Shellhead wrote: I bought the iron-on transfer paper at an office supply store, and craft stores probably sell it as well. The important thing is there are two different types of paper, one for use on a light background and the other for a dark background. I used the paper for the light background, so my images would print the opposite direction of how they would transfer onto the bags. So I set up my images in advance on an excel spreadsheet so they would all fit on one page. Excel also allows for basic but easy manipulation of images, so I could quickly do a 180 degree flip from left to right on each of my images. To avoid wrecking a bag with the iron, set the temperature for a slightly cooler setting than whatever is recommended for your bag material. Apply steady pressure for a couple of minutes, but not the full five minutes recommended. Check to see that the whole iron-on is sticking on all the edges with no loose flaps, and then your are done. Wait a few minutes for the patch to cool before pulling off the backing paper.
The game does not feel fiddly with all the tokens. You are only drawing six tokens each turn and then placing five of them, while taking turns with the other players during placement. The tokens have an arrow on side, so you can see exactly which border or location is targeted by the token. Each player has a screen for their clan which explains how each token type works, and gives you a place to hide your tokens each turn during the draw and placement phases. The screen also describes your clan's special ability and the turn sequence. Although the token sheets are well-designed for easy removal of the tokens, be careful. I had a little trouble punching two of the Crane clan tokens, so I took it slow to get them out without damage. It's important that all the action tokens for each clan look identical on one side.
Keeping track of the board isn't hard, either. The map is attractive but functional. The clan symbols on the tokens are small, but the colors are different so you can tell the difference between each clan. Token resolution seems like it could be confusing, but there is a specific order to how they are resolved that prevents chaos. There is no overlap between battles, so each battle can be resolved easily and it doesn't matter which battle is resolved first.
Ok, I've decided to get it Thank you so much for your detailed replies to me, it's really helped me make the decision. I still feel it's a bit of a risk cos it's so different from what they've played, at least as far as I know but I think the game looks and sounds great. THANK YOU! <3
Hey guys, me again. I was just wondering what you think of Descent: Journeys in the Dark and Star Wars: Imperial Assault. BGG rates them as above 3 on the weight scale so I'm wondering just how complex they are in terms of being rules heavy and hard to learn, and if they're fiddly. They fit my length and player requirements so I'm pretty interested just now. The only thing putting me off is the miniatures because my bf wasn't keen on them in Blood Rage. Thanks as always!
Edit: I was also wondering if anyone had anything good or bad to say about Ghost Stories? Thanks!
I was into Imperial Assault for a while, but I eventually traded it off. Once I got into D&D I realized that IA focuses way more on the tactical nature of the game, and very little on the narrative. The scenario design basically just reiterates the same concepts over and over again.
It also requires a lot of consecutive sessions for a campaign, assuming the two player tactical game doesn't appeal to you. This is always a devil's bargain because I have played maybe two board games in my life that I like playing that regularly.
Finally, Imperial Assault is quite a money pit. There's a good chance you'll end up with a ton of boxes to store and lots of minis to purchase.
There is that campaign app for Descent that is supposed to be really good. Something similar was due out for Imperial Assault but I bailed before trying it if it ever did.
A lot of people really enjoyed both games, but they are big purchases that demand a large percentage of of your hobby energy without yielding much more than other titles, at least for someone like me.
Ghost Stories is great. Fast, tense play and an underused setting with an aesthetic that jumps the line from cartoon to horror. Just be aware that it is a very difficult game, and you should be prepared for frequent and regular losses for awhile.
I don’t think Imperial Assault is terribly complex. Characters move and fight and everything the way you’d generally expect and the line of sight rules, a frequent pitfall in this genre, are pretty clean. The challenge comes in every character having a variety of abilities that you will miss or forget every once in a while. The Imperial player has the most to track. The rest can play the heroes who have considerably less overhead.
And I would recommend Imperial Assault over Descent unless you have a strong preference for the fantasy setting. Minor rule changes aside, Imperial Assault has a two-player competitive mode and, probably more importantly, an entirely free app which automates the Imperial player and allows you to play wholly cooperative.
I don't think Descent or IA is for them. Ghost Stories I'm interested in but worried that it's very hard. It might put them off to never win. They're the type of group (I think) that judges a lot on their first play. If they get slaughtered or feel it was impossible they may never go back to it. He just told me he found XCOM a difficult one. Is Ghost Stories harder?
Edit: just wanted to add you guys have been such a big help so thank you very much.
