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want to trade

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20 Jul 2017 18:31 - 21 Jul 2017 12:56 #251436 by Cranberries
want to trade was created by Cranberries
Is anyone dumping Battle For Hogwarts?

My username over at big is craniac if you would like to trade with me. My wife is finally reading the series and so this is the game that might bring joy and peace to our sarcastic and anxiety-ridden family.
Last edit: 21 Jul 2017 12:56 by Cranberries.

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20 Jul 2017 19:05 #251438 by Erik Twice
Replied by Erik Twice on topic want to trade
I would thread carefully Cranberries. The components of the game are extremely poor, to the point that after 1-2 games every single card was marked. The paint just comes off the cards if you touch them and it's difficult not to warp or nick them one way or another. I can assure you, if they didn't sleeve the cards they'll be in very poor shape.

Also, if you haven't played it before I would think twice because I don't think the game is really suitable for families. In fact, I don't know who can be the actual audience for the game. Here's my issue with the game: It's so broken and so poorly balanced that you can easily draw over 25 cards per turn and, at the same time, it's so broken and so poorly balanced that it will crush you if you don't do that. When we played the last few scenarios damage was so high that it was common to die several times in a row between turns. No, no, I don't mean "in your turn", I mean "between the end of your turn and the start of your next one".

The "villain deck" is crazy too. You never remove lesser villains so you might face impossible combinations consisting of 4-5 damage per turn and no healing or cheese out wins because one of the villain spots was taken by Crab and Goyle.

So yeah, if you are looking for joy and peace I would think twice. Sorry if I'm a downer but I think it's a real dog.
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21 Jul 2017 06:07 #251454 by Gary Sax
Replied by Gary Sax on topic want to trade

cranberries wrote: Is anyone dumping Battle For Hogwarts?

My username over at big is cranial if you would like to trade with me. My wife is finally reading the series and so this is the game that might bring joy and peace to our sarcastic and anxiety-ridden family.


It worked great with 2. One of my spouse's favorite games. I'm fine with it but everything Erik said is right. It's not balanced and what to do is blindingly obvious if you've played one of these games before.

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21 Jul 2017 09:36 #251460 by Cranberries
Replied by Cranberries on topic want to trade
Well the shine has certainly been removed from that particular apple.

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21 Jul 2017 11:16 #251473 by Michael Barnes
Replied by Michael Barnes on topic want to trade
Let me repolish it. You can look at games like this two ways. One is from the BGG mechanics perspective, where the setting doesn't matter at all. Or you can look at from the setting where the mechanics aren't as important. This is a pretty standard deckbuilder overall, but it is wrapped up in lots of great Harry Potter stuff and it has a really fun presentation with lots of neat surprises. If you go into it looking for The Next Great Board Game of Ours or whatever, it's not here. If you go into it as a Harry Potter fan that is OK with a competent but not significantly innovative or sophisticated design, you'll get a lot out of it. At very least, seven plays as you work through the scenarios. If you are more excited to see Snape show up than "clever" mechanical frippery, then it should be a winner for y'all.

There is an expansion coming out that adds monsters or something, it might address some of the weird balance issues. It is unusually punitive at times, and then way too easy other times. But there again, that may not matter if you are just giddy at playing a neat Harry Potter game.
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21 Jul 2017 13:35 #251485 by engineer Al
Replied by engineer Al on topic want to trade
I completely agree with Michael. The game may not be "perfect", but it is a bunch of fun to play. Shellie and I have played with two players many times and also had fun playing it with our teenage daughter. Played with Repo and his "non-gamer" wife and after we lost she wanted to set it up and play again!

It's true that some of the components are of poor quality, but other parts (like the special dice) are just BEAUTIFUL.
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21 Jul 2017 15:30 #251495 by SuperflyPete
Replied by SuperflyPete on topic want to trade
This guy wants to trade it:
Attachments:

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21 Jul 2017 15:37 #251498 by SuperflyPete
Replied by SuperflyPete on topic want to trade
boardgamegeek.com/thread/509821/very-short-review

If you like Cluedo, this is way better but 90% the same.

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21 Jul 2017 19:42 - 21 Jul 2017 19:42 #251507 by Erik Twice
Replied by Erik Twice on topic want to trade

Michael Barnes wrote: Let me repolish it. You can look at games like this two ways. One is from the BGG mechanics perspective, where the setting doesn't matter at all. Or you can look at from the setting where the mechanics aren't as important.

Well, while I am very much a "mechanics first" guy, I think the issue for me is more practical than that. As in, I do not think people who are in for Harry Potter will be able to enjoy it when they are getting killed once a turn. I don't even think it's possible to play against two events per turn without abusing the game a little (Eg. Using Ravenclaw's die to draw and then using those new car draws to use Ravenclaw's dice even more).

There are also a lot of thematic problems with the game. Most cards do not resemble the Harry Potter world beyond the name, Arthur Wesley might as well be called Scrooge McDuck given he's the best money card in the game. Voldemort is woefully underpowered, to the point of being weaker than average villains the first two times you face him. Even worse, playing Neville's thematic choice of magical career (Herbology) is the easiest way to break the game.

My fear is people walking into the game expecting a fun, light Potter experience when it's actually a disfunctional meatgrinder.
Last edit: 21 Jul 2017 19:42 by Erik Twice.
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