There's Nothing Scarier Than A Bad Rulebook - "Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game"

Well, with Halloween upon us, it's time for me to review another spook-tacular themed game. So, I present to you: the Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game.

What? C'mon, it's got vampires and wolves and skeletons and zombies and spiders and rats...what more do you you want?

"Well, how about a decent, legitimately-scary board game that doesn't involve your irrational fetish for dungeons and / or dragons, ya colossal nerd!!!"

Hey, this is my board game blog and if you don't like it you can get the fudge out!

Ahem. Sorry. For those of you who want to stick around and roll up a character, here's a DM-style opening preamble to our spoopy little adventure, courtesy of Board Game Geek:

"The master of Ravenloft is having guests for dinner – and you are invited! Evil lurks in the towers and dungeons of Castle Ravenloft, and only heroes of exceptional bravery can survive the horrors within. Designed for 1-5 players, this boardgame features multiple scenarios, challenging quests, and cooperative gameplay.

"Each player selects a hero; a ranger, rogue, warrior, cleric, or wizard. On their turn, each player can explore further into the dungeon (turn over new tiles), move through the already explored parts of the dungeon, and fight monsters. When a new dungeon tile is revealed, there is typically an encounter of some sort, and new monsters to fight are added. Slain monsters reward the players with treasure, and experience points, allowing them to level up and increase their skills during play. Players must cooperate to stay alive, slay the monsters, and achieve the goal of their quest. Each scenario has a different goal - from retrieving a relic, to slaying a vampire lord."

Looking to delve into the full Players Handbook? Then click on the following link to start power gaming right away!

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PLAY THROUGH

THE CHARACTERS

ARJHAN - DRAGONBORN FIGHTER

Powers: Dragon's Breath, Unstoppable, Cleave, Brute Strike

Starting Treasure: Dragon's Breath Elixir

KAT - HUMAN ROGUE

Powers: Sneak Attack, Stealth, Backstab, Dagger Barrage

Starting Treasure: Thieves' Tools

  

IMMERIL - ELADRIN WIZARD

Powers: Dispel Magic, Fey Step, Fireball, Magic Missile

Starting Treasure: Necklace of Fireballs

THORGRIM - DWARF CLERIC

Powers: Healing Word, Bless, Lance of Faith, Flame Strike

Starting Treasure: Glyph of Warding

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Arjhan moves five spaces north. This puts him on a square adjacent to an unexplored edge, so he places a new Dungeon Tile which is revealed as a basic corridor. The tile has a white triangle, which means that no Encounter Card will be drawn but he stills draws a Monster. It's a Rat Swarm which he places on that tile's Bone Pile. The Swarm then moves to the Bone Pile next to Arjhan and attacks him, rolling a 16 + 7 = 23. It's a hit, causing a point of damage!

Kat sprints four spaces north so that she's next to the Rat Swarm. Notwithstanding both the logistics of this as well as the inadvertently hilarious mental image, she attacks the Swarm with her "Backstab", rolling 17 + 7 = 24 for a hit, killing it. She then draws a new tile which turns out to be a T-intersection corridor with a white arrow. The Monster she draws is a Kobold Skirmisher, which immediately moves to the closest Bone Pile next to Arjhan and Kat. To determine who the Kobold attacks, I roll randomly: 1 to 10 for Arjhan and 11 to 20 for Kat. A 13 comes up so the Kobold goes after Kat, rolling 14 + 9 = 23 which hits for a point of damage.

Immeril remains in place and attacks the darkness (*snicker*) with a "Magic Missile", rolling a 16 + 8 = 24 which is a lethal hit on the Kobold Skirmisher. He then moves five spaces north east, revealing a new tile with a black arrow. He draws a Monster Card which turns out to be a scary Wraith ("OooOooOooo!!!"). Since the tile has a black arrow, he's also required to draw an Encounter Card, which is an Event called "Summoning Circle". Since this would immediately introduce a new Monster to the board, Immeril uses his "Dispel Magic" Utility Power to cancel the card. He flips it face down to indicate that it's been used. The Wraith then moves one tile west onto the Bone Pile. Since it now has two targets to choose from, another random roll is required: 1 to 10 for Arjhan and 11 to 20 is Kat. An "8" comes up so it goes after Arjhan. The attack roll is 16 + 6 = 22, which results in three points of damage to the Dragonborn Fighter!

Thorgrim surges four spaces north and ends up adjacent to the Wraith. He then attacks the fiend with his "Lance of Faith" and rolls a 20. Not only is this a hit, it also gives the Heroes an opportunity to Level Up, but the group hasn't compiled enough Experience Points yet. So he just deals two points of damage to the creature, wounding it. Since Thorgrim didn't reveal a new tile, he's forced to draw an Encounter Card. It's an Event / Attack called "Gray Ooze". The creature rolls 3 + 8 = 11 which is a miss on Thorgrim. The one-shot attack is then discarded.

Back to Arjhan. He uses his "Unstoppable" Utility Power to regain two Hit Points, flipping the card face-down to indicate that it's been used. He then attempts to attack the Wraith but rolls a 6, which is a miss! Undeterred, he moves four spaces past his compatriots to reveal a new tile. It's a Crypt Corner with a white arrow so he draws a new Monster: a Wolf. The Wolf moves onto the Bone Pile next to Arjhan and attacks with a "Pounce". The wolf rolls a 20 which hits for a point of damage and also causes Arjhan to suffer the "Slowed" Condition.

Next up Kat attacks the Wraith with a "Backstab", rolling a 6 + 7 = 12 which is also a miss! She then moves four spaces west to reveal a new dungeon tile. It's a Crypt with a black arrow, so first she draws a Monster which turns out to be another Wraith. Rather than face two of these spectral bastards at the same time, Kat uses her "Stealth" Utility Power to discard the Monster Card instead of placing it. She then flips this power card face down to show that it's been spent. Since the tile she placed has a black arrow on it, an Encounter Card must now be drawn. She gets "Spirit of Doom" which reads "each Hero can immediately move up to his or her Speed and after this move each Hero on a tile with no Monsters takes one damage." Both Immeril and Thorgrim move onto the same tile as their compatriots which results in no-one being on a Monster-less tile, so no damage is dealt.

