Fool's Gold

Saturday. Ah, the joy of it. Just drink it in.
I'm taking a break from putting together some Guild Ball models in order to get you your weekly Review Roundup (you can expect the Guild Ball review in the near future from me). So let's get you right to it.

This week we have: Plastic Soldier Company's Panzer IV, Slaughterball, Feldmaster Magnetic Army Carry Case, Runebound Third Edition, Zombie Tower 3D, WWE Superstar Showdown, Kemet: Ta-Seti, Arboretum, Fool’s Gold, and Strife: Shadows and Steam.



Battle Brush Studios:

Plastic Soldier Company's Panzer IV Review

In his latest article Battle Brush Studios' Sigur reviews Plastic Soldier Company's 15mm Panzer IV platoon kit.

The in-depth review covers the historical background of the Panzer IV, takes a close look at the components included, hints about assembly and painting the models.

Play Board Games:

Slaughterball Review

Slaughterball is a sci-fi miniatures sports game that feels like a mix of basketball and hockey or football with some extra violence thrown in for fun.

Graven Games:

Feldmaster Magnetic Army Carry Case

The Feldmaster team have just launched their Feldmaster Indiegogo Campaign for a magnetic carry case for wargaming miniatures, we’ve been wishing something like this existed for a long time! The use of magnets in wargaming is becoming more and more common, whether its for magnetic movement trays or magnetised weapon options.

BoardGameKing:

Runebound Third Edition Review

Runebound is a dice-rolling deck-building strategy game for two to four. Each player chooses one hero out of six to play for. You and your friends are in Terrinoth and you are wandering, completing quests, and enjoying yourselves. You encounter Margath the Dragonlord and the Corpse King who represent evil in the land of glory. You have to defeat them or happy days of Terrinoth will be over.

There are two scenarios you can follow: either battle undead or fight with a dragon. All players have the same goal: defeat the enemy but they aren’t working in a team – they are competing against each other. Every hero wants to be the one to slay the dragon.

iSlaytheDragon:

All Along the Watchtower (A Preview of Zombie Tower 3D)

Love it or hate it, the Zombie theme is one of the most common in the board game world, and it seems like every month a new Zombie game is announced. But with so many titles, each new game has to bring something new to the table or risk simply getting lost in the shuffle.

Zombie Tower 3D has already been released in Japan, but a new kickstarter aims to bring a new English edition to the US Market. Does it stand out from the moaning crowd, or is it just another mindless walking corpse soon to be beheaded by a new champion?

If You Smeellllll What The Rock-Paper-Scissors Is Cooking (A review of WWE Superstar Showdown)

WWE Superstar Showdown is a grid-movement combat game from tie-in pros, Gale Force Nine. It’s recommended for 2-6 players and can supposedly take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours to play. Buckle in, Sports Entertainment fans, we’re going in no holds barred.

Walk Like an Egyptian (A Review of Kemet: Ta-Seti)

Ta-Seti is an expansion to the uniquely grand Kemet. It focuses on discovering an even older city-state found beyond the border of mythological Egypt. It does not alter the core elements of Kemet. For a refresher – or understanding – of that title, you can check out our review here.

Shut Up & Sit Down:

Review and a Recipe: Arboretum and pasta with trees

The Opener returns! Everyone's favourite series featuring a straightforward game paired with a sexy recipe. Except we're not calling it The Opener any more, it's just "review and a recipe". Nice and simple! Just like the game. And the recipe. And Matt.

Don't be deceived by that svelte little box, though. Not unlike the trees it depicts, Arboretum is beautiful, tough, and all about hidden depths.

Board Game Quest:

Fool’s Gold Review

Fool’s Gold is a worker placement game that takes place in the mid 1800’s during the California gold rush. The object of the game is to amass the biggest fortune (points) by the end of the game. During the game, players will be using prospectors to search for gems and gold nuggets in the 5 different locations on the board. But much like in real life, the more the claims get mined, there will be fewer and fewer opportunities to strike it rich.

Strife: Shadows and Steam Preview

After I got the chance to preview Strife: Legacy of the Eternals from V3G games, I knew it would be a game that, if successful, could spawn a few sequels using a different genre. I guess the brain trust at V3G agreed with me and they have a kickstarter that has already reached funding for Strife: Shadows and Steam.

