuRt4euk1JzjyqV-XpzwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Title%2BCard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3lhaq1TvEw/Xb4XiFWIGYI/AAAAAAAAAyc/WXvSObLlozwImuuRt4euk1JzjyqV-XpzwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Title%2BCard.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle" width="320" /></a></div>
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Regulars to my blog may have noticed things have been a bit quiet around here lately. Part of the reason was I needed a bit of time to take stock following what can only be described as a disastrous attempt to carve out a little niche on Patreon. Part of the reason was I needed a bit of time to get my new YouTube channel off the ground. However, the main reason was I simply didn't have any time at all.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Time has always been a luxury in my house, but on 18 August this year, my wife gave birth, and I became a father for the second time.<br />
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Now, it's been a little while since I did the whole nappies and late nights routine with my daughter, who turns seven years old this December, and I'm not as young as I used to be (a ridiculous phrase that I often hear people saying, as if they actually need to explain how time works); but I do remember those dim and distant days. I remember my daughter sitting in her swing chair, gurgling away while I cooked dinner; I remember her lying quietly in my arms while I played Nintendo games; I remember her sleeping for six or seven hours through the night, and me regularly giving her a little poke just to make sure my world hadn't fallen apart without me noticing.<br />
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Man, those were good days.<br />
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When people found out my wife was pregnant again, they all said, "You never get two the same." But secretly, we were pretty confident. We were going to have another little girl, and she was going to be an angel like her big sister.<br />
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Yeah... right.<br />
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First of all, we discovered we were having a boy. It was unexpected, but a nice surprise. We were gong to have a little pigeon pair. Unfortunately, that was where the "nice" ran out. My wife proceeded to have nine months of the worst kind of pain imaginable, with a range of health complications and frequent scares culminating in a condition that meant her bile levels were increasing, and she had to have an induced birth.<br />
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But we made it. We got through it all.<br />
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And now my house is very noisy.<br />
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My beautiful bouncing boy does not sit in his swing chair gurgling while I cook dinner; he doesn't sleep in my arms while I play video games; he doesn't sleep for seven hours. Seven minutes would be a blessing. He has a medical condition that he will eventually grow out of, but for the time being, for each minute he's happy there's a minute where he's uncomfortable and hurting. So, we give him medicine three times a day, and we muddle through on coffee and wishful thinking.<br />
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And time just slips away.<br />
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Now, don't get me wrong. I love my little boy. We went through a lot to bring him into the world, and I'm never for a second going to wish we hadn't gone through that.<br />
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I just wouldn't mind the occasional nap, is all.<br />
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But what has this got to do with <a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2016/02/fireteam-zero.html" target="_blank"><i>Fireteam Zero</i>?</a> More specifically, what has this got to do with <i>Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle?</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ix8sQwZbpSo/Xb4Yk3c30cI/AAAAAAAAAyw/-_OnStzA23QcyuxCPdtewVooMK2rpBerQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box for Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle, showing Rat covered in gore behind enemy lines." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ix8sQwZbpSo/Xb4Yk3c30cI/AAAAAAAAAyw/-_OnStzA23QcyuxCPdtewVooMK2rpBerQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle box" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well... nothing, I suppose. But I've been thinking about time a bit recently (my lack of it, the speed at which it moves, the desire for just a little more) and I realised that I'm always in a hurry. I'm always trying to cram as much into every minute of the day as possible, because if I don't, I never get anything done. Living like that can be stressful, and there are times when I might feel like there's no way to get done everything I need to do; but at least I can say that I'm never bored.<br />
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And in many ways, playing a game of <i>Fireteam Zero</i> is similar. The game is a fast and brutal race against time, where you spend every turn trying to optimise your few actions to stay one step ahead. Each turn, your foes get stronger, and each turn presents you with countless opportunities to fail. The longer you take, the more those opportunities stack up, and it only takes one wrong move to bring your whole plan crashing down.<br />
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The game puts you under pressure from the first action of the first turn, forcing you to make tough calls and never once giving you room to breathe. You often feel hopeless; sometimes it's a struggle to press on because you feel like you're doomed to fail. But it's that struggle that keeps you coming back; it's that struggle that ensures you're never bored. It's that struggle that makes every moment of tension it's own reward, and every victory memorable.<br />
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And I wouldn't change it for the world.<br />
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Designers Mike Langlois and Christian Leonhard obviously feel the same, because <i>The Europe Cycle </i>is the second expansion for <i>Fireteam Zero</i> that seeks to bring more of everything you love to the table without breaking the winning formula. Like I said in my review of <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2017/02/fireteam-zero-africa-cycle.html" target="_blank">The Africa Cycle</a></i> earlier this year: They are the kind of expansions I like. They are expansions that give you more variety without more clutter; more choices without more complexity. When there is a new rule, it integrates so seamlessly that within moments you'll feel like it's always been a part of the game. In fact, you could buy <i>Europe</i> or <i>Africa </i>(or both) at the same time as the base game, chuck it all together, and feel like it was always meant to be that way.<br />
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And that's not to say it feels like the expansions were content excised from the base game, and portioned out as expansions to make more money. There's far too much content in each box to ever feel shortchanged.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g95gR_HWMmE/Xb4YsdnguwI/AAAAAAAAAy0/7j4DCu-pFfcQaZEepRFre6xCOSsNENSLQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Rules%2BBook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An excerpt of the rules leaflet from Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g95gR_HWMmE/Xb4YsdnguwI/AAAAAAAAAy0/7j4DCu-pFfcQaZEepRFre6xCOSsNENSLQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Rules%2BBook.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle rules" width="320" /></a></div>
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As with <i>Africa</i>, <i>Europe's</i> big selling point is the new three-part campaign in an all-new setting. This time we're off to Kharkiv in the Ukraine, investigating a strange fungal growth that infects humans and drives them to acts of violence. What could it all mean?<br />
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It means your day is about to get really shitty. Obviously.<br />
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[Warning: I'm going to talk about the scenarios a bit here. I don't think there's anything here you won't get from reading the mission setups, but if you would rather experience everything first hand, skip the next THREE paragraphs.]<br />
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The first mission is quite similar to the first mission from the base game, even going so far as to use the original forest tiles; but a clever objective forces players to split up, securing multiple spawning locations at the same time as they attempt to track the source of the horrific fungal outbreak. The second mission really shakes things up, transferring the action to the bombed corpse of a city and presenting a mission that goes beyond the usual aim of searching spawn points. Here, there are four fungal spires (represented by cardboard tokens) that attack the heroes at range. The group's sniper gets the dubious honour of blinding each spire, while the demolition expert attempts to assemble the necessary ingredients to burn a corpse mound. At the same time, the rest of the team hunt for intel. It's an exciting mission that plays to the various strengths of the allies, and gives something new to do besides flipping those spawn tokens and sifting through the Recon deck for things you need. I would love to see more missions like this, where each hero has a defined role that's a bit like a personal objective.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TFr6RAT7TBc/Xb4Y0KAMqwI/AAAAAAAAAy4/CB2q682HM5wruZ2sdBlCj6RZPs62JdJ-QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Board.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The snowy, abandoned village, scene of carnage in Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TFr6RAT7TBc/Xb4Y0KAMqwI/AAAAAAAAAy4/CB2q682HM5wruZ2sdBlCj6RZPs62JdJ-QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Board.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle board" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the final mission, you are inside a manor house, once more racing against time as you hunt down a monstrous beast. This mission is a true gauntlet, throwing a series of mini-bosses at you before the Big Bad shows up. It's hard as nails, and a lot of fun; but it's that second mission that really stands out as bringing something new and inventive to the standard mission structure.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2s1xYgIoHo/Xb4Y61RjbfI/AAAAAAAAAy8/EoVKxd19Sp8X3yFIWQSPUOLnAbn2l9glwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Big%2BMonster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blacktooth, the big bad that's causing all kinds of trouble in Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2s1xYgIoHo/Xb4Y61RjbfI/AAAAAAAAAy8/EoVKxd19Sp8X3yFIWQSPUOLnAbn2l9glwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Big%2BMonster.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle Blacktooth" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are also three bonus missions, drawing on components from the base game. The first sees you searching a spooky asylum, and has an objective that involves working with your specialist to study some arcane macguffin. The second involves hunting down some renegade officers but quickly turns into a battle royale with multiple bosses; and it has the added interest of having two different ways to win. Finally, there's a mission that involves searching a vault before time runs out. This is a race against time in the truest sense of the phrase: You lose if the Threat Track runs out.<br />