Immeril uses a "Magic Missile" on the Wraith but rolls a 1 and misses. He then moves four spaces to reveal a simple hallway with a white arrow. Immeril draws a new Monster: another Rat Swarm. Now the Monsters attack! The Wraith only has one target so it goes after Thorgrim, rolling a 13 + 6 versus AC 19. This hits, causing another whopping three points of damage. Next up the Rat Swarm moves to the Bone Pile next to Immeril and attempts a nibble, rolling a 6 + 7 for a miss!

Next up Thorgrim attacks the Wraith with his "Lance of Faith", rolling a 7 + 6 = 13... a miss! He then moves three spaces, revealing a Workshop tile with a white arrow. Thorgrim draws a Monster Card, specifically a Gargoyle. Since it wouldn't be adjacent to Thorgrim if placed on the next closest Bone Pile, I just move it to the closest space adjacent to the dwarf. It then attacks with a vicious "Whirlwind of Claws" rolling at 2 + 8 = 10. Another miss!

Arjhan begins his turn by taking a swing at the Wolf, rolling a 7 + 6 = 13 which is a whiff. Knowing that he can only move two spaces due to the "Slowed" Condition, he decides to chip away at the horde of enemies now threatening to swarm the group. He decides to quaff the "Dragon's Breath Elixir" which says: "attack each Monster on your tile". He attacks the Wolf again, rolling 10 + 4 = 14 which hits and kills the Wolf. He then moves two squares north west to stand next to the Gargoyle. Since he didn't draw a new tile, he's forced to pull an Encounter Card called "Frenzy"which reads: "each Monster you control activates twice during your Villain Phase". Mercifully, with the Wolf dead, Arjhan no longer controls any Monsters. He jettisons the "Slowed" Condition to signal the end of his turn.

Kat hauls ass six squares into the Workshop so that she's flanking the Gargoyle and then attack with a "Backstab". She rolls a 7 + 7 = 14 but the Gargoyle's Armor Class is 16 so her blade fails to pierce the creature's stony hide. Since she didn't reveal a new tile, Kat is forced to draw an Encounter Card called "Neglected Passage" which reads: "draw a tile from the bottom of the Dungeon Tile stack and place it adjacent to the unexplored edge that is closest to the Start Tile. Place a new Monster on the tile but don't draw an Encounter Card". The Fetid Den tile is added to the east branch of the Start Tile and the new monster, a Ghoul, is placed on the Bone Pile. The Ghoul then lopes one tile towards the adventurers. 

Next, Immeril fires a "Magic Missile" at the lingering Wraith and rolls a 20, finally destroying it. In addition, he discards five Experience Points from the group's communal pool to Level Up! He then moves six spaces north to flank the Gargoyle. Since he didn't draw a new tile, he's forced to pull an Encounter Card called "Patrina Velikovna" which reads: "Attack each Hero. After the attack, place each Monster that is not on the same tile as a Hero one tile closer to the closest Hero". First the creature attacks Arjhan by rolling 18 + 7 which is a hit so Arjhan takes two points of damage. Next Kat is targeted but the roll of 3 equates a miss! Unfortunately, the creature's attack is so uncanny, it still causes one point of damage on a miss! Immeril is next on the hit parade. A 2 is rolled, which is also mercifully a miss, though he still takes a single point of damage. Finally, Thorgrim is targeted, and with a roll of 16 + 7 = 23, he takes the full allotment of two damage. Then the Rat Swarm moves one tile east towards the Heroes, ending up on the Bone Pile and the Ghoul is moved one tile west onto the Start Tile. Finally Immeril activates his Monsters. The Rat Swarm doesn't move to the Crypt Corner's Bone Pile since it wouldn't be adjacent to any Heroes. Instead, it moves into the space next to the closest Hero, Arjhan, and attacks, rolling a "2" for a well-timed miss.

Thorgrim starts his turn by casting the Utility Power "Healing Word" on himself, recovering four Hit Points. He then goes after the Rat Swarm with his "Lance of Faith" but rolls a pitiful 2. Next he moves three spaces north east through the Workshop to reveal a new Dungeon Tile, the Rotting Nook, which features a white arrow. This also reveals a new Monster, specifically a Blazing Skeleton. Next, Thorgrim's Monsters activate. To determine who the Gargoyle attacks, I roll a six-sided die: 1-2 is Kat, 3-4 is Immeril, and 5-6 is Arjhan. I roll a "2" and the subsequent attack roll of 15 + 8 = 24 means that Kat takes two points of damage and also gets the dreaded "Slowed" status. Next the Blazing Skeleton attacks. It's Tactics indicate: "if it's within one tile of a Hero it attacks each Hero on the closest heroes tile with a ball of fire". Unfortunately both Thorgrim and Kat qualify for that. The  Skeleton attacks Thorgrim first and rolls a "3" which is normally a miss but it still deals a single point of "splash" damage. It then attacks Kat, rolling a 14 + 7 = 21 which is a hit. She takes two more points of damage and is only two Hit Points away from having to use a Healing Surge.

It's now back to Arjhan. He lashes out with an attack on the Rat Swarm, rolling a 9 + 6 = 15 for a hit! The Swarm takes a point of damage and it's destroyed. This activates Arjhan's "Cleave" special ability which says if you hit your initial target, "choose another Monster on your tile and move adjacent to it. That Monster takes one damage". Arjhan is already adjacent to the Gargoyle but can technically move into another adjacent space, so he does this, delivering a single bonus point of hurt. He then moves five spaces and reveals a new Dungeon Tile which turns out to be the Chapel they seek! This also introduces a horde of defenders to the same tile. First off, each player draws a Monster Card and places that creature on the Chapel Tile. Arjhan draws a Skeleton, Kat reveals a Kobold Skirmisher, Immeril pulls a Ghoul and Thorgrim introduces a Zombie. This is in addition to the normal Monster which has to be drawn for the tile, so another Skeleton is placed on the Chapel's Bone Pile. The Icon of Ravenloft token is also dropped on the altar space. Since the rules don't specify where, I naturally place it on the space closest to the Heroes. The Skeletons then charge towards Arjhan and, since there's no available Bone Pile to move onto, they just move adjacent to him and attack with their "Charging Slice". The first roll is  16 + 9 = 25 a hit! This causes two points of damage. The next roll is 14 + 9 = 23 which is also hit for two more points of damage. Arjhan is just one hit away from death. Zounds!

