Thank you for the straightforward review. We are proud to present the much improved version in the Reprint and Apocalypse. For example the Darkness behavior, Monster AI, storage and even the all new books for Apocalpyse, reprint and update packs, will come in the spiral format. We are so excited for tomorrow!
There are rumors you're wanting to implement the awesome narrative improvements from Apocalypse into the Core experience? Kinda retrofitting the original story in the base game, is that true?
I cant wait to get your game. It already looks spectacular. I've seen the updates you intend to implement. It seems like apocalypse has branching paths. I hope the updated core also gets that :)
For a speed review, this was by far one of the best I’ve watched. The pros and cons are perfect. We love this game but definitely would love better storage(map tiles, cards, tokens) and a streamlined darkness mechanic.
King please keep this format from now on. I love your in-depth stuff but honestly, as someone who has less time than I would like, I REALLY appreciate this way of looking at things. Especially because my game team has very little patience for long videos. Big thumbs up here.
This is so much better than other review formats. The long ones just have too much considering most people watch the review to decide whether to buy so don’t want too much detail. This is great.
Liked the short format very much. I picked up everything I needed. Maybe for certain games there could be a short or long review. If someone was interested from the condensed version they have the option to dive into a more comprehensive review. Many thanks for the work done on this, great job.
This format was very good. The structure, timestamps and summary at the end were fantastic for me. Well done on the extra effort. Ps. Still love your deep dive reviews BTW.
Really digging the new speed review format. I felt all your points were clear, logically grouped, and right to the point. It was also well organized. And the timestamps are a nice touch.
Really like the streamlined review format! Of course I will always love the in depth reviews, but this style is fantastic for when time is tight. I also think this style will appeal to some folks that prefer a quicker take. Thanks for your hard work!
Love this review format, very informative and quick. Of course, your regular reviews are also great, but for games which are a more known quantity for me I think I prefer this style. Either way keep up the great work.
Just 5 minutes in but I gotta say I like the format. Another thing I noticed (maybe on purpose, maybe accidentally, or me just interpreting stuff into it) but I feel like your language is now more concise and more objective/detailing rather than hating/praising on a game or using rude language when it isn't really necessary. Much appreciated!
Really like this speed review, gave me all the info I need in a streamlined fashion and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the length of the video. Feel much more confident in my decision about what to do on the campaign tomorrow
Great review. You speed review is more helpful and enjoyable to watch than other peoples regular reviews!!! I hope you do more. This was full of good and useful info.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I certainly tried to cram a lot in there, really it's almost every point I'd make in a full length one, just with fewer examples.
Great video as always! I really appreciate the time stamps and the speed review, I love the deep dives but with life getting busier, these are a nice touch!
Played with all 3, always try to get a range of things :) I'm flip flopping on if I like the cubes held, or being cardless and a slightly quicker setup. Both kind of annoy me :D
I prefer the regular way. It makes me believe you actually got the playtime and did the detail work. The little specific details is what really makes your reviews special than some cookie cutter "review" that others does. Plus it helps me to make a better decision when backing because you go into deep detail.
Best review format I have seen on your channel, and the best one on this game I have seen. Tons of great points but right to the point on each. Keep it up 👍
Great stuff bud :) I've been watching gameplay for this for many months (when id see new stuff come out) I have been going back and forward on getting this since being in Europe makes this a little fiddley but I am backing it for now and see how it is at the end getting the reprint core and new expansion with one or two of the add on packs (for now anyway) This seems to be the best bang for your buck (delivery and importation on VAT and other VAT on top of it all) Looks soooo damn good :P haha love your videos bud. top quality, lots of info and show off everything very well and up-close Thanks again :)
Great presentation and although this was a speed review it was thorough and detailed. I really liked it, not that your lengthier videos are not good (actually they are great), so if these shorter videos are easier for you to make you could keep it up but if the editing process takes you more time then keep the lengthier format!
The biggest con is the price (especially when VAT and shipping enter the mix). Of course its down to the individual to say whether anything is worth the money. The payment plan is a great idea, but it still is a lot of money when all payments are made. I can afford it, and will therefore go through the same wrangle as I did for Wild Assent (Which I ended up not backing). WIll be interesting to see how Boardgameco assesses the value. Same for you king, you opinion would be great. If the game holds its value in the long term I will probably go for it, it does look great though ... but is it so great that I would drop something like £600 for it (all in). Going to be a tough call
Wild Assent was imo unfairly typecast by KoA and some other reviewers to Stormsunder. Its a rogue-lite battler with interesting level up/unlocking mechanics, with a few short campaigns (excluding lavon rising) for giving a bit of flavour and context to the world and characters. Lavon rising is an expensive campaign for people who want more use and a different use out of their collection of minis and enemies - its to keep the game fresh and not to substitute for Stormsunder. KOA spent like 3/4 of the video harping about how it isn't or isn't tanares and stormsunder (guess what - its not supposed to be ~_~.) I would absolutely recommend the VAT-free original all-in (whose first edition I have been enjoying for a while now) for 240USD and one wave shipping of 37USD for UK/EU core countries with no VAT. You get more minis and much greater mini variety than COD, with easy set up and disassembling, and much lower time requirements. Absolutely worth it if you are 1. prone to playing solo (its the best solo game of this type I've ever played - rolling solo said much the same,) 2. want a very versatile game, 3. don't need another dungeon crawler. Alternatively, if you're strapped for cash just get the core game its cheap and plentiful for the core hunt/rogue-like mode. The PVP is fun but thats about it, its nothing shocking. Could definitely be a way to introduce skirmish games to your group before pulling the trigger on some more complex or dedicated ones like mythic battles.
