Alphabet Board Games: H

 

Hadara

Yes it's new to my collection this year but it's a really solid "Next Step" game that's fun to play. It's actually put this designer's name at the top of my list when looking for new games. I already love some of his other greats and even though they didn't make this list (Yeti, Crown of Emara and Livingstone) they're all great games!

The guy gets better with each game he comes out with too which is why I'm excited to see what's next for him. Tracking down the promos for this was a bit difficult, but I eventually got them all and love playing with them. (though the game works well without them)

Have a good weekend folks!

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 4)

 Wormholes

They can get you around the galaxy quick. Most folks (if they have two of the same worm hole) place on my Mecatol Rex and the other next to their home planet. 

I do the first part of that strategy but change the latter to at least 2 tiles away from my home planet. The reason? I don't want whoever's the new owner of Mecatol Rex to come after my home planet next. A lot of people forget about that. 

Of course, once I placed the same type wormholes next to two players on the board which made tensions rise between the two and serve as an excellent strategy in diverted both players from the objectives. 

In fact....I'd do that from here on out if dealt the right hand. 

Space

Some tiles are just bland space and I hand those out to other players to slow the growth of their empire. It's an obvious tactic that everyone in the game uses so it's nothing new. Once we surrounded Rex with space tiles (which is illegal) but I let it stand because I thought it was funny.  

Alphabet Board Games: G

 

Grand Austria Hotel

I reviewed the expansion not too long ago and though I didn't think it was good, I'm still working on ways to make it better so I can fit it in with the base game. 

Though impossible to do, I always try to book up my entire hotel by the end of the game. We've even added an extra round before because we're having so much fun!

Though the expansion was a bit of a let down, the game itself is solid and I love the upgraded bits that came with it so it isn't a complete loss. Keeping the original art for the reprint was a good move as well so I feel it fits the game good. Plus the new way of how turns are taking is an improvement to the previous version so the expansion isn't all bad. 

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 3)

 Nebulas

Most races must stop when passing through them, but the cool thing about it is if someone ever attacks you within one, you get a +1 to your rolls. 

I've never seen anyone ever take advantage of that and for some reason most people just move around them, which is weird because they pose no threat to your ships unlike a Gravity Rift does. 

I place this in a way where it blocks an opponents route to Mecatol Rex. That's usually the best place for them to go. 

Asteroid Belts

I always put these next to rex or in my path, then (if I don't already have it) I get the tech that allows me to pass right through them, quickening my journey to the center of the galaxy. 

It's really the best strategy to do and I don't think many others have figured it out yet. 

Alphabet Board Games: F

Firefly 

While looking on my shelves for a game that begins in "F" I started making a list....until I came across this one and threw the list away. 

I don't have many pick up and delivery games and the ones I do rank low on my list. THIS is the exception to all the others. 

I've never tired of this game though it's been in my collection for years. This wasn't the game that brought me into the hobby but it WAS the game that encouraged me to look more into it. Before playing this game, I was just playing Zombies and the occasional Formula D (another good "F" game as well)

But after playing this, I couldn't sleep that night. I had to know what else was out there. That's when I bought my ticket to Gen Con and the rest is history. 

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 2)

 Supernovas

You can't pass through them (unless you Muaat) so I usually reserve them to block other players from Rex. However, if my neighbor is a warrior species I'll keep it to block my planet, forcing him to take the longer route around it if he ever thinks of coming for me. 

Gravity Rifts

When you place it on the board any ships entering and leaving the tile roll I die. On a 6-10 the pass through. 1-5 and you lose your entire fleet. 

Again, I use this tile the same way I would a Supernova. But I've found that very few people will brave to go straight through it. Though I've seen it attempt it, not all have succeeded, so most just move around it. 

Alphabet Board Games: E

 Empires: Age of Discovery

Worker placement meets area control meets engine building. This game has it all! There's another version of it called "Galactic Rebellion" that's fun as well but suffers from a few production flaws to be on par with this gem. 

It's games like this that make me wish I loved more of Eagle Gryphon Games stuff. But so far, nothing I've seen compares to this beauty. 

Wonderfully produced and beautiful artwork make it easy to welcome new gamers who've never played before. It's also one of the heaviest boxes in my collection. 

