Compared to the previous game there was much more conflict going on. This was mainly due to the early conflict cards giving a victory point to the winner. Something we didn’t see in the previous game. The conflict cards giving control to one of the three city spaces along with the victory point also came up, along with the later cards being worth two victory points. You really couldn’t ignore combat in this game.
I was playing the Baron for the first time. I do like the choosing two factions ability he has. It’s a hard decision to make. I chose the Spacing Guild as one of them. The thinking was once triggered it’d help me get two influence on the track and open up the second space on the shipping track.
I ended up buying mainly emperor related cards in the trade row. These were giving me card draw. I was getting turns where I was drawing two or three extra cards.
Luckily I drew an intrigue card that allowed me to buy a dreadnaught for three solari early on. This helped greatly in those all important battles at the end of the round.
My purchase of my third agent was delayed by a round when Charlene took the space I needed on the shipping track as my first turn. But that’s the point of worker placement mechanics.
I triggered the end of the game with two rounds to spare by winning a combat worth two victory points.
Final scores
Four of my victory points were from the influence track plus an alliance, I bought one with an intrigue card, plus I got one from an endgame intrigue card. The rest of my victory points came from combat.
It was a good evening gaming. I just need to try and swap shifts so I can make the next one.
Time to share some more musings for the upcoming one shot taster session that I’ll be running on the 15th November.
More details are firming up about the session like the number of players. It has grown from an initial three interested people to five that should be coming along.
The plan is that this taster session will be about three hours.
Three hours seems about the ideal length to aim for. Especially considering that this session is a week night, and not starting before 7pm.
This is something I plan to do again in this one shot. Along side making sure that if needed healing potions may be discovered. Hopefully this will avoid a tpk.
I’m also going to try out a time tracker to track the use of torches, spell duration, etc.
I have printed out an A4 copy of the dungeon map that is part of the Sly Flourish 1st Level Adventure Generator from his Uncovered Secrets Volume 2. It’s a handy little map to have in a DM folder anyway. But for now it’s ready for if I decide to go down the route of using the generator to create the adventure for the session.
I know this post is pretty late to the party considering US based content creators got a head start on the rest of the world when they were able to buy this starter set and cover it during the Target exclusivity window. Everyone else has had to wait until it was released last month. Even then I’m a little later than others.
But I did only get my copy three days ago.
The big question I had to ask myself is do I have anything worth adding to the conversation about the new starter set?
After all there are some pretty great content creators out there that have shared their thoughts on it already. Some in the time since it has come out have even ran it, and shared more thoughts on it.
So what could I possibly add to the conversation about this new starter set?
You know I haven’t played the adventure. My initial impressions are exactly that. So take them for what they are.
So straight out of the box you get the following when you open it up.
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle adventure
Basic rules book
6 dice
5 pregenerated character sheets
WotC still don’t give a full set of dice in the box. They should at least provide two d20’s. But they don’t.
The Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle adventure is smaller compared to the original starter adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver.
For starters it takes characters from levels one to three, compared to characters finishing at level five in Lost Mines.
Page count is less 48 pages compared to 64.
But looking at the adventures and the dungeon maps players will explore, the maps are just smaller. Less to them. Having said that I’m already planning to reuse one of the maps for my current campaign.
I’m not sure why they reduced the scope, and size of the dungeons. Maybe the feedback WotC got over the years since Lost Mines was released is that new players and DM’s found the adventure too daunting.
I love the art in the new starter set, especially with the characters depicted being the characters from the 80’s D&D cartoon.
One thing I’d have liked to have seen included in this updated starter set is the inclusion of cardboard standees. Although a dream inclusion would be the Wizkids Idols of the Realm 2D starter set they do for this. Yes the price would go up but it would rake this set to the next level.
A digital code to unlock the adventure on D&D Beyond should have been included. No ifs or buts. This omission is mind boggling.
An A4 wipeable grid sheet to use as a battle map, similar to the ones WotC used in their DM kits would also have been nice. Along with a DM screen like the one in the essentials kit.
Although the fact WotC did create complimentary videos to help players and DMs get started, and provide a link to it in the box was a nice touch.
