I love how excited Jason gets about the games he likes. I am not a fan of most of the games on his list yet was super entertained listening to his passion for them. Heck, I'd actually play those games if it was with him at the table 😆
I don't think you can actually play any of his. Usually, Jason is good for heavier games. On this list, however, it seemed to be his top 10 ccg gimmicks and most of those gimmicks make the game unplayable.
Sure you could play them. I wouldn't BUY them, but if I met him at a con and he wanted someone to play one or two of these old CCGs, I'd give them a go. He'd probably destroy me but i get a bigger kick out of learning a new game and seeing the mechanics in action than winning anyway :)
I agree with Arkham Horror LCG as number 1. I’ve just recently gotten into it and I’m addicted like never before! The ways they manipulate each scenario to make it unique continues to impress. And thematically it feels great.. like I’m really try to investigate an area and/or complete a task, all the while there is this sense of impending doom.
I absolutely love Jason's infectious energy and enthusiasm, but that #1 ... I have to give massive props to Tom and Zee for mostly keeping a straight face during the explanation ... But wow ... #1 ... wow. :)
Watching this in 2020, and it's really too bad that the Magic: the Gathering Duel Decks were discontinued. They really were a great product. I really miss them.
UFS, allows you to play as your favorite characters from many different arcade fighters. The battle mechanics are clean and make you feel like you're pulling of ultimate combos. The counters are good too and each character has their own fighting style that is reflected in their special cards and in the generics you use to build your deck
Bushiroad's Cardfight and Buddyfight have made strong inroads in the UK. Bandai's Dragon Ball Super is doing well now due to the IP, but I suspect they won't have the long term plan for their product that Bushiroad have.
I guess I may be the only person who remembers and loved the Babylon 5 CCG. Such a great system, fairly simple to learn and a lot of nicely themed tactics
Such a fun trip down memory lane. As a 9-12 yr old in the early 90s I had so many of the the ccgs! Mtg, rage, marvel overpower and the Star Wars ccg were my favorites.
Jason's #1 game reminded me of how much I wanted to get into Kingdom Hearts The Card Game, but I found out about it too late. Now it's way too expensive to collect. If only someone would make a Disney LCG.
Scrye magazine name drop! Loved scrye. Tom will remember marvel overpower prices where wolverine, Spider-Man and the card “wounded animal” all be 18 bucks and the the rest of the cards not even listed lol.
I really like Ashes. I don't love it, mostly because LCG/CCG games are hard to get to the table with "boardgamers" to a certain degree, because of their learning curve and need to "deck-construct" prior to playing. I think what base Ashes' did, was what I wish FFG would do with their LCG's. A complete game, with full play sets of the cards included in ONE core.
Thumbs up for Tom forr puting Warhammer 40000 CCG on the list. Though it was indeed a short lived game, it not only handled well the Warhammer theme, but had some really interesting mechanichs: How you fight with the different units using both shooting and close combat, how cards worked as units, abilities and dice rolls, forcing you to think about all this when building your deck, as well as how different armies played differently.Though it has been a while since I played it, I still have several decks, including some really powerful Eldar and Dark Angels.
There was an old ill-fated one called Ani-Mayhem. Step one: throw the rulebook in the fire. That thing was useless. But once the community got some clarified rules for it, it was a great game and very unique. You laid out locations, put hidden obstacles under them (some combat, some non-combat) and then put hidden items under them. Then each player would move their party of characters around in a scavenger hunt-like manner to try and get the most items. The cards were super high quality for the time, it was the first game I played where all players could lose (the game won if too many items were destroyed) and while knowing the source material helped, it wasn't necessary at all to enjoy the game. But possibly the game's biggest perk was that the character cards had 5 stats, optional special abilties, types and skills. This level of character detail made it easy to make new sets themed on pretty much anything. We made so many freakin custom sets for this and played it off and on for ages. The official game went bunk in 1998 or so and friends and I were still making new sets for it as recent as 2016 or so.
I really liked Mythos. It was a CCG by Chaosium. Like that Nightmare Before Christmas game, you could build you deck to be internally consistent to win by completing stories, or you could go offensive and try to drive your opponent insane.
Great lists but if memory serves correct WWF Raw Deal had that "deck as life" mechanic first (also coming out in 2000)... It was a great game that lasted 7 years!
OK guys! This one intrigued me. Glad you included Jason, as he brought several new odd contributions to the table. For me, I was really into "Star Wars" collectable card game... my son got me into it and I still have all my cards. I loved the game but reconfigured it for two player or solo mode.... GIVE ME A MOMENT HERE!... TAKE all your cards and divide them into characters, weapons, and starships. Lay out all the place cards... depending upon how many points you have to use per turn, you can freely draw from any of the three decks to build your hand... IF you want to fight a space duel.. find/pick your pilots and starships and the weapons that go with them. Fight a ground battle... or play the card version of "Rebellion". Trust me, it makes more sense that way.*** MAGIC THE GATHERING will always be my favorite!!!! The element I love is deck building... by theme, color, or beast. Again, my son, and i collected the game and we played it quite a bit. I kept all the cards and built decks... for fun, not tournaments, and still really enjoy this game. "Android NetRunner" is a great game, and I wish I could find somebody to play it with. Great thinking there. Here's one I'd LOVE to pick up in the "bins"... "Alien Predator" a game that pits aliens, humans and predators against one another. I'd love to find the bin that has that one. This was a challenging topic... and I liked it.
@@IcyTorment shame, we got a nice Doomtrooper group going. Even started to officially playtest for it. They now do have a steam game that seems active enough
AH... MTG!!!! I actively stopped collecting after 7th edition, though I also collected very specific cards to enhance my current decks. My goal was to create a "Gold" card deck where I was able to put out all five Gold dragons at least for one or two turns.... no easy feat. I "house ruled" the game to play to either 40 or 60 points so the big monsters could come out and play... RULES? as they said in "Treasure of Sierra Madre"... "Badges.. we don't have to show you no stinking badges!!!!" PLAY... just have some fun!!!! Jason, you are one amazing dude! After seeing your game collection... you're the real deal!!! I'd love to play any number of card and board games with you....