@@ellyari Good reply. Money is the comparator for me. Wild Assent looks great, but for the all in and the narrative elements i.e. Lavon Rising (which I'm generally up for) it felt a bit expensive. This feels even more expensive :) I can't avoid VAT so it has to factor also. The shipping is very vague as well, and the giant boss miniatures will rocket the shipping cost up as well (unless temptation is resisted and standees are fine). The other bugbear for me is something the creators can't do anything about ... It's the feeling I have that the world is not yet settled and may even get worse therefore more risk is being carried by companies producing 'mega' games. Looking at what is going on with Sandy Peterson games (Cthulu Wars etc.) I worry that delays and problems could fold creators of complex games. I hope I'm wrong, but £600 is a lot to gamble with. Hey maybe I'm just a bit over worried about nothing |:)
@@ellyari Interesting. As someone tempted by both Wild Assent and CoD, I am still scratching my head over KoA's review of WA. WA seemed like a short campaign, random monster arena, rogue-like which makes it fairly unique. And I argue is much more intriguing than another super long campaign game (Storm Sunder). However, both CoD and WA are crazy pricy. CoD seems universally reviewed well with the main negatives as table devourer, finicky darkness, too easy, and lack of monster variety (types and variation in ranks of a type). The ease and variety seem like big things to gloss over. Still, I am very intrigued by the CoD systems.
@@NeilY1000 I would recommend you go for Stormsunder, Aeon trespass odyssey, Oathsworn if there's a reasonable reprint or just message the producers I managed to snag a rejected pledge from them a month ago, tanares in that order then. Aeon is more KDM style, but the discovery and campaign phase is fantastic and having your minis which are greek mechs riding huge monster minis is a dope concept. The discovery and campaign phase seems incredibly interesting and the theme is very original. Its definitely my favourite one. They also seem very sure about their finances - in terms of number of minis its not a great deal but the gameplay looks fantastic if you like KDM and the 7th continent. Stormsunder I put up first for the reason that anything you buy in the wave 1 pm, is going to be free of VAT. So if you all-in now for 450USD you can get an insane amount of content for that price. I have been able to sell Wild Assent for a profit in Europe because we don't usually back games here so when people want them they're used to paying a premium. I safely feel like I can sell Stormsunder if I don't like it when I get it. Plus I think they made something like 2-3mil overall after the campaign which means its an insanely well funded game so it should be fine financially. Oathsworn looks really interesting, there may be pledges left to pick up like I did by messaging the devs directly on KS, core pledge is very affordable for what you get. Tanares is universally praised, its not too expensive but not too cheap and the economies of scale are significant.
@@robertharvey5904 if you look at the scores, Wild Assent generally until the last 2-3 days of the campaign got really good reviews. Especially the first edition (top scores from quackalope and boardgameco vs mixed but hopeful reviews for the original COD.) The priciness complaint for Wild Assent is for the all-in + in comparison to Stormsunder. Stormsunder is the best priced board game of all time, even better imo if they deliver everything at current prices than the original KDM or KDM1.5 campaign. The cards, minis, tiles, pages, story is per $ insane. Wild Assent is actually also a great deal when you compare it to competitors as well but heavily overshadowed by stormsunder. IMO the core package on its own is decent replayability, but getting the core all in is enough for a LOT of sessions as the characters are interesting and there's enough variety for it to feel fresh even after 25 or so plays. And those were primarily solo plays for me. The short campaigns are fun, the rogue-lite is engaging and can entertain for a long time especially playing it with different people.
One thing you mention is you don't like the player trays, and then later you don't like the cubes sliding all over the place. That is the reason for the trays. My group has strongly preferred the format with the trays rather than the "Deluxe Edition" character cards. Easier to use and they grow with your character rather than looking at a bunch of unneeded info all at once. Also the bottom tray of the main box has a large section just to contain the door cards so I am not sure why you have those floating about loosely.
Ah yes I should have mentioned them. It's a tossup between using them and a slightly smaller table sprawl as they do still use the cards instead of the condensed layout of the other one. Dual layer boards would solve all of this of course :D
While a lengthier review has its benefits, I don't always have 1+ hour to spend on a single video so I end up skipping segments. So overall, I liked a lot this style of review where you get what the game is about, strengths, and weaknesses in less than 20 minutes.
I will add my opinion to this but with caution... I do really love this new format of a speed review. Great points, straight to the point, and excellent coverage of the main points of the game. I say that I give my opinion with caution, is because while I do love this speed review, I hope you will (maybe not all but still continue) to do your normal in depth reviews for the ones you feel needs a hour+ review/talking points and such. I enjoy both types and while I realize you cannot to both for every game, I would not like seeing one or the other go away... Just my two cents!
