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. 
• 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.
• Always draw Shadow Cards according to the current Threat Rate.  
• You can roll dice up to the number of Troops present in a battle. 
• 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.

   

When the Chit Hits the Fan: "Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! Operation Barbarossa 1941"

At least three distinctly different board-gaming revolutions have occurred during my lifetime, namely role-playing games (starting in 1974), collectible card games in 1993 and then the rise of Ameritrash / Eurogames in the late 90's / early 2000's. 

But one notable trend proceeded my existence, kicking off around 1954 with embryonic Avalon Hill's first offering: Tactics. This seminal release ushered in the fad of modern hobby wargaming. 

Pre-internet attention spans ensured that wargaming was still very much alive by the time I became aware of the hobby around 1980. One of my fondest childhood memories is of my Dad pulling me out of school on a Friday afternoon to go to Corner Brook on "business", a ritual I detailed right here.

And here's the part of that story that actually relates to today's topic:

"The highlight (of going to Corner Brook was) a trip to the Valley Mall. (The hobby shop chain) Leisure World had a back shelf well-stocked with Avalon Hill wargames like Squad Leader and Panzerblitz..."

As a burgeoning World War II buff, these titles really piqued my interest, but I also had the wherewithal to realize that those SPI and Avalon Hill boxed sets were waaaay too advanced for my pre-pubescent brain. Fortunately, encountering The Complete Book of Wargames at my local library helped me navigate through this daunting minefield; a fun experience which I recount right here and here. 

Fast forward to around the mid-to-late 2000's. With thirty years worth of board game evolution bleeding into the venerable war-gaming hobby, we got slick, card-driven fare like Combat Commander: Europe, which - to this day -  is still one of the most memorable gaming experiences of my entire life.   

Another next generation / "this ain't yer (grand)Daddy's ASL" is Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! – Russia 1941-42, first released in 2008. Still obsessed with those Avalon Hill games of yore and on the hunt for an entry level squad-level WWII combat experience that took me beyond Memoir '44, I bought this one right out of the gate.    

After futzing around with the game solitaire style, I could definitely tell that it was something very special. Unfortunately, because we usually have 3-6 attendees for every game night, opportunities to table two-player games are few and far between. 

(* pssssttt * I'll let you in on a little secret: my recent blogging meta goal of late is to "tame" some of the more complicated games in my library, mainly by recording an extended example of play as well as a summary of "easy to forget" rules. That way, I can prep them a lot quicker and - in turn - have some juicy options in the hopper if game night collapses down to just me and one other opponent.)   

So impressed was I by the core mechanics of COH, I immediately sold off my first edition and leapt on the second, which followed four years later. Apparently a third edition came down the pike in 2019, but - based on some cursory research - the differences are nominal, so I think I'll just stick with what I've got.

And what exactly makes this game different from the why-does-this-rule-book-read-like-a-legal-document fare that proceeded it? Well, here's the game's description on Board Game Geek:

"Awakening the Bear is the first game in the multi-award winning Conflict of Heroes series. In it, players control individual squads and tanks to resolve the same tactical dilemmas and decisions that commanders faced during some of the most ferocious engagements of WWII.

"CoH features a fast and fluid system that is easy to learn but realistic to all of the unique theaters of battle portrayed.

"Fun: Quick simultaneous play allows players to interact without waiting.

"Easy: Teach a new player how to play in under 5 minutes. No charts!

"Historically Accurate: Portrays realistic forces and tactics.

"Counters: Depict individual vehicles, airplanes, guns, squads and more."

If any of you armchair generals out there still need the full order of battle, just click on the following link to see the entire rules dossier!   

***

EXTENDED EXAMPLE OF PLAY

Firefight 1 - Partisans (Including the use of Action Cards)

ROUND ONE

As per the scenario details, the Germans have the Initiative.

Light Machine Gun (LMG) 34 # 10 Activates and moves into I3. Russian Rifle '41 # 3 Activates and moves to K13. 

LMG 34 # 10 moves into I4. Russian Rifle '41 # 3 moves to K12. 

LMG 34 # 10 moves into I5. Russian Rifle '41 # 3 moves to K11.  

LMG 34 # 10 moves into I6. Russian Rifle '41 # 3 ducks into K10, behind the light woods. 

LMG 34 # 10 spends two Action Points (henceforth abbreviated as AP's) to fire at Russian Rifle #1 at F13, Range of 7. Attack Rating (AR) 4 + roll of "6" = 10 versus Defense Rating (DR) of 12...a miss! Russian Rifle '41 # 3 enters the K9 light woods. 

LMG 34 # 10 spends one AP and one Command Action Point (CAP from here on in) to fire at Russian Rifle #1 at F13 again. Range of 7. AR 4 + roll of "5" = 9 versus DR of 12...another miss! Unit is now Spent and gets flipped. Russian Rifle '41 # 3 sneaks through Light Woods to reach K9.

LMG 34 # 9 Activates and moves into F3. Russians spend their "Rapid Deployment" card to move their #1 Rifle Unit two hexes into the cover of Light Woods at F11. 

LMG 34 # 9 moves into F4. Russian Rifle '41 # 3 fires at LMG 34 # 10 by spending 3 CAP's (down to 4) to supplement its remaining AP to do so. Now Spent, the chit gets flipped. Range is 3. AR 3 + roll of "1"0 = 13 versus DR of 12 +1 for Light woods = 13. Since ties succeed, a Hit Tile is drawn and the Defender is "Panicked!"   

Germans play "Rally Up!" on the Panicked LMG 34 # 10...but the roll of "6", so the attempt fails. Russian Rifle squad #2 Activates and moves into the Light Woods at H11.

LMG 34 # 9 moves into F5. Russian Rifle squad #2 fires at Panicked LMG 34 # 10 (-4 AP's), AR 3 + roll of "6" = 9 versus DR of 12 +1 for Light woods -2 for Panic = 11...miss! 