I don’t think the new starter set is an improvement over the previous one. So I’m unsure why they changed it. If it had some of the things added that I mentioned above. Yeah I can see why it was updated. The changes were needed to compete with similar starter sets from other systems.
But change for change sake? It feels like a money grab to me.
Yeah this will allow a group of friends curious about trying D&D to do exactly that. Which is what it’s intended to do.
It really was great to play 7 Wonders Duel again. It’s still got the magic. But like the many fantastic two player games that I own it just doesn’t get the love it deserves. Mainly because not a lot of two player gaming gets to take place.
History and the bgstat app will record that I won with a scientific victory in the third age. What it won’t show is if it had gone the distance Nathan was in a much stronger position than me to claim a points victory.
After a break it was time to introduce Nathan to an uncooperative boardgame!
Yep Portal the uncooperative cake acquisition boardgame was going to test the father son bonds!
This is a great two player game, that I really do need to try at the higher player counts.
However in this game there was a lot of incinerating each other’s cake. With the last few turns getting very tactical. It looked like I was going to win by a single slice of cake. In fact the only slice of cake that would be left on the board. However in a last desperate move Nathan managed to force a tie by incinerating his and my last pieces of cake at the same time.
Which meant the game went to the tiebreaker, and having the most test subjects on the board meant I was able to claim victory.
After a home made sweet and sour pork for tea, and some episodes of South Park it was time to visit a galaxy far, far away, and play Star Wars Outer Rim with the Unfinished Business expansion.
As the embedded Instagram picture I shared below shows the game is a bit of a table hog. Especially on Nath’s table. We’d never have got a third or even fourth player round the table.
We cherry picked the bits from Unfinished Business that we’d add to the core game. The bits that made the cut were the core worlds, and ambitions. In a two player game I didn’t see much point playing with favours.
Below you can see which characters we chose to play and the ambitions.
Jyn managed to buy a YT-1300, which had a couple of mods that gave me a critical hit in combat, plus one that meant my opponents also rolled one less die.
With out those two mods I wouldn’t have been able to take on the empire patrols to enable me to attempt my final ambition condition.
Thanks to Nathan channelling his inner Jonathan for his dice rolls, whilst he was trying to do his final ambition and failing (several times) I was able to swoop in and grab victory by completing mine. I was greatly helped by Nathan rolling for the Empire.
You’ve probably guessed I won. Ten fame points and a completed ambition board.
With a weeks holiday ahead of me I took the opportunity to visit Nathan for a couple of days.
I arrived Monday afternoon managing to avoid any of the usual traffic jam points like the M25.
The evening saw me attempting to teach Nathan how to play Brazil Imperial to very limited success.
The map I chose was an official from the publisher that I got off the bgg page for the game.
It looked an interesting two player map with the island in the middle. The chances of combat were low for this map, which I thought was perfect for a learning game. One less thing to have to absorb.
Nathan was finding it hard to follow what was going on.
I don’t think it helped with Nathan’s focus that he had consumed approximately three quarters of a bottle of 1800 tequila.
So we gave up after an hour or so of play. He wasn’t enjoying it.
There was no point playing another game so we had a film night instead watching The Batman. I’m not sure I like the look of The Riddler in the movie. But it’s a pretty solid Batman effort with a focus more on the detective side of the character. Which I like. After all he is the worlds greatest detective!
Tuesday saw Alien Fate of the Nostromo hit the table for a learning game.
I had bought this for Nathan’s birthday after he had said he regretted not getting it on his recent holiday in the US.
Wow! I love that when you open up the box you are confronted by a hissing Jonesy. It’s a lovely bit of art that does take you a little by surprise.
I played Ripley with Nathan playing Dallas.
Being brave souls we also played with Ash. Which is meant to add a further complication to the game.
I really do like the art on the player boards. It really captures the characters from the movie. The publisher could have easily gone the movie stills route. But I’m glad they didn’t. This art looks so much better.
The miniatures in the game look very nice detail wise. Just a shame they are made from a very soft plastic. Maybe a better quality would have pushed up the final cost of the game. Let’s face it, as boardgames go this is not an expensive game. There is a mass market feel to it.