Kat decides that it's time to break out her Daily Power: "Dagger Barrage". She targets the Chapel Tile and attacks every Monster on that tile. First she fires on the Ghoul, rolling 6 + 7 =  13. That's a miss, but this power still causes a point of damage! Ergo, the Ghoul is  destroyed! She then targets the Kobold and rolls a 16 + 7 = 23 which is a hit! It's also killed. Next she fires at the first Skeleton, rolling a 17 + 7 = 24 which is another lethal overkill hit. She then aims at the second Skeleton and rolls 17 + 7 = 24 so it's also wrecked. Finally she flings a mitt-full of daggers at the Zombie and rolls 12 + 7 = 19 which pastes the Filthy McNasty. She's literally cleaned out the entire tile in one attack! Unfortunately, she can only move two spaces due to the "Slowed" Condition, so she backs away from the Gargoyle. Since Kat didn't reveal a new Dungeon Tile, she's forced to draw and resolve an additional Encounter Card. The first is "Sliding Walls" which she decides to cancel by spending five Experience Points. The second is "Alarm" which says: "place the Alarm marker on the active Hero's tile. Trigger the Trap during your Villain Phase. Place a new Monster on the unexplored edge that's closest to the Alarm Marker." The Alarm activates but there are technically three unexplored edge spaces "closest" to the Alarm Marker so I make an executive decision and place the Blazing Skeleton in the Rotting Nook right next to Thorgrim instead of on the Chapel Tile. This new Blazing Skeleton activates, targeting every Hero in the Workshop. The attack role on Arjhan is 4 + 7 = 11 which is a miss. Unfortunately, it still causes a single "area of effect" point of damage which means the Dragonborn Fighter goes down in a heap and will require spending a Healing Surge at the start of his next turn. Next up, Kat gets attacked but the creature rolls a "1", leaving her with a single Hit Point. Then Thorgrim takes some heat, but the roll is 7 + 7 = 14. It's another single point of damage but it could have been much worse! Wait a minute...it is worse since Thorgrim's Blazing Skeleton also activates. Kat is targeted with a roll of "20"...a solid hit. Kat is dropped which means that she will spend the group's last Healing Surge on her turn! Finally Thorgrim gets nailed for two points of damage courtesy of an 18 + 7 = 25 attack roll.

Sensing that the end is in sight, Immeril uses his Daily Power and casts "Fireball" on both Blazing Skeletons. The first attack is 6 + 7 = 13. That solid hit causes three damage, destroying the first Blazing Skeleton. The second roll is 14 which also connects, annihilating the second Blazing Skeleton. Immeril then flips the "Fireball" card over to show that it's been cast. He then moves six spaces next to the Chapel's altar and picks up the Icon of Ravenloft. Since there are no active monsters on the Chapel and the Icon has been recovered, the Heroes win the scenario!

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REVIEW

PROS

• The Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game is a miracle of production design. The figures are top-notch, the puzzle-piece tiles actually work well and the Monster and Character cards are all wonderful. I just wish there were some cool, evocative illustrations on the Treasure and Encounters cards as well as the Trap Tiles, which are just boring ol' square instructional tokens. Damn, if only Lizards of the Toast had access to a virtually-boundless library of pre-existing D&D art. Oh...wait...
• The game isn't complicated. Pick a scenario, chose your Heroes, drop 'em down on the Start Tile and just follow the turn steps. 
• There's a surprisingly tactical quality to the game. You really have to work together to have a hope in hell of surviving. Judicious timing when it comes to the use of your powers is also key. 
• I love that there's no Overlord in the game and the Monsters are programed to move and attack. That way, the game is truly co-operative with all players on the same side instead of Descent's one versus many.  

CONS

• Yes, the rules are deceptively simple. That is until you try to play the game. When that happens you're immediately faced with the prospects of house-ruling a bunch of stuff because the core instructions are so effin' vague. I'm 100% sure that someone who owns this game and plays it constantly and is all brushed up on the FAQ and Board Game Geek forums will read the play-through above and point out at least three or four things that I royally fucked up. For example, when a Monster moves it's supposed to move onto a Bone Pile. If the Bone Pile is covered up then I believe that the Monster is placed anywhere on that tile according to the player's discretion. I thought that was sorta goofy, so I just moved the Monster to the closest Hero "as the crow flies". This is also probably wrong since it often results in the Monster not moving onto a new tile. I also assume that if Monsters have multiple targets to choose from, the players can decide what Hero gets attacked. I decided to go with a random roll instead. Given the fact that the Monster's actions are supposed to be "programmed", you really need to have this simple, fundamental stuff locked down cold. And it isn't just a problem with Monster. For example, the "Cleave" special ability reads "After you land a hit, choose another Monster on your tile and move adjacent to it. That Monster takes one damage." Does this mean that this power only works if the Hero starts it's turn not being adjacent to its second target? Or can you move from one adjacent space to another adjacent space? This game would drive a rules lawyer madder than Dwight Frye's Renfield in Dracula. 
• All of the rules vagaries make a victory in the game feel hollow. In the example above, if I'd placed the "Alarm"-summoned Blazing Skeleton on the Chapel Tile instead, the scenario would have worn on. And since I was about to burn through two Healing Surges and Thorgrim was getting pretty beat up, the scenario could easily have been a loss. Without the game's rules clarifying these things, can you every really feel as if you won?
• This game bears about as much similarity to D&D as Happy Death Day does to a horror movie. Where are the doors? Where are the rooms? Why aren't our characters equipped with weapons and armor? Why aren't we looting bodies and then spending the money we find to improve our gear? Why are Traps only introduced via random Encounters? Why do Monsters always get the jump on Heroes? Why aren't we "rolling for Initiative"? I know the designers wanted to abstract a lot of the more esoteric RPG minutia but they went so far as to make D&D feel like Gauntlet: The Board Game. I.E. a boring slog in tedium. Pretty sad when a modern game like Ravenloft gets out -D&D'ed by a nearly thirty year old game like HeroQuest.      

