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Trynant posted:Mage Wars remains to be a game I absolutely treasure in my collection. Its 'deck' building is the best in CCGs, and the mechanic of pulling cards from a binder is incredibly evocative of summoning spells from a tome or something. Just a really drat cool game, even if its playtime can get absurd. I got this as a gift but haven't managed to get through the rule book, it just seems so long and complex. Plus then you have to learn all the cards and their effects... but I keep hearing how good it's supposed to be. Is it as complex and tedious as I'm making it out to be in my mind or is it not so bad once you get into it?
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Jul 29, 2014 18:32
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Trynant posted:a necrophiliac necromancer with irritable-bowel syndrome (that does come into effect during game) create pregnant zombies. Imma just quote this because it's a great example of a sentence no one ever thought they'd hear. Anyway, Trip report! I've been visiting the local boardgame three week pop-up café in Copenhagen a lot lately with the girlfriend. We've really fallen in love with Jaipur, which you all know is great. But we've also really enjoyed Targi, which is a two player game of Tuareg trading thematically. A 5X5 square of cards make up the board, with goods (resource) and "tribe" cards in the middle, which are replaced when taken, fixed action and good cared in the outer level, and "raid" cards in the corners. You take turns placing three targi (workers) each on the outer cards, and then when all 6 are placed, you get those actions/resources plus the cards where your pieces lines of sight cross. the objective is to collect VPs, mostly through getting the tribe cards, which have different suits that you can collect for a bonus or mix up for flexibility, or possibly both halfway. Each round ends with a robber moving around the outer cards, blocking the card he stands at, and forcing players to sacrifice stuff in the corners. I guess it's one of the few good two player worker placement games, with a really intensive and flavourful feel to it. Also, it's really good at representing traditional culture in northern Africa without racism, and also the girls are in veils I think, sp no oversexed stuff either. Also, if you enjoy storytelling and a thin veneer of game, play Once Upon A Time. It's just a deck of fairy tale plot points and a deck of endings, and your turns consists of you telling a story with or without your hand of plot points, working towards your ending. You must keep talking or pass the turn to the next player. Basically, it makes for great stories with lots of sidetracks, character changes and randomness. It sounds like Tales does this, but with way more game for no reason.
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Jul 29, 2014 18:38
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djfooboo posted:But still there is a TON of content especially if you buy the Extra, Extra expansion which comes with 54 more cards (hero, villain, quirk). Well that's somewhat reassuring, I'll be anticipating the game hitting retail.
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Jul 29, 2014 19:06
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EBag posted:I got this as a gift but haven't managed to get through the rule book, it just seems so long and complex. Plus then you have to learn all the cards and their effects... but I keep hearing how good it's supposed to be. Is it as complex and tedious as I'm making it out to be in my mind or is it not so bad once you get into it? There really isn't much more to it than Magic. It seems daunting because you have a spellbook right in front of you with a whole bunch of cards and you just don't know what to do with them. The best way to learn is to just buckle down and play a game and figure out each card as you cast it. Don't bother trying to put together a grand strategy right away just play whatever cards look coolest; after you've got a feel for it then you can start thinking about the grand strategy.
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Jul 29, 2014 19:30
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I'm not sure talking about racism/sexism in board games is derailing a general board games thread since the subject is related to, you know, board games. Anyways, Mage Wars rules is about 95% codex and special effects, kind of like Magic. The core rules are probably 5 big pages compared to the 40 the rulebook has. I don't know if there's a good teaching aid online, but the way I learned the game was to set up the board and play through the examples at the beginning of the rulebook. It plays like a mix of Magic and some weird D&D minis game I suppose. You summon creatures and objects while casting sorcerous bolts of magic and stuff at eachother until your king piece, the Mage, either kills the other Mage or dies themselves. Once you get past the fluff and the minor rules on effects; the game is quite playable.
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Jul 29, 2014 19:56
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Trynant posted:I don't know if there's a good teaching aid online, but the way I learned the game was to set up the board and play through the examples at the beginning of the rulebook. They have a channel and tutorials about phases and mechanics. https://www.youtube.com/user/MageWarsGame I haven't played, but it might be a good place to start.