I really enjoyed the first game in this series of heavy strategy games for only two players. It is a game that just keeps getting better the more you play. Shadows and Steam takes the same core mechanics from the first game and adds a few new wrinkles to the rules all in a new steampunk universe with its own unique champions. Because this game can be played as both a standalone and expansion, I will be doing this preview a little differently. I will first explain the game in full for people who haven’t played the game before and then talk about what is new to the game. Let’s get to it.

Hello there, all you gaming friends out there in gamer-land! Seems for the moment that it's actually going to be a bit winter-like here in Atlanta. At least for a couple days. No, it's not like the winters I remember in Chicago, but if we had a winter like that down here, this place would never dig out of that. The whole state would shut down until June. It would be a nightmare.

However, a blizzard's-worth of reviews here today is just fine. (Because transitions!)

Today we've got articles on: X-Wing Miniatures Game, Star Wars Armada, Imperial Assault, Conflict of Heroes - The Eastern Front Solo Expansion, Queen's Necklace, Terrakami Games Sci-Fi Containers, Crusader A15 by Rubicon Models, Bountytown, Between Two Cities, Bad Beets, Ultimate Warriorz, Jamaica, The Gallerist, Mombasa, Ninja Camp, Shakespeare, Cthulhu Realms, Eternal Dynasty, Outer Earth, Fool's Gold, and Dark Age Z.



Ars Technica:

A Combined Review of X-Wing Miniatures Game, Star Wars Armada, and Imperial Assault

This week Ars Cardboard dives into miniatures wargaming—but forget stereotypes of tiny Napoleonic soldiers walking across home-crafted terrain. We’re talking about Star Wars miniatures here, from capital ships to TIE fighters to Darth Vader himself. If you’ve ever wanted to command a squad of X-Wings, take control of an Imperial Star Destroyer, or experience a shootout with stormtroopers, the current trio of licensed Star Wars miniatures games from Fantasy Flight have you covered. And with the Force Awakens mere days away, there's never been a better time to dive in.

Play Board Games:

Conflict of Heroes - The Eastern Front Solo Expansion Review

Conflict of Heroes is a war game, the Eastern Front expansion lets you play it solo. It changes the flow of the game and adds a formidable AI opponent.

Queen's Necklace Review

Queen’s Necklace is a card game in which you take on the role of a jeweler in Paris before the French Revolution. You want to buy gems that are in fashion for as little as possible and make a big profit when it comes time to sell. The person with the most pounds wins the game.

Graven Games:

Terrakami Games Sci-Fi Containers Review

Welcome to the beginning of a multiple part review of the laser cut terrain available from Terrakami, a company specialising in laser-cut MDF and acrylic accessories for tabletop wargames. In this review we’re going to be building a selection of Terakami’s Sci-Fi 28mm Containers, and then moving onto to some of their larger kits including their Container Crane in the near future. We picked these up with the plan of using them in our games of Warhammer 40k and Infinity, but they’ll work equally well in any game using a sci-fi setting.

Chaosbunker:

Crusader A15 by Rubicon Models Review

Part of the Third Quarter 2015 releases is the A15 Crusader, including 6 different variants from Mk I to MK III, as well as the AA and CS versions.

iSlaytheDragon:

Fist Full of Cards (A Review of Bountytown)

In Bountytown you’re a bounty hunter shooting (literally) to clean up the boisterous frontier town so that the railroad can come through and, with it, a little respectability. Of course, you’re not the only gun-for-hire aiming to bag some crooks. While you might think more equals better, that just means some other quick draw artists are crowding in on your reward money. A duel or two to steal a bounty from some other gun just might prove the old adage that this town ain’t big enough…

In the Peace Thereof Shall Ye Have Peace (a review of Between Two Cities)

Between Two Cities is a tile-drafting/city-building game for three to seven players (playable with one or two players with variants). Each player works with the player on the right and the player on the left to craft two cities that are a perfect 4×4 grid. At the end of the game, the player whose lower-scoring city is highest on the scoretrack wins.

Board Game Quest:

Bad Beets Review

In Bad Beets, players attempts to get rid of all of the beet tokens in front of them. This may involve feeding them to the dog, sharing them with another player, or eating them (ewww!). The main mechanic will be familiar to anyone who has played Coup, you can take any action, even if you don’t have the card that allows you to take that action. However, other players can call you out and you are penalized if you were bluffing.