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[Did you skip? Okay... Carry on from here.]<br />
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All told, none of the new missions offer anything groundbreaking. There's nothing here that reinvents the core structure from the base game. But if you love that core; if you want more missions with more monsters in new settings. Well... this expansion has exactly what you want.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lgtpTBEuk5E/Xb4ZQGS-lII/AAAAAAAAAzE/qD1-t1Krt9sueiR41Rosxm0Q2dh5621LwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Mission%2BBook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An excerpt from the Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle mission log." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lgtpTBEuk5E/Xb4ZQGS-lII/AAAAAAAAAzE/qD1-t1Krt9sueiR41Rosxm0Q2dh5621LwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Mission%2BBook.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle mission book" width="320" /></a></div>
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Part of what makes <i>Fireteam Zero</i> such a joy is that the core gameplay is so simple and streamlined, it's incredibly easy to bolt on new elements, or add a new type of monster, or give the heroes a new type of skill; and in that sense, <i>Europe</i> offers an exciting amount of variety to layer in with your base game.<br />
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First off, you get the new Bloodless monster family. It's intended for use in the three-part scenario, but it's completely "plug and play," so you can use it in any of the base game missions if you want to. The Minions are nasty little critters called Spore Children that get stronger in large quantities. The Elites are Saprophyte Soldiers that infest the heroes with debilitating spore tokens that sap them of the will to fight back. Finally, there's the boss: A gigantic mushroom thing with flailing tentacles and teeth where they've no right to be. He has a special ability that dishes out spore tokens to heroes, and then inflicts damage on infected heroes every time he takes damage, which is a clever mechanism for representing how infected heroes start to become part of the expanding organism.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y6-Qk-BxAc/Xb4Zf0i3T_I/AAAAAAAAAzI/HrJ_urt1t4QGB2U9J-e4YPqtuKVxJzLgQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Monsters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A selection of gruesome monsters from Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y6-Qk-BxAc/Xb4Zf0i3T_I/AAAAAAAAAzI/HrJ_urt1t4QGB2U9J-e4YPqtuKVxJzLgQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Monsters.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle monster family" width="320" /></a></div>
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Besides that, you get four new Focus cards (one for each hero), including a very useful range boost for the Leader to improve his versatility; and you get 32 new Advanced Action cards (two sets of four cards for each hero), which incorporate the re-rolls that also appears in <i>Africa</i>. This re-roll mechanism is on certain action cards, allowing you to roll one or two dice again if you need to, and it represents the only way to effectively circumvent the baked-in limit of eight dice on any single attack.<br />
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The final element of the expansion is what really makes <i>Europe</i> stand head and shoulders above <i>Africa</i>: Specialist abilities.<br />
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As you know, before each game, you get to pick two specialists. One is a psychic, and one is a lore specialist. Each specialist usually has an "always on" ability that any nearby heroes benefit from.<br />
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I've always thought this concept was one of <i>Fireteam Zero's </i>highlights. The idea of portable special powers that you can hand around among the group is fresh and inventive; and I love how you need to move the specialists into dangerous areas to benefit from them, creating an exciting risk versus reward decision on every turn.<br />
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That being the case, I was obviously delighted to see a new rule in this expansion that beefs up what the specialists can do.<br />
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Simply put, at the start of the game, you draw an ability card for each specialist. Some of these cards have a limited number of uses (represented by cardboard tokens) while others are free to use. For example, the psychic ability Timeslip is limited to three uses, but allows you re-roll all of your attack dice following a failed attack. Meanwhile, the Lore ability Ritual of Borrowed Luck is an "always on" ability that increases everybody's hand size by one while the Lucky Coin is face up, but decreases everybody's hand size by one with the coin is face down.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_DLDpmZ8bg/Xb4ZvRO6GaI/AAAAAAAAAzU/ty_JMty5sMg5oeoI9X3_CtXIB0w5krrdgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Specialist%2BSkills.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Specialists gain exciting new abilities to fight the monsters in Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_DLDpmZ8bg/Xb4ZvRO6GaI/AAAAAAAAAzU/ty_JMty5sMg5oeoI9X3_CtXIB0w5krrdgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Specialist%2BSkills.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle specialist skills" width="320" /></a></div>
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The interesting thing is, every ability comes with a price. What that price is, depends on the nature of the card:<br />
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1. Some very weak abilities are "always on," but while you always benefit from them, the limit of only one specialist ability per specialist means you miss out on the chance to have a more powerful ability to call on.<br />
2. Some powerful abilities are "always on," but require you to instantly advance the Threat Track at the start of the game, and may have a negative effect under certain conditions.<br />
3. Most of the abilities have a limited number of uses determined by how powerful they are, ranging from one to three. Furthermore, each time you use those abilities, you have to increase the Threat Track by one.<br />
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The risk versus reward structure of the specialist abilities is a fascinating representation of how meddling with arcane powers gives you an instant benefit but may come back to bite you in the ass over time. It's also just bloody brilliant game design.<br />
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Regardless of what type of game I'm playing, I crave crunchy decisions. I don't want options where there's always one best course of action. I want every benefit to have a potential backlash. That's what <i>The Europe Cycle</i> does.<br />
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And that, above anything else, is why I recommend it wholeheartedly.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-nNt2bHTeM/Xb4Z1lC1wZI/AAAAAAAAAzY/cpg5WdwJvMgxYDc69OD-BL7obKielD1pgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Monster%2BCards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An arrangement of monster cards from Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-nNt2bHTeM/Xb4Z1lC1wZI/AAAAAAAAAzY/cpg5WdwJvMgxYDc69OD-BL7obKielD1pgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Monster%2BCards.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle monster cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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But that's not to say it's a perfect expansion. If anything, I would say it has only a single flaw, but it's a flaw that permeates the whole product: It doesn't really go far enough.<br />
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I've already said I don't like expansions that add too many new rules, but here it feels like the designers were reluctant to push the envelope. I found myself wishing there was just a bit... more. It seems strange to say it because the simple elegance of the design is part of the engaging play I love so much; but...<br />
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Yeah.<br />
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But...<br />
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(You can't see it, but I'm gesticulating here. I'll probably go blind.)<br />
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If you hold <i>Africa </i>and <i>Europe </i>against each other, with the exception of the new setting, there is very little to tell them apart. They both contain one new monster family; they both contain one new three-part mission; they both give each hero two new types of Advanced Actions and one new Focus card; they both incorporate the re-roll mechanism; and they both introduce one new twist to the core rules (in <i>Africa</i>, that rule was incorporating gear into the Recon deck, which is something I felt didn't really work to improve the game experience). The missions all have very similar structures, and even the monster families have the same structure, with eight Minions, four Elites, and a Boss. In fact, I would go one step further than that: The monster families actually look similar. The Spore Children are little scurrying things like corrupted animals or scavengers; and the saprophyte soldiers are humanoid warriors similar to... well... most of the other Elites in the game.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w73CFwYkEiE/Xb4Z7WLbhjI/AAAAAAAAAzc/BDM6APEy6dsO4_q3eBVS1RMVR9ImZf1AwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Little%2BMonster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A scurrying minion from the Bloodless family from Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w73CFwYkEiE/Xb4Z7WLbhjI/AAAAAAAAAzc/BDM6APEy6dsO4_q3eBVS1RMVR9ImZf1AwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Little%2BMonster.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle minion" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sure, there are little twists, like the new status effects and some more varied objectives, but this is still very much the <i>Fireteam Zero </i>experience you know from the base game. Whether that's a good or bad thing is entirely down to your point of view.<br />
