Legends of Andor

Introduction/Theme 
In Legends of Andor two to four heroes (consisting of Warrior, Dwarf, Archer, Wizard - male or female options!) work together to succeed in five different challenging scenarios (= legends). On their way defending a castle from lots and lots of monsters many exciting quests have to solved.

Components 

The box comes with lots of high-quality material. Beside a two-sided huge board, lots (!) of tokens and cards are included. Also cardboard miniatures and an awesome fire breathing dragon are part of the game. The beautiful artwork supports the theme in a great way, and ensures a great atmospheric experience. 

Gameplay 

Each legend starts with a different setup and with different objectives to complete. You have to decide carefully which hero does which tasks, taking care of individual abilities and available time. Each hero has a little board to track abilities, money and possessions. Combat is resolved quickly and simple, by rolling dice according to respective willpower value and defining strength value of attacker and defender with the roll. There are time tracks for the heroes and the legend, and you have to watch it carefully as especially when a monster has been killed the legend time track moves forward. The more you kill, the faster... So tough decisions have to be taken.

Conclusion 

The game (or better the narrative?) is awesome fun! It's pretty easy to get into the game, as the rules are mostly taught by playing. You start with simple rules, and then get the information and further rules you need to master the actual legend. Complexity grows as you move on to the next scenarios. There is a huge focus on story telling and experiencing great adventures, and the gameplay integrates seamlessly into the narrative. Also the mechanics of cooperation are very well designed and keep the game exciting, you really feel to be in the story. I can't wait to experience more legends soon, and the good news is that first expansions (e.g. The Star Shield) are already available.

From the producer: Legends of Andor is a cooperative adventure board game for two to four players in which a band of heroes must work together to defend a fantasy realm from invading hordes. To secure Andor's borders, the heroes will embark on dangerous quests over the course of five unique scenarios (as well as a final scenario created by the players themselves). But as the clever game system keeps monsters on the march toward the castle, the players must balance their priorities carefully.

At the heart of Legends of Andor is its unique narrative, the linked scenarios of which tell an overarching story as the players successfully complete objectives. For each scenario, or "Legend", a legend deck conveys the plot of an ever-unfolding tale...one in which the players are the protagonists. A wooden marker moves along the board's legend track at key points during each scenario, triggering the draw of a new legend card, the introduction of new game-altering effects, and the advancement of the story's plot. In the end, the players must endeavor to guide the fate of Andor through their heroic actions, bringing a happy ending to their epic fantasy tale.

Will their heroes roam the land completing quests in the name of glory, or devote themselves to the defense of the realm? Uncover epic tales of glory as you live the Legends of Andor!

2-4 players, 75 min
Designer: Michael Menzel
Published by: Kosmos, Fantasy Flight Games 
Category: Fantasy, Adventure, Cooperative, Area Movement 

Legends of Andor has won the "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2013" award.

Legends of Andor @ boardgamegeek.com
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Bobby Lee - 3rd Edition on Kickstarter

After the success of the 4th Edition of Napoleon, Columbia Games is now relaunching another old wargame classic - "Bobby Lee". Check it out here:

Bobby Lee on Kickstarter


Columbia Games announces a new Kickstarter project - a 3rd edition of Bobby Lee. Many gamers consider Bobby Lee (first published in 1993) the finest operational game ever done for the American Civil War.

Bobby Lee 3.0 will get a similar upgrade to Napoleon. There will be a new deluxe mapboard and foil labels. The new map is much larger with ample room for the blocks.

These rules are a blend of 1st and 2nd edition rules, plus changes to reduce overcrowding and speed up play. The game now plays TWICE as fast as the original.

AUTO UNION TYP C STROMLINIE AVUS 1937

If you want to add an extra-ordinary sports car to your collection of fine Carrera racing cars, you definitely should have a look at the model AUTO UNION TYP C STROMLINIE AVUS 1937. This car is especially for use with Carrera Digital 132 systems, but can be also driven on the analogue Evolution system.

It's design is amazing, reduced and focused on the core competencies. If you have seen it once sliding over your racing track, I'm sure that you don't want to miss it anymore... A stunning car with fantastic details and a great track performance, offering realistic acceleration and brake experience! 

