D-Day Dice

The battles of World War II have inspired movies, novels, and even games.  D-Day Dice is a fine example of a game that can result from that inspiration.  This cooperative dice game focuses on beach invasion of D-Day, June 6, 1944.  The Allies goal is to rescue France from the Germans, who aren't giving up without a fight.  Players must work together; manage their resources, and use weapons, items, the knowledge and courage of their men to win the day.  Will they be successful, or will France remain in Axis hands?

Overview

In the basic game of D-Day Dice, players are Allied soldiers trying to attack an Axis machine gun nest. 

The players start with a unit and nothing else and as the game progresses they collect resources and advance on the beach, sector by sector, growing stronger and deadlier along the way.  The players cooperate without each other to defeat their common enemy.  If one player fails, they all fail.

Components / Set-up

I was very impressed with the components for the game, they are artistic, thoughtful, and made of high quality materiel. There are four double-sided battle maps.  These are pretty small maps, but a large board isn't needed and many scenarios call for you to place maps side-by-side.  They are made of a very thick cardboard that I know will hold up for years to come.

There are four invaluable Resource Dial Cards in the four player colors (brown,  green, yellow, and blue) I don't think I would enjoy the game as much without the resource dials.  I wouldn't want to keep track of my resources with pen and paper!  Each player receives one of these in their player color.

Each player is given one of the 4 decks of 13 regular specialists cards, in their player color.  Next, they are given their Unit marker die, and one set of the 6 special dice (2 red, 2 blue, and 2 white).  The dice are nicely engraved and the detail is great.  Players are also given the player aid which is a very helpful reference sheet during game play.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Almost any game can benefit from a reference sheet and I'm very glad when designers are thoughtful enough to include them. 

The game also comes with four regular black six-sided dice.  These dice are used for rolling machine gun fire (MGF) and for landmine damage.  The six is red because on some maps a six causes special damage.

Besides the 4 player decks cards included in the game are 11 unique specialists, 10 regular item cards, 18 special item cards, 6 vehicle cards, and 12 Award cards.  The cards are small, which I usually don't like, but now I appreciate for this game.  Being small you can lay them out on the table and not worry about space, if they were bigger this could become an issue as you built up your force.   Different combinations of these cards will be used depending on the map and scenario used. There is also a token sheet included with four sets of numbers 1-6 and 6 green dots.

I also want to add that the rulebook is also stunning.  I love the look and feel of the book, and that it looks like a real regulations book.  Each map, in the rulebook is also dedicated to units, photographers, and other brave men who fought in that battle or were killed on their way to the battle.  Those few lines add so much meaning and though to the game.

Game Start

After players have received their dice, resource token, and specialist deck they then select a battle map.  Each map will come with special rules and notes on which items, unique specialists, vehicles, and so forth to use.  Players then place their unit marker on the maps starting position, marked with an S, this is usually sector 1.  One chevron should be showing on their unit die.  These unit markers move on the map as units advance to track the unit's position.

Now, players look at the list of available specialists and items for their selected Battle Map.  The available items and Unique Specialists are placed in the "pool" on the table so they are accessible to every player. 

The Regular Specialist cards are drawn by every player from their own deck, and kept on hand.  The unavailable items and Specialists are placed back in the game box.  Award cards are also placed on the table, but they are not part of the pool.

Players then note the starting resources printed on the map, adjust their Resource cards.

Turn Sequence

Game play is simultaneous.  All players go through the turn sequence together.  The turn is divided into 5 phases.  Each phase is completed in order, by all players, before starting the next phase.

1. Phase 1:  Roll the Dice (until you have your "Final Tally")
2. Phase 2:  Upkeep (count "Red, White & Blue" bonuses, earn awards, adjust Resource cards and change the face of Unit markers)
3. Phase 3:  Recruit Specialists / Find Items (also trade resources, purchase awards)
4. Phase 4: Move (fulfill new Sector requirements if applicable)
5. Phase 5: Combat (lose soldiers from your unit according to your sector)

Phase 1:  Roll the Dice

 Every turn a player rolls 6 dice.  On the 1st roll (and only then), 2 of these dice must be "locked" and cannot be re-rolled.  The player can keep or re-roll any of the remaining 4 dice for the second roll.  On the 3rd and final roll, any or all of the remaining 4 dice may be re-rolled.  The only dice that can never be re-rolled are the two locked dice.  Players can consult each other and discuss while rolling the dice.

When rolling is finished, the dice on the table are the "Final Tally."  Players must take note of every die and proceed to the next phase.

There are six different symbols that may be rolled:  Skull, Star, 1 Soldier, 2 Soldiers, Medal (courage) and Tool.  A skull rolled cancels another die.  For every Skull a player has in their final tally, 1 other die of his choice is cancelled.  A Skull cannot cancel another skull.  A star gives points for recruiting Specialists.  Each specialist has a specific cost in stars.  When a player has enough Stars to recruit a Specialist, that Specialist joins the player's unit.  A player may not recruit more than 1 Specialist per turn.  1 or 2 Soldiers are added to help accomplish the mission, depending on the die result.  A medal gives courage so units may advance.  It takes courage to move toward the bunker while the enemy is firing.

A tool helps the unit to obtain items.  These represent items collected from fallen comrades, supply bags, and other resources. The number of tools in a player's tally will determine how many item points are gained.  1 tool gives 1 item point, 2 tools give 3 item points, 3 tools give 6 item points, 4 give 12 item points, 5 24 item points, 6 give 48 item points, and for every tool after that they are given 24 more item points.

 Red, White & Blue (RWB)

If a player rolls three identical results on 3 dice of different colors, he scores a "Red, White & Blue" special bonus (RWB).  These bonuses are in addition to the dice themselves; they don't replace them (with the exception of the skulls).  Many of these bonuses offer 2 different possibilities (separated by an "Or), giving the player the choice depending on their needs.

3 Skulls = Dead Man's Gift:  You find a fallen soldier's gear bag.  Gain +20 Item points, and ignore the negative effect of these skulls (they don't cancel any dice).

3 Stars = Leadership:  Add 1 white result of your choice to your Final Tally: this can trigger another RWB bonus or another unit gains +2 courage.

3 1xSoldier = Reinforcements:  Add +4 Soldiers to your Unit, and +4 soldiers to another Unit of your choice

3 2x soldiers = Fresh Troops:  Gain +6 Soldiers


3 Courage =  Battle Cry:  Gain +3 soldiers Or, if you move this turn, ignore all the requirements for the Sector you move to and don't spend Courage to get there.  Landmines are not ignored in this way, and Combat occurs normally once you have moved


3 Tools = Special Find:  you can find a face-down item of your choice (you must still pay its cost in item points) or gain +2 Stars

Straights = Award: If a player rolls one of each symbol (regardless of color) he earns an Award.  The Award is in addition to the dice themselves.