Love the format and actually kind of prefer this over normal ones. One thing that bothered me in this review was the lack of examples or like video descriptions of the points your making. I can see that there are a picture or two for eack point but it can be WAY better. For example: In the component complaints you could have given video with pictures to show how bad/good they are, how finicky, bad/good quality etc. TLDR: More video/picture examples of each point please :)
You said the expansions were integrated well, that they fit in the storyline. I was wondering how you knew when to play a certain expansion? I haven't played all the way through, obviously, and I didn't want to mess it up if I have to Google when to play which one. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Great review Michael. I already own the base game but haven't had the chance to play it yet. I am currently finishing up Gloomhaven with one group and Middara with another so I can't really fit it in just yet. Would you recommend getting the expansion to me or should I pass on this one?
Stormsunder is better written and more strategic but more "choose your own adventure" than Drunagor which is more "tabletop role playing game". Stormsunder is a heavier game whereas my kids were able to play Drunagor with little direction. Both are fun :)
I would say Tanares, but I've not played it, only Arena so can't say 100%. Tanares has a better PvP mode and more strategic and rewarding gameplay, but Drunagor wins in fun factor since it's more than just a single die roll for combat (cube placement and skill options are nice). I would LOVE to do a cage match video between the two once I get my hands on Tanares as they are both super RPG focused I feel.
DUDE.....the sound is amazing. Love the graphics - makes it all super understandable. Though there is no way anyone can now listen to you at 1.5 times speed 😂 Very, very good overview in half the time. I rate this a 8.5 out of 10 😉
I like this format! Can you talk more about your preferred way to integrate the expansions? I’m not clear on if you were thinking that you basically play through the core game, then the expansions and keep the enemies separated, or if you pile them together.
I really enjoyed the new format. Maybe both formats could be a option to you going forward based on what would work best for a particular game? I imagine some games might leave you with more nuanced opinions requiring a more thorough (long form) review
You know my thoughts.. game looks good but the soon to be $1000 price tag for EU/UK backers makes it a terrible back, I could drop a all in on ISS Vanguard, another of Stormsunder and a third on the Witcher and only be in the same ballpark region of this one game... No game is going to be worth 3 others, all of which could be considered as good as it. Pricing is crazy... terrible back for us over here.
@Allan Nielsen I want to add that a payment plan and going into debt for a board game is a stupid idea.. but I'm noones parent but it seems like a dark path.. And zero percent interest I don't see happening, like what lender is going to agree to that, damn not paypal credit that's for sure.
That helps half way @Kevin for sure. They do though still all follow the same general AI structure. I see they plan on introducing more variety to that in Apocalypse so that's good!
How would you compare what they are getting ready to release on game found to say a storm sunder. They both look like they could have really immersive stories, just not sure my wallet can afford them both.
I'm so torn between this and Arena Tanares (I don't own the core game of either, so I'm really shooting in the dark). I think you're saying this game does the RPG thing better than Arena; in your personal opinion, does it do gameplay better as well? Also, it seems to me (again can't say since I don't own either), that Arena is less fiddly/easier to table.
I've not played Tanares either. Based on Arena and what I know of Tanares though, Arena is more strategic, CoD is more fun. Arena provides a very good PvP mode where CoD provides one that no one plays. Arena is a tighter game, CoD is a more carefree game. CoD feels like a more traditional RPG whereas Arena feels more modern.
@@TheKingofAverage This is a surprising insight, as I had assumed that CoD was more strategic (maybe because, to me, it looks like running a character and levelling up is more complicated in CoD?). But I guess more character complexity doesn't automatically = more strategic? Just subscribed. Its really nice to see reviews that aren't paid for. And thanks for your other example on Arena. We are leaning towards Arena, as the example you gave was really great and we can only (and hopefully) assume that Tanares will double down on that type of gameplay even more.
@@TheKingofAverage They must add alot to replayability as well of course different classes do this as well. There are like 30 classes between both games and the expansions if I remember right.
Nice style on the review, good alternative to your regular style. Agree with lots of your points. The story isn’t captivating for my game group,but the mechanics are and that’s what we play for. My main beef is the “interactive” parts, which don’t really tie into the story and seem unnecessary and arbitrary. If a game is going to force choices on me, I want them to be meaningful and impactful, not “do you examine the statue’s head, left hand or right foot?”, with one result being randomly bad, another result randomly good, and another having no effect.
Yeah that's one thing they improved on a lot, as you aren't the only one to say this. In fact for the expansion there was only 1 POI that I could even talk about that didn't spoil story too much. Since they now often lock doors based on POI they do that because they are more part of the story so it ensures you get the whole story that way as you can't just skip them narratively.
Did you notice if you can go full damage and destroy anything in your path? or anything similar? Someone wrote about that and also said that it makes all strategy pointless.
