tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240328272024-03-17T17:16:24.846-07:00Things of No InterestA Gaming Blog by Charles HasegawaThings of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.comBlogger797125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-43464900518084342062024-03-04T10:36:00.003-07:002024-03-13T11:49:27.969-07:00Learning GMT's Next War Series Part II - Sequence of Play (SOP)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDkRRHDvtF3EDEjXyU6Qq2KT-SmrABwQ2waYJ-rbzs8GV53GKrFX-ooFQ-u-8wgk_VFKac5J4ucPs7oqERY9AfwHguz6Xo26i3CV2lLOUSE8khIo4kmnA0-35KH7waiRVNcltNFN91PE3p2-e4WOQjUaLOerNVsb8xU8xfsB39azBrfBGf-4W8Q/s2374/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2012.09.59%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2374" data-original-width="2052" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDkRRHDvtF3EDEjXyU6Qq2KT-SmrABwQ2waYJ-rbzs8GV53GKrFX-ooFQ-u-8wgk_VFKac5J4ucPs7oqERY9AfwHguz6Xo26i3CV2lLOUSE8khIo4kmnA0-35KH7waiRVNcltNFN91PE3p2-e4WOQjUaLOerNVsb8xU8xfsB39azBrfBGf-4W8Q/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2012.09.59%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="277" /></a></div><div>The <b>STANDARD</b> sequence of play (SOP) can be found from the GMT's file location for the Next War series <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AJs6nvi923yqyyY&cid=BAF113CFB8DCD1CD&id=BAF113CFB8DCD1CD%21503877&parId=BAF113CFB8DCD1CD%2111206&o=OneUp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">For reference shown here to the right.</span> This sequence is the same for all the games in the series.</div><div><br /></div>Some of this explanation is paraphrasing, sometimes I'll directly copy from the rules or the SOP sheet as it is just easier to clarify. <div><br /></div><div>FYI, die rolls are D10 based (0 = ZERO, not 10).<br /><br /><div>Game Turns (<b>GT</b> - I use GT when the rules use GT, otherwise, when I use "turn" I also mean GT). GTs are broken down into Phases (the red titles on the SOP). If one player "has initiative" all the phases are done. If initiative is <b>contested</b> then skip the "Initiative Turn Only" phase.<p>A lot of this is pretty much explained by the SOP card itself and I apologize if this explanation is a little boring or non-detailed, but again, this is an overview of the STANDARD game's turn. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Weather Phase</h3><div>Initiative player (defined by the scenario) decides (like a god) what the weather will be for the first GT. <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">Thematically, since that player is starting the hostilities, it makes sense that they'd pick a time when the weather worked in their favor.</span> After that, the dice gods decide what the weather will be each turn (ie roll to determine the weather for the next GT). Weather is one of:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Clear</b>: no impact to game state</li><li><b>Overcast</b>: reduced <b>Airmobile Points (AP)</b> and attack helicopters can only do 1 <i>mission</i> <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">(explained later in this series during combat)</span></li><li><b>Storm</b>: limited movement options (some choices are now not available), if a side has Limited All Weather capabilities, APs are very reduced, otherwise, there will be no APs at all. ALL ground movement uses the "Storm" column of the <b>Terrain Effects Chart (TEC)</b>, reinforcements can be effected, no helicopter missions, <b>Advance After Combat</b> is reduced, naval units have to go to port or friendly Sea Zone</li></ul></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Supply Phase (Optional Rule for STANDARD ruleset)</i></h3><div>Out of Supply (OOS) markers are removed from units that are no longer OOS and markers added to those that are currently OOS. OOS units have halved attack and movement, reduced <b>effectiveness rating (ER)</b> and have reinforcement limits. One the one hand, this adds complexity when trying to learn the game. On the other hand, what is a war-game without supply? <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">(OOS fully explained in a later part of this series)</span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Initiative / Air / Naval Phase</h3><div><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">(a lot of the game's state information is tracked on the Game Information Display, shown here)</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhFptYQs1-9Tn6KcOYtIrCz9fMTM23g1O0wbcfoqmK5fwpypQ2JhIlwNnFgsALH84RpJ-TXaIJ1eGL2-9DJP60Bn4uFCzWO1mYDCwoG-3-Xwekv8jEzWTIlU_w5aW-wjqFqsPEa25Ixpw68ISMiYTdqF7hMKhfoD_VYKJS4IZrM-tpLRXBAUZHw/s1006/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%203.13.42%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 2em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="988" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhFptYQs1-9Tn6KcOYtIrCz9fMTM23g1O0wbcfoqmK5fwpypQ2JhIlwNnFgsALH84RpJ-TXaIJ1eGL2-9DJP60Bn4uFCzWO1mYDCwoG-3-Xwekv8jEzWTIlU_w5aW-wjqFqsPEa25Ixpw68ISMiYTdqF7hMKhfoD_VYKJS4IZrM-tpLRXBAUZHw/w196-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%203.13.42%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="196" /></a></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Determine Initiative (scenario rules dictate what determines who has the initiative for a scenario)</li><li>Determine Air Power - <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Each side refers to the current game turn column on the Standard Game Air Point Chart and rolls a die. Weather conditions, Airbase control, permanent losses, and the presence of carriers may modify the </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">die roll. The side’s modified die roll indicates how many Air Points it receives that GT. <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">Air Points are determined prior to modifying for weather. (so figure them out, then go back and reduce them based on the weather if needed)</span></span></li></ol>Air Points are used for <b>Combat Support (CS)</b> missions and Escort Missions and can be affected by <b>Air Defense Fire (ADF)</b>. Combat Support missions cannot be escorted. Unused APs do not carry over from turn to turn. Mark APs on the track for each side and reduce them as they get allocated. <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Air Points can be permanently destroyed for various reasons. This is also tracked and then subtracted when determining the turn's APs.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">For the STANDARD game, Air Points are an abstraction of your air power since there are no actual planes and such. ADF happens each time you allocate APs for support missions and is covered in the third post of this series which covers combat. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzptXGyftXPXmeWdXBWLM1OzY40tkLLF0lzghxjJSs6MWD263Fzn9ecelsUgVzNBXzfzwDRB0RYAKuQ7Srzo-ZqiiRSKmIhIWOq5rGwt6OEW6oJlTbFwGTjgwmhc_CFGospmeEG8Xd4GfeXeEwvF8-m8zc0eZKj2S29LX-jvosfpXD8HxS_yfqg/s1226/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%203.08.00%E2%80%AFPM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 2em; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="1226" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzptXGyftXPXmeWdXBWLM1OzY40tkLLF0lzghxjJSs6MWD263Fzn9ecelsUgVzNBXzfzwDRB0RYAKuQ7Srzo-ZqiiRSKmIhIWOq5rGwt6OEW6oJlTbFwGTjgwmhc_CFGospmeEG8Xd4GfeXeEwvF8-m8zc0eZKj2S29LX-jvosfpXD8HxS_yfqg/w400-h158/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%203.08.00%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is also an East Sea Naval Box on this map...</td></tr></tbody></table></b></div><div><b style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Air Superiority Level (ASL)</b><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"> for each GT is determined by which side received more points (if permanent loss of points reduces to zero, the side always counts 1 for ASL determination). Mark this in the box on the map.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">AWACs is an ADVANCED rules thing and can be ignored for now</span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><ol start="3" style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Determine Sea Control - </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Sea Zones generally contain two boxes, an At Sea and an In- shore Box. Where there is no At Sea Box, the Sea Zone itself serves as the At Sea Box. The status of each Box is determined separately and affects certain game actions and the capabilities of naval units.</span></li></ol></div><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Players roll the die on Clear and Overcast turns during the Initiative/Air/Naval Phase to determine who controls the respective At Sea and Inshore Boxes.</span></div><div><div class="page" title="Page 8"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">The Initiative/First Player determines control for each Inshore Box:</span></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If the At Sea Box is contested (not controlled by either player), do not roll for the Inshore Box.</li><li>If a player controls the At Sea Box and also controls the Inshore Box, do not roll for the Inshore Box.</li><li>If a player controls the At Sea Box and the Inshore Box is contested, roll for the Inshore Box.</li><li>If a player controls the At Sea Box and the Inshore Box is controlled by the other player, roll for the Inshore Box.</li></ul></span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div class="page" title="Page 8"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Then, the first player rolls for control of certain At Sea Boxes as outlined in the <b>Game Specific Rules (GSR)</b>. Using any applicable modifiers, cross- reference the results on the Sea Control Table.</span></p></div></div></div></div><div><div class="page" title="Page 8"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Use the appropriate marker to denote control. The absence of a marker denotes a Contested area. </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Control of an Inshore Box also indicates control of All-Sea hexes associated with it. </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">The presence of Naval Units can affect Sea Control</span></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">There are a whole ton of rules in the book about using APs, ADF, helicopters, navy stuff etc. To me, it makes more sense to talk about those things in the course of "doing stuff" rather than during this phase where you are really just determining where to put the markers that set the conditions for the round. </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol start="4" style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: HelveticaLTStd;">Mine Clearing <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">(this is not done on turn 1 and for clarity here - this is sea mines)</span> - </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Enemy Mine markers may be cleared during the Mine Clearance Step of the Air/Naval Phase if the associated Inshore Box is friendly-controlled. Each player can attempt to clear up to two Mine markers during the Mine Clearance Step. Roll separately for each attempt. On a roll of 0-3, reduce the Mine marker Density by one; i.e., from two to one or remove a one; if removed, it is removed from the game. Modify the die roll by “–2” if a friendly Naval Unit is present in the Area of Effect.</span></li></ol><div><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">I'm just going to summarize the SOP steps for the rest of the steps. Note, Movement and Combat is pretty much the bulk of the STANDARD game. Holding the initiative is pretty important. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; font-family: HelveticaLTStd; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div><span><i style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaLTStd; font-weight: 700;">Design Note: </span><span style="font-family: HelveticaLTStd;">This mechanism [initiative] portrays the ebb and flow of combat operations, as the side with the Initiative pushes, exploits, and presses the advantage of momentum until running out of steam. If constant momentum cannot be maintained, a short lull occurs as both sides rush to resupply, reinforce, and strike to gain the Initiative. Alternatively (and less often), the non-Initiative side might wrest the Initiative away by spectacular gains that radically reverse the momentum of battle.</span></i></span></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Initiative Movement and Combat Phase (only if one side holds initiative)</span></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Movement Segment for Init Player</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Combat Segment for Init Player</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Elite Reaction Movement Segment for non-Init Player <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">(pretty limited)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Exploitation Movement Segment for Init Player</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Exploitation Combat Segment for Init Player</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Reactive Movement for non-Init Player</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Reactive Combat Segment for non-Init Player</span></li></ol><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Basic Movement and Combat Phase</span></h3><div><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">"First Player" here means first player if no Init Player, otherwise the actual Init Player is "first"</span></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="background-color: white;">Movement Segment for first Player</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="background-color: white;">Combat Segment for first Player</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="background-color: white;">Reaction Movement Segment for second player</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="background-color: white;">Reaction Combat Segment for second player</span></span></li></ol><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Reorganization Phase</span></h3></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Reset/Rotate helicopters and artillery <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">(when used, these counters are rotated to show they were used, this resets them back to "no missions used" state)</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Remove Air Points marker from display</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Reset Airmobile Points</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Remove Tunnel Markers</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Conduct Clearing Operations</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Determine hex control changes</span></li></ol><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Reinforcement and Replacement Phase</span></h3><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Both sides reinforce based on the scenario's specifics</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Both sides may use replacement points to replace or reconstitute units (not those units in enemy <b>Zone of Control (ZOC)</b>. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Adjust Submarine Threat and ASW levels</span></li></ol><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Victory Determination Phase</span></h3></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Add each player's "VPs This Turn" to their total. (don't reset </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">"VPs This Turn" yet)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Determine if either payer is allowed to check for Auto win. If last turn - determine winner.</span></li></ol><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Game Record Phase</span></h3></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Advance the turn marker and begin the next turn...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Summary:</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">So a basic summary of each turn is going to be: </span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Determine the state of things for the turn</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Do some amount of Move+Combat stuff either:</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">With Initiative: <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">IP M+C</span>, non-IP limited move, <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">IP M+C</span>, non-IP M+C, <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">IP M+C</span>, non-IP M+C</span></li></ul></ul></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">OR</span></div></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Contested Initiative: </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">IP M+C</span>, non-IP M+C</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Cleanup some stuff </span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Reinforce stuff</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Winner?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Repeat!</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Describing the SOP doesn't really feel like I explained a thing - mostly because I <i>didn't</i> explain anything except the general flow of a turn. Movement and terrain information alone covers at least 6-7 pages of the STANDARD rules. Combat is also a large portion. As movement is the means to preparing for combat, the next part of this series will cover combat (even though combat is always done after movement in the SOP phases). </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></div></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-73503067817953475702024-03-02T16:09:00.003-07:002024-03-13T11:24:34.560-07:00Learning GMT's Next War Series Part I - Counter information<div class="separator"></div><p>For no reason in particular, I've decided to jump into hex and counter wargames (ok, the reason is they seem a little interesting, particularly (for me) the conceptual "Next War"/modern scenario concept). Now, the closest I've come to this kind of game is Paths of Glory, which is not a hex-and-counter game, nor really a full war-game by Grognard standards (it does have a few typical concepts baked in though).</p><p>So here we are, assuming <b>no</b> background in war games (again, which I don't really have) let's figure out GMT's Next War series. I'm starting from - <a href="https://www.gmtgames.com/p-537-next-war-korea-2nd-edition.aspx">Next War: Korea (2nd ed) from GMT</a>. From the CORE rules (the core rules are the same for ALL the games in the Next War series - as far as I can tell the cover of the core rules is specific to the game, but otherwise, the CORE rulebook is the same content). The Core Rules are divided into <b>Standard</b> and <b>Advanced</b> rules - this series is initially going to just cover the STANDARD rules. </p><p>Each Next War game then has ANOTHER rule book specific to the conflict and terrain etc. THAT rulebook is also broken into Standard and Advanced rules. Again, we are starting with the STANDARD rule set here and while I'm hoping that the basics should get anyone going with any of the games in the series, I'm also working from NW:K, so there may be notes specific to that version of the game.</p><p><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Informative bits are highlighted like this block, but aren't always rules or "gameplay important" per se.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Images are taken from the publicly available rules, charts etc and screen grabs from the Vassal module for Next War: Korea. If it seems like I skip a chart or other important piece of information, its because it doesn't appear to be publicly available (which I know GMT does purposefully, so I'm not going against that).</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">The Next War series</span> are hex-and-counter games with a high complexity, so there is lots of counter details. Being new to war games like this, the counters can be a little overwhelming (there are over 1000 counters in NW:K). As I understand it, the iconography is b<span>ased on standards from -</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_Joint_Military_Symbology">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_Joint_Military_Symbology</a>, and while not always an exact match for everything, a lot of it is standard and will be more or less familiar to other war games.</p><p>Here are the id charts and counter identification diagrams from the rule book:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1t6D4kXV8QVWMCPoDJg3OR63E-WfeH-mjxrNbXgKGNyNLKBst4iAl-w9RlVzHISk_gnDPT-fb93V4QJagGNxgGbiucXxB8Mnr1itP60Vde88npRdrzETXAoSYx98d7J2HUoSiXs_Am96GaweFgeJGuD58IWEGj1s0k0BoNYoB1NFrjzrdFqpIQ/s2308/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.14.13%E2%80%AFAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1776" data-original-width="2308" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1t6D4kXV8QVWMCPoDJg3OR63E-WfeH-mjxrNbXgKGNyNLKBst4iAl-w9RlVzHISk_gnDPT-fb93V4QJagGNxgGbiucXxB8Mnr1itP60Vde88npRdrzETXAoSYx98d7J2HUoSiXs_Am96GaweFgeJGuD58IWEGj1s0k0BoNYoB1NFrjzrdFqpIQ/w400-h308/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.14.13%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzACrmP1SAYyoL_yNS9UevDdYCCT7aNUKav5xkkp0BLDU55VVFh9jq6O04P35f7NTByAPpXa1Nt3g9gQnsg4RvfZ-qOvlavVyS6H7_hDftgxk6J3r12PVyCiNDZxOxunB72tEP6PvE_Zri7AhO29joXmtMXIgWCkpMPXhZgv2aovRK8PYj-loH-Q/s2290/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.14.32%E2%80%AFAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="2290" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzACrmP1SAYyoL_yNS9UevDdYCCT7aNUKav5xkkp0BLDU55VVFh9jq6O04P35f7NTByAPpXa1Nt3g9gQnsg4RvfZ-qOvlavVyS6H7_hDftgxk6J3r12PVyCiNDZxOxunB72tEP6PvE_Zri7AhO29joXmtMXIgWCkpMPXhZgv2aovRK8PYj-loH-Q/w400-h230/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.14.32%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Here is a real example of pieces on the map:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnaw1B3VcU5cq81OUZ7kyaqR6ktASGi4W-b3TB2sBuiaVTkWjz9mj_4K6botSwsXGZxSjkLbughvHBtlHmOf0ybU4w7IQ5JsnCykWkBkOpm1y-4XASXzJB8JEwPkpakp7cuV-WkhJCgQBV4Hqv342uY8JNNY7_mdC3rk74XekZczHvI6jPM4iVg/s1090/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.14.42%E2%80%AFAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1090" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnaw1B3VcU5cq81OUZ7kyaqR6ktASGi4W-b3TB2sBuiaVTkWjz9mj_4K6botSwsXGZxSjkLbughvHBtlHmOf0ybU4w7IQ5JsnCykWkBkOpm1y-4XASXzJB8JEwPkpakp7cuV-WkhJCgQBV4Hqv342uY8JNNY7_mdC3rk74XekZczHvI6jPM4iVg/w400-h338/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.14.42%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><p>Upper-left counter (items in <b>bold</b> are important game-wise, there rest is largely flavor/descriptive):</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Upper left of the counter indicates its designation</li><li>The color of the image in the middle designates counters that are <b>part of the same parent formation</b></li><li>A question mark indicates lack of real knowledge as to the unit's real designation within its parent formation, which is interesting, but not game important per se</li></ul><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">So the upper left counter in the picture is part the 26th Brigade of the IV Division (the two counters on the left side are both part of the IV Division). </span><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The upper right of the counter indicates the counter's starting location on the map for helping setup</li><li>The label above the symbol in the middle indicates the unit size (see chart at the top describing unit sizes) - some games use dots, others tick marks, this game uses 'X's</li><li>The image in the middle indicates what kind of unit it is (see chart at the top). The <b>type</b> a unit is does matter in game play (for example marine units can be transported by ship)</li></ul><div><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Again, for the upper left counter, this counter is an infantry unit - the 26th of the IV</span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The number to the left of the symbol is the <b>Stacking Points</b> (size) - for stacking limits on a hex</li><li>The number to the right of the symbol is the <b>Efficiency Rating</b> - used for various checks</li><li>The bottom of the counter shows: <b>Attack - Defense - Movement Rating</b></li></ul><div>That covers pretty much all your <i>ground</i><b> </b>units (except HQs, which are not used in the Standard rule set).</div><div>Air units (planes) are not used nor setup in the Standard game either, so we aren't explaining any of the chits with planes on them here. Helicopters are not "air" units but part of the ground forces.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, some of the chits have silhouettes on them above the type icon and will be explained as we go. They are not typical of the bulk of forces. </div><div><br /></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDcdbLzBxDSlgrGEe1AfbWcJ5rtD52XceFbtamcwoj-4-SGIClA3MJ5Vu8g6M-xadtlZ4zL3u2DdqNNAmnkvKMc4Sn2mCR5jgRNxjzEzX-2ueqluM5FKFqCotBLyxniYm5FPaxGCe3fkxyvHppVV2vtDX0ua38zsoVkSZo6xi2VeCAXoyPDIyFA/s2672/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.23.58%E2%80%AFAM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2672" data-original-width="2424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDcdbLzBxDSlgrGEe1AfbWcJ5rtD52XceFbtamcwoj-4-SGIClA3MJ5Vu8g6M-xadtlZ4zL3u2DdqNNAmnkvKMc4Sn2mCR5jgRNxjzEzX-2ueqluM5FKFqCotBLyxniYm5FPaxGCe3fkxyvHppVV2vtDX0ua38zsoVkSZo6xi2VeCAXoyPDIyFA/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-01%20at%2011.23.58%E2%80%AFAM.png" width="290" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">For reference, here are all the Nationalities through the first 5 games (Korea, India-Pakistan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Poland). #6 is Next War: Iran, so they'll probably have to expand this since I see nothing in there for Iran.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">The map scale is 7.5 miles (12 km) per hex. Unit scale is generally divisions and brigades, although battalions and regiments are used to represent some units. Each game turn represents roughly 3.5 days. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Another game - France '40 for comparison, is about 1/2 this scale at 4 miles per hex. </span></div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div>That should cover enough of the basics of the counters to get started with the standard game rules.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><p></p></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-44026522724305618582023-01-31T14:45:00.001-07:002023-01-31T14:45:12.212-07:00COINs<div class="separator"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/F1JmFDgmPU6nKTopcOkXJg__imagepagezoom/img/lwCxXoVHeREZup754I2ok93A8Sw=/fit-in/1200x900/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic1733589.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/F1JmFDgmPU6nKTopcOkXJg__imagepagezoom/img/lwCxXoVHeREZup754I2ok93A8Sw=/fit-in/1200x900/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic1733589.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Well, my current gaming obsession isn't so much one game as it is a company - specifically GMT games. If you asked boardgames, they'd likely indicate that they know of GMT - they make war-games, right? Well, yeah, they make some fine hex-and-counter (so I hear) games. This includes my number one game of all time, <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/21050/combat-commander-europe">Combat Commander: Europe</a> (if you haven't experienced CC:E, I'm very sorry).<div><br /></div><div>They do make other games as well, but for the most part, they focus on quality games with decent parts - whether that's chits, wooden bits or whatever. The rules are generally good if not a little spartan. As I get older in my gaming life, I'm finding that I appreciate the depth of some of these games more than I appreciate the overly produced less interesting games that tend to make up the majority of publisher's offerings these days. That's not to say that there aren't good games out there and not to say that GMT games are all special, just that I'm starting to appreciate some of the complexity of this company's offerings.</div><div><br /></div><div>In particular, I've found the series of COIN games of some interest. The first COIN game (which stands for Counter Insurgency) was designed by Volko Ruhnke and published in 2012 (Andean Abyss). This was followed up by Cuba Libre, which was designed by Jeff Grossman and Volko. Other games by other designers were released year after year and the count of the games in the series currently stands at 15 (published or near published). The game system has done very well and each game slightly modifies the system and presents a different historical period and area of the world (including soon - outer space).</div><div><br /></div><div>The key to this series is the basic gameplay. Multiple asymmetric factions (2-4) trying to accomplish their own unique goals of control (it might be area control, it might be control of the minds of the people or whatever). It's easy to believe this might be a war-game - there are hints of that and because of the basic topic, the scenarios often revolve around wars and related struggles. It's also not quite dudes-on-a-map.</div><div><br /></div><div>What it is, is a four-way tug-of-war. Sometimes you and another faction pull in similar directions, but ultimately, you mostly pull your own way. The government faction wants control and peace. The insurgents want disruption and chaos. The other factions? Maybe they want control through money, maybe they want their own separate space. Maybe they want a little bit of control and not quite so much chaos. </div><div><br /></div><div>The heart of the COIN system is the interactions of the players each turn through the card system that drives the games. Each turn there is a single shared event card. On the top of the card is the order that each faction will have their opportunity that turn. Only one faction will get to execute the event (if at all). And, only two factions will act per card (players may pass until the next round if they so choose). Players that take actions from the card are not eligible to act on the next card. Here's the kicker - the card for the next round is fully known. The start player on card one may have good options to act on "their card", but they can see what's coming next and probably infer what their opponents might do or how they might react to what they do now. They can force a reaction (or try to position themselves to keep the damage down). It is this bit of delicious simplicity that makes these games what they are (ok, that and each faction feels and acts differently). </div><div><div><br /></div><div>The insurgents are trying to start more fires than the Government can control, the Government is trying to uncover all the hidden guerrillas so they can't cause trouble. Its all wonderful. And if guerrilla warfare in the Columbian jungle or the Cuban revolution doesn't interest you, there are other theaters - India and their non-violent struggle to get out from under the British, The American Revolution, the Americans against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and a number of others. Each game brings a unique twist to the core system of asymmetric factions and action selection driven by the cards.</div><div><br /></div><div>One other thing drew me to the COIN series - GMT ranks them extremely high on the "Solitaire Suitability" scale. And that's because they include bots or flowcharts for the factions so that you can play a full game while only acting for one of the factions and letting the others be automated. I'm currently in the midst of a solitaire game of Gandhi and this solitaire system is everything you'd hope for as far as "opponents" that provide a somewhat realistic approach and are competitive without simply skirting the rules and boundaries of the game. And unlike a lot of standard euros that have a solo mode, these aren't simple efficiency challenges. It simply isn't that kind of game and it requires more effort. Hint: it's worth the effort. Solo won't ever replace real players for me, but I'm enjoying these solo a lot more than I ever thought I would.