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Quick Plays & Reviews

August 23, 2016 5 Minutes

Ordinarily before I do a review of a game I want to play it dozens of times, have plenty of time to think about it and in general dive into it as deep as it can go. It’s kind of my process and the only way I feel comfortable and certain that my review will hold up as I’m writing it as well as 2 years later when I look at it again. I have realized over the last year however that while I play a wide variety of games and plenty of them, I actually typically only review a dozen or so games a year as result of this sort of system. More than that, I generally only review games I like because naturally, I don’t want to dive that deeply into games I don’t like.

The end result is that I don’t review a lot of games I play and I kind of don’t like that, I want this blog to be filled with played games and opinions. As such I have created a new article format I like to call Quick Plays & Reviews. For these shorter reviews I will effectively apply the same rating system, but will only post the final score and my overall comments about the game. There will be less nuts and bolts to the review, but it will allow me to get more game coverage. Some games on my quick reviews may get full reviews later on as well.

This last month I have played several games so let’s see if we can stick some scores on them.

Colt Express by Asmodee 2014

Final Score:

A simple and visual enticing game that is sure to be a hit with the family.

The winner of the Spiel des Jahres, among countless other awards, this western themed card game includes some visual pizazz, robo-rally reminiscent pre-programming mechanics and just enough take that to be fun but not mean. It is a family game both visually and mechanically, it has the appeal typically associated with Spiel des Jahres winners.

I liked it well enough, it was simple and intuitive enough that rules explanations could be done as you play, yet had just enough depth to ensure that some strategy is required to win. This game sort of falls into that “I like it but have no desire to own it” line of games for me, which to be fair, is most games. I think in part this is due to one common issues with these sort of very light family games, over the course of many plays it just doesn’t hold up and it’s in particularly problematic when I can see that after playing it just once.

I definitely think this is a great game for kids, it’s just simple enough to teach to youngsters to more or less get it and thanks to great artwork and theme it’s an easy sell. Again, everything you expect from a Spiel des Jahres winner, it’s no surprise at all to me that this game won the award.

Conclusion: Clever combination of classic mechanics in a streamlined package based on an easily relatable theme. For me personally it’s a bit too simple for the collection, perhaps something I might put on the kids shelves. Great design, lack of re-playability will probably hurt it in the long run.

Terra Mystica by Feverland 2012

Final Score:

Over-hyped and overrated snooze-fest not worthy of your shelf space or table time. There are far better cube pushing Euros out there.

When Terra Mystica hit gaming collections in 2012 it become an instant boardgamegeek sensation catapulting it into the top 10 where it sits comfortably in the no. 4 spot today. I had played this game a couple of times online shortly after it released, but after my most recent in person play I’m convinced that it firmly deserves a spot on my top 5 games popular games you can skip list.

I’m sorry but there is very little to love here and while I have my grudges with boardgamegeek.com, I can usually at least understand why a game like Twilight Struggle or Pandemic Legendary reaches the heights it does. I can see that these games have that objectively good design thing going even if it doesn’t speak to me personally. Terra Mystica on the other hand is just a very mediocre, poorly streamlined, cube pusher and it’s neither objectively a particularly great design nor is it innovative. There are at least a dozen boring cube pushers that are a lot more interesting than this one and far less pointlessly confusing. We get it, push cubes, score points, it’s a simple concept yet in Terra Mystica its made painfully slow and complex to the point where caring or even knowing if your winning requires someone to wake you up. Your going to spend a lot of your time calculating how many points you have and how many your opponents have to even know how well your doing, I really hate that about most Euros but in Terra Mystica this is particularly annoying. This is one of those games that even obscene amounts of alcohol can’t make entertaining.

What little substance that is here, is rather poorly executed resulting in an awkward un-intuitive game that can be at best described as an “interesting” design. There is some cleverness buried under all the gears and pistons that make this workhorse go, but there is little pay off in the end and it takes far too long time to get there. Games end very anti-climatically after being played in silence for far too long with virtually no interaction between players, some might say it’s a fun game but you better check that persons definition because about the most exciting thing that happens the entire game is when a player digs for terrain in a location you considered at some point you may want to dig for terrain in the future, maybe. The entire game just felt like I was waiting for a dentist appointment, I was neither enjoying my wait nor looking forward to my turn, I just wanted the whole mess to be behind me.

Conclusion: This is a huge pass and I believe even more now than before that this is without question one of the most over hyped games in existence. Boring, slow and overly complicated for a cube pusher.

Tyrants of the Underdark by Wizards of the Coast 2016

Final Score:

Wizards of the Coast board games are hit and miss, like Lords of Waterdeep this one is a hit.

Where Terra Mystica is over hyped and overrated, Tyrants of the Underdark has the exact opposite problem. No one is talking about it and they really should be because it’s fantastic. The D&D themed game driven by a deck building mechanic, area control and dark elves hit with my group like strippers and beer. It’s a game practically tailored made for us as it taps the theme and the mechanics we love with just enough take that to create and settle some rivalries.

Personally I think this is going to be one that is likely going to become a regular at our gaming nights for a long time to come, it hits those joy centers, in fact its already hit the table top more times in just a short month then most games will see all year.

