From: tstone@ucsub.Colorado.EDU (Trevor "Isildur" Stone) Subject: [ALL] 1996: A Year of CCGs It's a new year, but while the old one's still fresh, I'll make some comments about the CCGs I played in 1996. They are ranked from most favorite to least. URLs are at the bottom. Middle-earth: the Wizards My favorite CCG so far. It takes J.R.R. Tolkien's world of fantasy and lore and makes it into a great game. Your characters move around from site to site finding items, gathering armies, recruiting allies, and fighting creatures. During your opponent's turn, you play the other side, playing hazards to stop your opponent's progress towards his goal. The dangers your characters face is great. They must protect themselves from Sauron's terrible legions of orcs, trolls, undead, and some very scary dragons or even the Black Riders, the Nazgul. You must also try to avoid being corrupted by power and turning over to a quest for personal power rather than to save the free peoples. And with the latest expansion, Dark Minions, there is a new threat to your quests: agents. Formerly good people, agents like Wormtongue and Fori the Beardless have turned to evil, and will speak evil words to your characters and armies. Strategies abound, I can think of about 20 resource archetypes and about 10 hazard ones. Now, put two of them together to form a deck. The art is spectacular, and the game has a feel of role playing. You celebrate with your characters as Beorn deals a killing blow to a Nazgul and mourn with your company as Frodo gets killed by Rogrog the troll. The rarity scheme works well for both sealed deck and collecting. Most of the cards you build a deck around are fixed, that is, they come in starters only. This includes many main characters like Gandalf, Aragorn, and Gimli (unlike some games where all the major characters are rare). There are some drawbacks, of course. The game is complex. There's no way around that. After a few games and talking to people, you get the hang of it though. The games also take a while. Shorter games exist (and are used in tournaments), but the standard requires you to go through every card in your 50+ card deck at least once. Thus, our average length of a two-player game is over an hour. Multi-player games take an afternoon. If you're pressed for time, a "one deck" game can be fun, but there are a few particular types of deck that will take those games pretty easily. The other major disadvantage is sites. Many cards may only be played at certain sites. While the cards are never rarer than the respective sites, it can be annoying having a really nice faction, the Easterlings, and not having the Easterling Camp... In all, I heartily recommend Middle-earth to anyone who enjoyed the books or who is looking for a good card game. On the Edge Welcome to Al Amarja, Mediterranean island of surreal conspiracies. There are few regulations on Al Amarja, so it has become a haven for international conspiracies, shady deals, and gangs of thugs. Assassinations take place, brawls happen, drug deals are made, and life goes on in the barrios. There are all sorts of characters who may be run of the mill street urchins to people with strange psychic powers. The background may sound confusing and unappealing (I thought so), but as you read the quotes on the cards things start to make sense and you begin to enjoy the atmosphere. Plus, you can get a few laughs by reading the quotes ("She's gone beyond bending spoons. She bends forks now."). One of several "second generation" CCGs that came out with huge numbers of cards after seeing how big of a hit Magic was. Like most of those games, On the Edge has made its way to the discount bins and can be found for $10 per display box. However, unlike most of the games, On the Edge is a very well designed game. Its mechanics seem similar to Magic's with a few exceptions. First, there are almost no timing problems. That's because you do almost everything during your turn, which eliminates cheap tapping at the end of the turn and cranking your character to do something has a cost (like, you don't have a character to block with). It uses a similar method to bring cards in to play, but unlike Magic, almost any resource may be used to bring any card in to play. However, resources bring in characters with certain traits better than cards without those traits. Also, the goal is not to beat your opponent to a bloody pulp. It's to gain as much influence and standing on the island as you can. Oh, and you choose what to attack. There is lots of strategy involved. Cost and effect, while not numerically represented, are very present. There are also virtually no sick combos, though decks built around a few certain groups (like the Pharaohs) win more often. This game was very well play tested, and works very well if you have LOTS of cards or just a starter (OMNI league is a world-wide league where you get nothing but a starter). On the Edge has it's share of problems. First, it may be hard to find players. But if you buy a box and make a couple of decks, people will probably pay. Or you can buy a box and sell starters for $1 a piece. Also, the art isn't too great. Some of the pictures rock, but there will be some that get your goat. Also, some of them are hard to appreciate. Greg Houston's art is visually not very appealing, but conveys a message very well. And in what other game is there a picture of Dan Quayle holding a sign that says "Ex-vice prez. Will work for foode."