</div><div><br /></div><div>---------</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/YpkxAeGyRn6smZTjCwy7ew__imagepagezoom/img/nngmDMs_MOGq5tiP7KQarnEG_d0=/fit-in/1200x900/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic4410814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="589" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/YpkxAeGyRn6smZTjCwy7ew__imagepagezoom/img/nngmDMs_MOGq5tiP7KQarnEG_d0=/fit-in/1200x900/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic4410814.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br />I did say that GMT games were my current obsession though, not just the COIN series. Last year, in search of something I could play solo, I stumbled into <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/214029/spacecorp-2025-2300ad" target="_blank">SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD</a>. SpaceCorp is a (surprise!) space exploration game played over three eras - near solar system, outer solar system, and finally near galaxy exploration. The beauty of this game (and there is lots to love) is that the game system is actually pretty simple. Turns are simple action that take almost no time to take. Complexity in one era is only marginally expanded upon in the next, so you learn the game as you go. This isn't a 4X game, its a corporate race to find profit as we explore space in the near future, so there is no combat - you simply try to manage your meagre technology (such as it is) to make your exploration teams more efficient at travel and building bases. Along the way, there are a couple of surprises, but not an overwhelming game. Despite its simplicity, the game is engaging and offers players a constant stream of interesting choices to make. And as I mentioned it plays solo. </div><div><br /></div><div>THIS solo bot is a cheater. In fact, the bot doesn't really try to mimic player choices and actions, instead each turn the bot simply adjusts the game state in some way that mimics the results a player might produced had they acted a certain way. In some ways it does make the solo game an efficiency puzzle combined with a little press your luck, but it doesn't feel like it - it feels like you are playing someone else whose turns you don't get to see, just the results of their actions. All in all, this is a good solo experience and even more fun with real opponents.</div><div><br /></div><div>---------</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/FTE7dxVd4jQaIwwRcCQcRw__imagepagezoom/img/GgGSRIrDwMZtvOFhWtdxlbIrhHE=/fit-in/1200x900/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic5291148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="604" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/FTE7dxVd4jQaIwwRcCQcRw__imagepagezoom/img/GgGSRIrDwMZtvOFhWtdxlbIrhHE=/fit-in/1200x900/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic5291148.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>Also acquired recently (Christmas) was Imperial Struggle. At first glance, the cover of this game looks like a war-game. Open the box? A crazy complex looking map spanning the world and a sheets of counters to punch out. But this is definitely a "looks can deceive" game. Imperial Struggle is designed by the team that created the amazing Twilight Struggle (and they tag this as its spiritual successor in the rulebook). After watching a quick explanation video, I realized that the game was not nearly as intimidating as I thought when I first opened the box. In fact, the overly complex board is not nearly as complex as I thought and is decently done, once your head wraps around what you are seeing. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Imperial Struggle certainly scratches a similar game feel as Twilight Struggle and provides a similar tug-of-war, back-and-forth series of trying to control the map better than the other guy, but otherwise is almost nothing like it's "spiritual counterpart". In fact, if I had to pick between the two, the edge Twilight Struggle holds for me (at the moment) is that the subject is more immediately part of me - I grew up in America at the end of the Cold War and the history was part of either what we learned about or lived through. I have no such association with (and if I'm being honest, knowledge of) the events that Imperial Struggle plays through. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully random theme never bothered me in games about Medieval Merchants, Train Barons or any High Fantasy game. But Imperial Struggle isn't a tacked on theme. It's a story element with a game abstraction layer. Luckily, it is a very good game abstraction layer. Two players are going to alternate making action selections each turn to improve their positions in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and India. Each round, different areas of the map are going to be important. Each round different goods markets are going to be important, and each round, different events/cards are going to be available for players to take advantage of. It is another masterful game from Matthews and Gupta and one that I feel may have been overlooked in a way their previous games were not.</div><div><br /></div><div>---------</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the best part of the GMT game library? A large number (most?) are available to play via <a href="https://vassalengine.org" target="_blank">Vassal</a>. Vassal is a platform that supports PBEM (by saving log files and emailing them back and forth) and live online play of a number of games. Most of the game don't enforce all the rules for you - you have to know how to play, but a lot of them have been put together such that they will do some of the bookwork for you. </div><div><br /></div><div>I highly recommend Vassal when learning COIN games - the game module will clean up automatically for you and track the resources and winning scores / conditions for the players, taking that out of the novice player's (that includes me) hands, simplifying what you have to pay attention to. There is a little learning curve to Vassal and each module is different due to being put together by different people, but the games are very playable. I'm currently playing Gandhi solo using the cards and references from the box game and Vassal to track the game state for me. It works very well and doesn't take any table space up!</div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-34949716846450090252022-08-28T11:58:00.004-07:002022-08-28T11:58:48.813-07:00Descent: Journeys in the Dark - What's Next?<div class="separator"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ZN2rpiJ19lg5DZk_iYMMkQ__imagepage/img/9DVyWz-oAcvSCxv9cS_3girM9gU=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic1180640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ZN2rpiJ19lg5DZk_iYMMkQ__imagepage/img/9DVyWz-oAcvSCxv9cS_3girM9gU=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic1180640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/rCgEuPEBWu6YojFjDR9c0w__imagepage/img/a4f7hrGAjQNsjwwBszc5rmR-HvE=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic3154497.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="800" height="145" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/rCgEuPEBWu6YojFjDR9c0w__imagepage/img/a4f7hrGAjQNsjwwBszc5rmR-HvE=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic3154497.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So what's next? Having finished up (FINALLY) the original (sort of - I played Heirs of Blood campaign from the core set using only the core set of stuff), I can plow ahead. Up next is the small box expansion set - <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129423/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-lair-wyrm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lair of the Wyrm </a>(which has already been painted and waiting to be played for quite some time). <p></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">That being said, this small box expansion only adds in two more heroes and two new monster types. Yawn. That's not the kind of additional variety I want and need after facing the zombies and cave spiders repeatedly - the core alone had eight heroes and nine monster types. Let's face it, I don't know that I need to worry too much about adding a lot of heroes to the mix, but more monsters would be nice - I really don't need to see goblin archers and flesh moulders every other quest anymore either.</p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Since Lair of the Wyrm's campaign is nice and short - only four quests, I don't need to go way overboard. The <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158496/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-crusade-forgo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crusade of the Forgotten</a> monster and hero pack was the first full hero and monster expansion I painted to completion, so if I add them into the mix that would <i>add</i> (combined with Lair of the Wyrm) five monster types and six heroes. That matches up pretty decently with amount from the original core set I think. </p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">What I don't know is how much other content there is to be added. Lair of the Wyrm does add a few new market cards, search cards, and travel cards - all good. Also, we have the possibility of side quests now (Crusade of the Forgotten also has some additional side quests). I'm not sure if I want to dive into those, or just plow on through the four main story quests of the mini-campaign, but the options are nice to have. I also don't know if I want to stick with three heroes or just go with two this time around. I was thinking about giving two heroes a go since the campaign is short and would give me an idea if I should stick with that or go back to three for the campaign after that (which would be a big box set). My concern (if you can call it that) is that if I only play two heroes, I'll be lucky if I ever see more than a fraction of the heroes in play.</p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">A lot will simply depend on the quality of the main quests honestly. If I actually am playing and enjoying the expanded world of Descent, I may just plow on through to the next expansion (which would have to be Trollfens, since I don't have Labyrinth of Ruin yet). I'll likely do the same thing - add on the mini expansion and another Hero and Monster set. So, on the one hand, it makes sense to hit some of the side quests during the short campaign rather than adding to the length of a longer one later. Right? I mean, the point of collecting and painting all this stuff is to play it and enjoy it, so either plan works.</p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Of course, the main question left is which heroes and classes of heroes to use. My only guidelines here are probably not to reuse anything I've already played with. I am leaning towards not using Reynhart and saving him for a later campaign. If I try and always use one of the new heroes, that means definitely using High Mage Quellen. From the Crusade of the Forgotten set of heroes, I think I'm going to go with Tetherys as a Wildlander. Since I want to try using a healer as well I'll dip back into the core set and pull out Avric. I really hope not having a meat shield, but having a healer works out.</p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/cR-Y5ZLP9wmV9qG3vA_BhQ__imagepage/img/ZgkcIJdELkbphu8Dx6eY4MmZoCM=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic5879818.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/cR-Y5ZLP9wmV9qG3vA_BhQ__imagepage/img/ZgkcIJdELkbphu8Dx6eY4MmZoCM=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic5879818.png" width="206" /></a></div>Here is one thing of interest. Though the hero and monster packs add heroes, they do not add classes. Sooooo - I'd get two new class choices from Lair of the Wyrm, but only for the fighter and mage types. While I was looking over the various class types available, I realized there is yet another option available to me - the <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/272230/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-lost-legends" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lost Legends</a> expansion. <p></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">This expansion was one of the last things put out by FFG for Descent 2nd ed. Basically, it was released so they could finish releasing classes (so that all the types had an even number). This small expansion is literally just hero classes. Additionally, there are hybrid types. You pick a type along with one of the other class types and can use cards from either set except the 3XP cards. Perfect for the small box campaigns! It also means I could add a Warrior skill set to Avric so he can tank a little. Or I could add some Scout class to Quellen along with a mage set. That could be really cool in a limited campaign setting. I'll have to dig a little into the option before I fully decide. </p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Having finished the first campaign for Descent just has me excited for more. Should be fun getting started again!</p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></p></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-7356376726447385742022-07-18T10:15:00.005-07:002022-07-18T10:15:55.926-07:00Solo Descent Session Report: Heirs of Blood Campaign - Edge of Dawn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/imagepage/img/dwijaHD34265dxXzxUXk-ZP8CWU=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale()/pic2387791.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/imagepage/img/dwijaHD34265dxXzxUXk-ZP8CWU=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale()/pic2387791.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p>Trying to push towards the finish of this original campaign. After my last beating, I changed up Syndrael from having a sword and shield, to just having a two handed sword to try and increase her attacks. There were two choices of scenarios, I simply chose the first of the two - Edge of Dawn. So here we go with penultimate chapter in my Heirs of Blood campaign. As a reminder, I track the raw play online using the <a href="http://d2etracker.com/" target="_blank">D2E Tracker</a> (this is really a great tool) - I am playing through the <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/169468/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-heirs-blood" target="_blank">Heirs of Blood</a> campaign for <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/104162/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition" target="_blank">Descent 2nd</a> edition using the <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1416738/redjaks-automated-monster-variant" target="_blank">RAMV</a> system for solo play. In many ways, this system is like the Road to Legend computer system, but setup to play through the printed campaigns. Because there is no overlord, each round there is some variable effect in play. I am playing three heroes: Widow Tarha (mage), Tomble Burrow (scout), Syndrael (warrior) (yeah, trying to get by without a healer).</p><div>Also, there are some spoilers, so if you don't want to know about this campaign, don't read on.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCBttc0dsik2MLkwPiku8AZoVQ1iTKKHaaaMglJI9D-7qpdr5oSiB1fC7bAkNkWmXt_teOxle3A6TPmLW-jiYyzcdTAKU_MABj8QblPYpA1IbCZelxtH4fd2S5a520yY0GLCbAqMCaWiuS0TZCcz3CUvj1yVhs26n78X-VnoSseNNlfoD1SI8=s4028" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1846" data-original-width="4028" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCBttc0dsik2MLkwPiku8AZoVQ1iTKKHaaaMglJI9D-7qpdr5oSiB1fC7bAkNkWmXt_teOxle3A6TPmLW-jiYyzcdTAKU_MABj8QblPYpA1IbCZelxtH4fd2S5a520yY0GLCbAqMCaWiuS0TZCcz3CUvj1yVhs26n78X-VnoSseNNlfoD1SI8=w400-h184" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Edge of Dawn - Encounter 1</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Opponents: Sir Alric Farrow, Cave Spiders, Goblin Archers, Shadow Dragons</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Travel Steps</b>: while traveling, nothing of interest happened.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="page" title="Page 47"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><div class="column" style="text-align: left;"><div class="column"><i>Each morning, the sun seems reluctant to rise, as if held down by the long and starless nights. One evening, after the darkness has swallowed the previous day all too early, a priest bursts into your tent. "It will not rise again!" he exclaims, his eyes wide and wild. "They have cursed the valley, and if you cannot break the curse by tomorrow's dawn, the sun will be bound beyond the sight of the valley forever.'" You leave immediately, heading directly for the cathedral that holds your only hope. Diving headlong into the frigid river, you swim across the dark waters and sprint for the crumbling spires. Somewhere within is hidden the sword of Arcite, also called the Dawnblade. It is only before the blazing edges of this sword that the curse can be broken and the light of day restored to the valley.</i></div></div></div><div class="column" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="column" style="text-align: left;">I have to traverse halfway through the dungeon to get a sigil, then take that the other way to get the sword (while fighting spiders, Alric, a shadow dragon and an incoming horde of goblin archers).</div><div class="column" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Round 1</b><b> - Event: Global</b> when heroes open a door roll for a trap.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Goblin reinforcement added. Syndrael moves and opens door. Alric begins heading from his starting spot to the sword. Widow takes fatigue to move in a little then uses a blast attack on the spiders. In the best attack ever, she entirely eliminates the entire group. Spiders (no spiders!). Tomble - double move to get the sigil. Dragon moving in towards our party of heroes. Goblin master moves towards Syndrael and gets off a shot for 3 damage (down to 9). A spider reinforcement appears</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Round 2</b><b> - Event: Dark Influence - Global</b> when reinforcements arrive add an extra figure. Uncool event. Two goblin archers arrive. Tomble uses fatigue to get in close enough to grab the Arctite Sigil and then starts heading back the way he came - I set him so that Alric has to move adjacent to him to get past him. Alric moves and Tomble uses Caltrops which immobilizes Alric! He is forced to bash Tomble for 4 damage (down to 6). Widow moves up and uses a blast to hurt the master goblin archer, but the dragon takes no damage. The master cave spider attacks Tomble for 3 and poisons him. Syndrael uses her heroic feat, which allows Tomble to move again. She then moves and attacks the master goblin archer, knocking it out. The shadow dragon full on attacks Syndrael, but misses. The minion goblin archers attack Syndrael for 6 total damage (down to 3). Two spiders added as reinforcements.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf67nBeRHvvCPAIQy03YTOXH8LZ206G3DvLjHCinD7JrWBozaDDxqZSXjEd4Jr3gogHIw7dCmKiAT14G1MUnkI8mB2zY1J3QXgSBlZqjs7dDUW37Jf2_29dZ21jGhWSSFCRvr3DJe-0728Pz8aR1eMwMMnbWWfA-Gk5S5L_cbTvcNPNTKuPw0=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf67nBeRHvvCPAIQy03YTOXH8LZ206G3DvLjHCinD7JrWBozaDDxqZSXjEd4Jr3gogHIw7dCmKiAT14G1MUnkI8mB2zY1J3QXgSBlZqjs7dDUW37Jf2_29dZ21jGhWSSFCRvr3DJe-0728Pz8aR1eMwMMnbWWfA-Gk5S5L_cbTvcNPNTKuPw0=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better run!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>Round 3</b><b> - Event: Global</b> when a hero recovers an HP, master and lieutenant figures move one space towards the hero and attack if they can. Tomble (with Sigil) moves and the does his heroic feat (disappears). Alric is immobilized. Syndrael does a double move towards the door that needs to be opened to get the sword. Spiders combine to hit Widow for 10 damage (to 1) plus poison. Widow never gets a turn as she is knocked out (see first note below) at the start of her turn by poison. The Dragon double moves to chase Syndrael down. The goblins move and shoot, KO'ing Syndrael. Spider reinforcements added.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Round 4</b> - Event: Dark Influence - Global</span> small monsters get to add +1 shield to their defense rolls. Tomble fails his poison roll and is down to 2 hp. He reappears and moves and opens the door to the sword room. Alric stays in hot pursuit. Syndrael recovers 5hp and 1 fatigue. Spiders all move to close on the heroes. Widow recovers 4hp. Goblins have no LOS to targets and can't move in. The shadow dragon KOs Tomble.</div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Round 5</b> - Event: Instant </span>- instant ends up causing 2 damage to Syndrael and Widow. Syndrael picks up the Sigil, uses a fatigue to slide a space and slams the door close. Alric moves. Tomble recovers 5 hp. Spiders KO Tomble and then move in and open the door. Finally, the last spider moves in and KOs Syndrael. Widow tries to move into range and attack something, but misses. The dragon actually has nothing it can do. The goblin archers make up for this by KO'ing Widow again. </div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Round 6</b> - Event: Global - </span> whenever any figure it hurt, add +1 damage. Tomble recovers 5 hp. Alric moves and is finally adjacent to the sword (thus will win next round). Widow recovers 4hp. Spiders move in and KO Tomble. Syndrael recovers, but needed Tomble to still be in place. He's not, so even if she makes it through this round, she is out of position. Dragon moves in and KOs Syndrael. Alric will recover the sword without any opposition next round.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The hilt of Arcite's sword protrudes from a tall pedestal of obsidian. The sheath of black rock glows and glimmers, as if the sun itself were encased within. Alric grasps the hilt, but the sword does not immediately give way to his strength. Unable to withdraw the sword, the black knight places a foot against the pedestal and pulls sideways. A moment passes, then there is a sharp crack and the obsidian shatters. He raises the blade in triumph, but the stone continues to pop and break, and in a moment the floor gives way beneath him and he disappears into a cloud of dust and debris. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Notes: </b><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I was really unsure about the timing with being poisoned here - if a hero dies at the start of their turn to poison, are they done or do they just recover. I probably went the hard way (recover next turn), but I don't think it would have changed the outcome in the least.</li><li>This was really close - I needed some luck at the very end. A hair bit of luck and I might have pulled it out. Instead, I did really well the first two rounds and then it all went to hell.</li><li>This hero group has no defense and I really take a beating against these second stage monsters - especially the masters. </li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Edge of Dawn - Encounter</b><b> 2</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Well, due to a house fire, it took me 6 months to finish this encounter. I didn't bother taking notes, I just wanted to play. Because I didn't have much clue as to the actual state of things, I re-played the first encounter. Because I had written up the first play, I left it above. For the replay, Tumble snuck past Sir Alric and grabbed the sword at the 11th hour. Owning the Dawnblade has changed the game for me. Here's what I know...</div><p><b style="text-align: center;"></b><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div><b>Opponents: Sir Alric Farrow, Lord Merick Farrow, Barghests, Flesh Moulders, Goblin Archers, Zombies</b></div><p><i>You try to flee, but you can feel some force compelling you deeper. Whether it is the call of the sword or a challenge issued by its master, you are not sure. All you know is that you cannot leave this place until the mage or you are defeated. </i></p><p>I gave the Dawnblade to Syndrael. During the replay of encounter 1, Tumble pulled a search for a random item, which turned out to be a Rune weapon (and a good upgrade for Widow. With the weapon upgrades, I was able to pound my way through the second encounter and beat Lord Merick Farrow. </p><p>Seriously, the weapons I had before were crap compared to what I ended up with. Shopping is random of course, but can make a huge impact. In fact, after the scenario, I ended up with Dwarves Fire Bombs for Tumble, giving all three characters really decent ability to wipe out hoards of monsters and control the board a lot better.</p><p>The Dawnblade allowed Syndrael to hoist a shield, which helped keep her in the fight a lot, and the massive damage I was doing (well, 8-9 a shot feels like massive at this point) let her take out multiple monsters a turn. </p><p><i>Merick 's body glows as you slide the Dawnblade into his chest. Rays of light spring from his eyes and wounds, then his flesh flickers and disintegrates into a pile of ash. There is a long stillness in which you wait for some farther assault, but none comes. Instead, a light breeze glides across the floor, sweeping the ash upward through a hole in the ceiling. You sheath the blade and retreat back into the morning sun. </i></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-72492718477776697622022-06-20T13:05:00.000-07:002022-06-20T13:05:41.805-07:00More Painting<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/NwojyLD-gn4CKxjTAwGz9Q__medium@2x/img/xoPRKx7jvD6xxnnz9--mFG84Czo=/fit-in/1000x1000/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6912799.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="800" height="188" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/NwojyLD-gn4CKxjTAwGz9Q__medium@2x/img/xoPRKx7jvD6xxnnz9--mFG84Czo=/fit-in/1000x1000/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6912799.png" width="320" /></a></div>More Descent painting! On BGG, Chris Graves (voodoochyl) does a monthly <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/236072/painting-challenge-announcement-thread">Painting Challenge List</a> - mostly these are lists that participants throw up whatever they think they'll get done in the month. Sort of an accountability list. <p></p><p>Well, for the first time in a long time, I got through my list! The last item on my commitment set was the Crow Hags, which were pretty basic - blue and white, with some blood on the front of their clothes. I pretty much went with the exact same scheme as everyone has done, sticking to the simple game artwork.</p><p>In finishing these three figures (along with the previous post's Demons and Skeletons) I finished the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/182235/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-treaty-champi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Treaty of Champions</a> set of figures. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/9wpk04xdCkFtpBpw5pw7NA__medium/img/JBh_oUpX7ZQdeTOpkAPyw_HBDHo=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6912840.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="500" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/9wpk04xdCkFtpBpw5pw7NA__medium/img/JBh_oUpX7ZQdeTOpkAPyw_HBDHo=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6912840.png" /></a></div><br /><p>As a whole set, this might be (top to bottom) one of the better sets I've finished. I was happy with how pretty much every figure in this set turned out. From adding stubble to an otherwise boring armor clad hero, trying tattoos on the dwarf, adding a bit of glowing fire to another, doing a magma sword for a demon, etc - I enjoyed the work of all of these.</p><p>And since its only the middle of the month, I went ahead and added some additional items to my plate. I decided that the next set I'd start to work on was the large expansion box - Shadow of Nerekhall. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/8YL6N6dOL1PPB-IX0uYwoQ__medium/img/eMR6MOoFHfh9CTYDSVqzD982lAs=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6922795.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="500" height="132" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/8YL6N6dOL1PPB-IX0uYwoQ__medium/img/eMR6MOoFHfh9CTYDSVqzD982lAs=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6922795.png" width="320" /></a></div>First up I decided to get the stupid rat swarms out of the way using Army Painter Speed Paints. I went with having the master set be a large hoard of albino rats and used the blood paint for their eyes (which was 100% the right choice). Having painted up Mice and Mystics, I knew the exact right paint out of my set to use for the tails (and if I had been more ambitious about them, could have done the ears too). Turned out that just doing the tails and eyes was the perfect amount of detail to make these dumb mob figures into something at least a hair more interesting. And they were simple to get done. Next time - Tinashi the Wanderer (hero). <div><br /></div><div>Descent Painting Totals:
