The Vitality limit under your Shield has been reduced from 50 to 36. Fifty was way to high and made the game to easy, without fear of advancing the Doom Counter. 36 is still more than the base game, but not much more.
Your Champion's Vitality no longer increases for the reasons listed above. However, your Shield's Vitality limit will still go up by 2 for every 100 experience points.
Showing posts with label Solo Adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solo Adventures. Show all posts
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
More Solo Adventures 2nd Edition Tweaks
More rules changes/clarifications that need to be made...
1. Creatures can move out to your Shield to reinforce it, just like in the regular rules. Your Shield is turned to receive the reinforcements and can't move for that turn. This advances the Doom Counter.
2. Opposing Ranged Attackers may not be used as primary or secondary attackers, and may not be attacked unless their ranged attack was used to modify a matchup.
3. Paladin replaces Wraith as a potential opposing Champion. Not only is Paladin more powerful, it also makes more sense thematically; you would expect a Paladin to be a Champion!
4. Unused opposing ranged attackers are shuffled back into the Ranged Attack Deck. They only go on a Threat Track if they were used in combat and survived.
5. When your Champion gains 100 experience points and its Vitality increases by 1, your Shield's maximum Vitality increases by 2 instead of 1.
6. Teleport Tower is modified as follows: replace all text with "Place ANY one Creature in the Teleport Tower during the Draw and Organize Phase. This Creature may teleport to your Shield after your movement roll (but before you move). For 1 Power Stone you may start with the Teleport Tower in play, but draw 1 less card for your opening hand."
7. The option to return to your Stronghold at the end of a turn for a number of Power Stones equal to the number of creatures under your Shield is only available on the easiest (Gloomy) level. I may change this after I evaluate it more.
More is sure to come as I continue to test out the 2nd Edition...
1. Creatures can move out to your Shield to reinforce it, just like in the regular rules. Your Shield is turned to receive the reinforcements and can't move for that turn. This advances the Doom Counter.
2. Opposing Ranged Attackers may not be used as primary or secondary attackers, and may not be attacked unless their ranged attack was used to modify a matchup.
3. Paladin replaces Wraith as a potential opposing Champion. Not only is Paladin more powerful, it also makes more sense thematically; you would expect a Paladin to be a Champion!
4. Unused opposing ranged attackers are shuffled back into the Ranged Attack Deck. They only go on a Threat Track if they were used in combat and survived.
5. When your Champion gains 100 experience points and its Vitality increases by 1, your Shield's maximum Vitality increases by 2 instead of 1.
6. Teleport Tower is modified as follows: replace all text with "Place ANY one Creature in the Teleport Tower during the Draw and Organize Phase. This Creature may teleport to your Shield after your movement roll (but before you move). For 1 Power Stone you may start with the Teleport Tower in play, but draw 1 less card for your opening hand."
7. The option to return to your Stronghold at the end of a turn for a number of Power Stones equal to the number of creatures under your Shield is only available on the easiest (Gloomy) level. I may change this after I evaluate it more.
More is sure to come as I continue to test out the 2nd Edition...
Monday, November 16, 2009
Solo Adventures, Talking Strategy Part 1 – Restrictions, Themes, Deck Construction, Setup, Maps, and Card Draw
While I'm working up the post for a sample game in Solo Adventures, I'd like to talk about strategy. This is the first of a 4-part series dealing with strategies in Solo. The series will break down as follows:
Part 1: Deck Restrictions, Themes, Deck Construction, Setup, Maps, and Card Draw
Part 2: Movement, Encounter Rolls, and constructing the opponent’s combat hand
Part 3: Combat, including Stronghold Combat, Champion Challenges, Guardian Challenges, wounds, and healing
Part 4: Experience, Treasure, the Threat Track, the Doom Counter, and beating the game
As you would expect, Solo requires completely different strategies than the base game. This is mostly due a number of factors:
• random creatures faced in combat, rather than a themed or planned opposition;
• little need to worry about losing due to controlling spaces or Shield kills;
• protecting your Champion from wounds;
• having only 1 Shield;
• a completely different movement system;
• different deck construction rules (no Magic Items or Terrain in your deck).
Your strategy must take into account all of the factors listed above.
We start our discussion with a look at restrictions, theme, and deck construction. When we refer to restrictions, these are the ways in which your deck does not change from game to game. These rules apply limits to what you are able to do. For example, a minimum deck size of 50 cards, a maximum of 3 Shields in your deck, and drawing 10 cards to start the game are all examples of restrictions.
A theme is a deck design in which there is some kind of commonality among the cards that allow them to work well together and conform to an idea or characteristic. An example of this would be an Undead-recycle theme, where the creatures are mostly Undead, with Spells and Magic Items that support Undead creatures, and the ability to recover them from your discard pile and put them back into play.
Deck construction is building your deck so that it fits a theme, conforms to restrictions, and is as efficient as possible. A well-designed deck should give you a good chance to win.
Let’s take a look at restrictions as they apply to deck construction:
• Minimum deck size: 50 cards
• No Magic Items and no Terrain
• No more than 3 shields
• No more than 5 of any one card
• No copies of your Champion in your deck
• Shields must match
In beginning deck construction, we start with a Shield in play. Subtracting the other 2 Shields from a total of 50 cards leaves 48 cards slots left to fill. Let’s look at a few essential building blocks. First, we need at least 2 Stronghold Upgrades. Why is that? Two reasons: a) they provide some kind of bonus or ability that, unlike a Spell or Magic Item, can’t be dispelled and b) if you don’t place Upgrades on your Strongholds, your opponent can place Downgrades there and cause you some pain. Keep in mind every time the Doom Counter changes, there’s a chance a Downgrade is coming at you. For your upgrade choices, a Teleport Tower is almost a given; it’s the best way to get creatures out to your Shield. You might even want 2, although a Sacrificial Altar may be more desirable for its ability to generate Power Stones. You should also consider having 2 Downgrades, one for opposing Stronghold #1 and one for Stronghold #3 to make your path through a little easier (Stronghold #2 can usually be taken right up the center). Remember, creatures defending in Strongholds usually get good bonuses for doing so, and a quick look at the Encounter Table reveals that Stronghold combat is tougher – a higher encounter chance, a greater chance to use bribery and ranged attacks, and a tougher level mix. Do yourself a favor and make it a little easier to punch through those Strongholds to the opposing Guardian. So that’s a total of 4 Upgrades/Downgrades, leaving you with 44 cards remaining.