Hey TOM, My logo says it all, but I can totally relate to your OVERPOWER comments, especially related to the Lunchables promo cards. I remember me and a couple of friends went to three different Save-a-Lot grocery stores and cleaned out their Lunchable sections, because of course we had to have three or four copies of each card to make them playable. I also remember buying many comic books only for the "Any Hero" special card promos. We would buy the books, remove the cards, and then give the books back to the store for their bargain bin. I still have all my OP cards and maybe we could break them out if we cross paths at a con sometime. I think there is still an active group of players with cash tournaments in the Buffalo / Toronto area.
Jason and Zee had me cracking up so hard at Jason's number 4! Great video guys, I really enjoyed this immensely. Also, where's Sam? Would've been cool to see a 4 way list!
Warlord was/is amazing. Bunch of my previous, more obscure favorites, were 7th Sea, Rage, BattleTech, Shadowfist, Gridiron FF and Ultimate Combat. I've played nearly all of them with release dates from ~'95-'99 or so.
Tofalo79 Yes! Arguably the greatest CCG ever made. It was far ahead of its time especially if you consider the original set and the first expansion which were essentially a board game style LCG.
Yep... I have been considering of making it a board game version. Where there would be all the sites as locations in the map and general monster deck for different areas and so on... but there would be a huge job of doing it well and the game board would have to be something like 4•6 feets so really big...
MECCG captured the spirit of Middle Earth like no other. The combat system was solid and the battles were epic! And when you won, it was a big deal because you got to keep your opponent's card for Marshaling (vicotry) points. I'll never forget My Glorfindel with Orcrist going toe to toe against my Brother's Balrog, and almost taking it down! It was crushing when you lost because it was a race to get to 25 pts. for the win and the hazard decks were so deadly - Great game.
Good choice Tom I loved Battletech. Also enjoyed Star Trek CCG and more recently Warhammer Conquest LCG. That game recently died from FFG but Team Apoka is keeping it alive thankfully.
The Conquest LCG was a travesty!! such a fun game!! Asmodee's acquisition of FFG killed that game since GW didnt want to license its IP out to a competitor; Asmodee makes miniatures games that competes with GW.
Watched this in Quarantine. Star Wars Young Jedi was the first CCG that I played and it got me into Star Wars CCG from Decipher. I also really enjoyed and still from time to time play the Decipher Lord of the Rings card game as well as WWF/E Raw Deal. The only newer card game I've played that isn't a deck building card game is A Game of Thrones LCG. I really want to try Arkham Horror though.
I used to be hardcore into Warlord. Lost world championship semifinals when I was undefeated on a dice roll... There was a mention of it possibly being the next LCG they were going to do when they made the Doomtown one, but nothing ever materialized. Wish it would as I love this system. Still have all my cards, which was nearly everything. The German company that took it over lost the rights several years ago due to mismanagement. Their stuff was not very good either and always ultra delayed.
I just realized Jason hasn't said "awesome" that much on this list. Amazing. And just then See mentions it, hahaha! In all seriousness, Jason is a good addition in this list. His camera presence has really grown!
the thing with anachronism is that having only 4 cards you can just print them online or even worse you can just write them down on regular playing cards and play that way, i think an android game would have been perfect since mini games against other players are very popular on phones.
Baa Humbug I disagree. I was playing video and PC games for almost 30 years before I discovered this hobby. Solo board and card games are an amazingly fun activity that doesn't require staring at a screen and allows you to really use your brain for forward planning rather than just reacting lile most video games seem to be about. Also, and most importantly, I don't need an online connection to play all the latest solo board and card games 😊
Harry Potter was actually a really solid game, handed my cards down to my younger siblings though as it had died and I only had family to play it with anyway.
What about V:TES, vampire the eternal struggle, (Jyhad) it was not only unique mechanics for its time, it was also the a more mature game for the social group (5, players)- it had balance issues like everything back then and while white wolf cut support for it in 2010, it is still alive and living, and last month it was announced a relaunch.. Very very exciting times.
@@Tzimisce25 Well, it was based of the rpg (pen&paper - which later also had a rpg video game) the new relaunch should also be supporting the whole universe. So while the name is wrong it isn't technical wrong to associating the game with Masquerade.
Jason I did the same thing, I sold my collection for $700 back in '95 I had every single card, from the first couple of sets upto Legends and was shorted cards I wanted, I sold my collection,, I had all the Moxs, Black Lotus etc as well, and could of sold those cards for a LOT more money if I had waited a couple of years.
L5R is the greatest CCG made. It's definitely had it's moments, but the game is incredible. That the story was directly influenced by it's player base and it's tournament scene which then influenced the cards was brilliant. The only issue was that the promos weren't cosmetic and were tournament deck required and DIFFICULT to acquire. But the game was brilliant.
Disappointed, but not surprised that the new Dragon Ball game wasn't on any of the lists. It's great fun at a casual level and has some of the best rules in a card game I have played, though sadly I did miss the CCG craze of the 90s.
In regards to the Magic Duel Decks - the Star Wars CCG came out with something similar. A starter box for both ANH and Hoth that was two basic decks that were balanced. This was my favorite one to play. I wish they had made more complex balanced decks.
Jason, there's still a 'fan continuation' of the WCW Nitro game you mentioned called WWE Raw Deal. You can pretty much print a deck out with the proxies available nowadays so it might warrant a look if you're looking to play a game with that system.