96 monster figures, 34 hero figures, 12 lieutenants done - 12 monsters, 1 hero completed in 2022</div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-30599666760794825512022-06-06T22:09:00.005-07:002022-06-06T22:09:54.663-07:00Painting Descent 2022<p> It has been a while...</p><p>A long while since I took out a brush and put some paint to a plastic mini. So, I figured I'd better set a goal for the month of June. The goal? Finish a couple of figures which would complete a couple of the sets I've had for a while now. To this end, I started with some new paints. I ordered the mega set of Army Painter speed paints (which is the AP answer to Games Workshop's Contrast Paints). My hope is that I can quickly finish some of the monster sets without getting bored and yet still have them look ok. Well, they work about the same as contrast paints and they do look good (though I still can't take a decent picture to save my life...)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/hIu4iFAU_SohNPYNnh4KdA__medium/img/aVhRSOk0tlQ3Oblxdr1kEVTj7cI=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6892628.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="500" height="268" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/hIu4iFAU_SohNPYNnh4KdA__medium/img/aVhRSOk0tlQ3Oblxdr1kEVTj7cI=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6892628.png" width="320" /></a></div>The first one I did was a skeleton archer. I had done all of them but one. Here are three of them - can you tell which one was the Speed Paint and which were the Contrast Paints (the red one is SP)? Sadly, I have lost one of the figures (there should be five, I have four). <div><br /></div><div>But, the point was to try the new paints out and shake off some rust. The fact that the most recent one looks almost exactly like the older ones was a good sign (I mean it has been a loooong time since I painted anything). <br /><p>Next up I decided to finish a crypt dragon that I started about two years ago (seriously). I had finished the first one back in February this year, but then we had a house fire and I hadn't gotten around to finishing the other. Until now. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/rQwO1Vo2A1tyfx6NJI-NdA__imagepage/img/V3GWbuN4KcIUWO9XSCdZXr332v8=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6900429.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="800" height="178" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/rQwO1Vo2A1tyfx6NJI-NdA__imagepage/img/V3GWbuN4KcIUWO9XSCdZXr332v8=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6900429.png" width="400" /></a></div>The picture itself is a little bluish tinted, but as you can see, I mostly just wanted to put some color on them and then detail them a little with some blood and bones.</div><div><br /></div><div>BTW, the Citadel Technical Blood paint is awesome. I really love that stuff. It looks so good, especially in this kind of scenario. </div><div><br /></div><div>I could have spent more time on wing details, but honestly I think that the level of detail I have here is exactly right for a mini that is likely to be on the table for about 10 minutes. That was the point of the speed paints and contrast paints. Don't spend 4 hours per figure here, you'll never "payoff" that time. Speaking of payoffs...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/Cf1ge19lKh6jTIMbJ9rbUA__medium/img/Kf5g3HduQxd7bjnEJvcxhcCD8y0=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6901478.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="500" height="246" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/Cf1ge19lKh6jTIMbJ9rbUA__medium/img/Kf5g3HduQxd7bjnEJvcxhcCD8y0=/fit-in/500x500/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6901478.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The Crypt Dragons finished off the Guardians of Deephall Hero and Monster set, so here it is in all its glory. I wish I had the Speed Paints when I had done the rest of the monsters for this set. Oh well.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ZwgtyGeepvYaqpCQk2lQ6A__imagepage/img/uytVjcesBaIwzL2Cnu3pItB0gRQ=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6901845.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="537" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ZwgtyGeepvYaqpCQk2lQ6A__imagepage/img/uytVjcesBaIwzL2Cnu3pItB0gRQ=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6901845.png" width="286" /></a></div>I also painted up ONE hero. <div><br /></div><div>At some point a couple years back, I found the Visions of Dawn Hero and Monster set for sale - 95% painted up (decently too). This was a set I wasn't particular interested in painting, but at the right price, I was happy to own it. The one lone figure unpainted in the set was Nara the Fang. So here is Nara done with Speed Paints. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I finished blocking the figure in, I actually wasn't happy with the color - it was far too bright, so I hit it with some Army Painter Strong Tone. I was fairly surprised how decently the figure ended up, because Strong Tone always looks really dark to me, but the highlights still show up decently. I touched up a couple of small things and changed the color of the stone blades and called it good.<br /><div><br /><p>Last thing I did was paint up one of two Demon Lords. This was a real test of the speed paints as this was a larger figure from scratch that I really didn't want to spend a lot of time on. The picture here shows a "before and after" (really just the other Demon Lord in its primed state). I did a zenethil prime to give the speed paint something to color (I originally just primed the figure in black). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/BifoT6MvdOLKB3qZmWX46w__imagepage/img/kVwrHuMAlzIRmsShY-044lzPa7A=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6900430.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="800" height="220" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/BifoT6MvdOLKB3qZmWX46w__imagepage/img/kVwrHuMAlzIRmsShY-044lzPa7A=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6900430.png" width="400" /></a></div>This figure was almost all done in speed paints, except for the horns and feet claws (I can't help but go back and dry brush horns). I may have also touched the sword and belt thing with a touch of metallic paint.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although the color is pretty basic, the speed paints really did their job and the figure looks pretty good for such a low amount of effort.</div><div><br /></div><div>My plan for the master version is more red/brown rather than straight brown, just not sure how well the color will work. Luckily, a little water after the figure dries will <b>take the color right off</b>. Some folks are calling this a flaw in the speed paints, but to me it makes it super forgiving and easy to fix mistakes. Like ridiculously easy to fix (and avoid). It does mean that layering with thinned paints isn't going to work well, but there are a couple ways to avoid accidentally removing colors - besides, I'm not using speed paints if I'm going to layer colors - the point is quick and easy.<br /><p>Well, I did a count to see where I'm at. I counted all the figures I've done and all the ones I have left to do. </p><p>Total number of painted figures:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>88 monsters figures</li><li>34 hero figures</li><li>12 lieutenants</li></ul><div>Unpainted figures remaining (currently owned):</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>79 monster figures</li><li>18 hero figures</li><li>2 lieutenant</li></ul><div>Uggg. How do I still have about as many monsters left to paint as I have already completed? I'm never going to get these done. Dreams.</div></div><p></p><p>If you want to see the whole of everything I've done, check out my <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/213300/tatsus-descent-2nd-ed-painted-sets" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">never ending geek list on BGG</a>.</p></div></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-51466299541022256562022-02-08T11:29:00.004-07:002022-02-08T11:29:53.547-07:00SpaceCorp - New Game Thoughts<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/YpkxAeGyRn6smZTjCwy7ew__imagepage/img/N8Cl1goOhtYeZP3UlkKo3D5YF_Y=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic4410814.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="442" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/YpkxAeGyRn6smZTjCwy7ew__imagepage/img/N8Cl1goOhtYeZP3UlkKo3D5YF_Y=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic4410814.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>How I got Here</b></h4>At the start of each new year, I take my Christmas money and find a high end game that I wouldn't normally get and go ahead and get it. Last year I went with Lacerda's <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/142379/escape-plan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Escape Plan</a>, which was ok (I've only played it two player and would like to give it a shot with 3-4). <p></p><p>This year I wasn't set on any one particular game of interest. I considered another Lacerda (<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284378/kanban-ev" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kanban EV</a>), but wasn't set on getting that by any means. While browsing through various post of folks selling games, the GMT <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/214029/spacecorp-2025-2300ad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SpaceCorp 2050-2300AD</a> game (and expansion) caught my eye. I headed over to BGG to look for information and realized that at some point, I had already looked into this game before. In fact, I had read a review by Brian Bankler (whose tastes I trust) which had put me on the fence about this game and then I simply forgot all about the game.</p><p>His opinion was that this is a good game, marred by a few cards that can swing a long game. I do not mind long games that are enjoyable, but it frustrates me to play a long game and have one or two luck-of-the-draw cards/tiles/roll-of-the-dice/whatever suddenly destroy the last 2+ hours of clever puzzle solving and out maneuvering of your opponents. <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twilight Struggle</a> (which is an amazingly good game) has this issue with its Bear Trap (and the US mirror) cards. <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/62219/dominant-species" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dominant Species</a> has this to some extent, in my opinion, where one or two of the cards can give players extra action pawns for the rest of the game (failing to get those actions is usually brutal). </p><p>Of course, in both games you can mitigate the issue by simply excluding the card(s) and it doesn't significantly change anything or unbalance the game (in DS, it can actually help to reign in the length of the game). From what I had been reading, it wasn't one or two cards that throw things off in SpaceCorp - there are a number of those cards that might do that, so I've been hesitant. Until now. Initially when I had looked into the game, I was not interested in solo plays. With the way things are now with COVID, I'm trying to scratch that gaming itch a little with something solo. I have games I play solo now - Descent, Arkham Horror: TCG, Marvel Legendary, Marvel Champions, and Eldritch Horror - but nothing engine building or puzzle solving like this. And yes, any number of games I own have some kind of solo system, but GMT does an excellent job of putting together solo play for their games - it doesn't feel tacked on like most euro games that have some solo system often do. Also, weird random stuff is a lot less bothersome to me when playing something solo. </p><p>So, I pulled the trigger. I was able to get that twice played copy and a new copy of the expansion for $70+shipping - the base game alone goes for over $80 on Amazon. I'm hoping it at least keeps me busy for a couple of plays solo and assuming I enjoy it, I'll probably be able to get it to the table at some point (someday) for real face-to-face play.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Game Arrives</h4><div>First thing to note, the box arrived and I picked it up - it felt like it had bricks in it. It was heavy. After unpacking the two boxes, I just should have known better. GMT game boxes are among the best made - they are super thick and sturdy (and gloriously glossy and great looking in a minimalist way). Their boxes are probably so decent, because they just don't skimp on the game stuff. People might look at pictures of the games and just see a bunch of chits and assume the components are crap. Their components are are not. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLhr4T7xf0_3VDhZLW8DbVylbxAP1Y3F221cIR7cxEO1tD7U8G8-8oE0P98PCFiPKuAHswd4U3AH2Wp4awuB0q0q93mnwEXbdxZQw3HfqWJR66w6pbL6-Ww_DZcsyNBw_O-793RjATsT0eInwvxLltUFQwOKpTUMlTFXbvMTO4cINeaTQISY8=s3498" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3498" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLhr4T7xf0_3VDhZLW8DbVylbxAP1Y3F221cIR7cxEO1tD7U8G8-8oE0P98PCFiPKuAHswd4U3AH2Wp4awuB0q0q93mnwEXbdxZQw3HfqWJR66w6pbL6-Ww_DZcsyNBw_O-793RjATsT0eInwvxLltUFQwOKpTUMlTFXbvMTO4cINeaTQISY8=s320" width="277" /></a></div>I opened the box for SpaceCorp (leaving the Ventures expansion sealed) and found it mostly full - the game boards are nice and heavy and thick, the rules books are standard GMT fare (which is to say - thick paper rules). I believe <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/6331/chad-jensen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chad and Kai Jensen</a> helped with game development and the rules, so I'm excited to dive into the rulebook (says nobody ever, but if the rules are as well as the Combat Commander rules, they should be good). </div><div><br /></div><div>One thing I was surprised at - the main box is deep and still it is FULL. Based on pictures I've seen, so is the expansion box. Fitting it all in one box is just not going to happen (no big deal). Based on the amount and quality of stuff, you can't say you aren't getting your money's worth from GMT games.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPcXYJ0uDExTmUnFwz2nDlv36262igaglaKQgfBg69UVWL9Zc4QrHKLJ65wLQhTw62w5YnEHaw3bu7K00uRh74EJh5tWt5HUYbyOeS9-pz8XFtnaZ53GeRdZHBEV9KWCK1gDXXdDhOCxWXi4UtdFvXhcH-Yr829eUv3Fd6I2ypnX26A0RPBMI=s3944" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2654" data-original-width="3944" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPcXYJ0uDExTmUnFwz2nDlv36262igaglaKQgfBg69UVWL9Zc4QrHKLJ65wLQhTw62w5YnEHaw3bu7K00uRh74EJh5tWt5HUYbyOeS9-pz8XFtnaZ53GeRdZHBEV9KWCK1gDXXdDhOCxWXi4UtdFvXhcH-Yr829eUv3Fd6I2ypnX26A0RPBMI=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Spreading it out all over the table, the game looks reasonably minimalist despite this being rated almost right in the middle of GMT's complexity scale. The game is primarily a card driven game and there are well over 200 cards (220 to be exact) and they are printed on nice thick card material. There are also a couple small handfuls of cardboard tokens and a few wooden player bits. The player boards are nice and heavy with a glossy finish and the game boards are also thick, with a nice matte finish. There are also player cards on good yardstick and two sets of rules (solo and multiplayer). <br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Getting Started Solo</b></div><div><br /></div><div>How hard can this be right? Just read the rules and set things up... I started reading. But the light wasn't great in my room, so I went looking for the PDF of the rules to read on my iPad instead. GMT is great about posting rules and links on each of their games for which there are such things. Rules found. Oh look - a link to a solo play session and files for a smaller side board (not sure what that means or why I might need it, but I might, sooooo). <a href="https://onesuponagame.com/2021/07/15/smaller-solo-sideboard-solution-for-spacecorp/">Smaller SpaceCorp Solo Sideboard Solution from Ones Upon a Game</a> - not too much longer after that, I'm printing out the file onto full sticker sheets and looking for chipboard to mount it on. I mean - hey, these are awesome. **(After playing with the smaller board, I realize that my old eyes need the full sized cards to see, and I have the table space, so went back to what the game gives you). Did I mention I sleeved the cards too? I did. The cards are decent but the backs are black, so any wear is just going to be very obvious. Anyway... back to the rules.</div><div><br /></div><div>Solo play look like they came up with a good way to drive what the opposition does. At the bottom of the cards is one simple thing that indicates the action that the other guys do. Clean, simple, and no extra materials needed just for solo. Cool. Maybe a little random, but it works. Pax Transhumanity does something like that - just use the cards themselves to drive solo play. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, the AI isn't really AI. It simply does the best it can to <i>simulate</i> what other players might end up doing. It's random and unpredictable of course, but it does a really great job of simulating the flow. Sure, you can't predict which cards it will take/remove from the display. You can't plan on where The Competition will move nor when they will be able to build. But if I was playing a multiplayer game and not paying attention to the other players, but just took in the situation on my turns, it would likely be spot on (except for maybe how fast The Competition can reach the far end of the system you are in). </div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, and I got destroyed. I probably played a rule or two incorrectly, but that was mostly my not understanding or forgetting something. Overall, the rules are good. My biggest quibble to the rules was finding things I thought I had read. I was usually right on, but couldn't always find that elusive sentence easily. Otherwise, there are examples and things are clearly explained. The logic for when The Competition explores and builds took a minute to understand, but I finally worked it out.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Solo Play</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>As for the game - the first era is <b>fast</b>. It gives you that quick taste of things to come. The game design is amazingly good in that when you move to the next era, the rules then explain the handful of new things that are being introduced. It is like adding a small expansion to a game you know. It is perfectly executed.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second era is more expansive and exciting and longer - there is just more stuff. It is still the same game of tactics and slowly improving your abilities, just more so than the first era. And when you are in the heat of it all, suddenly the era ends and you are pushed into the vastness of the galaxy and the final era. And just like before, the rules layer on a few more things that are easily absorbed. One more expansion to the game. Also just as before, the final era feel much more expansive. And yeah, the mechanics match the theme. It takes a lot of effort to move between the stars and even when you reach a star system, it takes a minute or three before you can do anything. Of course, we aren't just visiting an asteroid or a moon in one system, we are visiting a whole star system with multiple places to explore (which you do all at once), so the gains are also that much grander.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is really amazing how well done this space exploration game matches the theme given that there is no real "tech tree" like most games of this kind. Tech levels are handled by the era cards and "just advance" as you move into the next era. It is also not really an engine game. You do improve your infrastructure and can gain breakthroughs/advances (special abilities that give you small advantages), but that isn't the meat of the game by any means. This is about discovering things to increase your income.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is almost a 4X game, but you aren't really conquering and "territory" doesn't really mean anything beyond nabbing a contract (goal) or two for profit. It is more like a 2.5X game - explore, exploit, kind of expand. That doesn't make it a bad game at all, you just have to recognize it for what it is. This is a race to the stars to exploit the universe for profits! And the theme here really ties in. Heck, lots of games cover early technology from horse travel to the modern era and the revolutions of technology in-between. This is the same sort of thing, but the "landscape" isn't the earth, it is what is out there beyond our world. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ventures Expansion</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>After my first play, I figured I might as well bust out the expansion for my next go round. Opening this (heavy) box revealed a stack of player boards and a small set of cards. There is one replacement card and a couple (literally) new cards to add into the era decks). There are also new contracts for each era that will get randomly selected to add a little new variability to the game. The meat of this though is the new player boards. Each board hosts a unique faction that has different abilities and handicaps giving players some asynchronous direction to playing. For solo play, The Competition also follows suite with unique challenges. My first play with the expansion stuff pitted me against D.P. Roberts (if you get that reference, you probably inferred that they are indeed pirates). I love that this sort of in-joke is awaiting you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, much like how each era added just a small (yet important) layer of changes/additions to the game, the Ventures expansion does the same with the player boards. Everything in the expansion is top notch (thick, glossy boards, same quality cards, etc), but it almost feels like this is how the game should have been out of the box. Based on what I've read, fans of the game seem to universally like this expansion and wouldn't play without it. I don't think the game is so overly complex that first time players couldn't jump in here either. That being said, the retail on the pair is a hefty $132 - I got a deal on the pair, but I'm not sure I'd have been willing to pay full retail. You certainly get a lot (especially by weight) and the game is fun (I'm looking forward to playing multiplayer). There are certainly a lot of other games out there in this price range that I wouldn't want to slog through, but this game hits the mark for theme and exploring the galaxy (a little at a time). I imagine that multiplayer keeps you involved the whole time, because each player's turn is one simple action that rarely takes much time nor effort to complete. A first play may take a little while to work through, but subsequent plays should pick up the pace considerably.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the GMT scale, this is just below "medium complexity" and I think that's spot on. In multiplayer, I can see the complexity being pretty much based on figuring out your competition as much as anything. This is right at the top of their scale for solo play and it was obviously designed that way. An entirely separate rule book for solo (a good rule book) and a system that is easy to learn makes handling The Competition simple and not distracting in the least. Again, the company's rating is spot on. The thing is - solo isn't just easy to do, its interesting. A lot of games have a solo mode, but it becomes and efficiency exercise. This probably has some level of that, but it doesn't feel scripted in any way. The scripted-efficiency puzzle is what I really dislike in solo experiences, so SpaceCorp gets a huge thumbs up from me for solo play.</div><div><br /></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-47522535490128784692022-01-01T20:48:00.002-07:002022-01-04T15:22:45.332-07:00Session Report: Return to Descent - Journeys in the Dark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/imagepage/img/dwijaHD34265dxXzxUXk-ZP8CWU=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale()/pic2387791.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/imagepage/img/dwijaHD34265dxXzxUXk-ZP8CWU=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale()/pic2387791.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Well, it has been a while since I played, but here we are in a new year and I think seeing posts of people playing their Descent: Legends of the Dark has made me want to break out my game and get back to playing a little. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Of course, it has been such a long break for me from the game that it took me a while to set everything back up and re-figure out each of my heroes and the <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1416738/redjaks-automated-monster-variant" target="_blank">RAMV</a> system again. Plus, I apparently need to keep better track of what I was doing (I'm pretty sure I decided to only use the base game (no exp stuff at all), no lieutenant expansions and so forth - i.e. basic and straight-forward).</p><p style="text-align: left;">So now we return to the next chapter in my Heirs of Blood campaign with the Lord of Flame, the second chapter of my Phase II set of quests. As a reminder, I track the raw play online using the <a href="http://d2etracker.com/" target="_blank">D2E Tracker</a> (this is really a great tool) - I am playing through the <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/169468/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-heirs-blood" target="_blank">Heirs of Blood</a> campaign for <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/104162/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition" target="_blank">Descent 2nd</a> edition using the <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1416738/redjaks-automated-monster-variant" target="_blank">RAMV</a> system for solo play. In many ways, this system is like the Road to Legend computer system, but setup to play through the printed campaigns. Because there is no overlord, each round there is some variable effect in play. I am playing three heroes: Widow Tarha (mage), Tomble Burrow (scout), Syndrael (warrior) (yeah, trying to get by without a healer).</p><div style="text-align: left;">Also, there are some spoilers, so if you don't want to know about this campaign, don't read on.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lord of Flame - Encounter 1</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Opponents: Lord Merick Farrow, Flesh Moulders, Ettins</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Travel Steps</b>: while traveling, I found a health potion, got caught in a landslide (Syndrael lost fatigue points), and then some minions ambushed me and everyone lost a life and fatigue)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="page" title="Page 47"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><div class="column" style="text-align: left;"><i>You are patrolling the main road with a few soldiers when a young elf steps out from behind a tree directly beside you. You barely perceive her motion, and only one of the soldiers notices, reaching for his blade. "Peace," she whispers, "I come with information. I am a spy within the enemy camp." You motion for the</i></div><div class="column" style="text-align: left;"><i>soldier to return his sword to its sheath and she continues. "For three weeks I have lived in the tree above Merick's tents, gathering information. This morning, I overheard Eliza speaking with him, requesting that he travel to the Ix'Halanrha caves at the southern end of the valley, and secure the power of the ancient elementals that reside there. I escaped before he left, but you don't have much time. You cannot allow him to master those beings." You leave the soldiers to their patrol and the young elf leads you along a secret path toward the mountain. It is long into the night before you enter the hidden valley that rests beneath the caves. A near-invisible path winds its way to the far side, flanked on either side by a few decrepit shacks. To your surprise, many of the windows are aglow with candle light. You approach quietly, but then see Merick waiting for you. "I'm not sure how you found me- " you realize that your guide has disappeared "-but it won't happen again. You are a pesky bunch. Anyway-" the doors to many of the shacks burst open, spilling forth a wave of sickly flesh moulders. They charge toward you, calling spheres of dark energy into their hands.</i></div></div><div class="column" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="column" style="text-align: left;">This encounter was easily the worst I've played - and I don't just mean in the result, I mean that it was not interesting nor fun. The setup here is basically - Merick will try to run off the map. Based on the layout, if you don't immobilize or stun him immediately, he will freely get away by the 4th round. Oh, and he gets a head start - the heroes do not get a first turn. Secondarily, the flesh moulders will run around creating water and fire pits - the more they make, the worse it will be for the heroes in the second encounter.</div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Round 1</b> - Event: Instant - remove a search token.</div></b><div style="text-align: left;">As I noted, the heroes do not get a first turn of actions. Merick runs for it. The flesh moulders head to their spots to start creating havoc. The Ettin moves and blocks the passage for the heroes. Next round, Merick will go past the ettin and then it will be over, end of story.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Round 2</b> - Event: Global - after attacking, monsters attack again.</div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Widow moves and then attacks. She needs 6 range and misses. I forgot just then to use fatigue to close the range, but my rolls were such (even with re-rolls) that I couldn't have hit at 4 range. Merick runs past the ettin. Syndrael double moves and is in place to keep the ettin from moving more. The flesh moulders start making water spouts. Tomble finally gets involved with a move and search, finding a health potion. The ettin hits Syndrael twice for a total of 9 damage. Arf.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Round 3</b> - Event: Global - if a hero heals and is near a monster, the monster heals too</div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Syndrael manages a couple of damage and a stun on the ettin. Merick is almost out after another run. Tomble moves and attacks, but can't get through the ettin's defense. The flesh moulders are making more water and now a fire spot. Widow moves and attacks the ettin for 1 damage, a push back of the ettin, and immobilizes him. Despite this, the ettin can still attack and knocks out Syndrael.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b>Round 4</b> - Event: Heroes each lose 1 fatigue</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tomble moves and is then able to remove a water spot. Merick escapes and ends the first encounter so all that was left to do was count the water and fire spots (the number influences something in the second half).</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Waves of flame issue from Merick's body. He stares into your eyes and calls out a command in an unknown tongue. You try to strike a killing blow, but are unable to draw close enough. Merick ignores you, descending into the ancient temple. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Notes:</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>There was just no good way to play this. I'd have needed to be super lucky with Widow to have hit Merick and immobilized him (which still probably wouldn't have been enough to follow up with a stopper after). </li><li>Due to my own poor memory, it took me about 6x longer to setup and recall what I was doing than to play these three rounds (the fourth really didn't count).</li><li>I always setup poorly and the first hero I want to use is in the back. At least once I'd like to not do that.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lord of Flame - Encounter 2</b></div><p><b style="text-align: center;"></b><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Opponents: Lord Merick Farrow, Elementals, Ettins</b></div><p><i>You enter the ancient structure carved into the rock. Glyphs etched by a forgotten culture decorate the walls. They ripple beneath the light of your torch, changing color and sometimes shape. A sudden blast of searing air rushes past you, and the passage fills with light. At the end of the tunnel, a mass of fire, water, earth, and air swirls into a living form. It speaks words you cannot understand, but that sound similar to those that Merick had spoken. A moment later, the mage approaches the creature from a side passage. You move forward silently, not interrupting their conversation. Their voices grow in intensity and volume: they are arguing. Suddenly, the elemental lurches forward with a roar, consuming Merick within its body. The savage forces of nature churn and crash about the mage, yet you see him standing safely within. Merick flexes his hand up and out, and all at once, the creature explodes in every direction. More appear around him, but these are silent and obedient to his will. He turns and points at you. "Kill them," he says.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrT5vYmxwFYaqsOpohZZazA9YIw_qKE3k40gLSOH6MyaV3guZObjA-q7X3E04rmXaCah9pENUc4CUxPf86vtPpdSIHvaAXu2mOa7KFgXNRnL-9SWOh8B8LPZEM2J30G09C8Wx7dtMOqfOi7usQNylFOMUfQwNeeH65sLWvQeonGURIfLNK3W4=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrT5vYmxwFYaqsOpohZZazA9YIw_qKE3k40gLSOH6MyaV3guZObjA-q7X3E04rmXaCah9pENUc4CUxPf86vtPpdSIHvaAXu2mOa7KFgXNRnL-9SWOh8B8LPZEM2J30G09C8Wx7dtMOqfOi7usQNylFOMUfQwNeeH65sLWvQeonGURIfLNK3W4=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><p>As soon as this was setup, I was pretty sure I'd lost. The map has two routes to the room at the end. The heroes have to RACE into that room and beat on a monolith in FIVE turns or less. With three heroes, I needed to deliver 15 damage to the monolith to win. Making things worse for me, the open group I drew was Ettins. That put a big old master Ettin in the room guarding the monolith. Between the heroes and their target was the Elemental OR a longer path with lava to cross. The AI was going to target whomever was close to the monolith, so I was going to have to play it a little and hope I could get one hero in early and get a little lucky.</p><p><b style="text-align: center;"></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Round 1</b> - <b>Event: Dark Influence (global, ongoing) - small monsters (for me, just Merick) get +1 shield</b></div><p>Syndrael used her heroic feat right out of the gate to move her and Tomble forward. Since she was right on top of the Elemental, she attacked and did 6 damage. Merick moved and moved again to engage. Tomble moved, then used his heroic feat to disappear (it lets you re-appear next round 4 spaces away, so I'd have options). The Elemental retaliated against Syndrael for two damage (down to 3 life left) and then withdrew. Widow double moved to get as far as she could forward. The Ettin AI moved the ettin forward and he opened the door to head towards the heroes.