Front Page

Content

Authors

Game Index

Forums

Site Tools

Submissions

About

You May Also Like...

S
Sagrilarus
September 22, 2023
T
thegiantbrain
November 12, 2020

Bouldering

Staff Blogs
O
oliverkinne
April 27, 2020
Hot
SI
san il defanso
December 10, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
December 02, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
November 18, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
October 03, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
September 18, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
September 11, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
September 04, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
August 27, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
August 21, 2019
Hot
MB
Michael Barnes
August 13, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
August 12, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
August 05, 2019
Hot
SI
san il defanso
July 29, 2019
Hot
  • Staff Blogs
  • Sorry, Charlie - Star Wars, Lucha Libre, And The Best Damn Expansion

Sorry, Charlie - Star Wars, Lucha Libre, And The Best Damn Expansion

Hot
C Updated
Sorry, Charlie - Star Wars, Lucha Libre, And The Best Damn Expansion
There Will Be Games

Discussion of Force Awakens, X-Wing, Imperial Assault, Luchador!, and more.

I've conformed and branded my article so feel free to pile on the hate. Just in case you were wondering - I'm not particularly fond of tuna, although it's fine in small doses. I prefer other alternatives for high-mercury content sustenance.

Star Wars

That trailer. It brought my twitter feed to its knees like a man taking an uppercut to the groin. I was a little slow on the draw and was probably the last person to actually view it, which had a rather strange psychological effect as my brain kept telling me not to fall for the con and buy into the hype. While I will continue to argue that Episode I has its moments, I can't help but realize that Star Wars has more recently let me down than its propped me up. If you offer a dog a treat and then batter its head with a newspaper when it reaches for it, the poor animal's going to be a little leery the next time you proffer. Thankfully J.J. Abrams is there to catch Lucas' hand and slap him in the mouth.

Here's the thing, I'm not really an Abrams fan. Lost was magnificent for a very short period of time before it was dreadfully awful. Star Trek wasn't my thing to begin with but the inclusion of lens flare along with a cameraman suffering from Parkinson's doesn't help. Super 8? Mission Impossible 3? Come on. Yet, there's something there in those 2 exceptional minutes. The prequel trailers never felt this way, not even close. Take off your helmet and head outside to take a deep breath. This is going to be special.

Coincidentally the past couple months have been X-Wing season for my group. I've gotten Wave 5 and 6 to the table repeatedly and really enjoying how the game still continues to grow and adapt while keeping nearly every ship in the fleet relevant and potent. Back in February we dug into Imperial Assault as well, enjoying it's imperfect resonance.  Several reviews on offer here:

The Review Corner - X-Wing Wave 5

The Review Corner - X-Wing Most Wanted

The Review Corner - X-Wing Wave 6 Part 2

The Review Corner - Imperial Assault

 

Luchador!

This game just gets it. "Real board games" don't have to be rooted in TI-83 mental simulations and they don't have to be high brow. Fun is such a simple concept and there's no need to make things difficult. Luchador! Mexican Wrestling Dice is unbelievably fun in the same exact way that titles like King of Tokyo and Witness are fun. Silly and over the top aren't criticisms, rather, they should be embraced and lauded in this context.

As others have intimated, a large chunk of the enjoyment comes from social interaction and playing off each other's infectious joy. What makes a game like this succeed so strongly is its abilities to push participants into those situations to elicit the drama and interaction that creates these moments. Luchador is primarily a facilitator and all it requires is the right attitude and a small amount of effort. I'm a big fan and you should be too.

My narrative here is a bit different, and over the top much like the game featured.

2d6.org - Luchador! Mexican Wrestling Dice

 

Cyclades: Titans

I name dropped this large box a couple months ago but I had to revisit now that my review's gone live. This expansion is so incredibly great that it's mandatory for fans of Cyclades. The price point can be difficult to swallow but the product is as enormous as the mythical creatures the subject depicts.

