The Board Game Thread

[JamesC]

X Wing is really good but I'd advise having a quick run through of the rules and mechanics in advance - just play a quick game against yourself.
It may be worth deciding on some balanced squads in advance too, if you just want to get straight into playing (and you want to dive straight in to using extra ship expansions).
There's a handy tool available here: http://xwing-builder.co.uk/build

[Keef Monkey]

In the same boat, have had X Wing for a few months (even got a couple of expansions over xmas) and have only managed one game! And that was using the 'simple' rules in the first half of the book, haven't started using any of the more advanced rules yet.

After the Carcassonne evening being so enjoyable I'm hoping I can finally convince Mrs Monkey into a regular board game evening - she enjoys them but it can be tough to drag her off the couch and away from the TV on weeknights when she's knackered, Carcassonne was quick and fun enough that it's reignited her interest in them so must capitalize on that and get some X Wing in there!

[Satanist]

I've watched the Fantasy Flights guide on youtube and read the rules already. Basically everything except play the bloody game.

Oh and thanks Dark Jimbo, I think I'll get Colt Express for my B'day as most games are with the kids these days.

[TordelBack]

Oh and thanks Dark Jimbo, I think I'll get Colt Express for my B'day as most games are with the kids these days.

Aye, cheers for the info Jimbo. I'm going to assess the box on my lunchbreak with a similar plan in mind!

[Satanist]

Had a lazy weekend with the family (still not played X-wing) where we played the following...

Munchkin – Hadn't played this much before but its now a firm family favourite, though it did lead to some quite heated arguments. Was quite surprised at what sneaky bastards my kids are. (they both won a game each)

Cthulhu Dice – Totally random and lasts about 5 mins so easy to sneak a game in here and there. (evertone won at least one game)

Zombies! – Bought this years ago and only had a couple of games. Fun to start with but really dragged towards the end while everyone tries to kill as many zombies as they can or get to the chopper. I might try and tweak the rules for this to avoid the slog. (wife won)

Connect 4 – There's a reason it's a classic. Simple and kids take great glee in outsmarting an adult. (everyone won several times over)

I also found out that the wife's got me King of Tokyo for my impending birthday so look forward to trying that. Anyone played Cosmic Encounter? Seen it on VideoGaiden and have checked it out online but seems a bit pricey for something I'd only be able to play with mates when we (rarely) get the chance.

[radiator]

I've recently got a bit addicted to the Ticket to Ride iphone app. It's a really polished and well-implemented app and is also a great way of trying out all the different maps and expansions relatively cheaply. It's also kinda refreshing to go back to the original USA map (which I don't own in board game format) after having played so many variations.

What's amazing is how quick a game is on digital - you can play a whole game start to finish in under five minutes - just goes to show how much set up and dithering/distracted/clumsy players have on the run time of a board game - we rarely have a game of physical TtR that lasts less than an hour!

The Exploding Kittens app is wonderful too. At first I was a little skeptical about how it would translate, but it works great, and as it can be played over bluetooth you can play it pretty much anywhere. We occasionally sneak in a few games in the office.

[Emp]

Sorry apps?...I thought i read board...on that note, just replayed Red Dragon Inn. This is a seriously good game that has the unfortunate effect of leaving players who have been put out with nothing to do but disrupt play in their boredom. But i won so "YAY"

[radiator]

They are app versions of popular board/card games...

[Third Estate Ned]

Was surprised to see this miniature in the window at my local games shop seeing as Judge Dredd is pretty much an unknown entity outside the Stallone film here. This is a shop that caters principally for Magic the Gathering and Netrunner players. Apologies for the crappy and massive photo.



I'm pretty sure that's a Mongoose miniature but would anyone mind confirming for me. The shopkeeper doesn't know anything about them because it's a showcase for a local artist.

Is the standard for the other sets of Dredd Mongoose miniatures as high as this one? If so I regret missing out on their BOGOF offer a while back.

[TordelBack]

I don't think that is a Mongoose mini, sadly.

I know it's a bit off topic, but I'm currently seeking help with prepping the next leg of the family Dragon Warriors campaign, scheduled for Easter weekend. Bitter experience has taught me that the party will avoid any carefully scripted adventure opportunity placed before them in favour of larceny, over-elaborate schemes and paranoia, so I've restructured things as a series of small on-the-road encounters that they can take or leave.

As a final bit, I'm now trying to think of some low-level non-human opponents for populating a small abandoned mine-slash-quarry. I've exhausted Kobolds, Goblinoids and Orcs elsewhere... Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Location is low scrubby hills edge of a coastal salt marsh, no trees to speak of, adjacent to ancient roadway of Empire in decline... Setup is repair crew (few guards and prisoner work gang) fixing washed out section of road (possible deliberate sabotage involving damming and releasing water upstream),, trying to access stockpiles of stone/gravel in abandoned Quarry, being prevented by the current occupants... Enter our reluctant heroes. Human-on-human violence discouraged, nothing too unpleasant.

My creativity is (obviously) exhausted. Help!

[I, Cosh]

FROGMEN!

Also, I think I have a bunch of the Dragon Warriors books languishing in a cupboard somewhere. If you will actually make use of them then you're welcome to any you don't already have.

[Satanist]

Gelatinous cubes!

[Pyroxian]

Lizard-men?

Ooh, or Were-toads... They seem human (if a bit clammy), but when the full-moon rises, the croaking begins...

[TordelBack]

FROGMEN!

Leave Hawkmumbler out of this.

Many thanks for the offer Cosh, but thanks to having 5 charity shops on my daily rounds I'm well on my way to a second full set of the RPG paperbacks now.  Unless you happened to have any of the novels...?

Keep the ideas coming, folks, surprisingly inspiring to have names thrown at you.  I do have a couple of froggy minis somewhere asit happens...

[Pyroxian]

This is starting to remind me of the time our characters had to hide out in a toadmen brothel, waiting for a Todorini naval officer to turn up so we could blackmail him... It was fine until we started thinking about how a toad brothel would actually work, biologically...