Yes, but I didn't feel that killed strategy. The strategy here is definitely how to optimally use your cubes. TBH I RARELY ever lose at a dungeon crawl so that's not really a concern of me here. As long as I choices to make I'm pretty happy about it :)
although this is a really good quick review I must say I missed you in this ... your unique style of talking about a game I haven´t seen anybody doing such good in-depth review as you do, even with the one I don´t agree with you I would prefer you to do what you do best and that´s talking about your view of a game the way you did before imo if somebody is not able to watch a full 30 minutes review of an epic campaign game, they might better not try to play it then :p don´t get me wrong, both quick reviews are good - but not KoA great
hehe I hear you loud and clear and I appreciate the feedback! This was done to make it possible for me to do 2 reviews quickly - I could have NOT done this with my normal long form reviews. But certainly the first order of business is reigning back the speed a bit to allow for more....character :)
What batman game? Chronicles or Knight models game (I have Knight models game) it is brilliant simple rules but can be deep as well, amazing minis lots of different crews/teams
Of all the games I’ve backed Chronicles of Drunagor was the one I went all in on a gamble that actually paid off big time. Creative Games blew me away. I wasn’t expecting much from this game but they delivered! Yes the game needs some tuning but in terms of dungeon crawling it puts FFG and CMON to shame. I can tell Creative Games actually tried.
oh 100% I'd pick this over anything they have on offer for a dungeon crawl. It currently holds the title of "most RPG like" for me. Will see how Tanares affects that butwas really impressed by this!
I had the same comments about the insert. The final product didn't seem to fit everything and wasn't very practical to aid in game play. Even the two videos they provided didn't really help. Maybe next time.
I noticed after the review that there is a guide online on BGG that shows how to put everything, but it's still not great and rather spread out I felt plus there's still the issue of all those separate containers.
The first kickstarter did not quite get across how good the cube action system is. The other negative you failed to touch on is the lack of player references. There is a LOT of information packed into each of those action descriptions. And so there is way too much time spent with "What is the difference between Strike and Cleave?" type questions. The base rules set is actually surprisingly straightforward except for the giant glossary.
Any comments on the miniature quality? Given this is one of the things I watch your content for, not hearing you talk about this at all felt a little strange.
I unsubbed a while back to avoid what I perceived to be an increase in parasocial content but still find the reviews helpful. Just wanted to stop in and say that I enjoyed this format :)
Hey Wesley! Always happy to chat with ya! No idea what parasocial means, but glad that regardless of dislike for some content that you can enjoy and find others useful :)
Thank you for the honest review. You have helped me to make the decision not to purchase the game. The number of various tokens and the simplistic enemy design plus scaling where two reasons for me. It makes progress of the heroes mandatory with no real purpose. And has no ground in logic. You are one of two channells that do not hype up games. Keep up the good work
Thank you for the straightforward review. We are proud to present the much improved version in the Reprint and Apocalypse. For example the Darkness behavior, Monster AI, storage and even the all new books for Apocalpyse, reprint and update packs, will come in the spiral format. We are so excited for tomorrow!
Awesome!
Great news
There are rumors you're wanting to implement the awesome narrative improvements from Apocalypse into the Core experience? Kinda retrofitting the original story in the base game, is that true?
Will I be able to purchase the original in spiral format as an original backer?
I cant wait to get your game. It already looks spectacular. I've seen the updates you intend to implement. It seems like apocalypse has branching paths. I hope the updated core also gets that :)
I liike this speed review. Straight to the point
Best review ever. Straight to the point.
Always reluctant to play those 45minutes long reviews. Ain't Nobody Got Time for That
:D Glad you liked it Chris!
Loved the shorter review format. Got all the quality feedback in less time.
This format is fantastic! Will be watching all future speed reviews!!!
Really glad to hear you liked it Trent! :)
Love this quick style of review. Especially with all the helpful timestamps in the video description. Keep em coming! 👍
For a speed review, this was by far one of the best I’ve watched. The pros and cons are perfect. We love this game but definitely would love better storage(map tiles, cards, tokens) and a streamlined darkness mechanic.
@@rickbachCGS I was an all in backer last time and will be for the expansion 😉
Danny Marrero thank you for your support!
King please keep this format from now on. I love your in-depth stuff but honestly, as someone who has less time than I would like, I REALLY appreciate this way of looking at things. Especially because my game team has very little patience for long videos. Big thumbs up here.
This is so much better than other review formats. The long ones just have too much considering most people watch the review to decide whether to buy so don’t want too much detail. This is great.
My view statistics confirm what you say :D
Liked the short format very much. I picked up everything I needed. Maybe for certain games there could be a short or long review. If someone was interested from the condensed version they have the option to dive into a more comprehensive review. Many thanks for the work done on this, great job.
I like the new speed review format. You cover all the important parts of the game, in much less time.
Love this format, please keep it up! I did all-in and did not regret it!
OK this kind of review is a must have, straight to the point, very factual, love it. Please do more of them!
This format was very good. The structure, timestamps and summary at the end were fantastic for me. Well done on the extra effort. Ps. Still love your deep dive reviews
BTW.
Great style of review. Right to the point and you hit everything with a decent amount detail still.
Really digging the new speed review format. I felt all your points were clear, logically grouped, and right to the point. It was also well organized. And the timestamps are a nice touch.
Thanks so much for the feedback! :)
I like this type of speed review! Good info and quick!
Really like this speed Review thing a lot, you get a lot of info in a short amount of time, perfekt 1-2 days before the start of the campaign!!!
Really like the streamlined review format! Of course I will always love the in depth reviews, but this style is fantastic for when time is tight. I also think this style will appeal to some folks that prefer a quicker take. Thanks for your hard work!
Glad to hear it and thank you very much for the feedback!
I liked this format. Compact and right to the point.
Love the new format. Great to consume it.
Really glad to know, thank you! :)
Love this review format, very informative and quick. Of course, your regular reviews are also great, but for games which are a more known quantity for me I think I prefer this style. Either way keep up the great work.