Unfortunately it is not published by Phoenix Interactive anymore. But thank you for putting it at number 1, Tom! 4th Edition made it to 26 packs plus a few unnumbered ones (and lots of promos). That was a LCG style edition, but at the time distribution broke down world-wide for non-licensed games. :(
Star Wars: Totally agree. This game was amazing and I will always have fond memories of playing it. LOVE the ship combat! 7th Sea: Theme was quite fun, and I always played the Captain with the monkey on his shoulder. Legend of the Five Rings (LCG): Loved the old game, despite it's complexity. Haven't gotten into the LCG yet. It actually seems to have COMPLICATED the rules, rather than streamlined them. Overpower: YESSS! Loved this game, absolutely. To be fair, I was pretty young, but man was it a cool game. Nostalgia for sure. (I'm realizing Tom and I grew up loving the same style games.) Magic: The Gathering: Still love Magic, even though I don't play often anymore. Commander/EDH is a GREAT format, and very fun for casual play. Battletech: This was a great game, and I still have a giant box full of them. I loved this game because I also played the miniatures combat BATTLETECH, so it was a fun way to get into the world in many formats. Warlord: LOVED this game while AEG was running it. I even ran the Dragon Lord decks for AEG at GenCon. Dwarves for life. And my absolute favorite format was Strategic Warlords at GenCon as Nothrog. I don't agree with Tom's lists ORDER, but man, I share his preference on games pretty close! It's crazy!
MtG is an amazing game. If you’re curious about it and have never played, I would HIGHLY recommend the 9th edition core box or the 9th edition starter decks. I played for many years and the 9th edition just hit it out of the park. I have never seen starter decks that introduce the strengths and play styles of each color quite like 9th edition.
I am pretty sure I have mentioned this when you discussed Netrunner before but there is a reason there are different names for the "same thing" in Netrunner. Otherwise they would constantly have to reference which player they were refering to. "HQ" is a lot more convinient to use than "the corporation's hand" if you need to wrtie is a couple of times on a card.
My brother and his friends are also gagaga over Yu-Gi-Oh. They were into MTG before, but maybe it's a good thing they're not anymore. I hear MTG is dying and there is always Epic by White Wizard.
Shadowfist - the most forgotten CCG (the CCG companion to Feng Shui). The first incarnation of this CCG was fantastic. Loved how fast and frenetic it could get (but a turtle could just drag it out). The later incarnations just couldn’t grab the magic back (never got back in after the first sets). But one of the best older CCG. Should have been an LCG.
I own zero CCG/LCG's so far but I expect that to change soon. Arkham LCG is on my list. What differentiates an LCG from a card based game with a million expansions and over 500 (or even 1000 cards)? Like Valeria Card Kingdoms or Sentinels of the Multiverse?
Dont want to be rude, but burn through the deck when hit, isn't this called Millstone and actually a valid strategy in MtG? I think PT1 was won by such a deck back in 1996?
1. Magic the Gathering - still so great to play, even if I'm also recently doing Duel Decks and Planeswalkers Intro Decks mostly for casual play! Amazing to see that after all these years this game has never got old at all! Having great time every time I sit to play a game or two in the evening. 2. Lord of the Rings LCG - Middle-Earth! If someone loves the theme, as I do.. that's the one to play from all these FFG's LCGs. 3. Star Wars: Destiny - since a) Star Wars, b) Custom dice gives you something new / refreshing.
No Babylon 5 CCG? That CCG was epic and basically a really complex rounded card game. Like Twilight Imperium meets a card game. Loved that game to pieces.
Hi guys another great work done, I wonder if you can do top ten of detective games. My wife is big fan of detective stories and such list would be very helpful for me to find the best game. Keep doing great work
Just Ray it’s intriguing, that’s for sure. I find it to be VERY hard but I do like how that translates into trial-and-error deck building to the point where you have that perfect “adventuring party” (and good draw from your deck). I never could beat the first adventure 😳 think I’ll have to try again....
Agreed. It is a game that truly does punish you for not having an optimal deck/card draw/luck etc. To me I also think one core is sufficient for ONE player, not two like it states. But I do still want to try AHLCG, cause I like the idea of "if you lose, you continue the adventure" which makes for a more Story-rich game. LOTR has story moments(especially in the saga expansions) but not to that extent. Question is, could I get into another LCG now when I own so much for LOTR....
Just Ray The problem I’ve run into with Arkham Horror so far is that even though the story continues if I lose, the subsequent missions have just been non starters. It almost seems pointless to continue a campaign unless I get the best possible ending in the first couple missions. That being said I really love the game and definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy LOTR.
Magic is a good game, and I love Android: Netrunner, and the Arkham Horror Card Game. It's surprising to see so many games that I remember poorly, but not even an honorable mention for some old favorites like Shadowfist, Babylon 5, or Illuminati: New World Order.
Well, I skipped the whole ccg phase when it hit. (The only ones I remember people obsessing over were Magic and Pokemon) I just recently bought and started playing Arkham Horror TCG as my first card-based game though, so I'm glad to see that Zee is so into the only one on this list I've ever played.
If you like Hearthstone, you should check out Duelyst. It is similar in some ways, but has a tactical battle grid, more randomness-mitigation effects, and is generally more strategic. Plus it has some of the most phenomenal pixel art I've ever seen.
I liked the "positional" gameplay of _Over the Edge_ which was based on the On the Edge RPG. It was sort of duplicated in the duelling card game Nature of the Beast later, but the designer of that game was not aware of the former so it was coincidental.
Netrunner can certainly be a complex game, but it's not really any worse than Magic for "special names for things", and they do matter in the sense that the Corp's R&D *is not even remotely* the same thing as the Runner's stack, despite them both being names for 'deck of cards you will draw'. The Corp can't run on the Runner's stack, for starters.