LMG 34 # 9 moves into F6. Russian Maxim Medium Machine Gun (MMG) # 17 is Spent to take an Opportunity Action and fire at LMG 34 # 9. Range of 6 is fine. AR 3 + roll of "6" = 9 versus DR of 12...miss!    

LMG 34 # 9 spends 2 AP to move into G7's Heavy Woods then Pivots to face F8. Russian Rifle squad #2 fires at Panicked LMG 34 # 10 (spending remaining 2 AP's and 2 CAP's, down to 2). Now Spent.  AR 3 + roll of "7" = 10 versus DR of 12 +1 for Light woods -2 for Panic = 11...miss! 

Germans spend their "Command Action" card to try and Rally the Panicked LMG 34 # 10...but a "4" is a failed die roll. Russians Activate Rifle Unit # 1 and move them into F10.

The Germans spend 5 CAP's (now at 0) to try and Rally their still-Panicked LMG 34 # 10...roll is "9"...success!The Hit Token goes back into the draw pool! (NOTE: remember that units get positive Rally mods for terrain and allies in the same hex!) Russian Rifle Unit # 1 spends four AP's to fire at LMG 34 # 9, Range is 3.  AR 3 + roll of "9" = 12  versus DR of 12 +1 for Light woods = 13...miss!

LMG 34 # 9 fires at Russian Rifle Unit # 1. Range of 3. AR 4 + roll of "8" = 12 versus DR of 12 but +1 due to Light Woods...another miss! Russian Rifle Unit # 1 spends two AP's (and their last two CAP's) to fire at LMG 34 # 9, Range is 3. AR 3 + roll of "3" = 6  versus DR of 12 +1 for Light woods = 13...miss! This unit is now Spent.

It's just German units left now! After LMG 34 # 9 is Spent, Rifle Unit # 2 uses all 7 AP's to reposition from E2 to H7, which required moving through two Heavy Woods hexes. They end their movement facing towards G8. 

German Rifle Unit # 2 runs from H2 to G7 9 (via G5) for seven AP's to join up with LMG 34 #9. 

Both factions pass so the the round ends. The Russians score a Victory Point for retaining the Objective and the Round Marker advances.

ROUND TWO   

All Spent Units flipped to Fresh. Germans back to 6 CAP's. Russians to 7. Both factions get one new Action Card. The Russians get two new Rifle Units (#5 and #6), which enter the map at F18 and G18 respectively. 

Initiative: the Germans spend a CP (down to 5) to add +1 to their Initiative Roll and the Russians add +2! German roll "10" + 1 = 11. Russians "8" + 2 = 10. The Germans go first!

The Germans play "Swift Action" for one CAP (down to 4). Their # 2 Rifle Unit surges up two hexes (using 2 AP's), capturing the Objective Hex! Russian Rifle Unit # 1 responds with a pot shot at them! Russian Rifle Unit # 1 spends four AP's, Range is 1.  AR 3 + roll of "9" + 3 Short Range! = 15 versus 12. The resulting hit causes the Germans to be "Pinned"!

-5 AP's for a Rally Attempt. Since this really needs to happen, the Germans spend a CAP to add +1 to the attempt (down to 3). the roll is "7" +1...success! The Russian Rifle Unit # 1 fires again, spending 3 AP's and a CAP to do so. Range is 1.  AR 3 + roll of "9" + 3 Short Range! = 15 versus 12. Another hit sees their foes "Cowering"! 

This doesn't prevent them from moving, so they spend two CAP's (down to 1) to storm into the Russian's hex at H10. The Russian defenders spend all four of their remaining CAP's to engage the Germans in Close Combat.  AR 3 + roll of "7" + 4 Close Combat! = 14 versus 12 (+1 Cowering and +1 Light Woods, but using Flank DR). This results in a second hit, so the unit is Destroyed and the casualty placed on the "6" space of the German's CAP track while the Russian unit is Spent.

LMG34 # 9 fires at Russian Rifle # 1. Range of 3. AR 4 + roll of "10" = 14 versus DR of 12 but +1 due to Light Woods...it's a Hit! They are "Pinned"! MMG Maxim #17 lays down some suppressing fire against the German machine gunners and the German Rifle Unit # 1 in the same hex! Range is good at 6. AR 3 + roll of "7" = 10 versus DR of 12 + 2 (Heavy Woods) = 14...miss! Versus the Rifle Unit: AR 3 + roll of "2" = 5 versus DR of 14...miss! 

LMG34 # 9 fires at Russian Rifle # 1, -2 AP's. Range of 3. AR 4 + roll of "10" = 14 versus DR of 12 but +1 due to Light Woods. With this second Hit the Russian unit is eliminated and placed on the "7" space of the CAP track. MMG Maxim #17 spends 2 AP's to move through Heavy Woods to reach D11.

LMG34 # 9 fires at Russian Rifle # 2, -2 AP's. Range of 4. AR 4 + roll of "7" = 11 versus DR of 12 but +1 due to Light Woods. Miss! Russians activate Rifle Unit # 2 (MMG Maxim #17 now Spent) and they return fire at both German units in that hex, Range of 4. First attack against the LMG: AR 3 + roll of "10" = 13 versus DR of 12 but +2 due to Light Woods. Against the Rifle Unit: AR 3 + roll of "8" = 11 versus total DR of 14. Two misses!

LMG34 # 9 fires at Russian Rifle # 2, -1 AP's and also spends last remaining CAP. With that, the unit is Spent. Range of 4. AR 4 + roll of "9" = 13 versus DR of 12 +1 (Light Woods) equals a tie. Ties hit... the Russian unit goes "Berserk"! They fire back..costing only 3 AP's (and are now Spent). First attack against the LMG: AR 4 (+1 boost due to Berserk) + roll of "8" = 12 versus DR of 14 (+2 due to Heavy Woods). Against the Rifle Unit: AR 4 + roll of "9" = 13 versus total DR of 14. Two misses! 