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Jul 29, 2014 20:30
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Just in case anyone was looking to pick it up before it's out of stock everywhere(again), Betrayal at House on the Hill is back is stock at CSI. http://www.coolstuffinc.com/p/135026
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Jul 29, 2014 20:51
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exser posted:Just in case anyone was looking to pick it up before it's out of stock everywhere(again), Betrayal at House on the Hill is back is stock at CSI. http://www.coolstuffinc.com/p/135026  
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Jul 29, 2014 21:09
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Anyone who wants it can PM me, I'd be willing to sell my 2e copy.
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Jul 29, 2014 21:17
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drat. That went fast. Glad I grabbed my copy. If anything though, this should be your queue to start looking at other places. This just happened to be the first that got it in.
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Jul 29, 2014 21:35
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Is there a particular reason Betrayal has such high demand?
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Jul 29, 2014 21:40
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GrandpaPants posted:Is there a particular reason Betrayal has such high demand? The Tabletop Effect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MINNKyE4fjs
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Jul 29, 2014 21:45
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GrandpaPants posted:Is there a particular reason Betrayal has such high demand? There aren't many games like it and it's an accessible gateway game, I guess.
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Jul 29, 2014 21:46
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Carteret posted:The Tabletop Effect. That is the reason my buddy picked up Fortune and Glory. I never even heard of it before playing it.
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Jul 29, 2014 22:15
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Carteret posted:The Tabletop Effect. Yeah, but it was an in-demand game before Tabletop ever even existed. First edition copies used to sell for over a hundred bucks before the rerelease. That being said, I'd be willing to sell my copy for two hundred bucks to anyone who can't wait for the next reprint...
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Jul 29, 2014 22:21
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I actually find it a pretty fun game to play as well. The last few games have been pretty exciting in the way that they have worked themselves out.
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Jul 29, 2014 22:30
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Tsietisin posted:I actually find it a pretty fun game to play as well. The last few games have been pretty exciting in the way that they have worked themselves out. I am happy for you, games of BATHOTH that work out that way are a treat. Unfortunately, the rest of the time everyone wanders around a spooky house for an hour before the game abruptly and arbitrarily decides who won. I sold my copy for $125 and bought Kemet, Arctic Scavengers, Hanabi, and City of Horror. I feel like that was not a bad trade.
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Jul 29, 2014 22:36
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Is Mage Knight worth it as a complete solo experience. I doubt anyone I know would want tobplay it, or if they did, not very often.
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Jul 29, 2014 23:21
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Fat Turkey posted:Is Mage Knight worth it as a complete solo experience. I doubt anyone I know would want tobplay it, or if they did, not very often. It is fabulous solo.
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Jul 29, 2014 23:24
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Seconding this.
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Jul 30, 2014 00:11
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Fat Turkey posted:Is Mage Knight worth it as a complete solo experience. I doubt anyone I know would want tobplay it, or if they did, not very often. Probably the best solitaire board game I own, especially if I'm not counting some war games.
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Jul 30, 2014 00:17
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Madmarker posted:On a completely unrelated note, what is a good introductory, coop game with a fantasy theme? I have a friend who is looking to get into board games and the competitive games will probably make him shy away, but he loves generic fantasy stuff like orcs, goblins, wizards and knights. I was thinking Castle Panic or Shadows over Camelot. I haven't played Castle Panic, although the people I've heard talk about it seem to like it pretty well. Shadows over Camelot is awful, firstly, and secondly is not really a cooperative game, since it involves (usually) a traitor player who is working against the rest of the group. You might also consider Defenders of the Realm (haven't played it, have heard some good things), or the D&D coop boardgames (Castle Ravenloft et al). And if your friend (and/or you) are going to play with the same group regularly, the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game or Mice and Mystics might work well for you. Both involve ongoing campaigns but are fairly simple and fully cooperative. Now, the absolute best fantasy coop I've played was Mage Knight. But that is -not- an intro-level game.
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Jul 30, 2014 00:30
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Fat Turkey posted:Is Mage Knight worth it as a complete solo experience. I doubt anyone I know would want tobplay it, or if they did, not very often. I've played my copy of MK some 8 times with other players, but easily 25+ times solo. It is fantastic.
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Jul 30, 2014 00:36
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I've played Betrayal at House on the Hill about a half a dozen times and every time once the haunt is revealed it has been an easy, unfun cake-walk for one side or the other. I really do love the idea of Betrayal. It just never seems to work out like it's supposed to. I also bought this: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/27048/duel-dark It's a game in which one player bombs German cities and the other tries to stop them. Just playing it once made me feel lovely and I sold it. I really don't what I was thinking when I purchased it.