It’s also a big shame that Ash isn’t also a miniature instead of the standee.
I’m not sure if we misplayed a rule or two. But this felt suspiciously easy to win. Maybe we got lucky with the mission cards we drew for the game.
It’s just weird having played other Co-ops which even on their easy settings seemed more challenging.
Of cause it could be as the designer of the game Scott Rogers said we just got real lucky. Sometimes it happens.
Our three objectives for the game and the final mission.
We had fun playing the game. I liked the basic crafting mechanic. It definitely felt like Alien. Liked the fact when you encountered the alien you take a moral hit and run away. The encounter tiles added to the suspense, and making it feel like the movie.
Later on I introduced Nathan to the flip and write Welcome to the Moon. So you know what is coming now.
The following post may or may not contain spoilers for the Welcome to the Moon campaign. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one if you plan to play the campaign and want to experience it’s twists and turns as surprises for yourself. REMEMBER you have been warned.
As I was setting up the game I noticed on the first adventures player board that there is a Dalek that looks like it might be trying to get on the rocket!
How did I not notice this before!
Nathan noticed it straight away.
What a bloody cool little easter egg to include.
The Dalek
I decided we would work our way through the campaign. So instead of reading all the text I summarised the story so far for Nathan.
We then played Adventure 1 which obviously we chose a different route to the other campaign. Once again I was the captain for our initial efforts.
This route had us remove the number 7 card from the game, plus we are able to choose the mission cards for each adventure.
Mission cards for adventure 1 (top) and adventure 2 (bottom)
Nathan won the first adventure to become the captain for adventure 2.
Just like our experiences in the other campaign play through, this second adventure caught Nathan unawares. He too had been lulled into that false sense of security and “simplicity” of the first adventure.
All of a sudden the complexity level was dialled up a few notches.
I think Nathan didn’t enjoy this adventure as much because of this.
Our twist in adventure 2 was that we could circle plants on any of the orbiting stations regardless of where we wrote the number.
Adventure 2 Chapter path taken: 148,79,106,92
Our evening was finished off with another movie night, this time we watched the Nicolas Cage move The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
A movie in which he plays himself! Who then gets roped in by the CIA to help rescue a kidnapped girl. It’s not a bad film. The de-aging of Cage is a bit ropey. Definitely one of his better recent efforts.
Hard to think it’s been a month since the last one of these jumps back in time to look at what I was playing six years ago.
Time sure flies when you are going from one challenging situation to another.
So let’s get right to it and look at what my top nine played games were back in October 2016.
My top 9 played games of October 2016
Looking at the top nine, it looks like Netrunner was still a thing at my FLGS. FFG hadn’t started nerfing Anarchs or NBN at this point.
I was also getting some games in of Ashes. Although I was still using the pre-con decks, and hadn’t gotten into the deck building side.
If memory hasn’t failed me my games of Star Wars Imperial Assault were from one of the rare organised play events at my FLGS. Which means these were skirmish games not campaign games.
With Tiny Epic Western being played the Kickstarter for it must have just arrived. I know this didn’t sit with everyone who played it, but I did like the mix of worker placement and poker. Plus I loved the playmat they did for the game.
Karmaka is a great card game that deserves seeing the table again. I really liked the mechanic that attracted me to the Kickstarter where cards you play can be used by your opponent. The theme really does come through in this game.
Zombicide hit the table. I’m shocked that happened.
7 Wonders Duel, an instant two player classic. One I need to play again. Nathan loves this game too. That’s how good the game is.
Still enjoy playing Splendor, although no longer in my collection, I do have the Marvel version.
Star Wars Timelines. A lovely quick Star Wars game that does test your knowledge of the original trilogy.
Finally for this type of post here are the raw stats for the month.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
The planned session had to be cancelled with life getting in the way of the majority of the players. Life happens, it can’t be helped.
Which means I have a bit longer to prep for the next session.
More time is always welcome when it comes to pondering, and getting things straight in my mind.
The main thing I need to concentrate on is the magic items that the party might come across.
I need to get some balance in what is handed out so that the non-magic users of the group don’t feel left out.