LMG34 # 10 fires at Russian Rifle # 3, -2 AP's. Range of 3. AR 4 + roll of "5" = 9 versus DR of 12 +1 (Light Woods). Miss! Counter-attack: Rifle Unit # 3 against the LMG 34 #10: AR 3 + roll of "6" = 9 versus DR of 12 but +1 due to Light Woods. Miss!      

Once again, LMG34 # 10 fires at Russian Rifle # 3, -2 AP's. Range of 3. AR 4 + roll of "5" = 9 versus DR of 12 +1 (Light Woods). Miss! Rifle Unit # 3 runs out of cover to hex K8! 

LMG34 # 10 is forced to Pivot for 1 AP! Rifle Unit # 3 continues to run towards K5, moving into L7.

LMG34 # 10 fires at Russian Rifle # 3, now exposed! Range of 3. AR 4 + roll of "5" = 9 versus DR of 12. Miss! Now Spent. Rifle Unit # 3 continues to run towards K5, moving into K6. Now Spent!

German Rifle # 1 Activates, moves into G8. Russian Rifle # 4 moves into G17.

German Rifle # 1 moves onto the Objective Hex.  Russian Rifle # 4 moves into G16. 

German Rifle # 1 charges onto Berserk Russian Rifle Unit # 2's hex at H11. Russian Rifle # 4 moves into G15.

Close Combat! German Rifle # 1 charges at Berserk Russian Rifle Unit # 2! AR 3 + roll of "10" + 4 Close Combat! = 17 versus 14 (11 Flank Facing +2 Berserk +1 Light Woods).  That's a hit...and since it's the second, the Unit is Destroyed and the casualty placed on space "6" of the Russian's CAP track! Unit is Spent. Russian Rifle # 4 moves into Heavy Woods at G14. 

No German units left! Russian Rifle # 4 moves into H13 for another -2 AP's, now spent. The final Russian unit, Rifle # 5 shifts into position, keen to provide some badly needed backup!  

REVIEW

THE GOOD

• After you've played the introductory firefight a couple of times, you can review the rules for Card use, Shared Actions and Hidden Units and then hit up Scenario Two to lock everything in. This programmed method of learning is a great system which ensures that you don't have to digest the two-column, 23-page rulebook all in one sitting to get started.
• The rules are very clearly presented with tons of example to illustrate how they work. And I can't stress this enough, I really wish more game manuals included Designer's Notes 'cuz sometimes knowing the reason why a rule exists helps you remember it!
• A lot of the mechanics at work here are clearly the product of thirty years worth of board game evolution. The use of AP's and supplementary CAP's, a single table to summarize all of the terrain effects, drawing chits to determine random hit effects and playing cards to simulate  general battlefield chaos all elegantly replicate the experience of being in a WWII-era firefight. 
• Perhaps the most inspired design choice are the alternating Actions, which ensures that the game is a dynamic back-and-forth versus a painful slog where players attempt optimize every single  unit's full turn, inspiring some pretty debilitating analysis paralysis in the process.  
• Hex-and-chit wargames have never been known for their aesthetic value, but this game looks great. The info arrayed on the high-gauge chits is clear and complete and the illustrations really contribute to the immersion. The hex boards are also quite lovely.    
• There's not a single anthropomorphic cat, rabbit, bird or raccoon to be seen anywhere. Yes, I know some people find real-world wargames to be distasteful, but personally I'm fascinated by this era of combat, the battlefield logistics involved and what The Greatest Generation had to endure in order to preserve our way of life.   

 THE M'EH

• Honestly not much. I suppose I could nit-pick the loose-to-the-point-of-abstract cover art and the aesthetically-bankrupt design of the Action Cards, but these complaints are pretty superfluous.

THE UGGO

• I can't think of anything particularly egregious. Now, keep in mind, I still haven't played through every single firefight, so watch this space for any future re-considerations.  

***

My only regret is that this game didn't exist back when I was plowing through The Complete Book of Wargames, hunting for something that wouldn't utterly melt my prepubescent brain. The design here is so intuitive and so solid that I'm pretty sure I could have learned to play this one as a kid...and I honestly can't think of better praise.   

Ergo, the second edition of Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! – Operation Barbarossa 1941 achieves a full six pips out of six!

***

BONUS: Important Rules to Remember

• Control of an Objective stays the same until an opposing ground unit enters and solely occupies the hex, even if it passes through it.
• CAP's can be used to supplement a unit's AP's. They can be used on Fresh, Active or Spent units. 
• Fresh units are not marked as Spent until they use all of their own AP's. 
• Each player can only have one Activated unit at a time. A unit is marked as Spent if a new unit is Activated. 
• An Activated Unit can intersperse its AP Actions with other units to take Opportunity, Command or Card Actions.
• Opportunity Actions can only be taken by a fresh, un-Activated unit. This doesn't use either AP's or CAP's but the unit it marked as Spent after completing this Action. 
• Two CAP's can be spent to either increase or decrease one of their own a die rolls by the same amount, prior to the roll.  
• You can pay up to 2 CAP's to add an equal amount to your Initiative Roll, prior to the roll.
• All units must be facing towards a hex side. A unit can move backwards into one of its flank hexes for a -1 AP / CAP penalty, but then can pivot to any facing for free. 
• A unit can change its facing without moving for 1 AP /CAP. 
• Units can move into and through hexes with allied and enemy units. If there is an enemy unit in the same hex at the start of a turn, you an initiate a Close Combat. 
• LOS is clear if you can trace an uninterrupted line between the center dot of the attacker and defender's hex. Buildings and both types of Woods block LOS. 
• The arc a unit can fire from is the forward three hexes. 
• Attack Value is the unit's AR + 2d6 + CAP mods. Defense Value is DR + Terrain. If the AV ties or exceeds the DR...that's one hit. If the attacks succeeds by four or more...that's two hits! The latter result = unit destruction. 
• Destroyed units are placed on its owner's CAP's track, resulting in a -1 reduction per loss. 
• There are no stacking limits. When attacking into a hex with more than one unit, resolve the attack against all units with separate die rolls. NOTE: CAP's that modify die rolls affects only one target.   
• You can try and get rid of a Hit Token by spending 5 AP's and attempting to Rally. If you exceed or equal the number on the tile with a 2d6 roll, the marker is placed back in the draw pile. Add +1 if the unit is in Cover and +1 if its stacked with un-Hit allied units. Otherwise it stays. NOTE: you can't Rally in a hex with enemy units.
• You can attack units less than or equal to twice its Range, but at a -2 penalty. 
• Units get a +3 Short Range bonus if attacking from an adjacent hex.
• When one of your units moves into a hex with enemy units you can attack one of them in Close Combat. If the defending unit survives, it can counter-attack. NOTE: there's a -2 penalty if the  attacking unit's AR is displayed in a white box...I.E. a machine gun crew! Otherwise, there's a +4 AR bonus. Close Combat is resolved against the defender's flank, not front, DR. Terrain DM's still apply and Forts benefit the occupying units. Not that units can't sight targets outside of their hex while enemy units are in their hex. 
• You can retreat from Close Combat on your next action, but can't move into the same hex or either of the two adjacent hexes the attacker came from...but may on later turns. 
• If an outside unit fires into a Close Combat hex, allied units are also targeted!    