You now have creatures, spells, and bribery cards to consider. I recommend a bare minimum of at least 3 of each bribery card (total of 9) to deal with sticky situations, so that leaves 35 card slots remaining. Spells in Solo are a little restrictive – you have to earn experience to learn new Spells, so try to limit Spells to no more than 2 or 3 different ones at 3-4 copies of each. Dispel Magic is going to be the most useful in countering opposing Spells and Command Cards. Three copies each of two Spells leaves us with 29 card slots. These remaining cards should be creatures, which are going to be invaluable for replenishing a depleted Shield.
Themes come into play based on the type of deck you want to run. Besides the undead-recycle theme, you can have flying, heavy channeling, stompy (large creatures), weenie (lots of small creatures), Terrain bonus, Demons & Devils, Knights & Angels, Barnyard Animals, Slag Beasts, Card Advantage, and lots more. For examples of some good deck themes, check out CJ’s blog.
Setup
For Terrain, you’ll want to choose types that are favorable to you and not favorable for the opponent. For instance, having Woods means you won’t have to face opposing ranged attacks, and using Jungle prevents your opponent from using Command cards. Add in a third Terrain that gives your creatures bonuses, such as Swamps or Rivers and Lakes, and you’ll be in good shape.
When it comes to Magic Items, there are a few that are almost a must-have. Anvil of Heaviness is a big help in getting through a Stronghold space. Footlocker of Conflagration is invaluable for finding a Shield when you need to remove a wound. Sarcophogus of Haidra works great at getting upcards into your hand, and gives you more room in your Storage Depot by not taking up space there.
Finally, choosing your Champion is the most important decision you can make. Of the 6 “standard” champions, the two weakest are Paladin and Beelzebub, and are best suited for the two easiest difficulty levels. Paladin is a good choice for a Knights deck, for the bonus he gives to other Knights, and an immunity to fear for your other Mortals. Beelzebub’s special ability does not really give you any kind of advantage, so he’s probably the weakest Champion.
The next highest difficulty level should be played with either Eternal Witch Lord or Old Nick. If you are leaning towards an Undead theme, Eternal Witch Lord is a strong choice for his ability to keep them alive after combat. Combined with an Altar of Takuli, you can expect very little attrition under your Shield. Old Nick, like Beelzebub, doesn’t have much of an ability, but his high vitality usually helps discourage ranged attacks and secondary attacks against him, and he typically uses fewer Power Stones to defend himself.
For the hardest difficulty levels I recommend Dragon Wing Lord or Lake Serpent. Both use AOEs that are very useful, as many of the opposing creatures you face will come from Deck Levels 1 & 2, most of which are going to get blown away by that AOE and help limit secondary attacks. Wing Lord has a little stronger AOE, but his cousin Lake Serpent gives you a good AOE combined with a Rivers and Lakes bonus, so play it with Rivers and Lakes Terrain and creatures for maximum effect.
If you decide to go with some other creature as your Champion, if it has a Vitality of 12 or less, make sure you put in plenty of healing safeguards (Altar of Takuli, creatures that can heal like Arwyddyn or Slag Bunny), and don't forget to pack your Power Lunches before heading out on the job. For example, Death would be a really cool Champion, both functionally and symbolically, if you could keep it alive and Power Lunch it for Champion combats.
Maps
There are of course 4 maps that reflect the different difficulties of the game. Map 1 is your standard map, the Gloomy difficulty level. You have more movement options on this map than any other map. Maps 2 – 4 restrict movement, and in some cases you can only move in one direction. In these cases a flying Shield often comes in handy for reducing encounter rolls. I’ll cover movement in the next installment.
Card Draw
The ability to draw cards is usually not a big factor in the game. For one thing, once your Shield ventures out, it’s hard to get creatures under it, so most creatures you draw will be sitting on your Strongholds. Second, as you take down opposing Guardians, you start to gain a card advantage by first eliminating your LDL modifier, and then gaining the MDL modifier. If you really want to get a lot of cards in your hand, Finn is your best option. When you place Terrain, use Swamps and Tomb of the Bulzuru as 2 of your Terrain choices. There’s a good chance that when Terrain is placed at the start of the game, you will already have 5 Swamps in play, giving you an extra 2 cards to draw each turn. P’Tal is a solid alternative by being able to roll a D6 for your draw (with a re-roll on a 1, you are guaranteed at least 2 cards).
I hope you find this post to be useful. Next post, we’ll look at movement, encounter rolls, and setting up the opposing combat hand.
Part 1: Deck Restrictions, Themes, Deck Construction, Setup, Maps, and Card Draw
Part 2: Movement, Encounter Rolls, and constructing the opponent’s combat hand
Part 3: Combat, including Stronghold Combat, Champion Challenges, Guardian Challenges, wounds, and healing
Part 4: Experience, Treasure, the Threat Track, the Doom Counter, and beating the game
As you would expect, Solo requires completely different strategies than the base game. This is mostly due a number of factors:
• random creatures faced in combat, rather than a themed or planned opposition;
• little need to worry about losing due to controlling spaces or Shield kills;
• protecting your Champion from wounds;
• having only 1 Shield;
• a completely different movement system;
• different deck construction rules (no Magic Items or Terrain in your deck).
Your strategy must take into account all of the factors listed above.
We start our discussion with a look at restrictions, theme, and deck construction. When we refer to restrictions, these are the ways in which your deck does not change from game to game. These rules apply limits to what you are able to do. For example, a minimum deck size of 50 cards, a maximum of 3 Shields in your deck, and drawing 10 cards to start the game are all examples of restrictions.
A theme is a deck design in which there is some kind of commonality among the cards that allow them to work well together and conform to an idea or characteristic. An example of this would be an Undead-recycle theme, where the creatures are mostly Undead, with Spells and Magic Items that support Undead creatures, and the ability to recover them from your discard pile and put them back into play.
Deck construction is building your deck so that it fits a theme, conforms to restrictions, and is as efficient as possible. A well-designed deck should give you a good chance to win.
Let’s take a look at restrictions as they apply to deck construction:
• Minimum deck size: 50 cards
• No Magic Items and no Terrain
• No more than 3 shields
• No more than 5 of any one card
• No copies of your Champion in your deck
• Shields must match
In beginning deck construction, we start with a Shield in play. Subtracting the other 2 Shields from a total of 50 cards leaves 48 cards slots left to fill. Let’s look at a few essential building blocks. First, we need at least 2 Stronghold Upgrades. Why is that? Two reasons: a) they provide some kind of bonus or ability that, unlike a Spell or Magic Item, can’t be dispelled and b) if you don’t place Upgrades on your Strongholds, your opponent can place Downgrades there and cause you some pain. Keep in mind every time the Doom Counter changes, there’s a chance a Downgrade is coming at you. For your upgrade choices, a Teleport Tower is almost a given; it’s the best way to get creatures out to your Shield. You might even want 2, although a Sacrificial Altar may be more desirable for its ability to generate Power Stones. You should also consider having 2 Downgrades, one for opposing Stronghold #1 and one for Stronghold #3 to make your path through a little easier (Stronghold #2 can usually be taken right up the center). Remember, creatures defending in Strongholds usually get good bonuses for doing so, and a quick look at the Encounter Table reveals that Stronghold combat is tougher – a higher encounter chance, a greater chance to use bribery and ranged attacks, and a tougher level mix. Do yourself a favor and make it a little easier to punch through those Strongholds to the opposing Guardian. So that’s a total of 4 Upgrades/Downgrades, leaving you with 44 cards remaining.