I think the trick to the game is the smoothness of play and the fact that each players turn causes you to have to adapt and adjust your strategy. You’re constantly in over watch mode, adjusting your plan until your turn comes up. There is also this element of time pressure, people are buying up cards, taking over cities, scoring points and it quickly starts to feel like a race but one where you can slap your opponents to get them back in line behind you. That is definitely right up my ally mechanically.

Of course I think the theme helps a lot as well, my group, myself includes loves the D&D franchise, in particular forgotten realms and we are a twisted lot so getting to play the “evil” side of things is definitely a cherry on top.

Now I will say that I think the game is very open to expandability and in the past with games like Lord of Waterdeep Wizards of the Coasts created a great core game, but it was a interaction focused expansion that really nailed it home. I kind of see the same thing with Tyrants of the Underdark, it has a great core, but what it really needs is a hard hitting “complexity” raising expansion that makes the game just a wee bit nastier.

I think this one will eventually get a full review but my first impressions are quite solid, I’m surprised how little hype this one is getting.

Conclusion: Strong gameplay and streamlined mechanics, tough decisions with a unique take on a nostalgic theme. Great choice for both casual and veteran gamers.

Star Wars: Rebellion by Fantasy Flight Games 2016

Final Score:

It's Star Wars so there is a lot to love, but remove the theme and this game might feel a be a bit too linear. — It’s Star Wars so there is a lot to love, but remove the theme and this game might feel a be a bit too linear.

When FFG announced Star Wars: Rebellion the word “excited” barely describes it, this bad boy easily made my top 5 most anticipated games list and as I sat down to play it for the first time it suffices to say that being objective wasn’t going to be part of the experience. Star Wars Rebellion is a Star Wars nerds wet dream, taking on the role as either the Empire or Rebellion players have the opportunity to use the entire weight of the Star Wars universe from the Death Star to Luke Skywalker, from freezing people in carbonite to shooting open exhaust vents, it’s all here.

My first play of this went down exactly as one can imagine, grinning from ear to ear, I was simply overwhelmed by the spectacle of it over all and if you asked me what I thought about the game right then and there it would have gotten an 11 out of 10. Time however is the reviewer’s greatest weapon and I was wise enough to hold back my opinion about the game, taking a step back to get a more objective perspective on things.

Now Rebellion is often referred to as the Star Wars version of War of the Rings, a story driven game heavily tilting the theme over gameplay and I think that is without question the most accurate way to describe. This of course assumes you have played War of the Rings, if you haven’t it leaves you with little perspective to go on. I think perhaps a better way to describe is that Star Wars is a board game that leans so hard on bringing the story to the game that mechanics almost take a back seat, which is not to say the mechanics aren’t good, they are in fact great, but it does mean there are some sacrifices made that more critical reviewers might be quick to point out.

For one the game is a bit scripted and this is something that only comes to light after a long hard look at what is under the hood once the fanboy rainbow glasses are removed and you focus in on those mechanics. One problem that immediately jumps to mind is the fact that while the game hinges on finding the rebel base, it can and most likely will very anti-climatically be revealed by simply accidently stumbling across it. As such the Imperial players ability to win the game is often driven by his ability to get lucky and find the base. The quicker he does it the more likely he is to win because once the base is revealed; given sufficient amount of time (one or two turns) typically the Empire can overwhelm the base and win the game. More than that, once the base is revealed the games nuances and core mechanic, that cat and mouse game of finding the base dissipates and the game becomes a RISK like war game of simply conquering a single important territory, something that the rebels are not well equipped to do against the overwhelming forces of the Empire. Now this is a very simplistic view of things, there actually is a bit more to it than that but in a nutshell the game boils down to the Empire looking for the base, winning if they find it, losing if they don’t. All of the other mechanics are kind of a thematic show boat full of distractions, but matter little in the bottom line of things.

There are some reset buttons here, the Rebels can for example move their base to a new location which is a good solution to the problem for rebels if the opportunity is available. I’m not really here to complain about this element other than to say that a lot hinges on that random game of chance where an Imperial player can simply get lucky to put him in a position to easily win the game or get unlucky and never find the base. Play this game 6 or 7 time and I think you will start to see some repetitive patterns emerge on the static map of the Star Wars universe.

The objective review for this one is still very far away for me, I really need to get more plays as the game does have some subtle nuances I’m sure I missed but for now I can say that the thematically driven gameplay is strong enough to easily push this to the top of the list of a Star Wars fans play list. I don’t think you need to hesitate but keep in mind that while it has the look of Twilight Imperium, it doesn’t have the dynamics. This is a two play game and that epic feel might start to feel quite a bit less epic once you have played it a few times and start to see the formula for what it is. For what it’s worth, I think mechanically, Star Wars is not as good a game as War of the Rings but thematically it has the same strength which personally I think is more than enough to carry it.

Conclusion: For Star Wars fans this is a must own/play game, for everyone else I strongly suggest you look over the mechanics and consider the fact that without the strength of the theme this one may be a bit linear. Loving Star Wars is an absolute must.

Best of List

Top 10 Best Table Top Games 2016 Edition (August)

August 16, 2016 5 Minutes

It’s time once again to update my top 10 best table top games, without question my favorite article to write each year. I’m not entirely sure why I find it so entertaining, but most gamers find themselves saying “oh that’s my favorite game”, on a regular basis, but I think few take the time to actually think about that comment, assess it and put it to paper. Perhaps it’s a bit obsessive of me, but I don’t care.. so here we go.

