Very good review. I'd just like to point out that Asharra (Aarakocra Wizard) and Birdsong (Tabaxi Bard) are both female heroes in the game. I think it's good to have an even measure of male and female playable characters especially if you are interested in having real life male and female players.
Very informative review (as always) and based on this video my wife and I went ahead and purchased a copy to go with our other five boxed sets in the series. We were going to miss this one, thinking it would just be more of the same.... but hey, maybe that`s a good thing too. But you showcased the game so well, it convinced us to go for it (and VERY glad we did). Thank you for all your hard work, it is always very much appreciated :-)
Yay a Tabaxi! I need that mini for my current campain. And Dragonbait! And Arakokra! So much goodness with this one I could almost pop. They have really upped their game with this one. The artwork is beautiful. Love the Chult setting. I have the Ravenloft, Legend of Drizzt and Temple of Elemental evil. While I don't play the game part often I use the minis for my D&D games. There is no better bang for your buck if you count just the minis. Even cheaper than bones. The fact that it can be used as a board game is a super huge bonus for those that cant get a group together or as a backup to play when some of the folks in your group cant make the game. I really like how you go into detail about the game contents and its mechanics. Subscribed. :-)
When I played Warhammer Quest (1995 game), there weren't many 3-ways and no 4-way chambers; you mostly just went deeper along a path. With dead ends and more two-exit passages in this game you could now create more dungeons that stretch rather than form big chambers like Castle Ravenloft, if that's what you want to do. Of course backtracking might not be as fun, but it's more plausible.
'For when two arms aren't enough' on the gargoyle lol Good to see what the standard edition non-painted minis plastic colors are. seems like everyone is springing for the premium painted edition.
I was going to buy the standard edition and then buy the painted minis individually. However, once I priced the difference between the premium game vs. the standard game and then compared that to how much buying each minpainted individually and the cost of shipping it was clear just to spring for the premium edition. The standard edition are for players who want to paint their own, or just don't care about the level of detail the painted minis add.
nice review. good you had a chance to play it so soon after you got it. I agree with your assessment of the D&D adventure system board games and their development set-to-set and the mechanics being linear but a solid backbone or framework for adventures and campaigns that play quickly overall. I like the idea of outdoor jungle terrain and indoor dungeon. WotC artwork is top notch. I like the rich colors and details. what I really don't like are the cheap plastic look of the miniatures. they don't look like the quality and design of previous editions. I know they want different races and monsters. but these are very unexciting. a bird and a cat. no thanx. I know it loosely ties into the jungle them but has to lose a lot in a dungeon environment. although the cat ability to work around traps is interesting. I would just as soon use minis from previous sets lol edit: I've seen the painted premium edition figures and those do look better and may be worth the premium price. good to see acereak.
I like simple old school minis the best (bit like Hero clix) so the ones in this game are ideal for that. I love that they have deviated from having mostly all human heroes.... but its so easy to switch out and put in your own preferred mini if you prefer (and just keep using the stat card as is).
I've enjoyed your reviews of all of the games in this series, Thanks for pulling them together. So odd that Tomb of Annihilation does not have any female playable characters, especially as the earlier ones do. Great of you to flag it.
In one review the guy's daughter says she doesn't play guys. I dealt with that from my friend's daughters and went looking for a female warrior/barbarian figure but only got one play before they were done with the game.
The gender issue jumped out at me too. I just ordered Castle Ravenloft and am looking forward to playing it. If I end up liking it, I see myself being tempted by one of the WizKids editions for the additional mechanisms.
Dungeon has been used loosely in D&D to depict exploration just as dragon (the epitome of any adventurer's nemesis and challenge) denotes monsters and treasures.
Im confused at the creature tactics, when we explore to an unexplored edge and that the new tile has a monster icon So at the villian phase it spawns a monster; BUT does that monster INTANTLY ATTACKS? Like vegepygmy warrior?