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For me, on balance, it's a good thing. Because I love those stressful, heart-pounding moments of adrenaline-fuelled terror you get with each new turn. I love trying to squeeze every last bit of utility out of my meager actions as I desperately fight the clock. I love this game. So yes; of course I'm going to love an expansion that gives me more missions, more cool monsters that I can slot into any game, and more Advanced Actions and Focus cards for customising my hero.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8h2AqHOElU/Xb4aD6wymgI/AAAAAAAAAzg/CwnOMeWrEhYBT6cq3FZ4DRlKKxonhSK9QCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Cards3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="New focus abilities give the heroes a fighting chance in Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8h2AqHOElU/Xb4aD6wymgI/AAAAAAAAAzg/CwnOMeWrEhYBT6cq3FZ4DRlKKxonhSK9QCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Cards3.JPG" title="Fireteam Zero: The Europe Cycle focus cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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Most of all, I love the new specialist abilities that give me more options and more agonising decisions.<br />
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But there's still a part of me... A small part, but perhaps a growing part... A tiny spore that's taken root...<br />
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Just something that makes me wish that next time I buy a big box of <i>Fireteam Zero </i>goodness it's going to shake up the formula, and give me a whole new experience: a new reason to stay up late and live on coffee.<br />
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Because for all the good things <i>The Europe Cycle </i>does, for all the tension and terror and stress and dead heroes that fill each gaming session, I can't help thinking the design feels like something that's completely at odds with the <i>Fireteam Zero</i> setting.<br />
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It's a design that feels safe.<br />
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<i>A special thank you goes out to Mike Langlois and all the guys at Emergent Games, who provided me with my copy of The Europe Cycle. The first print run of the game and both expansions is sold out at stores, but you can get copies for yourself during the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/701653685/fireteam-zero-second-printing" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign</a>, which is live right now. If you decide to pledge, be sure to tell Mike I said, "Hi."</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-85906688065531778582017-08-06T16:08:00.000-07:002020-04-09T05:38:13.454-07:00Review - Warhammer 40,000 (First Strike)<i>Published by Games Workshop</i><br />
<i>For 2 players, aged 12 to adult</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpLveRRU5XM/Xb4dLUKAzJI/AAAAAAAAA0s/YwrQ4NgPcVk1Af0jOBQFcoxoWFTdUG6wACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box%2Bart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike cover art" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpLveRRU5XM/Xb4dLUKAzJI/AAAAAAAAA0s/YwrQ4NgPcVk1Af0jOBQFcoxoWFTdUG6wACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box%2Bart.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike" width="320" /></a></div>
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Back in 1989, I was walking through a local branch of WH Smith when a magazine caught my eye. It was called <i>White Dwarf</i>, and the cover featured some kind of astronaut in white armour, desperately fending off four-armed aliens in the wreck of a spaceship. I couldn't count out my pocket money quick enough.<br />
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I must have read that magazine a hundred times. I studied every piece of artwork. I marvelled over every painted miniature. I wrote my own stories about the unusual characters you could order by post from the catalogue section in the back.<br />
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I was nine years old. And I was instantly hooked.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>However, although it was the space marine on the magazine cover that first attracted my attention, it was a thing called <i>Warhammer Fantasy Battle</i> that truly captured my imagination.<br />
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Later that year I got a copy of <i>HeroQuest</i>. Shortly afterwards, I got <i>Advanced HeroQuest. </i>Games Workshop's Old World was fascinating to me, and while I did pick up copies of <i>Space Crusade,</i> <i>Advanced Space Crusade</i>, and various other space-themed offerings, I always returned to the Old World.<br />
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Because it was my world.<br />
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For the first few years of my involvement with Games Workshop, I was only playing the board games; but by the time the fourth edition of <i>Warhammer Fantasy Battle</i> came out in 1992, I had already made a decision I didn't realise I was making.<br />
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The same decision everybody had to make back then:<br />
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<i>Warhammer Fantasy Battle </i>or <i>Warhammer 40,000</i>?<br />
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I purchased the <i>Fantasy Battle </i>boxed set on day one, and the ranks of goblin figures in the box formed the backbone of my first ever army. I subsequently built an undead army, and then a dwarf army.<br />
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I spent my evenings painting. I spent my weekends engaged in epic battles with my best friend Dale.<br />
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I still purchased <i>White Dwarf </i>every month, and I still read about all the latest space marine and genestealer releases, but I never actually took the plunge. I never ventured onto the battlefields of the <i>Warhammer 40,000</i> universe...<br />
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Until now.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nclI6MQ_WWk/Xb4dRrHaNtI/AAAAAAAAA0w/qW-8xo4REJQC6nHVH35BCSahLNj0qAWCwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box for Warhammer 40,000: First Strike, showing Ultramarines fighting Death Guard." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nclI6MQ_WWk/Xb4dRrHaNtI/AAAAAAAAA0w/qW-8xo4REJQC6nHVH35BCSahLNj0qAWCwCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Box.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike game box" width="320" /></a></div>
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Regulars to my blog will know that when I eventually went to university I sold every board game, tabletop game, and army that I owned; and when I returned from university, Games Workshop seemed like a very different company to the one I'd left behind. It was a long time before the company started to release products I wanted to buy again, and I welcomed the resurgence of their board games with open arms.<br />
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I even recently started playing a bit of Age of Sigmar at a skirmish level.<br />
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But still, <i>Warhammer 40,000 </i>was something I never had a great interest in trying out. That changed when Games Workshop released the shiny new <i>Eighth Edition</i>. And the reason it changed is because Games Workshop changed.<br />
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For the first time ever, it felt like they were really trying to make it as easy as possible for new players to get started; and they were doing that by providing three distinct products, all aimed at slightly different markets.<br />
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The main product, for people who want to dive right in, is <i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/games-workshop/warhammer-40k/chaos-space-marines/warhammer-40000-dark-imperium?d=10189" target="_blank">Dark Imperium</a></i>, an exciting £95 boxed set containing 53 miniatures in classic Games Workshop grey plastic, and the full rules in glorious hardback.<br />
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The secondary product is <i>Know No Fear</i>, a set designed entirely to make my brain have a little hiccup every time I type the name. It's £50, contains 31 of the miniatures from the <i>Dark Imperium</i> set, and has a bunch of stuff to help out new players, such as a box that converts into terrain, a paper mat, and a 96-page book with the core rules and introductory missions.<br />
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I'll be talking about <i>Know No Fear</i> in more detail another day, because today is all about <i>First Strike</i>, one of the most exciting little products Games Workshop has offered in a very long time. And I don't mean exciting because it has the most models, or the best models, or the most inventive game system. I mean exciting because of what it represents: A solid, strong move by Games Workshop to put their products in the hands of a new generation of gamers.<br />
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<i>First Strike</i> costs £25 (or £20 with online discount), so it's clearly pitched at "pocket money" level. It's around the price mark that your nan might be willing to spend on you for your birthday, or the amount your mum might spend as a reward for you sodding off out the house every day of the summer holidays so she can have more quality time with the pool cleaner. It includes 15 push-fit, colour-coded models, dice, a plastic ruler, a paper mat, stat cards for four units, a book containing an introduction to the hobby, the core rules, plus a box insert that doubles as a piece of scenery.<br />
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And I have to say, it's pretty good value.<br />
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The most obvious way to evaluate the product is by the number of miniatures. These are all from a special range of "easy build" products, designed especially for beginners. They are made in coloured plastic (blue and green), and they go together without glue. Some are even single-piece models. You get a unit of three Primaris Intercessors (shooty space marines), a unit of three Primaris Reivers (stabby space marines), a unit of 6 poxwalkers (scabby zombies), and a unit of three Death Guard (shitty plague marines that just won't f**king die already). These units are available from Games Workshop for £10 each, making buying the <i>First Strike</i> starter set good value even before you factor in the dice, range ruler, and printed materials.<br />
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What I find particularly interesting is the way Games Workshop has very cleverly ensured that none of the models in this set are available in <i>Know No Fear</i> or <i>Dark Imperium. </i>So, even though this product is aimed squarely at new players, people who buy the bigger sets or who already play <i>40K </i>may still pick up <i>First Strike </i>as a way of getting some cheap models to create more diversity for their armies.<br />
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Suddenly, this starter set isn't just a starter set.<br />
