Category Card Game

The team at Exploding Kittens have returned with a reskinning of their hit card game with Exploding Minions and it is a blast!

Exploding Minions follows the same overall ruleset of Exploding Kittens but with some minor variations, such as fewer character cards to match and a new clone type of card. Cloning a card essentially allows you to duplicate the effects of an existing card. Players take turns playing cards to try to make the others explode. If you draw the Exploding Minion and have a defuse you can place the minion back in the deck wherever you see fit and hope that your opponent doesn’t have one as well.

Meet my youngest daughter Emmy. She is a fan of card games and especially anything where I might lose. She is learning to read and only six years old at the time of writing. The game recommends players be seven or older due to needing some reading skills beyond her age group but comprehending the effects are well within her skillset. She was my opponent for our review game and was assisted by my wife whom read the cards for her and helped her understanding their effects.

Quickly she had the game down and only needed a reminding of which abilities belonged to which cards and we had our game. Playing two games we had the same outcome each time- she won. Keep in mind I was not letting her win. She is a skilled adversary and I look forward to our next games together.

Warhammer Underworlds returns for another season with Harrowdeep and this time you take the fight under the waves.

Taking place in the Realm of Shadows, Harrowdeep takes players to a maze beneath the sea. Xandire’s Truthseekers face off against the Da Kunnin Krew but will later be joined by others. Take your existing warband or one of these new ones under the Shadowsea for a competitive experience like no other (with the exception of previous iterations of Warhammer Underworlds). With the original announcement we also learned that there will be two core sets released each year going forward, two additional warband releases and with them a new rivals format to the game.

Here is the official roadmap for Harrowdeep (hint the first warband is pirates):

As mentioned above the Q1 warband is a pirate themed Destruction warband and nothing officially is known about the Q2 warband. If the image is anything to go on I suspect whatever faction they are will have lightning based abilities. The obvious answer is likely another Stormcast Eternals warband but I think we will see something more unique, perhaps a Tzeentch warband or even better would be a Cities of Sigmar warband with a wizard of some sort (with a lightning spell or two).

What is Rivals?

Rivals is a new way of playing the game without all the deck building mechanics. Essentially this is to allow players to dive right in with their new warbands immediately after they are built using a predefined deck. The focus is to allow newer players to jump in without having to search for years of cards to build their decks. Personally I’ve always played this way because when reviewing I play the game with the prebuilt decks in the box. Those that play in the Championship format will still be able to build their decks as they did before, just not as part of the Rivals style of the game.

Overall thoughts:

To start with I must admit this box was provided to us by Games Workshop for the purpose of this review but their generosity has no bearing on our opinion. With the somewhat recent release of Dominion I have learned to really enjoy the Stormcast Eternals faction and absolutely love Kruelboyz. The sculpts in this box are fantastic for both factions and the box is worth picking up for those alone. Additionally the new map boards are gorgeous. Gameplay has been tweaked slightly for the new realm and the double support rolls on defense dice when standing in a Gloom token means that you will have a better chance of survival with the weaker warbands. The addition of Grand Alliance cards is a HUGE bonus for those with other warbands and making some of the upgrades leave upon injury adds further complexity to the game. Personally I can’t wait for my next game as I plan on trying out either my Soulblight Gravelord Vampires or my Slaves to Darkness warband in the new setting. The only thing I am disappointed in with this release is that this is the first that did not have an accompanying novel from Black Library. Time will tell if we will see one over the next year but I sincerely hope we do.

Exploding Kittens has created their own take on a gaming classic, Charades, with On A Scale Of One To T-Rex.

Any time Exploding Kittens releases a game we look forward to it. Consistently their titles are among our family’s favorites so when they shared this with us we were more than excited. With Charades players try to get others to guess what they are pretending to be. I have always been terrible at this as most of the connections I make to different people or things most people weren’t making. You also can’t use any words to give hints either. On A Scale Of One To T-Rex flips some of these rules on their head.

With this game it doesn’t matter who knows what you are trying to act out, what matters is how intensely you do it. If you and another player have the same intensity level then you get points. On top of that the players all do theirs at the same time. When doing this in a large group can make things pretty loud quickly. Being the father of three things tend to get loud but that is where the problem with this game was for us. Two of my children have sensory issues and the volume of the game became too much for them.

For a party game this can be quite fun, just need to make sure anyone with sensory issues aren’t around while you play, it can get a bit overwhelming for them.

Aeronautica Imperialis returns with Wrath of Angels, the third boxset for the current edition and first to feature Aeldari and Adeptus Astartes.

The previous edition of Aeronautica Imperialis was released about this time last year and unlike other Games Workshop IPs it appears we will only be seeing a single full box release each year. Wrath of Angels focuses on a fight between Aeldari (commonly referred to as Eldar) and Adeptus Astartes (commonly referred to as Space Marines). Like each of the other full starter releases we get two ship types for each faction, this time with the NIghtwing, Phoenix Bomber, Xiphon Interceptor and the Storm Eagle Assault Craft. The folks at Games Workshop sent us an advanced copy for the purpose of this review and as always this guarantees we will share our opinion but not a specific opinion.