@@dylanfrazier1845 The game I have goes 1. Hero Phase (2 of move and attack), 2. Exploration Phase (new tiles, place monster), 3. Villain Phase (draw encounter card if applicable, villain attacks, monsters controlled by that hero attacks). Some don't like the baddies go first, or you might split the party to avoid encounters effects, but it's their lair and it is what it is.
Dragonbait? Yay! He was in the game Curse of the Azure Bonds and in the novels. I need this game. :D Edit: I like that the heroes are not all human - or demi-human. It's gets boring after a while playing a human.
Isn't there a new mechanism to do with villains? You have not mentioned those. Also, one hero (the bard) looks like it will not integrate with the first 3 sets, what about the rest? I wish this had been more informative for those who have previous games...
Got the first three, then drifted off from board gaming. Awesome review! Will most likely get the 3 new ones, if only they didnt take too much space :p
also could you zoom in the D20. to see how it looks. is the same texture as the ones on the wizrds store. or not. is it transparent like in lod. or solid. is it dark green ?
I love the D&D Adventure board games and own all....except the last one (Temple of Elemental Evil). I wasn't impressed with ToEE's monster selection and the enormous amount of traps. The traps were just too abundant. This one has great looking monsters and I like the jungle/outdoor tiles but once again it looks too "trap heavy". Thanks for another great review!
Tempest Fury I thought the same at first but found the monsters very fun to play. The elemental cultists level up and gain new abilities as the campaign progresses. I think the traps help the game somewhat and not all traps are traps. Some are duds which adds element of uncertainty like the locked or unlocked doors in Ashardalon. And the campaign makes it my fav of the bunch though I haven't played this one yet.
yeah Kevin Wilson the designer is on BGG (boardgamegeek)I told him they should state that on the hero cards. I don't have the game yet but I have seen an Asharra power card that refers to 'her'
I would really consider this game if the tiles WERE NOT MARKED beforehand ! Great d&d material is distinquished from average to low material by its ability of replayability and also usefulness on different sessions. A 12 year old DM might be glad that the game provides a take-by-hand approach. Everyone else just needs the puzzle to make his own dungeons and knows how to use the rules to his advantage. A tile that indicates (MONSTER HERE) and (TRAP HERE) simply is not good enough.
Not sure if this little tid-bit of information helps but the tiles might be pre marked but the tiles are set up in random order. replaying an adventure wont have the same layout.
we switch out characters/miniatures all the time (and just use the stat cards as written). We`ve even gone as far as to try taking Richard Sharpe and some of his 95th rifles into the dungeon before haha. It all works just fine as long as you let go a bit and allow immersion and imagination to take over :-)
Probably the best review I’ve ever seen regarding a boardgame. Great job!
Very good review. I'd just like to point out that Asharra (Aarakocra Wizard) and Birdsong (Tabaxi Bard) are both female heroes in the game. I think it's good to have an even measure of male and female playable characters especially if you are interested in having real life male and female players.
Because one gender is imagination-handicapped and needs it to correspond? Which one is the stupid gender? How is this relevant to the player?
I have castle ravenloft and temple of elemental evil, both great value for the miniatures alone. Planning on getting the other 3 games in the series.
Very informative review (as always) and based on this video my wife and I went ahead and purchased a copy to go with our other five boxed sets in the series. We were going to miss this one, thinking it would just be more of the same.... but hey, maybe that`s a good thing too. But you showcased the game so well, it convinced us to go for it (and VERY glad we did). Thank you for all your hard work, it is always very much appreciated :-)
Yay a Tabaxi! I need that mini for my current campain. And Dragonbait! And Arakokra! So much goodness with this one I could almost pop. They have really upped their game with this one. The artwork is beautiful. Love the Chult setting. I have the Ravenloft, Legend of Drizzt and Temple of Elemental evil. While I don't play the game part often I use the minis for my D&D games. There is no better bang for your buck if you count just the minis. Even cheaper than bones. The fact that it can be used as a board game is a super huge bonus for those that cant get a group together or as a backup to play when some of the folks in your group cant make the game. I really like how you go into detail about the game contents and its mechanics. Subscribed. :-)
Heya, I love every review you do of the D&D system of board games! Eagerly awaiting for your Dungeon of the Mad Mage review :D :D
I'll definitely be getting this one. Thanks for posting.
