Relic first look: video

I found this first look on youtube, from Elliot Miller (http://www.youtube.com/user/mylantus100?feature=watch). Its from Games Day Chicago 2012, where FFG are showing this game for the first time. They only announced it the day before (two days ago!)

How awesome do those busts look like? I really cannot wait to get my hands on this game! Some of the mechanics also sound really nice, the corruption deck has peaked my interest. I know some people who will take a lot of those cards!

And, its not me in the video. Just thought I would clear that up. It's Elliot Miller, http://www.youtube.com/user/mylantus100?feature=watch and he has some decent videos over there. Go check them out.

Fantasy Flight Games announce: Relic

Now this is one game that I has gotten me in a bit of a twist. This is a game based on some of my favorite games, Talisman and Warhammer 40000.  Yes you, you read that right, Talisman set in the 41st millenium.  Heres the link, go and take a look.

How cool does that look? We will definatly be following that game here at Farlands Games, and with a release set for quarter 4 2012, looks like we dont have to long to wait either!

Descent 2nd Edition

Here is a game off the beaten track of all the Warhammer 40000 posts that have been going up here recently. Descent 2^nd edition is the follow up to the hugely popular Fantasy Flight Games, Descent: Journeys into the Dark.

A lot of people loved the first edition, and a lot of people hated the it as well. The main complaints were about the length of the game, and the sheer amount of space that it took up on the table. 2^nd edition is very similar, but also very different.

Miniatures wise, like all other FFG games, they are fantastic. Not as many as in 1^st Ed, but still a good amount. Cards are standard FFG size, and board pieces and counters again the quality that you would expect from FFG.

It has been hugely streamlined. Many of the annoyances that were in Descent, like the Town, popping to the shops mid quest, all the re-spawn points, and the fact that the Overlord character has so many monsters, and then variations of the monsters that you never quite knew what you were fighting until you were dead.

This leaves a system that begs to be played, and with not as much to remember for a new player, should be completed in 2 hours or less, maybe a little longer, but not by much.

At heart its still a dungeon crawl minus RPG elements, but you can still level up characters, and indeed the overlord player can upgrade as well. If you want more of a RPG series, then D&D or other equivalent system is for you. This is a tactical miniature game. One player takes the role of the overlord, and runs the dungeon and monsters with the help of a deck of cards. Other players take the role of heroes, ones that must defeat the many dangers lurking in these dungeons.

I believe that all of these adventures could be played right from the box, pick one and off you go. This would be great to show new people how to play, but the real heart of this is the campaign system, linking all the adventures together, and powering up your characters. Indeed, the game comes with a campaign all set up and ready to go, and I can almost guarantee that there will be expansions just like 1^st edition.

If you own first edition, then there is a little bonus for you. There is a upgrade kit. It requires that the core 2^nd edition is bought, but upgrades all of the 1^st edition monsters into the 2^nd edition rules, so right from the word go you will have many more options!

Game wise, this plays well from 2 to 5 players, all within 2 hours, without the grind of 1^st edition. I played 1^st Ed, liked it enough, but never played again as it was draining in the long run. This is a lot smoother and a lot better.

If you have never played Descent: Journeys into the Darkness, and like dungeon games, then without hesitation go out and buy this game. It is fantastic and will be supported for a while to come, so many more adventures are to come. If you have played 1^st Ed, I would recommend this game a lot, but would also suggest playing before you buy. The changes are for the better, but may be changes enough to make you not like these rules.

All in all, Descent 2^nd edition is a rip roaring romp through a dungeon, with enough re-playability to keep it on the table for months to come.

Only War free beta

So I announced to a group of friends about how I wanted to run a RPG session, and it came to the decision that we would try Fantasy Flight Games newest offering, Only War.

It is a true RPG game along the lines of their other games such as Deathwatch and Rogue Trader. At the moment, it is only in beta stage, and the beta rule book can be downloaded over from the guys at RPG Drive Through until August for the nice sum of $20. Alternatively, take a trip over to the FFG website and download the free starter game. Here you will find a cut down version of the rules, and a campaign/ story for you to play through.

I decided I was going to use the free download, as I did not fancy paying for a PDF that potentially would only be played once. However, I will now be getting that PDF, but more on that later.

The game is based on the Warhammer 40000 universe, and deals with the Imperial Guard. Players can choose a range of characters that are pre generated, and there are no options for making any more in the free version, but these will get the players off to a nice start. The bundled story is nice, long enough to run 3 sessions out of it (sessions being around 2-3 hours), with enough detail to be really immersive.

The problem I usually find with RPG's are the combat systems, most usually seem really clunky to me. The combat system in this however, is fantastic, and makes sense in my head. Initiative can change with a bad roll, so not every combat is going to see the characters going in the same order, which as we found out can have a big impact.

The story bundled is nice, based on the remnants of a Imperial Guard squad trying to get off a deathworld before their commanders “glass” the area with a orbital bombardment. It has a interesting mechanism, as the characters only have 11 hours to get to a firebase many kilometres away from their current position, and most of their decisions will result in the clock ticking away.

Is it worth getting? If you are a fan or tabletop RPG's, then I suggest that you give it a try, either by getting the free version, or downloading the paid beta PDF. All in all all my players enjoyed it, and talk about it quite regular, and I will be running it again in the near future.

Talisman 4th Edition Review

I first played this game many years ago as a child, when it was in its third edition. Back then it was a great game, that I could play with both my family and friends, and it will always have a dear place in my heart. So how does the Fantasy Flight Games 4^th reprint stack up?

This game oozes presentation. From when you first pick up and feel the weight of the box, you know you have a great game in your hands. This carries on when you open up the box for the first time, and see all the cards and the miniatures, and that board.

The board is huge, with beautiful artwork all across it. You can play this game many, many times and still see new things on the board, things that you missed the last time. All the other componants are wonderful aswell, with nice finishes on all the cards, and all the plastic pieces just feel right.

The rulebook is the usual fare, and I feel way to long for this game. It makes the game feel complicated when you first read it, but play the first game, and you will see how it all fits together seamlessly.

The game plays really smoothly, and even with brand new players, once you have played the first turn, every one will know what to do. Gameplay is simple: Roll a dice, move your character that amount of spaces left or right around the board, and do what the space you land on instructs you to do. Usually, it will be draw a amount of cards, which you then follow the instructions. These can range from fights with monsters, to items that you can pick up or special events that affect everyone on the board. Then its the next players turn to do the same.

The whole idea is to build your character into a strong warrior and work your way into the center of the board, where the Crown of Command exists. At this point, the character with the Crown of Command kills everyone and wins. It sounds easy, but as you work your way into the center of the board, spaces get harder, as do the monsters that you encounter. Couple that with the fact that when you make a dive for the center, you become a target for everyone to get.

I have found that this game takes about one hour for each player playing. So a four player game can last four hours, but don't let this put you off, that time will fly by. It really is a fun night in game, so grab your friends, get some drinks and snacks and see where this game takes you. The tales that can be told from playing this game are wide a varied, and peoples misfortunes will make you all fall around in laughter. Take for example from a game I played. We had a hapless druid, who on his turn drew the mighty dragon to fight. Having not a chance, he still fought it, and lost. Play went around, and he swiftly moved on, only to draw a demon, the most powerful enemy in the deck! Needless to say, his character did not last long, and proceeded to get drunk in the tavern (it had been a rough day).

So, do I like this game? Yes I do, and so does everyone I have introduced to it. This definatly goes in my top 5 games of all time. So get this, you will not regret it one bit.

Rating: 9.5/10