</p><p><b>Round 2</b> - <b>Event: Global - monsters add: spend a surge to give a random condition.</b></p><p>Syndrael double moved forward to draw the Ettin. Merick attacked the Widow, but failed (X) and then moved to engage. Tomble appears on the other side of the lava and runs for the other door, which he opens. Elemental spends a fire token to get a free "fire" attack on Syn for one damage (down to 2). It does another attack which was blocked by defense and then withdraws. Widow runs for the monolith room, as the Ettin is going to simply head for Tomble. The Ettin moves and attacks Tomble for two damage (down to 6).</p><p><b>Round 3 - Event: Heroes may remove a global effect (the last one)</b></p><p>Syndrael uses her move and then her ability "Oath of Honor" which lets her jump to be next to Tomble and attack the Ettin, but she caused no damage. Merick moved and then engaged Widow. Tomble double attacked the monolith and missed the first time (come on man!) and caused 1 pt of damage the next. The Elemental attacked Widow, but she escaped with a single damage scratch (down to 9). Widow attacked the Ettin twice, but missed due to range and then "X" missed. The Ettin missed his attack on Tomble, but managed to grab him and toss him away.</p><p><b>Round 4 - Event: Instant, discard all monster effects (none had any)</b></p><p>Syndrael moved in to attack the monolith and missed. Merick followed that with a move and then missed his attack on Widow. Tomble ran back in and attacked for 2 more damage to the monolith. The Elemental again attacked Widow, and scored a hit for 3 damage (down to 6). Widow attacked the Ettin twice but missed both from range. The Ettin attacked and missed Syndrael, but tossed her for 1 damage (leaving her at 1). </p><p><b>Round 5 (last chance) - Event: Global - anyone with a condition that gets wounded, suffers an additional wound</b></p><p>At this point it is all or nothing. I do the math and doubt I can pull this off. Syndrael moves and attacks but only gets 1 damage in on the monolith. Merick attacks Widow again, but scores only a single damage. Tomble double attacks the monolith and manages a total of 2 more damage. The Elemental attacks Widow for 3 damage (dropping her to 2). Widow uses blast on Ettin and scores 2 damage on each of the Ettin and the monolith - the two heroes avoid damage. On the second blast, she again hits but this time knocks out Syndrael. It doesn't matter, that was my last chance</p><p><i>Merick suddenly appears at the center of the room, suspended in the air and shielded within an orb of fire. His face contorts into an expression of ecstasy or pain. "They are mine to control," he shrieks. His head rolls about on his shoulders erratically and his eyes grow dark like a mounting storm. He chatters more words you cannot understand, and the room begins to break apart, spinning chaotically around you. you flee for the exit at the sound of Merick's insane cackling.</i></p><p><b>Notes:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I looked and saw very little chance for a win here. Knowing that the Ettin was going to be a road block and impossible to put down I could only get to the monolith as fast as I could. My play in the first couple of rounds worked pretty decently and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have gotten into position any faster than I did.</li><li>There are dice in the game, so sometimes things just don't play out well. That being said, I rolled pretty badly when attacking. I ended up getting in 10 damage (of 15 that I needed). I needed just a couple of the attacks to land, but couldn't generate much offense. </li><li>This group doesn't really handle big tough monsters well. I can't generate those big damage turns and Widow (my range attacker) has nothing to add range when the dice suck. The last two quests could be rough.</li><li>This encounter was dumb in that Merick is front and center in the thing, but defeating him wouldn't have mattered - only damaging the monolith mattered and my tank isn't brutish enough.</li></ul><div>One more quest and then the finale - almost done with the Heirs of Blood campaign. I hope the next quest is not so tight.</div><p></p><p>Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br /></p><div></div><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; widows: auto;"><a href="https://www.punchboardmedia.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="1500" height="80" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-THxKMwGeNZY/WS3rVjKZcfI/AAAAAAAAEFs/yCpnZ3Naf_osURsECWeRohSldI0KDlTMwCLcB/s640/pbm_banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-40759717297531610322021-07-28T12:15:00.000-07:002021-07-28T12:15:04.422-07:00Random Thoughts on Heavy Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ByCgA7w4DMC1eKvUD-XajA__imagepage/img/wa-414UE4ft4H9Czp2XPwKLxM70=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6256870.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="603" height="318" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ByCgA7w4DMC1eKvUD-XajA__imagepage/img/wa-414UE4ft4H9Czp2XPwKLxM70=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic6256870.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Thanks in part to a number of videos from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/GamingRulesVideos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Grogan of Gaming Rules!</a> I've had heavier games on my mind a bit lately. Some of that (I'm sure) has been the last 18+ months of not really playing this kind of game. To be sure, there are some heavier games online, but I think normally, heavier games end up (for me) on the table only a couple times a year at best. </p><p>So first, what is a heavy game? I don't mean physically heavy like Gloomhaven, but rather mentally taxing. The rules don't have to be complicated and fiddly or have weird terminology, but for me, <b>heavy</b> means - the game decision tree is opaque. Its like trying to find a path through a forest - you can follow someone else, but that is not going to get you out of the forest first, so you have to pick your own path. Once you pick a path (or at least start down one), it isn't always clear the whole way which way to go and someone could cut down a tree to clear their path, which falls on yours making your choices harder. Ok, enough of the forest analogy - the point being, there is enough going on that it isn't always easy to figure out what to do and trying to figure out other player's paths on top of that? Good luck. That to me is a heavy game - a game where my brain is going full steam the whole time and I may or may not fully see how things will play out. It isn't even that the game is tactical, but rather - understanding a strategy to take is complex enough to give your brain a workout.</p><p>On <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Boardgame Geek</a>, gamers can rank a game's weight from 1-5. Now, this (by their <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Weight" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">own admission</a>) is a vague definition, but with enough input, probably has normalized enough to mean something along the lines of what I describe above.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/5CakEIxQ-weVC_HXcDon-Q__imagepage/img/AOKMXIOicwc7EqvwHufWTUbc2BQ=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic431718.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="607" height="198" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/5CakEIxQ-weVC_HXcDon-Q__imagepage/img/AOKMXIOicwc7EqvwHufWTUbc2BQ=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic431718.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>That being said, some games to me are heavy just because they hurt <b>my</b> brain. A great little two-player example of this is <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/24762/medici-vs-strozzi">Medici vs Strozzi</a>. This is rated right in the middle of the scale at 2.45 - and realistically, the rules and mechanics are simple enough, but for a two-player game that doesn't take but 30 min to play, it hurts my brain - the choices are just hard (to me).<p></p><p>Of course, not being able to grok a game doesn't make it "heavy", it could just means it isn't my thing. I like those games where my brain is going the whole time and I don't really notice how long the game is taking. I like those "ah ha!" moments where something clicks and I pull of something clever - those keep me coming back for more every time.</p><p>So what are some of my favorite heavy games? <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1/die-macher" target="_blank">Die Macher</a> came to mind. My one learning game was <i>long</i>, but so interesting the whole time. So far, just about anything I've played from <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/12396/vital-lacerda" target="_blank">Vital Lacerda</a> (except for <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/142379/escape-plan">Escape Plan</a>, which wasn't as dense as the others I've played). That list includes: <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/72225/co" target="_blank">CO2</a>, <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42052/vinhos" target="_blank">Vinhos</a>, and <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/125153/gallerist" target="_blank">The Gallerist</a> (Paul Grogan's teaching/playing of <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284378/kanban-ev" target="_blank">Kanban EV</a> started this, so I really want to play that too). A friend says that Lacerda games are complex for complexity's sake, but I still enjoy his games and hope to play more of them at some point.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/wY6k5MmdPH3NVXsJ-SgtMw__imagepage/img/gCACPCX2tJwne3woNY-THoNhQGE=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic1762708.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://cf.geekdo-images.com/wY6k5MmdPH3NVXsJ-SgtMw__imagepage/img/gCACPCX2tJwne3woNY-THoNhQGE=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic1762708.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I like <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/95527/madeira" target="_blank">Madeira</a> a good bit (BGA has Madeira online, my only caveat is there is a lack of move confirmation/undo) - for whatever reason, the mechanics and interplay all clicked and I can "see" this heavy game better than others. The same designer also did <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/154809/nippon" target="_blank">Nippon</a> (also on BGA), which is a hair lighter than Madeira, but for whatever reason, I suck at. Both are still interesting games and if you like heavy games, you should give them a couple plays.<p></p><p>My current mild obsession has been with <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/257732/pax-transhumanity" target="_blank">Pax Transhumanity</a>. This little (literally - the box is like 5"x5"x3") game packs a lot into a little. Having had no experience with any <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/44079/series-pax-sierra-madre-games" target="_blank">Pax game</a>, I didn't know what to expect, but what I found was a lot of videos trying to explain the game (and IMO, not doing a great job). The problem with the explanations is that there is a bit of "clever" terminology for actions (moving cubes from your finance board to anywhere else is called one thing, returning them is called something else rather than just saying "return your cube to wherever). The rulebook itself is dinky (small box) and half the page is taken up with the designer's notes about XYZ - great for flavor, but nothing other than a distraction to understanding or finding information you want. The ONE saving grace of the rules - they do self-reference certain thing well (in order to do ABC, you must first do the DEF action (see C4)), but it still took me 2-3 videos and reading the PDF of the rules online (so I could actually READ the text) before I felt like I could try to play the game. Part of the problem with learning the game is that you do have to understand the terminology of the game as cards have abilities defined in the game's terms. So even if the card's power means "return all the cubes to the owner's WEALTH box" it might say, "Divest all agents on the card". Now generally, this isn't a big deal because the only markers you have that would be on a card would be cubes, but it doesn't lend itself to learning the game on your own. </p><p>BTW, play it I did - solo. Maybe 1/2 a solo game, then it got late and I got tired. So here is what I discovered: solving the difficult/heavy puzzle solo is boring to me. Pax Transhumanity at least isn't an efficiency puzzle per se (the solo for the Gallerist for instance really does feel like that) - its a race against an "AI". Still, this game is one where it was clear to me after a couple of rounds that it might be glorious with other real people, but only against real people. (I say might, because I'm not sure how I feel about the way you win and the way you go after others - I need to play to know for sure). </p><p>Maybe I just miss those long evenings squinting at a game for hours on end with my friends. Here's to hoping that changes someday soon. I think we all need a little of that. Until next time...</p><p><br />Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br /></p><div></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; widows: auto;"><a href="https://www.punchboardmedia.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="1500" height="80" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-THxKMwGeNZY/WS3rVjKZcfI/AAAAAAAAEFs/yCpnZ3Naf_osURsECWeRohSldI0KDlTMwCLcB/s640/pbm_banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-83196156172959094902021-01-02T11:59:00.000-07:002021-01-02T11:59:11.582-07:00New to Me on BGA in 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDmYA7ZP8EM/X_C8IOv9NXI/AAAAAAAAFGw/cB-YaNdExUIKoajaYJ9H25-8Z_kb_mU1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s183/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-02%2Bat%2B11.31.37%2BAM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="143" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDmYA7ZP8EM/X_C8IOv9NXI/AAAAAAAAFGw/cB-YaNdExUIKoajaYJ9H25-8Z_kb_mU1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-01-02%2Bat%2B11.31.37%2BAM.png" /></a></div>For me, 2020 saw a huge increase of my playing games online. I discovered <a href="https://boardgamearena.com/welcome" target="_blank">Board Game Arena (BGA)</a> early on this year and they have been steadily rolling out new games all year long - in fact, they have made games live every day in the month of December. Now, this list isn't about the quality of the BGA implementations of games, but rather about the new games I've learned or been exposed to this year because of BGA. So here they are and some brief thoughts I've had about those games.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Games I played before that I didn't remember much about...</h3><div><b>Seasons</b> - this odd little game has you collecting little magic resources that can be used to buy the cards you are holding which can help with abilities and/or score you points during or at the end of the game. This was ok, but after a couple games I decided I didn't have as much control over my destiny as I'd have liked.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>La Granja</b> - this little farmer game has a set of cards that can be placed onto your farm in a couple of different ways, so you have to figure out how to build your engine - once you place the cards, you can't reuse them elsewhere. Then, you create goods and try to take them to market to score points and hopefully screw your opponents out of being the best local farmer they can be. This seems clever at first glance but somehow feels repetitive after a little while. I'd rather play online than face-to-face because the cards are a pain to deal with on the table, but even then, this is only a couple times a year game I think.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Via Magica</b> - this was not "new". Turns out its a re-themed version of Rise of Augustus (aka Roman Bingo). Light little BINGO game that is a decent family game. The re-theme is a little "loud" in the art department, but its still pretty much the same game. </div><h3 style="text-align: left;">New Games...</h3><div><div><b>Palaces of Carrara</b> - this is a Kiesling and Kramer game where players are grabbing various grades of rocks in order to build buildings in their play area. The better the grade of stone, the more that a building can be worth to a player in terms of money or points. There is a little balancing act between fast builds and quality, as well as scoring or getting money (which you need to get the better stuff). Nothing fancy here, but a well balanced game that isn't too heavy.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Teotihuacan</b> - I first saw this at a convention and it looks fantastic on the tabletop. After a couple of plays, I'm just not enthralled with it. I can't quite put my finger on what I'm missing or why this is super popular with other players, but it just doesn't float my boat.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Clans of Caledonia</b> - The slightly less complex (yet similar feeling) of a Terra Mystica-like game. That isn't quite right, but its close enough for me. It didn't quite hit the right notes with me either and I'm hard pressed to say what I didn't like, but it just didn't engage me.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Off the Rails</b> - This is a little dash and grab deal where players are trying to build a route of rail for their mine cars so they can run in and get the goodies before the other players and before the mines collapse (which is a lot like the lave phase of The Downfall of Pompeii). This suffers from the same issues as Pompeii - the randomness takes out all the fun of dropping a pile of rocks on your competition.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bandido - </b>I'm not much for co-op games, and playing them async is painful. This is a little (very little) puzzle game that might be good brain scratching for 6-9 year olds.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lucky Numbers</b> - Aptly named this game is. It really isn't that hard to figure out how to play your numbers on your board, but luck of the draw plays a HUGE amount in determining whether you'll win or not.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Welcome to New Las Vegas</b> - Like its "Roll and Write" brother <b>Welcome To...</b>, this is another game where pairs of cards are drawn and you start filling in your sheet trying to make your picks worth more than the other players. Both of these are available on BGA and are well done if you enjoy "flip and write" games. Vegas is different enough that its worth giving a whirl a time or two.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Marrakech</b> - this is a little abstract game with a die. Its pretty light and the die can do you wrong most of the game, but again, its a light little game.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Small Islands</b> - this tile laying game has one central play area that is expanded by the players, each who are trying to achieve a secret goal. You can try and push your luck, or go for a quick goal each round, depending on how things shape out. Not a load of depth, but an enjoyable lighter distraction.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>99</b> - this is a trick taking game using a standard deck of cards where you are bidding on how many tricks you will take (trump is randomly set). The tricky part is that bidding is done with cards from your hand, based on the suit (not the value on the card). This means that you have to account for NOT HAVING THOSE CARDS in your hand. Its a tricky little game that probably plays best live or at the table. Online, async is a little slow.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Big Time Soccer</b> - sorry, this is one giant NOPE sandwich for me. It might be ok as a quick 2-player filler (if and only if you are a fan of soccer). Otherwise, there is really not a lot of strategy, just playing cards quickly and then rolling a die to see if your shot made it or not. In one respect, it is like soccer - a whole lot of back and forth nothing happens, and then suddenly someone launches a shot at goal (which you know isn't going in). Yeah, it is not any more thrilling than my description. Are there interesting choices? Only whether to play or not (don't).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Piraten Kapern</b> - If you like quick dice games ala Martian Dice, Zombie Dice and so on, then here's Piraten Kapern. How's this one different? Well, I postulate that someone said, "How can we add randomness to a quick dice game?" - the answer is of course, add some cards that change things each turn. I like Martian Dice for what it is, but Piraten Kapern is just a little too much. Maybe if the cards were a little more even, but they are not balanced, so you can get screwed on a card and the other players can get helped a lot. I'll stick to Martian Dice.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Flaming Pyramids</b> - speaking of random chaos... If you like games with a lack of control, here you go. Nothing complicated, just hope you can play your cards without getting stuck blowing up half the pyramid and having to take more cards.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Luxor</b> - A little bit of hand management with your movement cards, a little bit worker placement (you move your explorers) and a little bit of a race game. Something of a family game - its a little hard to describe. I only played it once, but it was ok.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Abstracts</h3><div><b>Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game</b> - One of the most thematic of the group, this is is exactly what it sounds like - an area control game where you act basically like a corrupt state government representative drawing lines on the map to your advantage. Theme aside, this works pretty well with the hex based layout. Nothing surprising, and nothing special either. Good teaching tool for students to understand what gerrymandering means.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Naga Parbat</b> - Also a thematic abstract. You know, if mountain climbing was about capturing animals for their magic abilities to rearrange the world. This isn't a bad little two-player game, but it does feel a bit limited. All the games I played were pretty close score wise, so while it seems like it offers the ability to make really clever moves, I'm not sure it really does, since its not easy to create any distance in the scores.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tash-Kalar</b> - This is something of a puzzle game - figure out how to layout your pieces in a way to play your special cards in hopes that something might then let you take a scoring card. There just doesn't seem to be a good way to do all that unless you are lucky enough that everything aligns.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>NXS</b> - pronounced Nexus. This has a little theme tacked on, but is an area control game on a hex board with pieces whose moves and "attack" are shown on the edges of the pieces. I liked this, but it was a little hard to (for me) to grok/see.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Quantik -</b> another pure abstract that is damn fast. Like 4-6 moves and done fast. Don't make a mistake or you are done. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Circle of Life</b> - I really liked this one. I'm not good at it, but I liked it. There are lots of things to try and figure out in such a basic game. The board is a Hex board and you place one small hex piece each turn. The larger shapes you end up creating are limited in size to 4 pieces and each possible shape can eliminate exactly one other shape and is eliminated by exactly one other shape. The goal is to try and capture 20 pieces of the other player. Really a cool little design.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Top of the Heap</h3><div><b>Circle of Life</b> - Again, great abstract game that I can see playing more of in 2021</div><div><b>Palaces of Carrara</b> - a nice middle of the road euro (the medium games appeal to me the most for async online play.</div><div><b>99</b> - I love card games, just not so much online/async. I imagine this is great face-2-face. I'd happily play this real time online.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sadly, I just don't see a lot of changes in the world in 2021 as far as the pandemic is concerned, so I suspect that there will be a fair bit more online games coming. Catch me online on BGA (<b>nogardtla</b>) and on Yucata.de as (<b>tatsu</b>).</div><div><br /></div><div>Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br /><div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; widows: auto;"><a href="https://www.punchboardmedia.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="1500" height="80" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-THxKMwGeNZY/WS3rVjKZcfI/AAAAAAAAEFs/yCpnZ3Naf_osURsECWeRohSldI0KDlTMwCLcB/s640/pbm_banner.png" width="640" /></a></div></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-6703095452998755702020-07-19T18:22:00.002-07:002021-12-27T13:01:19.585-07:00The Dunwich Legacy Cycle: A Light Review, Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a light review for the entire Dunwich Legacy Campaign for Arkham Horror:The Card Game, which includes the deluxe box (which begins the cycle with new investigators, two scenarios, and a number of cards across all the attribute sets) as well as all six of the chapter packs. I will do my best to avoid spoilers to the stories, but information about the new cards for the investigators is readily available everywhere online there are deck databases. Mostly, I'll try and indicate how good the story is and whether the scenarios are fun because of the way they are setup. This does not include the followup set <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/260311/arkham-horror-card-game-return-dunwich-legacy" target="_blank">Return to the Dunwich Legacy</a>. I'm going to record my impressions as I work my way through the campaign, so it'll be an odd combo of session reports and reviews.<br />
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The Dunwich Cycle was released in 2017 and was the first campaign set delivered by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) for the game. It very recently (early summer 2020) was reprinted by FFG. If you are interested in getting into the game with a full cycle of available stuff, this is a great time and place to start. Because I was able to get the full set all at once, I elected to open all the packs and make all of the investigator cards available from the outset. For the investigator cards, FFG randomly spreads them out throughout the cycle and there is no "logical" order to them and no reason to wait until you get to a particular chapter before using those cards. For a new cycle, you would normally have to wait - I had the luxury of not needing to do so. Because of this, I won't give impressions on the cards each "set" contains - I've already mixed them all together.<br />
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I put together decks for a couple of new investigators to give them a try. The new investigators are limited to the standard cards, one area of expertise and five (5) level zero cards from any of the other sets, which gives them a slightly interesting flavor of your choosing. <div><br /></div><div>For this playthrough/review I choose to play with: Jim Culver and Jenny Barnes. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://arkhamdb.com/bundles/cards/02004.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="419" height="192" src="https://arkhamdb.com/bundles/cards/02004.png" width="268" /></a></div>Jim is solidly based on using Mystic cards (purple), so I built him around cards that allow him to investigate and fight using his spells and then things to either ward off the horrors that come from dipping into the mystic world or healing those wounds. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because a lot of those skills/spells are willpower based, I also leaned a little towards cards that increased his willpower. I wasn't planning that he'd be the fighter, but a couple of his spells let him use his willpower to damage the bad guys, so I'm hoping he can at least hold his own.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://arkhamdb.com/bundles/cards/02003.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="419" height="192" src="https://arkhamdb.com/bundles/cards/02003.png" width="268" /></a></div><div>Jenny Barnes is a dilettante who is an above average jack-of-all-trades. She is solidly based on Rogue cards (which I really enjoy. She rakes in the resources which lets her gets solid cards into play, including her twin guns. </div><div><br /></div><div>A lot of the rogue cards let you avoid the fight and some let you get in a parting shot/sneak attack after exhausting the bad guys. She also has a few tricks up her sleeves (wait, she doesn't have sleeves) and she is actually a really good all round investigator. I'm not sure being a jack of all trades is the way to go, but we'll find out.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><font size="5"><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/208545/arkham-horror-card-game-dunwich-legacy-expansion" target="_blank">Dunwich Deluxe Set</a></font></b></div><div><br /></div><div>There are two scenarios to start the campaign and you get to decide on the order they are played, with some variation in setup based on which you do "earlier" in the evening. This is a nice touch for replaying the campaign, because you can immediately add some variability just by switching this up. I started the campaign, promptly got savaged and resigned before anything interesting happened. I then took so long to get back to the game that I couldn't recall anything that happened (which was nothing), so I restarted and had a much longer and more interesting session with the <b>Extra Curricular Activity</b> scenario (which takes place at the famed Miskatonic University). The scenario is interesting, albeit a little straight forward, with a fun little twist towards the end.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second starter scenario (which could be considered a part II to the first scenario depending on how you look at it or want to count it) - <b>The House Always Wins</b> is a nice change of pace from "the normal run around and test knowledge to gain clues" using a twist that changes up how you get clues. I enjoyed how it worked thematically and it appears to have setup some things down the road of this cycle. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall (storywise), the deluxe set seems to be a good starter. The pair of scenarios make for good 1-2 punch combo for setting the stage. The new investigators are interesting as well and altogether have set my interest for the remaining cycle, which is what the setup should do. Lots of new cards to look at and delve into for your deck building fun.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/210025/arkham-horror-card-game-miskatonic-museum-mythos-p" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-style: none none dotted; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; transition: initial 0.1s linear initial;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/210025/arkham-horror-card-game-miskatonic-museum-mythos-p" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-style: none none dotted; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; transition: initial 0.1s linear initial;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oH_JPSvTnhk/XxIhfwXzCiI/AAAAAAAAE-o/Y13o2l8G1U4DFwlLpRLMNA4aM1RZctlywCLcBGAsYHQ/s377/pic4322658.