All my homies love kami unbound. Its my favorite expansion we’ve bought, but its definitely one you shouldnt touch until youve played a ton and need a new challenge
I have all the expansions and love them, but honestly, the base game by itself has plenty of game in it. That said, if you have the extra content, definitely play with it (except for Kami Unbound - I 100% agree with you there). If price weren't an issue I'd say Daimyo is #1, then Dynasty Invasion, then the monsters, and the kami in 4th place. But with the cost of the KS Exclusive content, I can see moving it down the list. I have seen it sell for less on various second-hand markets (I saw a copy of all these expansions plus the metal coins going for $230 last week), but it's still a very high point of entry.
Yeah that's a pretty decent price for all 4 for sure. If price isn't an issue, oh yeah Daimyo moves up to number 2 for me aaaallmost to number one, but I'm super biased because I LOVE the sun clan so much, so they just manage to keep that top spot. Last game I played my friend beat me in a tie by the sun clan which meant overall he beat me by one point and it was a glorious victory.
I was decided to get rid of my Rising Sun copy but your last two videos remembered me the things I like about it and changed my mind about selling it 😀
The main problem with the Daimyo Box is the price, since it includes a little bit of everything, more monsters, more players, more cards and the deluxe components, I would say it is the perfect expansion... but the price... the price is unaffordable. I'd like to have it as I recently bought the base game and I'm looking at which expansions to buy and the one I'm most interested in is the most expensive of them all. I'm going to end up printing the strongholds and maybe I'll buy the expansion for more players later, although the Kami Unbound one seems interesting to me, I should try to test it to know how it is according to your review and opinion.
I play every expansion all the time but I understand how you feel about the kami as I feel that way about the gods in blood rage I sold them however the kami phase in rising sun is an essential phase built in to it so the kami cards add so much more also the boat deck is my top 2 favorite decks for sure! Btw rising sun is mine and my game groups number 1 by far.
What is really nice about this review is that I came out of this with a strong idea of the worth of the base game. Perhaps not so much now but I remember the talk surrounding Rising Sun frequently centered around the worth of retail game vs the kickstarter pledge. So many people complaining and stating the the game was basically a rip off and not worth grabbing at retail. I want to add that I felt like you did a great job explaining the strengths and weakness's of each expansion. Only thing I would have liked to have seen is what the extra monsters do in the diamyo box. What do they bring to the game so I can be a better a judge of their worth? Well done.
Thanks! Yeah I definitely still hear that comparison a lot, that the retail is not worth it, even with it being out for a while, and I feel that sentiment often leads people to not even bother with it, because they think they won't get a complete game. I think I quickly show the Daimyo monsters abilities at 5:07 so you can see their abilities if you pause (because I do go through them a little quickly to fit in with me talking). Is that what you meant?
@@RoomandBoardReviews mm i guess more elaboration, like if the powers bring any well added variablity. Or if the powers are more of a rehash of what comes in the base game. Thanks for the reply.
Oh totally - yeah for me they feel just like any other monster. They all feel pretty interchangeable whenever I play, I don't really notice what they are, just that I have a few extra monsters in the game, just something else to grab in the Train mandate but nothing that really stands out in one way or the other.
I'd really recommend matt varnishing your minis btw! I used gloss varnish when I started, too, because I had that laying around, but eventually got matt varnish like everybody recommends and revarnished my old minis too. Really makes them look way better, the gloss takes away from all the work you put into these minis. Really liked the video anyways! Great work, not just for a small channel but generally!
Thanks for the tip! - I'm horrible at painting so my friend Zach did these when he was first learning, but I shall definitely look into matte varnishing when he and I paint my Ankh guardians when they show up - I want to do a series called Horrible Painting where he paints one and I desperately attempt to keep up with him with the other, haha.