Micro Review: "Mythotopia"

Since Martin Wallace’s A Few Acres of Snow is one of my all-time favorite games, I was quite keen to play his 2014 fantasy re-skin Mythotopia with Chad and Andrew last night!

It's got all of the area control, deckbuilder-y goodness of AFAOS but with the added dynamics of bumping up against more opponents and the ability to easily reserve cards for later use. The latter means that you're less likely to stall out when you want to do an invasion or City Build and you just wanna earmark something for later. 

At the end of our game I was left wondering: other than jumping on a bunch of military Improvements and attacking your opponents for a bunch of lucrative six-point swings...what other strategy is there? I had a bash at an economic efficiency / resource flexibility thing and ended up in third. 

Related to this: having all of the Improvement Cards available right off the jump in a communal pool might let you drill down on what kind of game you want to play but it also results in analysis paralysis as well as a mad scramble for those top shelf picks before someone else snatches them up.   

Another reason I rate this lower then its predecessor: the generic fantasy theme is big-time“m’eh.” As a history buff, I appreciate how appropriately different the British and the French are to play in AFAOS. Maybe if the four different colors in Mythotopia had variable, asymmetrical powers, I would have liked this one a bit more.

Still, it was a fun experience that I would certainly tackle differently the next time out. 

I give Mythotopia four pips out of six!

Critical Hit! - "Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons"

Fact #1: I loved the original "Universal Monsters" Horrified and gave it a glowing review right here. 

Fact # 2: I also dig this other little indie game called Dungeons & Dragons, which I've talked about so many times here it's bordering on the ridiculous. 

Ergo, when Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons got released last year, it wasn't so much if I'd get it but when. 

Here's the adventure hook for this particular iteration right from the Dungeon Masters at Ravensburger:

"Terror is in the eye of the beholder! Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons will not only set players against four of the classic role-playing game's most fearsome foes, but will also introduce new gameplay elements inspired by the mechanisms of D&D, including the use of a 20-sided die.

"Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons features gameplay elements familiar to players of other games in the series: Players work together to face monsters and puzzle-like obstacles to gather item tokens, protect citizens, and avoid attacks. Unique and thematic challenges for each monster further immerse players into the detailed setting and story. 

"Additionally, each player chooses to play as one of five heroes inspired by character classes from D&D: wizard, rogue, fighter, cleric, or bard — each with a unique set of abilities that can aid their party as they move around the board to defeat the monsters dwelling in the dungeon below Waterdeep."

Wanna read the full Players Manual? Then click on the following magical link for Volo's Guide on How to Gank a Beholder!

***

Sample Playthrough

Went with the classic party composition (Fighter, Cleric, Rogue and Wizard) versus the Mimic and the Red Dragon.

TURN ONE

The Fighter spends one Action to pick up the Backpack in the Hall (1), two Actions to get to the Obelisk of the Eye (2-3), then discards the Pack to reveal the Lair (4). By some good fortune...it just so happens to be the Vault of the Dragonkind! Score!

The Savage Hunt Monster Card is drawn, adding a new Item to the board. The Event moves a Sword Monster two Locations towards a Hero...so the Dragon wings two spaces via the Teleportation Circle towards the Rogue! Even though the Frenzied Monster is not activated, Wand Creatures are...so the Mimic moves one space on its board. 

The Cleric uses an Action to pick up the Rations in her space (1), then moves to the Yawning Portal Exterior (2), picks up the Rod and Mace there (3) and spends her Perk Card to get two more Actions. After arriving at the Yawning Portal Well (5) she uses her Special Action and rolls an "11"...which will force the next Monster to re-roll Hits and Power results!

A second Savage Hunt Monster Card is pulled, adding a Sword to Castle Waterdeep. Again, a Sword Monster moves two Locations towards a Hero, which sees the Dragon approaching the Rogue! Frenzied Monsters are not activated, but Wand Creatures are...so the Mimic moves one space along its own track.

After snagging a Greatsword and Spellcasting Focus from the Sword and the Sextant (1), the Rogue manages to vanish into the darkness, moving one space into a Teleportation Circle (2). He warps off to Wyllowwood (3) and then arrives in the wyrm's own back yard: the Dragon's Platform (4)!

Two items are added to the board, but the Event ("Elusive Displacement") is ignored because neither Monster bears the Skull symbol. Again, the Frenzied Monster does not activate, but Shield Monsters do. As such, the Dragon Teleports one space away from the Rogue!