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 1)

 

Welcome to another week long series on TI4 (how long can I keep this up?!)

This week's topics is on setting up the galaxy. 

One of the ways you can play the game is through set up. Each player receives an equal amount of tiles to place in a circle around Mecatol Rex and then the game begins. Sure you could skip this by using on of the pre-set ups but what's the fun in that? 

It only adds a few extra minutes to the game and there's a lot of strategy involved. We play this way with ALL our games and I do it....to my advantage. 

One of the things we add to all our games in the hyper lane expansion created by fans and later incorporated into the game with the latest expansion. 

This helped even out odd player counts where someone had more distance between his neighbors given him a slight advantage of not being attacked as much. 

We use them in our games to spice things up. (even with even player counts) Everyone loves it and it can get you around the galaxy a little faster, so if your group agrees you should try it out. 

I'll be back throughout the week to discuss other tiles and what you should do when building the galaxy. 

Alphabet Board Games: D

 Darjeeling

I love tea games and this one is the best in my collection. Gathering tea in the field and selling it on the boats. The longer they stay on the boats, the more points you'll accumulate. So it forces other players not to hoard their stash (for a one time big payout) because every turn that goes by, the boats earn you more and more points. 

The game goes from slow paced and "blink and its over" after a few turns. I love that. You can do extra movements by losing points, which you never do in the beginning. But towards the end you're like "Hmmm...I can lose 7 points on this turn, just to get that one tile"

It's a beautiful game with lovely wooden pieces too. I love everything about it. 

TI4 Tips: PDS Canons and Infantry

 PDS Canon

Everyone loves these but in my opinion they do very little to protect your planet because they can only shoot once and would most likely destroy a small fighter. Not a very good trade off if you ask me. 

Unless I start with one, I never get these in the game. 

Infantry

Essential to conquer the galaxy. Another good strategy is to load up a planet full of them, but that's kinda hard to do on planets like Metcatol Rex where it would benefit you the most. 

That being said, this and Carriers are a majority of what my army is usually made up of. Not because I want large ground battles but mainly to take other planets into my empire. 

Have a good weekend folks!

Alphabet Board Games: C

 Catan

I don't care what anyone says. I love this game. In fact, if we went back to having our old tradition of "Catan-a-thon" in January (where we play every single expansion and mini expansion of the base game) this would probably rise back into my Top 10 games of all time. 

Playing the newest "Scenarios" version made me miss all the base expansions. But with so little free time, this one fights other games at staying on the table for that long. 

A 3-D version of the game came out. If I didn't have kids, I'd have thrown down the $300 in a hot second for it!

Classic game that's still fun today!

Have a good weekend folks!

TI4 Tips: Space Docks and Cruisers

 Space Dock

Everyone starts with one on their home planet. If your forces are spread out after a couple of rounds in the game it's smart to build more. 

I'm 50/50 on these since I can win with or without them, depending on what I need. I do think it's important for those who have a wide empire and don't want other players edging in to their piece of the pie. 

Cruiser

The advantage with these is they move two spaces at a time. The only bad thing is, your Carrier only moves 1 space unless you get it upgraded. 

I rarely get these myself unless later on in the game I need some quick backup. Other than that they have a little better fire power than other ships but can't sustain damage like the War Sun, Flagship or Dreadnought can, so they're very "middle of the road" to me. 

Alphabet Board Games: B

 Bruges

Ok, last time you'll see a Feld game on this list. (though Carpe Diem is great) But this game is second only to Amerigo in my opinion. 

So many choices on what you do each turn. You can utilize a card 5 different ways which makes the game play so flexible and different. 

I'm glad it's getting a reprint, I only wish the artwork looked better. But at least people can get it at a cheaper price which I guess is a good thing. 

TI4 Tips: Flagships and Carriers

 Flagship

In most cases, yes. It's worth getting. Each one is different depending on the species represented and it does show a heavy presence. But do you need it to win? No. 

I've gone many game without even bothering to get it. The cost is high and unless I'm a warrior race, I'm better off spending my resources elsewhere. 

Carrier

A must. They suck in battle but that's not their purpose. They carry your troops around to invade and discover new planets. I try to get as many on the board as I can in the beginning of the game. Spreading out your empire is essential in building the resources and influence to your success. 