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Confession time: even though I'm a hopeless sucker for dungeon crawl board games, I've thought about unloading both Castle Ravenloft and its sister game Wrath of Ashardalon on more than one occasion. The only thing that's stopping me is the fact that I use the figures and tokens in my regular D&D games!

The life-long D&D nerd in me harbors nothing but contempt for just how dumbed down this thing is while another part of me finds the game's promise of quick n' easy co-operative adventures very appealing. Unfortunately, the conveyor belt of incessant threats via the Monsters and Encounter Cards is more depressing than exhilarating and the poorly-fleshed-out rules quickly drains the fun out of the proceedings like Strahd sucking on a virgin's neck.

The Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game scores three pips outta six with a tilt down towards the keep's bottomless catacombs.

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Wanna see where that over-sized bat is flapping off to? Then click on the image below to learn more about the Castle Ravenloft board game and help this blog fashion a sassy necklace made out of garlic!  

Good 'Lord!' : "Lords of Waterdeep"

After we had such a blast playing Lords of Waterdeep at Hal-Con, we really wanted to revisit the game as soon as possible while it was still fresh in our collective brains.  A few weeks ago Andrew, Chad and I had our chance to do battle again for supremacy over the legendary Dungeons & Dragons "Forgotten Realms" city.  The resulting clash may very well be the reason why the word "epic" was invented.

To give the following blow-by-blow session report a bit of context, I highly recommend that you check out this super-slick instructional video handily provided by the fine folks over at Wizards:

  

And if you're one of those weirdos who enjoy reading rule books for games that you don't even own, then you could do worse then clicking on this link.  

AGENT ASSIGNMENTS

Andrew...Red Sashes

Chad...Knights of the Shield

Me...City Guard

Round One

I hastily dispatched an Agent to Waterdeep Harbour to play "Call in a Favor", which allowed me to retain the First Player Token and hire a lone Wizard.  Andrew toddled off to Aurora's Realm's Shop to collect four Gold.  Chad followed my lead, sending his first Agent to Waterdeep Harbor to play "Lack of Faith" and score four Victory Points!  

My second Agent ventured off to the Field of Triumph and came back to my tavern with two new Fighters in tow.  Andrew went down to Waterdeep Harbor and played "Arcane Mishap", which jacked my brand new Wizard and earned him a misbegotten Intrigue Card.  Asshole!  One of Chad's agents wandered off to Blackstaff Tower to collect a considerably better-timed Wizard.

On my next turn, I sent an Agent off to the Builder's Hall to construct the House of Wonder for four Gold.  Andrew's Agent popped into the Grinning Lion to be the meat in a Rogue sammich.  Even before the paint had a chance to dry on my newly-minted Wonder House, Chad ducked under the dedication tape and paid me two Gold for the privilege of scoring a similar count of Clerics.  

Round Two     

Two more Fighters were persuaded to join my cause after my first Agent visited Waterdeep Harbor and played "Ambush".  Andrew also retained a pair of scrappers via the Field of Triumph.  Chad dispatched one of his minions to Aurora's Realm's Shop to procure four Gold.  

Looking to become my own best customer, I popped into the House of Wonder and lured a pair of Wizards back to my Tavern.  Andrew put an Agent to work in the Builder's Hall, paying four Gold for the Jester's Court.  After that he turned in one Fighter, one Rogue and one Cleric to complete the "Lure Artisans of Mirabar" Quest, netting four Victory Points and a bonus building (The Spires of Morning).  Chad's Agent took a stroll down to Waterdeep Harbor to orchestrate a "Change of Plans", which prompted a rash of discards.

A quick trip to the Jester's Court earned me a foursome of Rogues who were anxious to "Retrieve Ancient Artifacts" and earn me eleven big Victory Points and four Gold!  Andrew strolled along Waterdeep Harbor and sparked a "Bidding War" by putting some new Quests into circulation.  To keep the options flowing, Chad checked into the Cliffwatch Inn and dumped the current assortment of Quests in lieu of four new ones!  He also managed to "Heal Fallen Gray Hand Soldiers" for six Victory Points.

Round Three   

I nipped down to the Cliffwatch Inn to pick up some new Quest and Intrigue Cards.  Andrew's first Agent swaggered into the Grinning Lion to re-stock his supply of Rogues.  After his Agent entered the Spires of the Morning, Chad acquired the valuable wisdom of several priests.

Badly in need of coinage, one of my Agents managed to wring four Gold out of Aurora.  With re-enforcements levied from the Field of Triumph, Andrew's minions successfully "Spied on the Lighthouse" for six Victory Points.  After a refreshing dip in Waterdeep Harbour, Chad's Agent conjured up four Victory points by "Training Bladesingers".

Wanting to stay on the vanguard of real estate acquisition, I contracted the Builder's Hall to construct Fetlock Court.  After a few casuals at The Grinning Lion, Andrew gained the liquid courage required to "Fence Goods for the Duke of Darkness" and score six Veeps.  Craving more options, Chad's henchmen marched into the Cliffwatch Inn and picked up a new Quest and two Gold to boot.

Round Four 

Unable to to secure a restraining order against myself, I visited Fetlock Court to hire two Fighters and a Wizard.  Likening the current allotment off Quests to the contents of a toilet, Andrew flushed the floaters and took his pick of four considerably more palatable options.  Meanwhile, Chad's Agent pulled a Mike Holmes and constructed the cozy-sounding Stone House.

So cozy, in fact, that I immediately rented a room and inherited a metric shit-ton of Gold in the process.  Andrew paid a visit to my Fetlock Court to retain two Fighters and a Wizard, netting me a free mage in the process.  Still discontent with his current allotment of schemes, Chad dispatched an Agent to Cliffwatch Inn for a new Quest and two Gold.

"Defeat Uprising" gave me eleven Victory Points after my third Agent arrived at the House of Wonder.  Seeking more attractive options, Andrew picked up some new Quest and Intrigue Cards at Cliffwatch Inn.  Next, Chad rushed down to the Jester's Court to snap up a quadrilogy of Rogues.

