The penalties for not tackling most adventures in a timely fashion is nothing, literally they provide no penalty.
I'm going to call BS on that one. The Curator was fucking us over because we couldn't complete it. (At Midnight, all players have to either discard 2 trophies or lose one stamina and sanity.)
Especially when he got a Vampire bodyguard. If a monster appears and there's nowhere for it to go, you have to tack it on to a adventure as a extra task.
Which can suuuuuuuck.
Also if you die, you lose all the items you have AND you have to put a token on the Doom track. I'm assuming that people who were saying that dying didn't have any consequences missed that second part of the rule. I think during our three-player game we had at least five or six characters die.
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The missus and I picked up a copy of Merchants and Marauders yesterday and played a game last night. Fun game, the board's pretty, and gameplay's pretty fast once you get the hang of the rules. Sort of a vague dice-rolling mechanic for skill checks which is pretty intuitive for people who have brushed up against roleplaying games once in their lives combined with some card collecting to augment combat abilities or for the mercantile portion of the game.
A player's first impressions of the game will be that the game is competitive it is also friendly, but that while turns go by fast, the game takes far too long to play. This impression will persist until the very end of his first game, when one player who had apparently been no where near victory suddenly announces that he's won. The second game will then become a bloodthirsty, cutthroat affair as players realize that they must constantly antagonize one another, lest that unassuming merchant toiling away quietly suddenly vaults his way into the winner's circle in the blink of an eye.
We've had a lot of fun with it so far.
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
For those curious, a new expansion to MoM was just announced. Seems kind of light, all told - 3 scenarios, 2 new types of monsters, new alchemy cards, 4 new investigators... But when you think about it, considering the cost of components and all that, it makes sense. I just hope the expansion is in the $30 range, not $60. $40 at max.
Of course, this makes me wonder about the PoD products. Are they going to have alternative setups for if you have the expansion or not? Does anyone here have experience with FFG's print on demand and whether or not it'll reflect the expansions?
EDIT: Might as well make something worthwhile from it. Spree's ransom has started, and will more than likely be up for print & play for free in a day or two. Save you a whole $3 for some running around a mall with guns at midnight looting fun.
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If memory serves, the PoD expansions are just new scenarios, and don't have anything that really "mixes" with the base game. It even comes with new copies of the Exploration cards that they use that are in the base game since the texture of the POD cards will be a little different and so everything matches up.
Been mostly holding off on getting the POD stuff, though, until the expansion comes out in hopes of a new version of the rulebook that incorporates all the errata.
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
Well, we already know that this expansion will include the reprinted cards to fix the base game. In fact, that might explain why it is coming out so fast, relatively speaking.
But what I mean is that the PoD's obviously use the tiles, mythos cards, environmental encounters, wounds, and monsters from the base game. In fact, the only parts it replaces are the exploration cards. So assuming that the expansion comes with more of all of those, especially the tiles, it becomes interesting how mix & match will work, what with potential for segregation being out there.
I am starting to put together a big order with my friends to ship from the US.
My part will probably be:
Thunderstone Dragonspire (I have the base set in Japanese, so this seems like a good version for my Nipponically-challenged friends)
Rune Age
Ascending Empires
Star Trek: Fleet Captains
Anyone got any thoughts on these games? ST:FC won't be out for a few weeks, but it'll take my friends a few weeks to work out which Arkham Horror expansions they don't already have.
I only got to playtest it once, but Rune Age seemed to have some balance issues.
Its damn hard to concentrate at work on delivery day. Waiting at my doorstep when I get home will be King of Tokyo, Quarriors, Rune Age, Elder Sign and 7 Wonders Leaders.
I liked Mageknight but I think the whole theroy crafting bs I got into was the fun part. It was the power gamer whom I ended up playing most of the time and all the brats is why I got away from it. And then I saw what they did to Battletech/Shadowrun and never looked at Wizkids again.
Crimson Skies was fun but I really do think it was never going to work as a Board game
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
Mage Knight had really well designed systems to create a competitive game. Then they fucked it in the ass. Repeatedly. With a spiked metal dildo.