You now have creatures, spells, and bribery cards to consider. I recommend a bare minimum of at least 3 of each bribery card (total of 9) to deal with sticky situations, so that leaves 35 card slots remaining. Spells in Solo are a little restrictive – you have to earn experience to learn new Spells, so try to limit Spells to no more than 2 or 3 different ones at 3-4 copies of each. Dispel Magic is going to be the most useful in countering opposing Spells and Command Cards. Three copies each of two Spells leaves us with 29 card slots. These remaining cards should be creatures, which are going to be invaluable for replenishing a depleted Shield.
Themes come into play based on the type of deck you want to run. Besides the undead-recycle theme, you can have flying, heavy channeling, stompy (large creatures), weenie (lots of small creatures), Terrain bonus, Demons & Devils, Knights & Angels, Barnyard Animals, Slag Beasts, Card Advantage, and lots more. For examples of some good deck themes, check out CJ’s blog.
Setup
For Terrain, you’ll want to choose types that are favorable to you and not favorable for the opponent. For instance, having Woods means you won’t have to face opposing ranged attacks, and using Jungle prevents your opponent from using Command cards. Add in a third Terrain that gives your creatures bonuses, such as Swamps or Rivers and Lakes, and you’ll be in good shape.
When it comes to Magic Items, there are a few that are almost a must-have. Anvil of Heaviness is a big help in getting through a Stronghold space. Footlocker of Conflagration is invaluable for finding a Shield when you need to remove a wound. Sarcophogus of Haidra works great at getting upcards into your hand, and gives you more room in your Storage Depot by not taking up space there.
Finally, choosing your Champion is the most important decision you can make. Of the 6 “standard” champions, the two weakest are Paladin and Beelzebub, and are best suited for the two easiest difficulty levels. Paladin is a good choice for a Knights deck, for the bonus he gives to other Knights, and an immunity to fear for your other Mortals. Beelzebub’s special ability does not really give you any kind of advantage, so he’s probably the weakest Champion.
The next highest difficulty level should be played with either Eternal Witch Lord or Old Nick. If you are leaning towards an Undead theme, Eternal Witch Lord is a strong choice for his ability to keep them alive after combat. Combined with an Altar of Takuli, you can expect very little attrition under your Shield. Old Nick, like Beelzebub, doesn’t have much of an ability, but his high vitality usually helps discourage ranged attacks and secondary attacks against him, and he typically uses fewer Power Stones to defend himself.
For the hardest difficulty levels I recommend Dragon Wing Lord or Lake Serpent. Both use AOEs that are very useful, as many of the opposing creatures you face will come from Deck Levels 1 & 2, most of which are going to get blown away by that AOE and help limit secondary attacks. Wing Lord has a little stronger AOE, but his cousin Lake Serpent gives you a good AOE combined with a Rivers and Lakes bonus, so play it with Rivers and Lakes Terrain and creatures for maximum effect.
If you decide to go with some other creature as your Champion, if it has a Vitality of 12 or less, make sure you put in plenty of healing safeguards (Altar of Takuli, creatures that can heal like Arwyddyn or Slag Bunny), and don't forget to pack your Power Lunches before heading out on the job. For example, Death would be a really cool Champion, both functionally and symbolically, if you could keep it alive and Power Lunch it for Champion combats.
Maps
There are of course 4 maps that reflect the different difficulties of the game. Map 1 is your standard map, the Gloomy difficulty level. You have more movement options on this map than any other map. Maps 2 – 4 restrict movement, and in some cases you can only move in one direction. In these cases a flying Shield often comes in handy for reducing encounter rolls. I’ll cover movement in the next installment.
Card Draw
The ability to draw cards is usually not a big factor in the game. For one thing, once your Shield ventures out, it’s hard to get creatures under it, so most creatures you draw will be sitting on your Strongholds. Second, as you take down opposing Guardians, you start to gain a card advantage by first eliminating your LDL modifier, and then gaining the MDL modifier. If you really want to get a lot of cards in your hand, Finn is your best option. When you place Terrain, use Swamps and Tomb of the Bulzuru as 2 of your Terrain choices. There’s a good chance that when Terrain is placed at the start of the game, you will already have 5 Swamps in play, giving you an extra 2 cards to draw each turn. P’Tal is a solid alternative by being able to roll a D6 for your draw (with a re-roll on a 1, you are guaranteed at least 2 cards).
I hope you find this post to be useful. Next post, we’ll look at movement, encounter rolls, and setting up the opposing combat hand.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Two Player Version of Solo Adventures
I was doing some thinking today (thinking is good, most of the time) and realized that Solo Adventures, despite the name, is playable for two players with some minor tweaks. I have updated the rules to reflect this. Here is the text as it appears in the rules:
"All Solo rules are followed, with exceptions listed below. The opposing player (player 2) has two objectives: get the Doom Counter to 8, and inflict wounds on Player 1's champion. Player 2 plays all 3 opposing Guardians, their Champions, and all opposing cards. Here's how it works:
1. Player 2 takes over all opposing rolls. This includes rolling for Spells, Bribery, Ranged Attacks, and opposing creature abilities that require a die roll. Player 1 still rolls for movement and encounters, stronghold survival, and his own creature, Spell, and Magic Item rolls.
2. After Player 1 has selected a Guardian and Stronghold, instead of making a die roll, Player 2 chooses the 3 opposing Guardians, their 3 Strongholds, and which location to place them at. After that is done, Player 2 chooses a Champion for each of the 3 Guardians, without showing Player 1, and puts them face down under each Guardian. Each Champion is only revealed at the time its Guardian is attacked, and Champion/Guardian combat resolves per normal rules.
3. Whenever Player 2 is required to play a card from one of his decks, he may pick up the top 3 cards (instead of just the top card) and choose which of the 3 cards to play. This includes the Spell Deck, Bribery Deck, Spell Deck, Command Deck, Shield Deck, Stronghold Deck, Ranged Attack Deck, and all Encounter Decks. In the case of Encounter Decks, if Player 2 is required to pull 2 cards from 1 deck, he may choose 2 of the top 3 cards. If he is required to pull 3 cards from 1 deck, he must use the top 3 cards and does not get to choose. Also, in the case of the Stronghold Deck, player 2 only draws and chooses when the Doom Counter changes, and gets to choose which Stronghold to place the upgrade or downgrade on. Unused cards are shuffled back into their deck.