Phase 2:  Upkeep

After looking at their Final Tally, all RWB bonuses and Awards are then collected along with all the resources rolled by players in their Final Tally.  Everything is noted on the players' respective Resource Cards; Soldiers, Stars, tools, and Courage accumulate from turn to turn. 

Also, it is during Phase 2 that players change the face of their Unit marker.  1, 2 and 3 Chevrons indicate how many turns you have spend in a Sector.  Change the face to an additional chevron each Upkeep.  If three chevrons are already showing during upkeep, change the face to the red arrow.  Use this face to indicate that you Unit will move this turn.  Use the two green arrow face to indicate that you will move using a Battle Cry RWB.  The Black shield face is used when you are in a "Can't stay here" Sector.

Awards

Awards can be obtained in two ways.

• If a player obtains 1 of each result in his Final Tally (a straight), he chooses 1 Award card during phase 2 or
• If, during Phase 3, a player spends 6 Courage, he draws 1 Award card at Random

Certain battle maps can also give awards to units.  Awards are played just like regular items, but must be played at the end of any Phase 1 (after the Final Tally is obtained), unless other noted.  Once used, the Award if placed face-down on the table and cannot be earned again for the remainder of the game.  Once there are no cards left in the Award deck, no more Awards may be earned.  A unit cannot draw more than 1 Award per turn.  When an Award card allows players to recruit a Specialist or fin an Item, these never count toward the 1-per-turn limit.

Phase 3:  Recruit Specialists / Find Items

Specialists

These specially trained soldiers are essential for the survival of a Unit.  A player must roll Stars on his dice to recruit Specialists.  Each one has a specific cost (4 Stars for the Medic for example) and a permanent ability that affects the Unit he joins (that ability is lost if he dies).  Specialists' abilities are cumulative:  if you have a Veteran and a Chaplain, for example you'll get +1 Soldier and +1 Courage for every RWB you obtain.


There are 2 kinds of Specialists:

• Regular Specialists are available to all player (they come in each color)
• Unique Specialists are placed in the Pool with the Items.

At the beginning of the game, player must look at the list of available Specialists according to the Battle Map they have chosen.  All Specialists that are not on this list must be placed back in the game box (they cannot be recruited).

Once a player collects enough Stars, he can spend them to "recruit" a Specialist (only 1 Specialist may be recruited per turn, per player.)  The Specialists cost is subtracted from your Resource Card and take the Specialists from the pool.  They are now part of your unit.


Specialists also count as soldiers, so a player can choose to lose them during combat.  Once a Specialist dies, he cannot be recruited again.  They are placed face-down on the table as a reminder.

Items

Tools results generate Item Points.  Once a player collects enough Item Points, they can spend them to "find" and item.  Only one item may be found per turn.  Subtract the cost of the Item from your Item Point total on your Resource Card, take the Item card from the Pool and place it in front of you face-up.  That item is now part of your inventory.

There are 2 kinds of Items:

• Regular Items are always available, whatever the Map (except when noted)
• Special Items are only found on certain Maps

Items can only be used once, and must be discarded afterward.  While Specialists have permanent effects, Item have "one-shot" effects that take place immediately after they are used.  Although players can find only one item per turn, there is no limit to how many be used in a given turn.


 Items can be used anytime (except where noted), and some may be used the instant they are found.  Units that affect the DEF value or Machine Gun Fire of Sectors affect all Units present in the Sector until the end of the turn.



Vehicles

There can usually be found in specific Sectors on certain Battle Maps (like Juno or Sword Beach), or with the "Legion of Merit" Award.  A Vehicle is found just like and Item (with Item Points), but works more like a Specialist:

• Its special power is permanent and affects all Units present in its Sector
• Contrary to Specialists, Vehicles do not count as Soldiers
• Vehicles can never move over Landmines (even if your Unit ignores Landmines)
• Vehicles can never enter a Bunker
• A Unit may not have more than one Vehicles at one time
• Vehicles can be traded or they can be abandoned, but once they are abandoned, they cannot be found again

Vehicles are plainly visible, so they are not "found" in the strictest sense: the Item Points you spend are for the various parts necessary to make them run.  

Trading

 Since this is a cooperative game, and the loss of 1 player means a defeat for all, Units must help each other whenever possible.  The survival of he whole operation depends on it.


Trading Resources

When 2 or more Units stand in the same Sector, they may trade resources between themselves.  These include Soldiers, Courage, Stars Tools, Items and Vehicles between themselves.  Awards and Specialists may never be traded this way (except the Messenger).  A Unit cannot trade with a Unit that stands in a different Sector (unless otherwise noted).  A Unit can trade resources for nothing in return.  Trading can be done at any time.  During Combat, trading is allowed after rolling the MGF but before the Unit suffers casualties, to help them cope with the losses.

Trading Dice with the Lieutenant

When using the Lieutenant Specialist, each Unit can trade 1 (and only 1) die with 1 other Unit.  Units don't need to be in the same Sector to trade dice (the Lieutenant communicates with hand signals or a radio).  Note the virtual results given by Sectors or the the "Leadership" RWB cannot be traded away:  only real dice can be traded.  When trading dice with the Lieutenant, make sure you have 2 dice from each color before rolling during the next phase 1.

Awards

A player may spend 6 Courage to draw 1 Award card at random. 

Phase 4:  Move

Battle Maps are split into spaces, call "Sectors."  Units are allowed to stay in any Sector for a maximum of 3 turns (sometimes less or more, depending on its special attributes).  They then must leave.  Unit markers have Chevrons printed on them.  When you move your marker into a new Sector, it should show 1 Chevron, indicated your first turn there.  During Phase 2, you must change the face of your marker to add 1 chevron.  Once you cannot add any more chevrons to your marker, i.e. it already shows three; change the face to the red arrow, to remind you that you must move during the next phase 4. 

When a unit decides to move (or is forced to), it must move to an adjacent Sector (moving its marker and placing it back on its one chevron face).  A Unit can only move once per turn, and can never visit the same sector twice.  It can move laterally or forward, but can never move backward.  When a Unit moves forward (changing row), it "Advances."  If a Unit must move, and cannot do so (whatever the reason), it is wiped out (and the players lose the game).

Advancing

A player must spend Courage every time he Advances.  The amount of Courage necessary depends on the Battle Map (the number is printed at the left end of the horizontal line that was crossed, in the Courage icon.)  Entering the Bunker also counts as Advancing: the Courage necessary is printed on the Bunker in a Courage icon.

