So far Iliked it – the strategy and tactics is there, but it feels a bit funny. An arcade game that is controlled by a mancala and with the advanced rules for the mancala in use indeed feels strange. You would expect dashing your dragons at each other, but if you want to win, you will more likely do a very clumsy dance and try to position your dragon just right at the right time, and if you see you can’t reach that, abort and run away to try again. But I can totally see where it is not for everybody, because it combines two really unlikely companion parts in the game.
Category: Syndicated
Feb
02
2018
/u/bboomslang on What is your favourite "weird" game?
I neither call them forgotten, only weird. That is why I mention them in a thread that asks for weird. I mean, come on, OP cites Healthy Heart Hospital, which also just recently came out.
Feb
02
2018
/u/bboomslang on What is your favourite "weird" game?
Right now two come to mind: Triplock, a solo-capable memory game. Which in itself is already quite weird, but this one simulates lock picking in a way that – to me – actually makes sense, but adds a "VP engine" component to it (the diagram ca…
Jan
30
2018
/u/bboomslang on What’s the craziest board game theme you’ve ever seen?
Hands down Phil Eklund with BIOS: Genesis – playing the beginning of life in the primordial soup can’t be beaten.
Jan
28
2018
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: Your most anticipated games of 2018
by TheGargoyle
Too Many Bones: Undertow I am actually a bit split on. I got it, because so far CTG hasn’t let me down for games, but as well as looking forward to it, I am a bit scared of it, as it might turn out to be a bit too random and unfair – …
Jan
28
2018
/u/bboomslang on Need Help Mono U Delver vs Bogles
This. Especially curfew. You want to pick up your faeries. The rest is just trying to be faster.
Jan
28
2018
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: Your most anticipated games of 2018
by TheGargoyle
My number one Is Renegade, because that one resonates on all fronts with me. Very much looking forward to it coming out. The other one was Darkest Night (Second edition), but I don’t have to anticipate it anymore, as it was delivered …
Jan
26
2018
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: Plans for 2018
by TheGargoyle
I am slowly recpgnizing that my collection has a nice spread and not many holes (at least for my own tastes), so I hopefully will be able to slow down and focus on games that I know I will enjoy and that really bring something new to …
Jan
26
2018
Reply: Darkest Night (Second edition):: General:: Re: The obligatory “it arrived and how the frell am I supposed to get everything back in the box” thread
by TheGargoyle
Yeah, I guess I’m gonna try to free up one small-card-well, too, so I get a bit more space available and then it could work out. If only they had made the well for the player boards deeper! Oh well, first world problems, I guess. But …
Jan
25
2018
Thread: Darkest Night (Second edition):: General:: The obligatory “it arrived and how the frell am I supposed to get everything back in the box” thread
by TheGargoyle
Touchdown in Germany, great box of tons of cards and stuff (and cards and tokens are great quality). Nice insert for the cards, works fine for them. But man, the token piles combined with the standees just don’t fit in that one bigger…
Jan
24
2018
Reply: 7 Wonders Duel:: Reviews:: Re: Why It’s on My Shelf
by TheGargoyle
As a counter point to David, me and my wife are up into over 90 plays of just the base game and still I would never turn down the offer to play 7WD. If I had to cull my collection, 7WD would be a definite stayer. There are other games…
Jan
11
2018
/u/bboomslang on [PRIMER] Grixis Flicker
Hmm, I wonder what the plan is how to survive turns 1-5, as several decks will just kill you before you reach turn 6/7. For example Elves I would say can be quite a bit of pain for this, especially since your only answer for grow-wide decks is Evincar’s Justice (and Swirling Sandstorm after SB) and you don’t have enough life-gain to keep casting EJ many times.
Jan
08
2018
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: Which game did it first?
by TheGargoyle
Definitely no three-claw-marks in Magic. It always used numbers for attack and defense.
Jan
07
2018
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: Which was the first game you’ve played solo in 2018?
by TheGargoyle
DFu4ever wrote:Tao Long: The Way of the Dragon was my first play of the year. I played it two handed to get the basics down, but I plan on breaking it out again soon for an actual solo play.Same here, game came yesterday and I had to…
Dec
31
2017
Reply: Wargames:: General:: Re: What Wargame Did You Just Get This Month? December, 2017 Edition
by TheGargoyle
Literally on the last days I got Bloody Monday in. I really wanted at least one block game and this spoke the most to me. Hopefully will get it to the table with my wife, since this being part of her school education in Russia. Will b…
Dec
28
2017
/u/bboomslang on Deep, big games with short set up time
Feels kinda like cheating, but most abstracts start with an empty board or one that is set up quickly. Of those I own, Tak and The Duke really stand out for me for the super quick setup and deep and fun play. For more than two players the already menti…
Dec
28
2017
/u/bboomslang on Deep, big games with short set up time
Definitely Tigris&Euphrates. Super quick setup for a game with quite some depth and strategy. And tons of fun to play, too.