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It's a cheap "army builder" box.<br />
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In terms of the amount of plastic goodness in the box, it's hard to feel disappointed... seriously, when has anyone ever been disappointed with their new Games Workshop toy soldiers? But the main way to evaluate any game isn't by the weight of it's box, but by how much fun it provides. This is where <i>First Strike</i> is on slightly shaky ground.<br />
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The set is very much an introduction to the game system, and the four scenarios included are specifically intended to hold your hand as they show you the sights. You need to accept, up front, this box isn't going to give you everything the game system has to offer. It's just going to give you an idea of the potential.<br />
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To get started with the first mission, all you need to do is clip out the six poxwalkers, and the three space marine intercessors. As some of the poxwalkers are single-piece figures, I reckon you'll be playing your first game in about half an hour.<br />
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That first game introduces the concept of walking.<br />
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Not even kidding.<br />
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One player controls the poxwalkers, who don't have any guns and aren't allowed to fight in melee. The other player controls the space marines, who are allowed to shoot, but aren't allowed to fight in melee.<br />
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So, the poxwalkers start, and they trudge towards the edges of the paper mat designated as escape points. There's no real tactics here. You just move them the full movement allowance, as printed on their data cards. There's a special rule called "advance" that allows you to forego shooting and charging later in the round in order to roll a D6 and add the total to your movement. There's absolutely no reason not to do this, so you will.<br />
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When the space marines activate, they get to shoot, and you get your first taste of a really pretty exciting and streamlined combat system. You roll at least one dice for each gun you're shooting with (some guns have special rules like rapid firing over half range), and on each dice you're looking to roll equal to or greater than the ballistic skill (BS) listed on the shooter's data card. The intercessors are badasses, and they hit on a 3+, so any dice rolling three or higher is a hit.<br />
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After hitting, you need to roll to wound (and this bit I really liked). You compare the strength of the gun to the toughness of the target. If the gun's strength is at least half the toughness value, you wound on a 6+, if it's less than the toughness you wound on a 5+, if it's equal to the toughness you wound on a 4+, if it's greater than the toughness you wound on a 3+, and if it's at least twice as great as the toughness you wound on a 2+.<br />
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It's so simple; so clean and elegant. There's no cross-referencing in charts or anything like that. Every time you roll the dice, as long as you know the strength and toughness values, you know exactly what you need to succeed. Only very rarely does it even matter what the exact figures are. All that matters is whether the strength of the gun is less than, equal to, or greater than the target's toughness.<br />
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And that's just really good design.<br />
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Finally, the target may get an armour save, which involves rolling a dice and matching or exceeding the target's save value.<br />
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Poxwalkers don't get armour, because they're rubbish.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--doRSzEmF-k/Xb4eXiX_0lI/AAAAAAAAA1M/x43yKdWqcaEY5xytakvFT58IdIdBODQXgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/PoxwalkerAttack2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A unit of Poxwalkers bears down on a Space Marine Sergeant in Warhammer 40,000: First Strike." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--doRSzEmF-k/Xb4eXiX_0lI/AAAAAAAAA1M/x43yKdWqcaEY5xytakvFT58IdIdBODQXgCKgBGAsYHg/s320/PoxwalkerAttack2.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike sergeant fighting poxwalkers" width="320" /></a></div>
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So anyway, that's how the first mission plays out. The poxwalkers shamble along, the space marines shoot them. The poxwalkers leave the map (because the map is really small), and nobody really has much fun.<br />
<br />
I very much understand why the scenario exists. I understand what it's trying to do. I understand that if you want to introduce someone new to a potentially complex system, you have to start at the very beginning and do some leg work (in this case, quite literally). But damn, is it a dull way to spend five minutes of your day; and it really does come very close to putting the game system in a poor light and giving the impression it's all a bit boring.<br />
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Moving on...<br />
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The second mission is almost as dull as the first. It involves one sergeant charging into battle against the six poxwalkers. The scenario aims to introduce the concepts of charging and melee, which are so slick and simple, they don't really need a scenario geared around them at all. To charge, you just roll two dice and add the values. If the total would bring you within one inch of the enemy, you can charge; otherwise, you just stand there. The only wrinkle in the rules is the introduction of overwatch, when the targets of a charge get to make a free shooting action against the chargers, but need to roll a six to hit regardless of their ballistic skill.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hd70057Xh2o/Xb4en46pf1I/AAAAAAAAA1U/8GwGIVPa-_Yj2Jr9Rxg7Yat1vcflrzVwQCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/PoxwalkerAttack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An Intercessor Sergeant charges a unit of Poxwalkers in Warhammer 40,000: First Strike." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hd70057Xh2o/Xb4en46pf1I/AAAAAAAAA1U/8GwGIVPa-_Yj2Jr9Rxg7Yat1vcflrzVwQCKgBGAsYHg/s320/PoxwalkerAttack.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike sergeant charging" width="320" /></a></div>
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Close combat is very similar to shooting. You roll against the attackers weapon skill (WS), then you roll to wound, comparing the attacker's strength to the defender's toughness. Finally, the target's get to take armour saves.<br />
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By this stage, you're going to know how to move, charge, shoot, and fight. And those really are the core concepts to get nailed down. From this point onwards, things start to get a lot more interesting. The final two scenarios in the box bring together everything you've learned so far, and then they sprinkle on just a few more fine details, such as armour-penetrating bullets, cover, terrain, splitting attacks, and throwing grenades.<br />
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And while you may have been sleepwalking (or sleep advancing, or sleep charging) through the first two missions, these second two missions are going to wake you right up, because suddenly things start to click. You start to see how all those basic concepts hinge together to create a super-slick and really rather cool gaming system.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CvbaYgFh8YE/Xb4exMQL-qI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/Phtrkv4pp2sBGwAQWc8wXLw9shtGVjjOACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/UltraVsDeathGuard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Reiver Space Marine attacks a Death Guard Marine in Warhammer 40,000: First Strike." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CvbaYgFh8YE/Xb4exMQL-qI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/Phtrkv4pp2sBGwAQWc8wXLw9shtGVjjOACKgBGAsYHg/s320/UltraVsDeathGuard.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike Reiver vs. Death Guard" width="320" /></a></div>
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By the time you're done, you're going to have a good idea about how <i>Warhammer 40,000 </i>functions. Unfortunately, you're also going to be done.<br />
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There's nowhere else to go with this boxed set. Sure, you can replay the scenarios, but with only two small units per side, you're very quickly going to realise that you need a lot more miniatures to get a truly exciting experience. You'll have spent an enjoyable afternoon learning all the rules, but you won't have any way of putting those rules into practice on a grander scale. This is, after all, only a starter set.<br />
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And so... Is this box really good value? Is a single afternoon of quite basic gameplay that's clearly intended to serve only as a primer worth your £25?<br />
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I guess that depends entirely on what you were expecting. If you evaluate <i>First Strike </i>as a game in a box, it absolutely falls short of the mark. There's little reason to replay the scenarios, and insufficient models to invent your own narrative games. Furthermore, the starter is really only introducing you to the game in the most basic of ways. It omits so much (vehicles, heroes, matched play, psychic attacks, transports, reinforcements, objectives) that even after playing, I can't really tell you if <i>Eighth Edition</i> is a good system. I just haven't seen enough of the game to know. And that's why this isn't a review of <i>Eighth Edition;</i> it's only a review of the <i>First Strike</i> starter set (which I feel is a very important distinction).<br />
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But there's another way to evaluate <i>First Strike</i>, and that's as a stepping stone. Here, I have to say that it excels in every possible way.<br />
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Games Workshop have balanced the set perfectly to tell you about the hobby, and to tease the possibilities, without adding so much information that new players decide it's all far too complicated to deal with.<br />
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For example:<br />
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The set contains colour-coded models that don't need painting or gluing, there's a paper mat, and the box turns into terrain. The whole thing is designed to get you playing fast, but it also gives you a taste of things to come. When it's all set up... if you squint a bit... it's like you're already playing on a beautiful board, with scratch-built terrain and painted miniatures. Furthermore, assembling the miniatures prepares you for more challenging builds in the future by getting you used to clipping out pieces and removing any rough bits.<br />
