Tag tabletop gaming

Exploding Kittens has released a new expansion for their hit card game- Zombie Kittens and this time the Zombies are coming!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Exploding Kittens is one of my favorite games to play as a family. It has nothing to do with the fact I usually win. That helps, sure but not the main reason. Between fantastic art and cutthroat chaos we can’t get enough of this game. Zombie Kittens takes the classic format of killing each other and brings in the ability to bring players back from the dead. Normally if they can’t defuse the bomb that is the end of the game for them but now they have the chance to be resurrection as a zombie and can still terrorize the players.

The phrasing on the resurrection card could be better because as it is written sounds like it allows you to bring back all dead players. It can also be easily interpreted that it only brings back the player that is dying at that instant. Having carefully read the rules themselves though this is explained a bit better. You can use it to save yourself if you are dying BUT you automatically bring back one dead player with you. To really take advantage of this expansion you really need a group of at least four players. Playing with two players makes this effectively a defuse card but with some added features that are impacted by other new cards. This is similar to what the Imploding Kitten did for the game.

Adding new features and cards to an already great game helps keep it from getting stale. This version was a lot of fun but would absolutely be better with a larger group. Being able to save yourself continues to lengthen the game time but overall not significantly. If you are a fan of Exploding Kittens or looking for a new game to play with your group then this is a great choice for you!

Who here likes rainbows? Who likes revenge? Who likes both? With Mantis from Exploding Kittens you get BOTH!

One thing I love about games from Exploding Kittens is their originality. Some of the games may have borrowed some mechanics from others but as a whole they look and feel entirely original. Mantis is one such game that has seemed to borrowed a basic mechanic but made it their own overall. The mechanic I’m referring to is simply trading matching cards like in Go Fish. A very simple mechanic for sure but they still made it their own. Instead of collecting numbered cards you are collecting styles of mantis shrimp. What makes this game unique, aside from what is printed on the cards, is that instead of scoring points with your shrimp you can steal cards from the other players to try to make your tank earn you points.

Let’s talk about speed of play. Most titles make claims about how quick they are to play and Mantis is no different in that regard. However, it is very accurate at ten minutes. Our first game took closer to fifteen but that was more because we were learning the rules of the game. This game is really good at reminding you who may not want to play certain games with. Some members of the family are just too cutthroat. I’m looking right at both of my teenagers. I don’t understand why they always target me specifically. It’s like they coordinate these assaults together telepathically. Overall we had a great time but it simply does not hold a candle to the Exploding Kittens game itself.

Very Special Games brings Charty Party to the group card game genre- think Cards Against Humanity with charts instead.

The team at Very Special Games sent us both the All Ages and the 17+ editions of Charty Party to review. The game is quite simple to grasp, especially if you have played Cards Against Humanity. For those that haven’t played everyone gets shuffled a hand of orange cards. The judge for that round will draw a card from the chart pile. The remaining players then place the card they think the judge will choose. Depending on the judge you might go for the funniest answer or something else. For example one of my daughter’s friends will never choose the funniest card. She only picks the card that works the least and then tells everyone to “think about it”. The trick here is to play to your judges.

At first glance I thought the game would be a waste of time and an even bigger waste of shelf space. Clearly I was skeptical. That was before I read how to play. You see, I saw the charts themselves and thought this would be one of the stupidest games I ever played that wasn’t for young children. However, during my unboxing of the game I realized what the game really was and my immediate impression changed. You can check out that video here:

After filming the video and playing the game with the family I learned two things. The first is that the game is better with alcohol, like most games but still it is better when you’ve been drinking. The second is that despite the game being centered around charts it is actually quite clever and was a good amount of fun for our whole group. I think this one will be a regular addition to our gaming rotation.

Renegade Games brings the ultimate roleplaying game for 80s fanboys- GI Joe the Roleplaying Game!

Over the years GI Joe has had many iterations to the comics and cartoons. The Joes originated in comic and animation starting with Marvel Comics. They were later replaced by Devils Due and then at their current home at IDW Comics. Devils Due continued the story where Marvel left off but IDW rebooted it to take the story with the original write where it was left off at Marvel. I have always wanted to play in this world and now Renegade Games has given us the chance to do just that.