... I'm a little bitter about Mage Knight. Regardless, they had a really good setup for a strong game, but didn't have the design chops to follow through.
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
Hey, you take that back about Crimson Skies! It worked as a board game 3 times! The original, The Wizkids version, and Wings of War - WWII. No, really, WoW uses a nearly identical system to Crimson Skies.
Pulled out Hacker again, after a long, long.... long time of not touching the game at all. For no apparent reason, actually, it just never came up really.
It's definitely a game showing its age. It's a little clunky and there are way too many bonusses and options. I don't think I've ever actually tried any of the optional rules, the basic set is more than enough to wrap your head around. But I must say, this game has a lot of charm. Even if it is somewhat slight, does last a little longer than it should and relies heavily on players manipulating each other.
There's something kind of neat about playing a game of old-school hackerdom, with back doors, FBI raids, BBSes and dial-in spots. I might have to try to get it back into our regular rotation again. It's fun, but I'll have to try to cut the game down a little next time, though. Getting access to 12 systems takes quite a bit longer than the gameplay actually is good for.
simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
Okay so, my birthday is coming up soon and I am thinking about gettin' a board game
I played Mansions of Madness at PAX, and it seemed pretty excellent, but is it worth a purchase?
I guess I am just looking for "general advice" about a game I would enjoy playing
My friends and I all have a shared enjoyment of games like Betrayal at House on the Hill and Tanto Cuore, so suggestions are welcome, unless they are Dominion
Okay so, my birthday is coming up soon and I am thinking about gettin' a board game
I played Mansions of Madness at PAX, and it seemed pretty excellent, but is it worth a purchase?
I guess I am just looking for "general advice" about a game I would enjoy playing
My friends and I all have a shared enjoyment of games like Betrayal at House on the Hill and Tanto Cuore, so suggestions are welcome, unless they are Dominion
Are you new to board gaming?
Are you looking for one game that has a lot of great re-playability or something to start off a collection?
Do you have a budget you want to stay within?
And what types of games, other than Dominion, do you not enjoy?
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simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
I have been board gaming long enough to not consider myself "new" to the hobby, it is a birthday so budget shouldn't be a "real" issue, I am looking for a game that will be enjoyable to play with people who both are and aren't "new" to the hobby (preferably repeatably), so I guess "accessible" is the right term there.
I am generally not a fan of grandiose strategy games, if that makes sense?
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simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
edited September 2011
edit: hooray double post
simonwolf on
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
MoM is like role playing light. It's really fun, but it can be a bit intimidating for new players.
Why are you not a fan of Dominon? Is it because it is the de facto go-to thing? Granted, I don't own a copy, but that's because I love and proselytize Nightfall.
simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
As I explained once before in this thread, I had a bad experience my first time with Dominion and it has sort of "tainted" my impression of the game
I'm a relatively experienced GM and role-play aficionado, and my friends seem receptive the few times I've run games for them, so that aspect of MoM isn't daunting at all.
Ok. Well there are few games I think that are very replayable. A of them suffer from either being too repetitive or the optimal strategy is easily figured out and exploited (Stone Age). So here are a few recommendations:
Glenn Drover's Empires: Age of Discovery (Worker placement/Area control) 2 - 5 or 6 with upcoming expansion Battlestar Galactica (Co-op with traitor) 3 - 7
Puerto Rico (Worker placement/role choice) 3 - 5
Race for the Galaxy (Space Empire Building/card drafting) 2 - 4 or 5 and 6 with each added expansion Space Alert (Co-op timed game) 2 - 5 (or maybe 3 - 5) Power Grid (Bidding/resource maximization) 2 - 6
Each game above should be a pretty good hit in nearly any group. The first game is my absolute favorite game of all time. There are numerous strategies to victory and the best one is always made on the fly.
BSG is a great game for fans of the show or fans of the Werewolf/mafia party game. Of the above games, this would be my number one recommendation because I think it plays well with any group. Few games do that.
