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Sunday, October 19, 2014

Crisis: Cooperative Play For The DC Comics Deck Building Game


I have a confession to make. I have never been much of a fan of deck building games. I like Marvel Legendary, but it is not something I play often because of the hastle of putting it all back in the box divided in its own separate factions. As far as the DC Deck Building Game is concerned, while very popular among our clients, I never liked it. Found it boring and too dependent on chance and someone not buying the cards you need from the line-up.

When the Crisis expansion arrived in the store, I dreaded having to give a demo of it. However, I knew many players would be interested in it so I had no option other than to hold my breath, learn the new rules and roll with the punches. After playing a few three and four player games, I must admit that I am hooked on this game. I still dislike the basic DC Deck Building Game, but if you are playing with the Crisis expansion, I'll travel to the opposite end of the island for a chance to play.

There are several changes that make Crisis so much fun. First, is the cooperative aspect. Victory points no longer have any meaning. Everyone wins or loses together. Unlike Marvel Legendary, there is no winner/better superhero. Everyone wins when all the impossible super villains are defeated. Everyone loses when the main deck is depleted.

Second, the addition of crisis cards, impossible super villains and the related mechanics. Both the crisis cards and the impossible super villains can have ongoing effects that last until the crisis is resolved or the villain is defeated. For example, we had a crisis card (Rise of the Rot) that required players to take a Weakness card at the beginning of every turn unless they could disclose a Weakness card in their hand. To resolve this crisis, players had to simultaneously discard a Weakness card from their hand or wait until the Weakness stack ran out. In our three player game, we could never coordinate it so that everyone had a Weakness card in their hand at the same time. Thus, we resolved that crisis when the Weakness deck ran out. This made for very porous decks for all of us.

The order for resolving things is not entirely new but is quite challenging. You cannot attack an impossible super villain unless the crisis is already resolved, but you cannot resolve a crisis unless there are no villains in the line-up. Also, when you kill a villain, it does not go to your discard pile anymore. The villain is destroyed. You will need some type of card effect that allows you to access the destroyed pile if you want to incorporate a villain into your deck. Defeated impossible super villains leave the game. They'll never form part of anyone's deck.

There are a few more differences but I will mention one more before I go scrounge a group to play Crisis. It is the timer mechanic created by changes in how you refill the line-up. In the regular game, if you bought three cards, at the end of your turn you would replace the three empty spots in the line-up with three new cards from the top of the main deck. In Crisis, it no longer works like that.

Now, at the end of each player's turn, you add the top card of the main deck to the line-up regardless of whether the player bought any cards or how many cards he bought. A player didn't buy any cards during his turn? You add the top card of the main deck to the line-up. A player bought three cards from the line-up? You still only add the top card of the main deck to the line-up.

The result of the above can be daunting. At one point in the beginning of the game when we didn't have much power to buy cards, the line-up grew to something like 12 cards. Imagine trying to resolve your first crisis with a 12-card line up filled with villains! However, once we all acquired substantial power, the line-up consisted of anywhere between one to three cards as players could usually buy most of the cards in the line-up and the line-up got replenished only one card at a time.

We still have not won a single game of Crisis. In fact, we have not even come close to winning. The best we have done is killed a little less than half the impossible super villains. After our last game, we had a round table discussion of strategies to attempt in our next games. I'll let you know if any of them worked.

Until then, if you are in the Guaynabo area and would like to try or buy the Crisis expansion, visit us at The Gaming Pit.

http://baddm.blogspot.com/2014/10/crisis-cooperative-play-for-dc-comics.html#comment-form

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Magic: The Gathering Boardgame

Wizards of the Coast announced at the Spiel game fair its plan to release a tactical miniatures game based on Magic: The Gathering. Currently known by its unofficial name Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game, its development is a joint effort led by the "team responsible for Risk Legacy and Heroscape."

The game takes place in the Magic universe - Shandalar, to be more exact - and is aimed at both strategy and M:TG players. However, the game does not incorporate the card game itself even thought several mechanics from the card game will be included in the boardgame (deathtouch, first strike, flying, etc.)

Players take the role of one of five Planeswalkers. The current choices are Chandra Nalaar, Jace Beleren, Nissa Revane, and Liliana Vess. The fifth Planeswalker is yet to be named. Players then customize the field of battle by designing the map by placing terrain and power glyphs to aid their battles.

As in all miniature games, players move their units throughout the field of battle attempting to outmaneuver their opponents, while casting spells, summoning creature squads and using their specific Planeswalker's special abilities. The game is for 2-5 players and should play in less than an hour. No MSRP was announced.

If you are in Puerto Rico, contact The Gaming Pit and place your preorder now.


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Saturday, October 11, 2014

'Five Ghosts' Mini Series Coming To SyFy

Five Ghosts was kickstarted in 2012 as a five-issue miniseries following the adventures of a 1930's-era treasure hunter who is possessed by five ghosts from literature: Robin Hood, Merlin, Sherlock Holmes, Musashi and Dracula. It was later picked up by Image Comics and became a regular ongoing comic series after the first Five Ghosts collection was released on September 2013.

Cable network SyFy has acquired the rights to Five Ghosts and announced plans to create a TV series based on this new acquisition. The new series will be produced by Universal Cable Productions and Black Mask Studios.

