Agreed... I don't understand how CMON manages to mess up their reprints so much. Reminds me of how much better/more functional the original Blue Moon City is than the CMON reprint, and I've heard people say the original Council of Four is better too. But yeah, this new card art is awful.
I generally tendo to "upgrade" the games in my collection to the latest edition but unless an expansion comes out with awesome new content, I am going to stick with the Arcane Wonders' version of the game. I like the artwork and cards layout sooooo much more.
Well... that is a bummer, usually the second version learns from the previous one and the end results has to be better. 7 wonders got it right; this one, look for the OG one, looks like the second version, and the second one looks like a prototype. Sad :(
I think I like the box art slightly better in second edition. Only slightly and I would agree everything else is a fairly big step in the wrong direction. I think the new cover points more to the sheriff being a greedy smarmy character who could be bought.
I actually played the original today, and would miss the different draw options. They add a level of interest that I feel would be missing without it. For instance, one player took a contraband from the pile when I was the sheriff and I had to work out if he'd played it, or bluffed and kept it in his hand. I really like playing that way. Also..... horrendous new graphics. Sorry CMON, but you totally dropped the ball on that artwork. I've never seen the theme of a game so brutally sucked out of the components before.
Honestly i think that one rule change completely destroys a chunk of the game. It gets you to pay attention to what people are throwing away and what/how you yourself are getting rid of certain cards. "I just got rid of contraband, see! why would i stack a new bag full of it?" "where did that royal chicken go? they are trying to sneak chickens! it must be in their bag!" Yes i do draw from the top more often, as do most the players i play with. But if what you want is a faster game, why are you trying to play something where you roleplay and deliberate until a single person makes decisions? The market phase is a reprieve from the bribery and trickery you have to maintain for the next 5-10 minutes. Its a good thing. If you want me to nitpick the game i say they should worry more about fixing the scoring. Its a lot of math that really drags me out of the experience. The rest of it is fantastic. Especially with some of those expansion additions. And yeah im way happier i have the first edition... tho my bags are starting to wear down quite a bit.
@@Atariese I agree wholeheartedly! Your examples described it well. The 2 discard piles provide so much information, and so many chances for bluffing. With regards to the scoring, I'd highly recommend getting the app. You just input exactly what each player has in terms of cards and coins and it scores it all for you, including all the awards etc.
Couldn't agree more! being able to draw off the discard pile adds SO MUCH strategy to the game. Do you discard 4 cards to dig down to those two apples? Do you pick up that contraband hoping to lure the Sheriff into inspecting your legal goods?! Do you discard several cards to bury those chickens you know the blue player really wants?! So much is lost by disregarding this one aspect of the game.
The art is bad, but it seems like it is impossible to get a new version of the frist edition unless you want to pay 100-150+ bucks. Think I will just go with the cheaper 2. edition for now
I'm imagining that all of the original stuff was on the left, and the new version stuff was on the right. but for those of us (myself) that has never played and was interested in knowing what one to get, making it clear which is which would of been a good touch!
I really don't like the new art. Old one had charm and personality. This one is more generic and bland. If anything it makes me want to play Deponia. The character design is almost the same in those two.
I know a lot of people are ragging on the second edition and I agree I like the original better, but it isn't THAT bad and I'm just happy the game is still in print for people to enjoy.
Glad this video was made, as the artwork of the box and graphic design of the player boards and cards definitely don't make me want to change. I'm not sure that even a new expansion could convince me to change to the new one. Besides, I have plenty of game with the Arcane Wonders version and its expansion.
you don't play with the discard/draw piles? that adds so much additional strategy to the game. Sure, I bet it makes the game a little faster, but maybe like a couple minutes over the whole game.
Being able to draw off of the discard piles is one of the most important pieces of table information in the entire game. It allows you to both catch people with drawing cards and then them lying or, alternatively, it can allow you to take specific cards and then trick someone into thinking they see your strategy. It definitely is an important element of the experience. I wonder why they cut it (and why Tom wouldn't follow the rules there)
metallica4169 I disagree. The symbols are just confusing and makes the game less accessible whilst the bigger cards and boards make it even harder to fit on the table. The shiny card backs are also bleh.
Pridas I personally thought the new symbols and layout were much easier to read and better for teaching new players. The shiny backs are also very unique, and I can’t think of another game that has cards like that.