The Wizard plays Renaer Neverember, so all four players draw and place an Item! They then use on Action to pick up two Items at the Tower (1), shift to the House of Wonder (2), pick up the Items there (3) and then use their Special Ability (4) to roll an "11"...teleporting the Rogue to the same space with a "3."          

Three new Items are drawn and placed. The "Stone of Good Luck" lets the Wizard pull a Perk Card! The Frenzy Token moves to the Dragon, which then Activates! The winged beast moves three locations via the Teleportation Circle...placing it one space away from the Fighter!

TURN TWO

The Fighter uses his Ability and rolls a "2", which moves him into the Dragon's space! Yikes! He spends his "Skeemo Weirdbottle" Perk Card...but the resulting "6" is no better! He then uses his next three Actions to reach the Portal's Taproom and pick up the Potion there! 

Three Items are dropped on the board and Citizen Aurinax pops up in the Abandoned Camp. The Frenzied Monster (I.E. the Dragon) is Activated, but since the Cleric and the Fighter are in the "Anti-Dragon" boundary of the Portal, the creature moves one space towards alternate prey. Then a Treasure Icon causes the Mimic to activate! A random Yellow Item is drawn...but neither the Fighter nor the Rogue possess a match! As a result, the Terror Level goes up by one (TERROR LEVEL: 1), the drawn Item is thrown away and the Mimic continues to be sneaky! 

The Cleric spends two Actions to reach the Vault of Dragonkind, then spends a Mace to move the Red Obstacle one space to the right then the Rations to move the Orb three spaces to the right. She then gambles and tries her Special Action, rolling a "12"...which will force the Monsters to re-roll Hits!

Three new Items are placed on the board and Nihiloor surfaces at the Entry Well. The Frenzied Dragon immediately pounces on him...but rolls a stunning miss!!! Then a Treasure Monster - the Mimic - moves one space along its path!

The Rogue enlists the aid of Laeral Silverhand, who compels the Dragon to go back to its Starting Location! He then rolls his Special Action (1) and gets a "12"...sourcing a Yellow Rope from Trollskull Alley. On their second roll (2) they score a "17", giving them two things from the Discard Pile: namely a Mace and a Backpack! They then shift to Anghairon's Tower and (3) pick up the Scroll there (4)!

Three Items are pulled from the bag and placed. Citizen Noska turns up at the Abandoned Camp. The Frenzied Dragon moves from the Platform to the Teleportation Circle. There is no Skull creature, so the rest of the card is ignored. 

The Wizard plays "The Blackstaff", which lets them give the Cleric a Blue Wand and they also receive a Yellow Rope and a Red Mace from the Rogue! They then try their Special Action (1) and score a "4"...letting them move the Dragon to the Lair on Skull Island! They then move two spaces to Castle Waterdeep (2-3) and pick up the Greatsword there (4)!

After three new Items are situated, the City Guard Captain starts out from Anghairon's Tower. The Frenzied Dragon moves two spaces to the Teleportation Circle, then the Sword Symbol Activates it again...allowing it to swoop down into the Abandoned Camp! It rolls two dice, scores a Power Symbol and turns both Noska and Aurinax into briquettes with its "Fire Breath"! As a result, the Terror Level goes up by two (TERROR LEVEL: 3)! 

TURN THREE             

The Fighter picks up the Rations and the Whip, then rolls the 20-sider (1-2)! He scores a "13" which ensures the next Monster's Attacks ignores all Hit results! He then moves to guard Nihiloor (3-4).

Three new Items turn up. The "Cursed Arcane Gate" Event sees the Fighter rolling "7" and moving to The Yawning Portal Exterior, the Cleric gets a "10" and (mercifully) ends up in The Hall of Heroes, the Rogue's "18" puts them in Wyllow's Tower and the Wizard appears on Skull Island thanks to a "16." The Frenzy Marker moves to the Mimic, which shifts a whopping three spaces along its track! A Blue Potion is drawn...which is great because all of the Heroes currently possess Blue Items!!! They're all  Discarded, but the Mimic appears at the Fighter's Location! It can now be Defeated with 6+ of Blue Items! It attacks the Fighter with two dice, scoring a Hit (ignored) and a Power result, which disappears the Battleaxe at Trollskull Alley! 

The Cleric picks up the Staff (1) then rushes three (2-4) spaces towards the Mimic!

Two Items are placed. For the "Trial of Valor", the Cleric dedicates a 2-point Rope and a 3-point Mace to her d20 roll. Gets a "7" + 5 = 12...a failure! The Terror Level goes up by one (TERROR LEVEL: 4)! The Frenzied Monster - I.E. the Mimic - attacks! It rolls two dice and gets a Hit and a Power result. The Quarterstaff vanishes from the Obelisk and the Fighter loses an Item! The Wand symbol activates this aggressive little shit again and this time the roll is one Hit...the Fighter loses his last Item! 

After the Rogue uses an Action to pick up the Wand and Battle Axe from Wyllow's Tower (1), he uses his Special Action (2) and gets a "6", which lets him give the Fighter all of his items! He then moves onto the Dragon's Platform and Hoovers up the Holy Symbol, Bow and Shovel scattered around there (3-4)!  

After two new Items find their homes, "Elusive Displacement" activates...but mercifully there are no Skull beasts! The Frenzied Monster isn't activated but the Shield Symbol has the Dragon soaring off two spaces to get on the Teleportation Circle next to the Platform.

The Wizard's Special Action (1) dials up an "8", deposing the Dragon to the Abandoned Camp Lair! Their next attempt (2) is an equally-shitty "3." In a daring move, the Wizard moves the Dragon into their own space! Their third roll (3) is a "9", letting them re-locate any Hero to space "11"...they opt to be that Hero! Their fourth (4) roll is a "6", so the Dragon shifts back to the Abandoned Camp.