I’m thinking single use items, or limited use with a number of charges, maybe even an item that can get charges back. For the non-magic users specifically an item that gives a stat bonus of some sort.
Somehow I survived the week at work to make it to my weeks holiday.
It’s my first week off since the holiday reset in April. I still have four more weeks to take off before the end of March next year. The plan is over the following four months I have a weeks holiday each month.
But my focus is now on this week of R&R and visiting Nathan.
Naturally we will be spending time playing board games, watching the odd movie, and just having quality father son time.
But what games will I be taking for us to play?
Well I have to take one for sure as it was requested by Nathan, and that is Wingspan. Nathan like so many others, myself included, really likes Wingspan. Sadly Wingspan Asia won’t be out in time for this visit (next time) but we are going to have a blast anyway playing it.
One of the attractions of Marvel Champions for me was that I thought it is something Nathan and I can play together. I know Nathan will love the theme, but will he love this co-op lcg?
I can’t play Scythe with Nathan. Well I could if he had a big enough table. And that’s the issue and a major constraint on what we can play. So instead of playing my all time favourite board game I’ll introduce him to one or two similar mechanisms by taking the impressive Brazil Imperial. It’s modular board makes it ideal for a visit to Nathan’s.
Star Wars Outer Rim barely fits on Nathan’s table, but it’s a game he likes. Which means I don’t really need an excuse or reason to include it, but with the Unfinished Business expansion having come out since we played it I know he will be keen to get this to the table.
I think Nathan will enjoy Smash Up, once again I can go the Marvel route to start with to hook him in.
Nathan has enjoyed the roll/flip and writes he’s tried in the past. Sadly Twilight Inscription is too large for his table! Which means I’ll be taking Welcome to the Moon for him to try.
Nathan will love Smitten I’m sure of it, and I envisage us playing several games of this over my visit.
I’m going to try the campaign Gloom Chronicles or at least the parts I have the expansions for with Nathan. It’s going to be interesting to see if he gets into the storytelling side of the game.
The final game I’m throwing into the bag is Portal the board game. We are both fans of the video game, and I think he will like this game that captures the spirit of the video game nicely.
There is one other game I’m taking however it will be staying there. Nathan had his birthday earlier in the month and I bought him a board game for it.
It could be only one game, the one he nearly bought on his recent holiday in the US, Alien Fate of the Nostromo.
This game by Scott Rogers has been on my radar since it was announced. I just never got round to pulling the trigger on getting it until now.
SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.
It’s been a morning of digging out stat cards for NPCs that the party could run into.
Ideally I’d be able to afford the Ptolus pdf and get the 5e stat blocks for the NPC cards I’m using.
But I don’t so the generic D&D stat blocks will have to suffice.
As the following description shows, the tower should be alive with magic users of all kinds.
“…archmage Savandra Thricecursed and her four mage apprentices administrate the tower, opening it up to sages, historians, wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks who seek knowledge of the world” City of Arches
Naturally the party if they do go to Kartan, Tower of the Arcane will meet at least one of the four mage apprentices, and most definitely Savandra.
Savandra will tell the party about the “Key of Choul” that ishidden deep in the towers vaults. The party will also learn that it’s also possible to “conduct sacrifices required to open the Gate of Choul”.
I think that the party will also find out that in The Endless Warrens is a “forgotten colossal undead cairn” that can be used to open a gateway to the realm of Choul if enough sacrifices are made.
Apart from the magic users, I want to populate the tower and the vaults and laboratories with appropriate creatures to encounter. I’m thinking rats (all sizes and numbers), various spiders, maybe the odd ooze.
Then I remembered that I have the Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. If I treat those vaults and laboratories as some sort of Frankenstein setting I can use the bestiary from that.
I like the idea when they enter that location with the hanging cages that contain skeletons that the threat actually comes from the boneless remains out side the cages. Or in the labs there are brains in a jar. Maybe some Gremishkas are running feral down there, or strigoi.
How cool would it be to have a swarm of zombie limbs come towards the party? These definitely make a change from the crawling claw. Which might make an appearance along with an animated sword.
A magic users lab is not a safe place.
Right time to get ready for work. Tomorrow it’s game day!