4. Combat is played like the original game instead of the Solo version. AOE attacks resolve immediately, and primary attackers are played simultaneously. Additionally, player 2 may play creatures in his combat hand in any order, and may use bribery, channeling and ranged attacks at his discretion. He must still observe the "How to Play Opposing Guardians and Spells" rules for channeling and Spells. Remember that player 2 must choose his cards before combat starts, and may not bribe player 1's Champion."
If you and a friend are tired of the same old game all the time, give it a shot and let me know what you think. If it's too easy for player one, you can always start the Doom Counter higher or go with a harder map. I have no way of testing this, but if the two player version is viable I might have to change the name to reflect the fact that it's not just a solo game anymore...
"All Solo rules are followed, with exceptions listed below. The opposing player (player 2) has two objectives: get the Doom Counter to 8, and inflict wounds on Player 1's champion. Player 2 plays all 3 opposing Guardians, their Champions, and all opposing cards. Here's how it works:
1. Player 2 takes over all opposing rolls. This includes rolling for Spells, Bribery, Ranged Attacks, and opposing creature abilities that require a die roll. Player 1 still rolls for movement and encounters, stronghold survival, and his own creature, Spell, and Magic Item rolls.
2. After Player 1 has selected a Guardian and Stronghold, instead of making a die roll, Player 2 chooses the 3 opposing Guardians, their 3 Strongholds, and which location to place them at. After that is done, Player 2 chooses a Champion for each of the 3 Guardians, without showing Player 1, and puts them face down under each Guardian. Each Champion is only revealed at the time its Guardian is attacked, and Champion/Guardian combat resolves per normal rules.
3. Whenever Player 2 is required to play a card from one of his decks, he may pick up the top 3 cards (instead of just the top card) and choose which of the 3 cards to play. This includes the Spell Deck, Bribery Deck, Spell Deck, Command Deck, Shield Deck, Stronghold Deck, Ranged Attack Deck, and all Encounter Decks. In the case of Encounter Decks, if Player 2 is required to pull 2 cards from 1 deck, he may choose 2 of the top 3 cards. If he is required to pull 3 cards from 1 deck, he must use the top 3 cards and does not get to choose. Also, in the case of the Stronghold Deck, player 2 only draws and chooses when the Doom Counter changes, and gets to choose which Stronghold to place the upgrade or downgrade on. Unused cards are shuffled back into their deck.
4. Combat is played like the original game instead of the Solo version. AOE attacks resolve immediately, and primary attackers are played simultaneously. Additionally, player 2 may play creatures in his combat hand in any order, and may use bribery, channeling and ranged attacks at his discretion. He must still observe the "How to Play Opposing Guardians and Spells" rules for channeling and Spells. Remember that player 2 must choose his cards before combat starts, and may not bribe player 1's Champion."
If you and a friend are tired of the same old game all the time, give it a shot and let me know what you think. If it's too easy for player one, you can always start the Doom Counter higher or go with a harder map. I have no way of testing this, but if the two player version is viable I might have to change the name to reflect the fact that it's not just a solo game anymore...
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
My Solo Adventures deck
Before I run through a sample game of Solo Adventures, here's a post of the deck, Terrain, & Magic Items I'll be using:
Terrain chosen: Jungle, Woods, Tomb of the Bulzuru
Magic Items: Altar of Takuli, Anvil of Heaviness, Champs the Wonder Dog, Footlocker of Conflagration, Gift of Isis, Heliopolos Temple of Re, Medallion of Skyphos, Petrified Heart, Sarcophogus of Haidra, Scarab of Bounty
Guardian: Rak Nam
Stronghold: Carreg Amroth
Champion: Dragon Wing Lord
Starting Shield: Hescox Egyptian Motif 15
Additional Shields
2x Egyptian Motif Standard Bearer 11
Creatures
2x Rock Spirit
2x Rey, Overlord of Trees
4x Cherub
4x Greater Energy Elemental
4x Bob, Snapping Gob
4x Nob, Rapacious Gob
4x Zob, Gurgling Gob
4x Wraith
4x White Unicorn
4x Energy Well
total = 36
Spells
4x Limited Big Time Rebate
4x Dispel Magic
total = 8
Upgrades/Downgrades
1x Sacrificial Altar
1x Teleport Tower
3x Sewage Backup
total = 5
Bribery
3x Babes
4x Beer
5x Gold
total = 12
total cards = 63
I chose Rak Nam because this deck is heavy channeling and dude can hammer thanks to a large CMP, which is enhanced by Gift of Isis. I went with Dragon Wing Lord because of the AOE value for wiping out small opponents, which cuts down on secondary attacks against you. The Egyptian Shields are for generating Power Stones, and Limited Big Time Rebate is far superior to Make Juice for getting Power Stones, especially during a round of Champion & Guardian combat. Sacrificial Altar is also capable of generating Stones if needed.
Rock Spirit, Sewage Backup, and Anvil of Heaviness are great for overcoming opposing Stronghold bonuses. With Jungle, Woods, Tomb, Dispel Magic, and Rey, I should be able to prevent either Command cards or Ranged Attacks so I'm not hit with both during a combat. Dispel Magic is also very useful for negating nasty opposing Spells like Pestilence and Pepe's Slowdown.
Greater Energy Elemental and Wraith are in there due to excellent receiving of channeling. Energy Well makes a good channeler to other copies of itself and Elemental. Petrified Heart lets you count Well's base vitality of 4 under a Shield instead of the red penalty of 7.
Cherub and Unicorn get good bonuses or destruction of lots of creatures, plus Cherub can receive channeling. The Nobs make great situational secondary attackers.
Teleport Tower is a must for getting a creature to your Shield when you're out in the middle of nowhere, and Medallion can get Cherubs and Nobs out to your Shield too, while the Sarcophogus gets them into your Storage Hand and onto the Teleport Tower or Sacrificial Altar.
Scarab of Bounty boosts card draw.
Altar of Takuli can keep a creature alive after a critical battle, and Footlocker of Conflagration does the same for your Champion.
The name of the deck is "Channel Surfers". Let's see what happens...