@@Iamwrongbut For me it's slightly better, just a tiny bit, and not worth the asking prize. I also own Cities, Leaders and Armada. All cards are sleeved. I'd rather invest in a new board game. But thats only me. New customers should byu the new version, I guess the old is out of print at this point in time and pretty expensive. Back to Sheriff, glad I own the first print plus Merry Men.
Interesting, I just got a "second edition", but it must be a new printing, the box insert is different again. One insert with three card-sized spaces; 2 for cards, 1 for sheriff/deputy standups, a second insert with coins together in a rectangle so all the player cards can slot in over them and keep them from shifting, and a space for the bags next to them.
I had given up on owning a 1st printing, then i was on vacation like 2-3 weeks ago out of state and went in a books-a-million and they had like around 6-8 of the Original printing on their shelf. edit: Guess it doesn't hurt to post this incase someone reading this is near there and wants to see if they are still in stock. was the BMA in Branson, MO.
Useful comparison, in many ways I find these more important than standard reviews. In a standard review I'm debating a game I don't have and always, regardless of review although it helps, might like. For these I'm debating an upgrade for a game I do have and most importantly do know I like, so knowing how it might not change what I love previously, improve on it in some way or possibly take away from it is really good.
ive wanted this game for ages but decided to wait for this new edition. Was SO disappointed when I saw the art - its seriously ugly and soulless to the point that I frantically spent a week trying to find the original online. What on earth were they thinking?
Hi i got the 2nd edition version and in my copy it has the holder for the cards in it that you can take out like the first edition had. Do you know if the box has changed because the box seems to be the same size as the first edition now
Went out and got a copy of the original along with Merry Men. I prefer it in almost every respect. But I'm glad it is still being published in any form.
I am perfectly happy with my old version an I will be glad I have it with a bunch of promos I am even happier with it. What I did is immediately hunt down a copy of the expansion of the old version 😃
I’ll never forgive them for removing Bobby Wasabi (From the show Kickin’ It) as the Sheriff! EDIT: I read the comments and thought people were being a little harsh, but after seeing the comparisons, the new edition artwork and design layout is ridiculously unclean. No way could you look at those player boards and cards and think that you are improving the design of the first edition.
Tom, didn’t realise you recommend playing that you just draw off the top of the draw pile. We’ll definitely give that a go next time we play! Think I’d choose getting original Merry Men expansion, which we don’t have yet, over getting this new edition.
Hmm I dunno, i mean 2nd edition art is fine but i find the original components much more appealing ! great video Tom ! oh damn that treasure chest though
It's hard to buy a product when you know a much better alternative exists, in this case the original, even if it costs a bit more and you have to settle for a used version. No way was I gonna be looking at those ugly goods cards when I knew for a few bucks more I could have the rich and glorious original.
To those complaining about the new discard rule. In the old edition, you discard face down in the market phase while in the new edition, you discard face up. There might be something there.
I have the original one and only got the chance to play it once. Now I have a new group to play with and I’m hyped to play it again. I prefer the art of the first edition but it’s tempting for the extra 6th player although why not go up to 7 or 8? That’s better for if you want to play after or before another party game with high player count. I like the rule of taking from the discard pile, it adds a bit more spice as you can observe a little bit what others are doing, but I get it that most wouldn’t want to reveal their plan and never end up drawing from there. I would have liked a bit more explanation about the black market. Because that could be the edge compared to the original one.
Its not that the new artwork is bad, infact it is very well done if you look at it without considering first edition. But indeed, first edition was masterfully drawn.
I compared both editions last year. And Jesus Christ ... My first edition copy is from this point forward considered a relic. Those second edition cards: what were they thinking?
Oooh I did not know they changed that rule..............well to be honest, discard pile searching was too time consuming so yeah I'm no longer using that rule.
If you find that time consuming, you wont want to play at my table where the deliberation can take upwards of 20 minutes. Using that "discard pile searching" to add to part of our discussion. And we love every minute of it.
Yeah, I've also never played with the only drawing from the top of the deck thing, but I will have to test that out and play it that way next time. :-)
I have been meaning to buy this for a while now, but it always gets pushed back due to other games that seem more interesting. Seems like now is a good time to finally get it. However, I have to agree with Tom in that most of the original components are cleaner and look better, especially the coins!