@@RoomandBoardReviews Haha! You can put matte varnish on old minis, too, if you like the matte style more. Also, if you are a beginner at mini painting or generally want nice results for relatively low effort and time, I recommend doing a zenithal prime with black and white primer (there are loads of tutorials on youtube) and then using contrast paints. Sure, wouldn't suffice for display pieces, but for game pieces the results are amazing with just one coat of paint! :)
"Dynasty Invasion" is pretty strange expansion In case when you have 3-4 players - 2 of them just should to play Moon clan or Sun clan, because of imbalance situation around Lucky Gods control (if one player have no competition to buy all of Lucky Gods it is a pretty strong adventage) So it works if you want to play every game with those two clans... Idk, I think it is more about of a limitation of the gameplay than an increase in variety But "Kami Unbound" expansion gives varaity to every player in the game So it is an open question - which of the expansion is worth its money and gives more variety to the game:)
Daimyo box should be the first pick just for the mandates alone! They LARGELY improve the experience hehe I think the ideal in a 3 players game is to add 1 extra monster for each season. While in a 5 players game you should add 2 extra. We never play with 4 or 6, but I asume 1 extra for 4 players and 2 extras for 6 would be ideal. PS: The Fox clan is broken and should be banned hahaha
how much would the order change for Daimyo box if I go by the original KS price instead of the crazy miniature market price? ;) I might even throw in the playmat in there as something more essential than kami unbound or monsters
Technically yes, the game can go to 6 as soon as you have 6 clans - either the Daimyo box Fox Clan or the Dynasty Invasion pack (including DIY versions). 6 players does sort of stretch the game to its limits, the math under it feels like it falls apart a little bit to me, and crucially half your players will only ever get to play one tile per season, which feels rough sometimes.
@@RoomandBoardReviews it's true that i can rarely play with it because the game is complex enough for most people as it is but with the right group it elevates the game to another level. The fact that honour can change ownership over gods mid-war phase makes it very interesting.
Kami expansion: Can you have just one kami figure in play instead of all four? This way, the stakes to win a shrine is higher and the replayability increases more, to play with the other god figures next games.
I guess you could definitely try it! This might be a good way to balance out the ones that don't get claimed often too. My worry is it would make the decision process a little less significant because you might all go for that one, and sometimes the ability affects all figures in the province and not just the ones under your control, but I don't think it's a bad idea to play around with. I was just thinking the other day how I rarely have the desire to add them, so just adding one might be an interesting thing.
@@RoomandBoardReviews Thank you :) the other players competing for that one shrine with a kami figure is what I am counting on because it leaves the other shrines free for my taking!
How "non-board" are we talking about? My parents, who are in their 60s felt it was really complicated, although moreso in terms of the strategy than the learning of it, if I recall correctly. They're fans of things like ticket to Ride, but also have played Puerto Rico and Orleans in terms of their max complicated game, which took a bit to get into but which they were able to grasp. I think definitely just start with the base game - the thing is that for non gamers it's a LONG game, which I find wears people out even if it's sort of that "medium-medium high complexity" level. You're looking at about 3-4 hours for the first one because people will have questions. I've been meaning to film a Play It Now (my version of a how to play which only gives you the rules needed to start the game to not overwhelm new players rather than dump everything at once) but I have to refilm it because my footage of that didn't work out. But how I would go about teaching it is to explain the "we make an alliance at the beginning of the season, and throughout the season we prepare for war, which you need coins for. So focus on getting coins and troops on the board in preparation for that" and not explain the bidding mechanic until you get to that. That gives people enough to focus on, and hopefully at the end of the first war they'll see how it all works together and feel good going into the second round. Just explain that you draw four actions, pick one, everyone gets to take it and you and your partner get an extra bonus from it, then explain what the actions and the Kami's do and go from there. I think if you take care to not be overwhelming with choice, non gamers should be able to pick it up, but just let them know it's gonna be long but to have faith. It is worth noting that this is the only game my parents have quit halfway through because they really felt like they weren't able to grasp the strategy and the length made it unappealing to continue, so you'll have to be the judge on if your non-gamers might have a similar feeling. Maybe at the beginning of the war phase have a mock battle at the final province of that season, so that you have real examples, but the coins will change hands throughout the other battles.
I searched the internet but could not find any picture from the fox clan card or the season cards from the kickstarter Oni's. Could you maybe email me some pics?
Dude. Your videos are super informative and unique. I feel lucky to have found this channel so early. Keep killing it, King.
Thanks so much, that really means a lot!
All my homies love kami unbound. Its my favorite expansion we’ve bought, but its definitely one you shouldnt touch until youve played a ton and need a new challenge
I have all the expansions and love them, but honestly, the base game by itself has plenty of game in it. That said, if you have the extra content, definitely play with it (except for Kami Unbound - I 100% agree with you there). If price weren't an issue I'd say Daimyo is #1, then Dynasty Invasion, then the monsters, and the kami in 4th place. But with the cost of the KS Exclusive content, I can see moving it down the list. I have seen it sell for less on various second-hand markets (I saw a copy of all these expansions plus the metal coins going for $230 last week), but it's still a very high point of entry.