The quality of this book though is what really makes it stand out. The images and attention to detail are superb. Even better is that, with such a rich history of comics and cartoons, you are able to play any source material you want. That’s right! If you prefer the Devils Due run then you can play it. If you prefer the IDW reboot run then you can play that! You can literally play any source you want, as long as the GM/DM and players all agree.

Right off the bat (pun intended) I have a big complaint about this game- you can only play as a member of the Joes team. Other than Snake Eyes, Scarlet and Jinx, I am a fan of Cobra. I want a Cobra Roleplaying Game next or at least a supplement that does the same thing. Their D20 system is really easy to pick up and play without much experience with other roleplaying games.

Games Workshop just put the latest army set up for preorder with Astra Militarum and it includes all new models AND the new codex!

It used to be that when a codex released Games Workshop would release a new model or two along with it that were related. Rarely we would see several boxes release at the same time but with the current edition of the game it has all changed. GW has changed their marketing and release process and it is huge. This started with the Black Templar army box and the Astra Militarum are the latest to take advantage of this style of release.

Featuring the new Codex and a box almost full of new models the Astra Militarum Army Launch Set focuses on Cadia. As far as the miniatures are concerned, the box contains twenty Cadian Shock Troops, a Command Squad, a Field Ordnance Battery, and a Sentinel. Of those only the Sentinel is a previously released. With all these new models they will make perfect additions to my slowly growing Tanith First army but will take some time with kitbashing.

We had the opportunity to open this box and look over the codex and models. We must admit that it is a fantastic starter. I used to think that outside the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels that the AM was nearly as lame as Orks. I hated on the army for years. Seriously. The novels gave me an appreciation for the Tanith only and no other faction. This renewed focus on the faction and the quality of the models we have seen over the last year have me rethinking my stance. My favorite part of the new codex is that you don’t need to build your army as a single regiment, you can have mixed regiments! This is much like with Age of Sigmar blending Grand Alliances. Add that to the model range and I can’t think of a more perfect time to join the Imperial Guard, I mean the Astra Militarum.

The Arena of Shades puts the Nighthaunt against the Daughters of Khaine and introduces a new hero model for each side.

It should come as no surprise that Nagash believes that all souls belong to him and after Morathi’s recent ascension to godhood he has a big reason to hate the Daughters of Khaine. The Arena of Shades puts these two forces against each other in the city formerly known of Anvilgard as Nagash looks to settle the score after the events of Broken Realms. Typically with these boxed starters we see only one or two new models, usually one per faction but in this box we see a five model unit of Craventhrone Guard in addition to a hero for each faction.

While this box is no longer available through Games Workshop directly there are still a few third party sellers with it available. At release the box was $195 USD and considering the fact that you get over forty models, seven of them previously unreleased, this box is a steal. If you price out the individual components these items would easily cost $250 or more. Additionally White Dwarf subscribers will have already received cards to use the new units in Warcry, add these to the already huge lists for both groups in Warcry and you have even more options to help you dominate the field of battle.

Thondian Strongpoint is the first Realmscape box for the current edition of Age of Sigmar but will it be the last?

It’s not unusual for Games Workshop to release or even release a set of terrain following a current theme. Realmscape: Thondian Strongpoint is no different. What makes this box standout is not the fact that it brings back some of the recent Realmscape Expansion pieces but it adds some brilliant terrain you can’t get anywhere else, at least for now. Beyond these terrain pieces we also get a single model, an Endless Spell that EATS other Endless Spells- the Krondspine Incarnate. In a recent event where Alarielle completed her Rite of Life the Incarnates were created, further proving the realms themselves are alive. The Krondspine Incarnate itself is the spirit of Ghur and the Realm of Beasts is hungry.

At $220 USD this box got a lot of negative attention from the community because most that wanted it only wanted the Incarnate and for a single model Endless Spell that price is quite excessive. Kitbashing is always an option for those players but this is a bad ass model as it is. Despite how awesome the model looks this brings me to my real complaint with the box- the Incarnate. For an Endless Spell it looks fantastic but other than the head of it, nothing really screams “Realm of Beasts” about it. I feel like the spirit of Ghur should be some sort of massive beast, like a Mawcrusha or even the Hell Pit Abomination. Both of which would be a better fit as the spirit of Ghur. What I would have preferred would have been a living version of the giant skeleton that came with this box, a massive serpent monster would have been the perfect Krondspine Incarnate. This model itself looks like it would be a better fit as the spirit of Shyish.

