Deck Building Games

[InfestedKerrigan]

I picked up Star Realms this afternoon.  I'd like to get ascension, but I couldn't justify the expense at the moment.  Star Realms, on the other hand, was $15.  

 

 

[Last_Bullet]

Star Realms is also an app for smartphones and well worth the couple bucks there.

[Guest Mr. Bigglesworth]

Star realms is one of my favs it is simple but complex. I like the destory opponents path to victory.

 

Acesion has the two paths which makes it interesting. I like it but art is kind of hit and miss for me.

 

Coop marvel deck building is a lot of fun.

 

Huge fan of sentinels multiverse but the decks are preconstructed.

 

Makers of star realm are putting out a fantasy version end of year, called epic card game.

[Sammy]

I think ascension is an app as well, I like that one a lot. And there's always dominion.

[dashneeb]

Deck building games are basically the same regardless.  There's no new fancy mechanics and what not.

 

That being said, I did play the Predator Co-op the other day and it was fun.  

[generalripphook]

What about Marvels Legendary or that one 40k game by Fantasy flight?

[dashneeb]

I haven't played the Fantasy Flight game, and I've been told that Legendary for Marvel is very similar to the Predator game.

 

What I can say is that it's always the same thing.  PIck up cards, shuffle, repeat.  In variably, there's cards out there to thin your deck somewhere.  Meh.  They're fun for some basic play, but it's hardly on the same level of play as a CCG or LCG.

[Sammy]

CCG lyfe dawg. Drop some Bennies, build a deck, shuffle, pick up cards, repeat. YOLOSWAG.

[dashneeb]

The difference is that the pick up cards, shuffle, repeat happens during the game, repeatedly.  Not once at the beginning and occasionally during.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Yeah, I don't consider CCG/TCGs the same as Deck Building Games.  They can be similar, but nothing under the sun is new.

 

Also believe that most Deck Building Games are the same, although I've only played Star Realms and Ascension.  

[InfestedKerrigan]

 

Has anyone else played this or the Pirates?  Or the Co-op versions?  My first game I lost hard.  Second game, I have 36 health remaining.  Purchased lots of Space Stations second game to absorb damage. 

 

I feel like I'm playing Star Realms wrong.  I feel like I shouldn't be able to play different factions bases at the same time.  I feel like you should commit. I know I can house rule it, but that's not it.  I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. 

[Marcalla]

Both Ascension and Star Realms have digital versions. They are also from the same designers and use basically the same rules with the difference being in Star realms you are trying to kill your opponent. In Ascension you are trying to get the most victory points (from collecting cards, and defeating monster cards in the trade row) Of the 2 I prefer ascension as it easily scales out from 2 players since you aren't directly attacking players there's no "pig in the middle" syndrome. The art is hit or miss with me as well. I got the year 1 box for 45 bucks. I look at the year 1/year 2 sets as big box board games that just happen to be deck builders. Its well worth getting those sets if you can find them for around 50ish Trains would also fit into this category. 

 

Sentinels is a great game also but alot more invloved. Its on my watch list for min market deal of the day. 

[InfestedKerrigan]

Is Space Hulk Death Angel the 40k DBG?  I think their LotR Living Card Game is a Deck Building Co-op game.  

 

I've looked at Legendary in the past, and didn't know what it was.  That looks like it could be fun with some of my group.  Star Realms having space ships on it is a turn off for some of them.  Silly.  

 

I agree about the art in Ascension.  It reminds me of MTG through the years.  Some really good, some really bad.  

[Marcalla]

I'd forgotten about Death Angel. Its alot of fun and is solo play optional as well. Death Angel is worth your duckets...

[dvang]

I do mostly co-op games.  Here are some great co-op card games:

 

* Sentinels of the Multiverse - It's not a deck builder, though.  Fun and easy, although there can be a lot of stuff to track.

* Legendary Encounters - Play the Alien movies!  More co-op than the superhero version of Legendary (so = better!), and it's Aliens!

* Shadowrift - A fun deck builder.  Some interesting twists on deck building.  Together, the players also build a 'town' deck.  The players all take their turn at the same time, allowing some unique coordination for card combos.

* Xenoshyft - Play as mercenaries for the Evil corporation that is plundering an alien planet.  Fight aliens. Buy and then fight bugs!

