Barnes on Games: Champions of Midgard and Survive! Space Attack! in Review, Cthulhu Wars, Thunderbirds, new VPG titles

SuperflyTNT wrote: I'm going after 2 factions, the high priests, and the plastic gates, because plastics. Still not sure which factions, but I think Tcho Tcho and Sleeper are the most interesting.

Pretty much what I am going for. I may get a map later, but to me a big part of the theme is Earth being invaded so other locations don't interest me. Wind walker seems too much like Cthulhu so that is out. I think I like the sound of the Opener faction best, and think I will go for Sleeper over Tcho Tcho because it has passed more play testing.

That's precisely why I think they'd be the best suited. I love the idea of the High Priests as well - very interesting, and a tough decision from the first turn.

I'm thinking Tcho Tcho too because they seem very different- primitive folks, and they have Ubbo-Sathla, one of the goofier GOOs. He's like a blob with tablets stuck in it. Should make for a cool figure. Also, pink.

I'm also thinking about Opener because Yog-Sothoth. The game doesn't seem complete without him since he's one of the big names. He sounds a little more advanced than Ithaqua or the Sleeper.

I am interested in seeing how Azatoth works though being neutral...I think there's some kind of way that you can control him as well as the monsters and spellbooks.

Maps, I want Yuggoth. Because it sounds really cool. Yeah, it does get away from the "what if you lost Eldritch Horror" scenario, but the map and features sound neat. I think for just $15 I'd probably get one of the 6-8 player maps, probably Primeval earth just to have a different one.

High Priests, definitely.

As for upgrades, I want the cardboard faction mats because mine are crappy looking already. I kind of want the Shining Trapehedron pack or whatever they added today, but it is a little too much for what it is. The gates, I dunno...do want, but I don't think they're essential.

All said, Shub-Niggurath is sort of becoming my favorite...I love using the Dark Young. They look bad ass and being able to go into an area with one lonely cultist, kidnap him and take the gate with the same figure AND have automatic defense on it is great. And with the discount spellbook, they're CHEAP.

About to write the review.

I'm interested to see what your GOTY 2015 will be: Cthulhu Wars or Loopin' Chewie.

Michael Barnes wrote: I am interested in seeing how Azatoth works though being neutral...I think there's some kind of way that you can control him as well as the monsters and spellbooks.

By providing the ability to make the base factions neutral in the kickstarter they have killed any interest I have in the Azathoth faction, because there goes its unique selling point. It saddens me a bit as Azathoth is one of my favourite great old ones, and if it was a standard faction I would probably have gone for it.

EDIT: I just clicked on why I think I won't go for the Tcho Tcho faction. A description of them contains this: "It takes coordination and effort to expunge them, which is how they stay alive – the others are all reluctant to be the faction who spends all his time warring on the Tcho-Tchos, while other factions surge ahead." I really hate it when a DOAM is won by the person who convinces others to attack someone in the lead.

Sounds like the Tcho-Tcho faction might have been inspired by the Horned Rat expansion to CitOW. In the mythos stories, they were extremely creepy and degenerate cultists from Asia.

I really hate it when a DOAM is won by the person who convinces others to attack someone in the lead.

One thing that is really cool about this design- and it may be different with the Tcho Tcho, I don't know, but there are some things that make the "attack the lead" option not very viable anyway. The hidden Elder Sign points can make a BIG difference, and they help to baffle the "who's in the lead" calculation. You can still count up an estimate for how many points somebody MAY have, but ultimately you don't know. ANd things are very fluid, so in one turn if someone sweeps through and claims two or three gates more than everyone then they can do the Ritual and double their lead for the turn, possibly closing any gap in doom points. That said, you can have a runaway leader in early games where people are feeling out the faction abilities and not really clear on how to run the checks and balances built into the game.

Flying Polyps are SUCH a pain in the ass.

Ancient_of_MuMu wrote: I really hate it when a DOAM is won by the person who convinces others to attack someone in the lead.

I love it. I don't necessarily enjoy Munchkin-level bang-on-the-leader syndrome, but a victory negotiated is sweeter than a victory rolled.

Michael Barnes wrote: Flying Polyps are SUCH a pain in the ass.

Somewhere, there's a joke in this statement.

It's subtle.