First just a re-cap of the list from last year (October 2015)

1. Star Wars X-Wing
2. Game of Thrones (The Board Game)
3. Star Wars: Armada
4. War of the Rings
5. Twilight Imperium (3rd edition)
6. Nations
7. Star Trek: Fleet Captains
8. Fury of Dracula (3rd Edition)
9. Kemet
10. Shogun (Queen Games Edition)

Now right up front I want to say that all these games as far as I’m concerned are fantastic and while at this point in the article I’m yet to make my list, I can say with certainty at least half of them will probably remain on the list, perhaps more. Those that fall off the list, aren’t getting kicked out of bed for being bad, but rather simply fall out of favor for younger newer models.

Ok here we go!

1. Star Wars: X-Wing

The undeniable king of the hill, X-Wing just gets better with time. — Perhaps not my most highest rated review, but still my favorite game of all time.

This was actually a tough call for me this year which is not to say that I don’t think X-Wing is not one of the best games ever made (it is) but because my recent review triggered a close up and objective look at the game and as you can see below (3 out of 5 Stars) it did good but not great, at least not as great as a number one spot would suggest. In fact almost every other game on this list would probably score close to or higher using my rating system.

In the end though top 10 lists aren’t about how they review, but about how much I like to play them and despite any flaws I still rather play X-Wing than any other game on this list. It is simply put, my favorite game.There is a lot of stuff on the board, but this game takes place largely in your head.

X-Wing continues to be the dynamic, thematic, chaotic Star Wars infused dog fighting game it has always been. I love it, plain and simple. I will say that at this point my interest in X-Wing is less competitive, outside of the 100 point standard death match and more about creating cool thematic experiences. I favor scenario based games, high point counts, alternative rules and in particular I have fallen head over heels with Epic play. I think it’s a testament to X-Wing’s longevity that not only is it replay-able years after release, but within the scope of the game there are different ways to play it. It’s this refreshing of the game that I think raises X-Wing above the rest.

2. Game of Thrones: The Board Game

There is a lot of stuff on the board, but this game takes place largely in your head.

Another unyielding game that refuses to drop down on the list is my beloved Game of Thrones. I didn’t get many opportunities to play it this year and I considered dropping it a bit but the truth is that, despite the lack of table top opportunities this year, I rather play it then anything below on the list. It simply deserves to be here. Game of Thrones is like a favorite cousin you don’t see very often but each time you get together you realize how much you have missed him.

There are very few games out there that increase my heart rate and offer up intensity in fat slices like this one. Game of Thrones is a roller coaster of emotion, stress and simplicity in a sea of complexity. It is in my humble opinion one of the most challenging games to win at and it’s because so much of the game play exists in the meta-mental state of the players. How much they trust you, what their gut tells them about your eyes and body language. It’s far less a game about mechanics and strategy and far more a game of social and mind games.

It’s one of FFG’s oldest games and it’s one of its best, this is an experience no gamer should pass up and if you are actually are a fan of the franchise, this is simply mandatory.

3. Game of Thrones: The Card Game 2nd Edition

This is a game of political intrigue, it's got the depth to be a contender for best card game I have ever played. — This is a game of political intrigue, it’s got the depth to be a contender for best card game I have ever played.

Ok you might get the sense here that I’m a Game of Thrones fan boy but the truth is that I actually like these games far more than the show and this particular card variation while in the same spirit of psychological mind games like the board game I actually like it more for its amazingly thematic and tactical gameplay. Deck builders are usually not my thing, but Game of Thrones The Card Game has revitalized the genre for me.

I think what really drives this game is the fact that it’s a multiplayer versus card game and the fact that it’s subtle where deck building while important isn’t the driving force but rather the combination of card play and tactical thinking is. This isn’t a game of big explosive plays, but rather one of chipping away at each other through cleverly executed chess move, one piece at a time, grinding away towards the win.

This card game really slapped me across the face and sprung on my list like a cracked out squirrel and while I find this does happens every year for a couple of games on my top 10 list, games that sky rocket to great heights usually deflate and fall off with the same intensity. Still right now this new bundle of joy is occupying a lot of my brain space not to mention rapidly emptying my bank account. Fantastic game that deserves to be played if you love challenging multiplayer versus games, but in particular if you have a group of Game of Thrones fans at home who will appreciate the intricate political scheming replicated in card game form you find in the tv show and books.

4. War of The Rings

As much a visual story experience as a game, War of the Rings deserves every word of praise it has ever received.

Like Game of Thrones the board game this game is a bit of a dust collector of my collection, I rarely get to play it but when I do I’m reminded exactly why this game has a permanent space on my shelf despite having a box so big it could knock you the fuck out. It is the Lord of the Rings story in a game, not part of the story, the whole god damn thing from Frodo to Mount Doom and everything in between.

I suppose I’m being a bit unfair to some of the games below this spot that I play considerably more often, but the truth is that I would with no hesitation drop what I’m doing at any point in my day to play this game. I actually open the box and read the cards and manual a couple of times a year wishing I had the opportunity to bust it out so while the opportunities to play a long 2 player game don’t come up often for me, the desire for them is reason enough to have it on this list. Love it, always have, always will.