* Shadowrun - Kind of more on the mediocre side, IMO.  It's more like a 'Hand Builder' card game, as cards you purchase go into your hand instead of discard, as most other deck builders do. Also, seems to be intended more as a 'campaign', where you can purchase upgrades for your character to make them different.

* LOTR - Its a cooperative LCG(CCG), rather than a deck builder.  Lots of fun, though.  Expensive, however, like most LCGs  you need to buy a lot of card expansions to get the most options.

[InfestedKerrigan]

I picked up Epic and much to my disappointment it is more like Conquest or similar.  The rules come with suggestions of ways to play.  You can shuffle the big deck and deal 30 cards out to each player (up to 4) and have random cards.  Or you can deal 12 "10 card booster packs" and do a draft format.  Or you can divide the cards into their 4 factions and pick a faction.  Etc.  I was hoping for a fantasy version of Star Realms for fifteen bucks.  It's not.  I haven't played it yet, so I can't attest to how fun it is or how it plays out, as I've been too bent out of shape about what it isn't to care about what it is.  Once I play, I'll give an update.

 

I also picked up the 4 expansions to Star Realms, adding Events, Heroes, and additional Bases and Ships.  The Heroes stay in play, like bases, but can't be targeted by Attacks as far as I can tell.  They are single use items, basically, granting you a Faction Icon to trigger allied abilities, and a faction themed ability (+A/+H/Draw/Discard).  3 Heroes per faction in that booster.  2 Standard and 1 Elite.  The Elite has an increased effect.  The Events are shuffled into the main deck, and when they are flipped face up when restocking the trade row, their effect is immediately triggered.  Some are beneficial, some are destructive.  I think I'll add a second Event Booster to my deck.  The other two boosters add roughly 3 bases and 3 ships to each faction.  They are again all quite thematic and go nicely with the main deck.  I think adding 1 more of both of these boosters would be enough for up to 4 players.  That is to say, the core plus 1 Hero Booster and 2 each of the other boosters is enough cards to handle up to 4 players.  You would need to keep track of Health in a different way, Percentile Dice come to mind, but otherwise it should work fine.

[InfestedKerrigan]

I do mostly co-op games.  Here are some great co-op card games:

 

* Sentinels of the Multiverse - It's not a deck builder, though.  Fun and easy, although there can be a lot of stuff to track.

* Legendary Encounters - Play the Alien movies!  More co-op than the superhero version of Legendary (so = better!), and it's Aliens!

* Shadowrift - A fun deck builder.  Some interesting twists on deck building.  Together, the players also build a 'town' deck.  The players all take their turn at the same time, allowing some unique coordination for card combos.

* Xenoshyft - Play as mercenaries for the Evil corporation that is plundering an alien planet.  Fight aliens. Buy and then fight bugs!

* Shadowrun - Kind of more on the mediocre side, IMO.  It's more like a 'Hand Builder' card game, as cards you purchase go into your hand instead of discard, as most other deck builders do. Also, seems to be intended more as a 'campaign', where you can purchase upgrades for your character to make them different.

* LOTR - Its a cooperative LCG(CCG), rather than a deck builder.  Lots of fun, though.  Expensive, however, like most LCGs  you need to buy a lot of card expansions to get the most options.

 

I've been watching for Legendary Encounters at the FLGS.  They offer the other Legendary games, DC and Marvel.  But I haven't seen the Aliens one.  I haven't bothered asking, either.  I'm too much of an impulse shopper.  If I have to order it and wait for it to arrive, I'm going to order it online and get a discount. 

 

Shadowrift sounds interesting, although it appears hard to find.

 

I've watched the LOTR feed every now and again on FFG.  It looks like it's a lot of cards to have to manage if you are getting expansions.  Quite unruly.  Does it encourage trimming the decks, or does it have a method for deck building each game?

[InfestedKerrigan]

They still haven't had Legendary Encounters come through, but they do have AVP Hunt Begins >_<  Not a Card Game, but we wants it, my precious.  And the expansions.  They don't have the expansions, but we wants them.

 

We still haven't played Epic. 

 

Star Realms is being referred to as "The Devil Game," but I have a few people playing it at work now, too.  Fun Fun.  :)