Details 
1:32 Scale
Length: 184.00 mm
Width: 61.38 mm
Height: 31.20 mm
Weight: 98.1 grams
Lights: no

From the producer: The evocative shape of the streamlined Typ C caused a sensation in 1937.  Afterward, and especially in the post war period, the curves of this car found their way onto production cars.  That's because this Auto Union was specially shaped for top speed on the Avus circuit near Berlin.  At the time, it was the fastest track in the world.

Homepage: Carrera

You can buy this great car here: Carrera Onlineshop
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Achtung! Cthulhu

There have been a lot of interesting new products and successful Kickstarter campaigns for the huge field of Cthulhu boardgames and RPGs lately, e.g. Cthulhu Wars by Sandy Peterson or the re-publishing of the famous "Horror in the Orient Express" campaign by Chaosium.

One new series which definitely stands out is the great Achtung! Cthulhu by Chris Birch (Modiphius). It is a huge and exciting World War 2 setting, where heroic soldiers and agents (including partially real heroic characters from the historic past) fight against the evil and madness of the Nazi regime. All of this including of course occult happenings and supernatural mythos forces from the Lovecraftian universe. 

"Wartime Roleplaying.... with Tentacles!"

I'm pretty sure that Achtung! Cthulhu will be the next big thing. The last Kickstarter project raised more than 170.000,- GBP (whereas the initial goal has been 8.000,- GBP), and will bring us beside exciting full-colored hardcover books and lots of additional PDF Guides, also amazing miniatures and other fine stuff. I'm especially curious about the Investigator's and Keeper's Guide, and even more about two fantastic campaigns ("Shadows over Atlantis" & "The Assault on the Mountains of Madness") - I hope that I'll write about these great books here sometime soon.

The content and production value of the following Cthulhu adventures is outstanding. From the tight and exciting story itself, through the stunning artwork (beautiful maps and handouts!!) to the detailed historic research including pre-defined characters. I'm really impressed!! :-)

Campaign "Zero Point"

Part 1: Three Kings

In the first part of the "Zero Point" campaign (which consists of five episodes), you start as investigators for the British Secret Intelligence Service in the early years of the war. You are dropped over Czechoslovakia and have to work together with the local resistance, to analyse scary happenings around the strange Castle Karlstein. Lots of people are missed and there are rumors about a mad doctor (Dr. Kammerstein) doing horrific things. It's a fine and exciting adventure with quite a lot of action, and lots of variants and possibilities for the keeper to lead through the story - depending on the gaming group strengths and preferences. Great atmosphere, very consistent setting and good twists at the end!

Get Achtung! Cthulhu - Three Kings from RPGNow.com

Part 2: Heroes of the Sea

In the second adventure of the campaign (also containing five episodes) you follow-up as investigators for the British Secret Service. This time you find yourself in Dunkirk, where 300.000 Allied soldiers are closed in by the Germans and need to be evacuated urgently. Unfortunately insane mythos creatures from the deep sea are making this unfeasible challenge even more hopeless. This time the story is more frightening and more mythos stuff is involved, also the preparation is even more perfect than "Three Kings", which is hard to achieve. I liked this story very much!

Get Achtung! Cthulhu - Heroes of the Sea for Call of Cthulhu from RPGNow.com

Of course both adventures can be also played as stand-alone session, depending on your plans and the availability of your group.

Single Adventures

The Trellborg Monstrosities

This is the first "pure" stand-alone adventure of Achtung! Cthulhu and plays in 1943 on the northern front of the war, in Finland and Norway. Mad German occultists are searching for a horrible and supernatural weapon out of the dark cold, whereas the question is, if the Allies can prevent these horrros from Norse myth coming to life. Great artwork (already the cover is awesome!) and very diversified dangers and challenges have to be faced, when the players have to cross enemy lines and have to interact with scary NPCs. The setting is again appealing and haunting - and you'll have a great scary time giving your best to save the world!