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="377" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oH_JPSvTnhk/XxIhfwXzCiI/AAAAAAAAE-o/Y13o2l8G1U4DFwlLpRLMNA4aM1RZctlywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/pic4322658.png" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/210025/arkham-horror-card-game-miskatonic-museum-mythos-p" target="_blank">The Miskatonic Museum</a></div><div>The first scenario pack didn't disappoint (despite some comments I have seen that the story didn't feel like it fit). I don't want to give a whole lot away, but I will say that I like that they included a number of location cards which means replays of this scenario should be valid and new feeling (at least for a second spin). It does use the tried and true - location you want shuffled into the bottom half of the location cards - trick, which means there is a sort of a forced timer where you have to grind through to get to the location (a little like the forest scenario (last scenario) from the base game).</div><div><br /></div><div>In my playing, I ended up SUPER frustrated by locked doors and barriers (and some bad bag draws), which is just how things go sometimes. I felt very well equipped (deck-wise), but the encounter deck setup is designed to frustrate you and luck was not with me at all this evening - Jenny went down for the count due to a hex.</div><div><br /></div><div>Minor spoiler! I did enjoy one minor story element where I met an ally and keeping him alive through the night meant not having to add a bad chaos token to the bag for the rest of the campaign. This plot point was not over bearing, just a nice little addition.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/212734/arkham-horror-card-game-essex-county-express-mytho" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-style: none none dotted; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; transition: initial 0.1s linear initial;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/212734/arkham-horror-card-game-essex-county-express-mytho" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-style: none none dotted; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; transition: initial 0.1s linear initial;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQ6BArLtl3U/XxIh5WBh44I/AAAAAAAAE-w/gSACGH1ajT4pL7rxf0xMpATiR2vQLJo6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s376/pic4322659.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="376" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQ6BArLtl3U/XxIh5WBh44I/AAAAAAAAE-w/gSACGH1ajT4pL7rxf0xMpATiR2vQLJo6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/pic4322659.png" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/212734/arkham-horror-card-game-essex-county-express-mytho" target="_blank">The Essex County Express</a></div><div>The second of the the scenario packs takes place on a train! A train that you are forced to race through to try and reach the engine before bad things happen. As with most of the scenarios so far, there are multiple locations that are randomized for your play through to make the scenario more replayable. Both investigators were defeated (the toils of the investigations are stacking up on me), but I was also one draw from "winning" (Jim Cutler was already pummeled out of the game, but Jenny had a chance).</div><div><br /></div><div>This scenario felt slightly shorter than the others thus far, though that might have been partly the forced urgency of the scenario. Things have been fun to this point, though the story thread through each scenario has not been particularly strong thus far. Individually the scenarios have been good, just not tied together with anything other than the bits to start each scenario. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm at the halfway point of the campaign now, and so far so good. The story has evolved a little slowly, but I've been getting peeks and hints. The individual scenarios haven't been bad. Despite having some fun cards for my team, I certainly don't feel in control or overpowered at all - which is how it should be for a game with this kind of theme. I'm excited for the second half of things to come.</div><div><br /></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-45181026192458145832020-07-09T18:18:00.001-07:002022-01-04T15:30:11.823-07:00Nine Great Games (as far as I'm concerned)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keYTY-es1KE/XwdY7UMK9wI/AAAAAAAAE98/fyCced4fffoZMHwXT-Oo-S9qSEvtKiSYwCK4BGAsYHg/s1080/topnine.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keYTY-es1KE/XwdY7UMK9wI/AAAAAAAAE98/fyCced4fffoZMHwXT-Oo-S9qSEvtKiSYwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/topnine.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You may have seen this pic-art you can build on Pub Meeple. I finally got around to making one (because you know, COVID, and I was bored). It was a little harder than I thought it would be. Figuring out the first six of them were pretty easy, but the last three were tough. I had to really start playing scenarios out in my head to figure out which game I'd rather play of X vs Y vs Z. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And some great games missed the cut. Games I'd play in a heartbeat, but with a caveat (like with the right people). With the games that made the cut, I'd pretty much play anytime, with anyone new or seasoned in the game. I'd be happy to teach the game, or "test my mettle" against an expert. Anyway...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><font size="5">Honorable Mentions</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are the ones that I love, but it'd depend on the situation and players, so they didn't make the nine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/215/tichu" target="_blank">Tichu</a> - I love card games and Tichu (and three handed, Chimera) is such an excellent game that it was hard to leave off the list. But... it is a partner game and knowing your partner makes a difference in how much you enjoy the game. It just missed the cut.</li><li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129437/legendary-marvel-deck-building-game" target="_blank">Marvel Legendary</a> - I love this game, but the tabletop version takes work to setup, play, and teardown. And when COVID locked us down, I played a bunch solo. And then I found Marvel Champions which scratches a similar thematic itch, but with less effort. Again, just missed the cut today. Still a great game.</li><li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3/samurai" target="_blank">Samurai</a> - oh I really really love this game. Against players of equal skill. Everyone has to know how to play and play at all player counts. Want to learn? I'll teach you, but the weak player tends to throw the game to the player after them, which means I rarely get to play this.</li></ul><div><b><font size="5">The Nine</font></b></div><div>At least as of today, if someone wanted to play these games with me, it'd be a no brainer. If I was at a convention, I'd play one of these over anything else almost without hesitation. I'm going to start with Combat Commander (I have written about CC a lot of times) because it might be my favorite game of all time, but I'll do the rest in the order of the pictures rather than trying to rank them.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/21050/combat-commander-europe" target="_blank">Combat Commander: Europe</a> (and Mediterranean)</b></div><div>If you just opened the box and looked inside, Combat Commander looks like your standard GMT grognard affair - folded paper maps, tons of chits in little trays, and decks of cards. Behind the somewhat spartan war-game look hides an amazing game. I am not a wargamer. I don't care about trying to replay historical battles to change history. The thing I love about Combat Commander is that every game is more than just a game, its a whole experience. I can remember so many specifics about games of Combat Commander that I've played - and so do the people I've played against.</div><div><br /></div><div>And it isn't just some moment of the game that was awesome, the entirety of each game has this narrative that is immersive. It is as if you were thrown into Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers. The chaos of war grabs hold of you and there are moments where 15 minutes into the game you are sure you have no chance of surviving for another 15 minutes and then suddenly that machine gun that had all your units pinned downed jams and reinforcements arrive, giving you new life. Or a fire starts and the wind shifts and the blaze is headed your way and you are forced to give up the cover of buildings you were in. And that stalemate you had with the Russians is suddenly your units out in the open running everywhere to get away from them before they can open fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is simply an amazingly good time. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/156455/viticulture-complete-collectors-edition" target="_blank">Viticulture + Tuscany</a></b></div><div>I wrote a <a href="https://things-of-no-interest.blogspot.com/2018/06/viticulture-and-tuscany-review.html" target="_blank">review of Viticulture</a> a while ago and if you want the in-depth details, please, go read it. Suffice to say, when combined with the Tuscany expansion, Viticulture is a really good worker placement game about owning a vineyard (and possibly an orchid and garden and cheese factory). I really enjoy the theme and the gameplay and the options - there are lots of ways to score points and win. You can literally win without ever making wine (which doesn't sound thematic, but whatever). </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, I think most people are only ever exposed to the Essential Ed. of Viticulture, which is just ok - it feels like half a game after experiencing the grandeur of the full Collectors edition. If you play, it has to be the big board with structures and specialty meeples. Trust me.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651/power-grid" target="_blank">Power Grid</a></b></div><div>Is there any boardgamer out there that <i>hasn't</i> played Power Grid and needs me to explain it? It is simply one of the best auction Euros ever made. It is the perfect blend of auctions, positioning and timing and back in the day, my game group would play this <b>every week</b> (which happened with no other game ever). Some people complain that it is too "mathy". There is some math, but it isn't just a counting exercise by any means. If you think it is, you are playing with the wrong crowd. I'm also not the only person that thinks this. In competition for "best game of all time" PG has finished at or near the top FAR more than other games.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171905/orleans-deluxe-edition" target="_blank">Orléans</a></b></div><div>Orléans is one of those games I took a flyer on, having read a good preview of, and it turned out to be even better than I could have expected. Its a bag builder, worker placement, euro-point salad kind of deal. We have a bunch of expansion buildings for the game, which give it a nice bit of variability in the approaches we take each game. (on a personal note, I like this one a lot because I can't seem to beat my love - she kicks my ass every time we play either head-to-head or with others).</div><div><br /></div><div>I love that the bag draws force you to play tactically, but it isn't just tactical play, you have to have a plan as well. Just talking about this one means I'm going to get this out sooner rather than later I think.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/107529/kingdom-builder" target="_blank"><b>Kingdom Builder</b></a></div><div>Kingdom Builder is one of those fast playing abstracts with variable abilities (which you earn due to your placements on the board) add variable scoring, which makes each game a little like a puzzle and you have something amazing. Because of the limited size of the board, it plays differently with different numbers of players but ultimately it works pretty decently. There is a little randomness in where you can place, but smart choices can mitigate that. When you have a REALLY bad streak of luck, you can get screwed, but games are fast, so you don't have to feel too bad about a bad luck streak. This is way under-rated.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146021/eldritch-horror" target="_blank">Eldritch Horror</a></b></div><div>Let's call this the "spiritual successor" to Arkham Horror (2nd ed). For a tabletop game, I think this might be the finest Lovecraftian game FFG has produced. This is a big co-op game of investigators trying to stop the end of the world from bizarre terrors and cults that are worshipping horrific beings from other realms. If the theme is not your cup of tea, then you aren't going to like this one, but I find this another great game that tells a decently coherent story (unlike AH 2nd). The fact that there are all these little story bits and that it can all be tied together so well is a testament to the design. When you start adding in the expansions, you have an almost endless set of stories. Like a lot of co-ops, when things start going bad, it can be hard to stop, but in a game where the mood is grim from the start, it just fits.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/27833/steam" target="_blank">Steam</a></b></div><div>This is the revision of Age of Steam, that as far as I'm concerned, cleaned up the rough edges of AoS. Both are good games, I just think the mechanics here are cleaner (and the game isn't so brutal to new players). If you've never played either - it is a train game. You are building track to move goods from one point to another (before someone else does). You have to be able to play both for the moment as well as being able to plan ahead, because if you don't, your future "now" is going to suck. And you are not in a vacuum - the board is not wide open, its cut throat and tight. Despite a small set of things to do in the game, it is wonderfully thinky and meaty.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9209/ticket-ride" target="_blank">Ticket to Ride</a></b></div><div>Has anyone not played Ticket to Ride? There are at least what? 4-5 base versions, countless expansions, great app versions, a web version, etc... Its popularity speaks to what a good game it is. It is a great family game for casual players and yet is interesting enough to keep gamers coming back to it. This is one of the few games I have played an app version of that I like equally as much in both formats. I also really like that the expansion maps just tweak the game, but tweak it enough to make each map fresh and different feeling. It is also great at player counts from 2-6, which is amazing as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/521/crokinole" target="_blank">Crokinole</a></b></div><div>This might be the least well known of the games on the list. Some boardgamers "know of" Crokinole but have never played due to lack of access to a board. Boards are big and largely expensive (relatively speaking). I got my board about 13 years back and baring an accident, it'll get passed down to my daughter someday. My appreciation for my one-of-a-kind Crokinole board aside, this is as simple a dexterity game as there could be. Take turns flicking disks, trying to slide your disks as close to (or into) the center of the board, while knocking or blocking your opponent's disks. A good board should be slicker than ice, so control and accuracy are important and what make this such a great game of skill. This is great head-to-head or in teams. The most important rule of the game? <b>You have to always have at least one cheek on your chair.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>And yes, like I said, I'd play pretty much all of these at the drop of a hat. They are all great games that I love for one reason or another.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-53514199703704277852020-07-05T17:17:00.000-07:002020-07-05T17:48:39.083-07:00Marvel Champions - Scenario and Hero Pack reviewsWith any Living Card Game (LCG) from Fantasy Flight Games (FFG), the meat of the game comes from the never ending stream of new content. While the base game for Marvel Champions is decent right out of the box, with the kind of IP available from Marvel comics, getting a new slew of heroes and villains was never a question of if, but only how much and how soon.<div><br /></div><div>Scenario Packs are new bad guys and new modular sets that can be used with any of the scenarios in order to keep things fresh and new (even while beating up the Rhino for the 800th time). </div><div><br /></div><div>Hero Packs on the other hand, not only give you a new hero to play, but introduce a wide variety of new cards. Each hero pack comes fully setup with a set of aspect and standard cards (making them playable out of the box) and three copies of a single card for each of the other aspects in the game. Getting these hero packs not only expands your hero choices, but starts to really give you some options when it comes to building decks and customizing the aspect cards in your deck (and even a little bit with some new standard cards as well). <br /><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSeo598KHxY/XvlEHzWHgNI/AAAAAAAAE6Y/47xs0gOC-i87xncWhrzgJbbA2cg9PZ8aACK4BGAsYHg/s500/pic5055146.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSeo598KHxY/XvlEHzWHgNI/AAAAAAAAE6Y/47xs0gOC-i87xncWhrzgJbbA2cg9PZ8aACK4BGAsYHg/s320/pic5055146.png" /></a></div>The <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/288794/marvel-champions-card-game-green-goblin-scenario-p" target="_blank">Green Goblin Scenario Pack</a> was the first scenario pack released for FFG's LCG <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/285774/marvel-champions-card-game" target="_blank">Marvel Champions</a>. This scenario pack, based around the Green Goblin, is actually two new scenarios and also includes four new modular encounters (though one of the four modules is very Green Goblin specific). <div><br /></div><div>If you are looking for a decent change in pace, then the scenario Risky Business is going to be right up your alley - Norman Osborne (the Green Goblin's alter ego) starts the show and has to be driven to the edge of madness for the Green Goblin to come out and play. Managing threat until you are ready for an all out attack takes some planning and timing because the Green Goblin is not only nasty, but he doesn't stay out too long before changing back to Norman. It's a good change up from the straight beat em up of the others.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mutagenic Formula (the second scenario) is almost a straight plot steal from <a href="https://youtu.be/ZsrGeAG3U3A" target="_blank">Spider-man and His Amazing Friends </a>(the old Saturday morning cartoon from the 80's). Here you are just going up against the GG in a scenario that feels a little like an amped up version of Klaw's scenario - there are a lot of minions to deal with and GG can be nasty. </div><div><br /></div><div>One thing to note, while the Risky Business scenario is original feeling, it feels pretty easy to manage. Because Norman can't attack and the Green Goblin can't scheme, it's actually fairly straight forward during the early parts of the game to get yourself a breather when the GG comes out by switching to your alter-ego for some healing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, it is a decent enough couple of scenarios and the new modular encounters add some new variety to your base game, but not enough so to change your world view of Marvel Champions. Solid <b>B</b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GxHs1OZuSpI/XvlEIM8MkvI/AAAAAAAAE6c/kVlsov6Zdl8uzV1f7Q2xGdHXi3ckdXaxQCK4BGAsYHg/s500/pic4956746.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="282" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GxHs1OZuSpI/XvlEIM8MkvI/AAAAAAAAE6c/kVlsov6Zdl8uzV1f7Q2xGdHXi3ckdXaxQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/pic4956746.png" /></a></div><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/289222/marvel-champions-card-game-captain-america-hero-pa" target="_blank">Captain America</a> was one of the first wave of hero packs released. This package comes fully ready to play, with a full starter setup of new and existing cards. </div><div><br /></div><div>Captain America comes with a set of Leadership aspect cards geared towards his allies - combined with his own cards geared towards his shield and you have the two things that make him a great hero. When you mix you and build your own Leadership set for Cap, you don't have to feel bad adding extra Avengers in, as new leadership cards can expand the number of allies you are allowed AND make it easier to get them in play. A new standard card will even make an ally an honorary Avenger (which is 0 cost and give the ally an additional HP).</div><div><br /></div><div>Captain America is a great addition to your collection of heroes - he's really flexible and powerful, and doesn't take quite the time that Black Panther and Iron-Man do to get running. </div><div><br /></div><div>The downside to Cap? He can make the game feel on "easy mode" at times, but the cards you get for the set make him an <b>A+</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nmw6qf9oJy4/XvlVgLqkgWI/AAAAAAAAE78/DJtjdOCx4ho-EWsprjWQzcsSNEsCKNmRACK4BGAsYHg/s500/pic5173570.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nmw6qf9oJy4/XvlVgLqkgWI/AAAAAAAAE78/DJtjdOCx4ho-EWsprjWQzcsSNEsCKNmRACK4BGAsYHg/s320/pic5173570.png" /></a></div><div>The <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/299049/marvel-champions-card-game-black-widow-hero-pack" target="_blank">Black Widow</a> is a recent release that likely was meant to coincide with the MCU Black Widow movie (now slated for release at the end of 2020). As with other Hero Packs, Black Widow comes ready to play out of the box with a full set of Justice aspect cards and standard cards (new and old).</div><div><br /></div><div>The Black Widow cards are centered around the idea that she is a SPY (you may have seen this key word on some allies already) and that as one of the top spies in the world, she has prepared for whatever might be thrown her way.</div><div><br /></div><div>As such, there are quite a few cards that are <b>Preparation</b> cards - and they are plentiful and inexpensive. She isn't a big hitter (she can have her moments though) but she is pretty good at neutralizing whatever is thrown her way. By the time you cycle through her deck, she probably is ready to start whittling down the villain. </div><div><br /></div><div>She does take some time to get setup and I'm not sure how well her best traits would play with another aspect, but as she is, she is decent fun and the cards that come in her pack are welcome additions for other heroes that want to play Justice too. <b>B+</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/NN2v5LSA6dIM5Nu98TlF0b_C_38_lFT0INHdveHSXAMWw7EQ0xI1X8VwEokTTdpK9J5sBEWRYz76aIsG5CCS4kdfthtx2W-M5v7QkfPFHR26dgNK1iXFCSZuX7NsC-yb7Tbg_9hKODAYV3yvogIdYnGMXroqGoML9qR4Ed0DQTS8A9G9K8yX46NoPbMZAwHE=s500" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/NN2v5LSA6dIM5Nu98TlF0b_C_38_lFT0INHdveHSXAMWw7EQ0xI1X8VwEokTTdpK9J5sBEWRYz76aIsG5CCS4kdfthtx2W-M5v7QkfPFHR26dgNK1iXFCSZuX7NsC-yb7Tbg_9hKODAYV3yvogIdYnGMXroqGoML9qR4Ed0DQTS8A9G9K8yX46NoPbMZAwHE=s320" /></a></div><div><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/300878/marvel-champions-card-game-doctor-strange-hero-pac" target="_blank">Dr. Strange</a> is literally the latest release in North America, having arrived July 3, 2020. If you have heard anything about this Dr. Strange pack, it is that he might be a little over-powered. I'm here to confirm that.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Strange is different from the other hero packs in the makeup of the cards you receive. While he is indeed playable straight out of the box (like the other hero packs), the cards you get are a little different because of the 5 card "spell deck". You still receive the 15 Dr. Strange cards and enough Protection aspects cards and standard cards. In order to "make up" for the extra cards, The Iron Man Leadership card is included (only 1) and no Justice cards (3 of an aggression card are included). </div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Strange's main ability is to exhaust and then you pay the cost to cast the top (face-up) card in the spell deck. Which you will want to do a lot. Thankfully, his cloak allows you to ready Dr. Strange (one time per turn) so assuming you can pay for it, you can get off a couple of his spells.</div><div><br /></div><div>The allure of his spells and the reason you keep hearing that Dr. Strange is over-powered is that his spells really allow you to control the game (moreso in solo mode). You will constantly be giving up to three of your characters "toughness", making the villain stunned or confused, taking that toughness off a bad guy and making him any other status you like, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>And while he's not a huge damage dealer, one of his five spells does 7 damage and a stun. Another card in the Dr. Strange deck does a nice 5 damage plus a random bonus based on the top card of your draw pile. So while he's not going to deliver the hits like She-Hulk or Captain Marvel, he can deliver a hit when he needs, while he utterly controls the rest of the game. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you are playing solo, you might need to up the difficulty a bit to get a reasonable challenge. Dr. Strange (Protection) does a good job of neutralizing threats long enough for you to take care of things in your own time. You also won't see a ton of cards for your other aspects. That said, he's fun and should put something new in your toolbox. <b>A-</b></div>Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-84674633693014122862020-06-04T17:03:00.001-07:002020-06-04T17:03:32.894-07:00Arkham Horror: The Card Game Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205637/arkham-horror-card-game">Arkham Horror: The Card Game</a> was released by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) in 2016 as the next in their line of Living Card Games (LCGs) - it was something of a followup to their hit Lord of the Rings: The Card Game and follows in its footsteps in a number of ways. I'm going to assume that you aren't familiar with LotR:TCG and give you enough of the story so that you understand what this game is all about. Please also note - I'm looking at this game from a solo player point of view.<br />
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This isn't a how to play, so I'm going to skip a fair portion of the mechanics of this game itself because I think you play these kind of games for a reason, and in this case, the mechanics are not the driving factor in whether you'll like this game or not.<br />
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First off - this is another in the long line of Lovecraftian games that FFG has published over the years. These games have been something of a hit for them and fans of these games know what they're getting from FFG:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Investigators and monsters that are familiar (there is a pretty large library of both at this point)</li>
<li>Wonderful and creepy artwork</li>
<li>Well written story and flavor bites (individual cards and events often have flavor text for fun and to set the mood) that immerses you in what's happening</li>
<li>A daunting task to overcome either solo or with your friends</li>
<li>A constant feeling of dread or being overwhelmed by the forces against you - part you vs the game co-op and part theme</li>
</ul>
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Honestly, if you aren't a fan of their Lovecraftian line of games, you might not really care about this one either. It's certainly a different game from Eldritch Horror, Elder Sign, Mansions of Madness, and even Arkham Horror (the boardgames), but in the end, the strong theme is a core part of the game just as it is in all of the others I named.<br />
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The other thing this game is, is an LCG. As an FFG living card game, it means that the game is designed to continually expand through a series of expansion chapters. You'll be building a deck of cards and updating the cards you use throughout play and as your library of cards expands. You aren't building decks ala Magic or Pokemon or other similar competition games, no, you are building your deck to fight your way through an ongoing set of scenarios - most linked into a larger campaign storyline. There are some one-off expansions that you can add in or play on their own as well.<br />
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So are you interested so far? Because what I explain next seem to be the things that kills the enthusiasm for a lot of people. The base game (what I'm reviewing here right now) is just the starter - and not quite a full one at that. Sure, you get enough cards to create two investigator decks of cards (ie enough for two players to sit and play the game). You don't get enough copies of the cards so that both the decks you create can both use some of the popular base cards. In order to do that, you have to buy a second copy. You also have to do that if you expect to play with 3-4 players at once.<br />
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Let me be clear, buying multiple copies is not required (unless you want to play with 3+. You might not care that you won't have multiple copies of some cards, knowing that you'll be buying a bazillion more cards. Decide not to bother - entirely your call. But I point this out, because it bothers a lot of people that FFG does this with their games.<br />
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Oh, and by the way, let me say it again - this is a starter set. It gives you a jumping off point. It gives you three scenarios so that you can learn the game and figure out how to play and deck build a little. After that, if you want to expand the game, you'll need to grab a "deluxe" expansion (they have 4 or 5 campaigns out now and they all start with a deluxe expansion). The deluxe expansions give you a bunch of new cards and the first couple of scenarios of that campaign. Then, after that, you'll need to track down the 6 (six) chapter packs to get the rest of the cards for that cycle and the rest of the scenarios for that campaign.<br />
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To date, FFG has not bundled any cycle together so that you can just buy the whole thing. That means if you are coming in later to the party (such as I am now), you either have to wait until they reprint the cycle (and they do reprint, but it can be frustrating waiting) or you have to pay through the nose. As it is, a single whole campaign will probably set you back at least $150US (that doesn't include this base set). If you look at it like a monthly subscription, then you are talking about $15 a month and we are talking about 8 months of stuff...<br />
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<b>** As of this writing FFG's reprint of the first released campaign - The Dunwich Cycle, has just recently hit stores (online and brick and mortar). It is a great time to grab the cycle if you want to get started.</b><br />
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Still with me? Then let us talk about what's here in the base game.<br />
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As mentioned before, you get a starter set of cards (there are over 230 cards in the box). You get a handful of investigators to choose from and more than enough materials to build a couple of decks to play. Will those starter decks be the best decks ever? No. Will they make the game unplayable or unenjoyable? No. Honestly, if all you ever did was play your base set, there is a decent amount of value for your $35US ($32 on Amazon Prime).<br />
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Each investigator has their own unique skill, a unique equipment card and a restriction to the types of cards that can be used in their deck. Cards are divided into six different categories so you can't just pick willy-nilly. Don't want to figure out what should be in your deck? That's ok, the base game defines starter decks for you to use - just find the cards and away you go. The investigators play differently (moreso to my mind than some of the other FFG games in this genre) because the decks of cards are really what give you your options.<br />