What Cathala and Maublanc handle so masterfully here is the concept of massaging the original game without changing its identity. They expand its horizon and refocus the image on the strongest elements without ever losing their identity or spirit. Cyclades is still an Ameritrash and Euro hybrid, but its gained a bit of gumption and brazen attitude. The scales were adjusted slightly with a healthy dose of red blooded brinksmanship and I don't think I'll ever return to the base setup.

Much like the previous expansion Hades, the new Titan units allow flexibility beyond that found in Cyclades proper. More maneuvering and combat means a tighter and more enjoyable pace. Heads butt, buildings are ravaged and the countryside is burned at a much quicker pace. Magnificent.

The Review Corner - Cyclades: Titans

On The Horizon

Like everyone else I'm busy as hell. Currently I'm tearing into the choose-your-own adventure inspired Fallen like a starving rat coming across his first bits of scrap. This game is great, yes, even sans the mounds of Kickstarter exclusive content. Don't fork out tons in the aftermarket to grab this one, just go for the retail version and pat yourself on the back. I'll have a review posted very soon.

In early January I shot Ignacy Trzecewizckavkzk a request for a review copy of Mysterium. I was shot down due to distribution agreements in North America and Asmodee handling the future release, however, a couple of weeks ago I ended up with a copy of Neuroshima Hex 3.0 and the unfortunately named Uranopolis expansion instead. This package took 45 days to arrive from Poland and I want to insert some kind of slightly humorous jab at the postal system but I'm still kind of flabbergasted. I did enjoy my old Z-Man 2nd edition copy several years ago very much, but it left my collection due to its reliance on two players to really sing. Excited to try this one out and re-capture some of that past enjoyment.

Oh, yes also the huge ass plasteel covered elephant in the room, Star Wars: Armada, is sitting on my shelf in the process of being evaluated. I've played a couple of games already and I can tell you this: I give the FFG design team a hell of a lot of credit for their ambition. They could have mailed this in but they took a chance on this product and it feels like they've released something they can be proud of, even if it won't sell quite like X-Wing hotcakes. Beyond the fiddliness, I'm really loving it.

There Will Be Games
Charlie Theel (He/Him)
Associate Board Game Reviewer

In addition to a solid writing background, Charlie Theel is a game designer and heavily involved in the hobby. He enjoys talking trash and ridiculing members of his game group despite the fact that he can't win a game to save his life. Besides gaming, he enjoys hockey, film, and heavy metal.

You can find more of his work on his blog Player Elimination. He also co-hosts the Ding & Dent gaming podcast with his Ameritrash brother-in-arms Rafael Cordero.

Articles by Charlie

Charlie Theel
Associate Board Game Reviewer

Articles by Charlie

Log in to comment

DukeofChutney's Avatar
DukeofChutney replied the topic: #201500 25 Apr 2015 21:19
Thanks for this Charlie, im in a similar spot on SW, i like the trails but have some skepticism over JJA. Hopefully he will bring me around.

Good words on Luchador, i don't tend to pick up dice games though you are tempting me.

I'd be interested in what you have to say on Armada..
MacDirk Diggler's Avatar
MacDirk Diggler replied the topic: #201521 27 Apr 2015 09:39
I need to get Lucha Libre to replace the spot King of Tokyo now holds in my collection. I have had a problem with KoT lately, people don't really try and roll claws and damage each other. It becomes a race to see who can roll the most 3s, usually is very short game, people also don't need to try and roll hearts to heal themselves. It's just boring. Sounds like Lucha Libre is all about some give and take with opponents.
charlest's Avatar
charlest replied the topic: #201525 27 Apr 2015 10:12

Alastair MacDirk wrote: I need to get Lucha Libre to replace the spot King of Tokyo now holds in my collection. I have had a problem with KoT lately, people don't really try and roll claws and damage each other. It becomes a race to see who can roll the most 3s, usually is very short game, people also don't need to try and roll hearts to heal themselves. It's just boring. Sounds like Lucha Libre is all about some give and take with opponents.


Absolutely, you don't get any of that slow drawn out play in Luchador. Every roll either results in hits or blocks and you're forced into beating the other guy down or pinning him. Outstanding and it's a shame it's not available in wider distribution. I think you can just get it direct from the publisher or Amazon.