Archive for the ‘Board Games’ Category

Plaid Hat Games to Release New ‘Summoner Wars’ Expansion

Plaid Hat Games will release a new master set for the Summoner Wars deck-building game, Summoner Wars: Alliances Master Set, in January 2015.

The 16 original factions in Summoner Wars are paired up to create eight alliance decks (Cave Filth, Deep Benders, Fallen Phoenix, Jungle Shadow, Sand Cloaks, Swamp Mercenaries, Tundra Guild, and Vargath Vanguards).  The factions and cards in this product are unique to this set.  The box includes card dividers and will accommodate sleeved cards, as well as having extra room to store other Summoner Wars products.

 

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The box contains: 8 faction decks, 56 deck dividers, 5 six-sided dice, 20 wound markers, a neoprene game mat, and a rulebook.  The game is for 2 players, ages 7 and up, and plays in 30-60 minutes.

 

 

 

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Rio Grande Games Announces New ‘Dominion’ Expansion

Rio Grande Games will release a new large expansion for Donald X. Vaccarino’s award-winning Dominion card game in Spring 2015, as first reported by hobby retailer news website ICv2.com.

“We are now working on a new (large box with 400 cards) expansion we expect to have available in the spring (2015),” Rio Grande’s Jay Tummelson said in a recent Board Game Geek forum post.

“We expect then to be able to release the game in late spring – dare I say March or April or May.  We will send more information as we have it,” Tummelson also said in another post.

 

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As for future Dominion plans, he also stated, “We may replace the original Treasure and Victory cards (already available separately) in the base set and/or Intrigue at some point, and are also looking at offering a set of the metal tokens (the Treasure and Victory tokens) later in 2015.”

The original Dominion card game, released in 2008, won the 2009 Spiel des Jahres Game of the Year award, the 2009 Origins Award for Best Card Game, and a Mensa Award.  The popular card game last appeared on the Top 10 Card/Dice Games chart in Fall 2013. Dominion likewise can take credit for spawning a series of other deck-building board games, including AscensionThunderstoneDC Deckbuilding, Legendary, and many others.

 

 

 

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Mayfair Games to Release Collector’s Edition of ‘Catan: Ancient Egypt’ This Week!

According to ICv2.com, Mayfair Games will release a limited English edition of Klaus Teuber’s Catan–Collectors Edition–Ancient Egypt on November 13th.  German publisher KOSMOS announced the stand-alone game back in June, but Mayfair’s U.S. release was not revealed.

In addition to the base game, which is set in ancient Egypt, there are variants.  The “Help from the Gods” variant adds 10 god cards which add celestial powers to the game, and “The Great Pyramid” scenario allows player to build boats and compete for the pharaoh’s blessing and the vizier’s favor by adding blocks to the great pyramid.

 

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The box contains: 19 Terrain Hexes, 6 Frame Pieces, 18 Number Tokens, 95 Resource Cards, 25 Development Cards, 4 Build Cost Cards, 2 Special Cards (Longest Trade Route and Largest Mercenary Army), 16 Temple Cities, 20 Settlements, 60 Oxcarts, 1 Robber, 2 Dice, 2 Card Holders, an almanac, and  a rules sheet.  It also contains the following components for  use with the additional scenarios: 12 Papyrus Boats, 1 Pyramid Building Site, 60 Pyramid Blocks, 10 God Cards, 4 God Summary Cards, 4 “Pharaoh’s Blessing/Curse” cards and 1 Vizier’s Favor Card.

The game is for 3-4 players, ages 10 and up, and plays in 75-100 minutes.  As a collector’s edition, the English edition is limited to 5,000 copies worldwide.

 

 

 

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This week in gaming: My board game wishlist

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Yeah, this is going up late. It’s been a little bit of a hectic week for myself. A big hectic to the point that I forgot that today was Wednesday (well, now it’s Thursday). I’m in the very slow process of moving my family and I into a new house. Let me tell you, moving is not very fun. However, there is a small exception here. Since I’ve been in between moves since the beginning of the summer, most of my belongings have been in storage. I had to pack up most of my Magic cards and, worst of all, most of my board games went into storage.