Will do and thank you for the feedback! :)
Just 5 minutes in but I gotta say I like the format. Another thing I noticed (maybe on purpose, maybe accidentally, or me just interpreting stuff into it) but I feel like your language is now more concise and more objective/detailing rather than hating/praising on a game or using rude language when it isn't really necessary. Much appreciated!
Really like this speed review, gave me all the info I need in a streamlined fashion and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the length of the video. Feel much more confident in my decision about what to do on the campaign tomorrow
Definitely appreciate the speed review! I like the format, quick and to the point.
I love the speed-review. IMO much better format than the longer reviews.
Great review. You speed review is more helpful and enjoyable to watch than other peoples regular reviews!!! I hope you do more. This was full of good and useful info.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I certainly tried to cram a lot in there, really it's almost every point I'd make in a full length one, just with fewer examples.
This was really well done. Incredibly informative and to the point- thanks!
Glad to hear you liked it! I need to improve the imaging for sure, but it's a start :)
Loving the Quick Review format!
Great video as always! I really appreciate the time stamps and the speed review, I love the deep dives but with life getting busier, these are a nice touch!
I think the hero trays are a MUST, I wouldn't play Drunagor without them so kudos to you for doing so
Played with all 3, always try to get a range of things :) I'm flip flopping on if I like the cubes held, or being cardless and a slightly quicker setup. Both kind of annoy me :D
Well done King!
Great review!
Great review! Love the speed format. I also think it will work better with the UA-cam algorithms.
Great format. It probably takes a lot more time for you to make it but is certainly worth it.
Less than a full review actually. Filming and editing an hour review takes up quite a bit of time!
I prefer the regular way. It makes me believe you actually got the playtime and did the detail work. The little specific details is what really makes your reviews special than some cookie cutter "review" that others does. Plus it helps me to make a better decision when backing because you go into deep detail.
I think there is a time and place for both styles.
Really appreciate the feedback! I'll keep iterating on both style to see what makes each best and why and feedback like this really helps :)
Really great review/overview. Love the style of this sort of speed review!
Great work as always!Liked the speed review!But here is a hard one stormsunder or age of drunagor?
Great job King! Your presentation was just right...
Best review format I have seen on your channel, and the best one on this game I have seen. Tons of great points but right to the point on each. Keep it up 👍
Great format, definitely prefer something 15-20 minutes rather than 30-60 minutes. Would very much like to see more reviews like this in future.
Great stuff bud :) I've been watching gameplay for this for many months (when id see new stuff come out) I have been going back and forward on getting this since being in Europe makes this a little fiddley but I am backing it for now and see how it is at the end getting the reprint core and new expansion with one or two of the add on packs (for now anyway) This seems to be the best bang for your buck (delivery and importation on VAT and other VAT on top of it all) Looks soooo damn good :P haha love your videos bud. top quality, lots of info and show off everything very well and up-close Thanks again :)
Excellent, well thought out review! I miss the longer review just cause more KOA can't be a bad thing!
I absolutly LOVE this type of review! Thanks!
Great presentation and although this was a speed review it was thorough and detailed. I really liked it, not that your lengthier videos are not good (actually they are great), so if these shorter videos are easier for you to make you could keep it up but if the editing process takes you more time then keep the lengthier format!
Thanks so much for the feedback! I'll definitely keep iterating on this to improve it, especially visually! :)
Loved this review style
I like this kind of review, you're covering everything, but quickly
The biggest con is the price (especially when VAT and shipping enter the mix). Of course its down to the individual to say whether anything is worth the money. The payment plan is a great idea, but it still is a lot of money when all payments are made. I can afford it, and will therefore go through the same wrangle as I did for Wild Assent (Which I ended up not backing). WIll be interesting to see how Boardgameco assesses the value. Same for you king, you opinion would be great. If the game holds its value in the long term I will probably go for it, it does look great though ... but is it so great that I would drop something like £600 for it (all in). Going to be a tough call
Wild Assent was imo unfairly typecast by KoA and some other reviewers to Stormsunder. Its a rogue-lite battler with interesting level up/unlocking mechanics, with a few short campaigns (excluding lavon rising) for giving a bit of flavour and context to the world and characters. Lavon rising is an expensive campaign for people who want more use and a different use out of their collection of minis and enemies - its to keep the game fresh and not to substitute for Stormsunder. KOA spent like 3/4 of the video harping about how it isn't or isn't tanares and stormsunder (guess what - its not supposed to be ~_~.)
I would absolutely recommend the VAT-free original all-in (whose first edition I have been enjoying for a while now) for 240USD and one wave shipping of 37USD for UK/EU core countries with no VAT. You get more minis and much greater mini variety than COD, with easy set up and disassembling, and much lower time requirements. Absolutely worth it if you are 1. prone to playing solo (its the best solo game of this type I've ever played - rolling solo said much the same,) 2. want a very versatile game, 3. don't need another dungeon crawler. Alternatively, if you're strapped for cash just get the core game its cheap and plentiful for the core hunt/rogue-like mode.
The PVP is fun but thats about it, its nothing shocking. Could definitely be a way to introduce skirmish games to your group before pulling the trigger on some more complex or dedicated ones like mythic battles.
