Stoneblade Entertainment, the makers of Ascension, have sent me a test copy of their new game Solforge, which sort of merges Keyforge and Magic Jumpstart's random deckmaking with League of Legend's lane-based gameplay
Thanks i was very bothered during the videos that Kohdok explained the name as inspired from Keyforge. The original Solforge was a digital mobile game that sadly didn't ended up working as well as expected but had some very great mechanical ideas
@@AllyStevenSeveri Keyforge was originally called Technic. You would have to ask FFG about the name change, but fundamentally it is a game about making something. I would guess that "forge" sounds cooler than "make", "create", "weld", "power", etc.
I'm sure that other people have mentioned, but SolForge predates Keyforge by years. The original kickstarter for the digital game funded in September of 2012, nearly a year before Hearthstone entered public beta, in fact.
No mention that this is a physical version of a 5 year old digital game? Also the Warstoker doesn't seem like a mistake to me. Its level 1 form is a bit above average for level 1 creatures, but its level 2 and 3 forms are below average. (average was generally level 1 = 5/5, level 2 = 10/10 and level 3 = 15/15) Original Solforge had a lot of creatures like this. Opposite creatures was also true, level 1 and 2 being terrible and level 3 being a 40/40. The balance for this physical version will however likely be much different from my experience from the original game. The having a hero part is new and combining 2 different decks are also new, as well as the card pool being different.
I used to play the digital game for quite some time. It had a lot of mechanics that only really worked in digital, so seeing a physical version of it is super weird.
@@pocmocpocmoc Around 90% of the cards in the digital game would work physically. I am sure they will just skip or rework abilities that only works digitally. I am curious how or if they will do abilities that make copies. The biggest hardship for physical play was always the level up mechanic. (players used to keep the extra levels in the same card sleeve when having printed out the cards.)
Hmm, something tells me Kohdok doesn't listen to The Booster Pack podcast from CCG History. Great long-form interviews with classic and current CCG players and designers. One of the most recent episodes Just Gary is interviewed and talks about this game.
Thanks for videos like these. They are my favorite. I’m trying to learn what really hasn’t been done one in a card game. I love cards. Collecting any playing.
This game looks really interesting. I've got an appointment to get a demo/interview with Justin Gary, one of the designers at Gen Con. I can't wait to check it out.
Clearly this man has no idea that this is based on a digital card game that went into open beta 9 years ago. I loved that game and am looking forward to trying this one. The lesson: DO YOUR RESEARCH.
Would you consider doing a video on Chaotic? News are it’s coming back soonish, so it’d be cool to hear what someone as experienced in playing a ton of tcg’s would have to say about it. Tbh I never got to play it in its prime, but have fond memories of the show growing up, so I’m looking forward to its possible revival.
Heres an idea for a video series, like your 7 deadly sins of tcg videos, talking about games flaws making them bite the dust. Why not do the opposite and focus on the good things and talk about why they are so great. And make it "the 10 commandments of tcg"?
Unsure if this was stated but you can't change cards between half decks. So comparing to keyforge each half deck in solforge is like a keyforge deck and you can combine any two that aren't the same faction.
Thank you for this video. I've been trying to follow this game since I learned about it. I really enjoyed keyforge, but, as you mentioned, the lack of deck building ultimately hurt it. After watching 2 or 3 twitch streams from the publisher, I was still unclear on how to play solforge. You helped change that today. So again, thanks!
This game weirdly reminds me a lot of Monster train, a deckbuilder roguelike (so a digital game), with the lanes and the 2 factions with you choosing the champion from 1 of them and the champion itself having 3 levels
Hello! It is a "mock up" - basically a version that is close enough for people to pretend it is the real thing (see mock trial, for example) but not the finished product. Better than a prototype, worse than a preprint sample.
It looks cool, but I'm all aboard the Metazoo and d-spirits train right now. My friends think I'm insufferable enough getting them to play Metazoo 😄 Still, might not be a bad idea to throw a couple hundred dollars into and try it out. Though, I'm seeing a lot of comments on how this was a digital game and players of that are not very enthusiastic about it being physical.
SolForge tournaments at Gen Con a few years ago were single elimination with randomly distributed precon decks. I lost before even taking my first turn. Wonder why that game never took off??
"over 15,000 cards in the base set alone" they say in their website. That seems like a red flag, specially with the Keyforge - like randomized decks that make it so you have to hunt for a good deck.
This number is mostly due to the splice mechanic that modifies base cards with exciting adjectives such as 'necrotic' or 'veteran', adding abilities and changing stats. They say that they are trying to make the faction (half) decks in a small power band, so it will be more of a hunt for synergies between half decks.
The original Solforge was released in 2016
Keyforge was released in 2018
So maybe a better question is why did Keyforge invoke Solforge's name
Thanks i was very bothered during the videos that Kohdok explained the name as inspired from Keyforge. The original Solforge was a digital mobile game that sadly didn't ended up working as well as expected but had some very great mechanical ideas
Probably because Richard Garfield was involved with both games.
@@AllyStevenSeveri Keyforge was originally called Technic. You would have to ask FFG about the name change, but fundamentally it is a game about making something. I would guess that "forge" sounds cooler than "make", "create", "weld", "power", etc.
@@johnpohm412 Makes sense for Keyforge. Nice to know.
I think Solforge is even a few years older than that. I played on PC
I'm sure that other people have mentioned, but SolForge predates Keyforge by years. The original kickstarter for the digital game funded in September of 2012, nearly a year before Hearthstone entered public beta, in fact.