Round Five  

Annoyed by the dearth of appropriate Quests, my Agent at Cliffwatch Inn rebooted them all.  Andrew took the mercenary route, collecting four Gold from Aurora's Realms.  Chad sent his first Agent to the Builders Hall for help and constructed his House of Good Spirits exactly to specification.  

The six Gold sitting now on the Stone House proved irresistible to me.  Moments later my hirelings "Exposed The Red Wizards' Spies", netting me twenty huge Victory Points!  From the Spires of the Morning, Andrew's Agent wrangled up an entire cathedral of Clerics who "Impersonated Adarbrent Noble" for eighteen Victory Points!  Not to be outclassed, Chad's henchman went to Cliffwatch Inn to get some fresh Quest and Intrigue Cards.  As if this wasn't enough, a mob of his Adventurers successfully "Sealed The Gate To Cyric's Realm" for twenty Victory Points!

Disheartened by my opponent's relentless pace, I sent an Agent to Cliffwatch Inn to ferret out some new plans.  After dispatching an Agent to Winterdeep Harbor, Andrew played an Intrigue Card which allowed him to raid the Stone House for six Gold.  Chad's Agent joined him there, giving him the opportunity to play "Good Faith" and rustle up a pair of vicars. 

My fourth Agent took a dart down to Fetlock Court to recruit two Fighters and a Wizard.  Andrew snagged the equivalent of Xena and Gabrielle from The House of Good Spirits.  Not long after, Chad retained two Van Helsing-types on the Field of Triumph, who went on to "Eliminate a Vampire Coven" for 11 Victory Points!  

Round Six    

I sent my first Agent merrily skipping along to the Jester's Court, which had become a veritable den of thieves in the interim.  Revealing that they may have a drinking problem (as well as a fetish for burglars), Andrew's minions continued to frequent the Grinning Lion.  This also allowed him to "Ally With House Thann" for a truly obscene twenty-five Victory Points!  By Drizzt's Ebony Wang, that's a lotta cheddar for one Quest!

Andrew's next play saw an Agent off to Castle Waterdeep for an Intrigue Card and the First Player Token.  Chad found Aurora's Realms Shop at the end of a rainbow and scored a pot o' Gold.  Andrew also redeployed his Agent to Cliffwatch Inn to pimp his Quests and snag two Gold coins.

Chad then sent one of his drones down to the Builder's Hall to construct the Helmstar Warehouse for three Gold.  Meanwhile, I ordered one of my Agents to go down to the House of Wonder to seek council from a pair of priests.  Andrew hit the jackpot when he sent a representative to the Stone House, hauling in a seven coins.  Looking to shake things up, Chad sent one of his gofers to the Cliffside Inn to generate a new spread of Quests and draw an Intrigue Card.

One of my Agents convinced a pair of Fighters and one Wizard to join my cause in Fetlock Court.  My newly assembled motley bad of Adventurers then went off to "Confront The Xanathar" for another twenty big Victory Points.  After hitting the Field of Triumph, Andrew's peons "Established A New Merchant Guild" for eight Victory Points!  Chad "Requested Assistance" from the longshoremen at Waterdeep Harbour, who provided him with two Fighters.

Since Chad was clearly outpacing us, I dispatched an Agent to Waterdeep Harbor and played a Mandatory Quest on him, hoping to bleed off some of his critical resources and slow him down a bit.  Unfortunately this was like trying to stop a charging rhino with a Popsicle stick and a Styrofoam plate.  All Chad needed to do was send one of his underlings to the House of Wonders, hire the appropriate staff and then swat it aside during his next turn.

I toddled off to Castle Waterdeep to capture the First Player token and draw an Intrigue card.  For their bonus plays, Chad patronized his own Helmstar Warehouse for two Rogues and two Gold while Andrew had to settle for a twin-cutpurse consolation prize via his own Jester's Court.

Round Seven

I started this new round by sending an agent to Cliffwatch Inn to procure a desperately-needed Quest and some cash monies.  Andrew followed suit but ended up with a new Quest and an Intrigue Card.  Chad hit the Builders Hall and paid four Gold to construct the Palace of Waterdeep.

My Agent hit Waterdeep Harbour in order to play "Sample Wares", allowing me to use the still-formative Tower of the Order to score two Wizards.  Andrew sent one of his goons to the House of Good Spirits to secure the two bodies required to "Send Aid to the Harpers" for fifteen Victory Points.  Chad dispatched an emissary to the House of Wonders, finding precisely who he needed to "Deliver an Ultimatum" for eleven Victory Points.

In order to score another Intrigue Card and wrestle back the initiative for next round, I sent an Agent to Castle Waterdeep.  Andrew picked up two burly types in the Field of Triumph.  After Clerics from the Spires of the Morning helped him "Defend the Tower of Luck", Chad gained the ability to cherry-pick his hirelings from there on in; a truly clutch ability.

During our Agent Re-assignments, I went to Blackstaff Tower to beg a Wizard for his table scraps, Andrew visited Fetlock Court for two Fighters and a Wizard and Chad re-set all of the Quests from the comfort of the penthouse suite in Cliffwatch Inn.

Round Eight

My first Agent took a trip to the Jester's Court to acquire the services of some Rogues who promptly "Infiltrated Halaster's Circle" for a crazy 25 Victory Points!  Andrew continued to keep pace, "Raiding an Orc Stronghold" for eight Victory Points thanks to a pair of ballsy pickpockets sourced from the Helmstar Warehouse.  Meanwhile, Chad's Agent returned to the Cliffwatch Inn for a new Quest and Intrigue Card.

Some divine re-enforcements procured from the House of Wonder helped me "Expose Cult Corruption" and score four Victory Points.  Lured by the promise of eight Gold, Andrew ventured off to the Stone House.  After strolling down to Waterdeep Harbour, Chad exacted a measure of revenge on me by playing the obligatory "Stamp Out Cultists".

