Arkham Horror
First, there are a lot of components in the box. Stacks of small cards,
stacks of big cards, six different types of counters, character sheets,
Ancient One sheets, gate tokens, character tokens, monster tokens. The first
thing you're going to do is split them out into snack-sized baggies, because
if you don't set-up is going to take even longer than normal.
The flavor text and feel of the game evokes 1920's Lovecraft horror very
effectively - you are investigators, trying to prevent some big bad menace
from coming to Arkham. This game has style. Between the cards and dice
rolls, there's enough randomness to make things interesting, but there's a
lot of odds calculations and choices to make it more than a "roll and move"
type of game.
The game is cooperative, where everyone is trying to meet a common goal.
There are rules to find out a winner/MVP, but those seem tacked on and not
in the spirit of the game. Some people really hate this, but our group isn't
among them. In that sense, it has the feel of a roleplaying game more than a
board game. You play characters with stats and equipment, each with
particular strengths and weaknesses. This works well. You may rock when it
comes to casting spells, but if a monster has magical resistance, you can
yell for your fellow players to come rescue you.
The rules are detailed and give you lots of options, but are laid out very
poorly. It will take a reading through to figure out how to play (or better
yet, get someone to teach you, or download a cheatsheet from
boardgamegeek.com). There are mythos cards that change the rules, tweaking
each game temporarily. Between the variations of the characters, the
big-bad, and the mythos cards, each game is different. Replayability is
high.
There are two expansions, which aren't needed but are nice. Without the
expansions, the location encounters are a bit repetitive. The game says it
is 3-8 players, but it best between 4-6 (again, the Dunwich Horror expansion
probably makes the 7-8 player game more playable). Plan on spending an
afternoon playing because a game can take a long time to play, especially
the first few times as you look up "how does that rule work again."
In short, this game gets suggested when we have the time and people to play.
This game isn't for everyone, but it is one of our favorites.
Review by Bryan Jonker
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Review ANTIKE
ANTIKE
The board has nice, simple artwork. It is two-sided: East and West (although
game play doesn't seem to change much between the two sides). The cities on
the board are color-coded with what they produce, which is a plus. The
pieces are wooden and nicely sculpted. The chips are cardboard, heavy stock,
although the coins look out of place. There are four cheat sheets in English
and German. Why only four, when six people can play? Good question. Share or
photocopy.
This is billed as "Civilization for the casual gamer" which is a bit of a
misnomer. We finished our game in 3.5 hours, and that included learning the
game, then teaching it as a new player rotated in. We're guessing that once
all is said and done, a typical game would be under three hours. Turns fly
by - I was amazed at how often I thought "it's my turn already?" Unlike
Civilization, there isn't the huge math issue as you add up resources and
decide what advances you can afford. You don't need the seven or eight
people to play (yes, Civ does allow fewer players, but I don't think it
scales down well); the game seems to scale up and down nicely (although two
people is stretching it).
But, if anything, the game is less random than Civilization - no dice, no
cards. Resources are bought, and combat is handled like Civilization and
Diplomacy, where you can predict who is going to win before the battle
starts. Thinking and "looking ahead seven turns" is essential. The rondel
(one of the more interesting game mechanics) means if you don't do things in
the proper order, you have to wait a few turns, or pay extra resources.
There are multiple strategies to winning (beating up your neighbor isn't one
of them, because battle takes a lot of resources and the payoff isn't that
great). There's a lot of resource management (do I mine iron or marble this
turn, do I use coin to build a city or build troops, etc.). Diplomacy is
important, especially as you start meeting your neighbors and setting up
borders. It's a very "crunchy" game, with a lot of decisions.
Since I just got the game, I don't know about replayability. I can see the
game getting old after a while, if only because there are only a handful of
strategies that seem to really work. And the lack of randomness means you
can keep doing the same strategy over and over again; no lucky break is
going to open up, no horrible roll is going to prevent you from getting that
last iron. Each nation starts with the same resources, and no area looks
better than another. But, we still break out Civilization every so often,
and still enjoy it. I expect this to be the same. This is a solid strategic
game, if a bit too analytical.
Review by Bryan Jonker
The board has nice, simple artwork. It is two-sided: East and West (although
game play doesn't seem to change much between the two sides). The cities on
the board are color-coded with what they produce, which is a plus. The
pieces are wooden and nicely sculpted. The chips are cardboard, heavy stock,
although the coins look out of place. There are four cheat sheets in English
and German. Why only four, when six people can play? Good question. Share or
photocopy.
This is billed as "Civilization for the casual gamer" which is a bit of a
misnomer. We finished our game in 3.5 hours, and that included learning the
game, then teaching it as a new player rotated in. We're guessing that once
all is said and done, a typical game would be under three hours. Turns fly
by - I was amazed at how often I thought "it's my turn already?" Unlike
Civilization, there isn't the huge math issue as you add up resources and
decide what advances you can afford. You don't need the seven or eight
people to play (yes, Civ does allow fewer players, but I don't think it
scales down well); the game seems to scale up and down nicely (although two
people is stretching it).
But, if anything, the game is less random than Civilization - no dice, no
cards. Resources are bought, and combat is handled like Civilization and
Diplomacy, where you can predict who is going to win before the battle
starts. Thinking and "looking ahead seven turns" is essential. The rondel
(one of the more interesting game mechanics) means if you don't do things in
the proper order, you have to wait a few turns, or pay extra resources.