5. Through The Ages: A New Story of Civilization

There is no question in my mind that this is Vlaad Chivatil's masterpiece. — There is no question in my mind that this is Vlaada Chvatil’s Mona Lisa.

The remake of the classic has not only inspired me to play this game again, but the improvements have legitimately took this game from a good game I like to pull out every long once in a while to a game I will happily play any time. Yes, it’s long and complicated as fuck, it’s a pain in the ass to teach and it can be quite tough to find people willing to blow off 4-5 hours playing a deep euro driven resource management simulator but the truth is that this game is made for guys just like me.

The improvements in this latest version are not only mechanical, solving some of the most disliked, turn off, mechanics, but it joins the 21st century in quality components and visual appeal. The old edition largely got the standard “it looks stupid” response from people and rightfully so, the old version looked like a damn prototype, but this new deluxe, visually enhanced Through The Ages has the sex-appeal that triggers people to try it and the refreshed mechanics that inspire that “aha” moment to keep trying it. If you doubt that, look at Board Game Geek, this game will be number 1 before the year is out, I guarantee it and it’s no surprise to me, it has the chops to be a fantastic, albeit it deep and complex board game. Plus it’s Sid Meier’s civilization in board game form, thematically driven by a universally beloved genre of gaming.

6. Twilight Imperium

If there was ever a game you can say is for a hardcore audience, this is definitely that game.

My staple standard number one game for years remains on the list for the same reasons it’s always been there. Never has there been a better 4x, Master of Orion inspired, science fiction civilization builder and I doubt there ever will be one this good. TI3 is the definitive science fiction galactic everything game and with the two expansions it has grown to become one of the most complex and dynamic games..period… in existence.. period..

It’s heavy as fuck and that might explain why it’s a rather niche game but I make no apologies for it and neither does FFG. It’s made for the veteran gamer who wants to get in knee deep into some serious gaming and isn’t fazed by a 6 hour endeavor to find that ultimate experience. It’s a blow out hit and at this point a golden classic, the graduation game that takes you from an amateur to a pro.

7. Star Wars: Armada

It's slip from grace has nothing to do with it's visual appeal, the game is beautiful. — It’s slip from grace has nothing to do with it’s visual appeal, the game is beautiful.

This one is steadily dropping off my radar but I still have an affinity for it that can’t be denied. It’s a deeply strategic and tactical miniatures game and while I find it rather exhausting by comparison to the simplicity of my beloved X-Wing, every once in a while I want to drag out X-Wings big brother and rock it capital ship style.

FFG has done a fantastic job of supporting this game and it’s largely thanks to the influx of new and interesting ships this games dynamics have already grown beyond the grumblings of competitive meta, something I wish I could say about X-Wing. It’s richness and in your face theme brings it to the point of a story-telling game because the battles are always memorable and epic which really hits that Star Wars G-spot.

It deserves all the praise I can give it and it’s slip from the list probably has to do with the fact that I’m always put to the split test between playing X-Wing and Armada, a contest in which Armada rarely comes out on top. It’s not Armada’s fault that I love X-Wing over everything else, but it does suffer for it. Great game though and it’s in no danger of losing its shelf space on my wall of Star Wars glory.

8. Fury of Dracula (3rd Edition)

This classic game gets a face-lift that any fans have unanimously praised and for good reason, its brilliant.

I think if it wasn’t for the recent re-print this game would have fallen off my top 10 by now but there is absolutely no denying that the new edition has re-vitalized this game for me. Sticking to the classic formula this mind-fuck simulator has players chasing the elusive Dracula around Europe in an effort to slay him, a simple concept, with a fantastic theme.

I have always loved deduction games but in my humble opinion this is really the only one that never becomes stale nor are there any real tricks or puzzles to solve here. It’s too dynamic for that and I think it’s largely why it stands out so well over a sea of mediocre deduction games.

I will admit that this game has a lot of nostalgic value to me and that probably helps keep it on the list, but I honestly believe if I were to review it today it would out-perform most of the game on this list using my rating system, especially this new edition. Love it, live it!

9. Dead of Winter

It might take a few plays to warm up to it, but once it gets its hooks into you, watch out!

Holy shit, I can’t believe I’m putting this game on my list in particular since the first 3 or 4 times I played I thought it was kind of Meh. I actually think the true sign of an amazing game with strong longevity is if it slowly grows on me. Dead of Winter had a big impact on me this summer during one of my gaming groups epic summer weekend board game nights. We ended up playing it back to back twice and it stands out as two of the best gaming experiences I have had in recent memory.

I love that cross-roads system, those story’s really bring the game to life but ultimately it’s that betrayer mechanic that really brings this game home. You have so much psychological fuck you going on in this game that it just pulls you out of your seat and creates atmosphere so thick it almost feels like you’re actually experiencing the bloody zombie apocalypse.

Love it, it deserves this spot, despite my own disbelief, it really just knocked it out of the park for me.

10. Shogun (Queens Games Version)

The contrast between the quiet, contemplative planning phase and the outrageously chaotic execution phase make this one of the most memorable Euro games I have ever played.

Holding on for dear life, the number 10 spot was defiantly disputed but in the end all I had to do is reminisce about game nights gone past to choose this one out of the line-up. It’s about feudal Japan, and it’s about that two part mixture, one part thinky-contemplative game and the other part, an explosive shock inducing frenzy.