Edit again: the more I look at games the more I think it needs to be something with a weight of about 2.5. Does anyone have any experience of Adrenaline? I managed to watch part of a video on it and I'm not sure at all. Two games I keep going back to are that and Cyclades.
Ghost Stories is pretty damn hard. You're almost certainly going to lose your first few plays, possibly badly.
One of the difficult parts is picking each monk's power (from one side or the other of their card). The flashier-looking ones often don't work nearly as well as the boring ones game-wise, which takes a few tries to figure out.
When you win you feel great, but you actually have to work to get there. Depends on how your group feels about that, and the stiff learning curve to do it. It's a game from when "one-and-out" wasn't the expectation.
I'm biased, but if you want to dip your toe into coop dungeon crawls, like Decent, you might want to take a look at Space Cadets Away Missions. Weight is 2.58, plays 5, the difficulty ramps up slowly, so most people win the first scenario. You will need at least one person who is good at "rules" to to manage the AI until everyone gets the hang of it. I don't know what it goes for in the UK, but in the US you can pick it up for $50 or less.
ubarose wrote: I'm biased, but if you want to dip your toe into coop dungeon crawls, like Decent, you might want to take a look at Space Cadets Away Missions. Weight is 2.58, plays 5, the difficulty ramps up slowly, so most people win the first scenario. You will need at least one person who is good at "rules" to to manage the AI until everyone gets the hang of it. I don't know what it goes for in the UK, but in the US you can pick it up for $50 or less.
There's a place that's oos that had it for £48, which is decent but anywhere that has it in stock is £80 which is way more than I'd pay for possibly any game. It does look good though and it ticks all the boxes. I'm going to keep an eye on it. Thanks!
ubarose wrote: I'm biased, but if you want to dip your toe into coop dungeon crawls, like Decent, you might want to take a look at Space Cadets Away Missions. Weight is 2.58, plays 5, the difficulty ramps up slowly, so most people win the first scenario. You will need at least one person who is good at "rules" to to manage the AI until everyone gets the hang of it. I don't know what it goes for in the UK, but in the US you can pick it up for $50 or less.
There's a place that's oos that had it for £48, which is decent but anywhere that has it in stock is £80 which is way more than I'd pay for possibly any game. It does look good though and it ticks all the boxes. I'm going to keep an eye on it. Thanks!
(Even Rahdo likes it. Holy shit :O)
Keep an eye out for sales and used copies. It's an older game at that golden point when places are starting to discount it to clear out their existing stock of the game, but before it becomes totally out of stock and rare.
ubarose wrote: I'm biased, but if you want to dip your toe into coop dungeon crawls, like Decent, you might want to take a look at Space Cadets Away Missions. Weight is 2.58, plays 5, the difficulty ramps up slowly, so most people win the first scenario. You will need at least one person who is good at "rules" to to manage the AI until everyone gets the hang of it. I don't know what it goes for in the UK, but in the US you can pick it up for $50 or less.
There's a place that's oos that had it for £48, which is decent but anywhere that has it in stock is £80 which is way more than I'd pay for possibly any game. It does look good though and it ticks all the boxes. I'm going to keep an eye on it. Thanks!
(Even Rahdo likes it. Holy shit :O)
Keep an eye out for sales and used copies. It's an older game at that golden point when places are starting to discount it to clear out their existing stock of the game, but before it becomes totally out of stock and rare.
I just looked on ebay and it seems people are taking advantage of it being a rarer game already. Cheapest is £55 for a used copy. Honestly, it's unlikely I'd spend that on a used game. I'll keep an eye out though. Cheers.
san il defanso wrote: Finally, Imperial Assault is quite a money pit. There's a good chance you'll end up with a ton of boxes to store and lots of minis to purchase.
My youngest brother who is 30-something has started playing board games. He texted me that he'd rather play Tic Tac Toe than Betrayal at House on the Hill. He likes Ticket to Ride, hates Settlers, likes Codenames and when I asked him was his girlfriend liked he said "competition." I got a little tired, thinking of the last fourteen years or so, when I discovered games for the second time, and recommended Carcassonne, Battle Line, and Yellow Yangtze.
Games
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Thank you so much for your detailed replies to me, it's really helped me make the decision. I still feel it's a bit of a risk cos it's so different from what they've played, at least as far as I know but I think the game looks and sounds great. THANK YOU! <3
I'll keep an eye out though. Cheers.