Tom missed a point which I believe is very important: promo cards. There were several promo cards released over the years for the first edition. All of these are contraband cards and in my opinion make the game incredibly more fun. Sheriff of Nottingham has always been one of my favourite games and once I collected all of the promo cards and started playing with them, it felt like an entirely new game, as contraband becomes a much more reliable high risk/high reward strategy. In the past, during my games most players just avoided contraband cards in general. Now, there isn't a single game where every single player doesn't try to smuggle some every now and then. Now, these promo cards are not only expensive to buy on platforms such as ebay, but getting a full collection can be quite hard. But I still believe they should be taken into account and that they make the first version much, much better than the second one, as obviously they are not compatible with the latter.
yeah i agree with the other comments, the art from cmon's version has the life sucked out of it (just my subjective opinion).. also the new item cards look more 'cheap/sterile' looking with the item being a shrunk down picture of 1 apple on white background, as opposed to the original that has the Full card detailed with nice artwork of apples in a basket. It has the natural lighting shining on the objects on all the cards while the 2nd edition just feels like sterile objects on a blank space. The original art pulled you into the theme with the artwork alone (including the player boards), the objects exist in some location relative to the item (chicken,bread,cheese) and that helps immerse you visually. The 2nd edition leaves you just aware of the item in your hand..but it doesn't exist in any location within the fiction world, it's just information for the player to refer to. The box size was perfect for the 1st edition... Some games need a Ticket to Ride size box....This game isn't one of them. But i'm glad the bags are still in good form with the buttons and my 1st edition bags are still working fine so must be some bad eggs out there that stung a few owners. I'm glad the games still in print though and i'm sure if you don't own the 1st edition, you're still going to have an awesome time opening up this edition and getting it to your table. Cheers for the review Tom
I jumped the comments immediately and thought people were being too harsh and then I continued to finish the video and wow. That second edition looks horrible. Who approved any of this?
I think cards are better to understand in 2nd edition thus I like it more, only exceptions being the box art and cheese looking like butter. But I have no idea if the expansions for this game are necessary and box size is a big deal for me, the smaller the better. Any feedback on expansions is welcome
I was really hoping to see the backsides of the characters for the new one, to see if they considered gender swapped colors. But with the rest of the production looking as drab as it does, not even that would save it for me. I'm happy with my old copy, tho i think i would love like 40 of the bags for replacements.
Yeah the art in the old is better but if I were to buy it my self, I would get the 2nd edition. 2nd coming with the expansion stuff included and nice insert and bag. But if I already owned the old one then I wouldn’t buy the 2nd edition.
So after playing Sheriff of Nottingham yesterday and watching this video I came to the conclusion that I really want either the Merry Men expansion or the new edition. ATM it’s the expansion is almost more expensive 😮. I understood that the Merry Men aren’t incluided in the new edition. Despite of liking more the greish blue of the new box rather than the brown of the old, that cheese just doesn’t do it. With the old version even if it was less clean it was very visible what kind of good you had. But that 6th black board with that nun eww?? They’re not making it any easy hehe. But at the moment there are many expansions of the original version and not yet for the new one, but hard to find…
Damn shame, second edition looks a bit too 'mainstream' if that is the word, the art is forgetable while the first edition's art was, like Tom said, more Disney like which I think is a huge compliment. You'd think the second edition would be a improved version but it seems you are better off with the original + expansion
The new edition has a very "busy" look. I prefer the clean look of the first edition. But having the black market option in the base game will be appeling for those who don't own the game yet.
Wow, crazy how much better the original is here, imo. The card art especially.
Yeah, the new cards are pretty awful I think.
I agree...original is far better
Agreed... I don't understand how CMON manages to mess up their reprints so much. Reminds me of how much better/more functional the original Blue Moon City is than the CMON reprint, and I've heard people say the original Council of Four is better too. But yeah, this new card art is awful.
Agreed, strongly dislike the new edition art direction.
When I saw the title I was all "oh yes!" And then I saw the art and I was all "aw no..."
Wooooow what were they thinking with that awful cluttered mess of graphic design and artwork???? Tom was insanely generous here...