Warlord is my number 2. But my number 1 is "Vampire: The Eternal Struggle" (VTES). And that came back to production in may 5, by partnership between White Wolf and Black Chantry companies. And the North American 2018's Championship just happened in Origins
Is Summoner Wars not a ECG/LCG? There's 2 master sets with a half dozen other additional factions and second summoners for each faction. Yes deck building is limited but it's still there. I think it should technically count but I'm guessing Tom didn't pick it because it doesn't feel LCG.
My personal favorite CCG is a game from Cactus Game Design and the owner Rob Anderson who took inspiration from magic the gathering and put in a biblical spin to it and that is Redemption. Redemption had been around since 1994 and is just a year younger then MTG. In Redemption, you take your good characters called heroes and you send them into battle to win cards that are called "lost souls". I have a 2 part tutorial on the game on my channel but im also trying to decide what else to do with my channel but i will say, ive been playing the game on and off since 2005 and im not looking to quit the game. I play yugioh, MTG, and pokemon, but Redemption just sticks out for me, i love Redemption and have met some awesome people through the game and im hoping to get my son into it.Dice Tower, if you guys ever have the chance and have never heard of this game, i totally recommend picking it up. They have starter decks which come in a box with 2 decks much like duel decks in magic, but starter decks are to redemption as intro decks are to magic and structure decks are to yugioh. The starter decks are labeled literally alphabetically and so far, A and B, C and D, and E and F decks are out of print but G,H,I,and J are still in print so you can pick em up and start playing.
Surprised no one mentioned Spellfire. It competed with Magic in the early 90's. The ruined it with overpowered gods. The mechanic with lands that you needed to defend in a pyramid formation was exciting and played well with more than 2 players. I spent a lot of money on this in the mid 90's.
Surprised to see some of my favorites missing - mainly WWF Raw Deal. Still, great choices all around. Here's my top 10: 10. DropMix 9. Deadlands Doomtown 8. The Spoils 7. Warlord 6. Legend of the 5 Rings (CCG) 5. Star Wars Customizable Card Game (Decipher) 4. WWF Raw Deal 3. Arkham Horror LCG 2. Magic: The Gathering 1. Android: Netrunner
@@dr.embersfield1551 a lot of people didn t like the ending. But mostly the season was very fast due to the small amount of episodes. Ruined the franchise for a lot of people
Jason: "Someone has to have caught them all." Zee: "That person is very broke." That line cracked me up way more than it should have.
4 years! Time for another CCG/LCG top 10!
I love how excited Jason gets about the games he likes.
I am not a fan of most of the games on his list yet was super entertained listening to his passion for them. Heck, I'd actually play those games if it was with him at the table 😆
same here, i definitely agree
Right? My only gripe is they are kind of mean spirited to him sometimes.
Brandon Meadows They are constantly ribbing, and he just smiles and isnt even phased by it. Good dude.
I don't think you can actually play any of his. Usually, Jason is good for heavier games. On this list, however, it seemed to be his top 10 ccg gimmicks and most of those gimmicks make the game unplayable.
Sure you could play them. I wouldn't BUY them, but if I met him at a con and he wanted someone to play one or two of these old CCGs, I'd give them a go. He'd probably destroy me but i get a bigger kick out of learning a new game and seeing the mechanics in action than winning anyway :)
This video made me laugh more than any Dice Tower video in a year. Zee was on fire!
Jason was a breath of fresh air to the top 10s. Thanks for stepping in!
I agree with Arkham Horror LCG as number 1. I’ve just recently gotten into it and I’m addicted like never before! The ways they manipulate each scenario to make it unique continues to impress. And thematically it feels great.. like I’m really try to investigate an area and/or complete a task, all the while there is this sense of impending doom.
Fun top 10. I enjoyed it, even if I most of the games isn't available anymore ... and thanks for filling in for Sam, Jason.
Fun list. Really enjoyed listening to Jason's enthusiasm. Hope he can join the regular crew once in a while. Keep up the great work.
It seems like they were much nicer to Jason in these videos than I remember. It made me happy to see that.
I absolutely love Jason's infectious energy and enthusiasm, but that #1 ... I have to give massive props to Tom and Zee for mostly keeping a straight face during the explanation ... But wow ... #1 ... wow. :)
Jason brings a welcomed point of view that makes this list fresh.
Watching this in 2020, and it's really too bad that the Magic: the Gathering Duel Decks were discontinued. They really were a great product. I really miss them.
Better stuff dropping now
MTG is mass produced nonsense. The World of Warcraft CCG was 10x better imo, it’s too bad it didn’t make it 😞.
aren't there still still premade decks released?
Yes, but they aren't Duel Decks in power level or theme.
UFS, allows you to play as your favorite characters from many different arcade fighters. The battle mechanics are clean and make you feel like you're pulling of ultimate combos. The counters are good too and each character has their own fighting style that is reflected in their special cards and in the generics you use to build your deck
Bushiroad's Cardfight and Buddyfight have made strong inroads in the UK. Bandai's Dragon Ball Super is doing well now due to the IP, but I suspect they won't have the long term plan for their product that Bushiroad have.
I haven't been watching for a long time. Great video. I miss you guys (and games). And Jason is AWESOME
I guess I may be the only person who remembers and loved the Babylon 5 CCG. Such a great system, fairly simple to learn and a lot of nicely themed tactics
Glad to see top 10 again, long time. Hugs
Such a fun trip down memory lane. As a 9-12 yr old in the early 90s I had so many of the the ccgs! Mtg, rage, marvel overpower and the Star Wars ccg were my favorites.
Jason's #1 game reminded me of how much I wanted to get into Kingdom Hearts The Card Game, but I found out about it too late. Now it's way too expensive to collect. If only someone would make a Disney LCG.
or bring back Kingdom Hearts... renew that license, fantasy flight!
Scrye magazine name drop! Loved scrye. Tom will remember marvel overpower prices where wolverine, Spider-Man and the card “wounded animal” all be 18 bucks and the the rest of the cards not even listed lol.