I just love how this game is constructed, it’s got that wonderful easy to learn hard to master core, it has the euro style strategic (control your fate) puzzle, but dynamically linked to the shocking amount of randomness that will have you throwing your hands up in victory or despair. This might explain why many Euro gamers hate it and many Ameri-trash gamers hate it as it is a true merging of an unholy union, but I love bastard and this wretch owns that badge of honor with pride.

I have always had affection for this game and really these types of games in genera that is hard to explain, but despite not getting much play these days it remains one of my all-time favorites.

The Fallout

Yes every year there is fallout as games drop off the list and I feel compelled to explain why.

NATIONS
Yes there was a time when I favored this over Through The Ages and it was largely because it was a more approachable, easier to teach, more streamlined and above all else a faster civilization building game. In the end though I don’t think there was room in my top 10 for two civilization building games, in particular two games that had so much in common, but more importantly I had to honestly ask myself, which game is better. In light of the re-vitalized Through The Ages, having played them both several times in recent sessions it was clear to me that while more complex and time consuming, Through The Ages is simply a better game. I still love Nations and if this was a top 20 list it would certainly be on their somewhere, so its fallout isn’t a break up, but more like the game just became my chick on the side.

Star Trek: Fleet Captains
This one didn’t fall from grace, it was in stiff competition for the number 10 spot and while ultimately I chose Shogun, it sits firmly as a number 11. This story driven adventure game in the Star Trek universe will never be displaced, but there are only so many games that can be in the top, 10 to be exact, so it had to take a bullet. Still love it and will gladly play it, for a Star Trek fan this is still the best there is and I say this in light of new Star Trek adventure games being released this year. Frontiers has nothing on Fleet Captains.

Kemet
Another casualty, this one fell a bit further for me then the others but I suppose it’s more because “light warfare” is just not something that competes well in my current game state of heavy gaming. Every game on my list is a beast of one form or another and Kemets light hearted nature while I certainly I have nothing against just doesn’t have the legs to stand with the big boys. I will still happily play it and I actually highly recommended if you are looking for a simple fun wargame, I actually think this is one of the best around, but it’s novelty has worn off on me a bit.

Board Game Reviews

Star Wars X-Wing: By Fantasy Flight Games 2012

August 15, 2016 5 Minutes

Designers: Steven Kimball, James Kniffen, Corey Konieczka, Jason Little, Brady Sadler, Adam Sadler

Final Score: (3 out 5 Stars)

I have been playing and collecting Star Wars X-Wing since release and have always been a big fan, yet oddly enough I always felt an aversion to reviewing it. I think in part it’s because I know that while I love the game, staying objective was going to be difficult, but also because I knew that ultimately my rating system would keep me honest and in the end X-Wing wasn’t going to score as high as I would want it to. Still I have played X-Wing so long, I know it inside and out, from every angle, in every style of play. I think I’m as ready to review it as I will ever be.

Keep in mind this review is not of the core set, it’s the entire combined experience of everything X-wing from start to finish up to this point (roughly wave 8). Ok so here we go.

Overview

Unless you have been living under a metaphorical gaming rock, you know what Star Wars X-Wing is. Exploding on the miniatures gaming scene, X-Wing rose to be one of the bestselling and most popular miniatures game on the market surpassing the reigning king, Warhammer 40k. Leveraging one of the most popularized and fanatic induced franchises at a time of its rebirth, X-Wing puts players behind the cockpit of Star Wars most famous star fighters in pitched dog fights. The game packs hidden movement with clever template mechanics, a wide variety of special powers and a unique execution phase that creates dynamic and interesting combinations on level with complex CCG deck building.

You could go out on the street anywhere on planet earth and most people will know what this ship is, the popularity of Star Wars is undeniable.

It’s popularity is neither surprising nor is its economic success, but when you get right down to it, is X-wing a good game or does it live by its franchise fame and it’s fanatic fane base?

Components

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: The miniatures look fantastic on the table with sturdy components all around, inspiring the theme and setting you up for an imagination induced Star Wars nerdgasm without worry that you’ll break something when you get too excited.

Cons: While the miniature casts and pre-paints are good, they are considerably below the quality level of your average un-assembled and unpainted miniatures game. They are on the low end of the spectrum in the hobby.

When it comes to miniatures games, components are probably more critical than any other type of game. In fact, the miniature game hobby is referred to as a hobby because you normally spend 95% of the time assembling and painting miniatures and about 5% of your time actually playing.

Fantasy Flight being clever business folk flipped things on its heel and decided that assembling & painting wasn’t going to be a part of X-Wing and produced a pre-painted miniatures game instead. Some loved it, some hated it, but there is no denying that if you played Warhammer 40k for 10 years and you played X-Wing for one year you will have played 10 times more X-Wing matches then you will Warhammer 40k matches and it’s in part because painting is pulled out of the equation.

If only X-Wing miniatures looked this good, but I'm afraid the commercial art and the reality do not match. — We have seen a improvements over time in X-Wing, the latest releases are pretty fantastic even under close inspection, if only it started out this good.