Everyone starts with one, but trust me. Pile on and go forth into the unknown, conquering as much as you can before the galaxy is completely carved up among the players. 

Alphabet Board Games: A

 Today I thought I'd start on a series I did a few years ago where I talk about my favorite board game from each letter in the alphabet!

I've added a LOT of games in the past few years and my taste has changed since last time. 

Amerigo

When looking at my shelf, my eyes went straight to this game and I stopped looking. This is Feld's BEST game ever. I love the dice cube, the choices and the countless paths to victory in it. 

Last year I played with a newbie in the group, who almost won with an unthinkable strategy. She had to leave early so there's no telling if she could've pulled out a win in the end but either way, it made me appreciate the game even more when I see another way to score big points in a rush for the win. 

Lovely game. 

TI4 Tips: War Suns and Destroyers

 War Sun

I've discussed this earlier but I honestly feel it's a waste of time to build one. It's takes up most of the game and is one of the biggest red herrings in the game. Everyone believes they need one but while they're focused on building it, they pass up victory points. 

Not me. No doubt, this packs the most fire power but (to me) it isn't worth the time invested to justify it for the game. 

Destroyer

They get "first shot" in battle which could come in handy. Plus, they're cheap. But they rarely hit so I still don't see the point in getting them. The ONLY reason I've ever gotten one is if I have an extra resource I don't want to waste and have the space for an extra ship in my fleet. 

Other than that, these appear pretty worthless to me as well. 

Around the World in 80 Days (Novel review)

 Last month someone on my YouTube channel asked me if I'd ever read Jules Verne and what I thought about him, 

I didn't even know who he was. 

But later when I learned he wrote this book (or which I have and LOVE the board game to) I decided to read it. 

I loved it. 

It's short, with a lot of memorable and funny moments through it. It's basically about man's obsession with time. The protagonist, Fogg, is an interesting man, who manages his time better than his money to win a wager to get around the world in 80 days. 

There's a neat twist in the end I didn't see coming and the whole adventure (while short) was very enjoyable. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it and wish I'd read it years ago as a kid. I may have enjoyed it even more. 

TI4 Tips: Dreadnoughts and Fighters

 Dreadnought

Good for heavy firepower when protecting your fleet in space. Can also bombard a planet prior to your invasion with troopers. Ideally, you want one of these suckers with any fleet in your navy. They're just too precious in defending attacks from others during the game. 

I always have a handful of them in most of the games I've played. 

Fighter

Cheap, 2 for 1 units that are mainly used as fodder in battles where you have to assign hits. I generally keep a few around as escorts on Carriers, but if you're a war heavy race you need to stock up. 

These units are also limitless. Meaning, if you run out of your own personal supply you can grab tokens from the general pile. I've never had to do this before but I've seen others do it and it makes for an intimidating force. 

All Saints Day

 True story, I have more fun on this day than Halloween. 

Our church does activities and a party. Have been for the past few years. 

No kids knocking on my door (most not even bothering to wear a costume) and begging for free candy. 

It's nice. 

Happy Halloween

 Seriously, I care less about this holiday each year. 

The hypocrits

 I love seeing church members who attend festivals and events of tens of thousands of people, yet on Sunday (the very next day) they won't come to church for "COVID" reasons. 

COVID has become the excuse for every pretend Christian out there who's faith was too weak in the first place. Like the sower with the seeds, they've fallen among the weeds and have been choked out. 

TI4 Tips: Mechs

 I forgot about the Mechs! 

Before I begin my discussion on the units in the base game, I might as well start with the lone unit from the expansion. 

I love the expansion because it encourages you to play with everything in it. It's a fact, you can't ignore these at all in the game. Each one has a special function depending on your race. 

It's true, you don't need these to win the game. In fact, the last time I played I didn't get a single one and still pulled out a V, but I wouldn't ignore them altogether due to the many uses they can provide during the campaign. 

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Board Games for 2021 (#10-1)

 

TI4 Tips: Units

 As I sit down and write this every day, I seem to able to come up with multiple topics. 