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As with FFG's other games, each investigator has different skills and most of the things you want to do revolve around skill checks. Your cards help you manipulate these checks (or mitigate the results when they don't work out for you). Because of this, decks tend to be aimed at either mitigating things you are bad at (so you aren't so bad at it), or being REALLY good at what you are good at.<br />
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For example, Wendy Adams here. She is not good at fighting (the fist symbol) - the higher the skill the better. She is pretty great at being elusive (the winged foot). With the right cards in her deck, she can turn her ability to be elusive into sneak attacks and has other ways to damage the enemies that will find her.<br />
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Her buddy Roland on the other hand is not fleet of foot at all and often gets trapped because of it. However, he has an arsenal of weapon cards available to him - which combined with his excellent attack skills let him brute force his way through the bad guys. The outcome might be similar, but the path there was not. Fighting is not the main thing either - its simply one thing that gets done while your investigator(s) look for clues to unravel and advance their story.<br />
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And while the base game has a limited set of scenarios (technically three, but the first is really trivial and designed to teach you how to play, so two decent scenarios), they give you a good taste of what you may find if you choose to go down the path of the real cycles. Even so, the setup for these offer a little bit of variability to give them some replayability. When coupled with the different investigators and the cards you'll actually see and play from your deck, even the same scenario won't come out the same twice.<br />
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But again, after playing this min-campaign a few times, you'll want to move along to really explode your choices and what the <i>system</i> has to offer. More importantly, in this kind of game and specifically <b>this</b> game, the story is the thing and that's something this game does well - once you get into it. You get to be part of the story! It is a little like a complex "Choose Your Own Adventure" with a Lovecraft/Cthulhu theme. The base set here, is like a short story - the longer novel? That's what the campaigns bring you.<br />
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So, if you enjoy the whole Lovecraft theme and are looking for a fun episodic story that lets you unravel the stories in different ways, then this is your game. In spades. If you are on the fence, just a few plays with this base set by itself might answer your questions about the game.<br />
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One last word of warning. The game can feel a little daunting at first. It can feel a little mechanical at first. After a couple plays, all that starts to fade into the background as your investigator unravels the story and moves through the game. Trust me, what seems like a mountain of stuff will disappear quickly enough.<br />
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You don't have to believe me - with over twenty-four thousand users rating this game, it currently sits at #20 in the game rankings. This is a fun game with a good story. It might take a little work (and some cold hard cash) to get started, but once you get running, you won't even notice.<br />
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** Double last word: If this theme is not your thing, a slightly less mechanical and less complex game with a different theme but otherwise similar is <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/285774/marvel-champions-card-game">Marvel Champions:The Card Game</a>. It too is an LCG, but is very recent and has a slightly different model for base cards and expansions. It is not a reskin - it is its own game and system, but with a different target audience.<br />
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I'm about to start into the Dunwich Legacy Cycle. I'll be back to review the cycle (as a whole) once I've played through it to talk about what I find (while trying not to spoil it to much).<br />
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Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-15406570192847489322020-06-02T16:01:00.001-07:002020-06-02T16:01:44.702-07:00Cult of the Not So New June 2010<div>
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Hey! It has been forever and a day ago, so let's do this thing! It is time to look back at the hotness from 10 years ago! </div>
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BGG user JonMichael Rasmus (<a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/user/jmsr525" target="_blank">jmsr525</a>) has been doing analysis of the games and their trends each month for what seems like forever. I like looking back, because frankly, there are lots of good games that didn't come out in the last two years, and lots of games you probably heard of that don't get played anymore (for good reason). So sit back and enjoy this blast from the past. Based on information in the geeklist - <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/56159/bgg-top-100-analysis-june-2010-2nd-quarter-2010-1s">BGG Top 100 Analysis June 2010</a><br />
<h4>
Prime Movers</h4>
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This is the biggest climber of the Top 100 for the month of June 2010 - <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/60153/war-ring-collectors-edition">War of the Ring Collector's Edition</a> which jumped 46 places to claim #47.<br />
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Not a huge surprise really. The game was given a CRAZY special edition. You might have seen one at conventions (or on eBay for $1000-$2000). It was (is) really nice. As you'll see in a minute, it re-sparked interest in the original game as well and I suspect that a large number of people that hadn't rated the game before, suddenly did. And ranked this one as well, only higher.</div>
<h4>
Falling Stars</h4>
Well, technically none, (Falling Stars being those games that dropped more than 10 spots in the top 100), but these games each fell four spots.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9674/ingenious">Ingenious</a> - this is a great Kniza games with double hex tiles. As with so many of his games, you score points in six different colors (based on placing colors in lines) and then your end score is the lowest of the six, so you have to work things evenly. It is a clever game, but luck of the draw has a little bit of a role to play, so I much prefer playing this as a four-player game in teams. This dramatically reduces the luck factor and adds a new dynamic to the game. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9823/advanced-squad-leader-starter-kit-1">Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit #1</a> - the goal of the starter kits for ASL was to reduce the complexity of the game for new players by limiting the scope of what was available and happening. This had been around for 5-6 years by this point, so no idea what pushed it out a few spots.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2655/hive">Hive</a> - Hive is a wonderfully well done abstract game where each hex tile has a bug on it. Each bug "moves" differently and the goal of the game is to surround the other player's Queen Bee. Both players tiles touch and cannot become separated from the rest. It is a good game that (to me) is tense almost from the word go. <a href="https://boardgamearena.com/">BGA</a> has a great implementation available for online play (I'm playing a game of this now as a matter of fact).</li>
</ul>
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<h4>
Hot Lava Birth</h4>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/54138/imperial-2030">Imperial 2030</a> - #91 - another Max Gerdts rondel game based on his original Imperial game. While I like most of his rondel games, I personally wasn't enamored with Imperial and thus never attempted to try 2030. Today this sits at #219, so it didn't stay hot long.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/94/union-pacific">Union Pacific</a> - #100 - this is an Alan Moon stock game with a theme that wasn't licensed from the UP corporation, so re-production of the game itself was never done despite interest in a re-print from consumers (UP was a remake of an earlier Moon game - Airlines). So around this time (2010) it was announced that UP was going to finally get a reprint (sort of). It was getting redone (again) - to be reborn as Airlines Europe. Since the reprint was a year off, UP probably got a little interest and jumped up. Today there is little interest in UP and the game sits at #620 on BGG's charts (Airlines Europe is #390). If you find a copy and get to play it, you'll see something that looks like Ticket To Ride (Alan Moon's real hit), but don't be deceived - UP is a decent stock game and aside from theme (trains) there isn't much that is similar. </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
Top Ten Trends</h4>
Well, the only change in the Top 10 for BGG in June 2010 was <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/93/el-grande">El Grande</a>, which rose back into the Top 10 (at #10). El Grande (not unlike its name) is one of (if not THE) kings of area control games. This is your classic Euro game at its best. Frankly, this is still a great game that holds up. It plays up to five players and can induce a lot of AP, but real is one of the "best of show" kind of games. If you have never played this, you are truly missing a good game experience. El Grande is still in the top 100 sitting at #63.<br />
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</ul>
<h4>
Top 5 Winning Movers</h4>
These are the highest ranked games that have shown any positive position movement in the last month that aren't in the top 10.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9609/war-ring">War of the Ring</a> - I mentioned this at the top of the show. Well, whether the game itself is that good (I haven't played) or whether assisted by the Collectors Edition, the standard game itself jumped up. Today it sits just outside the top 100 at #111 - which is a huge testament to what is pretty much a theme specific two-player game (and yes, I know, it plays more than two, but we all know its a two-player game).</li>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/21050/combat-commander-europe" target="_blank">Combat Commander: Europe</a> - STILL one of my all time favorite games. Let me explain... No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Buttercup is marrying Humperdinck in a little less than half an hour, so all we have to do is get in, break up the wedding, steal the Princess, and make our escape after I kill Count Rugen. Much like the Princess Bride, the reason this is one of my all time favorites? Each and every time I play Combat Commander, I come away with some fantastic session that gets retold over and over again. I didn't just play a game. I lived an adventure. I'm no Grognard or WWII buff, but this game is not just fun, but a story that unfolds in front of you the whole time.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/17133/railways-world">Railroad Tycoon</a> - haven't heard of this? Well, it was eventually rebranded as Railways of the World (2009). Still doesn't ring a bell? How about <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4098/age-steam">Age of Steam</a> or Steam (no not the video game platform). RRT was a slight revision of the original AoS with a larger map, some plastic bling and more friendly rules. It wasn't (isn't) a bad game - not in the least. I kinda is a table hog, but it looks good and is fun. I suspect that people started getting their hands on RotW and the ratings started going up on this one a bit. Don't believe me? Today it still sits outside the top 100 at #118. Pretty decent!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12/ra">Ra</a> - another true classic (this was the twelfth game entered into the BGG database). Another Knizia to boot. This is a great combination of push your luck and auction (and a simple auction at that). Probably one of Knizia's best games of all time (so many of his games feel the same, this doesn't). If you have never played Ra, I don't know how you can call yourself a boardgamer...</li>
<li><a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/188/go">Go</a> - been around for 4000+ years, still widely played. Must be doing something right. </li>
</ul>
And that's all for this look back at BGG history and what was hot a decade ago.<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-64320802976473003212020-05-29T12:04:00.000-07:002020-05-29T12:04:10.699-07:00Marvel Champions: How to Play + Basic Walkthrough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, so maybe you have been interested in <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/285774/marvel-champions-card-game">Marvel Champions</a> for a while, but couldn't land a copy. Or you just heard about it. Or you have had it sitting on the shelf and haven't quite figured it out. Well, I'm here to help. I've been enjoying the game and I know that there seems to be a large amount of confusion from folks trying to learn to play the game, so I'm here to try and help. This is a bit longer than normal, but stick with me here.<br />
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I'm here to tell you all - its pretty easy to get started. The rules and "getting started" book are pretty good, but I'm going to walk through it for you and show you how to play true solo and give you some insight into the basics of playing the game.<br />
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First, what is Marvel Champions? Marvel Champions is a cooperative card game in Fantasy Flight Games' line of "Living Card Games" (LCGs). Unlike a Collectible Card Game or CCG (like Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, etc), an LCG simply means that FFG plans to release a steady stream of content (ie expansions) for this game. There are still a lot of unknowns about coming material, but currently none of the additional content is required to play and enjoy the game - you can pick and choose parts if you desire to expand your game set. In fact, the game you get out of the box is ready to play for multiple players.<br />
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You may have heard this is a deck building game or a customizable deck building game. Yes, there is some flexibility available to customize your hero deck, but it is also quite a bit more rigid than a more traditional deck building game (see - <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205637/arkham-horror-card-game">Arkham Horror: The Card Game</a>). Setting up decks to play (fun decks at that), take less than a minute (as you'll see shortly) - if you have ever played <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/122522/smash">Smash Up!</a>, it is exactly that simple - take a couple sets of cards and you have your deck. No having to fish out 30 individual and different cards from a stack of hundreds.<br />
<h4>
Getting Started</h4>
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A couple of general notes. In typical FFG LCG fashion, if a card text breaks the rules of the game, the card text is "correct". You can save yourself a lot of overthinking things by doing exactly (and ONLY) what it says on a card. Don't interpret. If you are unsure, check the rules, but most of the time, the straight forward thing is the right thing. Next, any time you see the silhouette of a person next to another symbol, it basically mean "for each hero". So if you see 2(silhouette), it means 2 per hero.</div>
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First we have to pick the bad guy. We are going to use the Rhino because he is truly the starter bad guy of the game. There should be three (3) cards for the villain as seen here.<br />
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In a normal game, you will have to beat two versions of the villain. Card I then card II in standard play OR card II then card III in expert mode. HERE, we are going to play in a suggested variant - beginner mode, meaning we will only play against one card, version I!<br />
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Put the card(s) you will be using on the table and the remaining card(s) back in the box.<br />
<h4>
Encounter Deck</h4>
Next, we have to build the <b>villain encounter deck</b>. First, look for a card that says "Main Scheme" - it'll be two sided (1A and 1B). Rhino only has the one scheme card, but as you play against other villains, you'll find they will have multiple steps (cards) to their schemes, so find ALL the "Main Scheme" cards for your villain.<br />
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On side 1A of the Main Scheme card, you'll find instructions on which <i>sets</i> of cards to include in the encounter deck. Rhino's scheme card (Titled "The Break-In!") says Rhino and Standard encounter sets (*note - there is an EXPERT encounter set, so the "Standard" set is simply the name of one of the card sets). It also says to use one modular encounter set and it recommends the Bomb Scare set (the base game comes with multiple modular encounter sets so that you can replay a villain with different cards).<br />
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All sets are labeled with the name of the set each card belongs to on the <b>bottom (in a black bar) </b>of the card (under the text box on the card). So, find these three sets of cards:<br />
<ul>
<li>Rhino encounter cards</li>
<li>Standard encounter cards</li>
<li>Bomb Scare encounter cards</li>
</ul>
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After collecting those sets, we have one more card we need to add (for this game's setup). Each hero has a card (their obligation) that goes into the villain deck. With more than one hero, you'd add the obligatory card from each of the heroes you are playing. Since we are doing true solo (only one hero), we just have one card to add. </div>
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For this walk-through, I'm going to play as the She-Hulk. Her obligation card is called <b>Legal Work</b>. Add this single card to the three sets of encounter cards listed above and shuffle those cards. You have now made the <b>encounter deck</b>. Set this (face down) near the other Rhino cards.</div>
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<b>*Note!</b> There are 5 other cards included with the She-Hulk set that are not part of your hero deck. Each hero has a <i>nemesis</i> which is represented by a small set of cards that may eventually become part of the encounter deck, but to start the game, they are simply set aside.</div>
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That's it! The encounter deck is now ready to be shuffled up. All you have to do now is turn over the Main Scheme card to side 1B and follow any instructions you find there. Rhino doesn't have any additional setup, so we are almost done. Grab that really big hit tracker and dial in the amount of damage the Rhino can take. On the bottom of the Rhino I card in the black stripe (in really tiny print) it says a number of <i>hit points</i>. Set the dials to match this number. This is the amount of damage we are going to have to deal to the Rhino in order take him out (and in our case, win). Now we are ready to setup our hero deck.</div>
<h4>
Hero Deck</h4>
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Each hero comes with a two sided hero card and their own deck of cards which is augmented with two additional card sets:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>An Aspect set of cards</li>
<li>A standard set of general cards.</li>
</ul>
<div>
For the She-Hulk, we are going to use the <b>Aggression Aspect</b> set (red). Mix the aggression set, the She-Hulk hero card set and a standard set and we have built our deck (leave out the two sided hero card). Shuffle that sucker up.</div>
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<div>
Place the hero card on the <i>Alter Ego</i> side (in our case, the Jennifer Walters side) in front of you. Your hero always begins the game with the Alter Ego side up. Next, grab a hit counter for yourself (one of the little ones - ok, does it really matter which you use? Not in the least!) and set your initial hit points (your starting hit points are in the same place on your hero card as the villain's hit points were on his - at the bottom of the card in the black strip (in tiny print)). She-Hulk starts with a nice high 15 hit points! Lastly, on the card, next to the hit points, it will tell you your starting hand size (six(6)). **NOTE: heroes all have different hand sizes AND the hand size will be different depending on which side of the card you are playing during the game. </div>
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Draw your first six cards from your shuffled up hero deck. Look over the cards and make your first choice of the game! From your starting hand of cards, you may discard any number of cards and draw replacement cards (this is called your mulligan). You can discard zero cards or all of them. In order to make a decision on what to keep or discard, we have to explain the hero card information. </div>
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Here are my initial six cards drawn. In the upper left of the cards is a number. That number is the cost to play the card. Your currency in this game are the cards themselves (similar to <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28143/race-galaxy">Race for the Galaxy</a>). In the lower left of the cards is a symbol. Some cards require you to spend a specific type of card (based on that symbol). For the big number on the upper left, you can use any type as long as you spend the appropriate <i>number of symbols</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> - not cards</b>. This is important because a few cards are going to have two (2) symbols on them.</div>
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<div>
For example, if these cards were my hand and I wanted to play the <b>Uppercut</b> card, I would pay cards such that I totaled at least three symbols (again that cost is not symbol specific). I (having only single symbol cards) would choose three cards to discard in order to pay for the Uppercut card. If I had two cards that each had two symbols on them, I could pay with just the two cards. It is ok to overpay, but you lose the extra "resources" - oh well.</div>
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<div>
Some of the cards you'll have are one time use cards (such as Uppercut here), some of them augment your hero (such as the Superhuman Strength card) either for a limited time, or ongoing once played. Some, such as Tac Team, support your hero for a specific number of uses.</div>
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<div>
As a draw, these are not bad cards - there are some good cards here to put a hurt on a bad guy and some cards to really spread damage around - that being said, it would take a few turns for there to even possibly be a couple of minions helping Rhino, so the <b>Ground Stomp</b> card isn't a great starting card. <b>Chase Them Down</b> is another decent card if there is a bunch of guys to fight, but less exciting as a starting card. <b>Superhuman Strength</b> is a reasonable upgrade, though only a one time use. That one use does <i>stun</i> the target (<i>stun</i> will negate an enemy's next attack), so it is a good way to slow down a bad guy. <b>Tac Team</b> is a good support card that can be used three times. Rather than dig for cards, I'm going to keep all of these with the intent to play the Tac Team card and after my next draw, I may try to get Superhuman Strength in play. I'll use the rest as payment.<br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6_Noa5outs/Xs9I97TxXNI/AAAAAAAAE2Y/4Nb70KWssS8rC0Mvo_tvE8oTr131mOPgACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MC01en_19B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6_Noa5outs/Xs9I97TxXNI/AAAAAAAAE2Y/4Nb70KWssS8rC0Mvo_tvE8oTr131mOPgACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MC01en_19B.jpg" width="229" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66L_LhHeUto/Xs9I91AFocI/AAAAAAAAE2U/ZMF9Z6G4JfgqfXzomnJX8EIlrYuCV4OewCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MC01en_19A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66L_LhHeUto/Xs9I91AFocI/AAAAAAAAE2U/ZMF9Z6G4JfgqfXzomnJX8EIlrYuCV4OewCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MC01en_19A.jpg" width="229" /></a></td>
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Finally, <b>after</b> settling on a hand of cards, follow any setup instructions on your character's card. Jennifer Walters has no setup instructions for us (Black Panther, for example, does have instructions).<br />
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Jen does have a couple of things to note. On the left of her card is "5 REC" - this indicates that when on this side of the card, you may <b>recover</b> 5 hit points of damage (up to your max hit points(15)). In order to use this recover ability, you must "exhaust" the card by turning the card 90 degrees (you cannot use this ability if the card is in the exhausted state - anytime a card is exhausted, you cannot use the card until it has been reset to its normal, upright state). She also has an <b>Interrupt </b>ability (<b>I Object!</b>) which is used at a specific time (as indicated by the text). *Note, this interrupt will happen regardless of if your hero card is exhausted.<br />
<br />
On the She-Hulk side, there are three numbers on the left side. The first (<b>1 THW</b>) means you can exhaust She-Hulk to "thwart" (this means remove <b>threat</b>). The red number (<b>3 ATK</b>) means that you can exhaust She-Hulk to attack, causing three (3) points of damage to one target. The last number in green (<b>2 DEF</b>) means that you can exhaust She-Hulk to defend against an attack by a bad guy and reduce the amount of damage you would receive by two (2). Again, you can only do one of these if She-Hulk has not been exhausted already. Finally, the text on her card indicates that when you switch from Jennifer Walters to She-Hulk, you can deal two (2) damage to an enemy (any enemy). This is not an "attack" nor does it require you to exhaust the card. This happens even if the card was exhausted when you made the switch.<br />
<h4>
How do I switch and why do I want to switch?</h4>
Simple. Once per turn (on your turn) you may flip your hero card to the other side. If exhausted, the card stays exhausted. Ok. We are now ready to get started. We'll cover more terms and the flow of the game as we go.<br />
<h3>
Let's Play! Hero Turn</h3>
The heroes start. You can take as many actions as you are able or willing to take. If you were playing with more heroes, each hero takes and completes their turn, followed by the next. Players decide on the order.<br />
<h4>
What can I do?</h4>
<div>
Your choices will vary depending on the cards you have in play and the cards you have in your hand.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>You can play a card or cards from your hand, paying the cost as described above. </li>
<li>You can activate some of the cards you have already played - for example, if I had played the Tac Team, I could activate the card to use one of its uses (it has three uses) and do two damage to an enemy. </li>
<li>You can use one of your hero activations to remove threat from a scheme, or attack a bad guy - as long as your hero is <i>ready</i>. If the hero is exhausted, you cannot use their standard abilities.</li>
<li>You can flip your hero card (once per turn)</li>
</ul>
<div>
You are not required to use or activate any cards you have in play. You can of course, activate them all if you like (assuming they are ready and/or you can pay any cost that might be required).</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;">For my first turn, I'm going to put the Tac Team in play in front of me on the table. The card says to add three counters. Each time I use the card, I'll remove a counter. When all three counters are gone, the card is removed to my discard pile. I can only activate the Tac Team on my turn and after I do (and spend the counter) I have to exhaust the card (meaning I can't use it until it is back to its ready state). I want to put the Tac Team in play to help me fend off any minion guys that might try and bother me. The cost is three (3) to play this and since all my current cards have only one resource symbol, I pick three cards to pay with - I'm using the two <b>Chase Them Down</b> cards and the <b>Ground Stomp</b> card. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;">I no longer have enough resources to pay for either of the remain two cards in my hand, so I'm done playing cards. I did NOT have to play cards first, but by playing the Tac Team now, I have the option to use them before my first turn is over.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;">I'm at full strength, so I don't need Jennifer's <i>recover</i> ability, so I flip her card to the She-Hulk side. The card text tells me that after I change to She-Hulk I deal 2 damage to an enemy. The only guy to hit is Rhino, so I deal him to damage and change his dials from 15 to 13! </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;">Seems like I'm going to need to punch him a few more times, so I have She-Hulk attack Rhino. I <i>exhaust </i>the hero card to show I'm using her ability. The attack is three(3) and I don't have any other cards or things that modify this yet, so the Rhino takes another three damage dropping him from 13 to 10 (this guy is a sissy boy)!</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;">I could have the Tac Team attack him as well, but they have limited uses, so I choose not to use them yet. So I can't play more cards, my hero is <i>exhausted</i> and I don't want to use my played card. I'm done for the round. If there were other heroes, each would also take their turn (one at a time).</span></blockquote>
<h4>
End of Hero Phase</h4>
<div>
Once each hero has taken their actions and declared they are done, all players do the following:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Ready any of their cards that were <i>exhausted</i></li>
<li>Draw cards until the number of cards in hand matches the number listed <i><b>on the current side of their hero card</b></i></li>
</ul>
<div>
For She-Hulk, this number is four(4)! Recall, Jennifer's side of the hero card lets you draw to six (6) cards, so while She-Hulk gets to really pummel the bad guy, my cards in hand options are going to be reduced. I draw two more card from the top of my deck to bring my current hand up to four cards. At this point, <i><b>all</b> my cards are active/ready.</i><br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
One of the two cards I drew was Tigra! This Avenger is an <b>Ally</b> card and I mention her because I intend to play her on my next turn. You'll see her card again in a bit.</div>
<h3>
Villain Turn</h3>
<div>
Once all the heroes have completed their turn, have reset their exhausted cards back to their ready state, and drawn their cards, the bad guys come to play. The bad guy turns and the things that happen are pretty easy to execute. There is a little bit here to read, but that is because there are (sort of) two different things that can happen based on what side your hero card is currently on when the bad guys act. I'll sum it up after and you'll soon see that this is all pretty easy.</div>
<h3>
#1 - Add Threat</h3>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Add a <b>threat token(s)</b> to the villain's Main Scheme. The scheme card here shows us that we are to add one(1) threat token <i>per hero</i> to the scheme. We know this because the <b>Acceleration Icon</b> (the symbol immediately above the <b>Starting Threat</b> number shows us "+1(per player)" - remember, that little silhouette means per player. Since we have only a single hero, we add only a single threat token.<br />
<br />