Puerto Rico was the number one game for a while on BGG and with great reason. It's not newbie friendly unless everyone is new to the game itself. Experienced players will always win.
Race for the Galaxy is the best card game in my opinion. However, the game has an extremely steep learning curve and should only be taught be players who are pretty familiar with the cards in general. Basically, if everyone is new and trying to learn the game, it may not going over well at all.
Space Alert is a really fun co-op game. Each player assumes a role on a ship and lays down cards doing their actions on the ship. The actions are then revealed simultaneously by all players and carried out one by one. But there is a time limit on how long you have to do your actions. So it is up to the group to determine the best actions to do between them with the cards they have in the time limit in hopes to keep their ship from being destroyed. To play pop in the CD, listen to what it tells you, make the changes on the board so that everyone knows what is (rather will be) going on and can plan accordingly. It's short, chaotic, a great game to enjoy with friends and laugh about.
Power Grid is a classic game where you own power plants and supply power to cities using resources to power those plants. It sounds lame, but the amount of depth here is pretty shocking and very refreshing. There are also numerous different maps to play, so it keeps the game feeling new at times.
I'm a relatively experienced GM and role-play aficionado, and my friends seem receptive the few times I've run games for them, so that aspect of MoM isn't daunting at all.
If you, and your friends, enjoy role playing and would like to play board games that you can role play to, I have a few recommendations
BSG is definitely number 1. Again, fans of the show will really appreciate it. Play the game like the character from the show and make decisions as that character would knowing the information that is known.
Android is a good choice. Basically everyone takes roles of a character in a world and it is up to them to solve the murder mystery that the game is based on. It has been compared to Blade Runner in board game form. I can't say this is inaccurate either. Seems pretty spot on. On, and you're not actually trying to solve the murder in the clue sense. You're trying to solve it by acquiring evidence and placing it on suspects. You're not setting it up, you're just using the game mechanics to tell the story. It actually has a lot of role playing potential. I've not played it as such myself, but our game group has talked about doing it. The problem is, it's like a 4 hour game.
There's a new Star Trek co-op game that could probably be role played. I don't think it will be great, but for fans it's possible.
Starcraft the board game and Twilight Imperium (TI3) can both be role played.
A game called Galactic Destiny also has a lot of RP potential, but the game itself isn't that great. There is a rules revision posted on BGG along with a video rules explanation (the included rules are terrible and should be burned). I'd say check this out to see what you think. It's a long game like Starcraft and TI3, but I think it can really shine in a role playing group.
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simonwolfi can feel a differencetoday, a differenceRegistered Userregular
I actually own BSG and Android already - a couple of people have grown tired of BSG, especially since not all my friends have watched the series, and I'm waiting for a time to break out Android with them, since it's kind of a "big" game to throw down. I look forward to actually playing it, though, considering that the opinions on BGG seem to fall into either "amazing" or "worse than the Armenian genocide" camps.
So Arkham Horror is really fun even if the rules are a little dense.
What's the deal with playing Arkham Horror on Vassal? I've heard people say Fantasy Flight Games frowns on Vassal conversion, but the official Vassal page has a module for Arkham Horror. Is it incomplete or none functional?
To add to the recommendation list, I've had some luck with 7 Wonders in my group. The rules take almost as much time to explain as the game does to play, but at about a half hour a pop, it's a nice, quick experience. It's a good blend of luck and strategy, bending a bit more on luck. But maybe it's because I haven't played the game too much...
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
The Vassal site managers respond to official statements, not frowns. :P If the module's still up they probably haven't gotten anything.
Whether it's functional I couldn't say, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't.
How can somebody like Tanto Cuore and hate Dominion? They're literally the same game except you can't be seen in public playing the former without getting arrested.
When the learning of the former occurs under an atmosphere where players can take their own pace to learn the mechanics, and the latter lacks the same relaxations, even games cut from the same cloth can be afforded much different experiences. As simonwolf said, we've been over this already.