It's not hard, this game is massive and amazing and I can talk about it for 2 months and not get bored. (hence the past 6 weeks of post)

So next week, I'm coming back and breaking down the Units you can get in the game and what strategy comes with each. I'll be ignoring (for the most part) individual species powers pertaining to certain units and just talk (bare bones) about the advantages of getting each one. I'll also be handling this 2 units at a time. 

I'm having too much fun with this. 

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Board Games for 2021 (#20-11)

 

TI4 Tips: Relics

 The expansion brings in the aspect of fragments. Collect 3 and turn them in for a power card called a relic. 

It's a great red herring in the game. Should you get it? 

Sure. If you have the time. 

But don't make this the focus of your game. I see people skipping over planets of a certain color because they're searching for one last shard to possess a Relic. It's a dumb move but it fools a lot of players into losing their focus on the game. 

Like I said, I collect them, trade them if necessary and eventually am able to get one during the game but don't obsess with getting more. Sure they have great powers but gaining them is where precious time could be wasted for achieving other directives. 

I don't think you need a relic to win the game. 

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Board Games for 2021 (#30-21)

 

TI4 Tips: Mecatol Rex

 Is it worth it?

Yes. 

This may be my "fall" for a red herring but so many paths to victory go with controlling this planet, I don't see how you can ignore this planet for the entire game and still pull off a win. 

It may be possible and my hats off to anyone who actually can accomplish it but I believe this planet if worth fighting for....at least for a time. 

It shouldn't be your main focus of the game but if you can sit on it for a few turns to score to quick points then good for you. 

I'll always go after this planet in the beginning but abandon it completely once everyone's armies start massing in numbers. It the center of the galaxy for a reason. Everyone wants to get there at one (or two) times in the game if they're serious about winning.

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Board Games for 2021 (#40-31)

 

TI4 Tips: Legendary Planets

 Are they worth it?

My answer is: No. 

Yes they give you benefits every round you continue to occupy them and if I had one next to me, I'd surely get it. But there's no way I'm going out of my way to control them. They simply aren't worth the effort. 

Yet because of their minor bonuses, people fight over them all the time. I think it was a smart "red herring" for players dumb enough to fall for it and in my games, it does. 

The brilliance of this game is that it entices you to go after certain things that do not tie to the objectives in the game. Serving more as a shiny bauble to distract you while the game is being played. There's a lot of that in the game and I love it. 

This week, I'll be talking about a few more "herrings" you should avoid. 

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Board Games for 2021 (#50-41)

 

TI4 Strategy Cards: 7 and 8

 7) Technology

When should you get this card? Never

Why should you get this card? You don't need to. Someone will ALWAYS grab it every round. Sure they get on tech for free and another one at a higher cost but you can always take advantage of the secondary ability and be fine. This is the most overrated card in the lot. People are OBSESSED with owning a War Sun in the game, they'll do everything in their power to build it. Though it waste precious time and victory points along the way. Honestly, if it wasn't for the War Sun, I'd probably lose every single game of TI. A War Sun is great to have but to me, it looks like the BIGGEST red herring the game has to offer. And every player falls for it....every time. 

8) Imperial

When should you get it? When you control Mecatol Rex

Why should you get it? To score VP's and gain secret objectives. Other than 6, this is the best card to have but only if you control Rex. I squat on the planet for as long as I can before getting the heck out of dodge and never worrying about it again. But for those few sweet turns I'm earning 2 VP's a round. It's truly what gives me the edge in beating out everyone else in the game time and time again. Great card!

Have a good weekend folks!

Matt's Top 100 Board Games for 2021 (#60-51)

 

TI4 Strategy Cards: 5 and 6

 5) Trade

When should you get it? When you need trade goods. 

Why should you get it? ....... with card #4 I also never have chosen 5. But a lot of people love having that extra trade and I admit it will give you extra resources in the game if you're running short but to me that's just poor planning (or rushed thinking) on the player's part. I always know how much I'll need and what I can get from round to round. I don't try to rush things because then I take my mind off the objectives of the game. I think it's a mistake to choose this card unless you really have no better option to gain resources with. 

6) Warfare

When should you get it? As many times as you can. 

Why should you get it? The ability to take back one of your command tokens on the board and re-activate a system is crucial to any gameplay. It technically allows you double movement on an army of your choice. I love this card. If I'm not sitting on Rex, I'll choose this card first when given the opportunity. 

