Category Archives: tabletop

Star Realms or Pixel Tactics?

pixel tactics, star realms, tabletop

Yesterday I noticed on the blog stats that some-one had come here looking to answer the age old question “Star Realms or Pixel Tactics?” Well I can't help but feel that whoever that person was that they didn't get an answer to the question that they were looking for. Heck I still haven't found what I'm looking for… Ok I'll stop with the inappropriate U2 reference.

Sure I've talked in a post very briefly about my first couple of games of playing Pixel Tactics. And rereading the post I do come to the conclusion that it won't replace Star Realms for me. However I did really enjoy the game, and two games isn't much compared to the number I've played of Star Realms to give a fair comparison between the two. But then Star Realms has an amazing app that allows me to play online against others, and Pixel Tactics doesn't have an app. So it is a lot easier for me to get a game of Star Realms.

Having said that it is possible to play Pixel Tactics online using a webcam and Google Hangouts. Which is a great bonus.

Both games are cheap. Both are two players and come with everything you need to play in the box. Both games can easily be played multiple times with games being different each time. Although both are card games, Star Realms is deck building from a common pool, while Pixel Tactics is preconstructed decks, both players have the same cards in their decks.

Both have expansions out for them Pixel Tactics has 2 and 3 out that can either be played as separate games or mixed in with the first game. Star realms has the Crisis expansions out, and the Gambit expansion about to hit stores. Also both games have further expansions coming out this year.

Accessory wise, Star Realms is better off with playmats, card sleeves, storage box, despite availability being an issue in the UK. Whilst Pixel Tactics only has a playmat only available from Level99. I'd like to see official sleeves and a storage box.

It's no secret how I feel about Star Realms, and what a cracking time I'm having playing it (win or lose). But for me Pixel Tactics is also a good game. So which to choose?

Personally I'd say get both, which is a bit of a cop out. But I don't think anyone who does will regret the decision. But if you only have money for one this month which one to get first?

If you want to play something that is more tactical go with Pixel Tactics. If you prefer deck building then go with Star Realms or want something that can be picked up very quickly and taught quickly.

Pixel Tactics has a few more rules and I think a little bit more complicated than Star Realms to learn, and to teach.

Go with Star Realms if you want to also play on your phone/tablet/PC/Mac. The app is awesome for Star Realms and great value. Plus it has a great enthusiastic online community.

You will eventually end up with both. I have and I don't regret it.

 

A Rant About Official Playmats

tabletop

For some games like Android:Netrunner, Machi Koro, Splendor, Star Realms and Pixel Tactics to name a few the playing experience of the games is improved by using a playmat. The playmat isn't needed to enjoy the game. However especially when they have play areas marked out they help the noob to the game, and aid the experience player who is returning to the game.

I love a good playmat. The combination of rubber and material give a great playing surface, usually have colourful art work based on the theme of the game. Which as I have said enhances the playing experience.

Magic the Gathering has a ready supply of easily available playmats with some great art work in keeping with the fantasy theme of the game. Dicemasters too has a couple of playmats that are currently easy to obtain.

Which brings me to my main gripe. Why aren't playmats easily available to purchase for the games I listed?

I know they have special playmats as prizes in the Android:Netrunner organised play, but that shouldn't stop them selling playmats to the public.

Star Realms has an official playmat, but getting hold of one is a challenge in the UK. Pixel Tactics also has an official playmat to replace the paper one that comes with the game. But guess what? only place I found selling it was Level 99 in the US. Machi Koro the distributor GTS did a limited edition US only mat that is rarer than a Tory with a social conscience. While there will be an ultra rare playmat for Splendor only available to stores for organised play. That's not going to make it expensive at all on eBay!

The game Marvel Legendary comes with a game board but the paper joints are weak and prone to breaking. They did do an official playmat as a replacement but no longer available. But at least they corrected things in the Legendary Encounters:Alien game by providing a playmat with it.

I know why playmats are easily available for Magic. It's a very large market to sell into. But the games I've mentioned above have sold well and it's not as if they haven't got the designs done. Or if they have them to sell, why they are not doing a better job getting them out into stores for people to buy. Why does getting an official playmat have to be such an ordeal?

