Don't Count a Good Monster Out! - "King of New York"

After picking up King of Tokyo around 2013, I quickly soured on the game's Temu versions of Godzilla and King Kong as well as its relatively shallow game play. In fact, I sold it as soon as King of New York came along, which - at the very least - seemed a bit more substantial.

Unfortunately, as soon as I cracked the box, I was stunned to see that the new monsters were somehow even more cheesy and infantile than the ones included in the original game. 

I mean, c'mon...lookit dese fuggin' jabronis:

When deeper / official-Toho-branded diversions came along, King of New York began to languish on my shelf for extended periods of time. It didn't help that some of the game's rules were kind of confusing, resulting in it being tabled even less than its simpler predecessor. Ergo, I've had this one in my "possible sell" pile for quite some time.

However, after picking up (and enjoying) King of Tokyo: Godzilla, I thought I'd take a fresh look at it. 

Here's the game's weigh-in right from Iello's webzone:

"King of New York takes the basic principles of King of Tokyo and adds a host of new features. Roll the dice, use tactics and make the right combination. Trampling all the city’s districts and destroying buildings will earn you points. But watch out for military units firing on you with every “OUCH” face you roll. Attract the spotlight and win the title of Superstar. Or become the city’s defender alongside Lady Liberty.

"The first to reach 20 victory points or stay alive will be declared King of New York!"

Want the full ringside color commentary for this kaiju slug-fest? Then follow this link for the blow-by-blow description!

***

EXAMPLE OF PLAY

Instead of using the crap monsters included in the game, I brought the Toho crowd in for this play-through. NOTE: "Evolutions" are included in King of Tokyo Godzilla as well as the King Kong Expansion Pack, but are not included in King of New York. 

Kong and Godzilla start in Staten Island, King Ghidorah in Brooklyn, Rodan in Queens and both Mothra and Hedorah begin in the Bronx.

ROUND ONE

Kong's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Gets Celebrity x 2, Destruction x 2, an Ouch! and a Heal. Keeps the Celebrity.

Second Roll: Gets one Celebrity, an Attack, a Destruction and an Energy. Keeps the Energy and the Celebrity.

Third Roll: Gets another Energy and an Attack.   

2. Resolve the Dice 

Kong gets one Veep for the "Superstar" Card and collects two Energy. Since no Monsters are in Manhattan, the Attack is ignored. 

3. Move 

Kong arrives in Manhattan, occupying the first 2-4 space and collecting a Veep for doing so! He's at two VP's and two Energy. 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Godzilla's Turn

Plays the "Rugged Armor" Permanent Evolution! 

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Attack x 3 and one each of Energy, Celebrity and Heal. Keeps the three Attack and the Energy.

Second Roll: An Attack and a Celebrity. Re-rolls the Celebrity. 

Third Roll: A single Ouch!

2. Resolve the Dice 

Kong takes a whopping four damage, putting him down to six! He then collects one Energy. Since there are no revealed Military Units in Staten Island yet, the Ouch! has no effect!  

3. Move 

Kong remains resolute so Godzilla marches into Lower Manhattan, taking the bottom 5-6 player space! This nets him his first VP!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

King Ghidorah's Turn

Plays the "Monster Zero" Permanent Evolution!

1. Roll the Dice

First Roll: Destruction x 3 and one each of Heal, Ouch! and Energy. Keeps the three Destruction. 

Second Roll: Attack x 2 and a Celebrity. Keeps the two Attack.

Third Roll: one more Attack!

2. Resolve the Dice 

Ghidorah uses his three Destruction to wreck a Power Plant which pivots to a Tank and nets him three Energy. Since three of a kind was rolled, his "Monster Zero" Evolution sparks a spare Energy for a total of four. (Note: the consensus on BGG is that this can only trigger once, despite rolling three Destruction AND three Attack) Kong and Godzilla take three damage each, the latter of which shakes off one damage thanks to his "Rugged Armor." He's down to eight and Kong is at a precarious three Health!

3. Move 

Kong vacates Manhattan and lopes into the Bronx. Godzilla sidesteps into his space and Ghidorah occupies the 5-6 Lower Manhattan spot, earning his first Veep for moving in!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Mothra's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Destruction x 2, and one each of Star, Ouch!, Energy and Attack. Keeps the Destruction, the Attack and the Energy.

Second Roll: Gets a Star and an Energy. Keeps the latter. 

Third Roll: rolls an Ouch!

2. Resolve the Dice 

The Ouch! has no effect because there are no Military Units...yet! Mothra inadvertently trashes a small Building for her first Victory Point, which becomes a Jeep! Spends the other Destruction to flatten another tenement (okay, I can forgive the first one, but this so-called "Protector of Earth" is officially on probation now!), resulting in another Veep (total of two) and another Jeep! Collects two Energy then spends "Night Flight" to get three more...now at five! One Attack each to Godzilla (at seven) and Ghidorah (at nine).  

3. Move 

Neither creature vacates Manhattan, so Mothra stays put!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Rodan's Turn

Starts by playing the "High Altitude" Permanent Evolution. 

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Attack x 3, Ouch! x 2 and a Heal. Re-rolls the Heal.

Second Roll: A Destruction is rolled. Re-rolls, hoping for a third Ouch!

Third Roll: Another Destruction!

2. Resolve the Dice 

Ouch! x 2...both Hedorah and Mothra take two damage each from the two Jeeps in the Bronx. Godzilla and King Ghidorah both take three points of damage each, putting them down to four and six points respectively! Finally Rodan uses his Destruction to annihilate a small Building for his first Victory Point.

3. Move 

Godzilla clears out to the Bronx and joins Kong, Ghidorah sashays over to the equivalent 2-4 space and Rodan wings into the first 5-6  Lower Manhattan space, gaining his second Victory Point. 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Hedorah's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Ouch! x 2, then one each of Attack, Heal, Energy and Destruction. Keeps the Heart and the Destruction.

Second Roll: One each of Attack, Energy. Destruction and Heal.  Keeps the Destruction and the Attacks and puts the Heal back into the available die pool.

Third Roll: Gets two Energy and a Star.

2. Resolve the Dice 

Eats a Jeep with the two Destruction and gets back up to ten Health! He then plays the Temporary Evolution "Wires in the City" to gain two bonus Dice Tokens! Picks up two Energy and damages both Ghidorah and Rodan for a point apiece, putting them at five and nine Health respectively! 

3. Move 

Knowing that he's unlikely to hold on for two more turns, Ghidorah flies off to sulk alone in Queens, Rodan segues to the 2-4 Lower Manhattan space and Hedorah occupies the 5-6 player Lower Manhattan spot, collecting its first Victory Point! 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

ROUND TWO

Kong's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Heal x 3 and one each of Energy, Celebrity and Destruction. Keeps all of the Hearts.

Second Roll: Dials up the exact same combo!

Third Roll: Nets an Ouch!, an Attack and an Energy. 

2. Resolve the Dice 

The Ouch! is ignored 'cuz there are no Military Units in Staten Island. After collecting one Energy, Kong Heals three points, putting him back up to six. The three Heal dice also trigger an Evolution so he takes the "Monkey Leap" Temporary Evolution, but doesn't use it yet! Then he Attacks both Rodan (now at eight) and Hedorah (nine Health) for one point each. With no "Celebrity" retained, the "Superstar" card yields nothing!

3. Move 

Both Monsters stay put...and so does Kong. 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn

Godzilla's Turn

Refreshes his "Rugged Armor" Evolution!

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Heal x 2 and one each of Attack, Energy, Destruction and Ouch! Keeps the two Hearts!

Second Roll: Gets one each of Energy, Ouch!, Attack and Heal. Keeps the Heal. 

Third roll: three Attack!

