Yes, adventures are only played with specific preludes AND without specific Ancient Ones. Thats actually good because: 1) gives one more different use to the sideboards (with the adventures that come in the big boxes), other than the Ancient Ones that require them. 2) the adventures tell a different but somewhat related story with those AOs but dont mesh well with the actual appearance of the specific AO and 3) you get an extra, shadowy influence of that specific AO WITH another different AO (a fuller experience other than rumours related to specific AOs, like with Ithaqua in the "Rumours from the North" Prelude).
No matter how I try, I just can't quit FFG. :p Star Wars Rebellion, Eldritch Horror expansion, Elder Sign expansion.... they know they got me. UtP is already on the wishlist.
I own Arkham Horror with the Kingsport Horror, Innsmouth Horror and Black Goat of the Woods expansions. I also have Eldritch Horror which I've now fully expanded from Forsaken Lore up to Under the Pyramids and I have Elder Sign Omens on my pc through steam.... It's hard to say what game is best because each has their own strengths and weaknesses and all are awesome somehow. Here's a personal little pros and cons list... Arkham Horror: Pros: -super creepy and oppresive horror theme that seems to exponentially increase tension and dread as individual turns progress -Fun choice driven exploration that feels almost more like an RPG than a board game. Lots of player freedom. -lots of room for expansion if you end up liking the game but still a blast to play even unexpanded. -Feels instantly familiar to fans of H.P. Lovecraft. Cons: -VERY rules intensive. There are several complex rule systems that feed off each other and require constant babysitting. Forgetting to do something (especially for too long) can make a game crumble to chaotic confusion. Making a checklist can help and this con melts away as you get used to the game. -Arkham can sometimes feel utterly hopeless. You can lose the game just because of bad card draws/dice rolls sometimes but A, that's to be expected sometimes with games like this and B, the characters in Lovecraft's stories didn't usually have much hope either. -some of the expansions don't mix as well with the base game as they really should(Innsmouth Horror is my favorite). Eldritch Horror: Pros: -Globe trotting adventure horror a la Indiana Jones and the Mountains of Madness -more apt at telling a more complex story than Arkham was. -complex encounters with different consequences for passed tests than for failed tests. Special encounters with investigators who died or went insane. Theme still rocks and every encounter drips with it. -MUCH easier to get new people to play than Arkham Horror. And easier to teach. Cons: -You tend to be pushed and guided along a lot more than in Arkham. It can feel more like a roller coaster than a haunted house you can freely explore(but the new system makes it less rules intensive and therefore more newb friendly). -The adventure theme CAN be a bit jarring for those of us who like these games because of their ties to H.P.L. -I still feel like the expansions could be integrated better. Elder Sign/Elder Sign Omens: Pros: -Super condensed Arkham/Eldritch game. Maruchan Cup'o'Cthulhu -You can play a game in one hour (depending on the Ancient one you picked). -Neat theme as always, (but much less of it here). -Ancient ones can have a big affect on the structure of the game(when up against Cthulhu you actually leave the museum and head out to sea). -Elder Sign Omens is like 15$ on the steam store and it's nice when you want to play Arkham or Eldritch but can't be bothered with the setup/playtime. Cons: -Kinda feels like Arkham Yahtzee -No matter which ancient one you fight it's game over when they wake up. -Little to no skill or strategy is needed or useful once you understand the rules. What the dice rolls dictate is what goes. tl:dr...Arkham Horror and Eldritch Horror are both on similar levels for me, I love both and play both. Elder Sign is cool but I'd say just either buy the pc version and save a bit of money (I think the physical copy of Elder Sign is like 40$)or just skip it and expand Arkham or Eldritch.... Also, if you have a good play group check out Mansions of Madness. Same company, same theme, same inspiration, GREAT game.
Correction, EH fully expanded from Forsaken Lore to Signs of Carcosa. I have forsaken Lore, Mountains of Madness, Strange Remnants, Under the Pyramids and Signs of Carcosa.
Great game system overall and another good expansion. As far as the impairment tokens are concerned ... yes, they can be brutal and despair inducing. I approach this particular mechanic with the same mindset as I approach the game in general - "Shit happens. Deal with it." Thanks for your very informative set of reviews on EH and its expansions. It was these reviews that encouraged and persuaded me to pull the trigger on this game series in the first place and I am so glad I did.
Can this be played WITH the Mountains of Madness board or is it a case of either/or ? I know the cards can be mixed in, but I mean the boards to give more locations to visit?
The expansions in Eldritch are not done like Arkham. To play a board expansion you will have to play a certain prelude, Old One or other story card at game start. In short, yes it is either or.
Well, you could play with a great old one that requires one expansion board, and a prelude card that adds another. Which expansion boards you use are determined by those two things.
You know those 2 old ones the pharo and the uncleanliness one are antagonists in the MMO secret world. The filth one is much more dangerous there due to you have to worry about contamination.
I have the base game, and I just picked up forsaken lore and strange remnants. do you play with all the expansions in regardless of the ancient one? should I play either or can I just lump in the cards from the expansions?
Awsome pre-christmas gift.. thanks for allways beeing quick with reviews of new games. Keep up the good work and Merry Christmas
Thorough review, Nick.
Have not received my copy of UtP, but I agree about the impairment tokens.
I know I'm going to hate them, too. Ugh
Yes, adventures are only played with specific preludes AND without specific Ancient Ones.
Thats actually good because:
1) gives one more different use to the sideboards (with the adventures that come in the big boxes), other than the Ancient Ones that require them.
2) the adventures tell a different but somewhat related story with those AOs but dont mesh well with the actual appearance of the specific AO and
3) you get an extra, shadowy influence of that specific AO WITH another different AO (a fuller experience other than rumours related to specific AOs, like with Ithaqua in the "Rumours from the North" Prelude).