The number in the upper left (<b>Target Threat) </b>tells us that when the number of threat tokens on the scheme is equal to or greater than seven(7) threat tokens <i>per hero</i>, this phase of the villain's scheme is complete and we go to the next card in the scheme. When the last card in the scheme is complete, the hero(es) lose. Since we have only one hero, if we get to seven total tokens on this card, we lose.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
*Note, it is possible through various cards that get played, for the threat to become <b>accelerated</b>. If an acceleration happens, it means during this part of the game, you simply increase the number of threat that is added.</div>
<h3>
#2 - The Villain (and minions) Attacks OR Schemes VS EACH Hero</h3>
<div>
The villain (and any minions that have engaged the hero) will (each) do the same action against each hero. The action is based on which side of the card each hero is on. </div>
<h4>
Villain Schemes - Hero is on the Alter Ego side</h4>
When your hero is on the Alter Ego side, the villain isn't being confronted directly, so the villain and minions advance the main scheme by adding <b>threat tokens</b> to the scheme.<br />
<h4>
Villain Attacks - Hero is on the Hero side</h4>
<div>
When your hero is on their heroic side, the villain is being confronted by the hero and the villain and minions attack the hero, trying to knock them out by dealing damage.</div>
<h4>
The Process for Attack/Scheming</h4>
The process is essentially the same regardless of whether you are being attacked or the scheme is advancing - you simply have to use the appropriate value from the bad guy card and either add threat to the scheme or reduce hit points on your hero. When being attacked, you will have an option of defending, otherwise the process is basically the same.<br />
<br />
First, draw the top card of the encounter deck without looking at it. This is a potential <b>boost</b> card for the villain's action.<br />
<br />
If your hero card is on the hero side and you are being attacked, you may defend, which is described below. You must declare a defense before the reveal of the boost card. After deciding if you are defending against the attack, proceed.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Turn over the boost card and look at the bottom right part of the card (<i><b>ignore everything else about the card</b></i>). There may be <b>boost icons</b>, <b>a star icon</b> or nothing.<br />
<br />
If there is nothing, discard the encounter card.<br />
<br />
If there are one or more boost icons, for each symbol, add one(1) additional threat or attack, then discard the encounter card.<br />
<br />
If there is a <b>Star Icon</b>, you will need to read the card text to know what the effect might be, then discard the encounter card unless the instructions tell you otherwise.<br />
<br />
If you are in Alter Ego form, the villain's <b>SCH</b> value + any boost is the total number of threat tokens that are added to the main scheme.<br />
<br />
If you are being attacked, the villian's <b>ATK</b> value + any boost is the total amount of damage that is going to be done.<br />
<h4>
Defending</h4>
<div>
If you are being attacked, you may have the option to defend against any attack. Before the attack is resolved (for the villain, before their boost is revealed), you may commit one of your allies to defend your hero or if your hero is ready (ie NOT exhausted) the hero may defend themselves. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Exhaust the defender and subtract the defender's <b>DEF</b> value (if any) from the total amount of damage that the attacker is doing. The remaining damage (if any) is subtracted from the defender's hit points. If an ally takes more damage than they have hit points, that ally is then discarded. If your hero takes the damage and they are reduced to zero or less hit points, you are knocked out of the game. *Note, if you are playing with multiple heroes, another hero can also defend you if that hero is not exhausted.</div>
<h4>
Minions Attack/Scheme</h4>
<div>
Now repeat the same process WITHOUT a boost card for each minion that is engaged with your hero. You can defend against minion attacks if there are ready allies (or a hero is ready).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Since I am in She-Hulk form, The Rhino will be attacking me. I draw a card (not revealing it yet). I'm at full health and I really want to have an action available to me later, so I decide not to use She-Hulk's defense to defend against the attack. The boost card is revealed - <b>Legal Work</b>! Now, since this is a the <b>boost</b> card, the only thing we look at is the bottom right part of the card where there are two boost symbols.</blockquote>
Rhino I has an <b>ATK</b> of 2, so his total attack against me is now four (4). As I am not defending, I slide my health dial back from 15 to 11.<br />
<br />
The <b>Legal Work</b> card is then discarded - the card effect(s) do not happen and (in some ways) I luck out at having the She-Hulk's obligation card dismissed right off the bat. Sure, it caused the Rhino's attack to basically do twice as much damage, but She-Hulk is tough, she can handle it. There are no minions to attack me, so this phase is done.<br />
<h3>
#3 - Encounters</h3>
Now, each hero will receive one encounter card from the encounter deck and then resolve all encounters they have received. It is possible for card and game effects to deal heroes additional encounter cards. When this happens, the encounter card remains in the player's tableau until this phase. Each hero will reveal each encounter (and resolve it) one card at a time until all of a hero's encounters are resolved, and then this is repeated for the other heroes. If a card has <b>surge</b> it means that after finishing the resolution of that card, the same hero will draw and resolve another encounter card.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>If a minion is revealed, that minion <b>engages</b> with the hero that was dealt the card. The "engagement" simply means that when they are on the table, a minion is associated with a specific hero. Each minion is different, be sure to read the text on the card. (That's it, you are done. The attack phase already happened, so unless the card text tells you to do something special, engaging the hero is all that happens when a minion is revealed).</li>
<li>If the card is an <b>attachment</b> follow the instructions on the card and the card become attached to the villain.</li>
<li>When the card is of the <b>treachery</b> type, follow the instructions on the card, then discard the card to the encounter deck discard pile.</li>
</ul>
<br />
The last type of card you'll see is a <b>side scheme</b>. When you get one of these, put the card near the main scheme and follow the instructions on the card.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div>
Unlike the main scheme, a side scheme enters play with threat tokens<i> on the card</i>. The scheme stays in play until all of the threat is all removed from the scheme, at which point the side scheme is then discarded. Be sure to read the card and follow any setup instructions on the card. The above card starts with two threat tokens <i>plus additional tokens per player.</i></div>
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</div>
<div>
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<div>
This description of the icons that may appear on the scheme cards is from the rules book and is pretty well described here, but I wanted to point out a gotcha. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Acceleration</b> and <b>Hazard</b> are NOT per hero - unless followed by that silhouette that looks like a person. If you read the text here, Hazard says "an additional encounter card" (ie one extra) card is dealt. If there are multiple effects that are adding cards (ie two schemes that have a Hazard icon), then the additional cards are distributed to the heroes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is one of those things where you have to pay attention to when you see icons - make sure you aren't making the game too easy or too hard.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I draw my encounter card for the She-Hulk and received the <b>Explosion</b> card. I look at it and it says "If Bomb Scare is in play...". I have nothing that says "<b>Bomb Scare"</b> anywhere, so I read on to see what to do when <b>Bomb Scare</b> is not in play. The card says if no Bomb Scare, the card gains <b>surge</b> (which again, just means draw another encounter card). </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Into the discard pile goes the Explosion card. The next card that is revealed is called <b>Advance</b>. It is a simple treachery card that says - "The Villain schemes". This means just what it says, I do the same process I would do normally during the Villain turn when he schemes (ie he's going to draw a boost card and then use his <b>SCH</b> value to add threat tokens to his main scheme).</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The boost card drawn is the <b>Bomb Scare</b> scheme - which doesn't mean a thing. We only look at the boost icons and see that the card has two boost symbols. The Rhino, not being a criminal mastermind only has a <b>SCH</b> value of one (1), so with his boost, his scheme total is three. Three additional threat tokens are added to the main scheme (ack! Rhino now has 4 total threat on the scheme - he only needs 7 to defeat me) and all the encounter cards that were drawn are placed into the discard pile.</blockquote>
<div>
With the Encounters all taken care of, the bad guys are done and we start the cycle over again.<br />
<h3>
Continuing Play</h3>
</div>
Ok, after one complete cycle of play, you should have a fair idea of what the game play is like:<br />
<ul>
<li>Each hero takes turn, one after another.</li>
<li>All heroes reset their exhausted cards then draw to their specified hand size.</li>
<li>Add threat to main scheme</li>
<li>Villain and minions [attack or scheme] against each hero</li>
<li>Encounter cards are drawn</li>
<li>Encounter cards are revealed and resolved, one at a time, hero by hero.</li>
<li>Repeat until one side wins</li>
</ul>
Let's see if I can finish off the Rhino. Time for round number 2.<br />
<br />
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As I said earlier, I've decided to play <b>Tigra</b> (maybe just punching the crap out of Rhino wins me the game, but I wanted to cover Allies here before we are done.<br />
<br />
Since I have exactly three other single resource cards in my hand, I spend all of my cards to bring <b>Tigra</b> in play. The number on the right (the "3" attached to the text field) is the number of wounds/hits this card can take before you have to discard it from play. Otherwise it acts a lot like a mini hero card that you control when your main hero acts.<br />
<br />
One thing to note about this (and I think most of the <b>Ally</b> cards) under their <b>THW</b> and <b>ATK</b> there is a little star. That means that after using this Ally and fulling resolving the attack or thwart action, this card takes one hit/wound.<br />
<br />
With no more cards to play I have to decide how to proceed. I ultimately decide to use Tigra and She-Hulk for their thwart abilities. I exhaust each and remove one threat for each of them (they each have thwart ability of <b>THW 1</b>) from the main scheme. I also then add a damage counter to Tigra. This brings down the total threat on the main scheme to only two threat.<br />
<br />
The only thing left that I can do is use my Tac Team. I remove a counter from the card, exhaust the card, and then cause two damage to Rhino bringing him from 10 to 8 hit points.<br />
<br />
Since I'm finished, I reset my three cards to a ready state and draw a hand of four new cards.<br />
<br />
Back to the bad guys.<br />
<br />
First, I add one threat to the main scheme. The count is now 3 total threat on the main scheme.<br />
<br />
Next, Rhino is going to attack my hero. I want to be able to attack on the next hero turn (or thwart if I have to), so I elect not to defend so my hero is not exhausted. The revealed boost card has a single boost symbol on it, so the Rhino's attack total is three and She-Hulk drops three hit points from 11 down to 8.<br />
<br />
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Next, I have to draw an encounter card. I draw <b>Caught Off Guard</b>. It says I have to discard a support or upgrade card. This is one of those times where I wish the card text would have put the word <b>support</b> in bold so that players knew it meant a "keyword". <b>Support</b> is specifically a type of card.<br />
<br />
I don't have any <b>upgrade</b> cards in play (<b>upgrade</b> is another specific type of card that will have a label of "<b>Upgrade</b>" on it), but the <b>Tac Team</b> has a label on it that says S<b>upport</b>, so off to the discard pile they go.<br />
<br />
If I hadn't had the Tac Team to discard, the encounter card would have gained <b>surge</b> and I would have had to draw another card<br />
<br />
And that's it for the bad guys in round two!<br />
<br />
Back to She-Hulk. Time to go on the offensive and take a can of whoop-ass to the Rhino.<br />
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One of the cards I drew in my new hand is the excellent <b>One-Two Punch</b>. This card lets me make a basic attack with She-Hulk, and then you can play this <b>Event</b> card to ready her for action again - meaning I can get in two She-Hulk actions.<br />
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First I use <b>Tigra</b> to attack the Rhino. She has <b>ATK</b> of two, doing two damage to the bad guy bringing him from 8 hit points down to 6. <b>Tigra</b> also takes a point of damage, reducing her to 1 remaining hit point. I exhaust her card after using her.<br />
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Now I use She-Hulk to do a standard attack. Her attack is a nice powerful <b>ATK</b> <b>3</b>, reducing the Rhino's remaining hit points by half and leaving him at 3 hit points. I exhaust She-Hulk's card after using her.<br />
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This is the time for the <b>One-Two Punch</b>. I play the card and use one of the other cards from my hand to pay the cost of one (1). Since I just performed a basic attack, this card lets me ready She-Hulk.<br />
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Since she is NOT exhausted, she is ready to perform any action and I have her attack Rhino again. The second punch has the same result - three damage. That reduces the Rhino to zero hit points and I have defeated the Rhino I card. Since I was only doing a beginner run here, I am done and have won the scenario.<br />
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If I had been playing in normal mode, I'd remove the Rhino I card from the game and followed any instructions on the Rhino II card then continued.<br />
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I hope that if you've been interested in playing, or had trouble getting started, that this was helpful.<br />
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Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-60614741924090726482020-05-23T15:20:00.001-07:002020-05-23T15:20:13.292-07:00Session Report for AH: TCG - Night of the Zealot: The Midnight Masks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Our new friend, Lita Chandler (the house burner from the first episode) tells us that Arkham has been infiltrated by a number of cultist who are planning something bad at midnight. We need to search them out and expose them and figure out their plans - before midnight.<br />
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Roland started with his special .38 revolver, in the central part of Arkham. My options were pretty much anywhere, so I decided to have Roland head to Eastown. Roland found clues and was joined by his buddy the Beat Cop.<br />
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Roland then moved on to the Downtown area. Before he could investigate anything, a Winged Terror thing grabbed him and dumped him back in central Arkham. Since he had enough clues, I exposed a cultist - Herman Collins. Herman worked in the graveyard, so Roland headed that way next.<br />
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The graveyard would not be friendly to me. Instead of waiting, Roland rushed right down, which meant that Herman engaged and began attacking him. In the midst of beating Henry into submission (by shooting him), Roland saw or did something which meant he was going to have to cover up a crime (the coverup meant that I needed to expend at least three clues to cover it up - each clue left on the card would cost me sanity at the end of the game).<br />
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And of course while I was trying to find more clues in the graveyard, a heavy fog rolled in, making the task all the more difficult. I eventually found all the clues and decided to head north (surprisingly to Northtown).<br />
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As I was busy trying to finish covering up whatever happened in the graveyard by getting clues in Northtown, a Night Gaunt showed up to harass Roland. Roland wasn't in any shape to deal with it (mentally) and decided to pack it in with having only exposed the one cultist.<br />
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After the game. I swapped out a card to bring in another First Aid card. Roland is going into the next scenario starting with two mental dings and hopefully I can find one and get to a point where Roland can last more than a couple turns. Until next time...<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-76942519554840189262020-05-22T00:51:00.003-07:002020-05-22T00:51:29.445-07:00Session Report for AH: TCG - Night of the Zealot: The Gathering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fair warning! I plan to describe things that may be spoilers to the story so if you are interested in playing the game and want to be surprised, both of you should stop reading right now.<br />
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Ok, the base game box comes with a single three chapter campaign called Night of the Zealot. I have dug out my copy of the game and am planning to play it pure solo - one investigator only. I have decided to simply use Roland (one of the two suggested starter investigators). After putting together the suggested started set of cards for Roland, I went looking for a trusty phone app to use. Lo and behold there is an app on iOS (there may be on other platforms, I don't know) called <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/arkham-cards/id1424000351">Arkham Cards</a> and the app is great! Not only will it help you with your deck composition, it will help you setup your campaign chapters, track your deck changes, and act as a draw bag - and it is free! Total score!<br />
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Ok, so I setup and played the game. I moved from the first location to the next, then to a third spot, a monster popped and killed me. The End.<br />
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Seriously.<br />
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Ok, I don't think I did it right. I didn't use the knife card I had correctly (though not sure that would have changed the result). Sometimes luck is not on your side. So I mulligan'd. So that is what we are going to report on.<br />
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The game starts out with Roland in his study, when suddenly the room warps and the door disappears. What to do now? The obvious answer is get some cards in play and investigate this room. I put a knife in play (now that I know what I'm doing) and a guard dog - he returns 1 damage when he is hurt, so so that should help against the bad things that are going to appear (but didn't until the end).<br />
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The Mythos cards (you draw one each turn and it is basically, some kind of test or foe or some crap each time) for the first couple turns were tests and I eeked by them and got out of the study and was dumped into the hallway. Yeah, dumped - the house is all kinds of weird now and warped and crazy.<br />
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Since this was a replay, I figured I'd just stick to my original plan - see, there were three locations I could go to (sort of) from the hallway: basement, attic, or the parlor. Except that the parlor was blocked off, so I had originally picked the basement. So off to the basement I went again. Last game, I got popped by a bad monster right away. This time I was prepared.<br />
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No monsters...<br />
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Roland found two clues in the basement thanks to some card help and the Mythos cards only damaged his sanity a little and <strike>added threat the the villain's scheme</strike> (sorry wrong game) added doom to the agendas (which advanced me to the second part of the agenda very quickly). Now, I needed three clues to advance the act and since I only had two, Roland needed to go find somewhere else to get some more.<br />
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In AH: TCG, there are a series of ACT cards and AGENDA cards - you want to move the ACT along, it means your investigation is progressing; the AGENDA cards you don't want to advance, because it typically means that whatever bad is going on is progressing despite your efforts.<br />
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Ok, so Roland got out of the basement and headed to the attic, which was no big deal at all. He grabbed a clue up there and headed back to the hallway to remove whatever barrier was blocking the parlor. Things were going really well to this point, and about what I'd have expected from the first champter of the intro campaign. Apparently, removing the barrier was not a good idea. I mean, I had to do it story wise, but it was bad.<br />
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As I advanced the act into the third act (and last part), removing the barrier revealed that there was someone in my parlor and she had created the barrier. The barrier was keeping bad things out and keeping more bad things from escaping.<br />
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By removing the barrier, I gave this Ghoul Priest (who just suddenly appeared) access to the room. He showed up and we started fighting. He pummeled me (and my dog) and I realized that I couldn't last another turn, and might not have many options. I had to roll the dice (so to speak) and went for an evade (running away like Brave Sir Robin) - something Roland is not great at. SOMEHOW, I managed to actually dodge this crazy guy and ran into the parlor, leaving the Ghoul Priest in the hallway like a stupefied Wile E Coyote.<br />
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The reprieve gave me a chance to use the bandages I had and to get my buddy the beat cop into play. When the Ghoul Priest recovered and chased me down (I was only in the next room), I was ready for him. Between the damage the dog had given him, me throwing my knife at him (it must have been like a Crocodile Dundee sized knife), and the beat cop giving him a beating, I managed to defeat the Ghoul Priest, which ended the last act.<br />
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The crazy lady that had been in the parlor creating the barrier said we needed to burn my house down. I agreed and we did (and she joined my deck for our next adventure). A much more satisfying turn of events.<br />
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As a result of the game, I had earned a ton of experience, which means I was able to upgrade and replace a number of cards. Since I got a new ally and since you can only have one in play at a time, I dumped a beat cop (though I did decide to replace him with another dog). One of the research guys I had in my deck was really only decent for digging for TOMES in my deck (of which I have two iffy ones), so I dumped him to grab a shotgun card! I also decided to put another .45 in my deck and a spare ammo card to help with all the guns I have available. I upgrade my magnifying glass as well.<br />
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I'm going to have to keep an eye on the cards I get in play since you can only have so many in play of various types (ie I have two hands, I can't have a shotgun and a magnifying glass and a flashlight), but I like my upgrade choices. Since Roland is the only investigator, I aimed to make sure he could stomp bad guys AND find the clues. We'll see how the next game goes...<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-51638206836162097832020-05-20T20:25:00.001-07:002020-05-21T08:58:20.670-07:00One is the Loneliest Number...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't consider myself a solo gamer. What do I mean by a solo gamer? Someone who buys games with the intent to play them solo. Games that don't have a way to play with only one player are often passed over by a solo gamer, not to say that they won't buy games at other counts, but that one player mode is pretty important to a solo gamer.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I own and have purchased games that play solo. I have and do play some of my games solo - I'm going to cover those in a minute. That being said, I think the number of games I have purchased <i>with the intent to play solo</i> is two. One of those, I purchased in the last month - Marvel Champions. The other is Arkham Horror: The Card Game. Turns out they have a lot in common.<br />
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Generally speaking, I don't love playing boardgames solo. Generally speaking, I play boardgames because I like playing games with my friends and family. Generally speaking, I'd rather play an average game asynchronously online if I can't sit down with friends to play a game. Generally speaking, if I want to play a game solo, I'd rather pull out my iPad and play one of the many app versions I have against the AI.<br />
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I play boardgames because I like the mental puzzle of doing well at a game and I enjoy the challenge of trying to do better than my friends. I enjoy the banter at the table and I enjoy the conversations that have nothing to do with the game we are playing. Boardgames are a social thing.<br />
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Now, I understand that some folks have trouble finding other players to game with. Maybe they are deeply introverted. Maybe the people they like to play with are very busy and the meetup times are really rare or don't match up. Whatever the reason, I'm not knocking people playing solo games.<br />
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But honestly, I don't get much satisfaction out of playing a game using some automata system. I don't enjoy playing a game to see if I can figure out some super efficient pattern that will let me score more points than the previous time I played. The games I do play solo tend to tell a story and that is what keeps me interested, not my personal efficiency at a game or scenario. I think this is why I tend not to really enjoy playing co-op games as well. Co-op games that tell a really good story, like Eldritch Horror, I can enjoy. Something like Pandemic? That's just a multiplayer solo efficiency game where one player takes on the Alpha role and leads the others (I don't need to play a game where I'm told what I should be doing the whole time and neither do I want to do that to/for the other players).<br />
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So why bring this up at all? COVID-19.<br />
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Like a lot of people, I'm trying to find things to do to keep my mind active and keep from going stir crazy. I've been playing lots of online games. I'm doing lots of reading (and like a lot of people, lots of watching TV). There seems to be a limit to each of those things that I can do before I don't want to do them anymore, so I've been turning to boardgames. As I said above, the ones I'm willing to play solo tend to be games that tell me a story, so here are the ones that I've am willing to play and why.<br />
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Shockingly, Descent makes the list. I played Dungeons and Dragons as a young child and fantasy has always been something I really enjoy. Anyone that reads this blog (all three of you) knows that I have been <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/213300/tatsus-descent-2nd-ed-painted-sets">painting my Descent collection.</a> Because of all that effort, I almost feel an obligation to break this out from time to time and play. Because of the Road to Legend app, it is very easy to break out and start playing when I need a quick dungeon crawl fix. I also have a set of automated monster cards so that I can run through the official campaigns. Now, I know that I said that I'm not interested in play automata systems, but this isn't a game that you score - its a story game and you win or lose. Yeah, the story is meagre at times, but there is still a story and a fantasy adventure to be had here, so I don't mind playing at all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That is a lot of tentacles to try and shoot off</td></tr>
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Eldritch Horror is the first of the two Lovecraftian games on my list. I'm not sure what the pull is here for me - I wasn't a huge fan of the genre growing up and I don't have a huge horror interest, nor an interest in the occult. However, for whatever the reason, the stories have some sort of satisfying appeal to me. FFG produced a number of games before EH came out, and it shows in how well done EH is - and I don't just mean in production values (which it has). The stories the game tells are interesting, and despite a large randomized component to it, it all feels coherent. Now, a large portion of the story is designed to be coherent, but after numerous plays, I love that each time I play it still feels new, even replaying against the same bad guys (again, all while telling a coherent story - something I don't think the Arkham Horror 2nd edition game did). I don't tend to play this a lot because it takes a lot of effort. It takes a lot to set it up, a long while to play it, and then tear it all back down. I usually love it, but it definitely isn't my go to when I have 90 minutes to blow before bed.<br />
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I am a comic nerd. I used to buy comics in my youth - not to collect, but because I loved the stories and characters. Marvel was always my preference over DC, though I read both. So it is no surprise that Marvel Legendary is on my list. Not only does the game feature the characters from the comics, the actual Mastermind schemes are straight from a lot of the major storylines from over the years. Legendary lets you create your own team ups. Want to play the X-Men taking on Dr. Doom? Go ahead - he might even have been the mastermind behind the Legacy Virus! If that doesn't mean anything to you, then you won't quite understand why I love this game. Don't get me wrong, this is not just a game I love because of the theme. There is a great great game here. When they re-skinned the game for the app version on my iPad, I fell in love with it all over, because the core of the game was so well done. The fact that the tabletop game has a Marvel theme just puts it way over the top for me. Yes, there is a score that is kept, but on the table, playing solo, all that matters is beating the Mastermind's scheme.<br />
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This is a recent COVID-19 acquisition. I heard there was a Marvel based LCG from FFG that had recently come out. Recently enough that I hadn't yet missed a bunch of content (like the next game on the list...). Again, I'm a comic nerd. So despite learning that there isn't (yet) a real campaign and that it doesn't seem to be setting up quite like their other LCG lines, I pulled the trigger and grabbed this. What I have found (so far) is something like Arkham Horror: The Card Game for Dummies (with a Marvel Comics skin). And that's ok - I don't mean that in a bad way. It is faster to setup and play than Legendary and still scratches that comic story itch. And yeah it kinda feels like I'm directing/creating my own comic story. I don't know if the leadership at FFG aimed for a lower barrier to the game just to widen the target audience or if this will eventually go down their normal LCG path, but I've decided I don't care and I'm enjoying it for what it is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess he didn't kill all the tentacles on the first box cover</td></tr>