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For example:<br />
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The "Read This First" book has some basic painting guides. It tells you about more advanced techniques, but it doesn't go into any detail on them, focusing instead on priming, basecoating, and shading. New players can see how they only need a few pots of paint and a single brush to dramatically improve the appearance of their game pieces, without suddenly feeling inadequate because they don't know how to drybrush, or because Games Workshop sells a line of technical paints with odd names they don't understand.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wgjewAgRTrQ/Xb4e5YKTUGI/AAAAAAAAA1c/hac3ZC7YUF82LptDlb3TAcXqHMc7mMDtACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Rules.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The "Read This First" book from Warhammer 40,000: First Strike." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wgjewAgRTrQ/Xb4e5YKTUGI/AAAAAAAAA1c/hac3ZC7YUF82LptDlb3TAcXqHMc7mMDtACKgBGAsYHg/s320/Rules.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike "Read This First"" width="320" /></a></div>
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For example:<br />
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You get a small amount of background fluff on the universe in general, and the two factions in the box. It's enough to understand the conflict, but not so much that you feel like you've walked into a cinema halfway through the movie.<br />
<br />
For example:<br />
<br />
You get all of the core rules... everything you need to play the game... but you don't get all the whistles and bells and complications that might make the system seem obtuse, overblown, or difficult to learn.<br />
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For example:<br />
<br />
You get chump blockers, marksmen, close combat specialists, and plague marines armed with a variety of special weapons. But you don't get heroes or psychic users. You can literally skip the psychic phase every turn, which streamlines what you need to know to play without actually having a noticeable impact on the game.<br />
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And I could go on like this. But I won't.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BO-8SSWzB0M/Xb4fArC4bKI/AAAAAAAAA1g/b2dBtCIGv1saQm8ovdjqZzdX3jCJKX_3ACKgBGAsYHg/s1600/PlagueMarine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Death Guard Plague Marine from Warhammer 40,000: First Strike." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BO-8SSWzB0M/Xb4fArC4bKI/AAAAAAAAA1g/b2dBtCIGv1saQm8ovdjqZzdX3jCJKX_3ACKgBGAsYHg/s320/PlagueMarine.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike Death Guard marine" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ultimately, <i>First Strike</i> gives you just enough to play some very quick games and feel like you've actually got something for your money, while still being quite obviously a starter set that only hints at the possibilities should you wish to buy a lot more stuff.<br />
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Most importantly, it really does teach you how to play. It starts with the most basic concept imaginable (moving miniatures) and gradually layers on the good stuff until you're having a cute little skirmish game with two units per side.<br />
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But you have to take the set for what it is. You can't purchase it thinking you're going to get endless enjoyment out of it (you won't). You can't purchase it thinking you've got many hours of gameplay in the four included missions (you haven't). You can't purchase it thinking this is all you'll ever need (it isn't).<br />
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The clue's in the title. This is a <i>First Strike</i>.<br />
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If you want a complete package, the £95 <i>Dark Imperium </i>boxed set has your name on it. But if you just want to dip a toe in <i>40K's </i>murky waters, <i>First Strike</i> is a really wonderful, cost-effective way of getting your feet wet.<br />
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I had fun building the miniatures, and I had fun playing through the missions with my friend Dale (and not just because of the massive hit of nostalgia associated with sitting across a table from my old <i>Warhammer Fantasy Battle </i>sparring partner).<br />
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And I guess that's good enough.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kA_uIUuNdSg/Xb4fNGszuqI/AAAAAAAAA1k/TM4UA2jbAWAmqGSFQwb4Q87P6X4vuTY8gCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/Ultramarines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An Intercessor Space Marine with auspex from Warhammer 40,000: First Strike." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kA_uIUuNdSg/Xb4fNGszuqI/AAAAAAAAA1k/TM4UA2jbAWAmqGSFQwb4Q87P6X4vuTY8gCKgBGAsYHg/s320/Ultramarines.JPG" title="Warhammer 40,000: First Strike intercessor" width="320" /></a></div>
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When all's said and done, <i>First Strike</i> has done exactly what it intended to do. After playing through the missions, I wanted to see what else the system had to offer, so I ordered a copy of <i>Know No Fear</i>. If I continue to enjoy that, I'll purchase the hardback rules book.<br />
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And then they've got me...<br />
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The bastards have got their hooks in, and I'll be looking at new units, and vehicles, and other factions.<br />
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Finally, after decades of dodging the bullet and avoiding the allure of <i>Warhammer 40,000</i>, Games Workshop has finally landed the <i>First Strike</i>.<br />
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Well played, Games Workshop. Well played.<br />
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<i><a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/games-workshop/warhammer-40k/chaos-space-marines/warhammer-40000-first-strike?d=10189" target="_blank">Warhammer 40,000 First Strike</a> is available from Games Workshop directly, as well as all good hobby stores and online retailers.</i><br />
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<i>Oh, and if you're interested in seeing a lot more about this starter set, please check out my five-part video series on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs9OC0olGD8&list=PL7oSmfEg7Krktd0_afImSl0Rlj62k9H6n" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, which includes an unboxing, a look at the miniatures, turn-by-turn playthroughs of all four missions, and some of my initial impressions.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-88517160433985039152017-07-27T03:40:00.001-07:002017-08-06T16:08:52.051-07:00Review - EleMental<i>Designed by Chris McCann</i><br />
<i>Published by Minds United Ltd</i><br />
<i>For 2 players, aged 10 to adult</i><br />
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<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/BoxArt_zpspjpuqxsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EleMental board game" border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/BoxArt_zpspjpuqxsh.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="EleMental board game" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Since the beginning of Time the elements have raged across space, possessed with unfathomable cosmic energy, creating and destroying, battling eternally in an infinite theatre of existence."<br />
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So begins the rules for <i>EleMental</i>, a game so utterly pretentious you're at risk of disappearing up your own bottom just by reading the rules out loud. And let's make no bones about it, <i>EleMental</i> is incredibly pretentious. It may have a name that sounds like a 1980s comedy-crime television series about a girl called Ellie cracking tough cases with her psychic powers, and it may look like several bits of foamcore glued together, but Minds United (the creators and publishers) really thought they were on to something special here.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>It's obvious from the game's "high concept" theme that the publisher was reaching for greatness. It's even more obvious when you read the blurb on the back of the box that talks about "revolutionary design," "timeless classics," and "prize tournaments" that the publisher is deluded.<br />
<br />
(I'm getting flashbacks of <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2016/08/regency.html" target="_blank">Regency</a> </i>here. I don't deserve that.)<br />
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However, I know just how pretentious this game really is, because I've got a copy of the press information they distributed when the game launched back in 2006. It's a press release that suggests the game as wholesome family entertainment suitable for providing balance in a world where (and I quote) "society (and inevitably children) are gripped by the electronic adrenaline drenched offerings of gun toting rap stars."<br />
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But that's the theory. How does it work in practice?<br />
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Well, on opening the box, the first thing you'll notice is that the board is three-dimensional. It's a five-tiered pyramid, with colour-coded steps that (apparently) represent elemental planes. The first tier is gold, and represents earth; the second tier is blue and represents water; the third tier is red and represents fire; the fourth tier is light blue and represents air; the fifth tier has weird symbols for Void and Creation. I don't really understand them.<br />
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<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/Board_zpskl9mptbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The five-tiered pyramid board from EleMental." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/Board_zpskl9mptbs.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="EleMental board" width="320" /></a></div>
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The second thing you will notice is that the board being three-dimensional has no functional purpose. It's a gimmick. It's a thing they mentioned proudly in the press information, but which doesn't make a fig of difference when you're playing.<br />
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At this point, I should probably mention that the copy of the game I have is actually a pre-production prototype. I found it at a charity market stall, along with printouts for the approved artwork for the final box design, a cover letter to a distributor, and the aforementioned press release. That being the case, I don't know if the board I have is of comparable style or quality to the one you might get if you were to buy your own copy (which I sincerely suggest you don't).<br />