Yeah that's a pretty decent price for all 4 for sure. If price isn't an issue, oh yeah Daimyo moves up to number 2 for me aaaallmost to number one, but I'm super biased because I LOVE the sun clan so much, so they just manage to keep that top spot. Last game I played my friend beat me in a tie by the sun clan which meant overall he beat me by one point and it was a glorious victory.
I was decided to get rid of my Rising Sun copy but your last two videos remembered me the things I like about it and changed my mind about selling it 😀
Haha Awesome! I hope it sees many fun plays to come!
The main problem with the Daimyo Box is the price, since it includes a little bit of everything, more monsters, more players, more cards and the deluxe components, I would say it is the perfect expansion... but the price... the price is unaffordable. I'd like to have it as I recently bought the base game and I'm looking at which expansions to buy and the one I'm most interested in is the most expensive of them all.
I'm going to end up printing the strongholds and maybe I'll buy the expansion for more players later, although the Kami Unbound one seems interesting to me, I should try to test it to know how it is according to your review and opinion.
I play every expansion all the time but I understand how you feel about the kami as I feel that way about the gods in blood rage I sold them however the kami phase in rising sun is an essential phase built in to it so the kami cards add so much more also the boat deck is my top 2 favorite decks for sure! Btw rising sun is mine and my game groups number 1 by far.
I have everything ever published ks and non ks.
I love this game and its expansions
What is really nice about this review is that I came out of this with a strong idea of the worth of the base game. Perhaps not so much now but I remember the talk surrounding Rising Sun frequently centered around the worth of retail game vs the kickstarter pledge. So many people complaining and stating the the game was basically a rip off and not worth grabbing at retail.
I want to add that I felt like you did a great job explaining the strengths and weakness's of each expansion.
Only thing I would have liked to have seen is what the extra monsters do in the diamyo box. What do they bring to the game so I can be a better a judge of their worth?
Well done.
Thanks! Yeah I definitely still hear that comparison a lot, that the retail is not worth it, even with it being out for a while, and I feel that sentiment often leads people to not even bother with it, because they think they won't get a complete game.
I think I quickly show the Daimyo monsters abilities at 5:07 so you can see their abilities if you pause (because I do go through them a little quickly to fit in with me talking). Is that what you meant?
@@RoomandBoardReviews mm i guess more elaboration, like if the powers bring any well added variablity. Or if the powers are more of a rehash of what comes in the base game. Thanks for the reply.
Oh totally - yeah for me they feel just like any other monster. They all feel pretty interchangeable whenever I play, I don't really notice what they are, just that I have a few extra monsters in the game, just something else to grab in the Train mandate but nothing that really stands out in one way or the other.
I'd really recommend matt varnishing your minis btw! I used gloss varnish when I started, too, because I had that laying around, but eventually got matt varnish like everybody recommends and revarnished my old minis too. Really makes them look way better, the gloss takes away from all the work you put into these minis.
Really liked the video anyways! Great work, not just for a small channel but generally!
Thanks for the tip! - I'm horrible at painting so my friend Zach did these when he was first learning, but I shall definitely look into matte varnishing when he and I paint my Ankh guardians when they show up - I want to do a series called Horrible Painting where he paints one and I desperately attempt to keep up with him with the other, haha.
@@RoomandBoardReviews Haha! You can put matte varnish on old minis, too, if you like the matte style more. Also, if you are a beginner at mini painting or generally want nice results for relatively low effort and time, I recommend doing a zenithal prime with black and white primer (there are loads of tutorials on youtube) and then using contrast paints. Sure, wouldn't suffice for display pieces, but for game pieces the results are amazing with just one coat of paint! :)
I played Rising Sun recently for the first time and I absolutely loved it. It helped that I won 😄.
Awesome! That gets me so pumped!
"Dynasty Invasion" is pretty strange expansion
In case when you have 3-4 players - 2 of them just should to play Moon clan or Sun clan, because of imbalance situation around Lucky Gods control (if one player have no competition to buy all of Lucky Gods it is a pretty strong adventage)
So it works if you want to play every game with those two clans...
Idk, I think it is more about of a limitation of the gameplay than an increase in variety
But "Kami Unbound" expansion gives varaity to every player in the game
So it is an open question - which of the expansion is worth its money and gives more variety to the game:)
Daimyo box should be the first pick just for the mandates alone! They LARGELY improve the experience hehe
I think the ideal in a 3 players game is to add 1 extra monster for each season. While in a 5 players game you should add 2 extra. We never play with 4 or 6, but I asume 1 extra for 4 players and 2 extras for 6 would be ideal.