Dec
27
2017
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: Solo wargames (Not States of Siege nor COIN games)
by TheGargoyle
jonnio wrote:While not being considered true wargames, both Neuroshima Hex! and Space Empires: 4X have a Sci-Fi setting and can be played solo.Space Empires: 4x is as true a war game as it gets. It even has hexes and counters. And you…
Dec
27
2017
/u/bboomslang on How do you respond when those unfamiliar ask you what your favorite board game is?
Easy for me, because "hey, ever imagined to hang out with Aragorn and Arwen and have adventures? Or visiting Treebeard and a bunch of ents, heading out to beat up some orcs in the Mines of Moria?" is as good as it gets as a pickup line for Lo…
Dec
27
2017
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: Solo wargames (Not States of Siege nor COIN games)
by TheGargoyle
oduh wrote:kevinruns262 wrote:Night of Man and ’65: Squad-Level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam have solo modes that use an AI system. I have played Night of Man solo, but I just played both sides and didn’t delve into the actual sol…
Dec
26
2017
/u/bboomslang on One Year Later: What are your favorite games released in 2016?
Hmm, Codenames: Pictures came out in 2016 and that is by far my most played game from that year, hitting the table still now in some forms (mostly as Codenames: Duett, using the pictures instead of the words). With over 50 plays definitely one with staying power.
Next up would be Mare Nostrum: Empires with just 4 plays, but due to its much larger scope and depth not surprising for hitting the table less. But one I think about quite often, how to get it to the table. My preferred group for games like that hasn’t met lately, but that would definitely be a contender for the evening if we do meet again.
On the solo front it is Comancheria, that even though I only played twice so far, left deep impression and only time restrictions kept me from getting it out more often – and well, Nemo’s War from 2017 is even better and stole some of the thunder. But I am sure I will get Comancheria to the table again.
Dec
26
2017
Reply: Warfighter: The Tactical Special Forces Card Game:: General:: Re: Ammo tokens
by TheGargoyle
Yeah, the different ammo tokens are pure thematic fluff, a few different generic ones would be totally fine.
Dec
26
2017
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: COIN games for solo
by TheGargoyle
That one is All Bridges Burning: Red Revolt and White Guard in Finland, 1917-1918 – in addition to a card-based AI it is the first 3-faction-COIN and – just like Ghandi – has a non-violent faction. Will be interesting what comes out o…
Dec
26
2017
Reply: 1 Player guild:: General:: Re: COIN games for solo
by TheGargoyle
I own Cuba Libre, Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar and Liberty or Death: The American Insurrection. So far only played CL and FS, as they are smaller on the table. I think CL is the better ine to start, as you can easily …
Dec
24
2017
/u/bboomslang on What’s your most favorite board game publishers?
GMT Games. It is the only company I buy almost whole series from – like for example the COIN games – or almost everything by specific designers – Mark Herman for example. Funny enough, all of them are only for solo play, as there are only rarely German…
Dec
22
2017
Reply: Thunder in the East:: News:: Re: THUNDER IN THE EAST Kickstarter ready for preview
by TheGargoyle
Nope, second link not working, too. I think BGG kills stuff after a ? in the URL, unless you take precautions or stuff like that.
Dec
22
2017
Reply: Wargames:: General:: Re: Fantasy themed wargames (solo)?
by TheGargoyle
I think the upcoming Root might fit, as it is essentially a heavily asymmetric card driven conflict game by Leder Games, designed by Cole Wehrle. I a cautiously excited about it, allthough this one really is a still ongoing design. It…
Dec
19
2017
Reply: Empire of the Sun:: News:: Re: 3rd Print mentioned in Dec 18 GMT update.
by TheGargoyle
I am looking forward to the updated Erasmus (and to actually get the game, too, of course) and hope it will be useable with Southern Pacific, too, just to have a smaller-scale and shorter game to find my way in.
Dec
19
2017
Reply: All Bridges Burning: Red Revolt and White Guard in Finland, 1817-1918:: General:: Re: Card Based Bot System
by TheGargoyle
Anything that reduces the work load on solo players while keeping up the pressure of the bots (and the characteristics of the faction) is a giod thing in my book. One if the reasons some COIN games get on the table much is the overhea…
Dec
19
2017
/u/bboomslang on Has anyone received Pendragon yet? Most rules heavy COIN yet?
They are primarily four player designs (except colonial twilight and the upcoming all bridges burning), where all factions are a must in play. That is why Volko started with the bots, because they allow to play with less than four players without one of the players taking two factions. That you can play solo with three bots (or even only bots) is just a function of them providing bits for all factions, so people can select relatively freely (older coin games had a few limits on which bots would work solo) what faction to play. Of course soloability is maxed that way and of course GMT markets that, it would be dumb not to. Wargames classically had a soloability rating attached. Doesn’t make them primarily solo designs, though. It just happened to turn out that way as a result of the hard four-factions design.