What is Lords of Ragnarok

It’s a area control, monster fighting, temple building, statue building, player power heavy board game. Now, that sounds like a lot and it is a lot in the Lords of Hellas. It isn’t what I’d call a “clean” game, there are weird interactions and things that happen, but the game is so much fun.

The main thing I talk about when I bring up this game is the end game, more details here. Basically, you win in multiple ways. Take over two areas, you win. Defeat three monsters you win. Control five temples, you win. Hold control of a statue when it’s done, you win. And that might be a lot, but in a five player game, everyone was close to winning.

That’s Lords of Hellas, Lords of Ragnarok is more of the same. This is going to be a very similar game with just a different theme. You can find more details for it over on Gamefound where there is a light preview page up.

When And Where Do I Find It?

Well, it is going to be crowdfunded on Gamefound instead of Kickstarter. You can sign-up for a notification when it goes live, and if you do and you decide to back it you get a free hero expansion, value approximately $8. The when part, no official date on when this one will launch. I am guessing that it’ll be going live around Thanksgiving, but I might be late on that.

Hype Level

1 of 5

Disclaimer like normal, I am hyped for this game, this is just how hyped I am.

1 of 5 might seem pretty low. But let’s remember that this is not a truly new game. This is a 2.0 version of Lords of Hellas or a reskinned version of Lords of Hellas. I own Lords of Hellas. So while I am excited for this because maybe some slight tweaks and a Norse mythology theme, I own it kind of already. So do I really need another copy, the answer is maybe.

Is Lords of Ragnarok a game that you’re interested in getting?

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What Is It?

Well, Slay the Spire, the video game, is a deck building game at it’s heart where you are fighting monsters. You climb up three different levels, fighting battles, destroying monsters, getting treasures, new cards, and new potions to use as you climb further up. There are four different playable characters that all have their own unique decks and unique cards that you can add even some unique relics that you can get which makes them even more powerful.

There isn’t much out yet for the board game. However, what there is makes it sound like the video game. You pick a character, build a deck, and fight your way up the spire. I love that idea, and I love deck building so I was definitely interested when this game was announced. I want so badly to see more mechanics, or maybe some game play, but that isn’t out yet. The main reason is the tower gives different paths to climb and I want to see how that is mimicked in the game.

When And Where Do I Find It?

Slay the Spire is coming to Kickstarter. They say spring of 2021, so I am guessing that it could be any time now. If you want to get notified as to when it launches, Contention Games a spot to sign up on their website. I hope that this won’t be a Kickstarter exclusive. I plan on picking it up on Kickstarter though.

Hype Level

4 of 5

Normal disclaimer, I am hyped, 1 is hyped and 5 is super hyped.

So why am I so hyped? I love this video game. I sit down often and play a run or two, because they don’t take too long. That is not common for me to come back to a game so much. I really hope that the board game version of Slay the Spire is like that as well. And if the battles go as fast (or nearly) as they do in the video game, that will be amazing.

How about for you, are you hyped for a Slay the Spire Board Game?

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What Is It?

Well, besides what I said above, and I’ll go into more of that, it is also a deck building game. Each Witcher starts out with their own deck, I’m assuming not unique, but I don’t know. You get a hand of cards that you can play out on your turn to move with, adventure with, and of course fight or gamble with. Of course, you can fight the classic monsters that you know from the Witcher video games as well as your fellow Witchers which adds in some more confrontation. But you can see more of how it works from this game play over a few rounds from the designer and his wife.

You can find out even more about the Witcher Old World in their other YouTube Videos, over on Board Game Geek and on their Facebook page.

When And Where Do I Find It?

It is coming to Kickstarter in May. I don’t know if there is plans for retail after that, but when the Kickstarter goes live, it should tell you. You can sign up to get notified when the Kickstarter goes live here.

Hype Level

3 of 5

As always, if this your first time seeing this, a 1 is just that I’m hyped, anything higher is more hyped, so I’m quite hyped for this. It would be higher, but I have not played the video games. Instead, I’m just going off of what I know of the show, which I thought was okay, but I loved the world. So getting to play in that world, that sounds awesome. Plus, I love deck building, so they had me sold on it right there. I think if I were to play the games, I’d be even more excited for it. Okay, if I play one of the games, it’ll be the third one, but still, I’d be more excited about this game, which is saying something.

How hyped are you for The Witcher Old World board game? Let me know in the comments below.

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What Is It?

Iron Forest is another flicking game. This one, like I said above has you flicking on two different levels. There is an elevator that you can use to launch your characters up to the second level and there are holes in that second level that you can fall down through back to the first. The concept is just weird, and I really want to play it as it was in such a prototype form that we could only launch penguins from Ice Cool on it.

But there is more, while Ice Cool is basically a race with victory points, Iron Forest is going to be played over a series of scenarios. The objectives I’m assuming will change over time. And will that be as fun, I’m not sure. It does, though, try and help people who aren’t as good at flicking. It hands out variable player powers that can help you improve your skill by just having to get close to stuff or other random powers. It’s a neat idea since the game is so dependent upon one’s ability to flick something.

You can find more information for it over on Brain Games website and on Board Game Geek.

When And Where Do I Find It?

Well, Brain Games just announced that it is coming soon to Kickstarter. So when, that’s still up in the air, but Kickstarter will be the first spot that you can get it. But in general you can find Brain Games after the fact, such as Ice Cool, and while I don’t see anything that says that’ll be the case for sure, there is nothing that says it’ll be an exclusive as well either.

Hype Level

3 of 5

I love my flicking games, so I am pretty hyped for this. I just had my FLGS set aside Pitch Car for me, so I’m going to have yet another flicking game as well. But I want more of them! The reason it isn’t higher, though, is because I’m not sure something like this, scenario based with get played as often as Ice Cool or Pitch Car, but since it is team versus team, maybe it will be.