This evokes the same feeling as Paladins vs Overwatch to me. Especially since I was a beta and alpha tester for both of the "underdogs".
Turns out it's hard to beat a proper marketing budget.
No mention that this is a physical version of a 5 year old digital game?
Also the Warstoker doesn't seem like a mistake to me. Its level 1 form is a bit above average for level 1 creatures, but its level 2 and 3 forms are below average. (average was generally level 1 = 5/5, level 2 = 10/10 and level 3 = 15/15) Original Solforge had a lot of creatures like this. Opposite creatures was also true, level 1 and 2 being terrible and level 3 being a 40/40. The balance for this physical version will however likely be much different from my experience from the original game. The having a hero part is new and combining 2 different decks are also new, as well as the card pool being different.
Interesting! The leveling mechanism does sound a bit clunky on cardboard - it being digital originally explains a lot!
I used to play the digital game for quite some time. It had a lot of mechanics that only really worked in digital, so seeing a physical version of it is super weird.
@@pocmocpocmoc Around 90% of the cards in the digital game would work physically. I am sure they will just skip or rework abilities that only works digitally. I am curious how or if they will do abilities that make copies. The biggest hardship for physical play was always the level up mechanic. (players used to keep the extra levels in the same card sleeve when having printed out the cards.)
Hmm, something tells me Kohdok doesn't listen to The Booster Pack podcast from CCG History. Great long-form interviews with classic and current CCG players and designers. One of the most recent episodes Just Gary is interviewed and talks about this game.
Thanks for videos like these. They are my favorite. I’m trying to learn what really hasn’t been done one in a card game. I love cards. Collecting any playing.
I just wish they would bring back the digital game. I spent far too much time playing it and it was easily my fav digital card game.
This game looks really interesting. I've got an appointment to get a demo/interview with Justin Gary, one of the designers at Gen Con. I can't wait to check it out.
Clearly this man has no idea that this is based on a digital card game that went into open beta 9 years ago. I loved that game and am looking forward to trying this one. The lesson: DO YOUR RESEARCH.
Another How to Play, after you've completed this 1 ...th-cam.com/video/lIqbnpOFkgo/w-d-xo.html
Would you consider doing a video on Chaotic? News are it’s coming back soonish, so it’d be cool to hear what someone as experienced in playing a ton of tcg’s would have to say about it. Tbh I never got to play it in its prime, but have fond memories of the show growing up, so I’m looking forward to its possible revival.
Heres an idea for a video series, like your 7 deadly sins of tcg videos, talking about games flaws making them bite the dust. Why not do the opposite and focus on the good things and talk about why they are so great. And make it "the 10 commandments of tcg"?
Alternatively the “seven heavenly virtues”
@@cireeeeeX would not have that nice ring to it in my opinion
These seems like a pretty cool game
Unsure if this was stated but you can't change cards between half decks. So comparing to keyforge each half deck in solforge is like a keyforge deck and you can combine any two that aren't the same faction.
Thank you for this video. I've been trying to follow this game since I learned about it. I really enjoyed keyforge, but, as you mentioned, the lack of deck building ultimately hurt it. After watching 2 or 3 twitch streams from the publisher, I was still unclear on how to play solforge. You helped change that today. So again, thanks!
Huh, so they are trying to bring to paper their digital only game.
Seconded and great video
Ascension is super fun.
LMFAO invoking keyforge's name??? Did you do any research for this game?
Sorcery:Contested Realm will be a much bigger kickstarter than this. (remind me if I was wrong!)
This game weirdly reminds me a lot of Monster train, a deckbuilder roguelike (so a digital game), with the lanes and the 2 factions with you choosing the champion from 1 of them and the champion itself having 3 levels
I am a smart being!
I playtested for the base set of Ascension!
How do you randomize/choose who has the Forge?
What's a "muck up" game? Or is it written together?
Hello! It is a "mock up" - basically a version that is close enough for people to pretend it is the real thing (see mock trial, for example) but not the finished product. Better than a prototype, worse than a preprint sample.
Thanks to both for clarification. :)
Yea, like in videogames, boardgames follow trends, and it seems that right now everybody is betting on boardgames translations of MOBAs.
It looks cool, but I'm all aboard the Metazoo and d-spirits train right now. My friends think I'm insufferable enough getting them to play Metazoo 😄 Still, might not be a bad idea to throw a couple hundred dollars into and try it out. Though, I'm seeing a lot of comments on how this was a digital game and players of that are not very enthusiastic about it being physical.
SolForge tournaments at Gen Con a few years ago were single elimination with randomly distributed precon decks. I lost before even taking my first turn. Wonder why that game never took off??
SmashUp Forge.
Are there SOLO rules for this?
"over 15,000 cards in the base set alone" they say in their website. That seems like a red flag, specially with the Keyforge - like randomized decks that make it so you have to hunt for a good deck.
This number is mostly due to the splice mechanic that modifies base cards with exciting adjectives such as 'necrotic' or 'veteran', adding abilities and changing stats. They say that they are trying to make the faction (half) decks in a small power band, so it will be more of a hunt for synergies between half decks.
I can't be sure...... But is this a mockup?
Odd that you chose Jump Start as a comparison rather than Smash Up
The playmat looks great.
Thanks! Still learning!
Hi first
Game not meant for physical version.