2. Resolve the Dice 

Godzilla claws his way back up to seven Health and triggers an Evolution! He picks up and immediately plays "Heat Ray" then clobbers both Hedorah (Health: two!) and Rodan (Health: four) for four points of damage each!  

3. Move 

This inspires another conga line whereby Rodan leaves for Brooklyn, Hedorah side-steps into the 2-4 Lower Manhattan spot and Godzilla occupies the 5-6 player space, bringing him up to two Veeps. 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

King Ghidorah's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: gets Attack x 4 (!!!), an Ouch! and a Heal. Keeps the three Claws and one Heal and re-rolls the rest.

Second Roll: A Destruction and an Ouch! Re-rolls them both.

Third Roll: An Ouch! and a Celebrity. 

2. Resolve the Dice 

Heals two points, one from the die and one for the three Attacks via "Monster Zero". He's back up to seven Health! Both Godzilla and Hedorah get pasted for three damage each (two for Godzilla thanks to his now-tapped "Armor"), putting the King of the Monsters at five Health and the smog monster at three! The lone Celebrity die does nothing. The Ouch! triggers an attack by the Jeep in Queens, so Ghidorah drops down to five Health!

3. Move 

Hedorah oozes off to Staten Island and Godzilla trundles over to the Bronx! Ghidorah takes possession of the 2-4 Lower Manhattan space, bringing his Victory Point total up to two!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Mothra's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Ouch! x 2 plus one each of Energy, Celebrity, Heal and Destruction. Keeps the Energy and the Heal and re-rolls everything else!

Second Roll: spins up one each of Heal, Destruction, Energy and one Ouch! Keeps the Energy and the Heal.

Third Roll: one Attack and one Destruction. 

2. Resolve the Dice 

Heals back up to full, gains two Energy and Attacks Ghidorah for a point! The one remaining Destruction isn't enough to trash anything.

3. Move 

With only four life left, Ghidorah clears out to Queens. Mothra swoops into the lowest 2-4 space, gaining a Veep and putting her at three!

4. Buy Cards 

Right on thematic point, Mothra buys the "Web Spinner" card for six Energy!

5. End Your Turn.

Rodan's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Heal x 2, Attack x 2 a Destruction and a Celebrity. Keeps the Hearts and Destruction.

Second Roll: One each of Energy, Ouch! and a Destruction. Keeps the latter. 

Third Roll: Destruction and a Claw.

2. Resolve the Dice 

Rodan regenerates two points, back up to six. He annihilates the Tank for three Veeps, putting him at five! Doesn't resolve the Attack, choosing instead to pick up a Die Token thanks to "High Altitude."  

3. Move 

Reluctantly takes the vacant 5-6 Lower Manhattan space, giving him six Veeps!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Hedorah's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

Throws in the two Dice Tokens, rolling eight in total!

First roll: Destruction x 3, Celebrity x 2, an Attack and an Ouch! Keeps the Health and the Celebrity.

Second Roll: Ouch x 2, a Destruction, a Celebrity and an Attack. 

Third Roll: Desperate to Heal, Hedorah re-rolls everything, save the one Heart and three Celebrity. Gets a Heart, two Attack and a Destruction.

2. Resolve the Dice 

Hedorah wrestles "Superstar" away from Kong and nets a Veep, now at two! Gets two life points back, but still only at four! He then destroys a small Building for another Victory Point, for a total of three. Finally the stanky blob smacks Mothra and Rodan for two points each!  

3. Move 

Rodan peels off towards Queens and Hedorah takes his place, going up for four Veeps for moving into Manhattan! 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A 

5. End Your Turn.

ROUND THREE

Kong's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Ouch! x 2, Celebrity x 2, an Attack and a Heal. Retains the Celebrity and the Heart.

Second Roll: One each: Celebrity (kept), Destruction and Energy.

Third Roll: Energy and Destruction.

2. Resolve the Dice 

Clearly jealous of the diverted attention, Kong gets his "Superstar" status back, putting him at three Veeps! He then recovers a point, going back up to seven Health. He then mashes a small Building, earning another Veep for a total of four! Finally, he gains one Energy. 

3. Move 

Shifts over to Brooklyn. 

4. Buy Cards 

Pays three Energy to wreck "Coney Island", gaining three more Veeps for a total of seven!

5. End Your Turn.

Godzilla's Turn

"Rugged Armor" refreshes!

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Heal x 2, Celebrity x 2 and one each of Ouch! and Energy. Re-rolls the latter two.

Second Roll: A Heal and an Energy. Keeps only the Hearts and re-rolls the other three dice.

Third Roll: Gets a Heart, a Destruction and an Attack. 

2. Resolve the Dice 

The Big "G" serves up two damage (+1 thanks to "Heat Ray") to Mothra (six Health) and Hedorah (two Health). Heals four points, back up to nine! This triggers a new Evolution...so he gains and immediately plays "Amphibious"! Unfortunately the Destruction die does nothing.  

3. Move 

Hedorah departs for Brooklyn, but - just as Godzilla goes to take his place - Kong "Monkey Leaps" past him into the 5-6 Lower Manhattan spot, gaining his eighth ("WONDER OF THE WOOOOOORLD!") Victory Point! Cheeky monkey! 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

King Ghidorah's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Ouch! x 2, and one each of Heal, Energy, Celebrity and Attack. Keeps the Heart and two Ouches!

Second Roll: Two Heal and a Destruction.

Third Roll: Re-rolls the Ouches! and gets a Heart and a Claw. 

2. Resolve the Dice 

Monster Zero heals four (back up to eight), triggers an Evolution and retains "Stomp From Above." He then employs his lone Destruction die to trample a small Building for a Veep and Attacks Mothra and Kong for one point of damage each, putting the giant ape at six and the Queen of the Monsters at five. 

3. Move 

Neither Monsters move but Ghidorah joins Hedorah in Brooklyn.

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Mothra's Turn

Since she managed to stay in Manhattan for an entire turn cycle, she picks up one Veep (at four) and a free Energy!

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Celebrity x 4 and two Heals! Keeps all of the Celebrity.

Second Roll: One Celebrity and a Destruction! Keeps the Celebrity. 

Third Roll: one Energy.

2. Resolve the Dice 

Takes the "Superstar" status away from Kong and gains two Veeps, now at six! Picks up one Energy.

3. Move 

Shifts into the 2-4 Midtown Manhattan slot!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Rodan's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

Spends his Extra Die Token to roll seven in total!

First Roll: Heal x 3, Destruction x 2 plus an Energy and an Attack. Re-rolls the Energy!

Second Roll: Another Energy. Re-rolls it.

Third Roll: Another Destruction! 

2. Resolve the Dice 

Rodan uses the three Heal to get back up to seven life. After eating a Jeep for another Health (now at eight), he trashes a small tenement with the third Destruction Die, gaining one Veep for a total of seven. Finally, he smokes Kong (at five) and Mothra (at four) for one point each.

3. Move 

Mothra flaps off to the Bronx and Kong takes the 2-4 space in his current zone. Rodan swoops into the 5-6 player spot in Lower Manhattan, scoring yet another point! He's currently tied with Kong with eight Veeps!  

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Hedorah's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Energy x 2, Celebrity x 3 and a Destruction. Re-rolls everything!

Second Roll: Ouch! x 3, Attack x 2 and a Destruction. Desperate for Healing (he's at two!), he re-rolls everything again!

Third Roll: Destruction x 3, and one each of Celebrity, Energy and Heal!

2. Resolve the Dice 

Hedorah melts a mid-sized Building in Brooklyn for two Destruction and goes up to six Veeps. Gets one measly Health from the die, putting the fiend back up to three. After earning one Energy (total of three), he wrecks a small Building for the last Destruction, putting him at seven Veeps. Unfortunately the lone Celebrity die is useless.  