? Also, two player has some problems, but once you get into three or four player, it's really good. Plus, there's not much more fun than trying to figure out who to backstab next. So go out and buy a box of On the Edge. You'll thank me for it later. Netrunner Set in the world of Cyberpunk: 2020, Netrunner has two sides: the Corporation and the Runner, or hacker. The corp is just trying to do what everybody else is trying to do: make money. But how they make it may be pretty shady. The runner knows what the corp's up to, and is out to stop it. The way to do this is to liberate the data and either expose it to the public or sell the corp's plans to the highest bidder. The corp, of course, will do whatever it can to stop these data thieves. They can just keep the runner out for long enough or they can flatline them, whichever works. Even though both sides of this game have separate rules and separate card sets, this is the most balanced card game I've seen since Bridge. Everything either side does, the other side has a way to deal with it. The corp has an easier time with most of it, as they are rich in bits and have the agendas all ready, but the runner wins almost as much as the corp. Being runner takes strategy and guts. You have to figure out WHEN to run. And since the corp does most of its stuff face down, you have to guess a lot. Is that an agenda he's hiding, or is it an ambush? Is this a harmless piece of ice I can break easily, or is it a fearsome zombie that will wipe me out? But you can't be passive. If you make a run and the corp rezzes some ice to stop you, run somewhere else that he can't now pay to protect. Plus, you get SUCH an adrenaline rush when you barely break through a fort to find that you just got the winning agenda! Most of the rares tend to be for special uses, with some exceptions, and the game plays GREAT out of a starter (COMPLETE components for two players for $18). There are few drawbacks to the game. The first is it involves a lot of both calculation and guesswork. If you don't like games of mental math or of bluffing, this game is not for you. On the same token, though, it's a great thinkers game, as everything can be reduced to mathematical cost and effect. The only other reasons not to try this game are if there aren't many players in your area (the game seems to have dropped in popularity for some reason) or if you don't like Cyberpunk/computer generated art (which is really cool). If you want a feel for the game, check out the two online contests Wizards of the Coast put together. In one you're a runner trying to hack into the corp. In the other you are a corporate executive trying to avoid a corporate take over. Quest for the Grail Set in England in the time of Arthur and the Knights of Camelot, Quest for the grail is an easy game to learn and has a subject that's unappealing to few. You control several knights, who you give weapons, armor, and companions to. They then try to defeat quests (either yours or your opponents) to receive valor. Once you have a good enough knight, you may then quest to find the grail, and win the game. Some of the art is pretty good, while some of it is somewhat lacking. The mechanics of this game are pretty good. In general, they're sort of a simplified set of Middle-earth rules, which is why I play that game and not this one. However, if you're looking for a fast, pretty simple fantasy game, you might give Quest for the Grail a try. The only disadvantages I've found in limited play is that cards and players are hard to find. And though the company's pretty nice (they give out a lot of free cards), the netrep is a bit overzealous. Legend of the Five Rings The emperor of Rokugan, a land similar to feudal Japan, is dying and there is a war to see who will succeed him. You represent one of several clans fighting for the throne. You control Samurai warriors, spell casting Shugenja, evil Onis, and other cool things. You can win through wiping everybody else off the table, by gaining a lot of honor, or by becoming enlightened, getting all five elemental rings out. Each clan, Crab, Crane, Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Unicorn, Naga, Scorpion, Toturi's Army, and Yugo Junzo's Army, have different abilities, advantages, and disadvantages. Once in play, there isn't as much strategy as some other games, but your deck doesn't entirely play itself. Plus, much of the fun in the game is roleplaying your clan and personalities. Certain clans are easier to win with, but any clan has a shot. There are two main disadvantages to this game. First, each clan only has certain decks it can play. And if you want to use a different clan, you have to buy another starter. The other disadvantage is that most of the games I've played (mostly multiplayer) take too long. Now, I'm not opposed to long games (METW is my favorite CCG), but it seems most of a game of L5R is spent building up your army and then someone gets a lot of honor, a couple of battles ensue for 10 minutes or so, and the game is over. Plus, I picked this game at a time when I didn't have too much free time, so I didn't get to play too many times. It does have some cool art, the background is cool, and a lot of people like it (it's the #3 selling CCG in the US), so you might find a clan you like and give it a try. Maybe my problem was I don't really agree with the philosophy of too many of the clans... Monty Python and the Holy Grail In one of my favorite movies of all time, Monty Python (the hilarious British comedy troupe) parodies the King Arthur stories. This game tries to capitalize on the humor and cult status of this movie. To this end, the game is fun (you must read the quote on the card or it doesn't