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Jul 30, 2014 00:43
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Haha, I also bought duel in the dark, played it once, and traded it. It just felt unfocused to me. Not bad, exactly - I just didn't want to play it again. The rules were too complicated, the decisions were too straightforward. Most of the fun came from bluffing, so why not play skulls and roses instead? And I find it weird to play WWII games - too recent, too personal, and who wants play as a nazi? It was like 12 dollars shipped, though, so whatever.
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Jul 30, 2014 01:09
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wafflesnsegways posted:And I find it weird to play WWII games - too recent, too personal, and who wants play as a nazi? I feel much the same. I had family on both sides of WWII and it's hard to feel anything but despair at the madness of it all. The only WWII media thing I enjoy is Warthunder MMO because the casual battle mode is just a gonzo free for all with no real nationalities just pubbies in cool planes doing wacky poo poo. Anyway I got a chance to play a full game of Eldritch Horror. It's definitely a much more elegantly designed game then Arkham Horror and neatly works in the best character and story aspects of the AH expansions to make for a more coherent experience. The game is easier to win then AH but that may be because my group was playing against the into level old one. I fell the theming has suffered though with the global scale of the adventure where AH was more intimate and claustrophobic. Eldritch Horror is still worth playing if you want a step up in complexity from Pandemic but aren't keen on Arkham Horror. I also played Agricola with a couple complete newbies. I'm not sure why this game has a reputation as being super complex as once it's set up it's very intuitive and easy to follow. Finding an optimal game play path would take quite a few playthroughs however. I honestly found Tzol'kin to be a much harder worker placement game as everything keeps moving whereas Agricola is quite static between turns. I also had the good luck to play an introductory game of Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery. This is a super fun game with loads of player interaction and suspense. It has shot right to the top of my Ameritrash fan list (behind Talisman of course). Apparently it has enough of a following that the board game cafe I go to is having a Spartacus night soon. My only real criticism of the game is that the arena combat mechanics reward kiting which is lovely and boring. And finally I played a game of Terra Mystica. This is a really interesting worker placement/resource management game with lots of mechanics and different factions. It would be 100 times better if it had sweet mini's to fit the fantasy theme. My group thought the blocks all looked like bread boxes. NoNotTheMindProbe fucked around with this message at 09:05 on Jul 30, 2014 |
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Jul 30, 2014 08:58
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NoNotTheMindProbe posted:And finally I played a game of Terra Mystica. This is a really interesting worker placement/resource management game with lots of mechanics and different factions. It would be 100 times better if it had sweet mini's to fit the fantasy theme. My group thought the blocks all looked like bread boxes.
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Jul 30, 2014 09:51
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Is the Mage Knight tutorial guide online anywhere? In a spirit of enquiry I grabbed the Vassal module and this poo poo is incomprehensible at first glance.
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Jul 30, 2014 10:26
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Stelas posted:Is the Mage Knight tutorial guide online anywhere? In a spirit of enquiry I grabbed the Vassal module and this poo poo is incomprehensible at first glance. All the rule books can be found on Wizkids site (under “How to play”).
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Jul 30, 2014 10:38
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Tekopo posted:I would probably not play Terra Mystica if it had lovely plastic minis instead of nice wooden pieces. Not every game needs to have minis, especially if it is fantasy. It's the same reason why I don't buy BattleCry, but I would if it had wooden pieces. Can't agree more. I'm so tired of boxes full of cheap unpainted plastic miniatures. Though I'd prefer cardboard bits with nicely drawn art before wooden stuff, like in Shadows over/Heroes of Normandie or Warhammer Discwars.
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Jul 30, 2014 11:04
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Stelas posted:Is the Mage Knight tutorial guide online anywhere? In a spirit of enquiry I grabbed the Vassal module and this poo poo is incomprehensible at first glance. Phone posting, so I can't provide a link, but Ricky Royal did a good solo playthrough of both the base game and the expansion.
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Jul 30, 2014 13:52
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wafflesnsegways posted:Haha, I also bought duel in the dark, played it once, and traded it. I got it for a dollar in an auction and still haven't played it; still, I feel like I will, and for a dollar it's hard to feel like I got a bad deal.
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Jul 30, 2014 14:37
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Yeah, definitely play it. I think there's a good game at its core, but it wasn't worth the effort to me. It felt like it was just a few rewrites away from being really solid.