Ultimate Warriorz Review

Ultimate Warriorz is a reimplementation of 2009’s Mad Arena. The object of the game is to be the last warrior standing. If more than one warrior is alive after seven rounds, then the warrior with the most popularity will be declared the winner.

BoardGameKing:

Jamaica Review

Captain Henry Morgan becomes the Governor of Jamaica with order to take out the Caribbean pirates and buccaneers! Though, he hires all of his former crew to join him in his quest to enjoy the fruits of the piracy without being punished!

Jamaica was published in 2007 by Asmodee and designed by Malcolm Braff, Bruno Cathala and Sébastien Pauchon who are well-known for such projects as Mr. Jack Extension, Shadows over Camelot, Corto and etc.

The main artist is Mathieu Leyssenne. He took part in such colorful games like Animalia, Bonbons and many others.

Drive Thru Review:


The Gallerist Review

The Gallerist Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:55); final thoughts and review (25:44)

Mombasa Review

Mombasa Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:03); final thoughts and review (16:57)

Ninja Camp Review

Ninja Camp Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:02); final thoughts and review (06:13)

Shakespeare Review

Shakespeare Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:01); final thoughts and review (14:19)

Board To Death TV:

Cthulhu Realms Review

In Cthulhu Realms, each player tries to reduce their opponents to insanity or have more sanity than their opponents when the deck runs out.

Eternal Dynasty Review

Eternal Dynasty is a game for 2-5 players with elements of territory control, worker placement, and political maneuvering.

Outer Earth Review

In the near future, both rapid space exploration and terraforming technology have opened a new science field allowing mankind to explore, discover and terraform planets for habitation.

Players manage a planetary development company and compete in the planet auction market for the developing rights of these newly explored planets.

Fool's Gold Review

Fool’s Gold takes place during the gold rush of 1849. Players are investors who send prospectors on a quest to find gold at various locations — in the mountains, in a forest, at a river, etc. — with each location having perils, gems, quantities of gold and bountiful supplies of silt. As players remove valuable gold cards from the location decks, silt becomes more prominent and gold harder to find.

Dark Age Z Review

Dark Age Z is a strategic board game for 2 to 5 players. You are one of the kings in the Dark Age. All players strive to gain as many victory points (VP) as possible by killing the zombies that attack the Frontiers of the Kingdom Cities. At the end of the game, the player with the highest VPs wins the game.

Hello there, all you gaming friends out there in gamer-land! Seems for the moment that it's actually going to be a bit winter-like here in Atlanta. At least for a couple days. No, it's not like the winters I remember in Chicago, but if we had a winter like that down here, this place would never dig out of that. The whole state would shut down until June. It would be a nightmare.

However, a blizzard's-worth of reviews here today is just fine. (Because transitions!)

Today we've got articles on: X-Wing Miniatures Game, Star Wars Armada, Imperial Assault, Conflict of Heroes - The Eastern Front Solo Expansion, Queen's Necklace, Terrakami Games Sci-Fi Containers, Crusader A15 by Rubicon Models, Bountytown, Between Two Cities, Bad Beets, Ultimate Warriorz, Jamaica, The Gallerist, Mombasa, Ninja Camp, Shakespeare, Cthulhu Realms, Eternal Dynasty, Outer Earth, Fool's Gold, and Dark Age Z.



Ars Technica:

A Combined Review of X-Wing Miniatures Game, Star Wars Armada, and Imperial Assault

This week Ars Cardboard dives into miniatures wargaming—but forget stereotypes of tiny Napoleonic soldiers walking across home-crafted terrain. We’re talking about Star Wars miniatures here, from capital ships to TIE fighters to Darth Vader himself. If you’ve ever wanted to command a squad of X-Wings, take control of an Imperial Star Destroyer, or experience a shootout with stormtroopers, the current trio of licensed Star Wars miniatures games from Fantasy Flight have you covered. And with the Force Awakens mere days away, there's never been a better time to dive in.

Play Board Games:

Conflict of Heroes - The Eastern Front Solo Expansion Review

Conflict of Heroes is a war game, the Eastern Front expansion lets you play it solo. It changes the flow of the game and adds a formidable AI opponent.

Queen's Necklace Review

Queen’s Necklace is a card game in which you take on the role of a jeweler in Paris before the French Revolution. You want to buy gems that are in fashion for as little as possible and make a big profit when it comes time to sell. The person with the most pounds wins the game.

