Sypha1985

Do you like strategy? Do you like gratuitous space battle? This is the game for you! Each dice roll represents a ship, each ship has an ability, each die results has its own limitation and advantage. Face off against your opponents by mixing random die rolls with strategic movements while weighing possible results of your attack… with addition? Intriguing? All questions aside, YES! this is a fantastic game collaborating strategy, die rolls and special powers that lend themselves to your style of game play. You can earn special abilities by “pooping” (I know, you’ll understand if you watch the SU&SD video review *highly recommended*) quantum cubes onto planets by organizing your ship values into orbit to match the value of the planet. First to place their last quantum cube wins, but wait… There is more to it, you will be competing for the limited quantum space on each planet so you may need to blow up a ship, or two, which is a strategy all to itself. Earn dominance by blowing up enemy ships to place a cube ANYWHERE. Engage your opponents in battle by trying to overthrow their space to rob them of the sum they need to claim precious space on a planet. Each die roll during battle is added to your ship value and lowest total wins! This game is GREAT for any level of gamer, I have played with fellow avid, casual and social gamers and all have been left wanting more. You can even customize your own playing field with the tiles available to you to pander to a lust of gratuitous space battle or a languid civil game of who can explore the most space first. F.Y.I. NEVER! never, never, under estimate the player in last place, the moment you let them slide because they haven’t come nearly as far as you is just when they pull ahead and slide a cube in for the win.

By far one of my favorite games to play… while inebriated. Don’t get me wrong, I have had my share of good times laughing at others nuking their go to contender and healing my bread and butter, sober, but by far the best to play as a side along to a night sitting at the local pub sipping your, well for me, stout. Surprisingly a lot of strategy involved while simultaneously adding an element of chance (I know, chance and strategy = irritation) and bluffing your pants… well, clean off! Some of the spells are played face up for all to see, meanwhile some you have to play face down to hide your intentions (or give yourself away?), others are just flat out forbidden to play for a round. The betting element involved will give you a rush as you stake it all just to have someone reverse your spell or to replace a judge you placed all of you faith in with another who cares about the rules as much as a minimum wage earning pre pubescent teen in customer service (you get it.)… But… As fun as it is, there are only ten monsters with only one variant, the skeleton and ghost treat + as – and vice versa. I, personally, would like to see more monster abilities (such as succubus can have negative spells played on it by female players and positive by males or something like that). There are only eight judges, which are surprisingly diverse but still would like to see more. All in all, I recommend adding this game to your collection, the price tag is VERY reasonable, you will laugh, cry and come dangerously close to rage quitting just to clean up and play again and again. Easy to learn and quick and fun to play. As a side note… Color coated the various card types with colored vinyl backed card sleeves, I’m very proud of how it turned out.

So… it is true, seemingly difficult to learn (not so much supplemented by video play through online)with aggravating and difficult game mechanics. Recently I played with my family, after learning and playing through multiple times with my good friend and fellow avid gamer. At first everyone seemed to want to cash it in and never speak of the experience, at points even desiring to upturn the table in a fit of rage. Regardless of first impressions, by the end of the night we were all having a blast. Harvesting, selling and shipping resources, exploring unknown lands ever keeping in mind the option of failure, and quelling inevitable uprisings of the locals. YES! set-up can seem like a mess. YES! there is a learning curve. YES! there is a stab in the back illusion of “semi co-op”. YES! failure is ALWAYS an option, but yet if you prevail in patience and are an avid resource management/strategic gamer you will want to play the game again and again. Test different styles of play, plan your actions ahead to steal from or co-operate with your “teammates” as long as its convenient to you – side note… hence the term “SEMI cooperative”, SEMI! – and steal their hard earned ability cards… That being said, of the family I previously mentioned, my 10 year old niece played with us, she had a blast! Even scored some VP, she then requested I come over again for another game night and bring archipelago!

I have lost about 80% of the games I have played, main person I play against is a great strategist, but still cant get enough. Lots of playability due to the numerous factions and extras you can buy for each faction. Mix and match, customize or just play with the base decks. I myself have had a lot of fun learning the quirks of each faction and “fixing” the inherit flaws with reinforcements available. If you like strategy and want a quick fix this is the game for you. Summoner wars doesn’t take long to play through a game but yet satisfies a lust for strategy and has enough customization to make it your own without giving a “pay to win” feel like some CCGs.

Having trouble finding a game to get your non gamer friends into playing board games with you? Catan is a FANTASTIC game that has been loved by all that have played it, with me anyways, and is the game for you. Very easy to learn and is not so involved that you cant talk about what happened to Ricky last week while he was inexplicably abducted by Sasquatch while enjoying live music at the local farmers market… you get the picture… Highly recommended by me to any level of board gamer especially those interested in sharing the joy we all experience while playing the games we love. Very good group game and will leave you wanting more, heck, anyone you play with will probably run out and buy their own copy, I did!