[PATV] Thursday, August 16, 2012 - Shut Up & Sit Down Season 1, Ep. 8: Wiz-War vs. Epic Spell Wa

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[PATV] Thursday, August 16, 2012 - Shut Up & Sit Down Season 1, Ep. 8: Wiz-War vs. Epic Spell Wars

In this episode Paul and Quinns review the board games Wiz-War and Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt Skullzfyre.

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EgoGone

As a headphone user, the intro is still incredibly loud. Why is it that loud, guys?

wormspeaker

@EgoGone Because, WIZARD! (That is all.)

Quenton3212

I really like your show, but at times you guys could stand to be a bit more deffinitive on the pros and cons of the games your reviewing. For example I know that you recommend Epic Spell Wars, but I'm not really sure why, because you spent too much time mock arguing to get your points across in a clear manner.

That said I have been enjoying the show, so keep up the good work .

smegginhell

I would definitely recommend Epic Spell Wars. My friends and I have played that game dozens of times. The rules are pretty simple and it's an easy game to learn. Once you've played it a few times, you start to learn the synergy between certain cards and how they can come together to make a truly epic spell. They didn't mention the treasures in the video. There are a variety of ways to earn treasure cards which give certain perks for a round. However having treasure can also make you a tempting target, and some spells do more damage based on the number of treasure you hold. It's a fun game, and pretty cheap. I hope they do an expansion.

Thanks Paul and Quinns, I enjoyed the video, my friends and I may check out Wiz-War, even though the name makes me giggle.

yfnco

I agree with Quenton3212. Some graphics during like bulletin point or something, Maybe a synopsis on the end just to make it clear. It did come off a bit rambly.

joshofalltrades

As somebody who has played Wiz War since its first incarnation, I disagree that it isn't strategic. First off, house variations on the default rules are encouraged even in the manual, with some suggestions given there including "classic" variations on the game (I just don't like the victory point system; I always play it with the victory conditions being either steal two treasures or kill everybody else). Second, the cards are extremely well-balanced in the 8th edition. This isn't to say that you will sometimes be incredibly unlucky and not pick up a card that is useful right now, but your decisions regarding which cards to discard each turn (if any) are pretty vital.

Yes, sometimes you will play a game and not like any of the cards you get. But I've seen players use those hands in incredibly creative ways, making really fun situations that you would not have thought of if you got the same boring spells every time, and come back and win against players with more conventionally "powerful" spells. There's an element of luck, absolutely, but most games have that to an extent. Even Settlers of Catan, one of the most popular board games in existence, relies on the rolls of dice to determine whether or not you get any resources at all. You always get some spells every turn in Wiz War -- it's up to you to make the most of them. Not every game needs to be pure skill like chess to be a crapload of fun.

Besides that, it's just fucking fun to play, especially if you can be competitive without being a silly goose.

The Good Doctor Tran

WIZARD!

joshofalltrades wrote: »

As somebody who has played Wiz War since its first incarnation, I disagree that it isn't strategic. First off, house variations on the default rules are encouraged even in the manual, with some suggestions given there including "classic" variations on the game (I just don't like the victory point system; I always play it with the victory conditions being either steal two treasures or kill everybody else). Second, the cards are extremely well-balanced in the 8th edition. This isn't to say that you will sometimes be incredibly unlucky and not pick up a card that is useful right now, but your decisions regarding which cards to discard each turn (if any) are pretty vital.

Yes, sometimes you will play a game and not like any of the cards you get. But I've seen players use those hands in incredibly creative ways, making really fun situations that you would not have thought of if you got the same boring spells every time, and come back and win against players with more conventionally "powerful" spells. There's an element of luck, absolutely, but most games have that to an extent. Even Settlers of Catan, one of the most popular board games in existence, relies on the rolls of dice to determine whether or not you get any resources at all. You always get some spells every turn in Wiz War -- it's up to you to make the most of them. Not every game needs to be pure skill like chess to be a crapload of fun.

Besides that, it's just fucking fun to play, especially if you can be competitive without being a silly goose.

Let's be clear here though, Quinns (and to some extent Paul) do not like things where strategic information is concealed by game mechanics, particularly if that information is derived randomly (e.g. via shuffling). That was their complaint about Arkham Horror. The fun of both Wiz War and AH is, as you pointed out, determining how to use what you're given. You have to really spend some time with these games to get a genuine sense of the depth of strategy that can lie behind the randomized mechanics and I feel like that's something SU&SD doesn't do suuuuper well. That said it's still one of my favorite e-shows and I desperately want more of it.

Klivian1

Tripod! Invest! NOW!

BoardGameBodhisattva

Wiz-War should be super easy to play, but unfortunately, the card text in the latest edition is written for rules lawyers instead of casual gamers. This makes it unnecessarily hard to figure out what the damned cards actually DO.

A proper beer & pretzels game should not be hard to play after you've had a few.

Shevin

I'm glad to see these guys were able to get on PATV. I really like their half hour versions of the reviews a lot but understand that they can't really show those here since they use a lot of copy-written music. I would definitely suggest checking those out though, they're great.

2dskillz

I have been watching these reviews, and they have continued to feel more and more confusing and rambled. I stopped 3 minutes into this one. I cannot be bothered to decipher how a game plays from two guys yelling and fighting with each other.

theredfish

@2dskillz If you don't like their style that's fair, but it's not meant to be a gameplay review. They're relaying impressions, emotions, tone; focusing on the gestalt of a game and whether or how it fits into the ecology of games and gamers in your group.

2dskillz

@theredfish Thank you for your response, I was a bit brash and have thought more about what I stated. I really want to like the review, as I feel that Paul and Quinn have keen insight into what makes a board game fun. From prior reviews they are able to explain what taste is fufilled by the game. I was just frustrated with the video style, it was jumbled. I think I was most upset that I could not decipher Paul and Quinn's criticisms and observations from the theatrics.

Rect Pola

This sold me on Wiz-War. Somehow. A more casual walkthrough of each would have held up better.