3. Move 

No-one is leaving Manhattan so nuttin' moves dis blob.

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

ROUND FOUR

Kong's Turn

Having survived an entire turn cycle in Manhattan, Kong collects one Veep (for a total of nine) and one Energy, bringing him up to two.

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Attack x 2, Destruction x 2 plus one Celebrity and one Energy. Re-rolls the last two.

Second Roll: A Heal and a Celebrity. Re-rolls both.

Third Roll: An Energy and an Ouch!    

2. Resolve the Dice 

No Military Units in Manhattan = no Ouch! Kong picks up an Energy for a total of three and then dismantles a small Building with one Destruction for a Veep, now at ten! Unfortunately the remaining Destruction is stranded. Finally he metes out two damage to everyone outside of Manhattan! Health standings: Godzilla - eight (thanks to Rugged Armor), Ghidorah - six, Mothra - two, Rodan - six and Hedorah - one!

3. Move 

Trundles up to Midtown...with his eyes set on stomping Trump Tower into oblivion. 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Godzilla's Turn

"Rugged Armor" refreshes!

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Attack x 2, Energy x 2 plus one Ouch! and one Superstar. Keeps only the Attack!

Second Roll: Heal x 2, a Superstar and an Ouch! Re-rolls everything!

Third Roll: Destruction x 2, a Heal and an Energy!

2. Resolve the Dice 

With two Destruction he devours the Jeep for a Heal (at nine), +1 for the die (now ten), snags an Energy and then belts both Kong and Rodan for three points of damage (+1 thanks to the "Heat Ray"). 

3. Move 

The two occupants vacate Manhattan, with Kong and Rodan both fleeing to Queens. Godzilla takes up the 2-4 Lower Manhattan space and snags a Veep, putting him at three...tied with Ghidorah for last place! 

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

King Ghidorah's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Energy x 3 and one each of Heal, Superstar and Attack. Keeps the Energy, the Attack and the Heal.

Second Roll: Ouch!

Third Roll: Ouch! 

2. Resolve the Dice 

Gets three Energy (now has seven), Heals one for the Energy x 3 ("Monster Zero") and one from the die and goes up to eight, suffers two damage from the Ouch! (back down to six) and then deals a damage to both Godzilla (shrugged off by his now-tapped "Armor") and Rodan, who is at only two life!   

3. Move 

Rodan jets out, but Ghidorah catches him with "Stomp From Above" which finishes him off!!! This pulls Ghidorah into the 5-6 point Manhattan spot, earning him a Veep for a total of four!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A 

5. End Your Turn.

Mothra's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Attack and Destruction x 2 plus a Celebrity and an Ouch! Keeps the Destruction and chucks everything else.

Second Roll: One each of Ouch!, Heal, Energy and Attack. Keeps only the Heart. 

Third Roll: One each of Destruction, Claw and a Heart!

2. Resolve the Dice 

In a bit of a thematic departure, Mothra eats a Hospital (!!!) using three Destruction and heals three points, putting her back up to five. Gets two more life from the dice, now at seven. Deals one point of hurt each to Ghidorah (at five) and Godzilla (at nine). They both get Web Tokens! 

3. Move 

Both occupants of Manhattan stay in place, and so does Mothra.

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

Hedorah's Turn

1. Roll the Dice 

First Roll: Destruction x 3, Attack x 2 and an Energy. Keeps two Destruction.

Second Roll: One Heal, Celebrity x 2 and an Ouch! Holds onto the the Heal.

Third Roll: Tragically rolls one each of Energy, Celebrity and an Ouch!

2. Resolve the Dice 

Consumes a Jeep for one Health, up to two but the Heal Die makes it three. Gets one Energy, now has four. The Ouch! triggers, putting him down one point to two. The single Celebrity die, like the goggles, do nothing. 

3. Move 

No one shifts!

4. Buy Cards 

N/A

5. End Your Turn.

To be continued...?

***

REVIEW

THE GOOD

• All of the "Pros" I would ascribe to King of Tokyo apply here, but New York definately offers more "game." The dice don't have Victory Points, so you're really encouraged to break shit, snag the "Superstar" card and exploit the "Longest Road" / "Largest Army" path with "Lady Liberty." I love the two tracks for Manhattan, especially in a five to six player game. 
• I also dig the simple mechanic of wrecked buildings instantly becoming military units which then attack monsters via Ouch! results. Such a simple, nay elegant, way to simulate poking a wasp's nest with a stick.
• The Power Cards are really specific to New York and they legit crack me up. They also seem to be fairly straightforward and easy to interpret. 
• The Boroughs alone make King of New York feel more like a proper board game.

THE "BAD"

• Not really a "Con" and more of a warning. This game languished on my shelf for years just because I didn't take the time to properly digest how Movement, especially in conjunction with the different Boroughs and Manhattan. In my defense, one glance at the "Important Rules to Remember" section at the bottom of this post should convince you that there's a lot to it. However, if you actually take a moment to wrap your brain around this stuff, the reward is worth it.  
• Luck still plays a pretty big part of the game. For me, that's not a deal-breaker but I also know some folks despise this element in a board game. You just kinda hafta embrace the insanity. 

THE UGLY

• The included monsters suck like the Spaceballs Hoover. C'mon, why can't they be more like this guy:

Thanks to Iello, BTW, for giving us loyal Canadian customers our very own kaiju. Now, if we can just grow this phreak in a lab somewhere and sic it on Mar-A-Lago, we'll be all set.

***

Talk about a classic redemption story. I had this game up for sale and was even entertaining 

offers for it. But then King of Tokyo: Godzilla came along, gave me some decent monsters as well as Evolutions, so I decided to give ti another bash. 

And I'm so glad I did.  

Update: I played this a few days ago with a full compliment of six people and we all had an absolute blast! Vindicated!

So, at the eleventh hour, King of New York earns itself a reprieve! As such, I'm giving it four pips out of six with a HUGE tilt up towards that over-sized primate hanging out (on?) the one-hundred-and-third-floor Top Deck, simultaneously eating a banana and fisting Fay Wray!

Um, by that I mean he has her in his fis...oh, nevermind. 

 

***

BONUS: IMPORTANT RULES TO REMEMBER

• To prevent unnecessary timing confusion, follow the turn order carefully: 1. Roll the Dice 2. Resolve the Dice 3. Move 4. Buy Cards 5. End Your Turn.
• Step Three Movement Rules: No one is in Manhattan? You gotta move there! When you arrive, place your standee on the 2-4 Lower Manhattan space. If all Manhattan spaces are still occupied, you can either move to any borough that doesn’t already have two Monsters in it or just remain in your current borough. If you were already in Manhattan, advance to the next zone up along that track! If you were already in Manhattan, you can't move to another borough...unless you've been hurt by another Monster’s attack. Once you're in Upper Manhattan, you no longer move during the Move Phase.
• You can flush / buy any number of Power Cards so long as your Energy supply holds out. Flip a new card immediately when you buy one. 
• Attack (Claw) Dice results: Manhattan functions as Tokyo in the original game, with all three sections forming a single Borough. I.E if you're in Manhattan Attack dice injure all Monsters outside Manhattan. If you are not in Manhattan, Attack dice you roll deals damage to all Monsters in Manhattan. If there are no Monsters in Manhattan at the start of your turn, you don’t inflict any damage with Attack dice...it just gives you the authoritah to move in!  
• If you are hurt by Attack dice while in Manhattan, you may flee (to any Borough that doesn't already have two Monsters in it) and the rival that injured you must move into Manhattan during their Move action. This is this only way you can leave Manhattan. Note: You can only flee from damage caused by Attack Dice, not cards! When a Monster is eliminated by an attack while in Manhattan, the attacking Monster must move into Manhattan during their Move action.
• Remember to gain a Veep for moving into Manhattan and your residual Veeps / Energy (based on the space you occupy) when you begin a new turn in Manhattan.  
• Just like in the original game's Tokyo, you can't use Hearts to heal while in Manhattan.
• Spend Destruction dice to wreck Buildings and Military Units. Destroyed Buildings get flipped to their Unit side. If there are still Buildings in the stack you can wreck this newly revealed  structure if you have enough dice to do it. When you destroy a Military Unit, put it in front of you as a trophy. If you can destroy a Structure or Unit with your remaining dice, you must!
• Rolling three (or more) Stars earns you the Celebrity card, which gives you a residual Veep for as long as you hold it. It will be taken away by the next Monster to get three or more Stars.
• If you get stuck with a single Skull (Ouch!) die, you're attacked by the Military Units in your space, taking a point of damage for every Unit in your space. If you get two Skulls, all Monsters in your Borough take the damage. If you roll three Skulls all Monsters in the city take damage! 
• When you roll three (or more) Skulls, take the "Statue of Liberty" Card. As long as you possess it, you have an extra three Victory Points. You lose these three temporary points as soon as someone else rolls three or more Skulls and takes it away from you.