PS: The Fox clan is broken and should be banned hahaha
Room and Board, you are gold. Thanks for the review. Can you do one for Wonderland’s War?
how much would the order change for Daimyo box if I go by the original KS price instead of the crazy miniature market price? ;) I might even throw in the playmat in there as something more essential than kami unbound or monsters
Haha, then Daimyo would probably be on top, although I really do like the sun clan that much that it would be a close battle!
Completely agree
Excellent review as always. Do the expansion packs allow more people to play the game at one time? Thank you in advance for answering my question.
Technically yes, the game can go to 6 as soon as you have 6 clans - either the Daimyo box Fox Clan or the Dynasty Invasion pack (including DIY versions).
6 players does sort of stretch the game to its limits, the math under it feels like it falls apart a little bit to me, and crucially half your players will only ever get to play one tile per season, which feels rough sometimes.
Exactly what Steven said :)
6 makes it a really different experience, I still like it, but coins are so so hard to come by it really changes the feeling of the game.
I'm lucky, I just brought a never open copy of the Kickstarter version (base game, daimyo, kami and monster expansion) for $350
Nice, I hope you love it! Certainly better than those Miniature Market prices!
Worth it
Mainly wanted to see the 6+ player expansion.
Do you have an Etsy link for the sun and moon strongholds? Thank you!!
No. 1 is the only one I'd buy
It was very interesting because my order would be the exact opposite :)
Haha, that's neat, what is it about the Kami unbound that you love?
@@RoomandBoardReviews it's true that i can rarely play with it because the game is complex enough for most people as it is but with the right group it elevates the game to another level. The fact that honour can change ownership over gods mid-war phase makes it very interesting.
@@Cryptandos ooh yeah, that's definitely an exciting aspect. You've convinced me! Next game I'm throwing them back in for sure!
You really should not use glossy varnish to protect your minis. Man do they shine.
What could reach RSUN?
Kami expansion: Can you have just one kami figure in play instead of all four? This way, the stakes to win a shrine is higher and the replayability increases more, to play with the other god figures next games.
I guess you could definitely try it! This might be a good way to balance out the ones that don't get claimed often too. My worry is it would make the decision process a little less significant because you might all go for that one, and sometimes the ability affects all figures in the province and not just the ones under your control, but I don't think it's a bad idea to play around with. I was just thinking the other day how I rarely have the desire to add them, so just adding one might be an interesting thing.
@@RoomandBoardReviews Thank you :) the other players competing for that one shrine with a kami figure is what I am counting on because it leaves the other shrines free for my taking!
@@captgundam00 haha totally. Let me know how you like it! I think it'd probably work just as well :)
How easy is it to get non-board gamers into this? Games tend to not do well when the rules are difficult to follow.
How "non-board" are we talking about? My parents, who are in their 60s felt it was really complicated, although moreso in terms of the strategy than the learning of it, if I recall correctly. They're fans of things like ticket to Ride, but also have played Puerto Rico and Orleans in terms of their max complicated game, which took a bit to get into but which they were able to grasp.
I think definitely just start with the base game - the thing is that for non gamers it's a LONG game, which I find wears people out even if it's sort of that "medium-medium high complexity" level. You're looking at about 3-4 hours for the first one because people will have questions.
I've been meaning to film a Play It Now (my version of a how to play which only gives you the rules needed to start the game to not overwhelm new players rather than dump everything at once) but I have to refilm it because my footage of that didn't work out. But how I would go about teaching it is to explain the "we make an alliance at the beginning of the season, and throughout the season we prepare for war, which you need coins for. So focus on getting coins and troops on the board in preparation for that" and not explain the bidding mechanic until you get to that. That gives people enough to focus on, and hopefully at the end of the first war they'll see how it all works together and feel good going into the second round. Just explain that you draw four actions, pick one, everyone gets to take it and you and your partner get an extra bonus from it, then explain what the actions and the Kami's do and go from there. I think if you take care to not be overwhelming with choice, non gamers should be able to pick it up, but just let them know it's gonna be long but to have faith.
It is worth noting that this is the only game my parents have quit halfway through because they really felt like they weren't able to grasp the strategy and the length made it unappealing to continue, so you'll have to be the judge on if your non-gamers might have a similar feeling. Maybe at the beginning of the war phase have a mock battle at the final province of that season, so that you have real examples, but the coins will change hands throughout the other battles.
I searched the internet but could not find any picture from the fox clan card or the season cards from the kickstarter Oni's. Could you maybe email me some pics?