Time will tell if we see other Realmscape boxes and I sincerely hope we see more as we expand into the other realms but I doubt we will see it happen at least until next year at the earliest. The reason is because of all of the Ghur themed terrain coming for Warcry over the next year. When we see them expand into other realms I hope we see more awoken Incarnates.

The next small boxed Warhammer 40k game is here with Fireteam, putting Space Marines against Necrons.

Fireteam is meant to be a way to introduce Warhammer 40k to new players, giving them essentially a small kill team that can easily be a starting force towards a solid 1000 point army when they graduate to a true tabletop experience. Being a skirmish type game it is meant to be quick paced and the designers have more than achieved it. As tabletop gamers we have have those friends or family members we want to bring into our hobby and box is a perfect way to do that with 40k.

One of the best things about this release is the value. It sells for about $50 at book stores and if you were to take the same models from Games Workshop directly would easily cost at least $100! Gameplay is easy to learn and the campaign mechanic is a great way to bring experienced gamers and newer players together for a story where the war is not decided by a single battle. Essentially you mix and match key elements of a campaign to tell the tale of this fight you are waging while unlocking special gear that will benefit you later. Overall this is a great value to players starting out with either Space Marines or Necrons and will make for an engaging way to introduce other players to this wonderful world of 40k.

It feels like ages ago that Games Workshop announced Bladeborn, a game that appeared to mix Underworlds with Warcry but did they deliver the goods?

Games Workshop shared a copy of Bladeborn with us and almost immediately asked us to hold onto any recordings we made for a while due to the misprinting of some of the cards. At the time we were lucky enough to have been behind on our recording schedule and hadn’t recorded anything yet on this game. Once the replacement cards had arrived we finally got down to recording and shortly after playing. The link to that video is at the bottom of the article.

Before we get into gameplay I must admit that in the video below I made some mistakes. Specifically I felt that the quality of the minis were of a lower quality than their counterparts from Warhammer Underworlds. I was so wrong on this. About a month later I revisited the models along with their counterparts and the quality was exactly the same so I apologize my words that were so wrong. I hope this didn’t affect anyone and their decision in picking this game up.

If you have ever played Warcry and Underworlds will love this game because it truly is the daemonic love-child of them both. Combat is very much like Warcry (of the two games this is the better system so a huge win) and movement feels more akin to Underworlds. Even better it gives you cards for ALL of the Chaos Warbands from Underworlds released so far. Best yet is that these cards can also be used in Warcry! If you are a fan of Warcry or Underworlds this game will be a great addition to your library and is easier to learn. This means it is a great starting point for new players as well.

Without further adieu here is our official unboxing video of Bladeborn :

Warzone Octarius has come to give us new rules for Orks and Tyranids as well as for using Rogue Traders and even Kill Teams.

Warhammer 40k is constantly evolving and over this year 9th edition is no different. The Warzone supplements expand on rules for existing factions and share the story of a particular warzone. The second round of this is Warzone Octarius with books 1 and 2. The previous books were based on Charadon but I suspect Octarius was chosen due to the recent release of Kill Team: Octarius which featured exclusive models and terrain.

Book 1 brings us rules Cadia, Tyranids and the Armies of Renown: Kill Team. Now with the branding of Kill Team I originally assumed this would be the squads from Kill Team: Octarius but instead these Kill Teams are part of the Deathwatch and are comprised of Space Marines. Book 2 however brings the Kill Team flavor with rules for the Blood Axes, the Ork team from the Octarius box, along with Rogue Traders (Astra Cartographica) and the Speed Freeks Speed Mob as this book’s Army of Renown.

These books are less for casual or competitive players but more for those that like to follow an official campaign. Charadon did not see a Kill Team release but with Octarius receiving it’s own warzone books so soon after it’s Kill Team release I am fully expecting that the next warzone will be centered around Chalnath.