Of course a solution is to use one of the sites that allow the printing of custom playmats. Then it comes down to designing a playmat, uploading the file to the site and paying. Or if your artistic/design skills are limited like mine, then finding a high quality design by some-one else online is the route to go. Luckily on BBG the community has some very talented folks out there who put up playmat designs for people to use.

I currently have an Android:Netrunner custom playmat on order from a place in the US. But I have a Splendor playmat design downloaded that I will get printed, which will be me trying a UK based company. At the same time I'm going to get them to print out a playmat for Marvel Legendary too.

I'd love to buy official products but if the companies insist on making that harder than climbing K2, then they have only themselves to blame when fans of their games end up having to find alternative avenues.

A Saturday Morning Realisation

tabletop
This morning I spent a bit of time organising my growing Android:Netrunner cards. Adding in the new Order and Chaos cards into their respective sections, then finally adding in the second core set. But as I sat there at my “gaming” table it suddenly hit me how much pleasure I get out of just organising my games. It was fun organising the storage/filing of the Marvel Legendary base set and its expansions. I also enjoyed the organising of the Legendary Encounters:Alien game also. Why does this activity bring me so much joy? I know I have certain tendencies that would place me on the autistic spectrum. But does this explain why I like the organising? Those that know me would scoff at the organising as something I enjoy. My desk at work looks like a landfill, and my filing system can best be described as the pile method. Yet it works for me. I know what stuff is in which pile. But does that not seem at odds with the organising of the contents of my games? In a way I don't think so. It's just a different form of organising. Less chaotic than my pile system that annoys people. Maybe it's while I'm organising the components of a game I'm focused and in a zone, I won't go as far as saying its flow, but not far off. Could it be a distraction for my mind, helping to process other thoughts? Maybe I'm over thinking this and just accept that this is something I enjoy and leave it at that.

 

More food for thought

netrunner, tabletop

More options arrived today for my first runner deck in the shape of the Order and Chaos expansion.

This is one of the “large” expansions. 165 cards of awesome covering Anarch runners and Weyland corporate scum (I did say I'm squarely on the side of the runners).
I'm busy looking through the Anarch cards at the moment, and the neutral runner cards. I can see one or two that will be in my deck for sure. My first deck has a target of being 45 cards the bare minimum I can have. I don't want to go more than that. The thinking behind this is it means I'm more likely to get to the cards I want in the deck. But it also means I need to be ruthless in my choices, and to make sure that the cards I select work together, and support each other.
I love the size of this expansion, the box itself has a nice rich feel of quality. As usual there is a leaflet that has background info/flavour text on the three new Anarch runners and a corporate identity. I love that FFG do that. It helps bring the characters to life. The flavour text on the cards themselves is good and gets to the heart of the what the card represents. But these longer bits are a much welcomed addition.
I've read the Android book Free Fall which I loved reading. The Anarch runner Noise is mentioned in it. But sadly we don't get to meet the character, or to find out more about him. Free Fall is at its heart a cop story, a who dunnit? Only its set in some dsytopian future that resonates a little with our current times. Like all good sci-fi does.
I'm hoping in the other books written we get a look at the runners. In the meantime these bits of longer flavour text are teasing scraps that FFG throw at us. A sneak peak behind the curtains that I want to get to see more of.
Right I'm off to do my homework for my deck.

 

I need an intervention

lego minifigs, netrunner, star realms, tabletop

Just thinking aloud but I seem to be stuck at the bottom of level 5 at the moment, well as you know I had a bad run of games recently. And I have made mention in passing that I win a couple of games then lose a couple, and don't seem to be making any progress in getting out of level 5.

So I thought I'd do a quick adding up of the number of games I am currently in the middle of at the moment in the app. I was shocked to discover I have 23 games on the go. Some players I have multiple games going on. So in reality it may be about 7 or 8 players. No wonder I'm not making much head way. Or if this is a weak excuse, I suppose I will just have to face the reality that I'm not good at the game. But if that is the case I'm having a blast playing and losing.

I wonder how many games others are playing at one go. Is this the sign of addiction? Do I need an intervention? Even at the height of my Words with Friends playing I never had close to that many games on the go.

Thing is I just LOVE playing this game (just in case you hadn't gathered that reading my posts). And I'd happily play even more games if people challenged me.