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But anyway, besides the board (or in my case, the five bits of foamcore glued together), the only other components are a custom dice showing the four elemental symbols, plus the symbols for Time and Creation, and then two sets of eight plastic elemental playing pieces. The pieces are good quality and suitably chunky, but unfortunately they aren't easily distinguishable. For a start, all the symbols look alike. Earth is a curvy line, water is a wavy line, fire is a slightly more pointy wavy line, and air is a slightly more curvy wavy line. Furthermore, one player has pieces that are white with raised coloured sections for the symbols, and the other player gets an inverse design, where the raised coloured sections are the negative space around the symbols. At a quick glance, easily identifying what a piece is, and who it belongs to, is more difficult that trying to nail a jelly to the ceiling when the jelly's achieved sentience and keeps begging for mercy while trying to show you photographs of its kids.<br />
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<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/PlayingPieces_zpskbo2oxce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The playing pieces from Elemental, which all look a little bit too similar for ease of use." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/PlayingPieces_zpskbo2oxce.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="EleMental playing pieces" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the start of the game, the players line up their eight playing pieces in the bottom (earth) tier of the board, and then roll the custom dice to see which playing piece becomes the Host of Time. The Host has a special Time piece underneath it, and when it moves, it take Time with it. One of the main ways to win the game involves carrying the Time piece to the Creation space at the centre of the board, which "opens Creation, allowing other elements to enter."<br />
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<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/Dice_zpstaklj3vg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The custom dice from the EleMental board game." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/Dice_zpstaklj3vg.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="EleMental custom dice" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once you're all set up, it's time for the eternal battle to begin (but note, it isn't eternal, it just feels like it takes forever). On your turn, you move one of your element pieces. Earth moves one space, Water moves two, fire moves three, and air moves four. Each piece is allowed to move at double speed if it's on the matching element tier on the board. However, if you move from one plane of the board to a higher or lower plane, you're movement immediately ends, making it impossible to rush immediately to the centre space.<br />
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As you move, you can attack and destroy your opponent's elements by landing on them, but there's a strict hierarchy. Earth can destroy anything, water can destroy fire, and fire can destroy air. Air can't destroy anything without first entering the Vortex in the middle of the board.<br />
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Ah yes... The Vortex.<br />
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If you move an air element into the air tier on the board, it can "move twice around its own plane in one move and so arrive on the Vortex square." Now, I've read that line from the rules so many times the individual words have lost all meaning. There is absolutely nothing on the board that indicates you have to move twice around the air plane to reach the Vortex. The board isn't designed so that the air plane leads into the Vortex. There are no markings or instructions. There seems to be no reason why you would need to move twice around the air plane. An air element in the air plane can move eight spaces, and the air plane comprises only four squares, so moving twice around it is completely redundant.<br />
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My head hurts.<br />
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Is this fluff masquerading as rules?<br />
<br />
Is there something missing from my prototype board?<br />
<br />
What am I doing with my life?<br />
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Anyway, once air is in the Vortex, on a subsequent turn it can teleport anywhere on the board, destroying any element it lands on.<br />
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And that's basically the game.<br />
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<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/Rules_zps4h6b6yan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An excerpt from the rules for EleMental, showing the hierarchy for pieces attacking." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/Rules_zps4h6b6yan.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="EleMental rules" width="320" /></a></div>
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Winning is a convoluted points salad, where you get 25 points for wiping out your opponent's elements, 50 points for getting Time into creation and then stacking it with more elements than your opponent can destroy, 100 points for getting Time and one of each of your elements into Creation, or 200 points for getting Time and one of each elements into Creation in a specific order.<br />
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There's a weird optional gambling rule where you can try to get extra points. This seems entirely pointless, as it implies you would actually want to play the game more than once. In fact, the publisher has specifically included these rules for tournament play.<br />
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Ain't nobody playing tournaments of <i>EleMental</i>.<br />
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<i>EleMental</i> is, not wishing to sugarcoat it too much, a bloody mess. It actually shouldn't be. But it is, just the same. The basic premise is interesting enough, and there are some interesting ideas baked into the way pieces move and attack. Earth is incredibly slow, but almost indestructible. Air is fast, but rarely has any attacking potential. The fact elements move faster in their own plane opens up some strategic options, as you can suddenly race around the board and then leap onto another plane to attack a piece your opponent thought was safe.<br />
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Looking at the theory... Sure... The game seems quite crunchy.<br />
<br />
The reality is somewhat different. There's just something very slow and uninteresting in how you move your pieces. Furthermore, the earth element seems overpowered. In my very first game, I rolled to determine my Host, and it was an earth element. That meant my Time piece was securely under a piece that only another earth element (or an air piece from the Vortex) could attack. The downside is that the earth piece is supposed to be slow, but as you are only allowed to move one space when you go up a plane on the board, earth is actually able to trudge towards the central Creation space at the same damned speed as every other piece in the game. If your opponent happens to get an earth piece into Creation, the only way for you to destroy it is to attack it with another earth piece or else use an air piece attacking from Vortex. The problem is, pieces that attack into the Creation space are also removed from play, so you're constantly wearing away your own forces in an attempt to dislodge your opponent.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, I just don't think the game is any fun. It moves quite slowly, some of the rules don't make a whole heap of sense, all the pieces look similar, the end-game seems weighted towards a tournament style of play that I doubt many people would be interested in, and in the later stages of a game you quite often end up throwing pieces into Creation's meat grinder in a tiresome back-and-forth war of attrition. And the whole thing looks so boring on the table.<br />
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<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/GameInPlay_zpszdvja7md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A game of EleMental underway." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/GameInPlay_zpszdvja7md.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="EleMental in action" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I guess some people will enjoy it. They'll enjoy puzzling out their moves, and the potential swings that occur following a successful attack on a Host piece. Those same people will surely say I'm being too harsh on the game; but there was nothing about this one that really grabbed my attention and made me want to keep playing. For me, there are just too many better two-player abstract games. In any situation where I might reach for <i>EleMental</i>, I would certainly choose <i>Shing Shang</i> instead. It still has multiple paths to victory and pieces with variable speeds and attack powers, but it also has elegant and engrossing rules, and absolutely no nonsense about elements battling in space.<br />
<br />
But is there anything I do like about <i>EleMental</i>?<br />
<br />
I think my favourite bit of the game is the deep, thought-provoking questions it inspires. A look through the included FAQs turns up this little gem:<br />
<br />
"I attacked Creation with Air in Vortex - but it was also my Host! What happens to Time?"<br />
<br />
Hmm.<br />
<br />
I think that's a compelling question. Something we should all think about. After all, aren't we all attacking creation on a daily basis? Don't we all race through life in a vortex? Do we ever really stop to think what happens to time?<br />
<br />
I'll tell you one thing: You won't find the answers in the electronic adrenaline drenched offerings of gun toting rap stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/ElementalBox_zpstirgquej.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The box from the pre-production prototype of EleMental." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/EleMental/ElementalBox_zpstirgquej.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="EleMental box" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
You may be interested to know what Minds United have been up to since creating <i>EleMental </i>(I know I was). A quick search on Google revealed the company is now primarily in the business of IT consultancy, although it still lists "other publishing activities" as a string to its bow. An even quicker search on BoardGameGeek revealed that shortly after the launch of <i>EleMental,</i> Minds United released a game called <i>EleMental Dice</i>, which may well have been an excuse to use up all the custom dice lying around after the first game flopped. The following year, the company released a dice game called <i>Espresso Dice</i>.<br />
<br />
It's <i>Yahtzee</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>Yahtzee</i>, but with extra rules that allow you to use the dice to play a game "like <i>Snap</i>."<br />
<br />
<i>Snap</i>.<br />
<br />
With dice.<br />
<br />