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Games for 2021 (#70-61)

 

TI4 Strategy Cards: 3 and 4

 3) Politics

When should you get it? Whenever you need a few more options on ways to complete an agenda. 

Why should you get it? Simply put, all this gives you is 2 extra action cards. The whole thing about Agenda cards is relatively pointless, but the action cards are what you want to shoot for. I'll be honest, the only time I've picked this is because I was stuck on a way to achieve my objective and wondered if a few more action cards could help me out. You can go the entire game without every choosing this one in my opinion if you wanted. 

4) Construction

When should you get it? If ever you really need a PDS canon and/or Space Dock

Why should you get it? Personally? You should never get it. I never have. It's pretty lame and since everyone can do the exact same thing in as a secondary action (given you have to pay for it) than you just wait for some other bozo to pick it up for you instead. 

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Games of 2021 (#80-71)

 

TI4 Strategy Cards: 1 and 2

 1) Leadership

When should you get it? Whenever you can

Why should you get it? It's the best way to get more tokens on your board to do more actions in the game. It's so powerful in the game it's the only card players aren't allowed to choose in back to back turns. 

2) Diplomacy

When should you get it? Later in the game. 

Why should you get it? Not only does it protect a planet you control (except Mecatol Rex) but it also dwindles the actions of the other players when they're forced to waste an token for it. If you get it though, play it early. I've seen WAY too many people hold on to it too long and become ineffective in the game as other players (mainly myself) have rushed to play out there strategy tokens before that card is played, rendering it useless for the player. 

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Games for 2021 (#90-81)

 

TI4 Strategy Card Tips (Overview)

 Starting tomorrow I'm at it again! This time talking about Strategy Cards in the game. When and why you should get them. Because these post will be a lot shorter, I plan on doing 2 at a time. Probably with the same image up for each post this week. 

The reason I'm doing this series is because a lot of people I play with make mistakes on choosing which card is best for them in that moment. So you could in a way consider this "Part 2" of my tips for playing the game. 

See you tomorrow!

Matt's Top 100 Vintage Games for 2021 (#100-91)

 

The NEW land of the free

 Denmark is back to normal. As are Finland and Sweden for the most part. 

They never really panicked that much about it in the first place.

Sucks Americans leaders are so stupid. 

Freedom under fire

 It's funny that the ones most adamant about not getting the vaccine hail from the medical field. And though they're the professionals of medicine   we still believe the pharmacy companies who are getting rich selling us the vaccines. 

How blind can we be??

Winning

 While our Governor is intent on having the state circle around the toilet, Gov Abbott of Texas is showing what it means to be a true leader. 

The abortion bill still being his highlight but that he put an end to the discriminatingly evil vaccine mandates is unbelievable! 

I know Texans are happy about it. They're now the envy of America for installing such great laws. 

Makes me hate our worthless Governor even more.  

Tips for TI4: The Yssaril Tribes

 The final group I'll talk about is one I've never played but know exactly how I'd win. I made the mistake of telling my nephew this when he got the race and almost ended up losing the entire game because of the free tip. 

This race is super unique. For an action, they can....discard an action card. 

Why is that big you ask? Because you're stalling for the other players to pass. That was, when you use your Strategy card for the round, no one else will have the ability to take advantage of it either. Insanely powerful if used correctly. 

At the top of the round when everyone gains an action card you gain an extra one to look at and choose which one to keep. (this is a sneaky, sly species you're dealing with)

And finally, unlike all the others who have a limit to how many Action Cards they can have in their hands, you have NO limit, no matter what law or condition is passed. That's pretty big too. So to put it simply, action cards are your path to victory here. No other race can say that. 

These guys are all about spying. If you ever attack them and their Commander he been unlocked, be ready to have to share EVERYTHING with them. Action Cards AND Secret Objectives. What they do with the information afterwards is up to them. 

Sell it to the highest bidder? Blackmail you to keep their mouth shut? Warn others they have an alliance with of what you're up to? 

And on top of that I have a no strategy I'd add to all that if I were to play them. I'd make something up. That's right, I'd lie about what they had. Either to sow distrust, or place an unfair "black mark" upon that player where no one will ever want to deal with them again. There's endless possibilities on where you could go with it. 

And the Hero action is soul crushing. 