NOTE: If nothing else...I'm glad y'all are witnessing my average rolls whenever I play D&D. Fuuuuuu...!!!

A single Item is placed, but there are no Hat Monsters, so "Eye Found You" has no effect. The Frenzied Monster doesn't Activate but the Potion symbol shifts the Dragon one space towards the Wizard!

TURN FOUR

The Fighter uses the Scroll and Wand to annihilate the Mimic (1)! That's one down! NOTE: whenever you defeat a Monster, the Terror Track is reduced by one. TERROR LEVEL: 3. His Special Action Roll - another fuggin' "6" - moves him back to the Monster's location!!! He then moves into the Abandoned Camp (2), discards a Backpack to investigate the Lair (3), discovers the Hoard (!) and then uses his last Action to pick up the three Items piled up there (4)!

As soon as two new Items are introduced to the map, "BeHOARDer" kicks in. The Morningstar at the Dragon's current location (Kalabash's Chambers) is discarded. The Frenzied Dragon moves into the Fighter's space and Attacks with three dice! The resulting single hit forces the Fighter to discard a 2-value Pouch. There are no Hat Monsters, so the rest of the script is ignored.

The Cleric moves three spaces to the Vault by the Obelisk (1-3) and then spends a Blue Staff to shift the Coffin one space up (4)!        

Three new Items are placed. Olive Stillwater shows up in the Goblin Bazaar. The Frenzied Dragon Attacks, rolling two dice...getting one Hit! The Fighter throws out a Longsword. The Dragon has no Wand symbol, so that's ignored. 

The Rogue uses the Teleportation Circle in Wyllowood to get to the Dragon Hoard (1-3) then places a Shovel on the ol' Hoard Board (4). 

After three new things are placed, the bravery-deprived City Watch are looking for an escort from the Taproom to Blackstaff Tower. The Frenzied Dragon attacks with two dice...no Hits but its "Fire Breath" forces the Fighter to throw out a Battleaxe and the Rogue gets rid of a Holy Symbol. Since the Dragon is also a Spellbook creature, it attacks again...scoring yet another damned Power result! The Rogue loses his last Item - a Long Bow - and the Fighter turfs a Greatsword!

The Wizard picks up the three Items in their space (1) then rolls a "19 (2), which beams the Rogue to Dead Man's Corner! They then move into the Hoard to face off against the Dragon (3-4)!   

After two new Items are drawn and placed, "Safe Haven" moves the Dragon back to the Platform and all Citizens move one space towards their intended destination. The Frenzied Dragon is equally close to Citizens and Heroes, but Monsters always put priority on going after Heroes. It flies two spaces, adjacent to the Abandoned Camp. The Spellbook Symbol moves him again and he attacks with one die...getting yet another "Fire Breath" attack! The Fighter gets his...a-hem...ROD burned off (!) and the Wizard discards a Candle. 

TURN FIVE

The Fighter roll an "18"...no Monster Card will be drawn (1)!!! He then spends two Actions (2-3) to move to the Goblin Bazaar and Guides Olive and Nihiloor into his space (4). 

The Cleric picks up the Caltrops and the Spell Scroll (1), uses a Blue Item to shift the Coffin (2) and Caltrops to retrieve the Orb (3)!!! She then rolls her Special Action...but sadly gets a "1"! Critical Fail! Can my luck get any worse???

After three Items are introduced to the board, Black Viper is seen skulking in Trollskull Alley. The Frenzied Dragon rolls one Hit, so the Wizard discards an Oil Flask. The Shield symbol triggers it again...two more Hits and two defensive Daggers are turfed! 

The Rogue picks up three Items in Dead Man's Corner (1), moves to the Teleportation Circle just south of the Camp (2-3) and then rolls a "2" for his Special Action (4). He gives all of his equipment to the  Wizard! 

Three Items placed, requiring a bag refill! Volo starts at Trollskull Manor. Frenzy and Book symbols mean two back-to-back Dragon attacks: one Hit on the first roll (Shovel discarded) and a miraculous miss!!!

The Wizard throws the Blue Ring and the Red Whip (1-2) into the Dragon Hoard and then rolls a "12" for their Special Action (3). The location roll is "17"...putting the Cleric at The Sword and the Sextant! They try it again (4)...this time getting an "11." The Location roll is "18" so the Rogue is positioned there!  

Two Items placed. The Dragon doesn't have the Wand symbol, so "Lure of Riches" doesn't trigger. But the Frenzy and Sword Symbols means that it does attack twice...and with all three dice! First roll is "Fire Breath" and a Hit...second roll is two Hits. The Wizard is killed and the Terror Track moves up one (TERROR TRACK: 4)! 

TURN SIX

The Fighter rushes in two spaces, pausing only to pick up the two Items in Kalabash's Chambers (1-3). He then uses his Special Action (4) and rolls a "5"...which is absolute garbage.     

Two Items placed. The "Lure of Riches" Event is moot but - once again - two Attacks with three dice. Two Hits on the first Attack...but a Miss on the next!!!    

The Cleric uses all four Actions to get to the Hoard...and place the Orb! 

One Item placed. "Hidden in Plain Sight" sputters since the Dragon doesn't have the Chest Icon. But it does have the Spellbook...so it's a two-die Attack! Sadly the result is two Hits...the Fighter and the Cleric both die, resulting in a two-point Terror Track hit! (TERROR TRACK 6)

NOTE: Because I didn't realize that defeating a Monster earns you a -1 Terror Track reduction, I originally thought this was the end of the game. So, unless I recreate this and play out the last few turns properly, I guess I'm just gonna hafta leave this one as a cliffhanger.

Thanks for reading!

