You kids with all your newfangled computers. Check out these graphics:
Admittedly, the color palette is limited, but how about that bump-mapping!
Just got this baby in the mail today. More and more I find my platform of choice to be the dining room table.
Yeah, I’ve been looking at this, too. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’d get to play it regularly enough to afford the price tag. Ditto for Heroscape which is part of the 2 for 1 boardgame deal at Toys R Us right now. I could get 2 sets for $40!!. All those cool peices… will is breaking…
And the Doom Boardgame looks cool too. Check out those figs!
Ah well. I’m getting ‘Betrayal at the House on the Hill’ for Megan for her birthday this week. Maybe some of those others for Chrismas reciprocation.
We already have a Lord of the Rings Risk game that does the job just fine. :)
What’s this about a 2-for-1 boardgame deal at Toys R Us? Does that include all board games? Like family games?
Yeah. Everything by Milton Bradly, Hasbro, Parker Brothers, etc. The deal is on from 10/10-10/16. It’s also available through Toysrus.com, which Amazon is handling. Use the promo code of REHASBBGA799- this was verified to work as of this morning. Reports have people loading carts full of Candyland and Clue (shudder).
The ‘Avalon Hill’ part of Hasbro’s line isn’t officially included, though there have been reports of people buying Risk 2210 at the store, and when it didn’t get rung up correctly, they point out the Hasbro logo on the box and make a stink, which results in the discount. I would have done this for ‘Betrayal…’ but ToyRUs stores don’t carry that particular AH title. Oh, well, I got it from a local/online boardgame retailer called Boards and Bits- they offer discounts similar to all the other online retailers (~30% off retail), but if you live in the seattle area, they will let you pick it up and avoid shipping. Got it for $26 (instead of $40).
(Un?)Fortunately, West-Coast TRS stores don’t have Heroscape in stock yet, despite the fact that it’s featured promenantly on the sunday ad with the sale. Someone said that they went to the store and they gave him a raincheck at the sale price for two copies. This is soooo tempting- I really really want a couple of sets of Heroscape- I could use the terrain for Crimson Skies Clix games (to make cool canyon-dogfight maps), if nothing else, but the game looks cool too, (in a minis-light sort of way).
Awesome, thanks! I may go and pick up a couple of games. Fortunately, I already have Candyland. :)
Worth an upgrade from the standard Risk? (I’m a LoTR fan).
Worth an upgrade from the standard Risk? (I’m a LoTR fan).[/quote]
Here’s some good info on LotR Risk.
And here’s some more on War of the Ring.
Personally, for the subject matter I prefer something with a little more depth and meat than the Risk variant, but to each his own.
Worth an upgrade from the standard Risk? (I’m a LoTR fan).[/quote]
I think so. I thought the LoTR Risk was much cooler… the different map is nice, the “Adventure points” help shake up the game, and the mobile ring helps create a definite end to the game instead of the endless swing back and forth that sometimes occurred in the original Risk.
Heroscape looks cool but what does it play like?
I see Don Quixote mentioning The Crimson Skies clix game in conjunction and while I realize they aren’t the same game, does Heroscape play anything like the clix line of games? I’m familiar with Heroclix. If it’s anything like that I’d be very excited as the shots of the game look cool.
What is this Heroscape? More info… how the hell did this slip in under my geeky boardgame radar? I’m losing it I tell ya! I must be getting old. On another note… has anyone tried that Star Wars collectible miniatures game? Is it any good?
Here ya go. By most accounts it’s a very well-made but extremely light tactical combat game, most notable for its constructable gameboard. You get a heck of a lot of content for forty bucks, too.
Worth an upgrade from the standard Risk? (I’m a LoTR fan).[/quote]
I think so. I thought the LoTR Risk was much cooler… the different map is nice, the “Adventure points” help shake up the game, and the mobile ring helps create a definite end to the game instead of the endless swing back and forth that sometimes occurred in the original Risk.[/quote]
We found it to be vastly less balanced than standard Risk. Then again, if you’re playing Risk, you might not have balance as priority #1.