When activated, every player must offer you one Action Card from their hand. If you don't keep it, you can randomly destroy 3 other Action Cards in their hand. Thereby forcing players to give you a decent card or suffer losing 3 crucial cards they were hoping to help them out during the game. 

I'm telling you, Fantasy Flight Games is pure genius. 

Well folks, that's all I got! Thanks for letting me ramble so much about my favorite game! Let's do it again some time soon! (like next week?)

Top Vintage Games for 2021 (#110-101)

 

Tips for TI4: The Xxcha Kingdom

 Another classic race from the base game that I have yet to play but want to because I think EVERYONE who's played them before completely ignore their advantages in the game. 

For instance, after every vote, you can gain control of a planet that has no forces on it. Which is literally most of the planets in the game. The ensures you are always taking a new planet every round without any effort on your own. 

Also (concerning politics) whenever an agenda is picked to vote for that you don't like, you may spend a strategy token and have them select the top agenda off the deck instead. You have that much political sway that any outcome that doesn't look like it's going your way you can defeat the law ever going up for vote. 

But when the political phase comes.... I don't see anyone playing with this group take advantage of it. Your Commander gives you a +1 vote for each planets Influence and your Hero can revoke a law in play, draw 5 agenda cards and vote (all alone) on both of them during the game. 

I think the problem is that no one thinks you can win this game through politics and nothing could be further from the truth. If I had this race, I would DOMINATE the agenda every round to my advantage. And that Hero action could be a game winner depending on what laws you pull from the 5. 

Probably 3rd on my list of races I hope to play one day. If for nothing more than to show the others how poorly under estimated they were about them. 

Top Vintage Games for 2021 (#121-111)

 

Tips for TI4: The Yin Brotherhood

 This is an underrated race by a lot of players. They're considered weak. Yet, I've won with them before and I could do it again if given the chance. Here's why:

1) For every 2 influence you spend you can "convert" one infantry of the other players on the planet. In a lot of cases (if you have the influence) you can take over entire planet without ever firing a shot!

2) You can sacrifice one of your Cruisers and Destroyers to do damage to a ship of your choice! This mean your fanatical army of cruisers and Destroyers could literally win any war on the first round. Astounding! 

The Commander allows you to produce 3 troopers instead of the average two and the Hero let's you either double the number of troops on the ground or refresh that planet's resources for the round to be used again. 

This game drips with theme and it shows with this religious race. Plus, it's really the only time a player focuses on getting Cruisers and Destroyers in the game over some of the bigger ships and I can't blame them either. It's crazy knowing the amount of damage they can do. 

Now that I think of it, it sort of makes them the most dangerous army of them army. They have no fear. The way I won with them was going up to the biggest baddest army and cleaning their clock with just cruisers and destroyer. The crushed looked on their faces when they realized they didn't stand a chance makes every other player avoid you at all cost to protect their precious mega ships from your clutches. 

Seriously. After my first demonstration in battle at what they could do. No one touched me for the rest of the game and I walked into the victory circle without any problem at all. 

4 more "Play before you Pay" games

 Time for another edition!

I hear so much about this game but every time I watch a play through, I don't get it the hype. I'll gladly try it since every other game I love in my collection always points to this game in the "People also liked playing" page on BGG. 

Alex from Boardgameco turned me on to this game. It looks like an interesting worker placement game, with a revolving wheel of placement options and an interesting theme. But for the price.... I need to play this one first. 

Let me be clear, I DO NOT need another dungeon crawl in my collection though this one intrigues me as well. The minis look incredible and it all takes place on one board with different walls and traps set up? But for me to add another dungeon crawl, it has to be epic at this point. But I'm interested in playing it none-the-less. 

Pandemic meets Fantasy is what I hear about this one. I've been interested on and off of it over the years. SO many expansions though, so before I dive down the rabbit hole collecting them all, I want to see if this game's for me first!

That's it for today!

Tips for TI4: The Winnu

 

Another race I find well balanced like the Barony in a lot of ways. 

Taking over Mecatol Rex doesn't require 6 influence at first and when you gain Rex you place a PDS cannon and Space Dock on it. Making the center of the planet your main objective early in the game. 