Get Achtung! Cthulhu - The Trellborg Monstrosities for Call of Cthulhu from RPGNow.com

From the producer: Discover the secret history of World War Two - stories of the amazing heroism which struggled to overthrow a nightmare alliance of science and the occult, of frightening inhuman conspiracies from the depths of time, and the unbelievable war machines which were the product of Nazi scientific genius - and how close we all came to a slithering end!

Play a huge range of classic wartime heroes such as Russian political officers, German U-Boat commanders, British commandoes, RAF pilots, US rangers, Washington investigators, London journalists, Hollywood starlets, and resistance fighters from all across Europe, who must all unite in the battle against the darker side of World War Two. Play a full campaign leading from the opening shots of the War in 1939, through intrigue and adventure in Occupied Europe, the siege of Berlin in 1945, and finally the cold wastes of Antarctica in 1946!

FOUR ROLEPLAYING SYSTEMS
The world of Achtung! Cthulhu is a huge and terrifying World War 2 setting for four popular roleplaying game systems: Call of Cthulhu, Savage Worlds (Realms of Cthulhu), Trail of Cthulhu & The PDQ System (the Trail of Cthulhu & PDQ Conversions are currently in layout for Three Kings).

Modiphius  Homepage

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Game of Thrones

Introduction/Theme 
The game is settled in the world of Westeros, and is based on the well-known books by R. R. Martin - which have been also transferred into an awesome and successful TV-Series (already 3 seasons available). The board game really manages to create a great and exciting atmosphere (near to the original), where the famous Houses of Westeros are fighting for the Iron Throne - with weapons, with diplomacy and against the scary Wildlings. 

Components 

The box comes with long living, high-quality material. Beside a huge board (Map of Westeros), lots of simple miniatures (footmen, knights, ships and siege engines) are in there as well as cards and tokens and six nice player screens (used for secretly planning the next moves). The beautiful and improved design adds also to the atmospheric experience. 

Gameplay 

The game itself is split into 10 rounds, whereas the player wins who owns the most areas at the end. Each round consists of three phases:

1)      Westeros Phase - used for special events mainly, e.g. for managing the Wildling threat

2)      Planning Phase - each player assigns orders secretly (!) to his armies, alliances can be agreed on (but are never binding!)

3)      Action Phase - all orders are revealed simultaneously, movements & battles take place and are resolved

Battles are resolved with cards, therefore no luck is involved. In general you need to carefully plan which castles/areas to defend, how to handle area limits, how to most efficiently use your influence tokens, and very important: Which alliances make most sense at what time, and who can be trusted? 

Conclusion 

The 2nd edition comes not only with improved design and revised rules, but now contains the expansions which have had to be bought separately in the past. The game has strategic depth, has no luck involved, covers military conflict as well as diplomacy and alliances (and breaking them!) - and all of this in the well-known and beloved world of Westeros with their mighty Houses. You need to go through medium-complex rules, although most of them are clear and consistent after the first games. A very, very good game which ensures long time fun and excitement.

From the producer: King Robert Baratheon is dead, and the lands of Westeros brace for battle. Can you claim the Iron Throne? Designed for ages 14 and up, A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition is a classic game of warfare, diplomacy, and intrigue for three to six players. Taking control of the well-known characters from George R.R. Martin's beloved fantasy series, players must fight for dominance of the realm. Will you take power through force, coerce your way onto the throne with persuasive speeches, or rally the townsfolk to your side? With opportunities for strategic planning, masterful diplomacy, and clever card play, this game gives you a host of ways to spread your influence over Westeros.

3-6 players, 60 min
Designer: Christian T. Petersen
Published by: Heidelberger Spieleverlag, Fantasy Flight Games
Category: Fantasy, Wargame, Negotiation, Area Movement

Game of Thrones @ boardgamegeek.com
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Cthulhu RPG: Kingsport

The book "Kingsport" is part of the great "Lovecraft Country Collection" and contains source material about the beautiful and scary village in New England as well as seven fine adventures.