To each his own of course. In this case though, since you like Tanto Cuore, it may not be a good idea to rag on Dominion when asking for a recommendation. Because then maybe you miss out on the ameritrashier deckbuilders like Puzzle Strike or Rune Age or something.
What didn't your friends like about BSG?
When you say you don't like grandiose strategy games, do you mean, Eurogames like Puerto Rico, or conquest games like Twilight Imperium?
Have you looked into Merchants and Marauders, Arkham Horror, or Earth Reborn?
To each his own of course. In this case though, since you like Tanto Cuore, it may not be a good idea to rag on Dominion when asking for a recommendation. Because then maybe you miss out on the ameritrashier deckbuilders like Puzzle Strike or Rune Age or something.
This is why I brought it up. Asking for recommendations has nothing to do with the history of your gaming group, and it only confuses people to say, "I hate meat, don't recommend meat. I love hamburgers." Especially considering your reasoning for disliking Dominion isn't rational in the context of game recommendations. What are we supposed to do, tell him that he's going to hate a game because Steve's going to play it with him?
simonwolf, you haven't given a list of games you own. You haven't given a list of games or even mechanics you like and dislike-- except that you like MoM and Dominion (which have almost nothing in common). Can you give more details so we can make recommendations?
Bang! and The Resistance are great light fun if you have 5+ players (bang! plays alright with 4 (better with 5 and up), but resistance is at least 5) Space Alert is hilarious. Though especially for new players I'd say limit it to 4-5, with 2-3 you play with 1-2 extra 'androids' everyone controls and it isn't as fun.
Cosmic Encounter for 4-5 players?
Dixit is very accessible and replayable as is Time's Up if you're 5/6.
To each his own of course. In this case though, since you like Tanto Cuore, it may not be a good idea to rag on Dominion when asking for a recommendation. Because then maybe you miss out on the ameritrashier deckbuilders like Puzzle Strike or Rune Age or something.
What didn't your friends like about BSG?
When you say you don't like grandiose strategy games, do you mean, Eurogames like Puerto Rico, or conquest games like Twilight Imperium?
Have you looked into Merchants and Marauders, Arkham Horror, or Earth Reborn?
you have threatened my irrational love for all things David Sirlin; I don't think we can be internet friends anymore.
edit: Bohnanza is a game for lots of people, is extremely easy to get into but difficult to master, and will grow to become a game that you hide somewhere and pretend you can't find it just so that your gaming group will finally allow you to play some of your other equally interesting games.
Hey, you take that back about Crimson Skies! It worked as a board game 3 times! The original, The Wizkids version, and Wings of War - WWII. No, really, WoW uses a nearly identical system to Crimson Skies.
It must have been the people I tired to play it with since I tired the board game first then the Wizkids set {I ended up getting the whole set last year for pennies} because they made it not as fun but then inbetween I played the computer game with it rampant hacks and cheats
I did not know Wings of War the FFg game is crimson skies?
But what Wizkids did to Shadowrun and battletech was something to ashamed of
Posts
I'm going to call BS on that one. The Curator was fucking us over because we couldn't complete it. (At Midnight, all players have to either discard 2 trophies or lose one stamina and sanity.)
Especially when he got a Vampire bodyguard. If a monster appears and there's nowhere for it to go, you have to tack it on to a adventure as a extra task.
Which can suuuuuuuck.
Also if you die, you lose all the items you have AND you have to put a token on the Doom track. I'm assuming that people who were saying that dying didn't have any consequences missed that second part of the rule. I think during our three-player game we had at least five or six characters die.
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
A player's first impressions of the game will be that the game is competitive it is also friendly, but that while turns go by fast, the game takes far too long to play. This impression will persist until the very end of his first game, when one player who had apparently been no where near victory suddenly announces that he's won. The second game will then become a bloodthirsty, cutthroat affair as players realize that they must constantly antagonize one another, lest that unassuming merchant toiling away quietly suddenly vaults his way into the winner's circle in the blink of an eye.
We've had a lot of fun with it so far.
