Royal

Initial Impressions:

The box art for this game is not your typical Flying Frog photo collage. The artwork is all hand drawn and certainly has a different style than what we’re all used to. I would even go so far as to call the style “rough” as it often resembles artwork from the 50′s, if a highschooler was doodling in a notebook after reading his favorite pulp sci-fi comic. Also, there are not a lot of plastic bits shown on the box, which is not what I’m used to being served by Flying Frog. I had, for the most part, dismissed this one altogether.

Further Investigation:

I was coereced into giving it a try with a group I play games with on Tuesday nights. I was assured that it would not take long to play so if I did not like it, I wouldn’t have to endure it for long. We played a three-player game that moved right along, but too fast.

My thoughts:

After a couple of games, I’ve got to admit that I really have flip-flopped on this one. I had a great time and Conquest is now on my must-buy list. It is a simple game that allowed me to become a real contender on my second turn, which I appreciate. I don’t mind having my lunch handed to me the first time I play a game, but the rules were clear and a lot of useful information is provided on the guide cards. If you like the theme, can forgive the rough artwork, and don’t mind an easy to pick up and play game, give this game another look.

Initial Impressions:

The unique artwork was the first thing to grab me about this game, it pops off the front and back of the box. The premise of a single pawn piece, controlled by all of the players, was also something that seemed like it could be fun. Just imagining all the debating and deal-making put a smile on my face.

Further Investigation:

A few of the other names attached to the game, such as Alan R. Moon (Ticket to Ride), sealed the deal on this purchase. While Mr. Moon has not always released a slam dunk, the similar card mechanics in Isla Dorada meant that players in my family and my group would be quite familiar with how the game worked, right out of the box.

My thoughts:

This is a game that I’ve had fun with, no matter who I’m playing with. A tug-of-war ensues, almost every turn, and even if you’re not participating, its certainly fun to watch it all go down. Pitting your fellow players against each other can also make memories that cause you to giggle weeks down the line. The names of the locations on the island are rather ridiculous and fun to watch folks try to properly pronounce. This is a game that will have a welcome home in my collection for a long time to come.

Initial Impressions:

Card-based miniature-style combat sounded kind of neat. The card art looked to be very well done, from what I had seen. The gaming podcasts and website reviews seemed to have been favorable, overall. At the time, I was fully entrenched in painting two armies for Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 miniature game to get myself into another strategy battle game.

Further Investigation:

After those Space Marines had gone off to pasture, I finally had some time to really find out more about Summoner Wars. The fantasy theme was quite appealing and the style of card play, mixed with a tactical table-top game, drew me right in. The game play mechanics are simple and easy to learn. The armies are different enough to make each play quite differently.

My thoughts:

I love this game, even after many plays. I have picked up all of the expansion packs and own both starter sets. This game is relatively inexpensive to get into and offers a deeply strategic game out of the box. I would recommend this game to anyone who has had even a mild interest in it. You can certainly use it as a filler game, between longer games, or play several games in a row and have a great time, either way. Don’t wait for the Master Set that releases this summer, as it contains none of the originally released armies. Grab a starter now and get playing!

Why did I pass on this game the first time?

One word, Twilight. I know, the books sell like hotcakes and the movies do well enough. Yes, I like vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and humans shooting at the aforementioned. If you took two of my favorite things, peanut butter and chocolate, and had them stare romantically into each other’s eyes, I would be the first to drop my love for peanut butter cups. Perhaps I am exaggerating, but I hope you are following me. If you are going to give me vampires versus werewolves in a package I like, Underworld (2003) would be the film package I enjoy the most. I also found that folks who played preview copies of the game had a hard time understanding the main elements of the game, drafting and chaining. All of these folks were fans of deck-building games that had been released prior to Nightfall, including 7 Wonders (a draft-fest).

Well then why would I even bother give this one a play?

Though the above issues pretty much rule the game out from ever hitting my table, I thought it was worth finding out if all the hearsay was true. I have certainly found that my gaming and movie viewing opinions do not always match those around me. And as some say in the beer industry “Why ask why?”

Am I a glutton for punishment?

Maybe. I tend to give every game I try a set of fresh eyes, with no preconceived notions in tow. I borrowed a copy of the game, from a friend, and read the rulebook once. The short fiction in the beginning and end of the rulebook was just the kind of stuff I love to read, not to be confused with classic literature. I found the rules to be very clear and filled with game play examples that really cement how the rules work. After the main rules is a Glossary and a minor FAQ. The official FAQ is available in a few formats but some cards will just leave you baffled (Bad Smoke VS Alton Hickman are examples of this). After reading up on the official word from the creator’s mouth, these issues were cleared up. My opinion is, I really enjoy everything about this game. The artworks is consistent and certainly has a dark, non-romantic tone. My group plays with the Open Archives variant which, after the initial draft cards are dealt to each player, has you revealing the Common cards face up, before drafting begins. This variant allows for some real strategic planning on what you are going to draft and really makes the game for me, instead of it being a total random-fest. The Chainmaster system, at Nightfall’s base, is amazing to behold. The curious, among you, are welcome to download the official rulebook and see for yourself. Mid-game, even during a two-player duel, there can be an amazing amount of cards played to the table at once. Watching one of these chains play out can be an exciting experience. A recent example is that while laying out a chain of cards that eliminates Minions “in play”, my opponent did not pay close enough attention and played all minions on his side. The ensuing slaughter has made him pay closer attention to cards he plays off of other people’s chains. After combining the base set and Martial Law and finding it to really enrich the overall gameplay, I have already pre-orderd Blood Country from my friendly local game store.

I understand there are a lot of deck-building games out there all vying for your time and attention. This one is worth a second look. If you played this once and it didn’t click, give it another chance. There are a lot of interesting combinations of cards to be had here. Once you understand the basic strategy of buying and playing cards to the table, even if their only function is to help you link to the cards that help you the most, you can really do some damage to your opponents and their cards. All of the promo cards released by AEG, thus far, have been great and are “must haves” if you find Nightfall to be your kind of game. My friendly local game store had these promos in-stock, and according to AEG‘s website can be requested if they do not. Give it another shot, I look forward to reading your impressions in the comments below.

Nightfall takes all of the elements that I love about the deck building genre and meshes them together with a great horror theme.

I had put this game off for a very long time, thinking it was simply Dominion: Twilight. Besides that, many gamers that had tried it seemed to find the game overly complicated.

Thankfully, I put these opinions of Nightfall aside and decided to form my own opinion, once the Martial Law expansion hit store shelves. Against what I had heard, I found the game very intuitive and the manual a quick read with great examples.

The Chainmaster mechanic that Nightfall is based on is a wonderful new way to get cards to the table in front of you.

This game is certainly not for the timid or for players that do not like direct conflict. The first part of each players turn finds themselves attacking or under attack from other players.

If you are a fan of deckbuilding games, are looking for a new twist on the genre, or you loved the theme of the 2003 film Underworld, give this game a fair shot with some like-minded gamers.

This is, hands down, the best sci-fi themed game I have ever played. Each side must employ completely different strategies to win. As a fan of the 40K universe, this game was a must own for me.