For the most part gameplay is the same as before (this rulebook features the latest FAQ items in it over previous releases) but adds a few new abilities that are exclusive to the new factions. One ability is Jink, it allows a ship to defy the laws of physics and move one space in any direction before the targeting phase. In most games you cannot negate a natural max roll on the dice but with the Holo Field you can! With the Techmarine you can heal a ship once per game.

The only complaint I really have about this box is that it is the third (out of three) full release featuring a faction from the Imperium of Man. There seems to already be an oversaturation of these factions. That being said I understand the reasoning, Imperium models sell quite well and as a business I would put the primary focus on the groups that would see the most sales.

Overall this is same amazing ship warfare game we have seen with some minor twists and new ships to build and paint. For fans of the either faction and of AI this box is a must have!

Welcome to the another installment of a our series where we will be focusing on one of the exclusive Warbands from Warcry. This time we will be discussing the Khainite Shadowstalkers!

The Khainite Shadowstalkers are the second warband to be released in the Warcry Catacombs boxset and also had their own second release a few months later. This warband is essentially the secret black ops squad working directly for Queen Morathi and the Daughters of Khaine. They have been blessed with Ulguan Shadow Magic by Morathi herself after a pact was made with the daemons of Ulgu. They fight like shadows thanks to the combination of their powers and their acrobatic abilities. In Catacombs their abilities allow them to run on the walls above the heads of their foes, giving them the chance to surround or even ambush their foes.

Led by one of the most awesome looking models, the Shroud Queen, but preliminary images I thought she was a Melusai because of the cloak curving around her legs. She has an impressive ranged attack and a Quad ability that allows her to hit all enemies within 3-6 inches of her. The biggest issue with this warband is that they are basically a warband of all Glass Cannons- deal some impressive damage but easily removed from play. Because of her high damage output you will want to pair her with someone as a guard.

Welcome to the another installment of a our series where we will be focusing on one of the exclusive Chaos Warbands from Warcry. This time we will be discussing the Scions of the Flame!

 With this year’s Gen Con Games Workshop announced a new Warcry release I decided it was time to return to our warband focus series, starting with the Scions of the Flame. The Scions are a group of fire obsessed zealots that hail from the realm of Aqshy. Each Chaos warband follows a unique aspect of the Chaos gods and the Scions are no different, they worship the Ever-raging Flame, hunting and eating the hearts of fire-beasts. This allows them to become the embodiments of the Flame. 

They are protected by gear designed to withstand the flame, except for the Immolators who like to catch themselves on fire and charge their enemies like a living fireball. Their playstyle is meant to resemble a spreading fire that turns into an inferno, building in intensity and destruction as they overtake the field of battle. Their level of damage output is much higher than most of the “tough” enemies, utilizing explosives and weapons covered in flame. Of the models the Immolator and the Brazen Champion really make this warband standout with flame covered action poses. On appearance alone the Scions of the Flame are my favorite warband so far released and with their flame based abilities it was like this warband was made specifically for me.

Games Workshop has released a new version of Kill Team with Octarius and they sent us a copy for the purpose of reviewing it along with the Compendium.

Kill Team is essentially the skirmish version of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000. Players take small squads of fighters, or even a smaller and more elite force and battle for objectives or simply to eliminate the other team (this is my preferred way to play any tabletop game). Officially this is the fourth edition of the Kill Team game type but the second as a standalone title. The points systems are vastly different than your standard game of 40k but very similar in nature to that of Warcry in relation to Age of Sigmar. Now the first three editions also differed in points values when compared but this is the first to be more in line with Warcry.

Teams are comprised of roughly 1000 points and depending on the faction will determine how many models you will be using, for example, Adaptus Mechanicus will typically have more troops on the map than Astartes. Another big difference between this version and previous iterations is that the list building is much more limited this time around. For Kill Team I suspect this is to better control balancing for the game, possibly to minimize some of the min/maxing that some players do to give their play style an advantage. With the new limitations on list building I think this is a huge improvement because I like having a variety on the field of battle and like to fight a variety.

Overall I found this to be a great introduction game to the world of Warhammer 40k and in the smaller scale makes trying new armies much easier and way cheaper. The new models for both Orks and Astra Militarum are some of my favorite for both factions, especially the bomb squid. He is legit the first time I have said a squig was adorable. At the time of writing this we have already seen the announcement for Kill Team: Chalnath and features new Tau Pathfinders and Adepta Sororitas models along with some familiar looking terrain. I can’t wait to see what other exclusive models will be coming with each new kill zone! This is a fantastic starting point for anyone looking for a new army or to add to an existing army.

Necromunda has been one of those games that will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks to Games Workshop we have the opportunity to dive back into the underhive.

This is not the first time we’ve delved into the world of Necromunda, nor the first time we’ve received review materials from Games Workshop. As with any other item we’ve received the shared opinions are not influenced by the source. This isn’t the only Necromunda item we received either- we were sent a copy of the House of Blades and the Mercator Nautica Syphoning Delegation from Forge World and we will be discussing them each!

