RHETNA

If you like war games, strategy and miniatures; this is for you. It has a great set of easy-to-learn rules, fantastic art and miniature sculpt, also the support of several expansions coming soon. Once everything is set, you can expect to play for an hour or so. The rules are very similiar to Memoir 44′

Pros (in relation to Memoir 44):
-More strategy than Memoir.
-Keeping units in formation allows them to “battle-back” when attacked.
-Lore system keeps things interesting, but also evens out the game.
-Lots of awesome plastic minis!
-Production value is excellent

Cons
-Longer set-up time than Memoir
-Harder to teach to a new player than Memoir (I use Memoir as an intro game and then “graduate” people to Battlelore)
-More rules to remember

Overall, this game is excellent for two players. It is fun, fast, engaging, and has just the right degree of complexity.

The basic goal is to earn victory points, which you do by expanding your settlement on the island. You need to gather resources (by producing them yourself, or by trading with your opponents) in order to expand. Trading with other players is a major focus of the game, creating constant interaction.

One of the most interesting features of The Settlers of Catan is that the board consists of tiles that are pieced together randomly at the beginning of the game–thus the board is different each time you play.

Another great aspect of the game is that every player is involved no matter whose turn it is, so there is rarely a dull moment. On top of all that, The Settlers of Catan is just plain fun.

If you’ve never tried Settlers of Catan, you’re missing a stellar gaming experience. The basic board game can be enhanced with expansions, and a card game also is available.

The premise is war in the year 2210. Many of your favorite countries have changed boarders, or have new names. Some territories are so ravaged by nuclear war, that they are no longer playable. To replace these destroyed land sites, the moon and the seas have also been added. Your armies consist of your standard 1, 3, and 5-point troop, but now with the added advantage of 5 generals and bases.

The game plays with most of the same strategy as the other Risk games, attack and defend territories, the more you control the more troops you get. The Combat system remains the same, except for when you use the new generals and base.

Each of your commanders, Land, Space, Naval, Diplomat and Nuke can buy and use their categories strategy card. They cost energy( A new aspect to the game) to buy, and some cost energy to use. Many of the Land cards resemble the effects of cashing in cards in the original game. But many cards allow for dramatic effects.

Why does this game with all its neat additions really beat the original? The limitless game possibilities. With the original, if a group played about a dozen times, it would get old, the games looking similar as peoples strategies become predictable. With this game, The board itself is different every game. And the addition of lunar and naval options make it almost impossible to stick to any one sure way of winning.

One more big plus is that the game only last five turns. Unlike the original which could take dozens of turns before one side gained the lead, this one you must make all your plans based on the war ending in 5 years.

Warning: Don’t try and play more turns than this, the Earth’s resources literally dry up and the game will lose its strategic value. Think ahead, and make your grand moves on the last turn and victory can be yours!

This is a sort of hidden gem, and a great filler game. You can teach a new player in a couple minutes, and play an entire game in 15-20… Of course, then you have to play a second, and a third, and a… But I digress.

Incan Gold will remind you of that old “Press Your Luck” game show, where you’re trying to make as much money as possible before something wipes you out. In this case, that “something” is one of a number of trap cards that can appear as you’re exploring the ruins. Of course, you don’t want to leave the same time as everyone else, as any gems on the board are divided between the people turning back, and you can only collect an artifact if you leave alone.

So in essence, you’re taking your chances against the deck, while also trying to read your opponents. There’s a substantial amount of luck, and a bad draw CAN make a round somewhat disappointing. Adding more players shifts the emphasis more toward reading your opponents, due to the way gems are distributed.

Pro:
* Plays at about the same pace regardless of the number of players
* Very easy to teach new players
* Quick setup, quick play
* Cards are good quality, and the plastic gems(Or as I like to call them, Gushers) are a nice touch

Con:
* A little light, so more of a filler game than a main event

DVONN pits two players in a head-to-head battle of strategy and skill, rather than dice rolls or the random draw of a card. One of the great things about this game is that you never have the same playing field twice because of the fact the game-board starts empty and the players randomized piece placement creates a different scenario each time.

This looks like a simple game until you try it – keeps you thinking until the very end. Unlike some thinking games, this one moves along quickly and doesn’t take too long, so you can get a few rounds done in an hour.(depending on the players and how far ahead you want to plan your moves)The game is not as deep as chess. However, I would put it on the same “level”.

DVONN is a little pricy but it offers a lot of fun that will have you coming back for more.

As with the original game, this expansion lacks organization inside the box. Which means that, unless you buy some small boxes/bags yourself to divide everything, all pieces and cards are going to be lying around and mixed up inside the box, which can make setting up the game a bit tedious.

The transportation problem where flying units would get broken was fixed by dividing the pedestal and units in different packages, but the main difference was that, instead of having to glue some of the units, I had to glue them all. Still, better that than having some of the pedestals’ shafts broken.

This expansion neatly improves the original game. It adds heroes and allows you to play with different strategies without having to be stuck with a single, special victory objective. It also adds 2-3 new units per team, new planets, new technology cards, and of course the awesome new leadership cards.

Being a StarCraft fan I was blown away at how well they developed the original PC game into a board game and the expansion is just as great as its predecessor. In the end this game is very polished and true to its roots, is a must buy if you own the first game or love StarCraft in general.

I have been playing the PC game since Brood War came out in 98′ and have been enjoying the series ever since. The board game is a very good translation from computer to a tactile gaming experience, but it has it’s new twists as well.

First, the rules themselves are simple enough. Plan and lay orders, execute orders, battle, regroup, loose/gain territory and resources. The complexity comes in the different options and the many ways the truck load of cardboard and plastic bits interact with the game. Half the rule book is explaining the purpose of each component, card and unit, rather than the actual intricacies of the rules.

A good part of the games strategy lies in the placement of orders such as blocking orders, order timing, placement, and which orders you choose (you only get 4 a turn).

Second, the Conquest Point system turns the game into more of a capture and hold style of game, rather than a total, all out slug fest. This has some draw backs (such as the feeling of satisfaction as you completely destroy your opponent), but it also adds a bit more long term strategy. It becomes more about timing, organization and unit combos rather than just building a ton of units and throwing them at your buddy. It also keeps the game aggressive, and there are not many situations for turtling to be successful.

PROS:
-The order system is awesome and adds a large layer of strategic depth to the game in it’s self.
-The card based combat is a lot more skill based and predictable than chucking a fist full of dice only to loose an awesome group of units to a bad roll. It also allows for the technology and abilities to be better integrated into the game.
-The game feels huge, like an entire campaign, rather than a skirmish.
-Components are of good quality.

CONS:
-Organization is a big problem. I ended up storing everything in their own separate bags (the box insert is useless once opened).
-Learning curve is a bit steep, but it’s not so much the rules, but the tons of components that the game requires to play. Beginners beware.

I recommended this to players who really like in-depth games or StarCraft in general. This game is definitely not for beginners(YOU’VE BEEN WARNED).

Hordes: Primal MKII is a eye catching game that doesn’t strain the eyes but keeps ones attention with rich colors and easy to read typeface. Primal MKII really focuses on letting the player get into their faction and not spend precious play time on rule debating.

Like other miniature war games Primal MKII is roll dice and move model game-style but the actual interaction between miniatures is what sets it apart like hurling your enemies across the battlefield, delivering devastating magical attacks to make short of your foes! Its this personal interaction between player and figure that makes this game so exciting and different.

The only downside to games like these are the costly miniature sets that sell for $49.99 but are great for hobbyist who like to customize and paint miniatures and get more out of it than just moving figures around the board.