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The last game on my list of solo games is Arkham Horror: The Card Game (another LCG). When this was first released, I was interested, but not sure. At the time, I really had no desire to play solo games - I could just get together with friends and play something and I had EH to scratch this particular itch (though due to the time commitment, we still didn't play as much as I'd have liked). Some friends told me they had tried AH: TCG and liked it and I should check it out. So I did.<br />
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I tried playing the first scenario. It was ok, but still I just wasn't into playing solo games. Fast forward to two summers ago. One of the other PBM guys LOVES this game. His enthusiasm gets me to pull it back out and try again. Yeah, this isn't a bad game and, it scratches an itch like EH, but without the same amount of work. But, after a couple plays, I don't go back - for two reasons. One, I just don't play solo that much. The other is: the game is on like the third season already at that point. Trying to find all the chapter packs is not cheap nor easy. So I kinda give up on it.<br />
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Fast forward again, to a couple days ago. FFG must be starting a reprint of the original cycle, because the first chapter pack for the Dunwich Cycle (the first "season") was available on Amazon - for the regular price. So, I grab my box, pull out the rules and spend a few minutes starting over with the instructions.<br />
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The whole time I'm sitting there reading them, I'm like - yeah, ok, that is pretty much just like Marvel Champions, but:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Instead of a hero deck (built with a set of aspect cards and some filler), I have an investigator and I have to go find a bazillion separate cards to build the deck.</li>
<li>Instead of a villain deck (built with the villain cards and a side threat set of cards), I have a scenario deck, that I have to build from a number of sets of cards</li>
<li>Instead of villain plot cards, I have an agenda deck (more or less similar)</li>
<li>Instead of a bad guy I beat up directly, there is an "act deck" with varying ways of advancing the story along</li>
<li>Instead of just taking my turn, then the bad guy does their routine, and back and forth, there is going to be a map that lays out and I place my investigator and move. And there are skills and other complicated stuff (semi-complicated, maybe just complicated comparatively speaking).</li>
</ul>
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Hey! I was right! Marvel Champions is seriously just AH: TCG, but simplified and with a different theme. People want to play these games, but not all that many people want to spend the time building and tweaking decks for a co-op or solo game. They want to mash together some cards and play the story. And yeah, I totally get that. I don't know how they are going to figure out a campaign for Marvel Champions. Maybe it'll be lightly tied together (at best) so that they don't overly complicate what that game currently is all about.</div>
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The fact that AH:TCG is MORE is fine with me, because I know from previous plays that the extra work is going to mean a good narrative, and that's why I'm willing to go back and give it another try. And if I don't feel like exploring all the cards and tweaking my deck, I won't. Or I'll go play Marvel Champions. </div>
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Maybe, this will all be over sooner rather than later (I truly hope so, but I also doubt it very much) and I'll abandon these games because life will return (or maybe I'll have discovered something else I really enjoy). In the meantime, if you are looking for some good options for playing at a table for one, there are some games out that with good narratives if you want to give them a shot. </div>
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Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-73964264217699402602020-05-20T15:34:00.000-07:002020-05-20T15:34:10.094-07:00More Online Games I'm Playing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6m5cyL-6tg/XrGwWTwqkbI/AAAAAAAAE0I/UxedrIP2bbARJ0Wq6l_8kGui2ui0ZoLzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-05%2Bat%2B11.25.40%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="741" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6m5cyL-6tg/XrGwWTwqkbI/AAAAAAAAE0I/UxedrIP2bbARJ0Wq6l_8kGui2ui0ZoLzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-05%2Bat%2B11.25.40%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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COVID-19 may have us all stuck at home - no game nights with friends, no gaming conventions, and no trips to our FLGS. That doesn't mean (despite the meme) that WE can't play - it just means we might need to play some online games.<br />
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I recently talked about the online games I'm playing. Here I am again to talk about some new games I've added to my catalog of choices since the last time. After all, variety is the spice of life.<br />
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Marco Polo is a game that I tried once (face-to-face) five years ago. I thought it was a clever game and wanted to see it some more, but never got another chance to play it. I recently got asked if I was interested in a game on yucata.de, so I reviewed the rules and am working through a couple games now. I like games where you roll dice and then use them (like Troyes) and this one is interesting, I just wanted to play it a few more times to grok the value of doing things. Right now, I'm just starting to understand the game past the mechanics. I'll have to get a few more games under my belt to see if I'm approaching things in ways that make sense.<br />
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My friend Nathan has been bored lately and looking for different games to try. He has been throwing me invites to pretty much everything he knows. This is one of the ones he sent - Attika. Attika is an older port of an older Euro game where players are drawing tiles and trying to build all their tiles. Each player has the exact same set of buildings and the goal is to build your tiles so that your starting point touches another players' starting point OR to build all your tiles. With two players, there is a fair bit of luck of the draw - builds can chain off each other, but you need to have the early part of the chain first. You also need resources to build, which comes from random card draws. All in all, a decent little game, but probably best with four players.<br />
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Madeira is one of those heavy thick euros. I played a burst of this in 2014 and then never got it to the table again because of the weight. When I first joined Boardgamearena.com (BGA) - I was excited to see it there - all I needed was to find some opponents and review the crazy rules. Ok, the rules are not crazy - in fact, each little bit of the game is pretty straightforward, there is just a fair bit of it and seeing how it interconnects and moves is what makes the game so heavy.<br />
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I found a decent video explanation that was under an hour (and was a little slow - it could have been 40 minutes). In fact, I watched only 30 min (fast forwarding through parts, so 30 min was more like 20). As the rules went on, I recalled enough of the game to jump in. We haven't progressed too far into the game, but I remember almost immediately what I like about the game - its deep, with a fair amount of moving parts, but it feels tactical. You pickup different scoring goals through the game and for the most part, choose which ones you'll score at score time. This lets you build up a little for the end game blitz of points, but also lets you tailor your play for rounds when you get bad rolls, or other players are after the same actions as you. The order the actions are done in (and whether they are even going to be available to you) is random each round and can be at the mercy of your dice, so being able to act tactically is important.<br />
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Once you've played this, it makes sense, but that first game might take you until halfway before you can grok what's happening. There are always those - "oh yeah! This is important because to do that you have to have this and to get this, I have to do this first!" things that you just don't get from rules.<br />
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Literally, Teotihuacan: City of Gods is a new game to me. Eric B from the Punchboard Media team posted a note that this game was the deal of the day on Gamenerdz.com a while back, so I jumped. I had seen this on the table a year ago at the AZ Game Fair, and and had been intrigued since. Then, when I went to look on BGG for a rules video, I found that a developer had recently finished the <strike>BETA</strike> Alpha version of the game on BGA! The developer was giving out invites to play/test before the game is released. I was super excited and sent a PM straight away. The rules by Rodney video is well done and gave me enough to get started.<br />
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Sort of - as we started playing, I know the rules and actions, but have no clue if what I'm doing is a waste. What should I be concentrating on? Did I do something stupid? I keep having to "waste a turn" getting cocoa - what the heck? I mean, I get it, the first game is a learning game when nobody knows the rules, but at least at the table, there is table talk and (usually) we talk about what worked for them and didn't and so on. Harder to do online. I feel like I started to make headway (when the game was almost over), but after my second play (where I made a small error at the end which cost me the game), the shine might be off this for me.<br />
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The game itself (at the table) is very pretty - really nice to look at. And busy - there is a lot to try and see. But after a couple of plays, I'm not sure any of us playing can see the value in trying to score certain ways. Certainly, we are not experts at this game with a combined two plays each, but none of us that played are inexperienced either. We all tried different things over the two games and decided that the paths to victory we limited despite all the ways to score points. I want to like this game, it just doesn't feel as robust as other similarly heavy games.<br />
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Again, this is still in testing on BGA, but should be out soon I'd think.<br />
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Out of nowhere I got asked if I wanted to learn and play another new game. Sure, why not? Hey look! It is a Kramer and Kielsing game. The rules didn't look too bad, so away we go. It has a kind of cool rotating market deal and it didn't take long to see this is a lightweight Euro (it feels like that particular category is harder to stick on games these days). This feels like a gateway game level euro - the rules seem very straightforward and the gameplay is right in line with other gateway games: very limited choice of actions each turn - do simple thing A or simple thing B. Even with the expansion setup, the game isn't too much more complex. Also, whatever my approach has been to the game so far appears to be reasonable. I won the first (basic) game and won (by a good amount) in the second game we played with the expansion. I like this one enough to want to play it some more.<br />
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Scythe was part of a recent HumbleBundle sale that I got in on. I got a load of games for essentially what it would have cost me to purchase Scythe alone. A bunch of us got together live to play (and learn/re-learn) the game. I had previously only played live once four years ago and hadn't played on the app yet either. I should have re-read the rules before playing as I showed quite poorly, but it was fun and I was glad to get a refresher. Scythe is about $15 US (give or take - the price seems to vary a bit and you can get the software in bundles etc) and available on Mac or Windows platforms. I had heard that a version for tablets was coming, but that was quite a while ago and I've heard no news since.<br />
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Regardless, there seems to be quite a bit of online play for this still, so if you enjoy the game, you should check out this implementation (though I highly recommend you play against AI until you have the interface down - there is no undo to actions, which is probably my only real negative with the app). To be fair, I have this complaint with a number of online games as well.<br />
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Lords of Waterdeep is one of the best, straightforward worker placement games you can find (especially when you throw in the expansions). The app version is also excellent and plays cross-platform. Async games are a little slow - you place a worker, take the action and you're done. Really, that's true of a lot of games, but turns are so fast here that it feels a little like you aren't ever doing anything. That being said, the game is still great fun and good enough that an occasional play of it with a buddy or two is worth it.<br />
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There you have it, some more games I have re-learned and some more new games too! I'm trying to keep things interesting during the COVID quarantine. I hope you are all staying safe, for yourselves and everyone else out there! Play some games - at the table, or at your computer/tablet/phone. Make some new gaming friends and learn some new tricks! Until next time...<br />
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Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-85946361675589428292020-05-17T23:21:00.001-07:002020-05-17T23:21:40.266-07:00Marvel Champions - Black Panther vs Klaw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yeah, this duffus. If you don't know Klaw from the Marvel Comics (not the guy from the MCU), this is the guy. He looks like a dud. He started out as a Fantastic Four villain and the basic premise is that he was a physicist who was transformed into solid sound. He was a regular opponent of The FF, Black Panther and others. Because of his association to the Black Panther, I choose to pit the two of them in my first Marvel Champions game away from the starting villain.<br />
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My friend <a href="https://www.punchboardmedia.com/cardboard-hoard">Eric B</a> had warned me that Klaw was a step up in difficulty from the Rhino. I felt comfortable with the ease to which I had dispatched the Rhino over and over and felt ready for a new (real) challenge.<br />
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I went ahead and used Black Panther with the Protection aspect and a minor tweak to the standard cards. Klaw fit with the Masters of Evil, so I used them with Klaw.<br />
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You know what? There is a decent game in here. Klaw was no cake walk. He is stubbornly resilient. At first, neither of us were making much headway (which as I discovered, is bad for the hero). The Black Widow joined my cause, and I got out a Med Team to keep her going - she helped keep the threat down while I was dinking at Klaw or whatever minion was bugging me. But then I stupidly switched over to my alter-ego and his scheme jumped to part two.<br />
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The Masters of Evil side scheme came out, which ups the threat.<br />
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I ran through my deck of cards, and when I drew an encounter (that is the penalty for running through your deck) I ended up with two minions stuck on me. Then the bad guy encounter cards ran through, which ups the threat earned each round.<br />
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Suddenly I needed to both knock out a lot of threat on the main scheme AND knock out the stupid Masters of Evil scheme so that the threat increase would go away. I couldn't do it all fast enough - the cards I was drawing just weren't what I needed when I needed them and I lost.<br />
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But you know what? I didn't feel overwhelmed. I felt like this was a close game and the bad guys won this round. If I had cake-walked through the game, I would have been disappointed. Klaw also actually felt different than the Rhino. The villain decks give you some flavor for that villain, and they did a good job with the powers and the way that things happen. For such a simple game, there are interesting choices to make and a decent story in each scenario. excited to go back to the game again for a rematch.<br />
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Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-49526925511137094572020-05-16T23:18:00.001-07:002020-05-16T23:18:50.440-07:00More Marvel Champions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my ongoing exploration of Marvel Champions (solo), I played a couple more games. I wanted to get an idea of what the other hero and aspects decks were like, so I have kept to the starter scenario setup - yep, all my plays have been against the standard Rhino (I&II) setup. Spider-man and She-Hulk have had their shot, so time for some others to step into the arena.<br />
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First up was the King of Wakanda, The Black Panther. I went with the suggested pairing for him - Protection and found that he had no trouble at all with Rhino. While not the power house that is the She-Hulk, the Black Panther (with some help from a tough Luke Cage, and a couple Med Teams) were more than able to hold off the scheme and baddies until I had enough upgrades to unleash on him. In fact, the Black Panther armor transfers damage from you, to a bad guy, which is both a nice heal and attack that lets you get rid of the one of bad guys and whittle the arch villain down.<br />
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Next up was Tony Stark. Iron Man takes a turn or two (or three or four) to build up. I got an early Stark Tower in play, which let me pull a tech card out of the discard pile - essentially letting me use a tech to pay for other cards, then pull it back into my hand. Because of this, I quickly got a suit built and after that, the Rhino didn't stand a chance. Iron Man could really struggle if you don't get the cards you need early on, because the scheme can really build up on you, but if you can get some ally help to keep the scheme level down, Iron Man can really go to town.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoYI27LWg0s/XsDVCOuV58I/AAAAAAAAE08/VG-7gWmnWuwVHQqHZf1NvAWFdmOdzmeQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1518" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoYI27LWg0s/XsDVCOuV58I/AAAAAAAAE08/VG-7gWmnWuwVHQqHZf1NvAWFdmOdzmeQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_6940.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey look! I organized my game.</td></tr>
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Despite how easy the Rhino villain/setup is to beat, it works really well for getting a taste for how the hero decks should work. I still haven't played Captain Marvel, but I'm ready to move on and give Klaw and some other cards a go. Not quite sure what hero/aspect combo I'm going to give a whirl, but I may just have to give Black Panther the first crack at Klaw (its only appropriate).
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So far I'm impressed how varied the heroes and the aspects actually feel. Each really has a different and to be honest, straightforward (once you know) approach to playing. I'm surprised how well this plays solo (it not only has interesting choices so far, but has been entertaining as well).<br />
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Be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-9315081169083685282020-05-12T23:33:00.000-07:002020-05-12T23:33:02.902-07:00Is Descent: Journeys in the Dark (2nd ed) For Me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For whatever reason, I've been seeing a number of posts in different boardgame groups about whether someone should get into or try out <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/104162/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition">Descent: Journeys in the Dark</a>. Now, I'm a fan, so this isn't really a review. I am going to talk quite a bit about the game, so if this somehow helps you decide that the game is for you (or not your cup of tea) then great! I'll try and tell you what it is (and what I don't think it is) and why I enjoy it. I'm also going to use this as an excuse to show off my set of painted figures...<br />
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First off (since I already mentioned it), there are a lot of models/figures in the game. What you see above are all of the monster figures and all of the heroes that come in <i>just the base game </i>(as also mentioned, the above figures have all been painted by yours truly - if you buy the game, they come unpainted). Nine sets of monsters and eight different heroes come packed into the original set. And for those that want more, there is a LOT more. There are small expansions and large expansions. There are expansions that are nothing more than additional monsters and heroes to add more variety to whatever you currently own. Some monsters and heroes sets are more interesting than others (which is of course, subjective). But with the ENORMOUS library of expansions to choose from, you should be able to find something you like.<br />
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Assuming of course that what you are looking for is a fantasy dungeon crawler. Descent is exactly that - a fantasy based game set in FFG's Runebound universe of heroes and monsters. A scenario is setup (either for one simple session, or as part of a longer campaign of linked scenarios) and played and typically takes a couple minutes to setup (and tear down), and then will take roughly 90 minutes to play. Sometimes it might be faster, sometimes it can take longer, but this is a reasonable ballpark (this is considerably different from the first edition of the game, where scenarios were a multi-hour affair). Some scenarios have one team racing to get past the other side, some are target specific (keep this guy alive or knock that guy out kind of deals). Some are just stay alive long enough to claim victory.<br />
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As with many games of this style, combat and skill checks are done with dice. Descent has a number of custom 6-sided dice in various colors and depending on your skills, bonuses, and equipment, you roll a number of whatever dice you are supposed to roll to determine the outcome. If that sounds like every other dungeon crawler game you've ever played, well, Descent doesn't try to be something different, it just tries to do what it does really well - provide you with variety.<br />
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Let's start with the heroes. There are essentially 4 major archetypes (fighter, mage, thief, and healer to phrase it in a way most folks with any fantasy experience will understand). After selecting a character, you receive a card with that character's stats. Then you select their "class". Each archetype has a variety of "classes". Each class is a set of cards. The cards have some starting equipment as well as set of skills and upgrades that can enhance your character as they earn experience (which can happen in some scenarios, but more often between scenarios in an ongoing campaign). The base set comes with a few classes for each type and the big and small box expansions have more types as well. One particular character can play quite differently depending on the class you choose as well as what upgrades you take.<br />
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But wait, how does it play? Well, the original, traditional version of the game is one (the Overlord) vs many (the heroes). And to keep it interesting for the Overlord, the Overlord also picks a class from the bad guy stuff. Their set of cards allow you abilities to thwart the heroes in a variety of different ways (which I can't describe, because I NEVER play this way). The Overlord also gains experience, so the "growth" happens for both sides. Each side takes turns - the heroes trying to thwart the Overlord, and vice-versa until one side achieves the scenario goal.<br />
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Wait, I never play that way, so how do I play? A few years back, FFG introduces an app (available on mobile/tablet devices as well as Mac/Windows machines) called Road to Legend. Road to Legend automates the Overlord side, making the game a co-op/solo game. You tell the app which expansions you own, and it provides a number of different campaigns for you to play through which incorporate your materials. And for those that don't have time (nor desire) to play multiple scenarios, the game has an option called The Delve, which is a randomly generated dungeon crawl. No real story, just a set of rooms strung together with monsters and traps to work through/around.<br />
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And if you are thinking the app replaces the game, it does not. It is nothing more than AI for your monster encounters and some additional story guiding. You still have to have the game and all of its glorious cards, counters, and bits to play the game.<br />
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What else might be interesting about the game? Well, during and after a scenario, your standard dungeon crawl stuff happens - which is to say that sometime you find stuff (equipment) and sometime you can visit a village store and find upgraded weapons and armor (and other fun stuff) for your characters. So not only do you expand your character's skill sets, but their equipment. And is there stacks of equipment... One thing FFG likes to do is print cards for their games, and Descent is no slouch. You'll find stacks of equipment cards in two sets (one is a little more advanced than the other and is meant for later on in a full campaign). There are also travel cards, which provide a little bit of extra flavor to the game and provide a story for getting from point A to point B.<br />
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So there you go. Is Descent for you? Well...<br />
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<li>Do you want a game with lots of variety (even if I only ever own the base game)? - yes, there is a good bit of variety even if you just have the base set. You can replay the same adventures with different characters and different skills and experience different monsters as well.</li>
<li>Does it ever feel like the same thing? Sure, sometimes it does. If you only have the base game, it will eventually start to feel similar, even with different hero combinations and monsters, but if you get a little bit more (and that is a damn slippery slope, I know) - the variety amps up a lot.</li>
<li>Do you have to play with a DM/bad guy/Overlord? Nope. The Road to Legend app is FREE and while there is some in app content you can pay for, there is plenty that is free (seriously, a good amount to use is free).</li>
<li>Do you have to use the Road to Legend app to play? Not all all, in fact, you don't have to use the app to play solo either. To play co-op or solo without the app, you have a couple of options. There are a couple of really good solo systems the community has built like <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1416738/redjaks-automated-monster-variant">RAMV</a>. There are also a couple of Print on Demand co-op scenarios from FFG that more or less give you almost the same experience as the Road to Legend app, but in card form.</li>
<li>Is there a strong story here? Strong? No. The narrative is a lot more loose. I mean, the campaigns have some overarching story, but to be honest, the story is not tight. You get a couple of paragraphs that setup each scenario (and how it ties to what you are about to do) and one or two more at the end of each. The gaps are left up to your imagination.</li>
<li>Does this have a role playing (D&D) kind of vibe? Not so much. It is a tactical fantasy game of heroes vs monsters. It is a dungeon crawl with a loose story as fluff between scenarios.</li>
<li>I've played Warhammer Quest - is this like that? Yes, but WAY WAY MORE. WHQ basically felt like the same thing every single quest. Same monsters, same hallways, same heroes. This is WHQ on steroids with a couple double espressos.</li>
<li>Do I have to get expansions? Nope, the game is good out of the box, it just gets more interesting each time you add more. </li>
<li>Do you need it all? Nope, at a certain point, there are diminishing returns. If you play a lot, you'll want the added variety, but if you don't, you can be plenty happy with the base set and maybe one or two expansions.</li>
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I hope that helps. If you are interested in seeing all the stuff I've painted so far, check out some of my previous posts over the last couple years and see my list <a href="https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/213300/tatsus-descent-2nd-ed-painted-sets">here</a>.<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24032827.post-73119804059056342342020-05-10T00:07:00.001-07:002020-05-10T00:07:18.443-07:00Marvel Champions - She-Hulk vs Rhino<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, my return to Marvel Champions went much better this time around. I decided to give the She-Hulk a try this time around (using the basic aggression and standard cards) against the same scheme and setup. After the last beatdown I took, I came at the game with a different approach.<br />
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This time, I decided to slow play the scenario a little and try to get an ally and some helper cards in play before punching the first stage Rhino's clock. This approached worked really well for me, especially with the She-Hulk. Her Jennifer Walters alter-ego kept the threat down on the scheme, and I also lucked out with a distinct lack of bad guys latched on this time. Because of this, I easily handled She-Hulk's nemesis and the couple of distraction schemes that popped out.<br />
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I'm going to have to go back to Spider-man at some point, because frankly, I don't think Rhino was too tough this time. If the first play was a 8 or 9 difficulty, this was a 5. Yes, I can up his difficulty and maybe I would have lost this time against a stacked Rhino, but...<br />
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Keep in mind, the Rhino is essentially that first learning scenario - he isn't meant to be so hard as to keep you from wanting to explore the game (which also means (I hope), he and the scenario are probably really vanilla). I still have a couple more heroes to check out - I don't know yet if I'll mix in other bad guy stuff or save that for the other bad guys, but I do want to see what all the base game has to offer.<br />
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So far, this Marvel Champions has my interest, but really only for occasional solo play - it isn't quite as cool as Marvel Legendary, but its hella faster to setup and tear down. I'll let you know how it goes.<br />
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Things of No Interesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09613123851070841897noreply@blogger.com0