Optional 5-6 Player Advanced Rules

• Now a maximum of two Monsters can be stomping around in Manhattan! When a card or an effect targets the Monster in Manhattan, it affects all Monsters in Manhattan.
• If Manhattan has fewer than two Monsters during your move step, you must move into Manhattan.
• At the start of the game, when Manhattan is unoccupied, only the first Monster on the first turn must ignore their Attack Dice damage before they move in. If Manhattan is only occupied by one Monster at the end of a turn, the attacking Monster first deals its damage to the Monster in Manhattan, and then moves into Manhattan as well.
• When you move into Manhattan, if a rival Monster occupies the 2–4 space, you take bottom space of the 5–6 track!
• When you progress in Manhattan, you move along the same "track": I.E. if you are on 2–4, you will advance to the next 2–4; if you are on 5–6, you will advance to the next 5–6. 
• If the Monsters in Manhattan are attacked, the Monster on the 2–4 space will first decide if they  will flee. If they do, they go to the Borough of their choice that doesn’t already have two Monsters in it. Then the Monster on the 5–6 space track moves to the 2–4 space in his current zone, unless he also decides to flee.
• If the Monster in the 2–4 space is ganked, the Monster on the 5–6 space automatically shifts over to the corresponding 2–4 space in his current zone.
• As soon as fewer than five Monsters are left in the game, only one Monster can be in Manhattan from there on in. If there are still two Monsters in Manhattan, the one on the 5–6 space immediately moves out of Manhattan to the borough of his choice which doesn't have two Monsters in it.

Final Evolution: "King of Tokyo: Godzilla"

My obsession with Godzilla and kaiju in general is well on record, witness here, here and here for reference. Back in 2011, when King of Tokyo was first released, there really weren't very many "gargantuans-beat-ass" themed games, so I jumped on it right away.  

To my slight confusion, what I got was essentially "giant monster Yahtzee." What's worse: the serial-numbers-filed-off / cartoon-y / infantile character design, lack of distinguishing monster traits and shallow game play soon inspired me to sell it for the crunchier (but also problematic) King of New York, which I also hope to review soon.

Well, it only took fifteen effin' years for publisher Iello to finally bit the bullet and secured that sweet, sweet Toho licence, which finally evolved the game into it's proper final form: King of Tokyo Godzilla.  

Here's the game's Raymond Burr-style eye-witness account, right from the brave reporters at Iello: 

"The true King of Monsters is finally here!

"Toho’s legendary Kaijus clash in an epic battle to decide who will be the definitive King of Tokyo. Play as Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Hedorah, Rodan, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla.

"For those familiar with the original game, discover a new mechanic: 'Event cards' that affect all monsters. And for fans, yes, evolution cards are included!

"King of Tokyo: Godzilla is a family game with dice, cards, and smashes, inspired by the yams system.

"In King of Tokyo Godzilla, you play the legendary Toho's monsters of whom are destroying Tokyo and whacking each other in order to become the one and only King of Tokyo.

"At the start of each turn, you roll six dice, which show the following six symbols: 1, 2, or 3 Victory Points, Energy, Heal, and Attack. Over three successive throws, choose whether to keep or discard each die in order to win victory points, gain energy, restore health, or attack other players into understanding that Tokyo is YOUR territory.

"The fiercest player will occupy Tokyo, and earn extra victory points, but that player can't heal and must face all the other monsters alone!

"Top this off with special cards purchased with energy that have a permanent or temporary effect, such as the growing of a second head which grants you an additional die, body armor, nova death ray, and more.... and it's one of the most explosive games of the year!

"In order to win the game, one must either destroy Tokyo by accumulating 20 victory points, or be the only surviving monster once the fighting has ended."

Looking to do all the research required to build a fully functional Super X flying tank armed with Maser Cannons and Oxygen Destroyer bombs? Then click on the link to digest the full technical specs! 

***

GAME PLAYTHROUGH

ROUND ONE

Godzilla's Turn 

(1) Roll Dice

The King of the Monsters leads with his starting Permanent Evolution: "Heat Ray" which will deliver one extra damage on Claw attacks. (NOTE: I use "Claw" and "Smash" interchangeably here.) 

First Roll: a "3" , 2 x "2's", two Hearts and a Claw. Keeps the "2's"

Second Roll: produces 2 x "2", a "3" and a Claw. Keeps the "2's."

Third Roll: gets another "2" and a "1."

(2) Resolve Dice

With 5 x "2", he scores four points!

(3) Enter Tokyo

 (NOTE: In older versions of the game, a Monster had to roll a Claw to enter unoccupied Tokyo City at the very start of the game. Now, if no one is in Tokyo, you must enter Tokyo City and the Bay in that order of priority. In other words, the first player's standee will be placed on Tokyo City during Step Three.) 

He moves into Tokyo City...scoring another point for a total of five Veeps.

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gains one Energy.

(5) End Turn

King Ghidorah's Turn

(1) Roll Dice 

First Roll: a "1", a "2", two Energy and two Hearts. He sets aside the "2" and two Energy.

Second Roll: gets a Claw, a "1" and a "2."

Third Roll: re-rolls the last three results and scores two "1's" and a Heart. 

(2) Resolve Dice

Ghidorah collects two Energy.

(3) Enter Tokyo

Enters Tokyo Bay, gaining one Veep.

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gains one Energy for a total of three.

(5) End Turn

Hedorah's Turn

Plays "Pollution Spray", a Permanent Evolution.

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: 2 x "1", a "2" and 2 x "3" plus one Heart. Keeps the two "3's."

Second Roll: gets 2 x "2", an Energy and a '1." 

Third Roll: re-rolls everything from the last throw and gets one each of "3", "2" and '1" and an Energy. 

(2) Resolve Dice

Three Veeps from the 3 x "3" and one Energy.

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy for a total of two.

(5) End Turn

Rodan's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First roll: 2 x "1", a "2", a "3" and two Hearts. Retains the two "1's."

Second roll: gets a "1", a "2", a Claw and a Heart. Keeps the one "1" and the Claw. 

Third roll: Get's a "1" and a "3."    

(2) Resolve Dice

Gets two Veeps from the three "1's" plus the spare and deals one damage to Godzilla and Ghidorah, who both stay put. 

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy.

(5) End Turn

Mothra's Turn 

Plays "Caterpillar Form", a Permanent Evolution.

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: gets a "1", 2 x "2", a Claw and two Hearts. Locks in the "2's" and the Claw.

Second Roll: gets two "1's" and a "3."