Now the drawback here is that pre-painted miniature quality is never going to be up to snuff compared to hand painted miniatures unless you are particularly bad at painting minis. That is the case here, while the miniature paint jobs are passable, perhaps even “pretty good” this is largely thanks to the fact that most Star Wars ships are effectively variations on the color grey or beige. It’s not going to blow you away and under close inspection it’s easy to see that very little attention was given. Thanks to the rustic color scheme of Star Wars ships however, the imperfections are easy to ignore, the ships look pretty fantastic on the table and evidence of that can be seen in the fact that re-paints are quite rare in the hobby.

The casts also fall in the pretty good category but there really is little to complain about here unless you are accustomed to incredible detail of modern miniatures games. The minis are detailed enough to be recognizable and sufficiently accurate if you’re a fan. They are scaled well enough to keep all but the most rabid fuck-tard pleased. They are sturdy as well, my miniatures have lasted through endless box shakes, drops and careless handling with little more than an occasional bent antenna. There is little to complain or praise about Star Wars X-Wing miniatures, they get the job done. When it comes to the quality of miniatures FFG produces while 40k fans will be quick to point out (and be correct) they don’t compare to what you get from Games Workshop, considering they are pointing the finger from second place, it’s clear that while component quality is important, having a great game mechanic is what puts you in the number one spot in the 21st century.

I personally love the fact that the game is pre painted, in fact if X-wing was not pre-painted I seriously doubt I would be playing it. I have neither the time or the patience for painting these days, so for me, pre-painted minis were really a big decision maker.

Theme

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: From the classic to the epic, in X-Wing the theme pours out of every exposed thermal exhaust port.

Cons: If you don’t like Star Wars go fuck yourself. That’s really all I have to say about that.

In a word, pitch perfect. If there is anything X-Wing got right it’s the feel of a thematic Star Wars infused dog fight. You start each match with a small, controlled and well formed group of fighters and by the time you reach your enemy it’s a cluster fuck of ships, jockeying for position, trying to get on someone’s tail and blowing them out of the sky…. eh space-sky. Success is based largely on movement, special skills of the pilots and abilities of ships as well as a bit of luck. Each ship brings something unique to the battle and every ship functions as you might imagine based on Star Wars lore.

Star Wars is an epic series of movies, and playing X-Wing will give you that same nostalgic feeling.

This is hardly the end of the thematic presence of X-Wing. Take any dog fight scene in the movies, cartoons, books, comic books or video games and easily re-create it in X-Wing. Whether it’s battles between the Millennium Falcon and a bunch of Tie Fighters or made up dog fights like contest between Red Squadron and Black Squadron, it can all be done and the rush and thematic presence is there. Thanks to the introduction of Epic play, you can now also throw in huge ships like the Raider or Corvette to add exactly what Epic play suggests, bigger battles with more ships.

Every card and piece of gear is meticulously illustrated with a distinct Star Wars feel giving the already visual presence of the game even more appeal and this is important because you want to have a sense of a person behind the ship.

Suffice to say the theme here is in bulk and there is no disputing X-Wing’s success in this department. If there is anything to complain about here is that at 100 points in a standard match, typically the battlefield is not quite as full as one might hope. While you can throw in a bunch of low cost Tie Fighters to give it some girth, typical 100 point match ups allow you to put between 2 to 4 ships on the table. Since this is the competitive standard, it is the most common type of game people aspire to but personally I think the game is a lot more interesting at the 150-300 point mark. In particular when you are trying re-create thematic battles with authentic squadrons, it can be quite difficult to accomplish at the low point match of 100 point. This of course I wouldn’t count against the theme, after all, how many points you and a friend decide to play with is up to you and while 100 points is a standard, it’s not a requirement.

Gameplay

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: Between the brilliant flight system, hidden movement, challenging list building and multitude of ways to play the game all wrapped in a Star Wars theme as a fan it’s simply pure joy.

Cons: As if to counter each good point in the game FFG has poured sour milk into it through a steady and painful release of poorly thought out and unbalanced ships, pilots and/or equipment.

Ok so this is the big one and the one I have been dreading. I knew X-Wing would pass components and theme with flying colors, it is FFG and it Star Wars after all. That said in order for this review to be truly objective, despite my personal tastes, I would have to deal with the many negatives of X-Wing. Gameplay is the single most important thing to the game. Sure theme and components are critical but all the pizazz in the world isn’t going to make you want to collect hundreds of dollars in miniatures if you don’t enjoy the game, especially since the painting part of the hobby is largely removed. I’m a glass is half-full kind of guy so let’s do the good stuff first.

X-wings flight system mechanic is nothing short of brilliant in particular considering the subject matter here, it just fits in with X-Wing dog fighting like peanut butter and jelly. It’s important to note it’s not the only game that uses the system, it can be seen in Star Trek Attack Wing and Dungeons and Dragons attack wing and while the system works exactly the same, it just doesn’t fit those games at all in my opinion. The maneuver templates while a simple concept gives X-Wing a very distinct dog fight feel, quite possibly the most important and defining aspect of the game.

Next up is the hidden move first, shoot later mechanic. Again, this is such a great yet simple way to represent a dog fight in space. You have these ships buzzing around each other trying to get into position and everything from pilot skill, ship type and equipment are accounted for while simultaneously adding that wonderful human factor of trying to read your opponents mind and predicting where he will be, what maneuvers he will take. I love the way this work and it’s just a pitch perfect touch to the games already fantastic flight system. Put together, this is one of those mechanics that you look at as a amateur game designer, realize its simplicity and wonder why the fuck you didn’t think of it!