happen, there are some really silly actions you take, etc.). However, as a game, it bites. The rules, hastily thrown together in about three days, are very hard to decipher. My opponent and I have had totally different interpretations of the game which are both justified in the rules. Basically, your knights move around England (which you make by setting out the top 14 cards of your deck) and encounter perils, adversaries, questions three, castles, etc. You also play cards on your opponent's England, making it hard for him to progress. This is kinda fun, and with Pythurian silliness added in it's a kick, but strategy is a little missing. Like Star Wars, each card has a random number on it you use instead of dice. Worse cards have higher numbers, so you have to put bad cards in your deck and you can't be assured of getting a certain card, even if you put several in your deck. Also, the rare cards tend to be a lot better. There is one part about this game which is really stupid, though, and causes me not to play very frequently. The rules say "In no case may you play if there is no ante." Didn't they see how nobody played for ante in anything other than sealed deck? Other than Magic and Jyhad (two of the earliest games) I have not seen another game that has ante required in anything other than sealed deck! There is also a rule which says if both players agree, any rule may be ignored (can the rules contradict themselves?), but my main would-be opponent doesn't want to ignore that rule, so I don't play this game too much. Arcadia: the Wyld Hunt I got this game for two reasons: #1 I heard it had some really new and different ways to do things in a CCG and #2 I heard it could be played solitaire. The former turned out to be true. You start by placing cards on the table to make a map. The rivers, the hills, the forests, etc. line up and on the backs of the cards is information specific to the given region. You then assign certain advantages and disadvantages to your character (a cool 3D pop-up figure) and select a quest. Waylays are placed on the map as well as things to find. There is no deck and no hand. You use what's in front of you. And you can get everything you need to play out of two boosters. I have yet to play this game with more than one player (I would like to), but as a solitaire game, it sucks. The main hindering factor to actions is the time it takes to do them. When there are two people, there is a race, but with just one, if I fail to do something, I just wait for a turn and try again. It was pretty boring, though the ideas were pretty cool. This game might have been better as a board game. Games I would like to try: Illuminati: New World Order >From what I've heard of the background, I would probably like the humor and satire of this game. I also like thinking and calculating games, so this may be good. It's also cheap to buy, but there isn't really anybody who plays here. Shadowfist Heard the mechanics are great. I'm not all for the background of Hong Kong action movies, but I wasn't all that for the background of On the Edge either. I'd play this game if there were any opponents. Rage Read the rules, it seems interesting. I'd like to try it to see how much fun a total action CCG can be. Galactic Empires I'd like to try this, heard it's good, haven't really tried a space game yet. Lunch Money A non-collectible card game from the makers of On the Edge, I've heard this can be great fun. I'll probably buy it in the next month or so. Future Games: Not really looking forward to any new games, though I am eagerly awaiting Lidless Eye, the stand alone expansion for Middle-earth, and The Chaos Plague, a standalone boxed set for On the Edge. At the end of the summer I agreed to sort of coordinate efforts on a group of 'net CCGs. Oops. I don't have the time to do that, though I am interested. If anybody would like to organize that, I'll help. I set up a bit of a web page which I could move to Geocities so that several people could work on it. Once I get listproc to behave, I can set up a listserv for it. Anybody interested? URLs for the games Middle-earth: the Wizards. Published by Iron Crown Enterprises. http://www.ironcrown.com/ (my page: http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~tstone/metw/cotd/) On the Edge. Published by Atlas Games (a real cool company). http://members.aol.com/atlasgames/ Netrunner. Published by Wizards of the Coast. http://www.wizards.com/Netrunner/ Magic the Gathering. Published by Wizards of the Coast. http://www.itis.com/deckmaster/ (not official, but the best) Quest for the Grail. Published (and I think printed by) Stone Ring Games. http://www.ccsi.com/~grabal/quest/ Legend of the Five Rings. Published by Five Rings Publishing Group, a division of Alderac Entertainment Group, a division of ISOMedia. http://www.frpg.com/ (though the fan pages are better) Monti Python ik den Holie Grailen CCG. Published by Kenzer, Co. http://members.aol.com/relkin/mphgmain.html Arcadia: the Wyld Hunt. Published by White Wolf Game Systems. http://www.white-wolf.com/ Small page I put up for the Great Net Card Game: http://bvsd.k12.co.us/~tstone/gncg/ The best CCG information spot (though it may change): Sprig's CCG Warehouse. http://www.itis.com/other-games/ My games page: http://bvsd.k12.co.us/~tstone/games.html (though this will soon move and be a lot better). Trevor Stone tstone@Colorado.EDU http://bvsd.k12.co.us/~tstone/ Scout/Sage Man # Human, Trident, Chaos # Resource, Connection, Unique # Summon Nerd # Unaligned Shugenja Curse of the Moment: Thou venomed tickle-brained moldwarp!