Also, the scale starts with 1 as hyped and 5 as super hyped, so I’m definitely very excited for it.

Was this game ever on your radar? Does it sound cool to at least see in action (I think it will be a great con game)? Is it one you are hyped for?

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What is It?

Brotherwise Games is putting out a tactical minis game based off of the Netflix animated show, The Dragon Prince. Put together a team of your favorite characters and lead them into battle. Will Callum and Soren be able to take down the team of Claudia and Rayla, only your game will decide.

So for what this game is, it looks like it’s a card driven tactical battle game. Like I said, you create your team of characters and then using card play you maneuver and attack your opponent trying to knock out their characters. The game uses a charging systems where characters can charge up powers to do bigger attacks to knock out their opponents even faster. Each characters cards are going to give them a thematic feel like you get from the show. Soren is more of a tank, while the rogue like Rayla will jump in and out of battle.

Why Am I Hyped?

I am hyped because of the theme and because of the card play in the game. I recently have gotten in three games of Super Fantasy Brawl. That was another skirmish tactical battle sort of game but with objectives that you are trying to complete as well. It had simple systems and card play. I hope that this game is similar to that. I think it’ll be more about taking out your opponent than Super Fantasy Brawl was, but if the card play and game play is as fast, that certainly sounds cool.

Brotherwise Games is kind of known for creating games that are lighter. Examples being Boss Monster and Call to Adventure. Now, I have only played Boss Monster and that game is just hanging in my collection. The theme is fun and the 8bit artwork is great for it. The game play is just fine. I do have Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archives that I need to get to the table. But with the fact that their games tend not to be that heavy, I’m thinking this one will fall in line. And because of the theme, this might be a tactical game my wife would be interested in trying.

When And Where Do I Find It?

The when is still up in the air. You can sign up over on Brotherwise Games site to get notified when the pre-orders go live. But it is going to go to retail for $40 with 8 characters to start. So 8 minis, the board, and 16 cards per character, it is a pretty solid deal in terms of value. I’m glad that this going to retail because I think it should have mass market appeal.

Hype Level

Quick refresher on how the hype level works. It is from 1 to 5. Five is super hyped. One is hyped. I’m not going to do a “Let There Be Hype” if I’m not hyped about it as well.

1 of 5

Now that seems low, like I said it’s my favorite animated show possibly ever. And for sure best one for kids. What keeps it lower is the fact it’s a tactical skirmish style game. Those games come out a lot. And I have Super Fantasy Brawl, which I love. Since I’m getting more characters for that and the game is easy to play, I’m not sure that I need to get this one.

What is your hype level for The Dragon Prince: Battlecharged? Let me know in the comments below.

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What is it?

Marvel United is a cooperative game from Spinmaster Games and CMON. You take Marvel superheroes and face them off against villains. The game itself plays the villain so everyone gets to be a hero. The players each get a hero and you play down cards chaining off of what the other characters have done before. Can you defeat the villain prior to them getting to their ultimate scheme is the question. This was a massive Kickstarter in 2020 that I got basically everything for. The figures are cute at chibi and the game play for the base game is super simple, in fact maybe a little bit too simple. It’s fun, but it is meant to be sold at Target or Wal-Mart. The expansions are supposed to add more.

But now we are getting a second season for Marvel United for lack of a better term. We are getting the X-Men. There were basically no X-Men in the first game. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were there, and technically they are X-Men, but they are also Avengers as we’ve seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And a lot of people are going to think of that prior to thinking of them as X-Men if they are just casual fans not comic fans.

This version of the game, it sounds like, is going to add some more twists and possibly more challenge to the game. I expect that the base box will be much like the original game where it will be a very family friendly easy game. But, like the original, the expectation will be that the expansions add in more complexity to the game play and more challenge.

Why Am I Hyped?

Well, it is Marvel and I love Marvel. While I am more invested in the Avengers side of things because that’s been that is in the MCU, in the comics, the X-Men are often better. Plus the X-Men have a ton of exciting characters. In particular they have one of my favorite superheroes, Gambit. Now they haven’t officially said Gambit is going to be there, but I fully expect that he will. Plus there are a lot of other cool characters. I’m going to be interested to see what they do with the likes of Professor X and Magneto. It seems like Magneto will be a villain, but could we get a hero version as well?

Also, they have teased that there is going to be a difference in the games, that this one will add in something. I have no idea what that might be which is really exciting. If I were to guess, I would think it’ll give someone the option of playing a villain in the game. So if you are going up against Magneto, that person would have a hand of cards and pick what Magneto is playing. Which would be cool and would add challenge to the game because that player could optimize the villain versus the flipping of a card and random that we got in the original. Also, did I mention Gambit?

When And Where Do I Find It?

Like the first game, this one is coming to Kickstarter. CMON has just announced that it is coming “soon” but I’m guessing quite soon because they sent a copy of the game for the Dice Tower crew to play during their Spring Spectacular. CMON did just wrap up another Kickstarter, Zombicide: Undead or Alive, so I’m thinking at at the end of this month or beginning of April for this one.

Hype Level

Let me explain the hype level which I am making up. It is a scale of 1 to 5. 1 being that I am hyped, 5 being that I am super hyped for it. I’m not going to hype something up that I’m not interested in, which is why it doesn’t go lower than hyped.

4 out of 5

I know some about this game so there is less mystery about it. Plus, it is a lighter game, but I am still really hyped for it. Have I mentioned that it will likely have Gambit?

Does this game register for you on the hype meter? What character hero or villain do you want to see?

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