New Custom Minifig!

I decided my hacktivist needed company! I know hacking is meant to be a lonely activity, but hacktivists work together to bring down the “man”. So made another hacktivist.

Organising My Netrunner cards

Since buying my Android:Netrunner cards I've not managed to play a game! I did make a start organising them, but didn't finish that. And I definitely haven't got round to building my first deck.

Curse that amazing game Star Realms for side tracking me. Anyway Easter is coming up and I really want to get some games in. It's the only way I'm going to get better at the game and learn to play. Yes I know the very very basics, but still I need to learn more. Ideally I want to get up to a level that I can teach some-one to play. Well when I say some-one I mean Nath. I definitely think this is a father/son game we can both enjoy.

But with my immediate target of playing over Easter (Which I need to arrange with Jamie when he is free, hopefully next Tuesday when I'm hopefully getting the Imperial Assualt expansions and in Peterborough). I got my thumb out of my rear and finished off organising my cards. At the moment they are organised into runner and corp. Then each side is further broken down into programs/ice, hardware, agendas etc. With the neutral cards for each side also being broken down like this.

This is an initial organisation, once I get some index cards I want to break each section down even further in to the cards “alliance”. So all the anarch programs together, then the criminal programs etc. it should then make finding cards easier, and hence deck building.

My first deck that I plan to build will be an anarch runner deck. We will look into my deck building adventures in another post, and why I chose anarch as my first runner deck.

In the meantime “hack the planet”!

 

Krosmaster Arena the App coming Soon

iOS, krosmaster arena, tabletop

I came across Krosmaster Arena on last years International Table Day when on the live feed that was being done by Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton they played the game.

The instant I saw the game being played it struck me as a table top version of Final Fantasy Tactics. Wow how cool was that? I love Final Fantasy Tactics. I have the game on the PSP and Gameboy Advance. Only being a cheapskate has stopped me getting it on the iPad.

Despite loving Final Fantasy Tactics and finding a table top that I was sure I’d love, and that I thought Nath would enjoy playing too. I never bought it.

The thing that stopped me jumping on the Krosmaster Arena bandwagon was I was already at the time spread pretty thin across three or four games that had lots of expansions. And I really can’t afford to add another of those games to the collection where I knew I’d want to buy the expansions for.

At regular intervals I’d drift back to looking at the game, and nearly caving in and buying it. I’m so weak when it comes to this sort of thing usually.

Recently I found out that Krosmaster Arena is based around a French Anime called Wakfu (now on Netflix, so you can guess what I’m working through at the moment).

So why am I bringing this up now?

This morning on the Boardgame Geek Youtube channel they had the following video from Pax East.

UPDATE! For some reason the app I use on the iPad to write posts decided to go all foobar on this post. Putting multiple copies of the YouTube video in the post instead of just one, and deleting my final words.

Basically my final words went something like the following, and I can only say like because I can’t remember them exactly but I can remember the point I was making. So the sentiment is the same!

Anyway I thought that it was a mark of share evil genius, and cunning planning my the Krosmaster Arena folks to hook me in. I know I’ll but the app, and from the app crumble and want to get the board game. Finally they would have me in their evil gaming clutches.

I also made comment that it was ironic that a game so similar to the video game Final Fantasy Tactics but in the meat space was now becoming a video game which obviously will be compared by some if not most reviewers to Final Fantasy Tactics.

One aspect I also liked about the app is that figures bought in the meat space for the physical game have code numbers that can be entered into the app which would then allow you to use the characters in app. It sounds like a simple way to give the app Skylanders/Disney Infinity/Nintendo Amiibo like functionality And collectibility. Will we see app players also collecting the figures to use in game?

So I think that about sums up everything that this ipad app managed to trash. Hope you thought it was worth adding back in to the post.

Thursday Night Star Realms

game night, new arrivals, star realms, tabletop

I think it's time to talk about Star Realms in the meat world, and not the digital.

Lunchtime yesterday I managed to get a couple of games with Jamie at work. These were the first games I'd played since getting the Crisis expansions. The trade deck was made up from the base set, the Crisis: Bases and Battleships expansion, the Crisis: Fleets and Fortresses expansion, from the May-June 2014 Game Day kit the Megahauler and Battle Screecher cards, from the second tournament kit Fortress Oblivion and Starbase Omega.