Sectors

Sectors on the Battle Map have specific attributes.  Bunkers also count as sectors.  These attributes are shown as icons.

The attributes are described in the Map's legend or text.  At the bottom of all Maps, the starting sector can be identified by the s symbol, indicating their respective starting resources.  Here are the most common Sector attributes:

Special Instructions:  Simply follow the printed instructions.  Sector instructions take precedence over the general rules of the game.  Refer to the Map's description for the full meaning of these instructions.  When printed in green, instructions are beneficial to the players; when printed in red, they are not.

Black Shield - Can't stay here:  Sectors with a black shield are Sectors where you cannot stay more than 1 turn.  This means you must move during the next Phase 4.

Red Check - Requirement:  Must have XXX to move here:  Many Sectors require a Unit to have a specific Specialist to move them.  A Unit must always have the required Specialist at the moment it enters into the Sector.  It cannot recruit said Specialist at the moment it moves into the Sector.  It cannot recruit said Specialist later on.  This requirement must be met only once: if the required Specialist is killed later on, the Unit can stay.  The only way to ignore the requirements of a Sector is by moving in with the Battle Cry RWB. 

Red X - Requirement:  Sacrifice XXX to move here:  When you need to sacrifice a Specialist, you must have the Specialist in your Unit when you arrive.  Sometimes a sacrifice will mention "1 Specialist," in which case you can choose a Specialist to fulfill this requirement.  This sacrifice happens during Phase 4 and is not counted toward the casualties suffered during Phase 5.  The only way to ignore requirements of a Sector is by moving with a Battle Cry RWB. 

Bonuses per turn:  Some Sectors give bonuses (depending on the icon present), which are added to the Final Tally of Phase 1.  These bonuses do not have a specific color, cannot allow a player to obtain an RWB bonus and cannot be traded with the Lieutenant. 

Penalties per turn:  Some Sectors will take away specific dice results (depending on the icon present).  These penalties occur every turn: simply subtract the penalty from the Final Tally.  If you don't obtain the specific result in your Final Tally, you don't suffer the penalty.

Defense (DEF)

Every Sector has a big number written in a sheild: this is the number of Soldiers every Unit must lose.  The higher the number, the deadlier the Sector.  Sometimes the DEF shield will be black instead of white: this simply means that Units cannot stay more than 1 turn in the Sector; it has no bearing on the DEF itself.

Some Sectors have more than one DEF:  in these cases, you must use the first (and lowest) DEF during your first combat turn, then the second one for the second Combat turn, and so on.  The number of chevrons on your unit marker indicates which DEF to use.  Some Items and effects allow players to reduce the DEF of a Sector (flame-thrower, bazooka).  When this happens, the DEF value changes affect all Units present until the end of the turn.  Note that all DEF reducing effects are cumulative, but if a Sector's DEF is reduced below 0, treat it as being 0. 

Machine Gun Fire (MGF)

Some sectors are exposed to Machine Gun Fire (MGF).  These sectors have a special symbol besides their DEF; a red cross-hairs.  When units are present in such a sector, one player rolls a D6 counts the pips, and adds this result to the DEF of the Sector.

MGF dice can be re-rolled or changed in special circumstances or when certain items are used (Binoculars).  If something modifies the MGF for any reason, all Units present in the Sector benefit or suffer from it.  On some Battle Maps, some Sectors have more than 1 MGF symbol.  When this happens, all MGF dice are added together and count as one result.

Special Damage

Sometimes, an MGF may inflict specific damages when a "6" is rolled.  When this is the case, a die icon will appear beside the MGF symbol.  Simply refer to the legend of the Battle Ma to see what the Special Damage is (usually, the player will lose 1 Courage or 1 Specialist of his choice).  Special Damage is activated by any die with a result of 6:  in Sectors with multiple MGF symbols, you may suffer multiple Special Damage.  The Special Damage is always added on top of the regular MGF damage.

Landmines

When moving from one Sector to another, if a Unit crosses a line with Landmines, it must immediately roll 1 die to determine its losses.  A Medic can reduce this number by 1, and a Minesweeper can entirely prevent this loss.  Landmine dice can be modified by some effects (like using the Binoculars).  If more than 1 Unit crosses the same Landmines during the same turn, they must each roll a die (because some Units are luckier than others when treading the minefields).

Barriers

Barriers are impassable:  Units can never move over them, even with the Battle Cry RWB.  Some cards provide an exception to this rule. 

Phase Five:  Combat

Whether a Unit moved or not, it suffers casualties at the hands of the enemy during Phase 5.  The number of Soldiers Units lose is equal to the Defense (DEF) of the Sector (plus Machine Gun Fire if applicable).

Casualties

Whenever a player suffers casualties (during any Phase), he must subtract that number from the total number of Soldiers in his Unit (don't forget that Specialists also count as Soldiers).  If there are not more Soldiers or Specialists in a Unit, it is wiped out and the players lose the game.

Winning

All players must enter the Bunker and survive with at least 1 Soldier to win the game.  If even 1 Unit fails to do so, all the players lose the game.  When a Unit successfully enters the Bunker, the Unit is considered "safe" and no longer in harm's way (it stops rolling dice).  The player places his surviving Specialists beside the Bunker by 1 point for the remaining Units.  If 2 or more Units enter the Bunker at the same time, they cannot benefit from each others Specialists this way.  The game ends when the last Unit successfully enters the Bunker. 

Losing

To succeed in their daring invasion, the Allies need all the men they can spare to secure the beach exits.   The loss of even 1 Unit is enough to let the enemy regroup and jeopardize the landings.  The game ends in defeat for the players if one of these 2 things happens: a player has no more Soldiers or Specialists (Unit is wiped out), or a Unit is forced to move and cannot do so because of Sector requirements or lack of Courage

Rules Conflicts and Ties

In the event of a conflict between rules or card text, use the following order to precedence to resolve the issue:

1 - Awards (override everything else)
2 - Items & Vehicles
3 - Specialists
4 - Sector Attributes
5 - Game Rules (overridden by all the above)

Also, if ever there is a tie between 2 Units who try to do the same thing (find an Item, pick up an Item or an Award from a Battle Map, etc.), the Unit with the least Soldiers always has priority.  If the tie persists, the players should roll dice (or settle without rolling)

My Thoughts 

Quite a few months back my husband told me about this project and how it was up on Kickstarter.  I was hesitant to buy in; but as the support, rewards and praise for the game grew, I encouraged him to make a pledge.  Many months later we finally got a package in the mail.  I was amazed as we opened the box to explore all the wonderful things that came inside and was even more eager to try to game.

