Octopus Overlords

I should actually open my boxes for Tainted Grail at some point...

Isgrimnur wrote: Fri Apr 02, 2021 9:47 pm I should actually open my boxes for Tainted Grail at some point...

I'm in the same boat with the Anachrony Infinity Box. I haven't even cracked the shipping box.

Now that one will take a while to organize. But man did they create a game that’s both fun and great looking. So many options when playing.

I need to get back to Tainted Grail soon. It has a great story and some truly fun mechanics.

My copy of Company of Heroes arrived this morning. Pretty impressive production overall. I love the little infantry carriers. Squad HP is kept track of based on the number of units in the squad so these allow you to easily move the whole squad without worrying about losing track. It also carries dice that represent any upgrades the unit might have. It's a simple thing but awesome from a streamlining perspective.

I have a package arriving tomorrow from Utah. I haven't ordered anything. Wife hasn't ordered anything. Succubus Publishing is based in Utah.

Could it be..................MIDDARA?????

I'm curious for you, but I don't think it is. I know it's being received in other parts of the world, but I don't think we're going to start seeing it here in the U.S. until May.

Yeah, comments on the project seem to indicate the ship was held back a few days for Easter. It's expected to dock later this week though. Then it's a week or two to get to the fulfillment center.

Ah yep you're right. I just realized it's my gliss powder for the Mayday Game Crokinole board. They have a warehouse in UT as well. Forgot I ordered that.

It's almost a relief actually, as my game table is currently occupied with the 5500 piece Diagon Alley Lego set. I have a buddy that deals in Lego sets, and from time to time he'll loan me one of the big ones to build with the kids and ship back to him when we're done. We did Hogwarts Castle over the summer last year.

Kind of a crowdfunding project since it was only going to happen if enough people subscribed, but I got my Ashes Reborn upgrade kit just now. Hundreds of cards updated (every card that has been updated across ALL releases are included), an updated rule book, and a nice summary pamphlet outlining all the rule changes/card revisions. Hopefully the changes they've made will streamline combat a bit, and help to offset the "turtling" that would often happen in a game (usually by ME), causing sessions to go long.

YellowKing wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:12 pm I have a package arriving tomorrow from Utah. I haven't ordered anything. Wife hasn't ordered anything. Succubus Publishing is based in Utah.

Could it be..................MIDDARA?????

Middara should be shipping from Indiana. They are using the fulfillment center in Indy for that one.

Awesome thanks for the info baelthazar.

I'm trying to decide if is should back John Company and Pax Paramir or Robinson Crusoe, primarily for solo play. I once owned Crusoe and never took the time to learn it, but this new version seems to be more accessible. But I do like the look and theme of John Company and I have heard nothing but good about Pax Paramir.

Robinson Crusoe is a fantastic game, in my opinion. Once you play the core game a bit, toss in the expansion Mystery Tales to take it up a bunch of levels. While I love Robinson Crusoe using just the core set, the Mystery Tales expansion gives me so much more game it's ridiculous.

Pax Pamir I've owned and played both the first and second edition. The first edition was...well...it was a Pax game. While I love that series, they can be frustratingly opaque as to what strategies you should use...hell, they're often opaque about how you actually win the game. The second edition helps with this immensely though.

John Company I've never played, so I can't opine on that one.

If you want a more thematic gaming experience that still has a lot of meat on its bones, Robinson Crusoe is your game. If you would prefer a heavier experience that abstracts a lot of things normally found in a true wargame, than Pax Pamir is what you want.

Pax Pamir solo is very good. You play against a bot whose actions each turn are determined by a card draw + a flow chart (not a literal flow chart, but the bot instructions are essentially that). Compared to the multiplayer game, it's like playing an opponent who is very powerful but also sometimes very dumb. That said, I'm not sure I would unreservedly recommend it for solo play. It depends on whether you prefer "fight the bot" or "fight the game systems" (e.g., Spirit Island, Darkest Night) solo gaming.

John Company will have a bot-driven solo mode, which has not been shared publicly yet. It's a very negotiation-heavy game, so I'm not sure how it will work solo.

I haven't played the others so I won't weigh in on those, but I consider Robinson Crusoe a game shelf "essential." It's a game that will never leave my collection.

I did pass on this Kickstarter only because I already own the Z-Man core game and a game group buddy of mine is going all in on the rest of the extra content. I will say it's a bit unfortunate that they jacked the price of the game up with the miniatures. They're certainly nice looking, but this game does not in any way, shape, or form need miniatures.

Yeah, the miniatures are really superfluous.

However, I'm in for the collector's edition upgrade (the Castaway Veteran pledge) as I upgraded my Z-Man copy to the latest Portal Games edition not that long ago so I could use the Mystery Tales expansions without worrying about mismatched or different color cards, etc.. For about a hundred bucks, I'm getting minis for the core game (but NOT the Mystery Tales expansion as far as I can tell), a nice big box to put it all in, the huge book of new scenarios, a big volcano dice tower (bling...but bling I actually like), new player boards with recessed spots for markers, and the new miniatures for the shelter, companions, etc. (which I will use). I don't think it's too bad in terms of price when I put all that together.