I'm going for a lie down.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>EleMental is no longer in production, although you may be able to pick up a copy at a charity shop or from eBay. Alternatively, you could find much better games at your local games store or <a href="http://elementgames.co.uk/?d=10189" target="_blank">online retailer</a>.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-20364385651663841372017-07-24T15:51:00.000-07:002017-08-06T16:09:23.761-07:00Patreon, YouTube, and Facebook... Oh My!Hey everybody<br />
<br />
I realise it's been a bit quiet around these parts recently, but Always Board Never Boring is a little bit like a swan: On the surface, everything is calm and serene, and it doesn't look like much is happening. But underneath...<br />
<br />
Underneath, I'm a seething ball of hatred that wants to break your arm.<br />
<br />
Wait...<br />
<br />
That doesn't seem right.<br />
<br />
Okay. So, the point is, there haven't been many updates here on the blog recently, but that doesn't mean I haven't been a busy little beaver...<br />
<br />
Wait...<br />
<br />
I thought I was a swan.<br />
<br />
I shouldn't do these updates when I'm tired.<br />
<br />
I'll start again...<br />
<br />
Hey everybody! Want to know what I've been up to recently. The answer is, "Loadsa stuff."<br />
<br />
First of all, I've been trying to get my Patreon up and running. So far, running isn't really the right word. Limping isn't really the right word either.<br />
<br />
Lying down for a nap?<br />
<br />
I dunno. I poked it with a stick earlier and it let out a faint groan.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The idea behind the Patreon was to create a way to monetise this site, so I didn't have to include adverts and that sort of stuff. I really wanted to generate a little bit of extra income so I had money to purchase games if people made requests or whatever. At the moment, I do receive requests for reviews, but as I'm entirely self-funded, usually I'm not in a position to meet those requests.<br />
<br />
While the main benefit of becoming a patron is getting a warm, fuzzy feeling, and giving me a little bit of breathing room to create my written content, there's also some cool advantages. You get access to some patron-only videos, you get your name listed here on the blog, and if you chip in at least $3 you get access to printable PDFs of my painting guides.<br />
<br />
If you'd like to know more, I would really, really appreciate it if you'd swing by the page to take a look:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/AlwaysBoardNeverBoring" target="_blank">MY PATREON PAGE</a></div>
<br />
As videos are now a part of my thing on Patreon, I've created a YouTube account for Always Board Never Boring. It's full of all kinds of stuff. Only recently, I published a five-part series dedicated to the new Warhammer 40,000 starter set, <i>First Strike</i>. You should totally check it out (it's not a patron exclusive, so it won't cost you anything):<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs9OC0olGD8&list=PL7oSmfEg7Krktd0_afImSl0Rlj62k9H6n" target="_blank">FIRST STRIKE VIDEOS</a></div>
<br />
Finally, I've been chucking all kinds of crazy at my (relatively) new Facebook page. Lots of "behind the scenes" stuff, pictures of my new acquisitions, and some news from the world of games that made me get all excited. Would be great if you would follow me there.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlwaysBoardNeverBoring/" target="_blank">MY FACEBOOK PAGE</a></div>
<br />
And, I guess that's it.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry things have been a little slow here, and I'm a bit behind on my reviews. I do have a review that should be going live this week, and another one over the weekend. Bear with me, and I'll try to get back on track ASAP.<br />
<br />
Now that's sorted, I'm off to build a dam...<br />
<br />
Swim in the lake?<br />
<br />
Whatever.Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350611440505059146.post-25224788677373003652017-06-28T15:49:00.003-07:002017-06-30T03:56:05.543-07:00Review - Cluedo Super Sleuth<i>Designed by Anthony E. Pratt</i><br />
<i>Published by Waddingtons</i><br />
<i>For 2 to 6 players, aged 10 to adult</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6746_zpszvl811cd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cluedo Super Sleuth" border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6746_zpszvl811cd.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
"The rules of an intriguing and interesting game, must inevitably seem to be slightly boring..."<br />
<br />
And so begins the rules book for <i>Cluedo Super Sleuth. </i>It's an... unusual... gambit, but let's ignore the growing sense of dread and press on.<br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a>I have to admit, while I try my best not to be, I am (probably like most "gamers") a bit of a gaming snob. I snort through my nose when someone suggests playing <i>Monopoly</i>. I do a little disapproving "tut" when someone says they enjoy <i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2014/08/trivial-pursuit-dvd-lord-of-rings.html" target="_blank">Trivial Pursuit</a></i>. And when someone finds out I like board games, and excitedly explain how they like board games too because they sometimes play <i>scrabble</i> or <i>Risk</i>, well... there's a wry smile reserved for those people.<br />
<br />
You see, I'm a sophisticated gamer, which entitles me to look down on "mainstream" games. I've played hundreds of games, with rich thematic designs and complex strategies. I don't have time for <i>Snap</i>.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><a href="http://www.alwaysboardneverboring.com/2013/10/dont-worry-aka-parcheesi.html" target="_blank">Parcheesi</a></i>? <i>Snakes and Ladders</i>?<br />
<br />
"Oh dear, you don't still play <i>those</i> games, do you?"<br />
<br />
Yup, I'm an asshole.<br />
<br />
I'm an asshole because I have no right to look down on anybody else's gaming choices. Board games are an inclusive hobby, running the gamut from roll-and-move kids games to complex war games that take days to play. And whether you like word games or dungeon crawlers, trivia games or <i>Chess</i>, it doesn't matter. You like games. Games are about having fun, and interacting with people you care about. Nobody has the right to tell someone else they're having fun in the wrong way. Nobody has the right to belittle people who just want to enjoy time with their friends and family.<br />
<br />
So yeah, I'm an asshole.<br />
<br />
I'm also a hypocrite, because I play almost all of the games previously mentioned (not <i>Risk</i>, though; I'm not a troglodyte). None of them are my first choice, but I have a young daughter who loves playing games with me whenever she gets the chance. If she says she wants to play <i>Monopoly</i>, how can I refuse? There is nothing more important to me than spending time with my family, even if it means I have to endure <i>Top Trumps</i>.<br />
<br />
Man, don't get me started on <i>Top Trumps</i>.<br />
<br />
But this is all besides the point. The point is, while I may be a snob, and I may have a little derisive laugh about someone playing <i>Trivial Pursuit: Super Special Star Wars Edition with All the Characters from That New One That I Never Bothered to Watch</i>, there's a reason those games are so popular. There's a reason why so many people want to play them.<br />
<br />
Take <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00871UIRO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00871UIRO&linkId=a6996967524a61f550977162616a9e7a" target="_blank">Cluedo</a></i> (or <i>Clue</i>, if you prefer) as an example. <i>Cluedo </i>has an interesting and instantly appealing "whodunnit?" theme, simple rules that even very young children can get to grips with, and mechanisms that ensure everybody at the table is always involved. There's really no down time, and if people are on their "A" game, turns fly by and the whole game wraps up quite neatly within half an hour or so. As far as game design goes, it's a masterclass.<br />
<br />
While <i>Cluedo</i> has gone through many different iterations over the years, in most cases the rules have remained largely unchanged. Regardless of the artwork and the location, the time period and the playing pieces, beneath the hood, it's always the same core system of deduction and logic, driven by cards depicting suspects, murder weapons, and locations.<br />
<br />
The reason?<br />
<br />
Because that system works.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Cluedo</i> may not be my particular cup of poison-laced tea, but I can't deny that as a game, it does everything that a game is supposed to do. <i>Cluedo </i>has stood the test of time, and will continue to stand the test of time. It doesn't give a fig about my snorty laughs.<br />
<br />
The problem comes when some clever Dick (not a private dick) messes with the tried and test formula, adding whistles, bells, and in the case of <i>Cluedo Super Sleuth</i>, lashings and lashings of bloody awfulness.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6747_zpsg5te2v4k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Artwork from the box cover for Cluedo Super Sleuth, from 1995." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6747_zpsg5te2v4k.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth box cover" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Yeah, 1995's <i>Cluedo Super Sleuth </i>is an odd duck, combining absolutely beautiful components with a game that is (perhaps inevitably) slightly boring. I mean, all of the stuff you know and maybe even love about <i>Cluedo</i> is right there in the box. Classic characters, such as Miss Scarlett Johansson and Mr Pink, run around a stately home, attempting to piece together a murder by determining a murderer, a murder weapon, and a location while casually glossing over the possibility they may be the killer. They ascertain valuable information by moving from room to room and asking the sorts of questions (here called "suggestions") that Columbo would be proud of, while completely ignoring the fact the easiest way to figure out the murder location and murder weapon is taking a quick glance at Doctor Black's gaping blunt trauma head wound as he bleeds out on the pool table.<br />
<br />
So far, so <i>Cluedo</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6760_zpsw6hbls6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Suspect, murder weapon, scene of the crime... The classic clues from Cluedo Super Sleuth." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6760_zpsw6hbls6b.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth clue cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
The first sign that this version is going to shake up the status quo is the lovely selection of pewter characters. They're a bit of a pain in play, as they aren't colour-coded; but there's no denying they are a very handsome addition, and the main reason I picked up the game in my local charity shop despite my general dislike for <i>Cluedo</i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6750_zpscnqaqxcy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Various characters move around the manor house in Cluedo Super Sleuth, attempting to solve the crime." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6750_zpscnqaqxcy.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth gameplay" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