Third roll: chucks everything except for the 2 x "2" and gets 2 x "3" and two Energy. 

(2) Resolve Dice

Picks up two Energy.

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one bonus Energy for a total of three.

(5) End Turn

Mechagodzilla's Turn

Plays the "Twin Mazers" Permanent Evolution.

(1) Roll Dice

First roll: 2 x "1", a "3", a Claw and two Hearts. Holds on to the 2 x "1" and the Claw. 

Second Roll: Gets 2 x "1" and a "3." Keeps the "1's."

Third roll: Re-rolls the "3" and gets an Energy.  

(2) Resolve Dice

Two Veeps from the 3 x "1" and the bonus. Gains an Energy then deals a point a damage to both Godzilla and King Ghidorah. Again both remain in place.

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Collect one Energy for a total of two. 

(5) End Turn

Two classic arch-rivals square off for control of Tokyo!

ROUND TWO

Godzilla's Turn

Collects two Veeps for hanging on for a full round! He's up to seven!

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: 2 x "3", two Energy, a Heart and a "1." Sets the two "3's" aside.

Second Roll: gets an Energy, one each of "1" and a "2" and a Claw. Keeps the Claw. 

Third roll: picks up a "3" and 2 x "1."

(2) Resolve Dice

Godzilla's "Heat Ray" kicks in and his one Claw deals an extra damage to all monsters outside the city, I.E. Hedorah, Rodan, Mothra and Mechagodzilla all go down to eight! 

He also gets three Veeps from the 3 x "3." He's already at ten!

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy for a total of two.

(5) End Turn

King Ghidorah's Turn

He picks up two Victory Points for holding onto the Bay for an entire turn cycle...he's now at three!

(1) Plays the "From Another World" Temporary Evolution and re-gains two Health...he's back up to full! (NOTE: although you can't use dice to heal in Tokyo, you can regain health with cards!) This also nets him two bonus re-rolls!

Roll Dice 

First Roll: a 2 x "3", two Energy and two Hearts. Keeps the two "3's."

Second Roll: scores a Claw, a Heart and two Energy. Keeps the Smash.

Third Roll: dials up an Energy, a "1" and a Heart. 

Fourth Roll: re-rolls the same three dice and gets a "3", an Energy and a "1." Keeps the "3."

Fifth roll: gets a "3" and an Energy.

(2) Resolve Dice

Ghidorah deals one point of damage to everyone outside of Tokyo, I.E. Hedorah, Rodan, Mothra and Mechagodzilla. They're all down to seven Health! Nets four big Veeps from the 3 x "3" and the spare, now at seven!

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Pays four Energy for "Alpha Scavenger", reducing his total to zero.  

(5) End Turn

Hedorah's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: 2 x "1", two Hearts and two Smashes. Retains the Claws.

Second Roll: gets a "2", an Energy, a Smash and a Heart. Keeps the Claws.  

Third Roll: 2 x "3" and a "2."  

(2) Resolve Dice

Three points of damage to both Godzilla (now at five) and King Ghidorah (down to seven). 

(3) Enter Tokyo

Godzilla leaves the City and Hedorah takes his place, scoring a a Veep, putting the ambulatory pile o' poo at four! 

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy, now at three.

(5) End Turn

Rodan's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First roll: 2 x "1", a "2", two Energy and a Smash. Keeps the 2 x "1" and the Claw. 

Second roll: Gets a "1", an Energy and a Heart. 

Third roll: turns up an Energy and a  "1."     

(2) Resolve Dice

Gets two Veeps from the 4 x "1" (putting Rodan at four), gathers up one Energy (now at two) and deals one damage to Hedorah and Ghidorah (both at six Health), who both stay put. 

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy, tally is three.

(5) End Turn

Mothra's Turn 

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: gets a "1", 2 x "3", a Claw and two Hearts. Keeps the "3's" and the Claw. 

Second Roll: gets a "1", a "2" and a Heart. 

Third roll: chucks everything except for the 2 x "3" and gets two Energy, a Smash, a Heart. 

(2) Resolve Dice

Picks up two Energy, for a total of five. Heals one damage, so she's back up to eight Health. She then delivers one damage to both Hedorah and Ghidorah (both now at five), but the defenders remain resolute.

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Pays five Energy for a "Neo Barrier", gaining her a Veep as well as two each of Energy and Hearts! She's back up to ten!

(5) End Turn

Mechagodzilla's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First roll: 2 x "2", a "3", a Claw and two Energy. Banks the "2's" and the Claw. 

Second Roll: Gets 2 x "3" and a "2." Keeps the "2." 

Third roll: Dials up a Smash and a Heart.  

(2) Resolve Dice

Two Veeps from the 3 x "2", putting the cyborg at four! It then inflicts two damage on both Hedorah and King Ghidorah, leaving both at three life! 

(3) Enter Tokyo

This time both occupants leave, letting Mechogodzilla reign solo over Tokyo City, scoring a Veep in the process and putting the robot's total at five! 

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Collects one Energy for a total of three. 

(5) End Turn

Mechagodzilla revels in his status as the sole "king of the hill." (photobomb courtesy of Hedorah)

ROUND THREE

Godzilla's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: 2 x "2", 2 x "1", a "3" and an Energy. Keeps the "2's."

Second Roll: Dials up a "2" and 2 x "3" and a "1." Keeps the "2." 

Third roll: picks up a "2", a "1" and a Heart.

(2) Resolve Dice

Godzilla gets three Veeps from the 3 x "2" plus the spare, putting them at thirteen! He also Heals one damage, putting him back to six.  

(3) Enter Tokyo

Since the Bay is unoccupied, he moves in, getting another Veep! He's way ahead with fourteen points!

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gains one Energy for a total of three. 

(5) End Turn

King Ghidorah's Turn

(1) Roll Dice 

First Roll: a 2 x "2", a "1", a "3", one Energy and one Hearts. Keeps the "2's" and the Heart.

Second Roll: Gets a Claw, a Heart and an Energy. Keeps the Heart.

Third Roll: re-rolls everything minus the two Hearts. Snags another Heart, a Smash and one each of  "2" and a "3." 

(2) Resolve Dice

Ghidorah deals one point of damage to Mechagodzilla (down to six) and the King of the Monsters himself, who's currently sitting at five health. He then heals three points, putting him back to six Health. 

With the three Hearts, Ghidorah draws two Evolution Cards and immediately plays the "Monster Zero" Permanent!

(3) Enter Tokyo

Godzilla departs and King Ghidorah wades into the Bay, scoring a point for a total of eight. 

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Picks up a free Energy.

(5) End Turn

Hedorah's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: 2 x "3", two Hearts and one each of "2" and a "1." Keeps the Hearts and the "3's." 

Second Roll: gets a "3" and an Energy. Re-rolls the latter.   

Third Roll: one Smash.   

(2) Resolve Dice

Heals two Damage (back up to five), scores three Veeps (at seven) and deals a point of damage to both Mechagodzilla (five) and King Ghidorah (five). 

(3) Enter Tokyo

Ghidorah leaves the Bay and Hedorah takes his place, scoring a a Veep for a total of eight! 

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy, now at four.

(5) End Turn

Rodan's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First roll: 4 x "1", a "3" and one Energy. Keeps all the "1's." 

Second roll: Gets a "3"and an Energy. Again. Re-rolls both. 

Third roll: gets an Energy and a "3." AGAIN.    

(2) Resolve Dice

Gets two Veeps from the 3 x "1" (plus the spare), giving the winged menace a total of six. He also gathers up one Energy to make for four. 

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy...now at five!

(5) End Turn

Mothra's Turn 

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: gets a "2", 2 x "3" and a whopping three Energy. Keeps the "3's." 