***

REVIEW

THE GOOD

• Partially thanks to the d20 Special Actions, the more elaborate board, and the fascinating foes (see next point) I feel like this version is more substantial and structured than the OG Horrified. 
• The Monsters are thematically on point. As you damage the Beholder's eye stalks, you make the creature less and less effective. The Displacer Beast is impossible to tag until you get a bead on it. The Mimic is equally elusive, popping up to terrorize the Heroes and then making off with useful items until they pin it down and kill it. The Dragon is a blast to play against, since you first need to locate the Vault and the Dragon Horde. Add in the Orb retrieval mini game (which feels like the Mummy's slide-y puzzle from the first game), the need to drop specialized Items into the Lair and then trying to juice up your d20 roll to polish off the beastie. you have one of the most interesting Monsters in the entire franchise.
• Similarly, the d20-inspired Character Special Actions are great. Assuming you don't completely whiff your roll, you can wring some pretty powerful effects outta this. The Fighter neuters the Monsters, the Wizard provides timely teleportation for Monsters and Heroes, the Bard herds Citizens and directs ally and enemy traffic, the Cleric guards against Monster attacks and the Rogue collects and distributes Items. This alone is a fun, creative aspect of the game that the players can explore...and it's always a great thing to spend a leftover Action on.  
• In this day and age of rampant production costs, I have no sweet clue how this thing retails for $40.00. The art on the board, tokens, Perks cards, standees and Hero Tiles are all gorgeous. Add in cool customized dice and Monster Minis and you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck.
• This is truly a co-operative experience. If Players don't work with each other...it's the equivalent of splitting the party in the Tomb of Horrors. Thankfully, the Perk Cards and the aforementioned d20 Special Actions absolutely encourage that.

THE M'EH

• My play-through makes it pretty self-evident that poor dice luck can really undo your best efforts. 
• The addition of more game elements makes the rulebook here feel a bit more esoteric than OG Horrified. For example: why are Lairs a part of standard setup when it's only used when facing the Dragon? Also Waterdeep's anti-Dragon spaces and the "hospital" / recovery symbols should have been explained right at the beginning of the manual when talking about the map board features. 

THE UGLY

• Not much to speak of, really. 

***

Yes, I know it's insane to give such a light, goofy, Ameritrash co-op game such a high rating. But, to use a parallel from film criticism, sometimes you want Conan the Barbarian instead of Out of Africa.  

For being a tight, fun, challenging and surprisingly-thematic experience, Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons rates five pips out of six with a neck-stretching tilt up towards that giant, bat-winged creature that's appears to be performing a strafing run in your direction!

BONUS: IMPORTANT RULES TO REMEMBER

• Every critical hit during a Hero's Turn (even if boosted by a Perk Card) earns you a free Perk Card.
• When a Hero's Special Action effect takes place during the Monster Phase, you may choose the order in which they happen and when. One effect must be resolved before you use the next one. Effects may be used on different Monsters and, once the next Monster Phase has ended, any unused effects are lost.
• When a Wizard's power moves someone, this effect cannot be ignored and must be executed.
• Heroes can't use Guide Actions to move Citizens through a Teleportation Circle.
• Monsters prioritize going after Heroes versus Citizens if both are equidistant. 
• The Dragon can't enter the city of Waterdeep, as indicated by the "Anti-Dragon" symbol by The Well and Castle Corkscrew. All other Monsters ignore this restriction.
• Defeating a Monster reduces the Terror Track by one.
• POW effects resolve before Hits.
• The game also ends in Defeat if the Monster Deck is completely empty.

Sumfin' Fishy: "Finspan"

Admittedly I was a tad late to the Wingspan party, reviewing it in 2021, a full three years after it was released. At the time, I positively glazed the thing, giving it five pips out of six and tilting it up. 

Um, yeah...about that.

Since then I've played it many times and taught it even more, which has led me to realize that the game has some pretty big flaws, not the least of which is placing your action cubes in the right-most unoccupied spot then backtracking to Activate your Birds from right to left.

This has to be one of the ass-backwards, un-intuitive mechanics baked into a modern classic. So idiotic, in fact, that it was wisely jettisoned in subsequent 'Spans, namely Wyrm in 2024 and last year's Fin.

I haven't tackled the dragon-flavored game, but after playing Finspan at last year's Cabin Con, I sold off my copy of Wingspan (and it's flock of expansions) to buy the former. 

So what's this version of the game all about? Well, here's Stonemaier Game's equivalent of casting out a baited hook, so to speak:

You are a marine researcher seeking to find and observe an array of aquatic life in the colorful Sunlight Zone, ghostly Twilight Zone, and pitch-black Midnight Zone of the world’s seas and oceans. In Finspan, the fish you discover over 4 weeks will generate a series of benefits as you dive deeper into the ocean.

Each dive site specializes in a key aspect of expanding your research:

• Grow your collection of fish.
• Discover freshly laid eggs.
• Hatch eggs into young and consolidate young to form schools.

The winner is the player with the most points gained from fish, eggs, young, schools, and achievements. 

Wanna read the full scholarly article on all these phinny phreaks? Well, click on the following link and discover that there's always a bigger rulebook!  

***

WEEK ONE -EXAMPLE OF PLAY

Charlie goes first and places one of his Divers on the "Play a Fish" section of his board. He drops a Longfin Batfish in the Blue Sunlight Dive Site, which requires him to get rid of an Egg, so he takes it off the Glasshead Grenadier. 

Dory plays her Porkfish in the Sunlight section of the Purple Dive Site, which also requires spending an Egg. It's removed from the Catalina Goby. The Young Token on that space just gets overlaid on the new fish.

Chuck wants more Fish options so he Dives into the Blue Zone, nabbing two in the Sunny section (thanks to the Batfish and it's Activated special ability. NOTE: Dory also gets a card because of this!) and one from the Midnight Zone (via the Grenadier). Under normal circumstances, Charlie would retrieve a Discarded card, but since his pile is empty he just draws a random card. To signify that he got his one Bottom Bonus card for the Week, he places his Diver right on that Icon.   