He's never been an honest reviewer
I generally tendo to "upgrade" the games in my collection to the latest edition but unless an expansion comes out with awesome new content, I am going to stick with the Arcane Wonders' version of the game. I like the artwork and cards layout sooooo much more.
Well... that is a bummer, usually the second version learns from the previous one and the end results has to be better. 7 wonders got it right; this one, look for the OG one, looks like the second version, and the second one looks like a prototype. Sad :(
Not when cmon are involved
7 womders second edition is not worth either... I'm not buying again all that any time soon
its a downgrade if you ask me
Im so glad i have the original
I'm surprised CMON could make a 2nd edition crappier... c'mon!
AHHHH this made my day!!!!
Blue moon city, council of 4... They are great at this.
Given that it's CMON, I'm not surprised.
The original looks better than the new one, imo, however it's a shame that the original wasn't 6 players from the beginning!
Might simply make a color of one's own, like Orange, get a fitting bag + plateau and you're done. Assuming card balance is fine....
Except for the larger bag the Original is better.
I think I'm with ya on that, tmon. This is a case where the original printing is the better printing.
I don't have unlimited space for my games, so for me, the smaller box is way better!
I think I like the box art slightly better in second edition. Only slightly and I would agree everything else is a fairly big step in the wrong direction. I think the new cover points more to the sheriff being a greedy smarmy character who could be bought.
They should have paid the original artist.
Thanks for the comparison! I love the original game a lot, but I do not see the reason for this new version! Glad to keep my first edition!
I actually played the original today, and would miss the different draw options. They add a level of interest that I feel would be missing without it. For instance, one player took a contraband from the pile when I was the sheriff and I had to work out if he'd played it, or bluffed and kept it in his hand. I really like playing that way.
Also..... horrendous new graphics. Sorry CMON, but you totally dropped the ball on that artwork. I've never seen the theme of a game so brutally sucked out of the components before.
Honestly i think that one rule change completely destroys a chunk of the game. It gets you to pay attention to what people are throwing away and what/how you yourself are getting rid of certain cards. "I just got rid of contraband, see! why would i stack a new bag full of it?" "where did that royal chicken go? they are trying to sneak chickens! it must be in their bag!"
Yes i do draw from the top more often, as do most the players i play with. But if what you want is a faster game, why are you trying to play something where you roleplay and deliberate until a single person makes decisions? The market phase is a reprieve from the bribery and trickery you have to maintain for the next 5-10 minutes. Its a good thing. If you want me to nitpick the game i say they should worry more about fixing the scoring. Its a lot of math that really drags me out of the experience. The rest of it is fantastic. Especially with some of those expansion additions.
And yeah im way happier i have the first edition... tho my bags are starting to wear down quite a bit.
Drawing from the discards is mandatory for us... Makes no sense without it
@@Atariese I agree wholeheartedly! Your examples described it well. The 2 discard piles provide so much information, and so many chances for bluffing.
With regards to the scoring, I'd highly recommend getting the app. You just input exactly what each player has in terms of cards and coins and it scores it all for you, including all the awards etc.
Couldn't agree more! being able to draw off the discard pile adds SO MUCH strategy to the game. Do you discard 4 cards to dig down to those two apples? Do you pick up that contraband hoping to lure the Sheriff into inspecting your legal goods?! Do you discard several cards to bury those chickens you know the blue player really wants?! So much is lost by disregarding this one aspect of the game.
Well, you can always play with the old rule :)
Wow this is one of the worst reprints of a game I’ve ever seen. I liked nothing about this 2nd edition.
Colosseum still is the worst
I don't own this game, but I'm not getting 2nd edition now that I saw the original artwork.
Try to get your hands on a copy of the original. Fantastic game.
@@danielengel4593 i might, it may be now or never
The art is bad, but it seems like it is impossible to get a new version of the frist edition unless you want to pay 100-150+ bucks. Think I will just go with the cheaper 2. edition for now
WOW, just WOW. The original edition is clearly so so soooo much better!
Thank you for this, I shall keep the original.
I'm imagining that all of the original stuff was on the left, and the new version stuff was on the right. but for those of us (myself) that has never played and was interested in knowing what one to get, making it clear which is which would of been a good touch!
No one has responded, so I will, your assessment is correct.
Thanks for letting us know if we needed to upgrade to the 2nd edition.