 

Now that my family and I are at our new house, I’ve been able to get most of my belongings out of storage. Tonight, I was able to grab my board games. It’s funny. I really didn’t know how much I missed them until I opened the box that contained them. It’s not much, but what I do have means a lot. So, I bet you’re wondering what games I have. In no particular order:

 

Netrunner LCG
Marvel Legendary
Quarriors
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Dixit
Elder Signs
Takenoko (Sealed)
Rampage (Sealed)
Ascension (Base Set)

 

The reason Takenoko and Rampage are sealed is because they were originally for the Extra Life fundraiser that was held a couple of weeks ago, but due to the fact that they were in storage, I was never able to give them away. Now the question is, “What do I do with them?” Obviously these games would make great additions to my collection. Of course, there is also a part of me that wants to stick to the original plan and give them away for a good cause. I’m not sure. Although, I am open to suggestions.

 

Lords of Waterdeep

There are some games I have been wanting to get my hands on for some time now. One game I definitely want for my collection is Lords of Waterdeep. I’ve played this game a few times, and, while I have yet to win a game, each time has been a blast. You don’t even need to be that knowledgable in the Dungeons and Dragons lore, but it does make the game that much more fun if you know the whole story, or at least parts of it.

 

7 Wonders

Another game I’d like to add to the list is 7 Wonders. I remember when Andrew Pegg-Wheat was demoing the game for the store. I took every chance I could to sit in on a game. It is extremely fun and I highly recommend it. How does it play? For Magic players, I like to describe it as Drafting, but it’s just the best part – the drafting. Everyone gets three “packs” or pile of cards; a pile of cards from each of the three ages. They choose a card from their pile and then pass the cards on to the next person. You continue to pick cards from the “packs” until there is one left, and that card goes back into the box. The object of the game is to score the most points.

 

The neat part of the game is that you need to build up your resources in order to draft certain cards. For example, you may need brick, wood, gold, or all three in order to draft a library. That library then scores you points in one of numerous categories. It may sound a little complicated, but once you play it, the game is very easy to follow.

 

Marvel Dice Masters

This game had been out of stock for a long time. Also, if you’ve ever played Quarriors, this should be no surprise that this is on my list of board game wants. So not only does the game play exactly like Quarriors, but it features some of my favorite characters from comics – the X-Men. What sets the game apart from Quarriors, though, is the fact that it’s a collectible dice game. What do I mean by this? When you buy the game Quarriors, you get everything you will need for the base set inside the box. When you purchase Marvel Dice Masters, you start by buying the 2-player starter set. From there you buy booster packs that contain two dice and their corresponding cards.

 

This allows for the possibility of tournaments with the game. I’m hoping that game catches on enough that there will be plenty of people willing to play. As a gamer, I enjoy anything that involves rolling dice. That’s probably why this is at the top of the “list.” Anyone up for a game?

 

Star Trek Attack Wing

I get there isn’t a board involved, but I am a big Star Trek fan. Am I a Trekkie? I don’t know, but I enjoy it nonetheless. I’ve played Star Wars Attack Wing and that was a lot of fun. In the end though, I guess you either like Star Wars or Star Trek (or, at least, one more than the other). Of course, one of the reasons I’d like to own the game is because of the look of the figures. I’ve watched enough episode that the idea of controlling one of these ships (albeit in a game) excites me.

 

Tabletop miniatures adds a lot to gaming that you can’t get with normal board games. I like to think of board games like 2-D side scroller video games. So, I guess that makes tabletop miniature gaming like wearing an Oculus Rift.

 

Well that’s it for now. You know that the holiday season is closing upon us. If you’d like to get me a gift, make sure you bookmark this page so you can refer to it in the future.

 

As always, thanks for reading.

 

About the author

Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!

 

Donate to the Extra-Life fundraiser!