If you’re going to try a Risk variant, though, I’d recommend Risk 2210 AD, which has nuclear weapons and other nifty stuff. A lot better than LotR or standard Risk, IMO.
Yeah, LOTR Risk isn’t a huge blessing to Risk or anything. It’s just a nice variant on the game if you’re sick of having played on the same map for a couple of decades. :)
What they said about Heroscape. Yeah, it’s apparently pretty light, but does have advanced options to give the various figures special powers, extra bonuses, etc. Not as much variety or depth as Clix games, but there is some neat stuff in there with the various troop types- you can have battles with Vikings Vs. Cyber Ninjas Vs. Roman Leigonnaires Vs. Dinosaur Riding Futuristic Barbarians. They are releasing booster packs with new troops, starting in december, with the added bonus that they aren’t random- they are standardized, and you see what you get- wanna play the snakemen? Just buy the pack, and you get the same snakemen that everyone else gets - the new armies will apparently come with new terrain bits, too.
People are also posting conversion rules for other games/figures. Rules for Mage Knight/Mechwarrior minis on the hex terrain, rules for using Star Wars Epic Duels minis in Heroscape, etc. All in all, pretty rad. Like I said before, it’d be cool to get a cople of sets to make dogfight maps for the CS Clix game- the game itself isn’t that good, but that was mostly the fault of the shitty movement system (kind of freeform, but using these little octagons). I figure, use the Clix stats on the planes, but use the movement from the old boardgame (which was adapted from the venerable Blue Max), and you’d have a winner. Or if you get tired of the simplicity of that, just ignore the clix bases and use original CS rules.
Just got back from TRU and picked up a couple of games. Nothing exciting, just Chutes & Ladders to set aside for my daughter and Risk for me. The original one, not one of your fancy-pants variations.
Looking through the board games there I got pretty nostalgic about all the ones I used to love as a kid. Stratego, Battleship, Risk, Monopoly, Scrabble, etc. Too bad none of my friends are into these and my daughter won’t be old enough for another 3 years or so. Anyone have a 5-year old I can borrow for a while? :)
On the subject of board games let me toss in a strong recommendation for Attack Vector: Tactical from Ad Astra Games.
http://www.adastragames.com/products/adastra/av.html
This is easily a better strategic space combat game than anything I’ve seen for tabletop or computer. Amazingly detailed and believable universe and setting, good and relatively simple rules, and has that hardcore Avalon Hill feel (in a good way).
You bastard! I followed your link to Heroscape, and despite the fact that I haven’t played a board game in years, the description and images really piqued my interest. There’s a Toys R Us on my way home from work, so last night I decided to pop in – just to check out the Heroscape box, mind you. NOT to buy anything. When I didn’t see the game on their shelves, I asked an employee if they had any in back. He told me that they hadn’t yet received their copies, but that I was the fourth person to ask about the game that hour. Apparently, the person right before me had driven from 50 miles away because she was told this particular Toys R Us might be getting a shipment that afternoon. Wtf?
Well, tales like that are exactly the sort of thing that inspire me to buy things I don’t want or need. As soon as I realized that other people coveted this “thing,” a great need for it sprang up within me. I suddenly felt like I had to have the game. RIGHT. THEN. I called all over the city until I found a small shop that had it in-stock, and then drove all the way across town to get there. The store had been closed for twenty minutes when I arrived, but they let me in because I’d called ahead. Without hesitation I handed them WAY too much money for the honor of being the first kid on my block to own a game that I’m certain I’ll never play, which, according to the box, is intended for children 8-13.
Sweeeeeet.
Me, I walked into the local game shop at the mall, and found it on the shelf. Paid $40. But I did get the last copy.
;-)
Played this at ConQuest over labor day. It’s really a nice little tactical game, with some cool parts. Not a heavy-duty game by any means; even in the advanced game, the mechanics are a bit simple. But it’s great beer-and-pretzels, and a way to introduce people to tactical board games.