The production quality is amazing, but it's not just pretty, everything in the game serves a purpose and makes the game better when added.  The Resource Cards, the double-sided boards, the dice, the Awards, all work together to create a truly thematic, engaging, and creative game. 
 
This is a game that has been a print and play for awhile and that shows in the solid game play. The rules are simple and easy to remember.  When learning to play, the player aide is priceless.  The Iconography used throughout the game is clear and easy to read.  You understand even after just the first game.

It's fun to roll the dice, even when you don't get the results you want.  I enjoy the RWB system; it's clear from the very beginning how important it is to get those bonuses.  It can also make you want to change your strategy when you are close to an RWB bonus in something you don't necessarily want, but would find useful. 


The game is hard, yes I was killed twice during the Practice Run, but optional rules and many of the expansions help to increase or decrease the difficulty.  For example you can play with "Bazooka Joe" who allows all Special items to be in the Pool regardless of the map, or "Well Equipped" that allows all Units to start with 10 Item Points.  To make it harder you could try the "Blind Start" where you ignore the starting resources of the Battle Map and roll the Unit Markers.  If you roll chevrons you get that number of soldiers, the red arrow gives you one star, the green arrows two starts, and Shield gives you nothing.  Solitaire rules are also included. 

We also found the MGF dice are a nice addition to the game and can help make the Machine Gun Fire less damaging.  You lose one point of whichever symbol is rolled or soldiers when you roll the skull.  Of course, if like me, you have zero of the resource rolled, you lose six soldiers.  Using these can change your strategy for the game because you may want to make sure you have all the resources.

Another helpful expansion is Badges.  Players can choose to take a Badge when Battle Cry RWB is rolled.  They have permanent effects for the Unit; usually helping them to obtain an RWB bonus with fewer dice.
 

This is a very thematic game and well researched.  Weapons, items, Specialists vehicles do the things that you would expect.  The Bazooka is useful against a Bunker, while a Bangalore helps out in the open; as they would have during a battle.  These items and Specialists also add a lot of variety to game play.  They caused a lot of discussion during that game as we worked to getting what would help us the most in the long run and immediately.  It was also nice to have a few items as added insurance when going up against the unknown MGF fire or landmines.  There is one clear objective for every map, but multiple ways to defeat the enemy.

From the beginning of the game, you know what you are up against and can start to prepare.  Of course this is a little abstracted, since you probably wouldn't know all the details in a real battle.  I guess that "fog of war" is achieved from the use of MGF and Landmines.  I like this set-up since it helps me focus my resources from the beginning, and lets me know what I need to work towards.  There is also a lot of playability with the double-sided maps and scenarios included in the rule book and with the expansions. 

Players who want more player interaction or to play against an opponent may want to pick up the Atlantikwall Expansion.  In this expansion a player can now play as the Germans defending against the invaders.  They can be added to any existing map, transforming the game into a head-to-head competition.  


Few games fully encompass my attention, but this was one of them.  I couldn't believe that after reading the rules we played three games the first night.  I don't always want to play a new game multiple times in one night, after being defeated twice, and certainly never a war game.  But I did and I really enjoyed it.  Everything comes together to create a strategic, thematic, fun, and meaningful game.  I think my husband found another war game that we can play together and we just may be waiting with anticipation for the upcoming "Airborne in Your Pocket" Kickstarter Campaign from Emmanuel Aquin.

Quick Stats

Designer:Emmanuel Aquin

Artist: Emmanuel Aquin, Mark Poole

Players: 1 - 4

Publishers:Valley Games, Inc.

Time: 45 minutes

Ages: 10 & up

Mechanics: Cooperative Play, Dice Rolling, and Simultaneous Action Selection


Photo Credits: from www.boardgamegeek.com: Emmanuel Aquin (Amiral), Philip Reed (PhilReed), Jonan Jello (Hex_Enduction_Hour), Ryan Bruns (kingofthegrill),

Brian Thomas (MusicToEat)

Thanks for the beautiful photos!

The Castles of Burgundy

I admit it, as a girl; I have always been fascinated by castles.  I wanted to live in one, wondering the halls filled with beautiful tapestries, ride my horse through the vast estates of my empire, and be loved by my people.  Childhood fantasies aside, I still enjoy the beauty and romance associated with castles and can easily be drawn to a game that features them.

Truthfully, castles are certainly not the focus of "The Castles of Burgundy."  Still I am easily drawn to this fantastic game and find myself longing to play another round after every game.





Goal of the Game

Players are trying to collect the most victory points by trading, livestock farming, city building and scientific research.  The player with the most points, at the games end, has developed the greatest estate and may claim victory.



Components / Set-up

There are a lot of components that come with this game.  While the board is of very nice quality, I'm not that impressed with the cardboard quality of the rest of the components.  But, this is not an expensive game so I can understand that to a certain extent.  I would be willing to pay more for better quality components.

There are 164 six-sided tiles.  There beige buildings, light green livestock, yellow knowledge, dark green castles, grey mines, and blue ships.  There are also these tiles with black backings.  Other tiles include the 42 goods tiles in six colors, 20 silverlings, 30 worker tiles, 12 bonus tiles, 4 victory point tiles, and 8 playing pieces (2 in each for the 4 player colors).

The game also comes with 9 dice (2 in each player color and one white dice), the game board and six paper player boards. 

To set the game up place the silverlings, worker tiles, and white die next to the game board.  Sort the 164 six-sided tiles by color of their backs and place them in separate face-down piles next to the board.

Now, shuffle the 42 goods tiles face down. These are then separated into five face-down piles of five tiles each.  Place one of the piles on each of the five phase spaces lettered A through E on the game board.  Give each player 3 random goods tiles from the remaining tiles.  The rest should be placed back in the box.

The 12 bonus tiles should be placed on their correct space on the board. 

Now, each player takes one player board.  These are all double-sided.  There are six of the boards.  Four are marked number 1, and there are one each of numbers 2-9.  Start with the side labeled 1 for your first game.  Then take one dark green castle and place it face up onto the dark green middle space of the board (it has a value 6).

The 3 random goods should be placed face up on the three goods spaces on the player board.  Tiles of the same color may be stored together.  Each player also takes the dice of their color, one playing piece of their color to be put on the 0/100 space on the game board.  They also receive 1 silverling that should be visible to all players. 

Players should now roll one dice to determine the starting player.  The player who rolls the highest becomes the first play and receives one worker tile and places onto their player board. The next player in clockwise order receives two worker chips, the third player three, and the fourth, four worker chips.  The second player pieces are used to mark the just determined player order.  The start player takes the white die.