In the first part of the book the village "Kingsport" itself is described and you find a huge and beautiful map, which helps a lot to get a good overview. Then the main facts of Kingsport are covered (e.g. population, weather,...) as well as the history, including information about the main events of the past. Another chapter describes in detail mythos relevant cults and happenings, which is very helpful for the keeper of course. A huge part then is some kind of travel guide for lots of other villages near Kingsport, which makes the source material complete and ensures a tight and detailed setting.

In the second part you find seven very well prepared adventures. Different topics are covered, all of them coming with detailed descriptions, beautiful handouts and good stories. One scenario is about poems and terrible events coming with them, another one is about a scary ghost ship and needs the investigators to go to the sea on their own. The artist scene is a setting as well as the hunt of a murder, also an exciting air fight above Kingsport is part of a scenario. Finally a "strange house in the fog" is the topic of the last scenario. Overall a great mixture of different ideas and settings, with more or less mythos involved, so most expectations should be fulfilled. Together with the valuable information from the source material, Cthulhu fans will experience great hours of roleplaying.

From Wikipedia: Kingsport is a fictional town in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. The town first appeared in Lovecraft's short story "The Terrible Old Man" (1921). The town is also part of the Cthulhu Mythos and is featured in role-playing games based on the mythos.

The town is located in the United States to the southeast of (the fictitious) Arkham and corresponds geographically with the town of Prides Crossing, Massachusetts. It is based on Marblehead, Massachusetts, a real town that lies east of Salem. Lovecraft actually created Kingsport before he saw its real-life model. When Lovecraft visited Marblehead in 1922, he became enamored of the town and penned a glowing review in 1929 of his experiences there. Lovecraft wrote of seeing the snow-covered town at sunset and of experiencing his "first stupid glance of [Marblehead's] huddled and [archaic] roofs". He also remarked that "that instant — about 4:05 to 4:10 pm., Dec. 17, 1922 — [was] the most powerful single emotional climax during my nearly forty years of existence."

Kingsport was founded in 1639 by colonists from southern England and the Channel Islands. It soon became a seaport and center for shipbuilding. Influenced by the Salem witch trials, the town hanged four alleged witches in 1692. During the American Revolutionary War, the port was briefly blockaded by the British when the town's merchants turned to privateering against the British fleet. In the 19th century, sea trade dwindled and the town turned to fishing as the main industry. Kingsport's economy continued to dwindle into the 20th century and today relies primarily on tourism for income.

publisher: pegasus spiele (germany)

buy online @ pegasusshop.de

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Memoir' 44 - Equipment Pack

The Memoir' 44 Equipment Pack is the latest huge addition to the Memoir' 44 Universe - and comes in a big box, having the same size as the base game. The box contains over 100 miniatures (solid quality, no need to cut or glue), a rulebook, a scenario book and summary cards.

Beside armies (French Infantry, Polish Cavalry, Finnish Ski Troop, Italian Artillery) and other artillery, also tanks, vehicles and snipers are part of this expansion. There are 17 battles includes (11 Standard, 4 Overlord, 2 Breakthrough) where the new miniatures are heavily used. It is furthermore suggested to own the Terrain Pack, also the Desert/Winter-Board, to make the most out of the scenarios provided.

The battles can be definitely recommended, they are diversified, exciting and fun. The special rules make the games a bit more complex, but offer more strategic depth - which is absolutely worth the efforts for using the new rules.

Overall a very useful expansion (miniatures as well as scenarios), and especially for the Memoir'44 fans out there a reasonable addition to their collection.

 "World War II spurred the most frantic period of weapons development in the history of humanity. Countless new designs and concepts were fielded in the most diverse Theaters of Operations, often with great success. Mastering them made all the difference between battles won and lost."

From the producer: Welcome to the Memoir '44 Equipment Pack, the largest set of figures ever released for Memoir '44. On D-Day, the Allied forces unleashed over 150,000 men and thousands of tons of equipment along the coast of Normandy. 68 years later Days of Wonder has introduced this major expansion to the Memoir '44 game system which fills a game box as big as the original board game and includes 186 plastic figures.


2 players, 45 min
author: richard borg
publisher: days of wonder
category: wargame, world war II

memoir '44 @ boardgamegeek.com
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