Dory plays her Tropical Flying Fish in the Sunlit Blue Dive Site, requiring her to Discard a Card (she throws out the Spiny Sea Devil) and also sacrifice an Egg (discarded from her own Grenadier).

Charlie plays the Longspine Porcupinefish in the Sunny section of the Purple Dive Zone. This requires that two Fish be Discarded, so he throws out the Humpback Anglerfish and the Atlantic Wolfish. It also costs an Egg, which is discarded from the Goby. Chuck might look Egg poor right now, but the Porcupinefish has a "When Played" ability which lets him place an Egg on all Medium sized fish, so both it and the Batfish get yolked! 

Dory opts to Dive into the Purple Zone for Eggs. She gets three in total: one for the Sunny side's Porkfish, one for the Twilight's Bristlemouth and one for the very bottom. To denote this once-per-Week Bottom Bonus, she places her Diver right on the Egg Icon. The three Eggs are then placed on the Flying Fish, the Grenadier and the Goby.

Also keen on more Eggs, Chuck Dives into the Purple Zone. He gets three in total: one each for the Porky-Pine fish, the Bristlemouth and the Bottom Bonus. With the latter tapped for the Week, he covers over the Icon with his Diver. The resulting three Eggs are placed on the Grenadier, the Bristlemouth and the Goby.

Dory wants more Fish options so she splashes into the Blue Zone, getting a new Card from the Flying Fish. This Activates said poisson, so she pulls the Seadevil out of the Discard Pile. She also nets a new random Fish from the Grenadier and takes advantage of the Bottom Bonus, marking the space with the Diver as a reminder. Her Discard Pile is tapped out, so she gets another random card off the top of the deck.     

Charlie puts a Diver in the "Place a Fish" section of his board then drops the Giant Devil Ray into the Blue Twilight slot! This costs him an Egg (from the Bristlemouth), a free-swimming Young and a Great Northern Tilefish into the Discard pile! Curiously, two Young pop up on the Devil Ray as a "When Played" feature. 

Dory finds a home for her Spiny Seadevil...and no, that isn't code for something. It's placed in the Purple Midnight section for two Eggs, which are taken from the Grenadier and the Goby. When Played, she retrieves three cards from the Discard Pile, but since that's empty she just gets three new RandoFish off the top o' the Draw Deck. 

Leaning into the Week One Achievement, Charlie Dives into the Purple Zone, snagging an Egg for both the Porcupine Fish and the Bristlemouth, which gets added to the Devil Ray and the latter. NOTE: the Bottom Bonus was claimed earlier so it doesn't pop again. 

Dory takes the same action, but gets three Eggs, one each for Porky, Bristleboi and the Devil in the dark. Her Bottom Bonus was also claimed earlier, so it doesn't add in. She decks all three out with Eggs and, with that, the Week - I.E. the round - ends!

END OF WEEK SCRIPT

Week One Achievements

Charlie: 6 Eggs and 2 Young = 8 Points 

Dory: 4 Eggs and 1 Young = 5 Points

All Divers come home and the First Player Token moves to Dory! 

***

REVIEW

THE PROS

• Like Wingspan, the art by Catalina Martinez, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo and Mesa Schumacher here is amazing. Confession time: I actually opted for Fin over Wyrm partly because I know that Fin can be tabled easier...but I also actively despise Wyrm's art style. Now, if it had some bad-ass dragons in the style of a Larry Elmore, it would have been a completely different story. 
• This one is definitely easier and more intuitive than its older sister. Here you don't have to futz around for food or juggle secret victory conditions, plus the concept of diving from top to bottom is a helluva lot more intuitive to the average person than back-tracking from right to left in Wingspan.
• Hey, I love birbs as much as the next outdoorsy guy, but I just find the ocean and its denizens much more alien and interesting. This comes through thematically with the three different offshore distances and depths. The fish also have some cool thematic powers  - like eating smaller fish - as well as neat attributes such as "Bioluminescent" or "Venomous."
• There are three informal stages to the basic Side "A" Achievements: generating Eggs / Young, getting Fish in a row and then sending all dem Young to School. Creating efficiencies to accomplish this is fun, and if it grows stale, you can always use Side "B's" Random Achievements and bonus points for each Week's top performer.  

THE CONS

• This one doesn't have a fancy bird feeder, dice or edible-looking eggs, just some boards, cards and crappy looking Egg / Young and School Tokens. So why does it retail for around the same price as Wingspan???
• To use a water-level pun: this one's kinda...um, shallow. It plays well enough, but will it hold up after a half-dozen runs? I just feel that it needs another element or two to bring it to a high water mark. Sorry.
• If you hate silo gaming, you may wanna give this one a really wide berth. Somehow the designers managed to create a game that involves even less player interaction than Wingspan. Beyond "cozy" games and cutesy, amprophmorphic animal bullshit, a lack of player interactivity in games is swiftly becoming my biggest pet peeve.  

***

Bottom (feeder) line: Finspan is a more streamlined and evolved version of Wingspan, but it also feels like a more superficial experience. Even though I give the former a slight edge over the latter, your mileage will likely vary based on your interest in the subject matter.

As such, Finspan scores four pips out of six with a slight tilt up towards the sparking surface of the ocean overhead. 

Don't get the bends...and game on!

***

IMPORTANT RULES TO REMEMBER

• Whenever three Young are on a space, remove them and place a School.
• There's a limit of one School per space. If there are six Young in a space, one group of three becomes a School but the other three stay there as Young. Should that School be moved away, the other three immediately School together.
• If you try and move a Young through a space with two more Young, they stop moving and all three immediately School.
• A School can't move through a space with another School.
• Once Schooled together, the Young can no longer be separated. 
• Each Fish can only hold one Egg.
• The Bottom Bonus only occurs once per Week, so place the Diver right on the icon as a reminder that it can't be tapped again.
• Deepwater: Although you can play any Midnight Zone fish at the very bottom of your board, some Fish can only be placed there!