Game play

The game last for five phases (A through E).  Each phase consists of five rounds.

Phase Set-up

At the start of each phase, the following set-up is carried out: remove all six-sided tiles remaining on the board and return them to the box.  The ship, mine, and castle tiles may be left in space because they are all the same.  All remaining goods tiles are also left on the board.

Next, randomly draw new six-sided tiles and place them face-up, onto the matching colored spaces in the six numbered depots.

In a two player game only the spaces marked with 2s are used, in a three player games only the spaces marked with 2s and 3s, and in the four player game all 24 spaces will have tiles placed on them. 

In the three player game only, there is an exception for the dark green space in the number 6 depot. In phases A, C, and E a castle is placed onto it as normal, but in phase B and D a mine is placed there instead.

Now, randomly draw black-backed, six-sided tiles, and place them, face-up on the black depot in the middle of the board.  Two to eight tiles are drawn depending on the player number.  Take the five goods tiles for the current phase and place them, face-up onto the five spaces below the phase spaces.


The Five Game Rounds

After the phase setup, five game rounds follow, each is carried out in the same manner.

First, all players roll their two dice, with the start player also rolling the white die.  Then all players place their dice in front of themselves so that all players can see them.

The start player is first.  They take the topmost goods tile from the round spaces and place it onto the goods space of the depot whose number matches the number rolled on the white die.

With this, the white die's function for this turn is complete; it cannot be used by the start player to assist him on his own turn (and can never be adjusted via worker tiles).

Next, the start player carries out his turn.  Play then moves to the next player in turn order (moving from right to left on the turn order track and from top to bottom in a given tower).

Once each player has had a turn, a new round begins, etc.

As 5 goods tiles are added each phase and since one tile is added to a depot at the start of each round, it is easy to tell which round the current one is and how long the current phase and the game will last.



A Player's Turn

A player's turn consists of carrying out two actions, one per die.  Once a die has been used, it is placed onto the used die storage space in the upper right corner of the player's board.

Worker Tiles:  These tiles may be used at anytime.  Once it is used it is returned to the general supply.  The tiles are used to adjust your die's result up or down by 1.  Changing a die's result from 1 to 6 or from 6 to 1 is also permitted and also costs one worker tile.  Players may use multiple tiles to change a die's results multiple times.

The Actions

A die is required for each action.  The two actions per turn may be carried out in any combination and order (including carrying out the same action twice.)


-Action:  "Take six-sided tile from the game board"

The player may take one six-sided tile of their choice from the depot whose number corresponds to the result of the die used to carry out the action.  The chosen tile is placed onto an empty storage space in the bottom left hand corner (never into the estate.)  Should all of the storage spaces be full, then he must first choose a prior tile to discard (thus removing it from the game) and subsequently place the new tile onto the newly-emptied space.

-Action:  "Add six-sided tile to your estate"

The player may take one six-sided tile of his choice from the storage area in the lower left-hand corner of his board and add it to his estate.   The die is chosen to carry out his action indicates which corresponding empty space he may place the tile onto.  All newly-placed tiles must always lie directly adjacent to at least one previously placed tile.  A tile's color must always match to color of the space it is being placed onto.  The first tile can thus only ever be placed onto one of the six spaces surrounding the start castle.


Depending on what type of tile was placed, the following occurs immediately afterwards:

Knowledge (yellow):  There are 26 different yellow tiles whose functions are described in detail in the rules book.  One tile, for example, allows player to ignore the rule that only one building of each type may be allowed in a city.  This allows the player to add as many buildings of the same type to their city as they wish.  Another tile gives the player 1 victory point at the end of the game for each sold goods tile.  Unsold goods tiles are ignored.

Ship (blue): Whenever a player adds a ship tile to his estate (which can occur up to 6 times), then two things happen immediately,

1.  The player takes all the goods tiles on any one depot's goods space and adds them to the goods storage in the upper left hand corner of this board.  It is important to remember the chosen depot is completely separate and independent of the die result that was used to place the ship.

Each player may collect up to three different types of goods (=colors) in his goods storage area.  Tiles of the same color are always piled on top of each other; different colored tiles are placed next to each other.  If, because of this restriction, a player cannot score all of the goods tiles present in the chosen depot, then he simply leaves behind any good he cannot store.

2.  The player moves his playing piece on the turn order track one space to the right.  Should this pace be occupied, then he places his piece on top of the other pieces.  Should this result in him being start player for the next round then he also receives the white die. 

Animal (=a region of connected light green spaces): Whenever a player adds an animal tile to his estate (which can occur up to six times), then he immediately receives victory points (and moves his playing piece on the victory point track forward).  Each tile has between 2 and 4 animals on it and the player receives the corresponding number of victory points for them.

If they already have an animal tiles with the same animal type they score all tiles with the same animal type again in addition to the newly-placed tile.


The animal tiles must be part of the same pasture but do not need to be immediately adjacent to newly-placed animal tile.  Tiles with the same animal on them on other pastures are not scored. 

Castle (dark green):  Whenever a player adds a castle tile to his estate (which can occur up to 3 times), then he immediately carries out an additional action, of his choice, as if he had an extra die with any result he wishes, at his disposal.  For example, they could add another tile to their estate. 

Mine (grey):  These tiles are (with the exception of a few of the yellow tiles) are the only ones without immediate effect when they are placed. This can occur up to 3 times.  Instead, at the end of each phase, the player receives 1silverling from the supply for each mine in his estate.

Building (beige):  Whenever a player adds a building tile to his estate, which can occur up to 12 times, then they may immediately make a single use of that building's advantage.  Each of the 8 building types may only occur once per city (= a region of connected beige spaces).  Depending on the estate, there may be between 2 and 6 cities of different sizes (1 to 8 spaces).  Each building provides an advantage immediately after having been built.  These are also shown symbolically at left on the player boards. 

One example of buildings are the Warehouse that allows a player to immediately, without having to use a die, sell one goods type of their choice out of their storage as if they had chosen the 'sell goods' action.  Another example of a building is the bank which allows a player to immediately take 2 silverlings from the general supply and add them their own supply.

Placing Buildings

When placing all buildings their additional powers are activated via their placement, a die result is not needed.




Should a player not be able to make use of a building's advantage the tile may still be added but the player loses the advantage.

The supply of worker tiles and silverlings is not intended to be limited.  In the rare case that the supply is exhausted, please substitute other materials.  This may happen, for example, if there aren't any more blue or light green tiles left in the numbered depots after having placed a market.