Second Roll: Rolls a "3", a "1", a "2"and a Heart. Keeps the "3." 

Third roll: Gets a "3", a "1" and a Smash! 

(2) Resolve Dice

Gets four Veeps from the 4 x "3", putting her at five. Does one damage to both Mechagodzilla (four) and Hedorah (four). 

(3) Enter Tokyo

Hedorah jets so Mothra flaps into the Bay, netting one Veep. She's currently at six Victory Points.

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Pays two Energy to play the "Easily Scared" Power Card. Every Monster takes a point of damage (Mothra: nine, Rodan: six, Hedorah: three, Ghidorah: four, Godzilla: four, Mechagodzilla: three) and then the card passes to Rodan. He triggers it again, putting Rodan at five, Hedorah at two, Ghidorah and Godzilla are at three, Mechagodzilla has only two and Mothra's down to eight! It then goes to Hedorah, who discards it because he's nearly dead! 

(5) End Turn

Mechagodzilla's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First roll: 2 x "2", a "1", two Energy and a Heart. Banks the "2's."  

Second Roll: Gets a "2" and one each of "1", Energy and a Smash. Keeps the "2." 

Third roll: re-rolls everything hoping to Claw some his weaker rivals outside of the City to death, but no such luck! Ends up with 2 x "1", a "2", a "3", an Energy and a Claw.  *Whomp-whomp*

(2) Resolve Dice

Everyone but Mechagodzilla and Mothra takes a point of damage. Rodan is at four, Hedorah one (!), with King Ghidorah and Godzilla both at a precarious two points! Picks up an Energy for a total of four. 

(3) Enter Tokyo

N/A

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Spends all four Energy for "Static Collector", regaining two Energy!  

(5) End Turn

"NO ONE CAN RESIST MOTHRA!!!"

ROUND FOUR

Godzilla's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: 2 x "1", a "3", two Hearts and an Energy. Keeps the Hearts. 

Second Roll: Dials up a "2", a Smash, a Heart and an Energy. Keeps the Heart and the Smash.

Third roll: picks up a "3" and another Heart.

(2) Resolve Dice

Godzilla gets four (!) Health back, putting him back up to six, and then - via the two points of damage (+1 for his Heat Ray) - he annihilates Mechagodzilla and wounds Mothra (she's now at six). Mothra graduates to the City. 

Also: with 3+ Hearts, Godzilla gets two new Evolution cards! He picks "Amphibious" and keeps it in hand.

(3) Enter Tokyo

Godzilla moves into the freshly-yielded Bay, gaining a Veep for a total of 15!  

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gains one Energy for a total of four. 

(5) End Turn

King Ghidorah's Turn

(1) Roll Dice 

First Roll: two Smashes, one Energy and two Hearts. Keeps the Claws and Hearts.

Second Roll: a "1."

Third Roll: a Claw!

(2) Resolve Dice

Ghidorah deals three points of damage to Mothra (down to three) and the Big "G", putting him at the same count. He then heals two points, putting him back up to four Health. 

(3) Enter Tokyo

Mothra and Godzilla both depart, and King Ghidorah marches into the City, scoring a point for a total of eight. 

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Picks up another free Energy, for a total of two.

(5) End Turn

Hedorah's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First Roll: two each of Hearts and Energy plus a rogue "3." Trying for a Hail Mary "Hedrium Attack", he keeps one of each different die face.  

Second Roll: gets a Heart, an Energy and a "3.". Pivots to only Hearts and re-rolls four other dice.    

Third Roll: one Smash.   

(2) Resolve Dice

Heals four Damage (back up to five) and triggers a new Evolution. He opts to go with the Temporary Evolution called "Sludge." 

(3) Enter Tokyo

Hedorah oozes into the vacant Bay, scoring a a Veep for a total of nine! Then "Sludge" is played and all other monsters loose two Hearts!  

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Gets one Energy, now at five.

(5) End Turn

Rodan's Turn

(1) Roll Dice

First roll: gets four (!) Claws, a Heart and a "2." Keeps everything but the "2."   

Second roll: gets a "2."

Third roll: gets Heart!     

(2) Resolve Dice

Both King Ghidorah and Hedorah get clobbered with four damage! This annihilates Monster Zero and reduces Hedorah to a single Health point! Rodan gains two Hearts and ramps back up to four!  

(3) Enter Tokyo

Rodan razes Tokyo City for one Veep, putting him at seven!

(4) Buy Power Cards or Gain one Energy

Buys "Tossing Cars" for four Energy, which causes every other monster not in Tokyo to lose one Health.

In one fell swoop, Godzilla, Mothra and Hedorah are all eliminated!

Rodan wins! 

Rodan triumphant!

***

REVIEW

Just for poops n' chuckles I thought I'd just copy and paste my old review from King of Tokyo and see what's really different and (hopefully) improved here. Commentary in parentheses. 

PROS

• Innovative gameplay feels like a mash-up between a "King of the Hill" Halo match and Zombie Dice. (Interesting - tho now very dated - references. Whenever I sell the game now to potential players I use the aforementioned "giant monster Yahtzee" pitch.)
• Rules are clear, concise and very easy to teach. (Agreed, though there are some additional rules and changes to previous editions of the game, as noted in the final "Important Rules to Remember" section.)
• Games are fast and furious and never seem to drag.  We easily played four matches in three hours and still had time for some other quick games. (This still holds up. I never intended to do a full game playthrough for this one, but the turns were so breezy I wanted to see who won.) 
• The variable card powers add a decent amount of replay value. (Yup. Add in Events and Evolutions and you finally have just enough chrome for a game like this.) 
• Our four games are clearly indicative of several perfectly valid strategies.  Do you stay out of the fray and let every one else beat the snot out of each other?  Do you invest heavily in creature augmentation and go for surgical strikes?  Or do you march right into Tokyo bold as brass and start chuckin' knuckles? (Ditto.)     
• The components are fantastic.  As some point in time you may find yourself compelled to pull a Pac-Man and gobble up a handful of those green Energy cubes. (This praise is even more valid for the Godzilla version. I love the "City" and "Bay" tiles, the wooden Energy, Dice and stands and the stupendous Showa-era artwork. This is the way I've wanted the game to look since 2011.) 

CONS

• Some of the card text is a bit vague, leading to misinterpretation. Combining several of these effects together can also result in some big-time head-scratchery. (Even though I didn't have any real issues interpreting the text on the Power Cards during the session play-through, I'm sure that there are some cards in the mix that might be a tad confusing. Perhaps a more apt complaint is that Power Cards aren't created equal, with some that seem woefully weak and others that are baffingly OP. But, I suppose a case can be made that recognizing a good card at the right time is a sound part of the game's strategy. Also: delineating the steps of a turn - roll dice, resolve dice, enter Tokyo, buy a card / get Energy - has made the game a lot more intuitive.)
• Although King of Tokyo is a lungful of fun, I'd still prefer an Ameritrash-style simulation.  I wanna wade my official Toho-brand monster miniature through tiny high-tension wires and buildings, whilst tearing up bridges and sticking trains and buses in my toothy maw.  I wanna char tanks and the national guard with my atomic breath and gobble down populace units like Pez.  In other words I want the handsome and brilliant love child of The Creature that Ate Sheboygan and Godzilla: Kaiju World Wars.  Get on that, Fantasy Flight! (Sadly, I still haven't gotten this dream game yet. Funko / Prospero Hall flirted with the concept via Godzilla: Tokyo Clash, but that game had it's own issues. I remain eternally optimistic.)    
• Except for the monster power ups, there's really not much variety to the game at all. (With the addition of Events and Evolutions, this pain point has been offset a little bit. Even though no Events showed up in my demo game, I'm just glad new avenues exist.) 
• As a kaiju nut, I just wish the game's art design wasn't quite as goofy. (Fixed. There's no stupid robot cats or giant apes with cybernetic implants or penguins with freeze guns. Just classic Toho goodness...and I couldn't be happier.) 