In reaction, I was forced to visit my own Fetlock Court, hire two Fighters and one Wizard and complete the Mandatory Quest earning a whopping two Victory Points for my trouble.  Knowing that Chad was officially THE RUNAWAY LEADER™, Andrew visited the Harbor to saddle Chad with a Mandatory Quest called "Repel Drow Invaders".  Nonplussed, Chad nipped into the House of Good Spirits, collected precisely what he needed and then drilled this slow-pitch Quest into the cheap seats for two Victory Points.

In a Hail Mary effort to weasel as many last minute Victory Points as possible, I sent my last Agent to the Builder Hall to construct the Tower of the Order and claim a small platoon of Wizards.  Andrew's Agent barged into the Grinning Lion for a dwarven ale and two Gold.  Chad set off to the House of Wonder, gathered up the human resources required to "Discover The Hidden Temple Of Lolth" and then collected a last-minute windfall of ten Victory Points!

For our final Agent Re-assignments, I sent a minion to the Field of Triumph for two Fighters while Andrew went into Aurora's place for four Gold.

And with that, the match was over, leaving us to tally up the end-game scoring...

IN-TAVERN VICTORY POINTS

Andrew...2

Chad...14

Me...5

IN-TAVERN GOLD

            

Andrew...12

Chad...4

Me...6

IN-TAVERN ADVENTURERS

Andrew...4

Chad...3

Me...4

LORD CARD BONUSES

Andrew's Lord was revealed to be Durnan the Wanderer...28 points

Chad Lord turned out to be Piergeiron the Paladinson...36 points

My Lord Card was Khelben Arunsun...20 points

FINAL SCORE
Chad...161
Andrew...143
Me...135

As for my review, my comments from the Hal-Con post still stand:

This game was a genuine revelation.  Much in the same way that Castle Ravenloft stripped dungeon crawls down to the bare bones, Lords of Waterdeep manages take deep worker-placement Euro-fare like Agricola, Stone Age and Pillars of the Earth and distill it down into a completely immersive, compulsively playable hour long experience.

The components for the game are awesome.  The sheer volume of artwork used on the Intrigue and Quest Cards is impressive.  The building tiles and counters are made of a heavy-gauge cardboard and actually feel substantial.  The game board is gorgeously illustrated and the old-world style map is a joy to behold.  Even the game box storage tray represents a quantum leap in design innovation!  

Is the theme tacked on?  A bit.  Sorry, but whenever I turn in an allotment of tiny colored wooden blocks, I really don't feel as if I'm completing a 'Quest'.  The funny thing is, the flavor of the game would probably have been improved greatly with the inclusion of plastic figures or accurate meeples to represent Agents and Adventurers.  In fact, the way it is now, you could make a pretty lethal drinking by taking a shot every time someone refers to a Cleric, Fighter, Wizard or Rogue by their respective cube color. 

Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this game and it's gone right up on my 'wish list.'  

I will add that I enjoyed my second play of the game just as much as the first, if not a bit more.  I like how new strategies continued to emerge.  For example, I've learned the importance of investing in buildings that you know your opponents will patronize and the value of a well timed Intrigue Card play / Agent Re-assignment.

Honestly, I have no idea how well Lords of Waterdeep will hold up to multiple plays.  So far, I really can't detect any glaringly obvious issues with the game and the rules are all clear, concise and easy to digest.  In fact, I'm desperately anxious to tackle it again, if only to apply what I've learned thus far and experiment with new tactics.  

Lords of Waterdeep handily scores five pips out of six.   

***

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Last (But Not Too Late) To The "HeroScape" Dance

If I had a dime for every time I was standing in Toys-Is-We holding a clearance-sale copy of HeroScape (2004) in my sweaty little mitts, well, I'd probably have five dimes.

But regardless of how cheap the thing was, I could never pull the trigger on it.  Just look at this box cover :

Okay, so we got a dragon, alright, fine, cool.  But then we've got this guy who looks like Spawn holding a plasma rifle standing next to a suit of mech armor and a blue-skinned centurion astride what appears to be an allosaurus.  

The scene inside the velcro-sealed front flap is even worse.  We've got Morpheus carrying a broadsword, G.I.s toting laser weapons and a samurai who's dressed like Pyro from American Gladiators.  This looks like it was designed by a hypoglycemic six year old with ADD on a Froot Loop bender. 

'Nope, w-a-a-a-a-a-y too childish," I'd say, turning up my game snob nose and placing the box back on the shelf.      

Wow, 'childish' huh?  This coming from the same guy who probably purchased this piece of shit just a week earlier.

So I managed to resist HeroScape's siren call until this (clearly less infantile) release came down the pike:

Yes, to the average eye, this still looks like the sort of thing that should reside only scattered under the bed of a nine-year-old kid, but I just couldn't resist the Marvel theme.  So, when I caught it on sale $10 bucks off the retail price, I decided to take the plunge.

I could also justify this purchase 'cuz I'd managed to avoid the financial sink-hole that was the collectible miniatures HeroClix game.  Plus game-review guru Tom Vassel just loves the shit out of HeroScape:



So, I got the thing home and read the rulebook.  To help simulate this riveting experience, here's the game's overview, courtesy of Board Game Geek:

"Marvel Heroscape (2007) features plastic figures of Marvel Universe heroes and villains - each with a card to control movement and combat strength. 

Players can build many different battlefields by attaching and stacking terrain tiles of different sizes. The battlefield/scenario section includes 8 scenarios and 2 terrain layouts. Games can be opponent elimination, getting to a certain space, protecting a certain figure, or holding out for a certain number of turns.

The rulebook features two games: a basic and a master version. In the basic version, designed for younger players, characters move, attack, defend, and have range -- but there are no special powers and some other rules are minimized or eliminated. The master game includes special powers, wounds, engagement rules, falling rules, and a few other additions.

Each unit has a movement rating in hexes. Combat is fairly straightforward. You roll attack dice as listed on your unit's card, and the opponent rolls defense dice equal to the number on their unit's card. Extra hits count as wounds (figures may have more than one wound)."

So, I set up the first scenario, a pretty straightforward affair with no terrain elevations and only three characters (Spider-Man and Captain America vs. The Hulk).  After a five-round slugfest, the Green Goliath proved triumphant.
 