Fardaza wrote: Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:06 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 9:36 pm I thought they were done with this - having released that giant epic monster set a year or so ago? I guess not. Reboots are so hot right now.

This seems great! But ...

I've never played or even seen this. How many cards are in this core game that you would need 800 sleeves?

I just backed my first kickstarter project! Sentinels it is! Went ahead and sprung for the sleeved version. Even though it says it's not like a true KS, I feel light and free. It's as though a new horizon has opened up to me.

I just hope I don't become addicted.

The moment you hit the checkout button, you were done for, my friend.

You’re one of us now.

My copies of Pax Vikings and Pax Renaissance 2nd edition arrived today. I think Sierra Madre/Ion Games have given up on the concept of Pax games being small box games, as both of these are traditional size boxes. However, I'm not sure they could ever fit into a small box given the amount of stuff they come with...including the board.

PV is supposed to be their "entry level" pax game, but it still has a hefty rulebook and isn't what I'd call light by any means.

Pax Renaissance 2nd edition is still a master class in history gaming, resembling the Europa Universalis video games in its depth. They split it into two rulebooks though, one for the comprehensive rules and another for player walkthroughs. So hopefully that helps with its notoriously tough learning curve.

hepcat wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:57 am My copies of Pax Vikings and Pax Renaissance 2nd edition arrived today. I think Sierra Madre/Ion Games have given up on the concept of Pax games being small box games, as both of these are traditional size boxes. However, I'm not sure they could ever fit into a small box given the amount of stuff they come with...including the board.

PV is supposed to be their "entry level" pax game, but it still has a hefty rulebook and isn't what I'd call light by any means.

Pax Renaissance 2nd edition is still a master class in history gaming, resembling the Europa Universalis video games in its depth. They split it into two rulebooks though, one for the comprehensive rules and another for player walkthroughs. So hopefully that helps with its notoriously tough learning curve.

Drat... I meant to late back Pax Renaissance and forgot. The only issue is, there is no way I would get anyone to play with me, so I don't know why I want it.

They both include solo rules.

...although the solo variant for Vikings is getting mediocre to bad reviews.

But you'll be able to get Pax Ren on the Ion game site soon, I'm sure.

hepcat wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:00 am They both include solo rules.

...although the solo variant for Vikings is getting mediocre to bad reviews.

But you'll be able to get Pax Ren on the Ion game site soon, I'm sure.

Given my medieval history degree, I sort of feel like Pax Ren is meant for mean. Long ago, back in college (nigh on 20+ years now), we used to play Age of Renaissance. What a ride that was, it took hours and it was cut-throat. Man, I miss the days when I could sit and play a boardgame for like 6 hours with no other responsibilities.

Ugh... in looking for opinions about the solo game for Pax Renaissance, I found out that Phil Eklund put some political statements into his manual. And then I found out more about some of Phil Eklund's public political statements. I'm not going to argue about these points (because this is not an R&P forum), but they are very likely enough for me to pass on the game (and regret some of my past purchases).

That is a tricky thing... how much do we let the *person* designing the game affect our appreciation of the game? But, all in all, a boardgame manual is a weird place to put in political op-eds.

I brought that up a while ago.

Phil has always had a problematic relationship with the gaming community when it comes to his socio political outlook. He tends to view things through a very analytical lens that makes no room for nuance or human suffering vs. end results. So in his eyes, colonialism ends up being ultimately good because it can lead to better living conditions for the subjects...but he completely dismisses that oftentimes their cultures are wiped out through absorption or genocide (intentional or not).

I don't think he's a white supremacist though. I think he's just incapable of seeing the whole picture. So I have no trouble playing his games and ignoring his essays.

At the end of the day, if I only read/watched/experienced the works of people who were never horrible or whose beliefs were never suspect, I'd be watching nothing but Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

hepcat wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:45 pm I brought that up a while ago.

Phil has always had a problematic relationship with the gaming community when it comes to his socio political outlook. He tends to view things through a very analytical lens that makes no room for nuance or human suffering vs. end results. So in his eyes, colonialism ends up being ultimately good because it can lead to better living conditions for the subjects...but he completely dismisses that oftentimes their cultures are wiped out through absorption or genocide (intentional or not).

I don't think he's a white supremacist though. I think he's just incapable of seeing the whole picture. So I have no trouble playing his games and ignoring his essays.

At the end of the day, if I only read/watched/experienced the works of people who were never horrible or whose beliefs were never suspect, I'd be watching nothing but Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

I missed that one (I don't frequent that sub-forum. Whew... that footnote is a doozy. I think this gives me good enough reason to give this a miss, particularly given its complexity and the fact it might only hit my table once.

If you ignore the essays, the rest of the flavor text he uses is a goldmine of historical facts and anecdotes. All the Pax games are like that. I remember playing Pax Porfiriana back in the day, and we'd always take forever on our turn because we would get absorbed in the wall of text found on new cards.