Of course, this makes me wonder about the PoD products. Are they going to have alternative setups for if you have the expansion or not? Does anyone here have experience with FFG's print on demand and whether or not it'll reflect the expansions?
EDIT: Might as well make something worthwhile from it. Spree's ransom has started, and will more than likely be up for print & play for free in a day or two. Save you a whole $3 for some running around a mall with guns at midnight looting fun.
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
Been mostly holding off on getting the POD stuff, though, until the expansion comes out in hopes of a new version of the rulebook that incorporates all the errata.
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
But what I mean is that the PoD's obviously use the tiles, mythos cards, environmental encounters, wounds, and monsters from the base game. In fact, the only parts it replaces are the exploration cards. So assuming that the expansion comes with more of all of those, especially the tiles, it becomes interesting how mix & match will work, what with potential for segregation being out there.
Crimson Skies was fun but I really do think it was never going to work as a Board game
... I'm a little bitter about Mage Knight. Regardless, they had a really good setup for a strong game, but didn't have the design chops to follow through.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/107794/bang-gold-rush
bang! expansion to be revealed at essen spiel. wheeeeee
It's definitely a game showing its age. It's a little clunky and there are way too many bonusses and options. I don't think I've ever actually tried any of the optional rules, the basic set is more than enough to wrap your head around. But I must say, this game has a lot of charm. Even if it is somewhat slight, does last a little longer than it should and relies heavily on players manipulating each other.
There's something kind of neat about playing a game of old-school hackerdom, with back doors, FBI raids, BBSes and dial-in spots. I might have to try to get it back into our regular rotation again. It's fun, but I'll have to try to cut the game down a little next time, though. Getting access to 12 systems takes quite a bit longer than the gameplay actually is good for.
I played Mansions of Madness at PAX, and it seemed pretty excellent, but is it worth a purchase?
I guess I am just looking for "general advice" about a game I would enjoy playing
My friends and I all have a shared enjoyment of games like Betrayal at House on the Hill and Tanto Cuore, so suggestions are welcome, unless they are Dominion
Are you new to board gaming?
Are you looking for one game that has a lot of great re-playability or something to start off a collection?
Do you have a budget you want to stay within?
And what types of games, other than Dominion, do you not enjoy?
I am generally not a fan of grandiose strategy games, if that makes sense?
Why are you not a fan of Dominon? Is it because it is the de facto go-to thing? Granted, I don't own a copy, but that's because I love and proselytize Nightfall.
I'm a relatively experienced GM and role-play aficionado, and my friends seem receptive the few times I've run games for them, so that aspect of MoM isn't daunting at all.
Glenn Drover's Empires: Age of Discovery (Worker placement/Area control) 2 - 5 or 6 with upcoming expansion
Battlestar Galactica (Co-op with traitor) 3 - 7
Puerto Rico (Worker placement/role choice) 3 - 5
Race for the Galaxy (Space Empire Building/card drafting) 2 - 4 or 5 and 6 with each added expansion
Space Alert (Co-op timed game) 2 - 5 (or maybe 3 - 5)
Power Grid (Bidding/resource maximization) 2 - 6
Each game above should be a pretty good hit in nearly any group. The first game is my absolute favorite game of all time. There are numerous strategies to victory and the best one is always made on the fly.
BSG is a great game for fans of the show or fans of the Werewolf/mafia party game. Of the above games, this would be my number one recommendation because I think it plays well with any group. Few games do that.
Puerto Rico was the number one game for a while on BGG and with great reason. It's not newbie friendly unless everyone is new to the game itself. Experienced players will always win.
Race for the Galaxy is the best card game in my opinion. However, the game has an extremely steep learning curve and should only be taught be players who are pretty familiar with the cards in general. Basically, if everyone is new and trying to learn the game, it may not going over well at all.