The second sign that something is awry is the inclusion of three new characters to the game: A detective (a very lovely, characterful piece), a dog (you can make anything better by putting a dog in it... except a kebab), and a butler (I have my suspicions). These are non-player characters who wander around the house and generally become a nuisance. More on those guys later.<br />
<br />
And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "This doesn't sound so bad really." I'd be inclined to agree if the changes stopped there, but another rummage around the box reveals a wedge of board tiles instead of the traditional mounted board, some plastic magnifying glasses, some plastic crosses, and decks of event cards and item cards.<br />
<br />
So, what's that all about?<br />
<br />
Glad you asked. (Actually, I'm not; and I know you didn't.)<br />
<br />
It's obviously all slightly boring...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6748_zpsz1mubu3k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Cluedo Super Sleuth rules book. Slightly boring." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6748_zpsz1mubu3k.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth rules book" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<i>Super Sleuth</i> starts with the players positioned on the patio of the main entrance tile. They have no clue cards to start making deductions (except in two- or three-player games, when they start with two clues each), and no idea what the rest of the house looks like. I assume they are all suffering from amnesia. On your turn, you roll a dice and move that number of spaces in orthogonal directions. You aren't allowed to pass over a character piece without the player's permission, and you can't finish a move on the same space as any other piece. If you leave a room by one of the doors, you get to draw a new tile and place it so that you can continue moving.<br />
<br />
This is where it gets interesting.<br />
<br />
(I'm lying.)<br />
<br />
Each new room has spaces marked on it for adding items (white crosses) and clues (magnifying glasses). These break the game.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6749_zpskp8iq67h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An arrangement of colourful board tiles from Cluedo Super Sleuth." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6749_zpskp8iq67h.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth board tiles" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you land next to an item, you get to draw an item card and add it to your hand. The items range in usefulness from a refreshing cup of tea that lets you roll two dice for movement for one turn only to the hypnotist's crystal pendant, which lets you make multiple suggestions each turn forever. If you're lucky, you may find a poker to smash someone's hypnotist's pendant; if you're unlucky, you may find a lovely sausage for the dog.<br />
<br />
And yes, I'm now talking about luck in a <i>Cluedo</i> game.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6755_zpsdx6sr1gv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Plastic crosses, used for showing the locations of items in Cluedo Super Sleuth." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6755_zpsdx6sr1gv.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth item crosses" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you land next to a clue, you get to draw a clue card and add it to your hand. For the first part of the game, this is the main way you're going to rule out certain clues from your investigation. In fact, if you're sensible, it's the only way you're going to rule out clues. Remember, not all of the clues are in play at the start of the game, and they only gradually come into play as the game continues and the players reveal new rooms. This gloriously baffling mechanism is in a game where, lest we forget, the key to successfully finding out who, where, and what is making suggestions and then finding out if another player has cards from that suggestion, thereby allowing you to rule out cards from your lines of inquiry.<br />
<br />
But how can you possibly glean reliable information from the other players before all the cards are in play?<br />
<br />
For example, I could suggest Professor Plum was the murderer, and another player could say they don't have the Professor Plum card; but then in the very next turn, that same player could draw a new clue, which is actually Professor Plum. So why bother asking? All my line of questioning has done is confuse me, and put the other player at a slight advantage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6754_zpsxgprrdfq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Small plastic magnifying glasses, used to show the location of clues in Cluedo Super Sleuth." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6754_zpsxgprrdfq.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth magnifying glasses" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There is very little point making suggestions to other players before all the clue cards are in play, because you're making deductions on incomplete and unreliable information. What that means is, for the first part of the game, the traditional rules of <i>Cluedo </i>don't apply. Instead, there's this odd race where players charge from room to room, trying to grab as many clues as possible. Grabbing the clues early obviously puts you at a massive advantage, because the more you have, the more you can cross off as possible solutions without even having to make a single suggestion to the other players.<br />
<br />
A game of methodical movement and careful deduction devolves into some kind of Benny Hill sketch, where players position themselves in doorways to stop rivals from entering unexplored rooms or else activate stupid items like the stink bomb that allows them to drive players out of the room they're in, or the detective's handbook that allows them to automatically draw a free clue card just because.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6759_zpsxvv2paob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An arrangement of item cards from Cluedo Super Sleuth." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6759_zpsxvv2paob.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth items" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I suppose I should also mention that as you move around, you may roll a red spot on the dice, which lets you draw an event card. These events occur immediately, and usually activate the non-player characters, moving them into different locations where they stand around gormlessly and prevent you from efficiently getting on with the job at hand. And yes, that's pretty much the entire reason the non-player characters exist. Sometimes you may not be able to move because they're in your way; other times you may get moved somewhere you didn't want to go because an event has decided you really need to go to speak with the butler for some reason.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6757_zpsjtcjldly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An arrangement of event cards from Cluedo Super Sleuth." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6757_zpsjtcjldly.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth event cards" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
It's all slightly boring, and a criminal (ha!) waste of introducing a detective and a butler to the classic <i>Cluedo </i>setup. I mean, seriously; doesn't that combination of characters instantly inspire a thousand fun ideas? Why aren't any of them in the box?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6751_zpsaewrenxe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The butler from Cluedo Super Sleuth. I think he did it." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6751_zpsaewrenxe.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth butler" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ultimately, the stuff added to <i>Super Sleuth </i>is dumb, random nonsense that does nothing to improve or elevate the <i>Cluedo</i> experience. The first part of the game is a maddening experience, and it feels completely tacked on. It's like a pre-game. It's like you turned up to a birthday party half an hour early by mistake and ended up having to help setting up the tables. Indeed, once you've visited every room of the manor house, and all of the clue cards are in play, the game settles into a more familiar pattern. There are still annoying events to deal with, and some players have even more annoying items to use, but generally you're going to be moving into rooms with other players, making suggestions, and gradually forming an accusation. When you think you know the correct combination of suspect, weapon, and location, it's off to the main entrance, where you can make a phone call, announce your accusation, and bring the whole sorry mess of a game to its uninspiring, anticlimactic, but never too soon conclusion.<br />
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Calling it slightly boring is an understatement. If you like <i>Cluedo</i>, this game adds just about enough to make you stop. If you hate <i>Cluedo</i>, this game adds just about enough to make your life marginally worse.<br />
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Honestly, I fail to see what this game design was attempting. I just don't see how anybody thought it was a good idea to take a classic design and then add randomness, uncertainty, "take that" elements, and a longer playing time.<br />
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<a href="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6753_zpsdzxhgidj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ms. Scarlet from Cluedo Super Sleuth." border="0" src="http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm292/RedMonkey1979/BLOG2017/Super%20Sleuth/DSCN6753_zpsdzxhgidj.jpg" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" title="Cluedo Super Sleuth Ms. Scarlet" width="320" /></a></div>
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What else can I say?<br />
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Is there anything positive I can say?<br />
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Surely, there must be some silver lining? There must be something I can append to the review so I don't have to sign off on such a negative tone.<br />
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Well, maybe this...<br />
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After playing <i>Super Sleuth</i>, I don't hate the traditional game of <i>Cluedo </i>quite as much as I used to<i>.</i><br />
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<i>Cluedo Super Sleuth is no longer in production. I picked up my copy in a charity shop. Other versions of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00871UIRO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thelegrid-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00871UIRO&linkId=a6996967524a61f550977162616a9e7a" target="_blank">Cluedo</a> are still widely available in stores and online.</i>Carbon Copyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13155710832017131015noreply@blogger.com0