I bloody miss Scrye and Inquest:(
Yeah I remember those days. Looked up and old mtg price list from 1994 from them, and they had priced a Beta Black Lotus at $30..
Time machine time
Drop Mix, WCW Nitro, NFL Showdown, Eye of Judgement, Jason killed it this top ten.
COmpletely agree. The choices kept getting more and more left field, but also more and more awesome
Does anybody like
Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn?
Personally I love it. That and Arkham Horror are the only ones I currently play.
It looks like an awesome game.
Love the art but the gameplay is so slow feeling to me. Definitely didn't hook me like I expected.
LOVE ASHES!!! Would have been at the top of my list if it was allowed to be on it 😊
I really like Ashes. I don't love it, mostly because LCG/CCG games are hard to get to the table with "boardgamers" to a certain degree, because of their learning curve and need to "deck-construct" prior to playing.
I think what base Ashes' did, was what I wish FFG would do with their LCG's. A complete game, with full play sets of the cards included in ONE core.
Jason brings such a unique view with his selection. His passion for the community is great.
Thumbs up for Tom forr puting Warhammer 40000 CCG on the list. Though it was indeed a short lived game, it not only handled well the Warhammer theme, but had some really interesting mechanichs: How you fight with the different units using both shooting and close combat, how cards worked as units, abilities and dice rolls, forcing you to think about all this when building your deck, as well as how different armies played differently.Though it has been a while since I played it, I still have several decks, including some really powerful Eldar and Dark Angels.
Donald X Back Arena !!! Instant classic
There was an old ill-fated one called Ani-Mayhem. Step one: throw the rulebook in the fire. That thing was useless. But once the community got some clarified rules for it, it was a great game and very unique. You laid out locations, put hidden obstacles under them (some combat, some non-combat) and then put hidden items under them. Then each player would move their party of characters around in a scavenger hunt-like manner to try and get the most items. The cards were super high quality for the time, it was the first game I played where all players could lose (the game won if too many items were destroyed) and while knowing the source material helped, it wasn't necessary at all to enjoy the game. But possibly the game's biggest perk was that the character cards had 5 stats, optional special abilties, types and skills. This level of character detail made it easy to make new sets themed on pretty much anything. We made so many freakin custom sets for this and played it off and on for ages. The official game went bunk in 1998 or so and friends and I were still making new sets for it as recent as 2016 or so.
I really liked Mythos. It was a CCG by Chaosium. Like that Nightmare Before Christmas game, you could build you deck to be internally consistent to win by completing stories, or you could go offensive and try to drive your opponent insane.
Great lists but if memory serves correct WWF Raw Deal had that "deck as life" mechanic first (also coming out in 2000)... It was a great game that lasted 7 years!
I was confused about the WCW one, because I know people who still play Raw and had never heard of the WCW one.
OK guys! This one intrigued me. Glad you included Jason, as he brought several new odd contributions to the table. For me, I was really into "Star Wars" collectable card game... my son got me into it and I still have all my cards. I loved the game but reconfigured it for two player or solo mode.... GIVE ME A MOMENT HERE!... TAKE all your cards and divide them into characters, weapons, and starships. Lay out all the place cards... depending upon how many points you have to use per turn, you can freely draw from any of the three decks to build your hand... IF you want to fight a space duel.. find/pick your pilots and starships and the weapons that go with them. Fight a ground battle... or play the card version of "Rebellion". Trust me, it makes more sense that way.*** MAGIC THE GATHERING will always be my favorite!!!! The element I love is deck building... by theme, color, or beast. Again, my son, and i collected the game and we played it quite a bit. I kept all the cards and built decks... for fun, not tournaments, and still really enjoy this game. "Android NetRunner" is a great game, and I wish I could find somebody to play it with. Great thinking there. Here's one I'd LOVE to pick up in the "bins"... "Alien Predator" a game that pits aliens, humans and predators against one another. I'd love to find the bin that has that one. This was a challenging topic... and I liked it.
Vampire the Eternal struggle is still my favorite. It is back in print as well.
Jyhad!
Yes, that was the first title of the game.
This would have been my #1. Doomtrooper would be in my top 5
Surprise it wasn't mentioned.
@@IcyTorment shame, we got a nice Doomtrooper group going. Even started to officially playtest for it. They now do have a steam game that seems active enough
RIP netruner
Goodnight, sweet prince.
*looks up from a casual netrunner game* ummmm.... did I miss something?
@@Teachermook discontinued since 2018 my homie
@@DJKNITEX nnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooo!!!
Guess who's back ^__^
AH... MTG!!!! I actively stopped collecting after 7th edition, though I also collected very specific cards to enhance my current decks. My goal was to create a "Gold" card deck where I was able to put out all five Gold dragons at least for one or two turns.... no easy feat. I "house ruled" the game to play to either 40 or 60 points so the big monsters could come out and play... RULES? as they said in "Treasure of Sierra Madre"... "Badges.. we don't have to show you no stinking badges!!!!" PLAY... just have some fun!!!! Jason, you are one amazing dude! After seeing your game collection... you're the real deal!!! I'd love to play any number of card and board games with you....
I had fun with friends with the Highlander CCG back in the day. Nothing touches Magic, though... there is a reason for that. Genius design.
Before I got into Magic in college, I played a lot of Spellfire and Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. I still have all my cards for both...
Spellfire was my jam!
I’m floored that Jason said Sorcerors for his #1. I’ve played a ton of it, and hated when they discontinued it. The portals were even deactivated
At the time, I really thought Eye of Judgment was going to be the beginning of EVERY card game having a digital game directly connected to it.