I really don't like the new art. Old one had charm and personality. This one is more generic and bland. If anything it makes me want to play Deponia. The character design is almost the same in those two.
Thanks for the comparison. Definitely sticking with the original. Its not even close
I know a lot of people are ragging on the second edition and I agree I like the original better, but it isn't THAT bad and I'm just happy the game is still in print for people to enjoy.
the artwork is such a downgrade in my opinion
I liked the original box size and the mean sheriff from the first edition.
Thank you for the video, great to see the comparison explained.
the original is waaaay better!
The new rule that you always draw blind is interesting. It sounds like it's taking away a bit of the strategy but somehow I really like it.
It does encourage bluffing more I think since you can have less consistent hands.
Going to stick with first edition, because the cheese man is my favorite twiddly mustache man.
Original looks waaaaaay better!
My wife has Haptodysphoria. Specifically a fear or disgust to touching velvet.
This game looks awesome. Are the bags velvet?
Yes
Glad this video was made, as the artwork of the box and graphic design of the player boards and cards definitely don't make me want to change. I'm not sure that even a new expansion could convince me to change to the new one. Besides, I have plenty of game with the Arcane Wonders version and its expansion.
you don't play with the discard/draw piles? that adds so much additional strategy to the game. Sure, I bet it makes the game a little faster, but maybe like a couple minutes over the whole game.
Being able to draw off of the discard piles is one of the most important pieces of table information in the entire game. It allows you to both catch people with drawing cards and then them lying or, alternatively, it can allow you to take specific cards and then trick someone into thinking they see your strategy. It definitely is an important element of the experience. I wonder why they cut it (and why Tom wouldn't follow the rules there)
Like 7 Wonders, I will stick with the old version.
The new 7 wonders is so much better though!
metallica4169 I disagree. The symbols are just confusing and makes the game less accessible whilst the bigger cards and boards make it even harder to fit on the table. The shiny card backs are also bleh.
Pridas I personally thought the new symbols and layout were much easier to read and better for teaching new players. The shiny backs are also very unique, and I can’t think of another game that has cards like that.
@@Iamwrongbut For me it's slightly better, just a tiny bit, and not worth the asking prize. I also own Cities, Leaders and Armada. All cards are sleeved. I'd rather invest in a new board game. But thats only me. New customers should byu the new version, I guess the old is out of print at this point in time and pretty expensive. Back to Sheriff, glad I own the first print plus Merry Men.
Wow first time I'm glad I have the first addition
I have the first edition, and the box came with an insert specifically for the coins (separated by value).
Awesome comparison! Just the info that I was looking for! Thanks!!
Interesting, I just got a "second edition", but it must be a new printing, the box insert is different again. One insert with three card-sized spaces; 2 for cards, 1 for sheriff/deputy standups, a second insert with coins together in a rectangle so all the player cards can slot in over them and keep them from shifting, and a space for the bags next to them.
Are the bags any good on the original cause if they’re decent quality I’d definetly prefer the original; but I’ve heard they sometimes break
The first edition looks like a 2nd edition compared to the 2nd edition.
I had given up on owning a 1st printing, then i was on vacation like 2-3 weeks ago out of state and went in a books-a-million and they had like around 6-8 of the Original printing on their shelf.
edit: Guess it doesn't hurt to post this incase someone reading this is near there and wants to see if they are still in stock.
was the BMA in Branson, MO.
Useful comparison, in many ways I find these more important than standard reviews. In a standard review I'm debating a game I don't have and always, regardless of review although it helps, might like. For these I'm debating an upgrade for a game I do have and most importantly do know I like, so knowing how it might not change what I love previously, improve on it in some way or possibly take away from it is really good.
The second edition look outdated. First edition is beautiful.
I think the sherrif on the second edition box cover looks like he is about to kidnap me and toss me into his van.
You didn't show us the standees!
ive wanted this game for ages but decided to wait for this new edition. Was SO disappointed when I saw the art - its seriously ugly and soulless to the point that I frantically spent a week trying to find the original online. What on earth were they thinking?
Hi i got the 2nd edition version and in my copy it has the holder for the cards in it that you can take out like the first edition had. Do you know if the box has changed because the box seems to be the same size as the first edition now
1st edition of course..totally love the cards!!