Finally and you really have to hand it to FFG here, they have ensured that there are lots of different ways to play the same game, each more dynamic then the next. You can play pitched battles or scenarios, there are different point counts, you have epic play and team epic play. They have created mission creation system which houses thousands of player created missions. Those are just the official by rules methods, but X-Wing opens itself up to the creative fans and as you might expect from a miniatures community lots of alternative rules, campaign modes, even cooperative play have all been invented for the game. The mechanic is simple enough to manage that creating balanced sub-system is a snap to do with and really everything kind of clicks in terms of trying to work the games core into alternative concepts. You buy these miniatures and you don’t just by one game, but an entire series of games all within the confines of a dog fighting epic. It’s fantastic and by and large it’s this over anything else that I love about the game.

The Flight System is simple, elegant and thematic. It's a perfect fit for X-Wing. — The Flight System is simple, elegant and thematic. It’s a perfect fit for X-Wing.

Overall I can also say that X-Wing is just fun to play and I think fun factor while a matter of personal taste exclusively should never be ignored, especially if you’re a Star Wars fan. Pushing around miniature versions of childhood toys in a game clearly made for grownups is its own magic.

Ok so now it’s time for the bad stuff and unfortunately there is quite a bit of it, it really does pain me to say.

For one the games “balance” leaves a lot to be desired, in particular in the 100 point standard match arena, the most common type of match up. Worst yet in a lot of ways many of the things released for X-Wing over the years have kind of broken its thematic spirit as a dog fighting game which really adds salt to the unbalance wound.

While we got 360 shooting on the Millennium Falcon in the early days for example, this very expensive, large ship while pretty strong, against the big scheme of the game had sufficient drawbacks that special builds were not needed to counter it. 360 shooting however became something of a common practice in releases afterwards, more and more ways to do it were released with every wave and at this point it’s just kind of turned at least the competitive game into less a dog fighting game and more a Yahtzee dice challenge. Can you roll well on command? Now I will say that unbalances of this kind can be overcome by high level play and to that X-Wing can be said to be an easy game to learn but a hard game to master. Once mastered I think unbalances become less of an issue, but that pull towards 360 shooting is strong if you’re having trouble winning.

360 degree shooting is hardly the only issue, but it’s sort of the catalyst to how releases where handled because each new wave is effectively trying to correct the problems and imbalances of the previous release, or we are meant to believe anyway. Most dominant Meta lists however in competitive play are based around 360 degree shooting or ridiculous dice control/manipulation, so you either had to just get in range to roll dice or you could forgo maneuvering and just joust without fear thanks to amazing dice odds.

Ship A was too strong, ship B was created to counter ship A, leading to ship B becoming too strong so equipment C was created to counter ship B but it accidently made ship D too strong. Etc.. etc. If you know anything about collectable card games you might be familiar with this phenomenon and you probably also know it’s no accident that the newest stuff is always center stage of the new meta. These implementations are not a result of bad design but actually an intentional way to push collection element of the game for competitive players. Another words if you want to compete, you needed to buy the new stuff because it’s always better than the old stuff. X-wing suffers horribly as a result and in large part competitive play will typically render 90% of your collection useless at any given moment and you’ll be flying variations of the 2-4 actively competitive lists if you have a desire to actually be able to compete.

Now a lot of people might argue with that assessment, believe me, I want to as well but I fully understand fanboyism, suffer from it too but it would be dishonest to assess the game any other way. This upping of the power curve is blatant. There was a time in the early days when rolling 4 dice was a lot and you would only sometimes land such opportunities, but in today’s environment, this is just average and there are ships that will roll 5 or 6 dice with re-rolls and dice manipulations thanks to combinations of ships and cards.

I love X-Wing, so it’s hard to put that to paper, but it’s true. At the end of the day X-Wing is not a balanced game. It swings wildly, there are heavily overpowered ships, ship abilities and equipment combo’s and while something new will always come along that will trump the current “cheese”, in the end the standard 100 point match of competitive play is really a disappointing experience of predictable metas. You end up facing these cheesy lists and the only way you can compete is to build your own cheese.

Epic play might take a bit longer to resolve, but X-Wing really flexes it's muscle as a game at this level. — Epic play might take a bit longer to resolve, but X-Wing really flexes it’s muscle as a game at this level.

Yes sure, if you’re a really good X-wing player you will win more often than lose and I get that and it really is true, but that really isn’t the point. The point is that you should be able to build an interesting or fun list and still be competitive within the scope of a balanced game because you play well, but in X-Wing you just can’t do that. You have to play the meta lists to stay competative AND you have to be great at the game, simply being great is not enough. I don’t mind the latter, but I absolutely hate meta play and I think it’s a flaw to design a game that hinges on it so heavily.

Now thankfully this does not mean the game has to be unbalanced. Get a friendly group together, break away from the 100 point standard, play scenario’s, epic play, re-create battles from movies or books, create a couple of house rules and you’re golden. There is fun gameplay in there and you can really avoid these broken elements of the game, but if you play X-Wing long enough you will find this ugly competitive nature of the game rear its ugly head and deflate your enjoyment of the game even among friendly groups. The unbalance is inbred into the game.