Here's my post--play take on the game from back in September 2007 (!):

"Fun, quick and clearly brainless beat-em-up.  If the Hulk lost this particular scrap, I would have been seriously pissed.  

Having said that, the designers did a good job building a simple mechanic to replicate the Hulk's growing rage.  Captain America is well-simmed in the sense that he's a genius at hand-to-hand combat and exploiting a weak defense.  Spidey is appropriately nimble and if his spider-sense had worked better in this match, you may very well have seen a joint Web/Wing Head victory!"   

 In other words, I had fun.

And then, just as I'd hoped, an expansion was announced which would have added ten new characters: Sandman, Human Torch, The Thing, Doc Ock, Punisher, Super Skrull, Invisible Girl, Bullseye, Beast and Black Panther.

So I waited.  And I waited.  A-a-a--a-a-a-d then I waited some more. 

But the reinforcements never arrived. As it turned out, this Marvel-flavored license had laid a giant goose-egg.  The original core set (sub-titled "Rise of the Valkyrie") had been produced under the Milton Bradley banner.  When Milton Bradley was swept up by the toy Goliath Hasborg, er, Hasbro, someone must have seen dollar signs in marrying HeroScape with various licensed products.

Unfortunately, fans who'd been there since the beginning loved the game for what it was: a disparate kooky way to answer that age old question: "Hey, what do you think would happen if a bunch of U.S. Marines fought a mechanical dragon being ridden by a flaming ninja?".  They really didn't want any licensed influences coming in and muddying up those LSD-laced waters.

Translation: they loved HeroScape for the exact same reasons that I initially found it to be terminally stupid-looking.   

In fact, I found more reasons to invest in the game after HeroScape was married to the other great love of my life: Dungeons & Dragons.   I recently got this core set for Jesus Present Day:

Immediately I planned to run this sucka for our group's weekly game turn, so I did a solo run on January 6'th.  What follows is a turn-by-turn transcription of the game.

BTW, if you're already heavily into HeroScape, you may find this interesting.  If you're not that familiar with the game and/or you're a human being with a normal brain and reading this is the equivalent of watching oil-based paint dry, just skip past the following italicized section.

"Campaign Master Game - Adventure One - HeroScape D&D Battle for the Underdark. 

Round One:  I place all of my Order Tokens on the Troll.  Order Token 1 & 2 goes on Tandros, 3 and I place the decoy on Ana.   Initiative roll:  Adventurers   7  Troll  11

The Troll reveals Order 1 and moves up 5 spaces between the two stalagmites.  Tandros reveals Order 1 and also moves up 5 spaces.  The Troll reveals Order 2 and moves up another 5 spaces.  Tandros reveals Order 2 and Engages Mr. Troll.  He rolls 4 attack dice and gets 2 Skulls.  The defending Troll rolls 1 Shield so he only takes 1 point of damage!  The Troll reveals Order 3 and tries to kick Tandros in the cubes, rolling 4 dice now (since he has 1 wound) and gets 2 Skulls.  Tandros rolls 1 Shield and takes 1 point of damage.  The Troll regenerates 1 wound!   Ana reveals Order 3 and moves up 5 spaces.  She attacks with 2 die but misses!

Round Two:  All Order Tokens on the Troll.  Order 1 & 2 on Tandros, 3 and decoy on Ana.   Initiative roll:  Adventurers 20, Troll 20 Re-roll: 20 vs. 9

Tandros reveals Order 1 and swings at the Troll but gets only 1 Skull.  The Troll rolls all blanks for defense so it’s a hit for 1 point of damage.  The Troll reveals Order 1 and lashes out at Tandros.  He rolls  4 die (since he has 1 wound), but only gets 1 Skull.   The defender's roll fails so he takes 1 damage and the Troll regenerates 1 wound!  Tandros reveals Order 2 and stabs the Troll in the groinal area.  He gets 2 Skulls and the Troll fails to defend.  Two hits!  The Troll reveals Order 2 and  attacks Tandros with 5 dice!  (2 bonus for his wounds)  He rolls 2 Skulls, but Tandros rolls 4 Shields in defense so there's no damage!   The Troll regenerates 1 wound!    Ana reveals Order 3, moves up 5 spaces including 1 extra point for going up one terrain level.  She attacks the Troll with a 2-die ranged attack and gets 1 hit which the Troll fails to defend!  The Troll reveals Order 3 and tries to eat Tandros's face.  He rolls 5 dice and gets 3 Skulls!  Defense roll:  only 1 Skull.  Two hits and the Troll regenerates 1 wound!

Round Three:  All Order Token on the Troll (d'uh).  Order 1 & 2 on Tandros, 3 and decoy on Ana.   Initiative roll:  Adventurers 4, Troll 12

The Troll reveals Order 1, tries to maul Tandros.   He rolls 4 die and gets 2 Skulls.  The defense roll is a bust so Tandros takes another hit and the Troll regenerates 1 wound!  Tandros reveals Order 1 and pokes at the Troll only getting 1 Skull which he defends!  The Troll reveals Order 2 and tries to pummel  Tandros with 4 die…but no Skulls!  He regenerates 1 wound as a consolation prize!  Tandros reveals Order 2 and tries to perforate Monsieur Troll.  He gets Skulls, which goes undefended for 2 hits.   The Troll reveals Order 3 and flies into Tandros with 5 dice.  He rolls 4 Skulls!  Defense roll:  only rolls 1 Shield, takes 3 damage and he’s killed!  Troll regenerates 1 wound!  Ana reveals Order 3, moves up 4 spaces and tries to free the caged Erevan.  Rolls 1, fails! 

Round Four:  All Order Tokens on the Troll (whatta shocka).  All Order Tokens on Ana.   Initiative roll:  Adventurers 19, Troll 13. 

Ana reveals Order 1  She rolls an 18 and manages to free Erevan!   Troll reveals Order 1 and moves up 5, ending up partially in the shadows.  Ana reveals Order 2.  She jumps into the water to flee from the Troll, then rolls 2 Skulls on a 2-die ranged attack.  The Troll defends successfully (after rolling 2 dice thanks to the shadow)!  The Troll has taken 7 points of total damage so far this game.  He was fully healed but now has 1 wound!  The Troll reveals Order 2.  He moves adjacent to Ana and attacks her, hitting with two undefended Skulls and then regenerates one point.  Ana reveals Order 3.  She scampers up the bank (taking one Leaving Engagement point of damage in the effort) and retreats back but also fires off a 2-die ranged attack but it’s a miss!  Troll reveals Order 3.  He moves into the water and then attacks Erevan.  He rolls one Skull but Erevan defends with a Shield!          