Terrain chosen: Jungle, Woods, Tomb of the Bulzuru
Magic Items: Altar of Takuli, Anvil of Heaviness, Champs the Wonder Dog, Footlocker of Conflagration, Gift of Isis, Heliopolos Temple of Re, Medallion of Skyphos, Petrified Heart, Sarcophogus of Haidra, Scarab of Bounty
Guardian: Rak Nam
Stronghold: Carreg Amroth
Champion: Dragon Wing Lord
Starting Shield: Hescox Egyptian Motif 15
Additional Shields
2x Egyptian Motif Standard Bearer 11
Creatures
2x Rock Spirit
2x Rey, Overlord of Trees
4x Cherub
4x Greater Energy Elemental
4x Bob, Snapping Gob
4x Nob, Rapacious Gob
4x Zob, Gurgling Gob
4x Wraith
4x White Unicorn
4x Energy Well
total = 36
Spells
4x Limited Big Time Rebate
4x Dispel Magic
total = 8
Upgrades/Downgrades
1x Sacrificial Altar
1x Teleport Tower
3x Sewage Backup
total = 5
Bribery
3x Babes
4x Beer
5x Gold
total = 12
total cards = 63
I chose Rak Nam because this deck is heavy channeling and dude can hammer thanks to a large CMP, which is enhanced by Gift of Isis. I went with Dragon Wing Lord because of the AOE value for wiping out small opponents, which cuts down on secondary attacks against you. The Egyptian Shields are for generating Power Stones, and Limited Big Time Rebate is far superior to Make Juice for getting Power Stones, especially during a round of Champion & Guardian combat. Sacrificial Altar is also capable of generating Stones if needed.
Rock Spirit, Sewage Backup, and Anvil of Heaviness are great for overcoming opposing Stronghold bonuses. With Jungle, Woods, Tomb, Dispel Magic, and Rey, I should be able to prevent either Command cards or Ranged Attacks so I'm not hit with both during a combat. Dispel Magic is also very useful for negating nasty opposing Spells like Pestilence and Pepe's Slowdown.
Greater Energy Elemental and Wraith are in there due to excellent receiving of channeling. Energy Well makes a good channeler to other copies of itself and Elemental. Petrified Heart lets you count Well's base vitality of 4 under a Shield instead of the red penalty of 7.
Cherub and Unicorn get good bonuses or destruction of lots of creatures, plus Cherub can receive channeling. The Nobs make great situational secondary attackers.
Teleport Tower is a must for getting a creature to your Shield when you're out in the middle of nowhere, and Medallion can get Cherubs and Nobs out to your Shield too, while the Sarcophogus gets them into your Storage Hand and onto the Teleport Tower or Sacrificial Altar.
Scarab of Bounty boosts card draw.
Altar of Takuli can keep a creature alive after a critical battle, and Footlocker of Conflagration does the same for your Champion.
The name of the deck is "Channel Surfers". Let's see what happens...
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Solo Adventures 2nd Edition tweaks
I've made a couple of changes to the 2nd Edition rules:
EDIT: One huge change I considered and forgot to incorporate was giving your Guardian 3 times its normal amount of Power Stones. It is impossible to beat 3 cooperative Guardians, their Champions, and all their creatures, while trying to return your only Shield home every now and then, with your normal amount of Stones. Unless you add about 15 Make Juice in your deck -and how much fun would that really be? Your increased level of Power Stones is also the reason the other Guardians are working against you - you have become far too powerful. This is what has led them to team up and marshal all their forces against the threat you represent to them individually. This has now been incorporated.
Opposing ranged attackers do not count towards control of the space (but Command Cards that are creatures do).
Tes Let and K'Hutek have been replaced with Sikura and Thak.
Shadow Strike and Summon Loghammer's Sapper were added to the Spell Deck. Voodoo Hat was moved from the Spell Deck to the Stronghold Deck.
An entire new section has been written to address how to play opposing Guardian channeling & special abilities, and opposing Spells (you'll find this section right before the Draw and Organize Phase rules).
You may remove any 3 movement die to move onto a space with Terrain that you chose for the game with a -1 modifier to your encounter roll. This was done because I was finding that winning a space and replacing the existing Terrain with one from the Terrain deck actual penalizes you by limiting your movement options. By the time you place 3 or 4 Terrain cards, if you don't roll that Terrain type you've really screwed yourself. So this option has been added to make sure you benefit from placing Terrain that is favorable to you, with only a very slight encounter penalty (-1), while avoiding getting hammered by the Doom Counter for not being able to move.
You may remove any 1 movement die for each opposing Stronghold space that you move onto.
I will soon be adding a Channel Deck for the higher difficulty levels that will allow opposing Guardians to place and use channelers under their Strongholds when the Doom Counter changes.
EDIT: One huge change I considered and forgot to incorporate was giving your Guardian 3 times its normal amount of Power Stones. It is impossible to beat 3 cooperative Guardians, their Champions, and all their creatures, while trying to return your only Shield home every now and then, with your normal amount of Stones. Unless you add about 15 Make Juice in your deck -and how much fun would that really be? Your increased level of Power Stones is also the reason the other Guardians are working against you - you have become far too powerful. This is what has led them to team up and marshal all their forces against the threat you represent to them individually. This has now been incorporated.
Opposing ranged attackers do not count towards control of the space (but Command Cards that are creatures do).
Tes Let and K'Hutek have been replaced with Sikura and Thak.
Shadow Strike and Summon Loghammer's Sapper were added to the Spell Deck. Voodoo Hat was moved from the Spell Deck to the Stronghold Deck.
An entire new section has been written to address how to play opposing Guardian channeling & special abilities, and opposing Spells (you'll find this section right before the Draw and Organize Phase rules).
You may remove any 3 movement die to move onto a space with Terrain that you chose for the game with a -1 modifier to your encounter roll. This was done because I was finding that winning a space and replacing the existing Terrain with one from the Terrain deck actual penalizes you by limiting your movement options. By the time you place 3 or 4 Terrain cards, if you don't roll that Terrain type you've really screwed yourself. So this option has been added to make sure you benefit from placing Terrain that is favorable to you, with only a very slight encounter penalty (-1), while avoiding getting hammered by the Doom Counter for not being able to move.
You may remove any 1 movement die for each opposing Stronghold space that you move onto.
I will soon be adding a Channel Deck for the higher difficulty levels that will allow opposing Guardians to place and use channelers under their Strongholds when the Doom Counter changes.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Summary of Changes for Solo 2nd Edition
As promised, here is a list of the major changes incorporated for Solo Adventures 2nd Edition:
1. Shield Deck. With one drawn for each combat, this allows Standard Bearer abilities for opponent creatures, and cards that refer to opposing Shields no longer need errata. You still can't win the game on Shield kills, though - you still need to beat all 3 Guardians.
2. Stronghold Deck. Stronghold upgrades for the opponent, Stronghold downgrades for you, each time the Doom Counter changes. Brutal.