I don't equate my buying Sierra Madre/Ion Games products with supporting Qanon, Islamic terrorists or neo Nazis. The money I give to them isn't being funneled to white supremacists, nor is it being used for any nefarious means beyond providing a living for a guy who is out touch with a more enlightened view of history. He may very well grow as a person after reading about the backlash his essays create, or he may not. I hope the former is true though.

Just got a shipping notice from Fedex that a package is headed my way from Quartermaster Logistics. TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT 32.80 LB . I am going to guess that is Solomon Kane.

Lordnine wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:00 pm Just got a shipping notice from Fedex that a package is headed my way from Quartermaster Logistics. TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT 32.80 LB . I am going to guess that is Solomon Kane.

Cloudspire?

I get that Hep, and certainly I don't disagree. But given I am on the fence it was an easy way to make a decision.

baelthazar wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:31 pm

Lordnine wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:00 pm Just got a shipping notice from Fedex that a package is headed my way from Quartermaster Logistics. TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT 32.80 LB . I am going to guess that is Solomon Kane.

Cloudspire?

I received an email from Mythic shortly after so I can confirm it is indeed Solomon Kane. Only 3 years late!

I'm a huge Solomon Kane fan but the price point and my lack of knowledge about the maker scared me away. You'll have to post a review after you've had a chance to play!

hepcat wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:35 pm Yeah, the miniatures are really superfluous.

However, I'm in for the collector's edition upgrade (the Castaway Veteran pledge) as I upgraded my Z-Man copy to the latest Portal Games edition not that long ago so I could use the Mystery Tales expansions without worrying about mismatched or different color cards, etc.. For about a hundred bucks, I'm getting minis for the core game (but NOT the Mystery Tales expansion as far as I can tell), a nice big box to put it all in, the huge book of new scenarios, a big volcano dice tower (bling...but bling I actually like), new player boards with recessed spots for markers, and the new miniatures for the shelter, companions, etc. (which I will use). I don't think it's too bad in terms of price when I put all that together.

I had pledged for the 115 Euro level (~$135) for the Book of Adventures and the Collector's Edition, but got checking out comments and have found that purchasing the pre-existing core box + the Mystery Tales now (~$40 each on Amazon), and getting the upgrade pledge is actually nearly the same price AND I can have the game to play now. I also get Mystery Tales. So I am not seeing a reason to get the bundle on Gamefound.

You will not regret getting mystery tales. It’s a hoot. I love the horror mode it adds.

Zombicide 2nd edition with all sorts of expansion goodies is incoming today!

And I ended up backing the V Commandos Ghost expansion without minis. The "savings" went towards the Secret Weapons expansion which I don't own yet and I decided to get the new tiles for the artwork. The latter purchase wasn't necessary and the original tiles are nice too but I like good art on my board games. I still "saved" money by not going all in on the minis pledge since adding the Secret Weapons expansion to that would have been really pricey. Also once it comes in all I'll need to do is punch out counters, skim the rules and off I go to kill some Nazis!

Hmmm...now I’m wondering if I should add the new tiles to my vc pledge. I pledged for everything else you mentioned. But when they ship and you’re raving about how cool they are, I know I’m going to plotz.

hepcat wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:33 am Hmmm...now I’m wondering if I should add the new tiles to my vc pledge. I pledged for everything else you mentioned. But when they ship and you’re raving about how cool they are, I know I’m going to plotz.

The new tiles are like Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and Tarantino had a love child on a cardboard canvas! Blowing up bases and killing Nazis take on a whole new dimension! You can almost smell the gunpowder and cordite! (This of course is an imagining of what could be. I’m sure the reality will be even better! )

Zombicide 2.0 just arrived. The 3D cars are glorious. It’s going to be an interesting day just swapping out cards from the upgrade box.

Update: OMG there is so much stuff. The new 2.0 map tiles are similar but different art and numbers so you can still keep the old ones.

With the upgrade pack for ALL of the survivors ever, it’s clear that there are just too many. But even my 10 year old can recognize the art for Gordon Ramsay, Miley Cyrus and the Home Alone kid.

The card upgrades are just way too little to bring the old set up to 2.0. That’s going to be a problem.

Zarathud wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:51 pm Zombicide 2.0 just arrived. The 3D cars are glorious. It’s going to be an interesting day just swapping out cards from the upgrade box.

I didn’t get the 3D cars but the big box of undead that is Zombicide 2.0 arrived for me too! It’s optimal daytime priming weather here in MA so I’m gonna plan out some spraying. But I think I’m just going to prime and wash then call it a day!

Yea, it’s too much to paint. And time to thin down the old Zombies and get the Survivors into one box. This game can’t live in more than 2 IKEA Kallax shelves.

Got a email that Chronicles of Drunagor should be shipping sometime next week. It’s basically on time, which for Kickstarter, is surprising.

Harn Hardcovers

I'm a sucker for Harn. I ran a Rolemaster campaign in college and shortly after for a couple of years using their Harn world setting. One of the most realistic Dark Ages settings I've ever come across.