Tenkar's Tavern: Discount Codes

One of the blogs that I am really enjoying following at the moment has to be Tenkar's Tavern.

I really like his take on gaming and there are some really great posts getting thrown out at regular intervals. It's really no wonder that the blog is so popular and it has really given me something to aspire to.

For those of you that don't already follow the blog, I highly recommend it. Not only has there recently been a competition over there, with real prizes but, also Erik has recently posted up a couple of great discount codes that will allow you to grab some great gaming bargains.

So, the codes...

From now through to August 10th the code ASTOUND (all caps), will get you 20% off of Lulu orders, whilst the code TooHot8450 will get you the same discount off of both DCC #70: Jewels of the Carnifax and Vornhiem and, is good through to September 10th.

My thanks again to Erik for sharing these codes on his blog, which you should all really check out.

Review: Fluxx

Looking for a game that you can play straight out of the box? That's ideally suited to gamers and non-gamers of all ages? You're looking for Fluxx.

When I say play straight out of the box too, I really mean it. Find the "starter" rule card in your set (Draw 1, Play 1), shuffle the remaining cards together, deal out 5 a piece and you're good to go. Now that's what I call games design!

No convoluted rule books, next to no tuition time for new players and, to top it all, Fluxx comes in a variety of flavors (Family, Eco, Zombie, Pirate, Martian, Monty Python, Stoner, Oz, Star and, Cthulhu at the moment).

Each set has a very distinct feel to it and there is nothing to stop you mixing and matching to create your very own deck. There are even promotional cards that you can throw in there to add to the fun. To boot, should you want to, collecting all of the sets won't see you out of pocket either.

As you have probably guessed by now, this game gets a big thumbs up from me and, if you don't already own it I highly recommend you pick up a copy.

Alchemy Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

Links

Fluxx Board Game Geek Entry

Fluxx on the Looney Labs Website

Order your copy here and receive 10% off RRP when you mention this blog

Dungeonquest: The Legions of Hopefuls

One of my favorite games of all time would have to be Dungeonquest. With one of the most popular threads that seems to surround it on most forums being that of new heroes.

I believe that this is largely in part to the expectations of the fans upon a game set in the fantasy world of Terinoth. Again, arguably my favorite fantasy setting. Following in the footsteps of such miniature-rich games such as Descent, Runewars and, Runebound to only find a small handful of player characters in the box was sure to be a disappointment to most fans. True, these miniatures could be used in the other titles but that was hardly a solution (fair compensation granted but, no solution).

So what was a fan to do... Simple! I Frankenstiened together my own solution.

The Legions of Hopefuls is a small homebrew expansion knocked together in minutes for Dungeonquest 3rd Edition that allows you to play as one of the many nameless heroes that has dared to plunder the walls of Dragonfire Castle.

Unlike many approaches to character creation this method is completely random but, surprisingly balanced and has been designed with the dice variant for combat in mind.

To create a new character simply take 6D6 and roll them. Assign one dice to each attribute (Strength, Agility, Armor, and, Luck) and add 3 to it's value. Combine the last two dice results and add 8 to give you your Health value and, your character's good to go. Being nameless these heroes have no special rules attached to them but, I may develop this further in the future (should any return before nightfall).

Like Dungeonquest? Get 10% off of its RRP here when you mention this blog!

Dominion: Winning your first game.

A bit about Dominion 

Amongst all the card draft games on the market, i think it's safe to say that the popularity of Dominion is second to none.

Well designed, beautifully executed and, with a wide range of ways to play it manages to offer both the depth that experienced gamers often desire without excluding newcomers to the scene.

Chances are though that if you're reading this you're no stranger to the game but, you may be having one or two problems bringing home your first win. That's okay though. By the end of this post you'll be on the fast track to victory, no matter the card set nor the scenario.

What makes a good card?

Whilst luck and timing play their parts in Dominion, most games will be won by building a superior deck (unsurprisingly). But what makes a good card? This will vary slightly from game-to-game but generally there are a few golden rules that won't steer you far wrong.

1: Card draw.

Any card that allows you to draw more cards is generally going to be a good thing. Firstly this will give you a greater chance of pulling the coinage out of your deck, thus giving you more freedom over the cards that you can purchase. Card drawing also has the secondary effect of pulling victory cards into your hand.. Which means you won't be drawing them next turn. This becomes particularly important towards the end of a game when drawing a handful of victory cards may leave you unable to do a lot on your turn.

2: Extra actions.

What's better than playing one card that allows you to draw more cards on your turn? Playing two or three of them!

Extra actions are effectively extra turns and, there is nothing to stop you chaining enough of these together to cycle through your entire deck every turn if you've got the cards. The Village in the "First Game" setup is a prime example of this effect, replacing itself by allowing you to draw another card whilst allowing you to take two further actions, one of which could be another Village.

3: Multi-buy.

Last of the golden rules is that any card that gives you an extra buy is generally a good thing (provided that you don't use those buys to fill your deck with junk).  A common problem that arises when playing Dominion (at least from personal experience) is that of generating 7 coinage on a turn when a Province costs 8.

An extra buy however will let you pick up an Estate and a Duchy for 7, only falling one short of a Province in victory points. It's probably not a good idea to do this too often however as you'll soon find that picking up all of those extra Estate's will begin to clog up your deck.

Turning the golden rules into a strategy.

Following the golden rules above will help you weigh up the value of a card with relative ease but, for those that have been playing for a while, i've probably not really told you anything that you didn't already know.

Well all being well that'll change in the next few sentences when i introduce the concept with which i approach all games, the buy list.

Coming from a background in CCG's deck construction is virtually second nature, with one of the lessons that i learned early on being that a fancy card here or there rarely does the trick. A good deck needs to be consistent and focus on whatever it has been designed to do.

Now whilst the obvious goal in Dominion is to accumulate the most victory points by the end of play, the strategy you employ to get there can be as varied as the cards at your disposal. The good thing is though that no matter the strategy, you can always use a buy list!

So what is a buy list?

All cards in play have a cost and a buy list allows you plan your whole game out from the word go.

The first thing to do is to take the time to sit down, read each card and, then decide how you will play your game. For each value (say all the cards that cost 3 coinage), choose the card that best suits your strategy, whatever it may be.

If you need the extra coinage, it may be a piece of silver, if you need the extra actions and some card draw, it may be the Village. At any rate and however you'll play, choose one card in each value. This is your buy list and, it really is that simple.

Stick to this strategy (and indeed your strategy) and you won't go far wrong. Once you manage you've claimed your first few Province's you may want to switch your "5 buy" to Duchy's but, only if you're opponent has pulled a couple of Province's themselves. This is probably the only judgment call you'll have to make and, once you get that one down you'll be winning games left, right and, center.

Like Dominion? Get 10% off RRP here if you mention this blog!