Additional Rules for Placing Six-Sided Tiles

-Whenever a player takes a six-sided tile from the game board, he must always first place it onto the storage space in the lower left-hand corner of their board.  This is still the case even if he uses his second action to immediately add it to his estate.

-Six-sided tiles, once added to an estate, may never be moved or removed.

- As soon as a colored region, regardless of size, is completely covered with tiles, then that region is considered to be complete and scores victory points in two different ways:

1. Depending on its size (1 to 8 spaces), the completed region scores between 1 and 36 victory points which are immediately scored on the victory point track.

2.  Additionally, depending on the phase, the region scores between 10 and 2 victory points.  The empty space (A-E, in the upper right of the game board) for the current phase indicates how many additional victory points each completed region is worth, regardless of size.  The first phase (A) it would be worth 10.  During the last phase (E), it would be worth 2.

The first player, who manages to cover all spaces of one color in his entire estate with tiles, immediately takes the corresponding large bonus tile from the game board.  They then immediately score victory points depending on the number of players.  5 VP with 2 players, 6 VP with 3 players, or 7 VP with 4 players.

The second player to finish covering up this same color takes the small bonus tile and the corresponding 2 to 4 VP.  Third and fourth do not receive bonus tiles. 

Note:  As soon as a player reaches or exceeds 100 VP on the track, then he places his victory point tile on the board with the 100 side up and if they reach 200 points they flip the tile over.


-Action "Sell Goods"

A player may choose to sell all goods of one type from his goods storage.  The die chosen to carry out this action indicates which goods type (color) may be sold.  All corresponding goods tiles in the player's goods storage are piled, face-down, onto the goods space on the player's board intended for this purpose.  For doing this the player receives: exactly one silverling from the supply, regardless of how many tiles he just sold, as well as 2, 3, or 4 VP per tile.  This is according to the number of players.  Note:  A player must always sell all tiles of a type when choosing the "Sell Goods" action, even if he would like to keep some in reserve.

-Action "Take Worker Tiles"

Finally a player may choose to use any die result to take 2 worker tiles from the general supply.  In this case, the die result itself is meaningless.

The Central Black Depot

In addition to his two dice actions, each player may, once per turn, choose to buy one of the six-sided tiles from the central black depot.  He may do this at any point during his turn.  To accomplish this, the player must return 2 silverlings to the general supply and subsequently place the newly-purchased six-sided tile, as with any tile from the game board, onto an empty space in the lower left-hand corner of his board.

End of Phase

A phase ends after five rounds.  Players with mines now receive the corresponding number of silverlings.  Some of the yellow knowledge tiles may also have an effect.  The next phase then begins. 

Game End

The game ends after the fifth phase has been player through to completion.  Final scoring follows, during which player's receive victory points for the following:

• each unsold goods tile: 1 victory point
• each remaining silverling: 1 victory point
• every two worker tiles: 1 victory point
• each VP-bearing yellow tile - points according to their function

The player who is the farthest along the victory point track is the winner.  In the case of a tie, the winning player is the tied player with the fewest empty estate spaces.  Should there still be a tie, then the winning player is the tied player who went later in turn order.

My Thoughts

Mixing dice with eurogame type mechanics isn't a new concept, it has been used before in games such as Stoneage.  I enjoy this mix a little bit of luck with thoughtful strategy.  It's always fun to roll the dice, but a bad roll is not going to leave you trailing in "Castles of Burgundy." There is always a good option to take during your turn.  It may not have been your optimal choice, but it can still be helpful.  When my dice keep me from getting exactly what I want, I usually take worker tiles.  These tiles can prove invaluable during the game.  It's always wise to have a few extra on hand.  I may also choose to take a tile I won't be able to use right away, but I can keep in my storage area.  I never feel like I'm stuck with a bad roll.

I also like the fact that the complexity of the game is found in game play itself and not the rules.  After a few rounds you understand the flow of the game yet understanding the strategy takes a longer time.  Even after multiple plays I do not believe I could explain the best strategy, the perfect way to win, or how to complete the estate.  I do feel like I can quickly explain the rules to a new player and be enjoying the game together, in a short amount of time.  It means the game has a lot of replay value.  The multiple estate lay outs also add to this value.

During the game I feel like I am actually building a small estate.  It's the same feeling you get when building a ship in Shipyard or a farm in Agricola.  Unlike Agricola, I don't feel like I'm always a step behind, getting through optimal game play.  I like that in Agricola, and I like the visual farm created, but not having that feeling is enjoyable.  I have never accomplished all I wanted to do in Castles of Burgundy, but I have come close.  I have built a decent estate; raised some prize livestock, developed some thriving cities, and gained knowledge through research.  The research tiles can certainly help improve your estate.  In fact all the tiles are helpful and when used properly can lead a player to victory.

I'm still trying to decide if I like the game end conditions.  The in-game timer means that no one can end the game earlier than you wish.  You can plan out your moves according to how much time you have left, trying to make the last move your best.  Sometimes you wish you could make the game last longer, or end earlier.  Yet, it is also nice to know exactly have many moves you have left and make yourself plan accordingly. 

My biggest complaint with the game is the quality.  I know the game was very inexpensive, but I would certainly be willing to pay more for a better quality game.  I think the game would be 
even more popular, than it already is, if the components were better.  I wouldn't hesitate to buy a better production copy.  The components aren't bad, certainly the game board is better than some I've seen, but I worry that the paper mats will hold up over time and I certainly don't want to laminate them in fear that they would become too slippery.   I also like the artwork and the colors.  Yes, like many I wish the yellow was more yellow, but overall the game is beautiful. 

Castles of Burgundy is a game that has found a permanent spot in our collection.  I know I will be playing it in the years to come, hoping one day to completely cover my estate and build those beautiful castles from my childhood dreams. 

Quick Stats

Designer: Stefan Feld
Artists: Julien Delval, Harald Lieske

Publisher: alea, Ravensburger 
Number of Players: 2 - 4
Playing Time:  90 minutes
Mechanics: Dice Rolling, Set Collection, Tile Placement

Photo Credits: Alexandru Stanuta (alex1326), Hilko Drude (HilkMAN), Cássio F. Lemos (verminose), Henk Rolleman (henk.rolleman), Carsten ◄► Wesel(Ceryon), Laszlo Molnar (lacxox), Daniel Indru (djdano), Victor (vthor), Daniel Indru (djdano),Victor (vthor), Forster (KingHeinrich), John Bandettini (JohnBandettini), nature morte (naturemorte), W. Eric Martin (W Eric Martin)

The Battle of Red Cliffs - Solo Play Review (0n Kickstater Now)

There are few games out there that can play well with 1-9 players.  Usually you give something up playing solo or playing at the maximum.  The Battle of Red Cliffs is not one of those games.  It works very well at each level.