@@ellyari Good reply. Money is the comparator for me. Wild Assent looks great, but for the all in and the narrative elements i.e. Lavon Rising (which I'm generally up for) it felt a bit expensive. This feels even more expensive :) I can't avoid VAT so it has to factor also. The shipping is very vague as well, and the giant boss miniatures will rocket the shipping cost up as well (unless temptation is resisted and standees are fine).
The other bugbear for me is something the creators can't do anything about ... It's the feeling I have that the world is not yet settled and may even get worse therefore more risk is being carried by companies producing 'mega' games. Looking at what is going on with Sandy Peterson games (Cthulu Wars etc.) I worry that delays and problems could fold creators of complex games. I hope I'm wrong, but £600 is a lot to gamble with. Hey maybe I'm just a bit over worried about nothing |:)
@@ellyari Interesting. As someone tempted by both Wild Assent and CoD, I am still scratching my head over KoA's review of WA. WA seemed like a short campaign, random monster arena, rogue-like which makes it fairly unique. And I argue is much more intriguing than another super long campaign game (Storm Sunder). However, both CoD and WA are crazy pricy. CoD seems universally reviewed well with the main negatives as table devourer, finicky darkness, too easy, and lack of monster variety (types and variation in ranks of a type). The ease and variety seem like big things to gloss over. Still, I am very intrigued by the CoD systems.
@@NeilY1000 I would recommend you go for Stormsunder, Aeon trespass odyssey, Oathsworn if there's a reasonable reprint or just message the producers I managed to snag a rejected pledge from them a month ago, tanares in that order then.
Aeon is more KDM style, but the discovery and campaign phase is fantastic and having your minis which are greek mechs riding huge monster minis is a dope concept. The discovery and campaign phase seems incredibly interesting and the theme is very original. Its definitely my favourite one. They also seem very sure about their finances - in terms of number of minis its not a great deal but the gameplay looks fantastic if you like KDM and the 7th continent.
Stormsunder I put up first for the reason that anything you buy in the wave 1 pm, is going to be free of VAT. So if you all-in now for 450USD you can get an insane amount of content for that price. I have been able to sell Wild Assent for a profit in Europe because we don't usually back games here so when people want them they're used to paying a premium. I safely feel like I can sell Stormsunder if I don't like it when I get it. Plus I think they made something like 2-3mil overall after the campaign which means its an insanely well funded game so it should be fine financially.
Oathsworn looks really interesting, there may be pledges left to pick up like I did by messaging the devs directly on KS, core pledge is very affordable for what you get.
Tanares is universally praised, its not too expensive but not too cheap and the economies of scale are significant.
@@robertharvey5904 if you look at the scores, Wild Assent generally until the last 2-3 days of the campaign got really good reviews. Especially the first edition (top scores from quackalope and boardgameco vs mixed but hopeful reviews for the original COD.)
The priciness complaint for Wild Assent is for the all-in + in comparison to Stormsunder. Stormsunder is the best priced board game of all time, even better imo if they deliver everything at current prices than the original KDM or KDM1.5 campaign. The cards, minis, tiles, pages, story is per $ insane. Wild Assent is actually also a great deal when you compare it to competitors as well but heavily overshadowed by stormsunder. IMO the core package on its own is decent replayability, but getting the core all in is enough for a LOT of sessions as the characters are interesting and there's enough variety for it to feel fresh even after 25 or so plays. And those were primarily solo plays for me. The short campaigns are fun, the rogue-lite is engaging and can entertain for a long time especially playing it with different people.
I enjoy both your long and short reviews, so whichever kind you feel is appropriate depending on the game is fine with me.
This format of review is very nice!
I hope it will also allow you some extra time for more "X vs Y" type reviews.
Ditto: I like this speed review. Straight to the point
Really good review format =)
One thing you mention is you don't like the player trays, and then later you don't like the cubes sliding all over the place. That is the reason for the trays. My group has strongly preferred the format with the trays rather than the "Deluxe Edition" character cards. Easier to use and they grow with your character rather than looking at a bunch of unneeded info all at once.
Also the bottom tray of the main box has a large section just to contain the door cards so I am not sure why you have those floating about loosely.
Ah yes I should have mentioned them. It's a tossup between using them and a slightly smaller table sprawl as they do still use the cards instead of the condensed layout of the other one. Dual layer boards would solve all of this of course :D
Another Great video! Thank you for your feedback. That's aways a great way to improve.
Really good speed review!
While a lengthier review has its benefits, I don't always have 1+ hour to spend on a single video so I end up skipping segments. So overall, I liked a lot this style of review where you get what the game is about, strengths, and weaknesses in less than 20 minutes.
I will add my opinion to this but with caution... I do really love this new format of a speed review. Great points, straight to the point, and excellent coverage of the main points of the game. I say that I give my opinion with caution, is because while I do love this speed review, I hope you will (maybe not all but still continue) to do your normal in depth reviews for the ones you feel needs a hour+ review/talking points and such. I enjoy both types and while I realize you cannot to both for every game, I would not like seeing one or the other go away... Just my two cents!
Love the format and actually kind of prefer this over normal ones. One thing that bothered me in this review was the lack of examples or like video descriptions of the points your making. I can see that there are a picture or two for eack point but it can be WAY better. For example:
In the component complaints you could have given video with pictures to show how bad/good they are, how finicky, bad/good quality etc.