3. Ranged Attack Deck. This is a roll for each combat. The top card of the Ranged Attack Deck is turned over. If it can't be used to win the first matchup, it is saved for the next matchup and so on.
4. You can have up to 5 of any card (except your Shields and Champion).
5. Moving 0 or 1 spaces advances the Doom Counter.
6. 4 different difficulty levels (Gloomy, Sinister, Horrific, and Forbidding), and a total of 3 Encounter Tables. Each difficulty level is tied to a different map, with map 1 being the base map. Although maps 1 & 2 have the same number of cards and use the same Encounter Table, movement on map 2 is a little more restrictive, giving it a higher difficulty level than map 1.
7. On Terrain spaces your Shield is defending; on opposing Stronghold spaces your Shield is attacking. This allowed the inclusion of cards that refer to your Shield as attacking or defending.
8. Gold from combat has been changed to Treasure to eliminate redundancy and confusion with Gold Bribery.
9. Burn Stones equal to the number of creatures under Shield to return to one of your Stronghold spaces at the end of any turn.
10. The Stronghold Survival roll goes from 3D6 to 2D6, but instead of an automatic rubble, combat takes place. If you win, the Stronghold is saved. If you lose, it is rubbled. Lose all 3 Strongholds and the Doom Counter goes to 8.
11. 4 Different maps (or game boards if you prefer) in full color with complete layouts and movement options. Ignore the fact that all Guardians and Strongholds are all the same - I was too lazy to scan in other images.
12. Optional inclusion of Seven Seas cards, complete with incompatible and errata cards.
13. Optional inclusion of Champion's Odyssey cards, complete with incompatible and errata cards.
14. Optional inclusion of both Seven Seas and Champion's Odyssey cards.
That was a lot of work. I know most of you still have others to game against, but for those of you out there like me, with no opponents, I hope you enjoy this. As always, I welcome any feedback.
Here's what's coming up on the blog in the future:
Solo Adventures 2nd Edition sample game
Solo Adventures 2nd Edition strategy
More card revisions
Applications of Math in Guardians, Part 2
Cheers,
Jackalwere
1. Shield Deck. With one drawn for each combat, this allows Standard Bearer abilities for opponent creatures, and cards that refer to opposing Shields no longer need errata. You still can't win the game on Shield kills, though - you still need to beat all 3 Guardians.
2. Stronghold Deck. Stronghold upgrades for the opponent, Stronghold downgrades for you, each time the Doom Counter changes. Brutal.
3. Ranged Attack Deck. This is a roll for each combat. The top card of the Ranged Attack Deck is turned over. If it can't be used to win the first matchup, it is saved for the next matchup and so on.
4. You can have up to 5 of any card (except your Shields and Champion).
5. Moving 0 or 1 spaces advances the Doom Counter.
6. 4 different difficulty levels (Gloomy, Sinister, Horrific, and Forbidding), and a total of 3 Encounter Tables. Each difficulty level is tied to a different map, with map 1 being the base map. Although maps 1 & 2 have the same number of cards and use the same Encounter Table, movement on map 2 is a little more restrictive, giving it a higher difficulty level than map 1.
7. On Terrain spaces your Shield is defending; on opposing Stronghold spaces your Shield is attacking. This allowed the inclusion of cards that refer to your Shield as attacking or defending.
8. Gold from combat has been changed to Treasure to eliminate redundancy and confusion with Gold Bribery.
9. Burn Stones equal to the number of creatures under Shield to return to one of your Stronghold spaces at the end of any turn.
10. The Stronghold Survival roll goes from 3D6 to 2D6, but instead of an automatic rubble, combat takes place. If you win, the Stronghold is saved. If you lose, it is rubbled. Lose all 3 Strongholds and the Doom Counter goes to 8.
11. 4 Different maps (or game boards if you prefer) in full color with complete layouts and movement options. Ignore the fact that all Guardians and Strongholds are all the same - I was too lazy to scan in other images.
12. Optional inclusion of Seven Seas cards, complete with incompatible and errata cards.
13. Optional inclusion of Champion's Odyssey cards, complete with incompatible and errata cards.
14. Optional inclusion of both Seven Seas and Champion's Odyssey cards.
That was a lot of work. I know most of you still have others to game against, but for those of you out there like me, with no opponents, I hope you enjoy this. As always, I welcome any feedback.
Here's what's coming up on the blog in the future:
Solo Adventures 2nd Edition sample game
Solo Adventures 2nd Edition strategy
More card revisions
Applications of Math in Guardians, Part 2
Cheers,
Jackalwere
Big news: Solo Adventures 2.0 is online
This is what I've been working hard at: Guardians Solo Adventures Second Edition (also known as v2.0) is online. The link to the right will take you there. New changes are in red text. I'll go over the changes in another post later tonight or tomorrow. Happy All Hallow's Eve!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Bribery Mechanic solution for Solo 2.0
So I've been struggling with the Bribery mechanic for Solo Adventures 2.0...in the first edition it falls to the player to decide when the opponent's Bribery should be used. My goal was to take this out of the player's hand and automate it. I think I have a solution.
How it works is as follows: when an encounter happens and Bribery is in effect, and before combat starts, the top card of the Bribery deck is turned over. The player separates all his creatures that are bribeable by that Bribery type and assigns a number to each. Then simply roll dice and remove the creature that corresponds to the number you assigned. Here's an example:
My Shield consists of my Champion (Old Nick), Zombie, Rye Beaner, Baal-a-gog, Vesuvious Rex, and Cleric. I turn over Babes Bribery. Remembering that my Champion is not bribeable, Zombie is also not bribeable, and Cleric is only bribeable by Gold, I assign 1-2 to Rye Beaner, 3-4 to Baal-a-gog, and 5-6 to Vesuvious Rex, I roll a 5. Vesuvious Rex is bribed. Combat now ensues as normal with no further bribery from the opponent, while the player may still bribe creatures.
This allows for a Bribery mechanic that isn't too complicated and still affects the player's combat hand. Now if I can just figure out a similar mechanic for channeling and ranged attacks...
How it works is as follows: when an encounter happens and Bribery is in effect, and before combat starts, the top card of the Bribery deck is turned over. The player separates all his creatures that are bribeable by that Bribery type and assigns a number to each. Then simply roll dice and remove the creature that corresponds to the number you assigned. Here's an example:
My Shield consists of my Champion (Old Nick), Zombie, Rye Beaner, Baal-a-gog, Vesuvious Rex, and Cleric. I turn over Babes Bribery. Remembering that my Champion is not bribeable, Zombie is also not bribeable, and Cleric is only bribeable by Gold, I assign 1-2 to Rye Beaner, 3-4 to Baal-a-gog, and 5-6 to Vesuvious Rex, I roll a 5. Vesuvious Rex is bribed. Combat now ensues as normal with no further bribery from the opponent, while the player may still bribe creatures.