In my last preview of the game I talked about everything but solo play so check that one out if you are interested in team play or man on man.  This review is on the solo game.


Goal of the Game

The goal is to gain as much points as possible or reach 50 point before the 5th TZQ (Zhuge Liang) is revealed.

Setup:
1. Remove the event card from the game
2. Shuffle all the cards, including all nine TZQ cards, to form a draw deck
3. Place a card on the discard piles.
4) Draw 6 hand cards from the deck.
5) Next to the score board, place one token of your favorite color under vp 1 and one token of your least favorite color under level 1.

Note, TZQ is not a wild card. It is used as the end game condition.

Game Play

The rules for creating sets are the same for man on man and team play.  The difference is that the card actions and set actions are not available in the solo game.  Also, if a TZQ Card is drawn, place it in the trash pile and move your least favorite token up 1 level. When it reaches level 5, the game ends at end of the turn. 

On your turn you will take the following steps:


1. Draw 1 card
2. Create 1-2 sets or Discard 1-2 cards
3. Refill up to 6 hand cards.
4. Score if you have 5 to 6 score cards.
5. Game end if meets the condition, otherwise continue with next turn.

My Thoughts

I'm starting to understand the value of solo play.  Taking your time, not worrying about others waiting for you to make a decision, and even making mistakes really helps you to get know and understand a game.  That is why I'm very glad that Ta-Te included rules solo play in Red Cliffs.  Playing solo helps me to get to know the game without the pressure of team play or making my opponents wait.  Red Cliffs also works very well as a solo game and is still a lot of fun solo.

You can use it as a tutorial for yourself before you introduce this to other players or to help brush up on your strategy.  It is just another reason to play!  The Battle of Red Cliffs is an absolutely beautiful game.  At every level this is a very strategic game yet the rules are so easy to learn that even new players will feel comfortable enough to play.

You can support the Battle of Red Cliffs now on Kickstater at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tatewu/the-battle-of-red-cliffs-one-to-nine-player-tien-z?ref=live.   Pledge before July 10th to receive one additional Command Card as an Early Bird special!  There are also some really nice stretch goals like additional Command Cards and Event Cards.  And when Red Cliffs is funded $40,000 or more, backers may trade three Command cards for one Score Tower. The Score Tower is UNFOLDED when delivered but instructions are included. This is my favorite Stretch Goal by far! 

 Quick Stats
Publisher: Sunrise Tornado Game Studio
Designer: Ta-Te Wu, E.R. Burgess
Players: 1-9
Time: 25 Min
Age: 10+
Mechanics: Card Drafting, Hand Management, Partnerships, Set Collection

Photo Credits: Ta-Te Wu, E.R. Burgess

Game Built for Two: Revolver

The stage is set in 1892; the bank at Repentance Springs has been robbed.  Many fine up-standing citizens have been killed and the brutal Colty Gang has gotten away.

But don't worry our hero, Colonel Ned McReady and his men are up to the task.  Though the odds are against them, they will bring down these evil-doers. 

This Wild West two player game pits one player against the other in a gunfight to the finish.  Will Colonel McReady and his lawmen save the day or will the Colty gang get away to continue their murderous ways? 



Components / Set - Up

From the tin to the cards, everything about the game is beautiful and of high quality.  There are five battle field cards that are placed in the middle of the playing area.  They are placed in this order:  The Bank of Repentance Springs, Whiskey Canyon, Buzzard Point, Rattlesnake Creek, and 3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Station.

The turn marker is a small wooden white cylinder.  It is placed on the "1" space on The Bank of Repentance Springs card.  At the end of the row of battlefield cards, next to the "3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Springs card," the "Derail the Train" card is placed.

The True Grit tokens show a white cowboy hat with the number 1.  The Power tokens resemble a white poker chip and have a +1 on them.  These tokens are placed in the supply at the beginning of the row of battlefields.


The Cards

Now the "Colty Gang" player places in front of them the sixteen bandit character cards.  These show the members of the Crow's crew.  They also take the Mexican border card, and put twelve tokens on the card.  A True Grit token is placed on the Skinny Landell card.


Both players also take their deck of cards.  The Colty Gang cards say "Wanted Dead or Alive" on the top of the card while the Colonel McReady cards have a sheriff badge.  Shuffle these cards and draw five to form your hand. 

Both decks have the same anatomy.

The top of the card shows the name of the card.  The poker chip shows the Firepower value.  Under the poker chip the cards show the cost to play the card.  This space will also show additional tokens to place on this card when it comes into play and information.

At the bottom of the card, there may be written, some special rules and actions.  The card type is also located here.  


Bandit Character Cards

The Colty Gang player has 16 bandit character cards.  When he has to take a causality from either the play of cards by the Colonel McReady player, or as a result of the Attack phase, he must choose one of these characters. 

The bandit character card has a value printed in the left upper corner of the card, this is their Survival Rating.  The Colty Gang member must choose a casualty with the lowest Survival Rating possible.  If there is a choice, the Colty Gang member can choose from amongst the available gang members.  Some of the gang members have a detrimental effect sated on their card.  When they are chosen, obey the special text.  For example for Missy Jameson one token is added to the "Mexican Border" card.

Battlefield Cards

Between both players are five battlefield cards.  These represent places where both enemies meet. 

It also represents a progressive timeline within the story of the game: starting with the Bank at Repentance Spring and ending with 3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Station.

The top of the card shows cocks the cocks with the "-" are extra turn space that can be used through card play of the Colonel McReady player.  The regular turn spaces have numbers.  For the Rattlesnake Creek battlefield there are extra spaces that can be used by killing "Kittens" and "Skinny."  The bottom of the battlefield shows a poker chip that is the base Defense power of the Colty Gang player.  The battlefields name is also on the bottom of the card.

Object of the Game

This game is won when one player meets the following conditions:  The Colonel McReady player wins if every member of the Colty Gang is killed.  The Colty gang player can win one of two ways.  First, if Jack "The Crow" Colty reaches and survives the 3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Station battlefield turn space 4.  Also they win when they are able to remove all twelve tokens from the Mexican Border card.

Game Play

The game is played in turns.  Each player completes his entire turn before play passes to the opponent.  Play passes back and forth in this fashion until one player wins.  The Colty Gang player always starts the game by taking the first turn. 

Turn Sequence

A turn is divided into four phases:

1. Advance turn makers (only the Colty gang player)
2. Draw two cards
3. Play cards
4. Attack (only the Colonel McReady player)

1.  Advance the turn makers:  At the beginning of his turn, the Colty gang player, advances the turn maker one space forward.  If the turn maker already reached the last number on a battlefield, place the turn marker on the "1" space of the next battlefield.