TLDR: More video/picture examples of each point please :)
100% agreed and thank you for the feedback! My #1 goal for these is to improve and iterate on the visual side of things :)
Awesome review! Thanks
Great timing on this one. Thanks!
That was amazing. Super informative in a small amount of time. Perfect after a long day of work. :) Really appreciate the time stamps as well.
Really glad to hear it! :)
You said the expansions were integrated well, that they fit in the storyline. I was wondering how you knew when to play a certain expansion? I haven't played all the way through, obviously, and I didn't want to mess it up if I have to Google when to play which one. Thanks and keep up the great work.
At the end of a scenario it'll say "If you have expansion ____ then you may play it now, otherwise continue to ____ scenario"
Very smooth :)
@@TheKingofAverage Awesome. That is sweet. Thank you
Great review Michael. I already own the base game but haven't had the chance to play it yet. I am currently finishing up Gloomhaven with one group and Middara with another so I can't really fit it in just yet. Would you recommend getting the expansion to me or should I pass on this one?
How would you compare this to stormsunder?
Following
Stormsunder is better written and more strategic but more "choose your own adventure" than Drunagor which is more "tabletop role playing game". Stormsunder is a heavier game whereas my kids were able to play Drunagor with little direction. Both are fun :)
@@TheKingofAverage thanks. I think. ;-) I'm all in on Stormsunder, and not sure about CoD. You didn't give me any reason to NOT back it.
Thumbs up for the speed review!
awesome review! speed review is the way to go for me! ;)
Thank you for recommending spoils of war expansion to clean things up a bit. I’ll grab it for sure sir.
Excellent review
If you had to choose one game - would you prefer Druganor or Tanares ?
I would say Tanares, but I've not played it, only Arena so can't say 100%.
Tanares has a better PvP mode and more strategic and rewarding gameplay, but Drunagor wins in fun factor since it's more than just a single die roll for combat (cube placement and skill options are nice).
I would LOVE to do a cage match video between the two once I get my hands on Tanares as they are both super RPG focused I feel.
Loved this style of review!
Thanks for the feedback dude! Happy to hear it for sure :)
DUDE.....the sound is amazing.
Love the graphics - makes it all super understandable.
Though there is no way anyone can now listen to you at 1.5 times speed 😂
Very, very good overview in half the time. I rate this a 8.5 out of 10 😉
Thanks so much for the feedback Eric!
Also glad to hear the sound was great!
Update 95 gives you links to show you how to store everything. (including the doors)
I love the new style
Thx KOA
The lived thus game was happy I backed it ! Going all in tomorrow! This was my hame of the year ! Fantastic ! Great review thanks
I like this format.
Speed review is the best!
Thumbs up on the Speed Review. :-)
Really glad to hear you liked it and I appreciate the feedback! :)
I like this format! Can you talk more about your preferred way to integrate the expansions? I’m not clear on if you were thinking that you basically play through the core game, then the expansions and keep the enemies separated, or if you pile them together.
As you play through the campaign it'll say "if you have then you can play through it now."
So it all fits within the existing campaign :)
@@TheKingofAverage oh perfect, I’m still on Mission 2
To reiterate, I don't add the monsters from the expansion until I play it, so keeps new ones coming :)
@@TheKingofAverage yeah that’s a great idea, let’s you build out the enemy decks as they get introduced
Exactly :) I also ensure new enemies are pulled during the expansion so really changes things up more
I really enjoyed the new format. Maybe both formats could be a option to you going forward based on what would work best for a particular game? I imagine some games might leave you with more nuanced opinions requiring a more thorough (long form) review
thx for this great review - it helped a lot with my decision...
You know my thoughts.. game looks good but the soon to be $1000 price tag for EU/UK backers makes it a terrible back, I could drop a all in on ISS Vanguard, another of Stormsunder and a third on the Witcher and only be in the same ballpark region of this one game... No game is going to be worth 3 others, all of which could be considered as good as it. Pricing is crazy... terrible back for us over here.
@Allan Nielsen I want to add that a payment plan and going into debt for a board game is a stupid idea.. but I'm noones parent but it seems like a dark path.. And zero percent interest I don't see happening, like what lender is going to agree to that, damn not paypal credit that's for sure.
I am also worried about some reviews mentioning that it gets repetitive after a while.
@@aSyphodias without a lot of monsters to play it gets really repetitive. You need some expansion content/monster packs.
That helps half way @Kevin for sure. They do though still all follow the same general AI structure. I see they plan on introducing more variety to that in Apocalypse so that's good!
Speed review - helpful format
Also loving the speed review!
How would you compare what they are getting ready to release on game found to say a storm sunder. They both look like they could have really immersive stories, just not sure my wallet can afford them both.
I'm so torn between this and Arena Tanares (I don't own the core game of either, so I'm really shooting in the dark). I think you're saying this game does the RPG thing better than Arena; in your personal opinion, does it do gameplay better as well? Also, it seems to me (again can't say since I don't own either), that Arena is less fiddly/easier to table.
I've not played Tanares either. Based on Arena and what I know of Tanares though, Arena is more strategic, CoD is more fun. Arena provides a very good PvP mode where CoD provides one that no one plays. Arena is a tighter game, CoD is a more carefree game. CoD feels like a more traditional RPG whereas Arena feels more modern.