There are multiple strategies to winning (beating up your neighbor isn't one
of them, because battle takes a lot of resources and the payoff isn't that
great). There's a lot of resource management (do I mine iron or marble this
turn, do I use coin to build a city or build troops, etc.). Diplomacy is
important, especially as you start meeting your neighbors and setting up
borders. It's a very "crunchy" game, with a lot of decisions.
Since I just got the game, I don't know about replayability. I can see the
game getting old after a while, if only because there are only a handful of
strategies that seem to really work. And the lack of randomness means you
can keep doing the same strategy over and over again; no lucky break is
going to open up, no horrible roll is going to prevent you from getting that
last iron. Each nation starts with the same resources, and no area looks
better than another. But, we still break out Civilization every so often,
and still enjoy it. I expect this to be the same. This is a solid strategic
game, if a bit too analytical.
Review by Bryan Jonker
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Review Starship Battles CMG
Star Wars Miniatures: Starship Battles
Starship Battles is Wizards of the Coast’s attempt to break away from the ground-based combat of their popular Star Wars Miniatures line. The result is a simple wargame in which Light Side and Dark Side fleets rush toward each other across an empty stellar grid map.
There’s nothing wrong with simple, but without terrain modifiers or the ability to “hide” weaker vessels, there’s little opportunity for tactical maneuvering. With the exception of the starfighter class, any ship can target any other ship on the map. Fortunately, the simplicity of the rules allows for easy modification if you want a greater challenge.
Four classes of ships include the massive war wagons of Class 1, both of which are included in the starter set. Class 2 features battleships such as the Imperial Star Destroyer. Medium-size cruisers—as well as famous vehicles such as the Millenium Falcon—make up Class 3, and Class 4 is exclusively starfighters such as the X-Wing. Ships move a number of spaces equal to their class, and only the larger craft need worry about their facing as they move.
The miniatures are the real draw, and Wizards has done an excellent job here. Virtually every significant starship from the movies is represented in the initial release, as are many from the tie-in novels, cartoons and video games. Collectors will appreciate the availability of ships not previously made as toys, such as the Separatist cruisers seen in the opening minutes of Revenge of the Sith. Sculpts and paint jobs are relatively detailed, and while many of the miniatures are made from a softer plastic, the only ships I’ve found to suffer from excessive warping are the standard TIE Fighters.
Starship Battles may be a light wargame, but as a long-time Star Wars fan, I can’t help but be pleased by the sight of so many familiar vessels locked in terrible combat.
Starship Battles is Wizards of the Coast’s attempt to break away from the ground-based combat of their popular Star Wars Miniatures line. The result is a simple wargame in which Light Side and Dark Side fleets rush toward each other across an empty stellar grid map.
There’s nothing wrong with simple, but without terrain modifiers or the ability to “hide” weaker vessels, there’s little opportunity for tactical maneuvering. With the exception of the starfighter class, any ship can target any other ship on the map. Fortunately, the simplicity of the rules allows for easy modification if you want a greater challenge.
Four classes of ships include the massive war wagons of Class 1, both of which are included in the starter set. Class 2 features battleships such as the Imperial Star Destroyer. Medium-size cruisers—as well as famous vehicles such as the Millenium Falcon—make up Class 3, and Class 4 is exclusively starfighters such as the X-Wing. Ships move a number of spaces equal to their class, and only the larger craft need worry about their facing as they move.
The miniatures are the real draw, and Wizards has done an excellent job here. Virtually every significant starship from the movies is represented in the initial release, as are many from the tie-in novels, cartoons and video games. Collectors will appreciate the availability of ships not previously made as toys, such as the Separatist cruisers seen in the opening minutes of Revenge of the Sith. Sculpts and paint jobs are relatively detailed, and while many of the miniatures are made from a softer plastic, the only ships I’ve found to suffer from excessive warping are the standard TIE Fighters.
Starship Battles may be a light wargame, but as a long-time Star Wars fan, I can’t help but be pleased by the sight of so many familiar vessels locked in terrible combat.
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Nexus Ops
I’m a fan of Hasbro’s Avalon Hill imprint, as I love light wargames with lots of crunchy bits. You can keep your cardboard chits, I want the visual thrill of lining tiny warriors across a world map.
Despite that, I ignored Nexus Ops when it was first released in 2005. The box artwork was unappealing, and the description obtuse. I was floored to discover that it’s a lot of fun, with a good dose of strategy to boot.
Players represent corporate interests vying for control of a mineral-rich planet, represented by a modular hex board with a “monolith” tower in the middle. The monolith grants its owner bonus cards which can boost the effectiveness of his/her troops.
Each corporation may hire weak human mercenaries, but can also enlist a variety of species better equipped for the world’s unusual landscape. Fungoids and Crystallines are similar in that each is stronger in their native terrain, and weaker if occupying the other’s home turf. Striders move two hexes as long as their path takes them over rocky ground. Leapers can jump if they begin on a lava hex. Dragons are expensive and have a plasma breath attack which can take out units on adjacent spaces. Certain creatures are restricted from entering lava, or from scaling the monolith.
Combat follows a strict battle order, with stronger units attacking first. Unlike many wargames, defeated units do not return fire if it’s not their turn in the initiative order. Players must make choices; using cheap cannon fodder as casualties means that these units will be unavailable later on. Sometimes it’s better to remove a costlier creature which has already attacked.
One easily overlooked aspect is that the game is won not by controlling mines or being King of the Monolith, but by collecting a set number of victory points. Each battle won by a player on his/her turn nets at least one VP; more if the player achieves the conditions set by their secret mission cards.
Nexus Ops is a solid strategy game with a lot of crunch for the dollar.