Tuesday 28 November 2017

Board Game Restocks

Another game that is due back in stock this week is ...


Carcassonne is a tile-placement game in which the players draw and place a tile with a piece of southern French landscape on it. The tile might feature a city, a road, a cloister, grassland or some combination thereof, and it must be placed adjacent to tiles that have already been played, in such a way that cities are connected to cities, roads to roads, etcetera. Having placed a tile, the player can then decide to place one of his meeples on one of the areas on it: on the city as a knight, on the road as a robber, on a cloister as a monk, or on the grass as a farmer. When that area is complete, that meeple scores points for its owner.

During a game of Carcassonne, players are faced with decisions like: "Is it really worth putting my last meeple there?" or "Should I use this tile to expand my city, or should I place it near my opponent instead, giving him a hard time to complete his project and score points?" Since players place only one tile and have the option to place one meeple on it, turns proceed quickly even if it is a game full of options and possibilities.

Here is a very quick and simple video I found online which explains how to play ...

 

Monday 27 November 2017

Game Restocks

This week we are due to get some restocks of games that have been unavailable for a while including ...


Eight-Minute Empire, by Ryan Laukat, is a quick game that implements the Civilization / Exploration theme using card-driven area control (by placing armies and cities in a small map) and set collection (by getting resources from the board and the cards). Players spread through the map in order to collect points at the end of the game by having majorities in regions and continents. All actions (such as land or sea movement, army production, or the founding of cities) are driven by cards that are face-up (six at a time) and available by increasing prices. Cards also contain resources, which also give points when the game ends if properly collected.

Here is what you get in the box ...

Saturday 25 November 2017

How to Play Explorers of Ixalan

Explorers of Ixalan is released this weekend so I thought I would have a look and see what I could find in the way of 'how to play videos. This is what I found so far ...


As it is Gambit Sunday tomrrow, I will be bringing along a copy to have a game later in the after noon!

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Unstable

Unstable is a silver-bordered, non-tournament-legal product that creates a whimsical, fun, and downright unforgettable experience players will be talking about for years to come. Ideal for drafting and sealed, this product also features stunning full-bleed lands, a staple for every Magic player.


Unstable contains 15 randomly inserted silver-bordered cards per booster pack.


Monday 20 November 2017

Explorers of Ixalan

EXPLORING THE DECKLISTS OF EXPLORERS OF IXALAN

Due in this week is a limited amount of the new Explorers of Ixalan. So I thought it was time to feast your eyes on all four decklists, so that by the time you have the game, you'll already know which one you want to call dibs on. Note, also, that the cards within are not exclusively from Ixalan, although they are themed around the set's four iconic tribes.

In fact, since Explorers takes place on Ixalan, so Wizards gave some of the older cards (and one lucky token) an art update so they could fit in better in their new surroundings, cards such as ...


And here are the promised decklists. Check them out, and happy exploring!

LEGION OF DUSK

Creature (21)
1 Day of Judgment

Instant (7)
2 Prismatic Lens, 1 Vanquisher's Banner

Enchantment (2)
4 Tainted Field, 9 Plains, 13 Swamp

BRAZEN COALITION

Creature (21)
2 Prismatic Lens

Enchantment (2)
1 Shared Animosity, 1 Vow of Lightning

Land (26)4 Crumbling Necropolis, 7 Island, 7 Swamp, 8 Mountain

RIVER HERALDS

Creature (20)
1 Giant Growth, 2 Unsummon

Artifact (2)
2 Prismatic Lens

Enchantment (4)
2 Unknown Shores, 12 Island, 12 Forest

SUN EMPIRE

Creature (20)
2 Prismatic Lens, 1 Quicksilver Amulet

Enchantment (2)

Friday 10 November 2017

More when you buy a box.


Get the word out now: starting Black Friday (11/24), players who pick up a box of Ixalan get five bonus rares, a handful of bonus foils, more Rebecca Guay lands and an exclusive alternate-art transform land from Ixalan.

That's a minimum of 14% more rares per box, plus foils and a handful of exclusives!

Ixalan Treasure Chest packs include:

1 Exclusive Foil Alternate-Art Transform Land from Ixalan

Each pack contains a foil copy of one of the transform lands from Ixalan. These are randomly inserted—it could be Growing Rites of Itlimoc/Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun, Vance's Blasting Cannons/Spitfire Bastion, or any of the other eight Ixalan transform lands.

2 Foils of Any Rarity from Standard-legal Sets

These are also randomized and could be any card printed between Kaladesh and Ixalan.

2 Foil Basic Lands Illustrated by Rebecca Guay

These lands are also featured in Ixalan Standard Showdown packs and Ixalan Special Buy-a-Box packs.

4 Rares or Mythic Rares from Standard-legal Sets

These are randomized and could be any rare or mythic from any set from Kaladesh through Ixalan.

Tuesday 7 November 2017

From the Vault

The introduction of double-faced cards was a big moment in Magic history. Invented to symbolize the Werewolves in original Innistrad changing from Humans to wolf-monsters and back again, the cards represented a massive leap into previously unexplored design space. One of the only constants in Magic since its inception has been the iconic card backs—and double-faced cards did away with those entirely, putting a whole other card's worth of content there instead! Fortunately, they turned out to be a lot of fun to play with, often adding an extra layer to the gameplay as players tried to meet their cards' transformation requirements.