 

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Now Available – D&D Attack Wing! & Marvel Dice Masters

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NEW THIS WEEK:
 
Dungeons & Dragons: Attack Wing

 

D&D Attack Wing is a Dungeons & Dragons tactical flight and ground combat miniatures game, featuring pre-painted dragons, siege weaponry, and troops from the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms®   universe.

Utilizing the FlightPath™ maneuver system, command your army in epic aerial and ground combat & customize your army with spells, equipment, weapons, special abilities and more!

 

Battleground’s first impressions are that this is one that shouldn’t be missed!
Here’s a link to the rules, check em out!

Marvel Dice Masters: Uncanny X-Men

 

The smash hit game is back with it’s second installment!!  Don’t miss out!

Marvel Dice Masters: Uncanny X-Men is a collectible dice-building tabletop game designed by Quarriors! creators Michael Elliott and Eric M. Lang.

 

Featuring Wolverine, Magneto, Cyclops, Iceman, Psylocke, the Sentinels and more – each player fields a superhero team, with each hero being represented by custom-tooled dice! Each hero also has one or more character reference cards, which show the special abilities for the characters based on the die rolls. Different versions of these cards will be available in booster packs, allowing for more customization of your team. Players use these dice to collect energy, recruit new heroes, and battle head-to-head.

 

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This week in gaming: A special thank you

 

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Our massive game of “Werewolf” hosted by Derek

 

I’ve gone through a lot, personally, this year. I lost my uncle to a heart attack, my aunt lost her battle with cancer, I’ve been “in between moves” for most of the summer, and looking for a job is a never-ending story with me. However, the one thing that has been the biggest help to keeping my sanity have been all you – my friends, my family, and the entire gaming community at Battleground Games & Hobbies.

 

The night before the 24-hour marathon, I got very little sleep. If I remember correctly, I went to bed around 4 AM. That’s been the norm for me for quite some time, but I still wish I had gone to bed a little bit earlier.   The day started like every other day. I got out of bed, checked my e-mail, and then made my postings for the store on all of the social medias. That’s when it hit me. The culmination of almost eight months of work was almost here.

 

I admit I was a little nervous, but more anxious than anything. Who was going to be there? Was anyone going to show up? Would I hit goal? As you could tell, there was a lot on my mind. In the end, though, it was an amazing day with amazing people. Even if you were there just to poke your head in, I appreciated it.

 

There are a few people I’d like to single-out though. They are in no particular order.

 

Wyrmwood Gaming

When I got to the store the first thing I wanted to do was check on the package that Wyrmwood Gaming had sent me to help support the fundraiser that weekend. There is no doubt they had a big part in us hitting our goal.

 

I remember when I first met Ed and Doug at PAX East 2014. I had been introduced to them by my friend Eric who wanted to know if I’d be interested in covering their product. When I first laid eyes on what they had to offer, I knew I was looking at something special.

 

In early September, I ran into Ed and Doug again at the Boston Festival of Indie Games. They were posted in the table top gaming area. It made sense, especially considering the product they offered. That’s when I first pitched to Ed the idea of being a part of the Extra Life marathon. I thought their product would be a great way to entice people to donate to the cause. It would also help get their name out to their primary audience.

 

Ed was extremely gracious and had told me that they had recently donated to another cause and would be happy to help me out. I was blown away at what they had to offer. One of the items they were showing off at the festival was their new Dice Tower. In fact, it was making it’s first public appearance. I was a little scared at first, but I eventually gathered the guts to ask if they’d be willing to have a Dice Tower ready for the fundraiser. This was a bold move in my part because they had just that prototype from what I understood. Luckily Ed said yes and more.

 

I’m happy to say that the Dice Tower package went to a very deserving couple at the end of the night.