To cut a long story short I won both of our games. The first game was a comfortable win, however the second game was close. If it hadn't been for a couple of outposts taking the sting out of a 20 point combo attack, reducing the damage to 10 points, Jamie very well would of gone on to win the game I think. In the end I finished the game on 14 authority, to his -1 after taking a 10 point hit from me to end the second game.

Naturally we played using the new playmat. Playing the game on the official playmat the game looks amazing.

When I got home the official Star Realms storage box was waiting for me. Inside was a nice little letter from the shop I bought it's from in Germany plus a little packet of sweets. Sweets are always welcome no matter how small the packet is.

As the photo below shows you get an awful lot for your money with the storage box. The box itself is a strong cardboard with amazing artwork. White Wizard Games really do know what they are doing visually. The art work on the cards and official products like the playmat and this box is just out of this world. You also get four packets of card sleeves, four cardboard dividers, and three copies of the Mercenery Garrison outpost card.
The box will hold three base sets sleeved. Which is lots of space for a base set and the expansions that are out at the moment.
Before Luke arrived to play Star Realms I spent a bit of time sleeving all the cards I have. The official sleeves are pretty cool, the art work is the same as it is on the back of the cards. I like the fact there are plenty of sleeves included. There is more than enough to sleeve a base set, the Gambit expansion, the four expansions that make up the Crisis Expansion, and any promo cards you may have. And I still have spares left over for new additions. The sleeving of cards was followed by adding in the Mercenery Garrison to the trade deck from earlier. I somehow need to get my hands on three copies (I think that's the number allowed of this card) of the Starmarket promo card to add in, and I have all the promos, and expansions for Star Realms at this point I think.

Luke arrived and after the wolf pack had calmed down a little, I started to explain the game of Star Realms to him.

Just a quick aside, but now with all the cards sleeved the trade deck goes from a compact pile to a reproduction of the Empire State Building in cards. The sleeves really do increase the height of the trade deck considerably.

We played three games of Star Realms, with some coaching along the way. I hope I got the balance right between letting Luke make his own decisions and learning, and helping. Although I do based on my current slump playing against opponents in the app feel a bit of a fraud pretending to be an “expert” who knows what he's talking about. Between games and at the end I pointed out one or two of my favourite cards and explained why.

Near the end of the third game, Luke got a great combo working that ended up in hitting me for 23 points of damage.
Luke enjoyed playing the game and is planning to get the app so that he can get more practice playing the game before the next time we play.
Through out the evening what I thought was Strider knorring a bone was in fact him knorring the table leg. When caught he tried licking it as if that would fix what he had done! Below is a photo of the naughty Strider having been caught in the act.
So a great day with Star Realms playing with the cards. Great games (and I'm not saying that because I won, I love playing this game win or lose) and great opponents. I love the app and playing against opponents from who knows where. And this is great especially if you have no-one local to play with. But and this applies to all boardgames really, playing across the table from some-one, interacting, having that physical product interaction just can't be replicated. It's a different experience. I love both experiences, but it's really cool to be playing with the cards and seeing the reactions when you pull off those combos and hit them with a large damage score, and the banter that goes with it.

 

Just in this weekend

lego minifigs, new arrivals, tabletop

New Minifigs

Two new official minifigs from the local Tesco. The alien and a space soldier, both look pretty awesome. I think the only figure I've been disappointed with has been the genie so far.

New Tabletops

So yes I was that impressed Thursday night with the following game. It's a very reasonable price too. A great game for gamers and non gamers, Bouncy plays it with his kids, so great for families.
I played the odd game of Blood Bowl while I was studying down in Brighton. I know the miniature game has been reprinted and I think updated, and popular again. I'd love to get back into it, but I have enough miniature based games at the mo (can you ever have enough?), there is only so many a wallet can support unless you win the lottery. However they spun off a card game from the Blood Bowl IP. The reviews are fairly good, so I thought this was a “cheaper” way to get a Blood Bowl fix without the miniature game cost.

 

Another Gaming Night at TEC

game night, tabletop

Thursday night saw myself, Bouncy, Gavin and Gareth gather at The Entertainment Centre in Wisbech for the second games night there.