When I played Warhammer Quest (1995 game), there weren't many 3-ways and no 4-way chambers; you mostly just went deeper along a path. With dead ends and more two-exit passages in this game you could now create more dungeons that stretch rather than form big chambers like Castle Ravenloft, if that's what you want to do. Of course backtracking might not be as fun, but it's more plausible.
'For when two arms aren't enough' on the gargoyle lol Good to see what the standard edition non-painted minis plastic colors are. seems like everyone is springing for the premium painted edition.
I was going to buy the standard edition and then buy the painted minis individually. However, once I priced the difference between the premium game vs. the standard game and then compared that to how much buying each minpainted individually and the cost of shipping it was clear just to spring for the premium edition. The standard edition are for players who want to paint their own, or just don't care about the level of detail the painted minis add.
nice review. good you had a chance to play it so soon after you got it. I agree with your assessment of the D&D adventure system board games and their development set-to-set and the mechanics being linear but a solid backbone or framework for adventures and campaigns that play quickly overall.
I like the idea of outdoor jungle terrain and indoor dungeon. WotC artwork is top notch. I like the rich colors and details.
what I really don't like are the cheap plastic look of the miniatures. they don't look like the quality and design of previous editions.
I know they want different races and monsters. but these are very unexciting. a bird and a cat. no thanx. I know it loosely ties into the jungle them but has to lose a lot in a dungeon environment.
although the cat ability to work around traps is interesting. I would just as soon use minis from previous sets lol
edit: I've seen the painted premium edition figures and those do look better and may be worth the premium price.
good to see acereak.
I like simple old school minis the best (bit like Hero clix) so the ones in this game are ideal for that. I love that they have deviated from having mostly all human heroes.... but its so easy to switch out and put in your own preferred mini if you prefer (and just keep using the stat card as is).
Marcos, would you post a list of the miniatures? It is tough to identify them all from the video. Thanks for a another nice review.
I've enjoyed your reviews of all of the games in this series, Thanks for pulling them together. So odd that Tomb of Annihilation does not have any female playable characters, especially as the earlier ones do. Great of you to flag it.
In one review the guy's daughter says she doesn't play guys. I dealt with that from my friend's daughters and went looking for a female warrior/barbarian figure but only got one play before they were done with the game.
The gender issue jumped out at me too. I just ordered Castle Ravenloft and am looking forward to playing it. If I end up liking it, I see myself being tempted by one of the WizKids editions for the additional mechanisms.
Dungeon has been used loosely in D&D to depict exploration just as dragon (the epitome of any adventurer's nemesis and challenge) denotes monsters and treasures.
Preordered, with a copy of blood rage. Pretty pissed because they delayed release to October.
Thanks for the review. Looking forward to getting this. :)
Im confused at the creature tactics, when we explore to an unexplored edge and that the new tile has a monster icon
So at the villian phase it spawns a monster; BUT does that monster INTANTLY ATTACKS? Like vegepygmy warrior?
I feel like the creatures have the "first hit" but it feels wrong, answer is most appreciated
@@dylanfrazier1845 The game I have goes 1. Hero Phase (2 of move and attack), 2. Exploration Phase (new tiles, place monster), 3. Villain Phase (draw encounter card if applicable, villain attacks, monsters controlled by that hero attacks). Some don't like the baddies go first, or you might split the party to avoid encounters effects, but it's their lair and it is what it is.
Thanks for a wonderful review!
Ha! The monster spawn icon is the notorious green devil face (but white).