Finally, King of Tokyo is no longer a pretender. With the addition of the Big G and his noted rivals, much-needed rules clarifications, the introduction of game-altering Events and thematic abilities via Evolutions, the game has reached its true zenith.

As such, King of Tokyo: Godzilla scores four pips out of six with a big ol' tilt up towards King Kong's hairy nutsack.

BONUS: IMPORTANT RULES TO REMEMBER

• In this version of the game you can discard as many as two Dice Tokens that you've earned to roll an equal number of Black Dice, to a maximum of eight dice. The decision to spend Dice Tokens must happen before your first roll.
• A Monster can only yield Tokyo from Claws on dice, not Power Cards.
• Since no Monster starts the game in Tokyo, Claws rolled on the first play have no effect.
• In older editions of the game, the first Monster to roll a Claw enters Tokyo City in top priority and then the Bay. Now, if no one is in Tokyo, you must enter Tokyo City. Ergo, the first player's standee will be placed on Tokyo City during Step Three. 
• With 5-6 players: if the City is Occupied, but the Bay is empty, you must enter the Bay during Step Three of your turn. For the purpose of game / card language, Monsters in both the City and the Bay are considered to be "in Tokyo." Both spaces have the same game effect.
• Once the player count drops to four or below, you must leave the Bay immediately, graduating to the City instead if it's unoccupied. 
• Optional two player variant: instead of Victory Points you get one Energy for moving into Tokyo and one Energy if you begin your turn there.
• You can buy as many Power Cards as you can afford during Step Four of your turn.
• If you use two Energy to sweep the current Power Card market, it doesn't discard the Events!
• If you don't want to (or can't) buy a Power Card, gain one Energy.
• When revealed, Events have their game effect and continue to do so until purchased. When this happens, resolve the Discard effect.
• Evolution Cards: At the start of the game shuffle all eight cards, draw two, keep one and discard the other. In future rounds, if you get three Hearts, use them for healing as per normal, but also draw two more Evolution Cards, keep one and discard the other. You still get to draw Evolution cards in Tokyo. If you deck is empty, reshuffle the discarded cards to make a new draw deck. Keep your Evolution Cards in hand and play them when you want to, even on someone else's turn!         

Samdemic: "The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship"

While I recognize that Pandemic helped to turn co-operative games into its own mega-genre, I also got rid of my copy a few years ago mainly because, for some inexplicable reason, I got sick of hearing the word "pandemic." Oh, and also because I felt less like a member of the CDC battling virulent diseases all across the globe and more like I was cynically trying to manipulate a series of stringent (though admittedly innovative) game mechanics.

Later iterations improved the experience for me somewhat. The Legacy version felt more thematic, Fall of Rome elegantly simulated barbarian invasions and Clone Wars was, well, Star Wars. Mediocre Star Wars mind you, but still more engaging to me than "oh, no...the bird flu is thundering through Mongolia again!"  

As good as they were, I was never seriously swayed to buy any of them. Something was missing... something preventing me from becoming truly invested in the...

Ruh, roh.

Hey, in my defense, I did play it before buying it sight unseen this time. 

Well, more like I put it on indefinite order a year ago only to have it finally come in back on the 12'th of August. Of course, it had to arrive right smack dab in the middle of The Hobbit pre-release, so - needless to say - my finances are currently getting beaten like a goblin's mule right now. 

Despite being up to my boobs in Bifurs, Bomburs and Bofurs, I took some time to re-familiarize myself with Fate of the Fellowship and bring you this play-through and review. But first, here's Gandalf's "call to adventure" elevator pitch right from the wizards at Z-Man Games:

"The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship is a cooperative game for 1-5 players where each player controls 2 characters, lending their unique abilities to protect Frodo, battle enemies in pivotal locations, and evade the menacing Nazgûl and Sauron’s searching Eye. Each play presents new challenges every time with 24 different objectives, 14 events, and 13 playable characters. Never miss an opportunity to get it to the table with the included solo mode designed by Matt Leacock."

Looking for the account of Isildur to determine the true nature of THE ONE RING? Then venture into the library of Minas Tirith and click on the following magical scroll to have all your answers revealed! 

***

EXAMPLE OF PLAY

I used all of the suggested first game set-up instructions, I.E.: 

• For Characters I used Frodo and Sam with Eowyn and Legolas.
• For Objectives I tabled "Attain the Blessing of the Elves", "Saruman, Your Staff is Broken", "Challenge Sauron" and "Destroy the One Ring."
• I included only four "Skies Darken" Cards.

 TURN ONE

1) Still in the Shire, Frodo and Sam Prepare, turfing the Gondor Card to generate one Stealth. They Prepare two more times (spending Haradwaith and Rohan) and pick up two Resistance Tokens. Finally they spend their Stealth to sneakily Travel from the Shire to Bree.

With only one Action to spend, Legolas moves from the Woodland Realm to Old Forest Road

2) They draw two cards.

3) A Shadow Card is drawn. The newly-revealed card on the draw pile shows a Red Banner, so the top part of the drawn card activates, moving troops from Nurn to Erebor along the blue-green "S" line. One Troop goes from Dol Gildur to Southern Mirkwood, two march from Barad-Dur to Udun and then four travel from Nurn to Gorgoroth.

The second Shadow Card reveals a Black Banner underneath, which activates the bottom of the card. A new Shadow Troop appears in Nurn. a Nazgul in Rhudaur (I.E. the "closest to Frodo outside of his region") moves into Eriador and the Ring Wraith in the Misty Mountains slinks into Enedwaith. 

TURN TWO

1) Merry and Pippin Travel to meet Sam and Frodo in Bree. 

Stuffed on "Lembas Bread", Eowyn now has six (!) actions to work with. She moves from Edoras to Helm's Deep and then the Fords of Isen, bringing the two Troops guarding these places along with her. She still has four actions left, so she Musters four times! Thanks to her Special Ability, whenever she Musters at a Rohan location, she doesn't need to spend Friendship! 

2) They draw two cards.

3) The Shadow Card turns up a Red Banner next...moving Troops anywhere along the purple criss-cross route from Nurn to Helm's Deep! Two Troops go from Minas Morgul to South Ithilien, four go from Gorgoroth to Minas Morgul and one travels from Nurn to Gorgoroth. 

The Shadow Card reveals a Black Banner underneath, so a Shadow Troop appears in Dunland and two Nazgul move closer to Frodo! The one in Enedwaith moves into Eriador and the one in Gondor wings up to Enedwaith.

TURN THREE

1) Legolas uses an Action to generate a Stealth Token, then Travels to Rivendell for two more Actions, spending the Token to go from Carrock to Rivendell. For his final Action he Prepares by discarding the Haradwaith card to gain one Stealth. 

Frodo and Sam move to the Weather Hills, but they don't have any Stealth, so a Search roll occurs. Three "Weary" results (one with a "Reveal") turn up! To try and mitigate this, they spend their two Resistance Tokens to re-roll, turning one into a "Slip By" and the other becomes a "Recall"! Hope drops by one and a Nazgul returns to Mordor!

2) They draw two cards and play one of them: "Conflicting Orders", which sends the entire Isengard army charging headlong into the Fords of Isen! A battle isn't triggered...yet! But it's coming!

3)  A Black Banner is revealed again, so a Shadow Troop is added to Umbar and the Eye of Sauron moves to Frodo's region in Rhudaur.   

A Red Banner pops up next, moving Troops along the yellow arrow path between Nurn and Minas Tirith. That shifts two armies from Udun to North Ithilien and one Troop from Gorgoroth to Mount Doom.