Note:  The spaces with the "-" are only used when the cards move the turn marker before space  "1".  If the turn marker is on such space move the marker to the next space.

Note:  The spaces with the faces on Rattlesnake Creek Battlefield are only used when "Kittens" Mackenzie and / or Skinny Landel are killed.

In his first turn the Colty Gang player doesn't advance the turn marker and skips this phase. 

 

2.  Draw two cards:  Draw two cards from you deck and take this into your hand.  There is no hand limit.  

3.  Play Cards:  You may put any number of cards from your hand into play on your side of the current battlefield card (the card with the turn marker on it).  To play any card from your hand, you must pay the cost of that card.  (e.g. by discarding cards).  Pay the cost by discarding that number of cards from your hand into your discard pile.  These cards are placed face-up into your discard pile. 

There are three types of cards.  Firepower cards, Row-blocking cards, and one-shot effect cards.  Firepower cards have a white or black poker chip in the top left corner of the card.  The number on the poker chip indicates the firepower (attack) value of the card.  Firepower cards are placed at your side of the playing area.  Row-blocking cards have an orange border and are placed at the battlefield in your opponents playing area (maximum of 2 row-blocking cards per battlefield).  One-shot effect cards have special effects; players follow the instructions on the card and place it on the discard pile.

Cards are always placed at the current battlefield (unless the text on the card states differently).  Imagine there's an imaginary column below and above each battlefield where the cards are placed. 

The Colty Gang player has a three card limit.  This means he can place a maximum of three firepower cards at each battlefield. 

Once three cards are placed he may not place any more cards at that battlefield (unless he removes one of his own firepower cards already in place there or a card stats differently).

The Colonel McReady card has no limit.

Many cards have special rules described in their text.  All text takes effect immediately when the card is played.  These rules are applied to the current battlefield (unless the card stats differently).  The cards in play stay at a battlefield for the rest of the game and may not be moved to another battlefield.  There are a few exceptions to this rule.  A player may choose to discard one of their firepower cards in play at the current battlefield and put it into the discard pile.  An opponent may take a card out of play.  Or you may play a card that specifically says you can move a card to another battlefield or discard it.

Derail the Train:  On-board the 3:15 Express the Colty Gang player can activate the "Derail the Train" card.  This will cause a horrendous train crash:  everything will be destroyed (discard all cards on both sides of the playing area and all still living bandit characters).  If the Colty gang player wants to save someone (he must do this or he's lost), he has to discard one card for each bandit character he saves.  The Colonel McReady player can't save any cards he has in play.  After the "Derail the Train" card has been activated it is removed from the game.

True Grit:  Some characters gain - when entering play or during the game - a true grit token.  This means this character has an extra life.  When this character is killed the first time remove the token on this card and leave the card in play.  Next time when he's killed he'll be removed from the game.


4.  Attack:  During each turn that the Colonel McReady player takes, he can try to kill a bandit using his firepower.  It is important to note that each turn, not only in this phase, that the Colonel McReady player does not kill a Colty Gang member one token is removed from the Mexican border.

To attack, first each player determines their total firepower at their side of the current battlefield.  The Colonel McReady player sums his firepower (contributed by lawmen, buffalo, etc.)  The Colty Gang player does the same and adds the defense power, black power chip in the bottom left corner of the current battlefield to this total.

If the McReady's total power is greater than the gang's at the current battlefield, then the Colty gang player must take a casualty.

End of the Game

Play continues as described until one of the objectives has been meet.  That is if every member of the Colty gang is killed the Colonel McReady player wins.
 
 If Jack "The Crow" Colty reaches and survives the 3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Station battlefield turn space 4, the Colty Gang player wins.  Also the Colty Gang wins when and if he manages to remove all twelve tokens from the Mexican Border card.

My Thoughts

Revolver is an impressive game.  There's a lot of value (A $30 dollar list price!) in the box.  The components are of great quality, as is to be expected with Stronghold Games.  The tin great!  I wasn't sure if I would like the tin but I do like games that fit well in their box with useful inserts and room for possible expansions.  This tin definitely meets those criteria. I also love the artwork, the battlefield scenes are beautiful and really help players to conjure up those images of the Old West.

This brings me to perhaps my favorite part of this game:  the theme.  Revolver really brings you into the theme.  You are playing cards in a desperate race to either save the day or escape with the cash.  The cards, the battlefields, the poker chips, the Mexican border slowly getting closer and closer makes it feel like a gunfight in 1892.  

There is a lot of strategy in the card play.  Do you play this really good card now or wait to later in the game?  Is it better, as the Colonel McReady player, to add more cards to the current battlefield or do you add the Apache Scout to an upcoming battlefield with a +1 firepower.  It's the kind of tension I enjoy because it won't last a long time.  The game is quick.  Usually you are so involved in the game play you don't notice the time.  A true mark of an immersive, fun game.  And the game is a lot of fun. 

 I like the asymmetrical nature of the cards.  Both decks are totally different and each player has a distinctive strategy that would only work for their side.  Asymmetry is rare in boardgames.  I know many dislike asymmetry in games.  I, on the other hand, really enjoy it when it is done as well as it is in Revolver.  It's needed to make the game work as well as it does.  It's a different game depending on which side you play. 

I really enjoy playing this game with my husband and I'm glad he made me sit down and play that demo at Origins.  It wasn't a game that was even on my radar before that moment.  Because Revolver is easy to learn, quick, and fun I'll add this one to my "Recommended to Play with Significant Others list."  As long as they like the theme! 

It does take some time to get to know the decks and the strengths of the cards.  This may mean you play a card instead of saving it for later, or you don't get the cards you need.  This really is a race against time for both players and mistakes can hurt deeply. 

The price point, the theme, the artwork, and the strategy combine to create a game that is not only fun but an experience and a great addition to any collection.

Photo Credits: From www.boardgamegeek.com:  Jonny de Vries (Nekrataal),  Henk Rolleman (henk.rolleman), Mark Chaplin (Yugblad),W. Eric Martin (W Eric Martin), Henk Rolleman (henk.rolleman)

Please note that I didn't take the photos in the blog, I thank all the wonderful gamers out there who care so much about board games that they take such wonderful pictures.

Quick Stats:

Designer: Mark Chaplin 

Artist: Chechu Nieto

Players: 2

Publishers: REXhry, Stonghold Games, White Goblin Games

Time:45 minutes

Ages: 12 and up

Mechanic: Hand Management