It made me think it was auto kill when you stepped on one ; actually one of the 3.5e starter sets had a tile with a mushroom patch that was auto kill
Dragonbait? Yay! He was in the game Curse of the Azure Bonds and in the novels. I need this game. :D
Edit: I like that the heroes are not all human - or demi-human. It's gets boring after a while playing a human.
I loved those books.
When you play the adventures in order does anything from previous adventures carry over (ex: treasures)?
Great review. Do you prefer this to the temple of elemental evil? Also have you played/ reviewed massive darkness?
Isn't there a new mechanism to do with villains? You have not mentioned those. Also, one hero (the bard) looks like it will not integrate with the first 3 sets, what about the rest? I wish this had been more informative for those who have previous games...
Got the first three, then drifted off from board gaming. Awesome review! Will most likely get the 3 new ones, if only they didnt take too much space :p
would you make a video with all the hero cards ? I would like to see the ranger and wizard. Great videos keet it up !
at will, daily, utility cards
also could you zoom in the D20. to see how it looks. is the same texture as the ones on the wizrds store. or not. is it transparent like in lod. or solid. is it dark green ?
It's just a D20, clearly not transparent... ;)
The Layaw
I love the D&D Adventure board games and own all....except the last one (Temple of Elemental Evil). I wasn't impressed with ToEE's monster selection and the enormous amount of traps. The traps were just too abundant.
This one has great looking monsters and I like the jungle/outdoor tiles but once again it looks too "trap heavy".
Thanks for another great review!
Tempest Fury I thought the same at first but found the monsters very fun to play. The elemental cultists level up and gain new abilities as the campaign progresses. I think the traps help the game somewhat and not all traps are traps. Some are duds which adds element of uncertainty like the locked or unlocked doors in Ashardalon. And the campaign makes it my fav of the bunch though I haven't played this one yet.
Too bad. it is probably the best of the games.
Btw the aracocra and tabaxi are both female.
yeah Kevin Wilson the designer is on BGG (boardgamegeek)I told him they should state that on the hero cards. I don't have the game yet but I have seen an Asharra power card that refers to 'her'
Great review. Thanks!
Bland allies?
What’s the difference from the board game and the normal tomb of annihilation set?
Good review.
How difficult will it be to add characters from previous games?
dead easy :)
I wouldn’t buy a board game without checking with Marco first. Seriously.
Where did you get it? It's nowhere available here in Germany. thx
He got it an Gen Con 2017 in Indiana U.S.A, it will be everywhere soon in Europe don't worry ! and then they'll do reprints.
The bard and, I believe, the wizard are female.
That's what Kevin Wilson the game designer said on BGG. I said they should spell that out on the Hero cards. Pretty hard to tell with animals ;
too bad
Cool!
Times are changing? I think Johnny Depp said it best: WHACKK!!
ATTAAAACk
Oooo!
I would really consider this game if the tiles WERE NOT MARKED beforehand ! Great d&d material is distinquished from average to low material by its ability of replayability and also usefulness on different sessions. A 12 year old DM might be glad that the game provides a take-by-hand approach. Everyone else just needs the puzzle to make his own dungeons and knows how to use the rules to his advantage. A tile that indicates (MONSTER HERE) and (TRAP HERE) simply is not good enough.
Not sure if this little tid-bit of information helps but the tiles might be pre marked but the tiles are set up in random order. replaying an adventure wont have the same layout.
Sounds like the item cards do not have images again. Bit of a disappointment for me.
thats where imagination is so useful.
Maybe GW and CMON have spoiled me but the minis look like garbage.
That's because they cost way more. You get what you pay for
Female character? Let's not head down that slippery path... if the miniature is a male, just swap it out with a female. Why does it matter?
we switch out characters/miniatures all the time (and just use the stat cards as written). We`ve even gone as far as to try taking Richard Sharpe and some of his 95th rifles into the dungeon before haha. It all works just fine as long as you let go a bit and allow immersion and imagination to take over :-)
Great review Marco but this whole line of "D&D" (I use that term loosely now) games are rubbish.
Caveat emptor
Oooo!