TURN FOUR

1) Eowyn spends an Action to Attack the approaching Shadow Army, which shifts the Eye of Sauron to Rohan! She rolls three dice, gets one "Overrun" and two "Nazgul." She loses one Troop, since the Fords of Isen isn't a Haven. She does another Attack Action and this time gets a "Rout" and two "Exchanges"! After these casualties are applied, there's two Rohirrim and two Shadow Troops left. Third Attack action: she dials up a "Rout" and an "Exchange." The warriors of Rohan defeat the invading army! For her final Action, Eowyn throws out the Mirkwood Card to generate one Valor.

Merry and Pippin use their one Action to get a Friendship Token.

2) Two Cards are drawn.

3) A Red Banner card shifts Troops along the light green dashed path between Dunland and Rivendell. That moves them into Hollin! 

The next card (another Red Banner) moves Shadow Troops along the yellow arrow line between Rhun and Minas Tirith. Two armies enter Osgilaith from North Ithilien (putting them on the doorstep of Minas Tirith!) and a whopping five troops travel from Rhun to Dagorlad. 

TURN FIVE

1) Frodo moves from Weather Hills to Hollin, leaving the Nazgul back in Eriador. Unfortunately, there's three Shadow Troops there, so a Search is imminent. Instead of rolling, Frodo decides to use his special ability to "Put on the Ring." One Hope is lost, and the Eye is already in his area! They then move from Hollin to Rivendell. With their last two Actions they Prepare twice, generating two Friendship by discarding both Haradwaith and (more importantly) Rhudaur. This last play generates a bonus Token thanks to "Elrond's Support."

Legolas spends his single Action to get another Stealth Token. 

2) They pick up two cards. 

3) The first Shadow Card activates the Black Banner and sees a Shadow Troop appear in Near Harad. Then three Nazgul move from Mordor to Rhudaur! 

The second draw triggers another Black Banner action. A Troop is deployed in Dunland and two Nazgul in Eriador begin to wing off to Rhudaur but Merry and Pippin spend a Friendship to "Distract" them back!

TURN SIX

1) Eowyn dumps her Gondor and Rohan Cards for two Valor, moves into Isengard with her one remaining Troop and then uses her last Action to spend three Valor to Capture it and make it a Haven. The Hope Track goes up by two! This completes the "Sauron, Your Staff if Broken" quest and Eowyn collects a Resistance Token for her efforts! Finally, the Eye of Sauron diverts to that region!

Merry and Pippin use their one Action to Travel from Bree to Tharbad.

2) Two cards are drawn: "Elven Cloaks and Rope" and "Skies Darken." The latter bumps up the Threat level by one. The Eye is not in Frodo's location, so the loss of Hope is ignored. Three Shadow Troops are added to Dorwinion. The Shadow Cards are then shuffled and put back on top of the draw pile!

3) The first Shadow Card moves Troops along the criss-cross purple route between Nurn and Helm's Deep. This shifts two Shadow armies from Osgiliath to Minas Tirith, which initiates a battle! Two Troops in South Ithilien move into Osgiliath and finally the horde in Minal Morgul pours into South Ithilien.

The battle results in a Rout (a loss of one Shadow Troop) and an Exchange, which is one for one! The Gondorians barely hold on!

The next draw results in a Black Banner consultation. A new Shadow Troop spawns in Dunland and two Nazgul divert back to Frodo from Eriador.        

To be continued? 

***

REVIEW

THE GOOD

• The game's aesthetics are completely off the chart. In an age where blinged-out IP titles routinely sell for $129.99, it blows me away that this sucka was under $90. Especially when you consider how 'luxe the cards, board, character figures, l'il die cut Troop meeples, dice and tokens are. Oh, and dat tower...sooo extra! I love it!
• Fate of the Fellowship feels like a "greatest hits package" of all the things that worked well from previous versions of Pandemic. The Shadow Cards and Battle Lines do a great job introducing new threats to the board and drive home the theme that Free People are a fragile bulwark against the inexorable tide of evil. 
• Between thirteen different Characters and twenty-freakin'-four different Objectives, the replayability is completely off the charts. 
• By tweaking the Characters, Objectives and "Skies Darken" cards, you can easily make the game as challenging as you want.  
• The Character special abilities are thematic on point. Not everyone is created equal, which is also part of the fun. 
• Certain game mechanics, like the elegant use of the Nazgul, actually evokes shades of my beloved War of the Ring. 
• I love how you discard cards at Havens to earn Tokens to help you in the game. Friendship lets you raise Troops, Valor nukes enemy units in battle and flips Shadow Strongholds into Havens, Stealth lets Frodo avoid Nazgul Searches and Resistance lets you re-roll any unfortunate dice results.
• The rulebook is very well crafted and answers are easily found. Also, if you have any previous Pandemic history, you already have a leg up on this version of the game. The copious illustrated examples of key concepts are also most welcome! 
• Some games are a chore to play solitaire, but I think this one would be a legit pleasant experience.

THE BAD

• Um, not much, TBH.

THE UGLY

• Sorry, but we gotta talk about the board. Personally, I don't have an issue with it, but I know some tenderfoot gamers are gonna take one look at this nightmare of art design and immediately tap out. You've got (*takes deep breath*) Troop storage spaces, Havens, Regions, Normal Locations, Special Paths, Battle Lines, Normal Paths, the Hope Track, Shadow Deck spaces, Muster Locations, Shadow Strongholds, Shadow Locations and spots for the Player Deck and Discards. Because it's so busy-looking, some folks will have a Balrog of a time trying to distinguish between the subtle color / pattern differences of the Battle Lines, for example.

***

With Fate of the Fellowship, I finally own the Pandemic-style co-op game of my dreams. This may be inconceivable for some to hear, but I'm kinda tempted - One-Ring-style, yo - to put this on the same tier as my beloved War of the Ring. Is it as good as that game? No. Does it do enough right to warrant a perfect score, along with that hallowed classic? Yes.   

As such the game scores a perfect six pips out of six!

***

BONUS: IMPORTANT RULES TO REMEMBER

• You can only Muster at Locations marked with the appropriate faction symbol, not Normal Locations.
• Attacks and Captures by a player shift the Eye of Sauron to that Location. 
• Don't have the matching token for a Special Path? "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!"
• You can only Prepare in a Haven.
• The card you give or take during a Fellowship Action must match the location both characters are standing in. 
• Roll a Search whenever Frodo does a Travel action by himself or another Character Travels and brings him along. This can be mitigated by spending Stealth. 
• Remember, Searches are done based on the destination Frodo is Travelling to, not where he's coming from!        
• Only defending in Havens prevents the loss of Friendly Troops on an Overrun die result.
• Starting on a space with Shadow Units or moving through enemy units does not automatically trigger a Battle. You have to spend an Attack Action to begin a combat.
• Always draw Shadow Cards according to the current Threat Rate.  
• You can roll dice up to the number of Troops present in a battle to a maximum of three dice. 
• When losses are inflicted in a location with friendly Troops from different factions, the current player decides which ones go. 
• After spending Resistance to re-roll, you can spend more to re-roll again. 
• Player Cards can be used by either of your two Characters.
• You can't play an Event in the middle of a Shadow Card resolution.
• Hope can be lost from Weary or Exposed Search results, the Eye happens to be in Frodo's region when a "Skies Darken" is drawn (-2), the Shadow conquer a Haven (-3), -1 for every Shadow Troop that can't be placed on the board (because the supply pool is empty) and -1 for every Player Card you can't draw because the deck is depleted.  
• Shadow reinforcements are never added to Havens. 
• Advance Shadow Troops even if they are currently in a space with enemy troops. 
• Shadow Troops currently at the end of a Battle Line will still roll a battle.