Pegg-wheat dice tower
 

Alley, Amanda, and Ken

Wyrmwood wasn’t the only ones to personally help out that night. Those of you who were there may have seen a couple of the other items we had up for grabs that night. One of them was an awesome painting done by Alley Livingston. She had messaged me, one day, on Facebook and told me she was going to do some art that I could raffle off at the marathon. Up to that point, I only had the Wyrmwood gaming items and, possibly, box of Magic cards that I was going to donate myself to the raffle. So, for someone to come out of nowhere and say they want to donate something that takes time, creativity, and more to make means a lot to me.

 

Alley painting
 

Amanda was another person who took the time to make something for the raffle. That crazy-looking purple thing you may have seen is called a Hanar. It’s actually an alien character from the game Mass Effect. If you don’t know what that is, then I recommend you look it up after reading this week’s article.

 

Over time, Ken has amassed an incredible amount of packs for winning numerous drafts and other events at the store. In fact, he may even have a vault similar to the one Scrooge McDuck has. However, instead of gold coins, it’s full of booster packs from Magic. Unlike Scrooge McDuck, though, Ken was gracious enough to donate a box worth of boosters to the event that night. These are packs that he earned from playing and with money he spent. He may not want others to know, but I want people to know, he had already made a generous donation prior to donating the box. So give it up for “Good Guy Ken.”

 

Derek and Chase

Of course, there would be no event without Derek and Chase. When Derek gave the approval to host the 24-hour gaming marathon at the store, that’s when I said to myself, “ Alright. We’re really doing this.” To be given a space to hold the event with such ease, I have to consider myself extremely lucky and am happy to have friends in such high places.

 

The months leading up to the event, my mind had been set only on the Abington location. I think it was only a couple of months prior to the event that Chase said he wanted to host an event at the Plainville location. I have to say I was caught off-guard. I thought it was great enough that an event was going to happen at one location, but who can say that they had the ability to host the event at multiple locations? Not a lot.

 

As I look back on things, I can’t think of any problems that were had. We may have blown a fuse or two due to the number of Xboxes we had, but that’s a first-world problem some wish they had. If I needed anything, I could have it.

 

Do me favor, and I’m sure you do this enough yourself, the next time you see Derek or Chase, shake their hand and say thanks. What they do is tough, and there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that can make their jobs difficult, but, in the end, they manage to put on a different face when they’re around you.

 

The overnight crew and everyone else

Before I say anything else, I want to thank everyone who showed up, donated, and even helped spread the word. There are a lot of you. You all know who you are. The last spotlight I want to shine is on the overnight crew. Who is the overnight crew? This is the late night crew. Some of them I have already thanked, but this is for those who I haven’t. Check out the picture below.

 

Overnight Crew
 

Note: there may be some who aren’t in the photo and that might be due to the fact that they were passed out upstairs in the loft, or were in the back room playing Dungeons and Dragons.

 

These people were there either all 24-hours or for most of it. These people are like my brothers/sisters-in-arms. It’s one thing to try to take on a beast that is 24-hour of gaming by yourself, but to be in the company of others makes it a little less painful.

 

Some other quick thank you’s go to Josh for driving me to the event and then leaving me there, Scott for lunch, Dan for bringing extra donuts after Josh brought some, everyone who participated at the Plainville store, Chad for setting up the Xbox corner, and to Pete who shared his personal connection to the event (that was the best feeling ever).

 

I’m really hoping I didn’t leave anyone out, but I’m sure I did – everyone does when they’re thanking people. If I did, I’m sorry. Don’t hate me. Thank you!

 

One last thing…

In case you missed it, I announced a couple of nights ago how much was made. Both stores, combined, raised almost $2000 for a grand total of $2538! For our first year, I think we did a pretty good job.

 

That’s it for now. If you’d like, the 2014 Extra Life donation page will be active for the rest of the year. Who knows, maybe we’ll break $3000. A couple of quick thoughts: we’re doing this again next year, I’m going to organize a team, we’re going to change the times of the event to what everyone else does: Noon – Noon.

 

As always, if there is something you need to say, ask, anything, sound off below in the comment section, and until next time.

 

 

About the author

Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!

 

Donate to the Extra-Life fundraiser!

 

1170
 

Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!

Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!

 

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