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Friday, October 10, 2014

Dungeons & Dragons: Attack Wing Supported By Storyline Organized Play

WizKids' upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Attack Wing will be supported with a monthly storyline Organized Play program, commencing shortly after the game's launch October 21st:

"As D&D Attack Wing brings the electrcic story of Tyranny of Dragons to six months of new and exiting Organized Play events, will players choose to use the power of mighty Dragons? Will players choose to trust in the steel and spells of the Sun Elves? Or rely on the precision of the Dwarven Ballista? Find out now by signing up, battling it out, and collecting exclusive Competitive and Participation prizes.

D&D Attack Wing Tyranny of Dragons is a six month Story Line Organized play event that will energize the player community and inspire new players to join the fight in Tyranny of Dragons."

Wave 3 Expansion Pack will arrive on December 3, and will include the Silver Dragon (MSRP $24.99), Harpy ($14.99) and Wyvern (MSRP $19.99). Each release contains a pre-painted plastic miniature with base and pegs, maneuver dial, cards and tokens. 

Wave 3 will also bring the release of the D&D Attack Wing Dice Set.  The 12 dice come poly-bagged with a header card and will have a MSRP of $9.99. The first accessories sets include a Base and Peg Set and the Template Set.

Wave 4 Expansion Pack releases will include the Gold Dragon (MSRP $24.99), Stone Giant Elder (MSRP $24.99), and Gargoyle (MSRP $14.99). Each release contains a pre-painted plastic miniature with base and pegs, maneuver dial, cards and tokens.

Wave 5 Expansion Pack releases will include the Red Dracolich (MSRP $24.99), Drow Elf Ranger Drizzt (MSRP $14.99), and Bronze Dragon (MSRP $24.99). Each release contains a pre-painted plastic miniature with base and pegs, maneuver dial, cards and tokens. 

If you are in Puerto Rico, contact The Gaming Pit in Guaynabo. They are taking preorders right now for the Dungeons & Dragons: Attack Wing Starter Set as well as all the Wave 2 Expansion Packs. They have been running the Star Trek: Attack Wing Organized Play events and have committed to running the new Dungeons & Dragons: Attack Wing Organized Play events.

http://baddm.blogspot.com/2014/10/dungeons-dragons-attack-wing-supported.html#comment-form

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Malifaux's RPG: Through the Breach

Through the Breach is a role playing game set in the Malifaux universe. Players can take the role of various unique characters such as Gunfighters, Drudges, Dabblers and Entertainers. Player characters are known as Fated. As explained by Malifaux:
"As a Fated, you know your future, it has been told to you, as cryptic as a sparrow on a moonless night. It is your task to rush headlong into the arms of destiny, or to carve your own future."

This is a card driven RPG with actions resolved through the reveal of a communal Fate Deck. Players, however, can push fate towards their own desires using the cards from their Twist Deck, of which each player has a deck. The Fatemaster does not enjoy such randomness. According to Mailfaux's press release, it is the Fatemaster's "task to weave a story, and if he dares to touch the Fate Deck... there are repercussions."

The Fate Almanac (player's handbook) and the Fate Masters Almanac (game master's guide) each retails for $40.00. There is also a Fate Master's Kit, retailing for $18.00.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Twin Peaks REVIVED!!

If you were alive in the 1990's, you probably were addicted to the spooky Northwest mystery saga Twin Peaks. Premium cable network Showtime just announced that Twin Peaks' original creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, have reunited to create a new 9-episode season set in the present day. While the original series aired in ABC, the new series will be aired in Showtime. Hopefully, this will allow its creators to develop subjects and scenes to extents not allowed in regular cable television.

If you are not familiar with Twin Peaks, you still have time to catch up with the rest of the world. All 39 episodes of the original series are available for streaming in Netflix as well as in a new hi definition Blu-Ray edition released in July, 2014. The new series is expected to begin filming in 2015 and should air in 2016.

No announcement has been made about casting or even whether any of the original cast will appear in the new season (come on, Madchen Amick!!).

Bonus points to anyone who remembers without googling the name of the series' iconic diner!

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Naruto Manga Ends November 10, 2014... Fans Start A Petition For More Naruto Manga

Fifteen years ago, Naruto exploded and went on to become the best-selling manga of all times in the United States. In the process, it became a cultural phenomenon, spawning a hit anime, dozens of video games and more merchandise than you can spawn shadow clone jutsu at. Now, after 15 years of publication, the manga will come to an incredible conclusion on November 10, 2014.

This, however, does not mean the end of Naruto. While the story in the manga will be coming to a conclusion, the anime has a long way to go and graphic novels will continue to be published. Apparently, this is not acceptable to fans of the Naruto manga, who have started a petition asking Masashi Kishimoto to start a new serialized manga - Naruto The Next Generation - to explore "the challenges Naruto faces as the 6th Hokage." You can sign the petition here.

Among the games spawned by Naruto is the recently published Naruto Shippuden Deck Building Game. On Sunday, October 12, at 2:00 p.m., The Gaming Pit will be hosting a demo of this awesome card game. If you would like to join in on the fun, more information can be found here.

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