I don’t remember having the chest or that insert, do I have 1.5 or what? 0.75? Bad memory?
May i ask can you play promo pack in new edition?
Uh oh. I haven't gotten 1st edition yet...
Went out and got a copy of the original along with Merry Men. I prefer it in almost every respect. But I'm glad it is still being published in any form.
Bigger box to take up more space and stand out on the shelf... but worse components that don't stand out.
I am perfectly happy with my old version an I will be glad I have it with a bunch of promos I am even happier with it.
What I did is immediately hunt down a copy of the expansion of the old version 😃
I love wverything about the first one except the bags. The snaps on mine are hard to pull and one bag ripped the first time we played.
I just want new pouches as half of mine are broken
A few of mine broke, so I wrote to the publisher. They sent me a new set for free plus a couple of promo cards.
That bottom right empty area in the insert of the new huge box is so frustrating.
I’ll never forgive them for removing Bobby Wasabi (From the show Kickin’ It) as the Sheriff!
EDIT: I read the comments and thought people were being a little harsh, but after seeing the comparisons, the new edition artwork and design layout is ridiculously unclean. No way could you look at those player boards and cards and think that you are improving the design of the first edition.
Tom, didn’t realise you recommend playing that you just draw off the top of the draw pile. We’ll definitely give that a go next time we play!
Think I’d choose getting original Merry Men expansion, which we don’t have yet, over getting this new edition.
Can the cards be interchanged
I'm so glad I already own the original version.
Smaller box will almost always win in my opinion.
I prefer the original art and cards but it is great that it comes with the expansion for 6 players out of the box
Hmm I dunno, i mean 2nd edition art is fine but i find the original components much more appealing ! great video Tom ! oh damn that treasure chest though
Well the sheriff is less mean looking in the new one, but at the same time he looks more creepy.
Well, I think I keep the old one then 😊
It's hard to buy a product when you know a much better alternative exists, in this case the original, even if it costs a bit more and you have to settle for a used version. No way was I gonna be looking at those ugly goods cards when I knew for a few bucks more I could have the rich and glorious original.
I got it for $15 during black Friday and love it definitely worth it
To those complaining about the new discard rule. In the old edition, you discard face down in the market phase while in the new edition, you discard face up. There might be something there.
Oh wow. I think the original has better looking art and has easier to read iconography
Mmm definitively like the art of the old one. But I have only recently started collecting these games, so 2nd edition it is.
I think I'll wait the third edition.
I have the original one and only got the chance to play it once. Now I have a new group to play with and I’m hyped to play it again. I prefer the art of the first edition but it’s tempting for the extra 6th player although why not go up to 7 or 8? That’s better for if you want to play after or before another party game with high player count. I like the rule of taking from the discard pile, it adds a bit more spice as you can observe a little bit what others are doing, but I get it that most wouldn’t want to reveal their plan and never end up drawing from there. I would have liked a bit more explanation about the black market. Because that could be the edge compared to the original one.
Just got the 2nd ed after playing the 1st ed in a friends house. Def my type of game for large numbers
Looks like Tom's gonna have to Frankenstein it to add the fancy chest and get the bigger bag.
Its not that the new artwork is bad, infact it is very well done if you look at it without considering first edition. But indeed, first edition was masterfully drawn.
I compared both editions last year.
And Jesus Christ ... My first edition copy is from this point forward considered a relic. Those second edition cards: what were they thinking?
There's so much empty space in the new version of the cards. The artwork on the original cards was so large and vibrant
I usually think 2nd edition art is superior. I 100% prefer the old cards
Why are cmon reprints such a let down? First Blue Moon City, now this? I just don’t get it...
Also with council of 4... Cmon are just shit :)
Old one is better hands down, it looks more clear in terms of rules too
6:15
... Has he always said it like "pwayers?"
Dang you just ruined all of Tom’s videos for me Hahahaha now all I hear is “Pway” and “Pwayers”
Oooh I did not know they changed that rule..............well to be honest, discard pile searching was too time consuming so yeah I'm no longer using that rule.
If you find that time consuming, you wont want to play at my table where the deliberation can take upwards of 20 minutes. Using that "discard pile searching" to add to part of our discussion. And we love every minute of it.
Yeah, I've also never played with the only drawing from the top of the deck thing, but I will have to test that out and play it that way next time. :-)
You know you couldn't search the discard piles? You could only draw from the top.