But where they begin to shine is with their leaders. The Commander gives you a +2 in ALL combat rolls when on Rex and the Hero let's you take advantage of someone's primary strategy card. 

I know it doesn't sound like much but for me, this race matches my gameplay to a T!!

The first thing I try to do is grab Rex early. Because pretty soon the entire galaxy will be fighting over it in no time. But if the Winnu get it first....they'll never give it up. The key is, you need the Commander unlocked as quick as possible or you're doomed. 

I love the Winnu. There's only one way to win the game and that's a strategy shared by all players. You however, are the only one with an advantage when controlling it.  

Don't Breathe 2 (Review)

 What a perfect example of everything that can go wrong when you try to make a sequel to a great film that doesn't have anymore story to tell. 

This one is weird. It doesn't quite line up with the first movie and makes the blind protagonist look more like he has super "Daredevil" senses than ever before. 

There's so bloody action scenes that were fun but overall, you'll just sit through the entire movie asking "Why?"

Not worth your time....even if you loved the first one. 

Tips for TI4: The Vuil'Raith Cabal

 The final expansion race I have yet to talk about may be one of the deadliest. 

Like the Nekro Virus, whenever they destroy an opponents unit, you can capture that unit and trade it in for one of your own when producing more units at a base. 

This is incredibly powerful and everyone who's played as this race does this. 

What no one has yet to use that captured unit for is when it comes to tech. Because instead of getting a new ship (which everyone does) they can instead turn it in to get any type of tech no matter what the pre-requirements. 

You want a War Sun? Easy. You'll have it by the 3rd round if not sooner. Amazing. They can also make black holes in space that only they can travel over without rick. I think you get 2 or 3 of them and if I was to ever play with them, I'd place them around my home planet to scare off any and all would be attackers. 

In exchange for powerful abilities, the Commander and Hero don't do as much. The Commander let's you produce 2 additional units than your base will allow (there's tech that's easy to get and allows everyone the same power) The hero makes all players roll who are next to a black hole and could lose one space ship is they roll a 1-3 on a 10 sided die. 

For such weak leaders I've never seen anyone ever use them. But with their strong natural abilities the leaders don't matter. 

You want to win with them? Just keep fighting. The "V" will come before you know it. 

Promo's I'd love to have

 Today I thought I'd talk about board game promos. I've been collecting a lot of them this year instead of hunting new games but there's still a few that elude me to this day!

Pioneers Queenies

I bought the game on a flash sale on Amazon and wish I'd held off on it and snagged a copy with the Queenies. In my experience, Queenies always make the game better. While I love Pioneers, I' pretty sure it'd be a better game with the Queenies. 

Sadly, Queen Games doesn't have them available in their online shop and the game isn't very old, so unless I want to pay more for the queenies than I did the game, I'm out of luck here. 

Lords of Waterdeep: Rapid Expansion

I'm a completist. I admit it. When it comes to games I love I have to track down everything for them. But paying $200 for one promo? Not going to happen. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be any other way I can get a copy and that sucks. 

Bootleggers: Thug Promo

Love this game by Eagle Gryphon but can't find anyone willing to sell this promo. And since it's not that popular it doesn't look like anyone will be selling them soon. Too bad, more cards would've been interesting to see!

Tips for TI4: The Titans of Ul

 

Here's another race from the expansion who's very interesting to play with. 

The player gets "sleeper" tokens which they can place on planets they control. When that planet is activated, Ul can place a PDS on that planet. Sleeper tokens on other planets you control can be used as a beacon to summon your Flag Ship onto them immediately and smack the snot out of would be invaders. 

Makes you think twice before taking over any planets with these tokens on them. The good news is the tokens aren't unlimited. You Commander allows you to receive a trade good anytime you produce units and your Hero has the only permanent power in the game. You strengthen your home planet by +3 in both resources and influence. I found that interesting. 

I didn't get to play with these but the person that did, used those tokens wisely. Spreading them across valuable planets and quickly assembling his Flag Ship made everyone think twice about going there. Since his Flag Ship can appear on ANY of those marked planets (I think you have 3 or 4 tokens in the game) it makes them very dangerous. 

But to do all this requires a lot. You MUST have your Flag Ship built early or those beacons won't be that scary. But if you could get the ball rolling early, you probably have a good shot at victory.