This allows for a Bribery mechanic that isn't too complicated and still affects the player's combat hand. Now if I can just figure out a similar mechanic for channeling and ranged attacks...
Friday, February 27, 2009
New changes planned for Solo Adventures
I'd like to take a break from homebrewing for a moment to talk about some of the changes coming to Solo Adventures. These changes will be referred to as release 2.0, and will be concurrent with the completion of the Champion's Odyssey set. Here are a list of the major changes I'll be incorporating...
1. At least 3 new "board" layouts - Terrain will be placed differently to form new maps. You choose which layout you want to play for that game. At least one map will be incredibly difficult for a more challenging game.
2. The addition of a Shield Deck for the opponent that will include Standard Bearers. A new Shield would be drawn for each combat.
3. The addition of a "Stronghold" Deck for the opponent - this would consist of Stronghold Upgrades for opponent Strongholds, Stronghold Downgrades for your Strongholds, and cards with abilities that specifically affect Strongholds.
4. Currently, when changes to the Doom Counter occur, you have to roll greater than or equal to the Doom Counter or your Stronghold is rubbled. This will change from an automatic rubble to a battle on your Stronghold space, with your creatures on the space able to defend. If you win, the Stronghold is saved. If you lose, the Stronghold is rubbled and the Doom Counter moves to 8 (your Guardian is threatened, so time is limited). The roll will change from 3D6 to 2D6.
5. Creatures in your deck are no longer unique - you may have up to 3 of any creature in your deck. However, whatever creature you choose as your Champion is still unique.
6. Opponent bribery cards now remain in play until used, unless an effect forces them to be discarded.
7. At the beginning of the game, all opposing Guardians pool their Power Stones, and when opponent channeling occurs, Stones are removed from this pool. When the Stones run out, there's no more channeling against you unless an effect gives them more Stones. During combat, to determine CMP value, the opposing Guardian with the highest CMP is the first channeler.
8. Optional incorporation of Seven Seas cards (and card text errata).
9. Optional incorporation of Champion's Odyssey cards.
10. Instead of receiving Gold in combat, you will receive Treasure (Gold and Gold Bribery were too synonymous). You receive Treasure based on the Encounter Deck Level of each creature beaten in combat, and can spend it on Magic Items.
11. The 25 pt rule that allows you to return to a Stronghold space, from anywhere for 5 Stones, will be modified. The new rule will allow you to return to one of your Stronghold spaces at a cost of 1 Stone per creature under your Shield, from anywhere except opposing Stronghold spaces.
There may be a few other minor tweaks, but these are the major changes. I think they will really improve the flavor, depth, and challenge of the game.
1. At least 3 new "board" layouts - Terrain will be placed differently to form new maps. You choose which layout you want to play for that game. At least one map will be incredibly difficult for a more challenging game.
2. The addition of a Shield Deck for the opponent that will include Standard Bearers. A new Shield would be drawn for each combat.
3. The addition of a "Stronghold" Deck for the opponent - this would consist of Stronghold Upgrades for opponent Strongholds, Stronghold Downgrades for your Strongholds, and cards with abilities that specifically affect Strongholds.
4. Currently, when changes to the Doom Counter occur, you have to roll greater than or equal to the Doom Counter or your Stronghold is rubbled. This will change from an automatic rubble to a battle on your Stronghold space, with your creatures on the space able to defend. If you win, the Stronghold is saved. If you lose, the Stronghold is rubbled and the Doom Counter moves to 8 (your Guardian is threatened, so time is limited). The roll will change from 3D6 to 2D6.
5. Creatures in your deck are no longer unique - you may have up to 3 of any creature in your deck. However, whatever creature you choose as your Champion is still unique.
6. Opponent bribery cards now remain in play until used, unless an effect forces them to be discarded.
7. At the beginning of the game, all opposing Guardians pool their Power Stones, and when opponent channeling occurs, Stones are removed from this pool. When the Stones run out, there's no more channeling against you unless an effect gives them more Stones. During combat, to determine CMP value, the opposing Guardian with the highest CMP is the first channeler.
8. Optional incorporation of Seven Seas cards (and card text errata).
9. Optional incorporation of Champion's Odyssey cards.
10. Instead of receiving Gold in combat, you will receive Treasure (Gold and Gold Bribery were too synonymous). You receive Treasure based on the Encounter Deck Level of each creature beaten in combat, and can spend it on Magic Items.
11. The 25 pt rule that allows you to return to a Stronghold space, from anywhere for 5 Stones, will be modified. The new rule will allow you to return to one of your Stronghold spaces at a cost of 1 Stone per creature under your Shield, from anywhere except opposing Stronghold spaces.
There may be a few other minor tweaks, but these are the major changes. I think they will really improve the flavor, depth, and challenge of the game.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Guardians Solo Adventures, v1.0
Here it is...Guardians Solo Adventures. I haven't had a lot of time to playtest it, but there are some things that can be tweaked. I know there's much to read...look it over carefully.
If your Guardians collection consists of 2 starter decks, this game isn't for you. It will work best if you have lots of boosters, especially from the base set and Dagger Isle, which can still be found around the net. Obviously the more cards you have, the more variety you'll have. My future plans are to release a set of at least 100 cards specific to this game using philbarfly's card templates.
I would appreciate any feedback/constructive criticism you can give, or any questions you might have. I'll try to post a sample game by the end of next week...
Here's the link (the rules are in Word format):
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfcrcvbk_3df43xbd8
You can also follow the link to the right...
If your Guardians collection consists of 2 starter decks, this game isn't for you. It will work best if you have lots of boosters, especially from the base set and Dagger Isle, which can still be found around the net. Obviously the more cards you have, the more variety you'll have. My future plans are to release a set of at least 100 cards specific to this game using philbarfly's card templates.
I would appreciate any feedback/constructive criticism you can give, or any questions you might have. I'll try to post a sample game by the end of next week...
Here's the link (the rules are in Word format):
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfcrcvbk_3df43xbd8
You can also follow the link to the right...
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Time to Make Juice
If you’re like me, you’ve got Guardians cards sitting around and can’t find anyone else to play. Maybe you’ve boxed them up, or they’re sitting in a folder full of 9 card pocket protectors gathering dust.
Last year I picked up two board games, Runebound and Arkham Horror. What intrigued me about the games, besides the gameplay and atmosphere, was the ability to play with a solo rules variant. So when I pulled my Guardians cards out of the basement a few weeks ago, then found C. J. Burke’s Event Cards and philbarfly’s Adventure Cards on the Web, I started to wonder if there was a way to play Guardians solo.