Round Five:  All Order Tokens on the Troll (Zounds!).  Order 1 & 2 on Erevan, 3 and decoy on Ana.   Initiative roll:  Adventurers 18, Troll 14

Erevan reveals Order 1.  Troll misses him as he breaks Engagement and backs up four spaces.  He tries a four point fire blast and rolls three Skulls!  Defense…no!  Fails!  Troll reveals Order 1, moves up 5 and Engages with Ana (knowwhutImean knowwhutImean, nudge nudge, wink wink).  Attacks with 6 die!  He scores three hits, and Ana's defense…fails!  She's killed!  Troll heals 1 point of damage!  Erevan reveals Order 2.  He moves back five spaces onto another higher outcropping, fires off with another blast.  He rolls 4 hits on 5 dice (+1 due to elevation)!!!   Troll defence…failed!  Takes four points of damage!  Troll reveals Order 2.  He lumbers up 4 spaces and tries to stick his dick in  Erevan's ear.  He rolls 3 hits on 6 dice!  Defense roll:  rolls 3 Shields (+1 die for higher ground!)  Only 1 damage. Troll heals 1 point of damage!  Ana’s Order is wasted.  Troll reveals Order 3 and crawls up 4 spaces to be on par with Erevan.  6 die attack:  three Skulls.  Defense:   failed, Erevan takes 3 points of damage.  Troll heals one! 

Round Six:  All Order Tokens on the Troll.  All Order Tokens on Erevan.   Initiative roll:  Adventurers 20, Troll 3.  

Erevan reveals Order 1.  He tries a 4-die fire blast, rolling 3 Skulls! Defense…rolls 1 Shield and is still alive!  Troll reveals Order 1 and lashes out with 6 die!  He scores two hits, Erevan's defense fails and the mage is eaten like a Boston Pizza chicken wing! 

Post Match Commentary: Wow, pretty crazy stuff.  Obvious tactical error is “splitting the party”, so to speak.  Both starting adventurers probably need to try and rescue Erevan together.  The Troll’s regeneration ability seems pretty insane when he’s solo.  It would be hard to overcome it even with three active characters.  I wonder if I played it right?

Still, with a bit of luck this can go either way.  Erevan rolled dynamite but he just couldn’t defeat the Troll alone.  I’d like to try this again soon.

So, with HeroScape now fresh in my mind, I was ready to host the game last Wednesday.  Since I potentially had four other people showing up (Andrew, Dean, Chad, and our newest pledge Mark), I intended to create one of the mega-maps from the core set.

But then, like a game group version of "Ten Little Indians", the numbers begin to drop off.  Mark was out first due to familial responsibilities (*Ppfffffttt!!!*).  Andrew had contracted the Andromeda Strain and I knew it had to be serious.  Andrew's kinda like the bugs in Starship Troopers; you can blow off one of his limbs and he's still 86 percent gaming effective.  Dean, on the other hand, blearily called me just before kick-off time and said:

"Um, yeah, seeing as it's ten to eight right now and I just woke up..."

But this isn't really a bad thing.  As people started to drop out, I began scaling down to the first scenario, which is perfect for two players.

Chad arrives and quickly assumes the mantle of the Troll, since it's only one character to control.  After a quick Headless Hollow tutorial, we're off to the races.

After reading and adopting the rule that two-space figures can just walk across water, Chad charges the Troll directly at me.  I try and split the offense and hope I don't get beat up too badly.  Tandros crosses one side of the river and is forced to go toe-to-toe with the beastie:

  
When Chad rolls his first attack he points out a major gaff that I made during the solo run.  The Troll's "Blood Frenzy" ability gives him extra attack dice only if his target is wounded, not if the Troll is hurt.  D'oh!  I though it was a "berserk-with-pain" and not a "piranha feeding frenzy" sorta deal.  Oh, well.    

Ana flanks the creature just long enough to try and get past him.  I try and keep Tandros in motion as well, but both of them take wounds as they try and run past. 

Tandros is killed before he can get back to the cage, but he buys Ana enough time to free Erevan.  The effort has her pretty beat up as well, not to mention caught in  terrible defensive spot.  As such, Chad's Troll then proceeds to gorilla-fuck her to death.

Erevan uses his fey step (which is sorta gay, but not in a bad way) to beam past the Troll, luring him back to the entrance.  I get super-lucky and manage to fry the fucking thing with two four-skull fireballs.

In Game Two Chad wisely keeps Ana and Tandros together as they try and maneuver past mein Troll.  Ana's healing ability actually keeps the beatstick alive.  At first I'm hoping that Chad runs out of time, but he manages to free Erevan just before he drowns.

So, for the first time ever, all three heroes are united against the evil Troll!

But Tandros has been pretty beat up by the effort.  Chad wisely tries to keep Ana close to him for some hot "lay-on-hands" action, but it just doesn't happen frequently enough.  My damage rolls aren't stellar, but without those healing rolls I eventually kill the stubborn little fuck.

Mercifully Ana's 2-die attacks are also like water off a big, scaly, green, regenerating duck's back.  She's also bloodied, so I keep hammering at her with the Troll's blood frenzy, dropping her quicker then a co-ed's tube top on Spring Break.

I start chasing that wily fuck Erevan around the board.  I do a slightly better job keeping the Troll within mangling range but this still doesn't prevent the Eladrin wiener from tea-bagging my Troll with a few  well-placed Fireballs to the mush.

So, two "Hero" wins, but with heavy losses.  All told, a pretty balanced scenario.

Okay, I clearly like the game, so now what?  I guess I'll just go ahead and pick up some of the D&D-flavored expansion packs.

Oh, wait...It's out of print?!?!?



Regardless of its fleeting availability, I've gotta give D&D HeroScape four pips outta six!