Hive War

Hive war includes two full gangs (House Escher and House Delaque), a full set of objective tokens and additional Zone Mortalis terrain. For both gangs these are the same as can be found in the normal gang boxes. Objective tokens are the same as the original Second Edition boxset as is the Zone Mortalis terrain. Each of the items in this box can be ordered separately but you are getting them at a discount getting them boxed together. The only difference in this box is that the rulebook is updated to include all FAQ changes prior to the book’s printing!

Set in the Warhammer 40k universe, Necromunda is a hive planet that produces munitions for the Astra Militarum. The planet is covered in massive hive cities but below these are the homes and territories of numerous gangs, most of which have aligned themselves to one of the major house- Escher, Delaque, Goliath, Orlock, Cawdor and Van Saar. Each house operates under strict morals and rules that members must abide by.

Gameplay is as solid as before- when you played with the FAQ rules previously there is no transition to the new rulebook. This is not a new edition, just an updated printing. Any chance at more terrain, models I don’t have, more objectives and additional models for your favorite faction is a win for sure and for me this box has that in spades. Escher have always been my favorite House to play so additional models are great as that will allow me to try some new load outs that will also appease the WYSIWYG crowd as these will already have the weapons.

House of Blades

In addition to containing the most up to date lore on House Escher, House of Blades features rules for the main fighter types- Queens, Matriarchs, Death-Maidens, Wyld Runners, Sisters, and Little Sisters. Additionally you will find rules for the various abilities or weapons used by this House and even how to hire the various brutes and thugs. This includes how to hire the Syphoning Delegation as well! This book is a must for fans of House Escher or any other House that wants to know more about their enemies.

Mercator Nautica Syphoning Delegation

The Delegation has some special ties to House Escher but can work with any law abiding gang. With this trio I love the concept draining the water from my enemies to then sell to others for a profit. Aesthetically they look like they might belong with a Tau army in 40k but really feel like a call out to days of first edition when we had elite members from high up in the Spyre coming down to eradicate some of the gangs. The chosen paint scheme GW used I feel is too bright so I will be doing something a bit darker but am looking forward to the task as well as fielding them with my Eschers.

When it comes to family games if there is a cat we will usually play it and Tacocat Spelled Backwards is no exception.

The folks at Exploding Kittens shared another game with us to review and that was Tacocat Spelled Backwards. As this is technically sponsored content the agreement is only that we would review the game but that agreement does not guarantee a certain opinion. The below are our thoughts on the game and ours alone.

The mechanics of the game are quite simple, like most games from Exploding Kittens. Each round both players draw up to seven cards and play those cards until ultimately you have your lowest number left in your hand to end the round. Whomever has the lower card at this point wins the round. In between depending on how you want to play you will either play a high or equal card to play first next turn or play lower cards and give control to the other player. Now, there are more advanced rules and I played the game with my children so we did not explore those options at this time. Specifically I played with my thirteen year old son and my five year old daughter.

For both children this game was a ton of fun but as my youngest doesn’t know her numbers very well it did slow the game a bit. After playing two games though she can now visually identify the numbers 1-12!

As can be expected the cards and other pieces for the game were adorable and/or quite funny, like the baby yelling “Doom” on a yam. Hella random but we found it funny as hell. Now despite the simplicity of the game we had a blast as a family and immediately after the four games we played my youngest was begging to teach it to my father in law, and she rarely enjoys games that aren’t aimed at her age group. If that’s not a deal of approval I don’t know what it. As for myself I found the game to be quite enjoyable and well worth the low price point of $14.99!

Warhammer Underworlds returns with Direchasm! Will the Realmlords survive the return of Hedonites of Slaanesh?

The Hedonites have returned with their own warband for Warhammer Underworlds and face off in Direchasm against the Lumineth Realmlords. This pairing of forces is a huge plus by itself for me. Back in the Old World of Warhammer Fantasy many elves, now called Aelves, followed the Chaos god Slaanesh, known as the God of Excess and it’s followers were some of the most perverse. Eventually it splintered the elven people into two primary factions High Elves and Dark Elves. The Dark Elves were the group that followed Slaanesh and eventually stopped and moved to follow Khaine, the god of murder. Now the two forces are facing each other once again and have brought along some of the finest sculpts the franchise has released to date.

One of the biggest changes between versions of this game is models that now have a 6+ Wound characteristic and are defeated you will earn 2 Victory Points instead of the customary 1. Another change is that the Support mechanic is slightly modified. Basically before any models adjacent to the one attacking would support but you would subtract your support from the opponent’s support. Whomever had more support remaining receives the bonus. Now you simply take the support regardless and each support roll counts as a success instead.

As a starting box is concerned this iteration of Underworlds can be a bit overwhelming with some of the cards specifically. Previous versions a majority of the cards were more simplistic but allowed a bit of room for interpretation. The cards in this box give much longer descriptions but there is little room for interpretation. Everything is laid out exactly how they will work but the amount of wording can overwhelm newer players. For seasoned gamers though this will provide a dynamic experience in the realms of Warhammer Underworlds with some amazing models that would be fantastic starters for a Slaanesh or Realmlord based army. If you are a fan of Chaos armies or the Underworlds franchise then you will love this box.