Id love to see a sideboard that adds a interior to change things up a bit, for example a Arkham Asylum interior board.
+TheFewzz play arkham horror :)
Problem is ive invested into EH now, to now invest into Arkham would be alot more cash for more or less same game, theme, components etc.
Ok. I like eldritch horror more than arkham
That's funny.. I do the opposite. I ONLY get the small expansions. I don't want another board worth of fiddiliness added to the game.
No matter how I try, I just can't quit FFG. :p Star Wars Rebellion, Eldritch Horror expansion, Elder Sign expansion.... they know they got me. UtP is already on the wishlist.
regards from Venezuela, what is your opinion about Elder sign? and which are a best? Arkham horror, Eldricht por Elder Sign? thanks My friend
I own Arkham Horror with the Kingsport Horror, Innsmouth Horror and Black Goat of the Woods expansions. I also have Eldritch Horror which I've now fully expanded from Forsaken Lore up to Under the Pyramids and I have Elder Sign Omens on my pc through steam....
It's hard to say what game is best because each has their own strengths and weaknesses and all are awesome somehow. Here's a personal little pros and cons list...
Arkham Horror:
Pros:
-super creepy and oppresive horror theme that seems to exponentially increase tension and dread as individual turns progress
-Fun choice driven exploration that feels almost more like an RPG than a board game. Lots of player freedom.
-lots of room for expansion if you end up liking the game but still a blast to play even unexpanded.
-Feels instantly familiar to fans of H.P. Lovecraft.
Cons:
-VERY rules intensive. There are several complex rule systems that feed off each other and require constant babysitting. Forgetting to do something (especially for too long) can make a game crumble to chaotic confusion. Making a checklist can help and this con melts away as you get used to the game.
-Arkham can sometimes feel utterly hopeless. You can lose the game just because of bad card draws/dice rolls sometimes but A, that's to be expected sometimes with games like this and B, the characters in Lovecraft's stories didn't usually have much hope either.
-some of the expansions don't mix as well with the base game as they really should(Innsmouth Horror is my favorite).
Eldritch Horror:
Pros:
-Globe trotting adventure horror a la Indiana Jones and the Mountains of Madness
-more apt at telling a more complex story than Arkham was.
-complex encounters with different consequences for passed tests than for failed tests. Special encounters with investigators who died or went insane.
Theme still rocks and every encounter drips with it.
-MUCH easier to get new people to play than Arkham Horror. And easier to teach.
Cons:
-You tend to be pushed and guided along a lot more than in Arkham. It can feel more like a roller coaster than a haunted house you can freely explore(but the new system makes it less rules intensive and therefore more newb friendly).
-The adventure theme CAN be a bit jarring for those of us who like these games because of their ties to H.P.L.
-I still feel like the expansions could be integrated better.
Elder Sign/Elder Sign Omens:
Pros:
-Super condensed Arkham/Eldritch game. Maruchan Cup'o'Cthulhu
-You can play a game in one hour (depending on the Ancient one you picked).
-Neat theme as always, (but much less of it here).
-Ancient ones can have a big affect on the structure of the game(when up against Cthulhu you actually leave the museum and head out to sea).
-Elder Sign Omens is like 15$ on the steam store and it's nice when you want to play Arkham or Eldritch but can't be bothered with the setup/playtime.
Cons:
-Kinda feels like Arkham Yahtzee
-No matter which ancient one you fight it's game over when they wake up.
-Little to no skill or strategy is needed or useful once you understand the rules. What the dice rolls dictate is what goes.
tl:dr...Arkham Horror and Eldritch Horror are both on similar levels for me, I love both and play both. Elder Sign is cool but I'd say just either buy the pc version and save a bit of money (I think the physical copy of Elder Sign is like 40$)or just skip it and expand Arkham or Eldritch.... Also, if you have a good play group check out Mansions of Madness. Same company, same theme, same inspiration, GREAT game.
Correction, EH fully expanded from Forsaken Lore to Signs of Carcosa. I have forsaken Lore, Mountains of Madness, Strange Remnants, Under the Pyramids and Signs of Carcosa.
Great game system overall and another good expansion. As far as the impairment tokens are concerned ... yes, they can be brutal and despair inducing. I approach this particular mechanic with the same mindset as I approach the game in general - "Shit happens. Deal with it." Thanks for your very informative set of reviews on EH and its expansions. It was these reviews that encouraged and persuaded me to pull the trigger on this game series in the first place and I am so glad I did.
This is the best review to this game on the internet
Can this be played WITH the Mountains of Madness board or is it a case of either/or ? I know the cards can be mixed in, but I mean the boards to give more locations to visit?
The expansions in Eldritch are not done like Arkham. To play a board expansion you will have to play a certain prelude, Old One or other story card at game start. In short, yes it is either or.
Well, you could play with a great old one that requires one expansion board, and a prelude card that adds another. Which expansion boards you use are determined by those two things.
You know those 2 old ones the pharo and the uncleanliness one are antagonists in the MMO secret world.
The filth one is much more dangerous there due to you have to worry about contamination.
I have the base game, and I just picked up forsaken lore and strange remnants. do you play with all the expansions in regardless of the ancient one? should I play either or can I just lump in the cards from the expansions?
+dethklok808 lump all cards. only use certain stuff with certain ancient ones
the only thing i wanted to see was actually the gates tokens ...
Hey, I quite like your reviews. Keep up the good work.
so basically there going to add every small expansion for every country
I have to give this review a thumbs down as I could not understand a word of it above the overwhelming badassedeness of Nick's shirt. :)