Graven Games:

Terrakami Games Sci-Fi Containers Review

Welcome to the beginning of a multiple part review of the laser cut terrain available from Terrakami, a company specialising in laser-cut MDF and acrylic accessories for tabletop wargames. In this review we’re going to be building a selection of Terakami’s Sci-Fi 28mm Containers, and then moving onto to some of their larger kits including their Container Crane in the near future. We picked these up with the plan of using them in our games of Warhammer 40k and Infinity, but they’ll work equally well in any game using a sci-fi setting.

Chaosbunker:

Crusader A15 by Rubicon Models Review

Part of the Third Quarter 2015 releases is the A15 Crusader, including 6 different variants from Mk I to MK III, as well as the AA and CS versions.

iSlaytheDragon:

Fist Full of Cards (A Review of Bountytown)

In Bountytown you’re a bounty hunter shooting (literally) to clean up the boisterous frontier town so that the railroad can come through and, with it, a little respectability. Of course, you’re not the only gun-for-hire aiming to bag some crooks. While you might think more equals better, that just means some other quick draw artists are crowding in on your reward money. A duel or two to steal a bounty from some other gun just might prove the old adage that this town ain’t big enough…

In the Peace Thereof Shall Ye Have Peace (a review of Between Two Cities)

Between Two Cities is a tile-drafting/city-building game for three to seven players (playable with one or two players with variants). Each player works with the player on the right and the player on the left to craft two cities that are a perfect 4×4 grid. At the end of the game, the player whose lower-scoring city is highest on the scoretrack wins.

Board Game Quest:

Bad Beets Review

In Bad Beets, players attempts to get rid of all of the beet tokens in front of them. This may involve feeding them to the dog, sharing them with another player, or eating them (ewww!). The main mechanic will be familiar to anyone who has played Coup, you can take any action, even if you don’t have the card that allows you to take that action. However, other players can call you out and you are penalized if you were bluffing.

Ultimate Warriorz Review

Ultimate Warriorz is a reimplementation of 2009’s Mad Arena. The object of the game is to be the last warrior standing. If more than one warrior is alive after seven rounds, then the warrior with the most popularity will be declared the winner.

BoardGameKing:

Jamaica Review

Captain Henry Morgan becomes the Governor of Jamaica with order to take out the Caribbean pirates and buccaneers! Though, he hires all of his former crew to join him in his quest to enjoy the fruits of the piracy without being punished!

Jamaica was published in 2007 by Asmodee and designed by Malcolm Braff, Bruno Cathala and Sébastien Pauchon who are well-known for such projects as Mr. Jack Extension, Shadows over Camelot, Corto and etc.

The main artist is Mathieu Leyssenne. He took part in such colorful games like Animalia, Bonbons and many others.

Drive Thru Review:


The Gallerist Review

The Gallerist Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:55); final thoughts and review (25:44)

Mombasa Review

Mombasa Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:03); final thoughts and review (16:57)

Ninja Camp Review

Ninja Camp Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:02); final thoughts and review (06:13)

Shakespeare Review

Shakespeare Review

Intro (00:00); game overview (01:01); final thoughts and review (14:19)

Board To Death TV:

Cthulhu Realms Review

In Cthulhu Realms, each player tries to reduce their opponents to insanity or have more sanity than their opponents when the deck runs out.

Eternal Dynasty Review

Eternal Dynasty is a game for 2-5 players with elements of territory control, worker placement, and political maneuvering.

Outer Earth Review

In the near future, both rapid space exploration and terraforming technology have opened a new science field allowing mankind to explore, discover and terraform planets for habitation.

Players manage a planetary development company and compete in the planet auction market for the developing rights of these newly explored planets.

Fool's Gold Review

Fool’s Gold takes place during the gold rush of 1849. Players are investors who send prospectors on a quest to find gold at various locations — in the mountains, in a forest, at a river, etc. — with each location having perils, gems, quantities of gold and bountiful supplies of silt. As players remove valuable gold cards from the location decks, silt becomes more prominent and gold harder to find.

Dark Age Z Review

Dark Age Z is a strategic board game for 2 to 5 players. You are one of the kings in the Dark Age. All players strive to gain as many victory points (VP) as possible by killing the zombies that attack the Frontiers of the Kingdom Cities. At the end of the game, the player with the highest VPs wins the game.