Hey TOM,
My logo says it all, but I can totally relate to your OVERPOWER comments, especially related to the Lunchables promo cards. I remember me and a couple of friends went to three different Save-a-Lot grocery stores and cleaned out their Lunchable sections, because of course we had to have three or four copies of each card to make them playable. I also remember buying many comic books only for the "Any Hero" special card promos. We would buy the books, remove the cards, and then give the books back to the store for their bargain bin. I still have all my OP cards and maybe we could break them out if we cross paths at a con sometime. I think there is still an active group of players with cash tournaments in the Buffalo / Toronto area.
Jason and Zee had me cracking up so hard at Jason's number 4! Great video guys, I really enjoyed this immensely. Also, where's Sam? Would've been cool to see a 4 way list!
Middle Earth CCG. Arguably the best CCG ever created.
Was surprised it wasn't mentioned instead of Star Wars for Jason's grandiose descriptor.
I agree with you. Still have full sets of bright side and fallen wizards :)
Warlord was/is amazing. Bunch of my previous, more obscure favorites, were 7th Sea, Rage, BattleTech, Shadowfist, Gridiron FF and Ultimate Combat. I've played nearly all of them with release dates from ~'95-'99 or so.
What about Middle Earth CCG (meccg)?
Tofalo79 Yes! Arguably the greatest CCG ever made. It was far ahead of its time especially if you consider the original set and the first expansion which were essentially a board game style LCG.
Agreed. I would love to see it resurrected as a proper board game, but with the same original illustrations! It was a fantastic game.
Uh, yes, I had that as a kid. Sadly I was the only kid that had it.
Yep... I have been considering of making it a board game version. Where there would be all the sites as locations in the map and general monster deck for different areas and so on... but there would be a huge job of doing it well and the game board would have to be something like 4•6 feets so really big...
MECCG captured the spirit of Middle Earth like no other. The combat system was solid and the battles were epic! And when you won, it was a big deal because you got to keep your opponent's card for Marshaling (vicotry) points. I'll never forget My Glorfindel with Orcrist going toe to toe against my Brother's Balrog, and almost taking it down! It was crushing when you lost because it was a race to get to 25 pts. for the win and the hazard decks were so deadly - Great game.
Good choice Tom I loved Battletech. Also enjoyed Star Trek CCG and more recently Warhammer Conquest LCG. That game recently died from FFG but Team Apoka is keeping it alive thankfully.
The Conquest LCG was a travesty!! such a fun game!! Asmodee's acquisition of FFG killed that game since GW didnt want to license its IP out to a competitor; Asmodee makes miniatures games that competes with GW.
Watched this in Quarantine. Star Wars Young Jedi was the first CCG that I played and it got me into Star Wars CCG from Decipher. I also really enjoyed and still from time to time play the Decipher Lord of the Rings card game as well as WWF/E Raw Deal. The only newer card game I've played that isn't a deck building card game is A Game of Thrones LCG. I really want to try Arkham Horror though.
I used to be hardcore into Warlord. Lost world championship semifinals when I was undefeated on a dice roll... There was a mention of it possibly being the next LCG they were going to do when they made the Doomtown one, but nothing ever materialized. Wish it would as I love this system. Still have all my cards, which was nearly everything. The German company that took it over lost the rights several years ago due to mismanagement. Their stuff was not very good either and always ultra delayed.
I just realized Jason hasn't said "awesome" that much on this list. Amazing.
And just then See mentions it, hahaha!
In all seriousness, Jason is a good addition in this list. His camera presence has really grown!
Really liked the new top 10 :). Missed Sam, but Jason did a good job.
Eyy, glad to see other people liked.... warlord. I miss that game and going to the yearly KoHIT's :)
the thing with anachronism is that having only 4 cards you can just print them online or even worse you can just write them down on regular playing cards and play that way, i think an android game would have been perfect since mini games against other players are very popular on phones.
I hate CCG/TCGs but I'm here for the LCG thoughts ☺
CCG might be dead but card games are going strong. Hearthstone is still on the top five digital games
Baa Humbug If it's not co-op, solo or physical (ie not an app nor requires an app) then I've got no interest.
The concept of LCG is so much more convenient. Why should I ever want to go back?
Shane Annigans card games are really meant for social activity. If you like solo there is tons of video games lol.
Baa Humbug
I disagree. I was playing video and PC games for almost 30 years before I discovered this hobby.
Solo board and card games are an amazingly fun activity that doesn't require staring at a screen and allows you to really use your brain for forward planning rather than just reacting lile most video games seem to be about. Also, and most importantly, I don't need an online connection to play all the latest solo board and card games 😊
Harry Potter was actually a really solid game, handed my cards down to my younger siblings though as it had died and I only had family to play it with anyway.
What about V:TES, vampire the eternal struggle, (Jyhad) it was not only unique mechanics for its time, it was also the a more mature game for the social group (5, players)- it had balance issues like everything back then and while white wolf cut support for it in 2010, it is still alive and living, and last month it was announced a relaunch.. Very very exciting times.
It was also a Richard garfield game (same who created mtg) and it came out in the wake of mtg around 94.. :)
Was waiting for this to be mentioned. VTES was the only CCG I got into and it is among my treasured gaming memories.
Zee mentioned it incorrectly at 11:30 but when noone corrected him I kinda knew noone has it on his list.
József Gábor Gál you're right, I don't know why I didn't pick up on that :)
@@Tzimisce25 Well, it was based of the rpg (pen&paper - which later also had a rpg video game) the new relaunch should also be supporting the whole universe. So while the name is wrong it isn't technical wrong to associating the game with Masquerade.
Jason I did the same thing, I sold my collection for $700 back in '95 I had every single card, from the first couple of sets upto Legends and was shorted cards I wanted, I sold my collection,, I had all the Moxs, Black Lotus etc as well, and could of sold those cards for a LOT more money if I had waited a couple of years.
Spycraft CCG. Was a really good game, short lived during the CCG craze. I’m surprised NONE of you mentioned it!
Zee, Tom, and Jason- dream team. Great topic. Babylon 5 CCG and Vampire: the Eternal Struggle were also a lot of fun.