Since then, double-faced cards that transform under specific conditions have become semi-regular sights in Magic. They've included artifacts that turn into creatures, creatures that turn into enchantments, enchantments that turn into lands, and more. While transformation will always be associated with Werewolves—it is, after all, kind of their signature thing—it also extends far beyond them. It's a fun and versatile mechanic, and it probably has some sweet applications we haven't even thought of yet!

Now, we're celebrating transformation with the release of From the Vault: Transform on November 24. Fifteen of the most notable double-faced cards from Magic's history are reprinted in premium foil, which is roughly twice as cool with shiny art on both sides. And some of those cards have new shiny art on both sides!

Huntmaster of the Fells
  

I know, I know, I just said Werewolves don't have a monopoly on transformation, but they're really good at it, and this particular Innistrad Werewolf is about as good as it gets. New art from Magali Villeneuve sheds new light (somewhat literally—look at the beautiful lighting work!) on the Huntmaster and its Ravager alter ego, giving you even more reason than ever to transform it repeatedly and admire both sides.

Garruk Relentless

  

Another original Innistrad card, Garruk Relentless was the first-ever double-faced planeswalker printed. His flipping from mono-green into black-green represented the curse bestowed upon him by the Chain Veil, which corrupted his power over beasts into something twisted and violent. Here, Grzegorz Rutkowski's updated art showcases Garruk's sinister transformation and the toll it takes on his sanity.

Delver of Secrets

  

It'd be hard to think of a one-mana 1/1 more likely to strike terror into an opponent's heart than Delver of Secrets. Show that humble little Human Wizard a single secret—it doesn't even have to be a juicy one—and it transforms permanently into a major flying threat. Both its original and Aberration versions are shown in sharper relief in Lius Lasahido's new art, so your opponent can see very clearlywhat's buzzing toward their face.

Beyond those three (or is it really six?), there are also twelve other shiny premium foil cards in the set (or is it 24? This is getting confusing). They span from Innistrad to the present, and they represent a wide sampling of different permutations of transformation. Here they are:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Keep an eye out at KD GAMES starting November 24, when From the Vault: Transform hits the shelves, and happy transforming!

Saturday 4 November 2017

Merfolk vs Goblins

Get ready to master the waves or hurl a Goblin grenade—the proud defenders of the sea and the destructive mountain mobs are finally settling their differences. Grab a friend and battle with these ready-to-play decks



CONTENTS
  • TWO 60-CARD DECKS
  • TEN TOKENS
  • TWO DECK BOXES
  • STRATEGY INSERT
  • MAGIC QUICK REFERENCE CARD
  • TWO SPINDOWN LIFE COUNTERS
  • FEATURED MERFOLK CARDS:
    • MASTER OF WAVES
    • MERFOLK OF THE PEARL TRIDENT
    • MISDIRECTION
    • FEATURED GOBLIN CARDS:

      • WARREN INSTIGATOR
      • GOBLIN RABBLEMASTER
      • GOBLIN CHARBELCHER

Friday 3 November 2017

End of Year Draft



Wizards are starting a ten-week Draft Series promotion. The prize? Two—yes, two—Standard Showdown boosters!

The promotion will start on October 28, with Dino-Sized Weekend. From this point through the end of the year, if you participate in at least six booster drafts at the same store, you will receive two of these boosters from your local game store!

The promotion ends with the Ixalan Store Championship on December 31.

Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to get some drafts in especially with the release of Unstable and Iconic Masters. Any type of draft will count including single booster draft.

So sharpen your Draft skills—there are some exciting times ahead of us!

Legend of the Five Rings - Dynasty Pack 1


"The pieces had shifted on the board in a single stroke, as though someone had picked up the board and slid everything to one side. A few were bound to fall off entirely."
- A Most Suitable Teacher

As the seven clans of Rokugan continue to serve the Emperor, cracks begin to fracture between them. Conflict is brewing in the Emerald Empire, and every clan must be ready for the turmoil to follow.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Tears of Amaterasu, the first Dynasty Pack in the Imperial Cycle for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game. Tears of Amaterasu comes with three copies each of twenty new cards, giving every clan new tools in their quest for superiority.

The Imperial Cycle continues to introduce the themes found in the Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game Core Set as well as expanding on cards tied to the Seeker and Keeper roles. The cycle explores the imperial side of the Empire by introducing a cycle of powerful magistrates as well as cards that focus on the Imperial Favor mechanic.


Betrayal at Baldur's Gate

Releasing next week ...

Never Split the Party… Unless Someone is the Traitor!

The shadow of Bhaal has come over Baldur’s Gate, summoning monsters and other horrors from the darkness!

As you build and explore the iconic city’s dark alleys and deadly catacombs, you must work with your fellow adventurers to survive the terrors ahead. That is, until some horrific evil turns one—or possibly more—of you against each other. Was it a mind flayer’s psionic blast or the whisperings of a deranged ghost that caused your allies to turn traitor? You’ll have no choice but to keep your enemies close!

Based on the award-winning Betrayal at House on the Hill board game, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate you’ll return to Baldur’s Gate again and again only to discover it’s never the same game twice.

Can you and your party survive the madness or will you succumb to the mayhem and split (or slaughter!) the party?

Wednesday 1 November 2017

Eastern Front

Just arrived is the new game ...



Recreate the greatest military conflict in history! Germany versus Soviet Russia on the Eastern Front in World War 2.  Use your battle and tactic cards, to out smart your opponent, win battles during 1941-1945, gain promotion through the ranks and ultimately win the war.  Random events are also selected as well as one off campaign cards to add further layers of strategy.