Space Alert is a really fun co-op game. Each player assumes a role on a ship and lays down cards doing their actions on the ship. The actions are then revealed simultaneously by all players and carried out one by one. But there is a time limit on how long you have to do your actions. So it is up to the group to determine the best actions to do between them with the cards they have in the time limit in hopes to keep their ship from being destroyed. To play pop in the CD, listen to what it tells you, make the changes on the board so that everyone knows what is (rather will be) going on and can plan accordingly. It's short, chaotic, a great game to enjoy with friends and laugh about.
Power Grid is a classic game where you own power plants and supply power to cities using resources to power those plants. It sounds lame, but the amount of depth here is pretty shocking and very refreshing. There are also numerous different maps to play, so it keeps the game feeling new at times.
If you, and your friends, enjoy role playing and would like to play board games that you can role play to, I have a few recommendations
BSG is definitely number 1. Again, fans of the show will really appreciate it. Play the game like the character from the show and make decisions as that character would knowing the information that is known.
Android is a good choice. Basically everyone takes roles of a character in a world and it is up to them to solve the murder mystery that the game is based on. It has been compared to Blade Runner in board game form. I can't say this is inaccurate either. Seems pretty spot on. On, and you're not actually trying to solve the murder in the clue sense. You're trying to solve it by acquiring evidence and placing it on suspects. You're not setting it up, you're just using the game mechanics to tell the story. It actually has a lot of role playing potential. I've not played it as such myself, but our game group has talked about doing it. The problem is, it's like a 4 hour game.
There's a new Star Trek co-op game that could probably be role played. I don't think it will be great, but for fans it's possible.
Starcraft the board game and Twilight Imperium (TI3) can both be role played.
A game called Galactic Destiny also has a lot of RP potential, but the game itself isn't that great. There is a rules revision posted on BGG along with a video rules explanation (the included rules are terrible and should be burned). I'd say check this out to see what you think. It's a long game like Starcraft and TI3, but I think it can really shine in a role playing group.
What's the deal with playing Arkham Horror on Vassal? I've heard people say Fantasy Flight Games frowns on Vassal conversion, but the official Vassal page has a module for Arkham Horror. Is it incomplete or none functional?
Whether it's functional I couldn't say, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't.
What didn't your friends like about BSG?
When you say you don't like grandiose strategy games, do you mean, Eurogames like Puerto Rico, or conquest games like Twilight Imperium?
Have you looked into Merchants and Marauders, Arkham Horror, or Earth Reborn?
This is why I brought it up. Asking for recommendations has nothing to do with the history of your gaming group, and it only confuses people to say, "I hate meat, don't recommend meat. I love hamburgers." Especially considering your reasoning for disliking Dominion isn't rational in the context of game recommendations. What are we supposed to do, tell him that he's going to hate a game because Steve's going to play it with him?
simonwolf, you haven't given a list of games you own. You haven't given a list of games or even mechanics you like and dislike-- except that you like MoM and Dominion (which have almost nothing in common). Can you give more details so we can make recommendations?
Bang! and The Resistance are great light fun if you have 5+ players (bang! plays alright with 4 (better with 5 and up), but resistance is at least 5)
Space Alert is hilarious. Though especially for new players I'd say limit it to 4-5, with 2-3 you play with 1-2 extra 'androids' everyone controls and it isn't as fun.
Cosmic Encounter for 4-5 players?
Dixit is very accessible and replayable as is Time's Up if you're 5/6.
The forums have issues with some threads that are 12+ months old, it seems. Anyone want to handle making a fresh one, and I'll lock this one?
you have threatened my irrational love for all things David Sirlin; I don't think we can be internet friends anymore.
edit: Bohnanza is a game for lots of people, is extremely easy to get into but difficult to master, and will grow to become a game that you hide somewhere and pretend you can't find it just so that your gaming group will finally allow you to play some of your other equally interesting games.
It must have been the people I tired to play it with since I tired the board game first then the Wizkids set {I ended up getting the whole set last year for pennies} because they made it not as fun but then inbetween I played the computer game with it rampant hacks and cheats
I did not know Wings of War the FFg game is crimson skies?
But what Wizkids did to Shadowrun and battletech was something to ashamed of