@@slydog75 I think you could still check to see what was discarded though, just not draw it
Does this game work with 2 players?
It does not.
I have been meaning to buy this for a while now, but it always gets pushed back due to other games that seem more interesting. Seems like now is a good time to finally get it. However, I have to agree with Tom in that most of the original components are cleaner and look better, especially the coins!
The orange cheese block says it all.
Tom missed a point which I believe is very important: promo cards.
There were several promo cards released over the years for the first edition. All of these are contraband cards and in my opinion make the game incredibly more fun. Sheriff of Nottingham has always been one of my favourite games and once I collected all of the promo cards and started playing with them, it felt like an entirely new game, as contraband becomes a much more reliable high risk/high reward strategy. In the past, during my games most players just avoided contraband cards in general. Now, there isn't a single game where every single player doesn't try to smuggle some every now and then.
Now, these promo cards are not only expensive to buy on platforms such as ebay, but getting a full collection can be quite hard. But I still believe they should be taken into account and that they make the first version much, much better than the second one, as obviously they are not compatible with the latter.
Original looks miles better, has so much character
yeah i agree with the other comments, the art from cmon's version has the life sucked out of it (just my subjective opinion).. also the new item cards look more 'cheap/sterile' looking with the item being a shrunk down picture of 1 apple on white background, as opposed to the original that has the Full card detailed with nice artwork of apples in a basket. It has the natural lighting shining on the objects on all the cards while the 2nd edition just feels like sterile objects on a blank space. The original art pulled you into the theme with the artwork alone (including the player boards), the objects exist in some location relative to the item (chicken,bread,cheese) and that helps immerse you visually. The 2nd edition leaves you just aware of the item in your hand..but it doesn't exist in any location within the fiction world, it's just information for the player to refer to. The box size was perfect for the 1st edition... Some games need a Ticket to Ride size box....This game isn't one of them.
But i'm glad the bags are still in good form with the buttons and my 1st edition bags are still working fine so must be some bad eggs out there that stung a few owners. I'm glad the games still in print though and i'm sure if you don't own the 1st edition, you're still going to have an awesome time opening up this edition and getting it to your table.
Cheers for the review Tom
I jumped the comments immediately and thought people were being too harsh and then I continued to finish the video and wow. That second edition looks horrible. Who approved any of this?
I think cards are better to understand in 2nd edition thus I like it more, only exceptions being the box art and cheese looking like butter. But I have no idea if the expansions for this game are necessary and box size is a big deal for me, the smaller the better. Any feedback on expansions is welcome
I was really hoping to see the backsides of the characters for the new one, to see if they considered gender swapped colors. But with the rest of the production looking as drab as it does, not even that would save it for me. I'm happy with my old copy, tho i think i would love like 40 of the bags for replacements.
Yes the cards lost the words on them and that's annoying. But they wanted to make it for all languages.
Yeah the art in the old is better but if I were to buy it my self, I would get the 2nd edition. 2nd coming with the expansion stuff included and nice insert and bag. But if I already owned the old one then I wouldn’t buy the 2nd edition.
So after playing Sheriff of Nottingham yesterday and watching this video I came to the conclusion that I really want either the Merry Men expansion or the new edition. ATM it’s the expansion is almost more expensive 😮. I understood that the Merry Men aren’t incluided in the new edition. Despite of liking more the greish blue of the new box rather than the brown of the old, that cheese just doesn’t do it. With the old version even if it was less clean it was very visible what kind of good you had. But that 6th black board with that nun eww?? They’re not making it any easy hehe. But at the moment there are many expansions of the original version and not yet for the new one, but hard to find…
Yup. only drawing off the draw pile is the way to go.... SOOOOOO much faster!!! (I like my original copy)
Damn shame, second edition looks a bit too 'mainstream' if that is the word, the art is forgetable while the first edition's art was, like Tom said, more Disney like which I think is a huge compliment.
You'd think the second edition would be a improved version but it seems you are better off with the original + expansion
Thanks a lot, Tom... now I'm gonna lose my lunch
The new edition has a very "busy" look. I prefer the clean look of the first edition.
But having the black market option in the base game will be appeling for those who don't own the game yet.
The new one seems so bad in comparison