Jason content ages so well! : )
L5R is the greatest CCG made. It's definitely had it's moments, but the game is incredible. That the story was directly influenced by it's player base and it's tournament scene which then influenced the cards was brilliant. The only issue was that the promos weren't cosmetic and were tournament deck required and DIFFICULT to acquire. But the game was brilliant.
Disappointed, but not surprised that the new Dragon Ball game wasn't on any of the lists. It's great fun at a casual level and has some of the best rules in a card game I have played, though sadly I did miss the CCG craze of the 90s.
In regards to the Magic Duel Decks - the Star Wars CCG came out with something similar. A starter box for both ANH and Hoth that was two basic decks that were balanced. This was my favorite one to play. I wish they had made more complex balanced decks.
Jason, there's still a 'fan continuation' of the WCW Nitro game you mentioned called WWE Raw Deal. You can pretty much print a deck out with the proxies available nowadays so it might warrant a look if you're looking to play a game with that system.
Unfortunately it is not published by Phoenix Interactive anymore. But thank you for putting it at number 1, Tom! 4th Edition made it to 26 packs plus a few unnumbered ones (and lots of promos). That was a LCG style edition, but at the time distribution broke down world-wide for non-licensed games. :(
That's talking about Warlord: Saga of the Storm, of course ;-)
Best ending ever... Nice to see Jason on a regular Top 10!
This list needs to be revisited!
Star Wars: Totally agree. This game was amazing and I will always have fond memories of playing it. LOVE the ship combat!
7th Sea: Theme was quite fun, and I always played the Captain with the monkey on his shoulder.
Legend of the Five Rings (LCG): Loved the old game, despite it's complexity. Haven't gotten into the LCG yet. It actually seems to have COMPLICATED the rules, rather than streamlined them.
Overpower: YESSS! Loved this game, absolutely. To be fair, I was pretty young, but man was it a cool game. Nostalgia for sure. (I'm realizing Tom and I grew up loving the same style games.)
Magic: The Gathering: Still love Magic, even though I don't play often anymore. Commander/EDH is a GREAT format, and very fun for casual play.
Battletech: This was a great game, and I still have a giant box full of them. I loved this game because I also played the miniatures combat BATTLETECH, so it was a fun way to get into the world in many formats.
Warlord: LOVED this game while AEG was running it. I even ran the Dragon Lord decks for AEG at GenCon. Dwarves for life. And my absolute favorite format was Strategic Warlords at GenCon as Nothrog.
I don't agree with Tom's lists ORDER, but man, I share his preference on games pretty close! It's crazy!
Here we are 5 years later and Warlord is getting a relaunch through Kickstarter. Not a LCG but again in the CCG format.
MtG is an amazing game. If you’re curious about it and have never played, I would HIGHLY recommend the 9th edition core box or the 9th edition starter decks. I played for many years and the 9th edition just hit it out of the park. I have never seen starter decks that introduce the strengths and play styles of each color quite like 9th edition.
I am pretty sure I have mentioned this when you discussed Netrunner before but there is a reason there are different names for the "same thing" in Netrunner. Otherwise they would constantly have to reference which player they were refering to. "HQ" is a lot more convinient to use than "the corporation's hand" if you need to wrtie is a couple of times on a card.
I´m from Europe and everybody i know is into Yu-gi-oh, crazy what difference there is between my region and your american one.
My brother and his friends are also gagaga over Yu-Gi-Oh. They were into MTG before, but maybe it's a good thing they're not anymore. I hear MTG is dying and there is always Epic by White Wizard.
Naruto San It's not.
I guess it was only a rumor.
I'm from Romania, and while I know some people who play Yu-Gi-Oh, there are many more playing Magic. I don't play either though...
I am from Portugal and at my local game store there are many many more people playing mtg than yu gi oh
Wish Jason was on more lists- he really comes out with some original games!
Shadowfist - the most forgotten CCG (the CCG companion to Feng Shui). The first incarnation of this CCG was fantastic. Loved how fast and frenetic it could get (but a turtle could just drag it out). The later incarnations just couldn’t grab the magic back (never got back in after the first sets). But one of the best older CCG. Should have been an LCG.
I own zero CCG/LCG's so far but I expect that to change soon. Arkham LCG is on my list.
What differentiates an LCG from a card based game with a million expansions and over 500 (or even 1000 cards)? Like Valeria Card Kingdoms or Sentinels of the Multiverse?
Jason's enthusiasm for gaming is infectious.
Dont want to be rude, but burn through the deck when hit, isn't this called Millstone and actually a valid strategy in MtG? I think PT1 was won by such a deck back in 1996?
1. Magic the Gathering - still so great to play, even if I'm also recently doing Duel Decks and Planeswalkers Intro Decks mostly for casual play! Amazing to see that after all these years this game has never got old at all! Having great time every time I sit to play a game or two in the evening.
2. Lord of the Rings LCG - Middle-Earth! If someone loves the theme, as I do.. that's the one to play from all these FFG's LCGs.
3. Star Wars: Destiny - since a) Star Wars, b) Custom dice gives you something new / refreshing.
No Babylon 5 CCG?
That CCG was epic and basically a really complex rounded card game. Like Twilight Imperium meets a card game.
Loved that game to pieces.
Hi guys another great work done, I wonder if you can do top ten of detective games. My wife is big fan of detective stories and such list would be very helpful for me to find the best game. Keep doing great work
As a side note, LackeyCCG and OCTGN are two great ways to play dead CCGs online.
+1 for LOTR LCG Awesome game. Need to get it to the table again soon
Just Ray it’s intriguing, that’s for sure. I find it to be VERY hard but I do like how that translates into trial-and-error deck building to the point where you have that perfect “adventuring party” (and good draw from your deck). I never could beat the first adventure 😳 think I’ll have to try again....