While Gareth nipped out to stock up on supplies from a nearby convience store the rest of us had a quick game of Cthulu Dice. Cthulu Dice is another dice game from Steve Jackson Games, home of Munchkin, Zombie Dice and Ogre. Unlike Zombie Dice this uses a single dice (I forget how many sides, more that 6) each with a symbol on representing some sort of forfeit, such as lose a token, gain a token etc. rolling the dice is treated like casting a spell, so you have to declare before rolling who you are casting against. You then roll the dice and act upon the symbol. Each player starts with three tokens which I think and I maybe wrong represent sanity. But basically it’s a last person standing game. I won both games that we squeezed in. It was a fun game, not as much fun as the push your luck Zombie Dice. As long as you don’t mind the theme of the two dice games these are great as quick family games play.

With Gareth back and stocked up on supplies it was time to play the first game of the evening Splendor. Gavin had wanted to play this to see if it was suitable for his kids. I’m glad he had asked to play it. I hadn’t played it before, but it had been getting good reviews, winning awards last year when it came out.



You will have to forgive me if I get this bit about the theme wrong, we skipped the theme to get straight to the game. In Splendor you are I believe a jewel dealer/merchant in The Renaissance. Collecting gems to buy resources, some of which have a point value that you use for scoring. Once a player has reached fifteen points that’s the end of the game. That’s a very basic description of the game. Which doesn’t do the game justice. The games mechanics reminded me a lot of Alhambra.

I didn’t win the game I came second from last, Gareth took the honours of winning. However I did enjoy the game a lot. Hence a copy is due to arrive today. This is another “gateway” game, easily accessible, great fun. I think next time I visit my friends Julie and Martin this game will be in the bag to play with them. I know they will enjoy playing this a lot.

The second game of the evening was one I’d played once before and own, Machi Koro (Julie And Martin enjoyed playing this) . I like Machi Koro a lot, it’s what some would consider a “gateway” game, or a light game. But more importantly it’s a fun game. While playing Machi Koro everytime someone rolled a dice and it came up with a number where others got money, a cheer went up from those receiving money. For a lot of the game I was leading the game having built three of my establishments. However all of a sudden I was losing money and not accruing it to buy the final establishment. Then all of a sudden Gavin had lots of money to buy the final two establishments to win. There was nothing any of us could do to stop him winning. How did this happen? None of us had been tracking his coins, and he managed to sneak under the radar to get the win. What a great game, I had so much fun playing.

Sadly being a work night it was time for me to go home. As I left a final quick round or two Zombie Dice was going to be played.

A great evening of game with great gamers. Looking forward to the next one.

 

 

Epic Space Battle

star realms, tabletop

Biggest Defeat Ever!

Early this morning I suffered my biggest defeat ever in the Star Realms app. It was an epic struggle from my side to hang in there and try and claw my way back into the game. But the cards just didn't favour me. Going back to yesterday's slugfest analogy, Freddy kept pounding me, knocking me to to the floor. And like Rocky I kept trying to get back up on wobbly legs to fight on. As I'm struggling to get back up using the Star Realms equivalent of the ropes the Federation ships that give an authority boost, I knew like Apollo Creed, Freddy was shouting at his screen “stay down”. Unlike the fictional epic boxing match there was no referee to protect me as I fumbled around trying to stay up. Freddy kept on coming with the punches. I held on as best I could hoping the cards would come right and get me back in to the game. But as my authority drained away like a leaking water pipe, Freddy just got stronger and stronger, as if he was some demon feeding off my energy. The Federation ships were just delaying the inevitable, with the way the cards were falling for me, I'd of had a hard time punching my way out of a wet paper bag. Finally Freddy was able to deliver the knock out blow. As the screen shot shows he finished with 85 authority points. That's pretty amazing and a very very comprehensive victory.

But what an amazing game. It was such an emotional roller coaster. And I think one of those gaming experiences you retell for years, “Let me tell you about that one time…” It's just occurred to me this was like my Star Realms version of the Alamo. Against great odds I held out for as long as I could against the superior space forces of Freddy. Clinging on for as long as possible to buy time for others to rally and avenge us.

Remember the space Alamo.