@@TheKingofAverage This is a surprising insight, as I had assumed that CoD was more strategic (maybe because, to me, it looks like running a character and levelling up is more complicated in CoD?). But I guess more character complexity doesn't automatically = more strategic?
Just subscribed. Its really nice to see reviews that aren't paid for. And thanks for your other example on Arena. We are leaning towards Arena, as the example you gave was really great and we can only (and hopefully) assume that Tanares will double down on that type of gameplay even more.
arent there harder difficulty layouts on the QR codes???
That's the idea, you can scan those to get alternative setups. Not necessarily harder, they can do anything with it really.
@@TheKingofAverage They must add alot to replayability as well of course different classes do this as well. There are like 30 classes between both games and the expansions if I remember right.
Nice style on the review, good alternative to your regular style.
Agree with lots of your points. The story isn’t captivating for my game group,but the mechanics are and that’s what we play for. My main beef is the “interactive” parts, which don’t really tie into the story and seem unnecessary and arbitrary. If a game is going to force choices on me, I want them to be meaningful and impactful, not “do you examine the statue’s head, left hand or right foot?”, with one result being randomly bad, another result randomly good, and another having no effect.
Yeah that's one thing they improved on a lot, as you aren't the only one to say this. In fact for the expansion there was only 1 POI that I could even talk about that didn't spoil story too much. Since they now often lock doors based on POI they do that because they are more part of the story so it ensures you get the whole story that way as you can't just skip them narratively.
Loved this format. Great work! I have opted not to get the game, and this was super helpful.
Really glad to hear I was of help for you! :)
Did you notice if you can go full damage and destroy anything in your path? or anything similar? Someone wrote about that and also said that it makes all strategy pointless.
Yes, but I didn't feel that killed strategy. The strategy here is definitely how to optimally use your cubes. TBH I RARELY ever lose at a dungeon crawl so that's not really a concern of me here. As long as I choices to make I'm pretty happy about it :)
although this is a really good quick review I must say I missed you in this ... your unique style of talking about a game
I haven´t seen anybody doing such good in-depth review as you do, even with the one I don´t agree with you
I would prefer you to do what you do best and that´s talking about your view of a game the way you did before imo
if somebody is not able to watch a full 30 minutes review of an epic campaign game, they might better not try to play it then :p
don´t get me wrong, both quick reviews are good - but not KoA great
hehe I hear you loud and clear and I appreciate the feedback! This was done to make it possible for me to do 2 reviews quickly - I could have NOT done this with my normal long form reviews.
But certainly the first order of business is reigning back the speed a bit to allow for more....character :)
You mentioned Conan and Batman. Did you review either one or both. I have Conan and am getting Batman tomorrow.
Conan I sadly did not, though it's probably our most played game. Batman I did though!
@@TheKingofAverage I'll have to look for it, unless you have a link handy. ;-)
What batman game? Chronicles or Knight models game (I have Knight models game) it is brilliant simple rules but can be deep as well, amazing minis lots of different crews/teams
Of all the games I’ve backed Chronicles of Drunagor was the one I went all in on a gamble that actually paid off big time. Creative Games blew me away. I wasn’t expecting much from this game but they delivered! Yes the game needs some tuning but in terms of dungeon crawling it puts FFG and CMON to shame. I can tell Creative Games actually tried.
oh 100% I'd pick this over anything they have on offer for a dungeon crawl. It currently holds the title of "most RPG like" for me. Will see how Tanares affects that butwas really impressed by this!
Review for Middara on the way?
In process yessir! :)
i hope they check your review
I am sure they have :)
I had the same comments about the insert. The final product didn't seem to fit everything and wasn't very practical to aid in game play. Even the two videos they provided didn't really help. Maybe next time.
I noticed after the review that there is a guide online on BGG that shows how to put everything, but it's still not great and rather spread out I felt plus there's still the issue of all those separate containers.
The first kickstarter did not quite get across how good the cube action system is. The other negative you failed to touch on is the lack of player references. There is a LOT of information packed into each of those action descriptions. And so there is way too much time spent with "What is the difference between Strike and Cleave?" type questions. The base rules set is actually surprisingly straightforward except for the giant glossary.
11:10 - it’s like Disney Star Wars, got it! Lol xD
Ew no, I actually like these stories :D
@@TheKingofAverage haha
Any comments on the miniature quality? Given this is one of the things I watch your content for, not hearing you talk about this at all felt a little strange.
Wasn't a pro or a con. They are okay. Pretty nice detail but quite flat and mostly single piece.
I unsubbed a while back to avoid what I perceived to be an increase in parasocial content but still find the reviews helpful. Just wanted to stop in and say that I enjoyed this format :)
Hey Wesley! Always happy to chat with ya! No idea what parasocial means, but glad that regardless of dislike for some content that you can enjoy and find others useful :)
Okay so I googled it and your comment makes waaaay more sense now, I appreciate the feedback Wesley :)
I liked it but I prefer the more personal touch you have in your original review style.
Thank you for the honest review.
You have helped me to make the decision not to purchase the game.
The number of various tokens and the simplistic enemy design plus scaling where two reasons for me.
It makes progress of the heroes mandatory with no real purpose.
And has no ground in logic.
You are one of two channells that do not hype up games.
Keep up the good work
I'm so glad I could help you make a good decision for you!