Agreed. It is a game that truly does punish you for not having an optimal deck/card draw/luck etc. To me I also think one core is sufficient for ONE player, not two like it states. But I do still want to try AHLCG, cause I like the idea of "if you lose, you continue the adventure" which makes for a more Story-rich game. LOTR has story moments(especially in the saga expansions) but not to that extent. Question is, could I get into another LCG now when I own so much for LOTR....
Just Ray The problem I’ve run into with Arkham Horror so far is that even though the story continues if I lose, the subsequent missions have just been non starters. It almost seems pointless to continue a campaign unless I get the best possible ending in the first couple missions. That being said I really love the game and definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy LOTR.
Just Ray Arkham is freaking incredible. Get a box per player.
Was surprised to see that Zee did not include Warlord. I vaguely remember him liking it a few years back.
Magic is a good game, and I love Android: Netrunner, and the Arkham Horror Card Game. It's surprising to see so many games that I remember poorly, but not even an honorable mention for some old favorites like Shadowfist, Babylon 5, or Illuminati: New World Order.
Searched the comments to try to find another INWO fan.
Hi!
Well, I skipped the whole ccg phase when it hit. (The only ones I remember people obsessing over were Magic and Pokemon) I just recently bought and started playing Arkham Horror TCG as my first card-based game though, so I'm glad to see that Zee is so into the only one on this list I've ever played.
Loved playing Doom Trooper, Jyhad, Star Trek CCG and the Middle Earth CCG.
38:37 PLEASE do a nostalgia game of you v Tom with Tom as the Corp and you as the Runner!
Would be epic!!
If you like Hearthstone, you should check out Duelyst. It is similar in some ways, but has a tactical battle grid, more randomness-mitigation effects, and is generally more strategic. Plus it has some of the most phenomenal pixel art I've ever seen.
No Doomtown, Rage, Shadowfist or Vampire:The Eternal Struggle? Ouch ;(
VTES!
I liked the "positional" gameplay of _Over the Edge_ which was based on the On the Edge RPG. It was sort of duplicated in the duelling card game Nature of the Beast later, but the designer of that game was not aware of the former so it was coincidental.
54:40 Rest in Peace Star Wars: Destiny. Another great game, that died in my area way too soon. And now it's on its last set :(
#StarWarsDestinyIsaCardGame RiP
FYI, WOTC's Battletech was the "first" to use the deck as life total.
it was the 1st for Wizards of the Coast. Decipher's Star Wars CCG used deck as life total and released in 1995, Battletech was released in 1996
GoT LCG deserves a spot.
Nope
Netrunner can certainly be a complex game, but it's not really any worse than Magic for "special names for things", and they do matter in the sense that the Corp's R&D *is not even remotely* the same thing as the Runner's stack, despite them both being names for 'deck of cards you will draw'.
The Corp can't run on the Runner's stack, for starters.
Warlord is my number 2. But my number 1 is "Vampire: The Eternal Struggle" (VTES). And that came back to production in may 5, by partnership between White Wolf and Black Chantry companies.
And the North American 2018's Championship just happened in Origins
Is Summoner Wars not a ECG/LCG? There's 2 master sets with a half dozen other additional factions and second summoners for each faction. Yes deck building is limited but it's still there. I think it should technically count but I'm guessing Tom didn't pick it because it doesn't feel LCG.
A new one of this top 10 would be so fun in 2023~2024
Warlord #1 what a great choice! Cant w8 till its coming back
This is my favorite top 10, wasn’t feeling Tom’s list until he mentioned warlord.
Amazing. No love for spellfire? One of the best ccgs imho
My personal favorite CCG is a game from Cactus Game Design and the owner Rob Anderson who took inspiration from magic the gathering and put in a biblical spin to it and that is Redemption.
Redemption had been around since 1994 and is just a year younger then MTG. In Redemption, you take your good characters called heroes and you send them into battle to win cards that are called "lost souls". I have a 2 part tutorial on the game on my channel but im also trying to decide what else to do with my channel but i will say, ive been playing the game on and off since 2005 and im not looking to quit the game.
I play yugioh, MTG, and pokemon, but Redemption just sticks out for me, i love Redemption and have met some awesome people through the game and im hoping to get my son into it.Dice Tower, if you guys ever have the chance and have never heard of this game, i totally recommend picking it up.
They have starter decks which come in a box with 2 decks much like duel decks in magic, but starter decks are to redemption as intro decks are to magic and structure decks are to yugioh.
The starter decks are labeled literally alphabetically and so far, A and B, C and D, and E and F decks are out of print but G,H,I,and J are still in print so you can pick em up and start playing.
Surprised no one mentioned Spellfire. It competed with Magic in the early 90's. The ruined it with overpowered gods. The mechanic with lands that you needed to defend in a pyramid formation was exciting and played well with more than 2 players. I spent a lot of money on this in the mid 90's.
One of the very few life regrets i have was buying Spellfire not Unlimited....
Surprised to see some of my favorites missing - mainly WWF Raw Deal. Still, great choices all around. Here's my top 10:
10. DropMix
9. Deadlands Doomtown
8. The Spoils
7. Warlord
6. Legend of the 5 Rings (CCG)
5. Star Wars Customizable Card Game (Decipher)
4. WWF Raw Deal
3. Arkham Horror LCG
2. Magic: The Gathering
1. Android: Netrunner
My number one of all times: A Game of Thrones LCG 2nd edition! :D
Even after the last season?
@@davidschubert6436 What happened the last season?
@@dr.embersfield1551 a lot of people didn t like the ending.
But mostly the season was very fast due to the small amount of episodes. Ruined the franchise for a lot of people
Wow. Babylon 5, VTES/Jyhad, Yu-gi-Oh, and City of Heroes CCG all got snubbed. That is just wrong.
VTES!
Sad Yugioh is snubbed