Thankfully I can honestly say that at least as of this writing X-Wing is in the best shape it’s been a long time. Many of the problems with overpowered elements of the game have strong and varied counters. A lot of gear for older ships was introduced that will make a lot more of your collection viable, even competitively. Still there are many elements that still are not that great. Ordinance equipment like missiles and torpedoes are still extremely weak despite repeated attempts to correct it. X-Wings, the most iconic ship in the Star Wars universe are universally accepted as being utterly useless and overpriced point wise. 360 degree shooting and Turrets you will still find in an overwhelming amount of lists and there is still gear in the game that will just make you hate the game as a whole as it frustrates the shit out of you in how unfair it is, both when you face it and the fact that you have to use it for your ship to remain viable. I hate having 100+ cards in my box but only 10 or so that are worth a shit competitively.

The game has aged now, whether it’s done well or not is a topic of debate, one which would make little difference in a review. The good news is that FFG still releases fun and interesting content pretty regularly and the unbalancing elements at this point are probably not repairable anyway so it’s pointless to argue about anyway. As gaming group you might consider house ruling certain things to create more enjoyable games but personally I find that the attempt are balancing and re-balancing the game via new releases is geared towards standard 100 point matches and when you break away from that, many things that are not viable become so as a result. This is kind of a good thing and I highly recommend getting away from 100 point games.

As it stands, X-Wing is a sort of wild swinger, it boasts some of the coolest and creative mechanics in any game I have ever played, while simultaneously suffering from some of the dumbest “cheesy” additions that just chip away at that wonderful design and the joy of playing a dog fighting game in the Star Wars Universe.

Replay ability and Longevity

Verdict:
Tilt:

Pros: Various game modes, plethora of ships, variants via list builds and the default dynamic nature of the game result in a game in which no two matches will ever be alike.

Cons: Much of what I just said in the pro’s section really relies on you building a sizable collection from which to work and that can get expensive real quick like.

When it comes to most miniatures games replaybaility is usually not a problem and X-Wing is no different. I do believe however that you have to keep collecting and bringing in new units and gear to keep the game fresh and interesting and in that regard like most collectible games, replayability hinges a bit on expanding your collection.

There are tons of ways to build every ship, but there are also plenty of staples. Even if you use the same list every time you play however there is a ton of replayability.

In general though once your collection reaches a certain size and in particular if you collect more than one faction, you really have a game that you will never run out of new experiences to offer. Every game of X-Wing is unique, every match up will dramatically alter the outcome and different point values have a huge impact on the way games play out. The higher you go the more interesting things get and more importantly the more gear and ships you might ordinarily ignore in the 100 point frame become viable.

X-Wing gets an A+ from me as far as longevity goes as well, I have been playing this game steady since release and I’m as excited to play it today as I was the day it was released.

Conclusion

You might think that I have a love hate relationship with X-Wing and perhaps to a degree it’s true. I do love its ingenuity, its fantastic dynamic simplicity and most of all it’s fun factor. In the same breath it’s swingy with many unbalanced elements and there is far too much “useless” equipment, ships and pilot types that make your collection feel unused, in particular in competitive 100 point standard matches.

So why is it still my favorite game? In the end I think the bad parts of X-Wing can be worked around pretty easily with some creative alternative ways to play the game outside of the 100 point standard match. What you’re left is all the good with little to none of the bad. Sure it’s a bit swingy of a game and luck plays its part either way, but I think there is an element of thematic correctness to that, dog fights are wildly unpredictable and so I’m pretty ok with that.

My personal experiences with X-Wing range from good to amazing and while I understand from a competitive stand point there is plenty to complain about, the idea that competitive is some sort of requirement or standard is silly, it’s simply not. If your looking for a thematic Star Wars dog fighting game and want to re-live some of the most epic moments in Star Wars, X-Wing will let you do that with ease.

If however you are looking for a competitive game, I think there are much better miniatures games for that. Star Wars Armada comes to mind in particular if you insist on the Star Wars theme, but X-Wing doesn’t fair that well in that department in my humble opinion. It’s much better as a thematic game of creating fun scenarios, thematic and epic sized games. That’s were all the joy of playing X-Wing really lives.

For what it’s worth, my heart bleeds to see my beloved X-Wing get a 3 out of 5 stars, if I wasn’t bound by my own rating system and stupid requirement to be objective I would have given it at least 4.5 Stars. It is my favorite game of all time and I love it, flaws and all.

Board Game Reviews

Lord of the Rings Card Game by Fantasy Flight Games 2011

August 6, 2016 5 Minutes

Designer: Nate French

Final Score: (4.25 out 5 Stars)

Of all the games to make my collection Lord of the Rings the card game might quite possibly be the least likely candidate I could imagine. For one it’s a cooperative game, my least favorite of all table top game genres typically. Secondly it’s a pure card game which is usually not my thing, again generally not always and it’s a collectable card game which is definitely not my thing pretty much always. So how does a game like Lord of the Rings even get a chance from me let alone meet the stringent requirements of my personal collection given it has everything working against it? It’s a long story, but that is what this review and coincidently what the Lord of the Rings the card game is all about.