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Jul 30, 2014 14:44
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Fat Samurai posted:Phone posting, so I can't provide a link, but Ricky Royal did a good solo playthrough of both the base game and the expansion. This 100%. Look for Ricky Royal's Mage Knights playthroughs on YouTube.
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Jul 30, 2014 15:06
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Hauki posted:This 100%. Look for Ricky Royal's Mage Knights playthroughs on YouTube. This is also how I learned to play, highly recommended.
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Jul 30, 2014 15:10
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NoNotTheMindProbe posted:Anyway I got a chance to play a full game of Eldritch Horror. It's definitely a much more elegantly designed game then Arkham Horror and neatly works in the best character and story aspects of the AH expansions to make for a more coherent experience. The game is easier to win then AH but that may be because my group was playing against the into level old one. I fell the theming has suffered though with the global scale of the adventure where AH was more intimate and claustrophobic. Eldritch Horror is still worth playing if you want a step up in complexity from Pandemic but aren't keen on Arkham Horror. As much as I could say that I like the idea of Arkham and its theme, the biggest problem with the game is after I've finished it, I realize that with my solid group of four people I could've played 2x+1 games of Space Alert and had 2^x times more fun, where x is the number of hours I spent playing Arkham Horror. This formula's not foolproof, though. I could've very easily played other games during that time that would've gone faster and been more enjoyable because they're better designed and allow much more interaction between players. That being said, I still think there's a place for a well-designed horror/investigation-themed game in my collection, which is why I sold BatHotH and am selling Arkham to make room in my collection for Eldritch Horror and something well-designed.
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Jul 30, 2014 15:15
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Regarding Mage Wars, I heard there are plans to make an introductory version of the game with pre-built books, smaller board, simpler rules, etc. It's still in the works, so I don't think it's going to be out any sooner than late this year. I think this is a good idea since the game does take too long especially when you're just learning it. Also, the game desperately needs more people to play it, and having an introductory simplified version is a step in that direction.Stelas posted:Is the Mage Knight tutorial guide online anywhere? In a spirit of enquiry I grabbed the Vassal module and this poo poo is incomprehensible at first glance. When I learned Mage Knight, I also watched the Ricky Royal videos (http://boardgamegeek.com/video/17400/mage-knight-board-game/mage-knight-box-delights-walkthrough-series). These helped a lot. Also, I'll mention that the Vassal mod for it is pretty good, although I haven't played more than a turn or two with it.
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Jul 30, 2014 16:30
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medchem posted:Regarding Mage Wars, I heard there are plans to make an introductory version of the game with pre-built books, smaller board, simpler rules, etc. It's still in the works, so I don't think it's going to be out any sooner than late this year. I think this is a good idea since the game does take too long especially when you're just learning it. Also, the game desperately needs more people to play it, and having an introductory simplified version is a step in that direction. I think the hardest part of Mage Wars is what someone alluded to earlier. I have all these cards in my deck and have absolutely no idea how to actually use them, what to prioritize, etc. Even the simple ones like the Beastmaster, I started to question whether I should have been summoning or attacking or both or what. It's really daunting, and the giant, constantly evolving codex of abilities doesn't help any. Mage Wars I want to love you.
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Jul 30, 2014 16:37
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medchem posted:Regarding Mage Wars, I heard there are plans to make an introductory version of the game with pre-built books, smaller board, simpler rules, etc. It's still in the works, so I don't think it's going to be out any sooner than late this year. I think this is a good idea since the game does take too long especially when you're just learning it. Also, the game desperately needs more people to play it, and having an introductory simplified version is a step in that direction. I will be mighty cheesed if they make a new simplified version that is incompatible with the old cards. GrandpaPants posted:I think the hardest part of Mage Wars is what someone alluded to earlier. I have all these cards in my deck and have absolutely no idea how to actually use them, what to prioritize, etc. Even the simple ones like the Beastmaster, I started to question whether I should have been summoning or attacking or both or what. It's really daunting, and the giant, constantly evolving codex of abilities doesn't help any. This is kind of what drew me to the game. Unlike other games like Magic Mage Wars isn't really "solved". It's just not popular enough for people to have figured out the 100% optimum strategies yet; which means that I can do that. Rutibex fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Jul 30, 2014 |
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Jul 30, 2014 17:34
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Rutibex posted:I will be mighty cheesed if they make a new simplified version that is incompatible with the old cards. Why would they make an introductory version of the game that's incompatible with the main product line?
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Jul 30, 2014 17:37
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