The quick answer is no. What I mean is, not the way the current game is set up. You can’t play both sides because you have to pretend you don’t know what cards the “other side” has, despite the fact that you are playing the “other side”. And victory is hollow, since you’ve basically beaten yourself.
To make a solo version work well, you can’t know what cards will be in play. You will know what’s in the opposing deck, but you won’t know how that deck is ordered. Unfortunately, this invalidates the mechanics of several cards that depend on being able to “see” an opposing card or hand. Still, exclusion of such cards is necessary. Victory will feel sweeter because you didn’t know what the next card you turned over would be.
There are some things, however, that you just can’t simulate. A human opponent has cunning and intelligence – he or she would know where to move a Shield, which creature to discard, when to burn a power stone, etc. There is really no way to simulate this in a single-player environment. The best you can do is introduce some randomization and hope it works out. Which lead to…
The adventure aspect. I felt that simply randomizing creature combat wasn’t enough – it was a shell of the original game. I almost immediately realized if randomization was to be utilized, the game needed something more, something to work at, a sense of urgency, and a feeling of accomplishment. Thus the adventure aspect was born. (This is not to be confused with the “Adventure Cards” on philbarfly’s site.)
Guardians has sometimes been referred to as a board game in a card game’s clothing. So I added elements to simulate things you might find in an adventure-type board game like Runebound or Arkham Horror. First, there is the map or board. Next, you have a character (I call it a Champion) who can take wounds, and whose death would cause you to lose the game. You have a way to progress your character or your “adventurers”, in this case experience and gold. You can buy items. You have a time limit, after which you are dead. Your enemies get tougher as the game goes on to continually challenge you.
I also used an idea or two found in the Traveler’s Guide to the Midrealms book by Dave Gentzler, specifically the “Into the Great Wide Open” variant.
In adding the adventure or board game elements, some things had to go – things like Terrain changing hands, Shields moving all over the place, the way movement works...there are about 85 cards that just don’t work (mostly Spells and Magic Items) under my rules, and 60 more (mostly creatures) that needed modification. However, I don’t think that’s bad out of almost a 700 card base, considering how radically different this concept is from the base game.
Make no mistake. These are not your basic Guardians rules. Although I tried to maintain the spirit of the original, I have made some drastic changes. But in reality these are only meant to be a baseline, to spark creative interest. If you come up with a mechanic that works better than something I’ve done, by all means use it, and post it here or over at the Yahoo! Group. There will be a lot of reading, and probably some initial confusion. I’ll also be posting some variant rules to make the game harder if it’s too easy, or easier if it’s too hard, and looking for ways to incorporate incompatible cards. I will also be creating some new cards just for this version of the game.
Right now I’m doing some last-minute playtesting. I should have it up by this coming weekend. So once I post it, try it out and give me some feedback. It’s not comparable to the base game, but if you pull out your cards and give it a chance, that’s a good thing. The Guardians CCG doesn’t deserve to be sitting in a box or in a book on a shelf, collecting dust.
So with the preamble aside, and in fond memory of Keith Parkinson - one of my heroes…stay tuned for:
GUARDIANS SOLO ADVENTURES
Last year I picked up two board games, Runebound and Arkham Horror. What intrigued me about the games, besides the gameplay and atmosphere, was the ability to play with a solo rules variant. So when I pulled my Guardians cards out of the basement a few weeks ago, then found C. J. Burke’s Event Cards and philbarfly’s Adventure Cards on the Web, I started to wonder if there was a way to play Guardians solo.
The quick answer is no. What I mean is, not the way the current game is set up. You can’t play both sides because you have to pretend you don’t know what cards the “other side” has, despite the fact that you are playing the “other side”. And victory is hollow, since you’ve basically beaten yourself.
To make a solo version work well, you can’t know what cards will be in play. You will know what’s in the opposing deck, but you won’t know how that deck is ordered. Unfortunately, this invalidates the mechanics of several cards that depend on being able to “see” an opposing card or hand. Still, exclusion of such cards is necessary. Victory will feel sweeter because you didn’t know what the next card you turned over would be.
There are some things, however, that you just can’t simulate. A human opponent has cunning and intelligence – he or she would know where to move a Shield, which creature to discard, when to burn a power stone, etc. There is really no way to simulate this in a single-player environment. The best you can do is introduce some randomization and hope it works out. Which lead to…
The adventure aspect. I felt that simply randomizing creature combat wasn’t enough – it was a shell of the original game. I almost immediately realized if randomization was to be utilized, the game needed something more, something to work at, a sense of urgency, and a feeling of accomplishment. Thus the adventure aspect was born. (This is not to be confused with the “Adventure Cards” on philbarfly’s site.)
Guardians has sometimes been referred to as a board game in a card game’s clothing. So I added elements to simulate things you might find in an adventure-type board game like Runebound or Arkham Horror. First, there is the map or board. Next, you have a character (I call it a Champion) who can take wounds, and whose death would cause you to lose the game. You have a way to progress your character or your “adventurers”, in this case experience and gold. You can buy items. You have a time limit, after which you are dead. Your enemies get tougher as the game goes on to continually challenge you.
I also used an idea or two found in the Traveler’s Guide to the Midrealms book by Dave Gentzler, specifically the “Into the Great Wide Open” variant.
In adding the adventure or board game elements, some things had to go – things like Terrain changing hands, Shields moving all over the place, the way movement works...there are about 85 cards that just don’t work (mostly Spells and Magic Items) under my rules, and 60 more (mostly creatures) that needed modification. However, I don’t think that’s bad out of almost a 700 card base, considering how radically different this concept is from the base game.
Make no mistake. These are not your basic Guardians rules. Although I tried to maintain the spirit of the original, I have made some drastic changes. But in reality these are only meant to be a baseline, to spark creative interest. If you come up with a mechanic that works better than something I’ve done, by all means use it, and post it here or over at the Yahoo! Group. There will be a lot of reading, and probably some initial confusion. I’ll also be posting some variant rules to make the game harder if it’s too easy, or easier if it’s too hard, and looking for ways to incorporate incompatible cards. I will also be creating some new cards just for this version of the game.
Right now I’m doing some last-minute playtesting. I should have it up by this coming weekend. So once I post it, try it out and give me some feedback. It’s not comparable to the base game, but if you pull out your cards and give it a chance, that’s a good thing. The Guardians CCG doesn’t deserve to be sitting in a box or in a book on a shelf, collecting dust.
So with the preamble aside, and in fond memory of Keith Parkinson - one of my heroes…stay tuned for:
GUARDIANS SOLO ADVENTURES
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