I appreciate you covering the solo mode of this game. I've absolutely loved Cloudspire for its solo content, so I think I could end up enjoying Bloodstones with its solo/faction scenarios as well. I like these kind of puzzles.
I think your reply got cut off, but yes, so far Cloudspire seems to be an excellent comparison game to the solo design here - a competitive skirmish game that feels a bit more like a scenario-based puzzle in solo play.
Thanks for doing the playthrough! Was really interested in this one when crowdfunding launched but have been on the fence. Likely going to back. Solo looks like it will be fun to puzzle out each scenario and i'm sure the dominoes will be satisfying to play with.
@@HoreaPoenar I tend to like most of the variants his team of people designs. Especially if it was an automa to play competitive against, which would compliment the scenario-based solo here.
I just played this - it's been fun, but they did NOT make it any harder. :) It was pretty much a cakewalk for me, too. Hope some of the other scenarios are a bit tougher ...
I believe the catapult will be plus two against castle and citadel only, I think plus 2 when attacking was an error on the card. Way too powerful otherwise.
You are correct. The solo designer told me that after the video was already finished. I added a correction in the video description. But it wouldn't matter too much in this particular scenario. Would've made the 2 fights against giants tougher and that's about it :)
@@cassiesimpson7754 yes indeed. Giants always give the Hill Folk 4 tiles in battles THEY PARTICIPATE IN, but this scenario extends that bonus to EVERY Hill Folk battle, whether the giants are there or not. That's the player's incentive to potentially go take both of them out, though the player is not required to and can choose to suck it up and focus on the castles.
So, have you gone over this game again since? Thinking about buying it, I love wargames but there's very few that aren't COIN that play solo.... at all. And if they do, they're military themed which I don't like. Has your opinion changed? Any caveats? Anything you'd suggest instead of this game?
They didn’t send me a final copy, but from what I’ve heard in reviews it sounds like solo stayed mostly the same (flawed). As for your question, you want a war game that isn’t military themed? That’s a bit tough to suggest 😅😅
@@OneStopCoopShop I know you're big into Wargames, so I figured you'd be the person to ask haha. I honestly find it kind of bizarre that the genre seems obsessed with real-world military roleplay instead of something more like this game, or Sci-Fi, or something else entirely. I realize board games at large more than fill the whole "fantasy" or "sci-fi" niche, but it would be nice to have something like Fire in the Lake be re-themed to something more fantastical or space opera-y. Either that, or it's 1v1 miniatures based like 40k, which I do love already.
@brianmattei7134 ohhh, now I understand what you were asking about! If you want solid war games in a more fantastical or science vein that have solid solo modes, some good ones include: Root Cloudspire Voidfall Defense of Procyon III Or if you want to try a non-historical COIN, the upcoming Red Dust Rebellion looks great. I’m a P500 backer of that one
@@OneStopCoopShop Yeah sorry about that, I meant military as in like, historical. National military, etc. Already big into Root though, love the game, but it's a bear to play solo, plus the digital adaptation is amazing as-is. I do play that one a lot, it's fantastic. Voidfall seemed to be more Euro/more complex Space-Scythe to my eyes but I have been thinking about picking it up. I know it has a lot of modules to really change up any aspect about it to make it more of what any individual would want though. Haven't played a Turczi game yet. Defense of Procyon III and Red Dust Rebellion seem REALLY interesting though, thank you for putting those on my radar!
Cloudspire from Chip Theory is also a tactical battle game with unique factions and scenario-based solo play. It’s one of my faves, though certainly more complex than this one!
I have six videos of the game, if you want to see it in action 😅😅 Here’s the most recent - Cloudspire: Horizon's Wrath | Solo Playthrough | With Mike ua-cam.com/video/dHVReDcgHY4/v-deo.html
Gamefound Campaign - gamefound.com/projects/martin-wallace/bloodstones
0:00 - Introduction
1:02 - Game Overview
5:14 - Set-Up
7:45 - Turn 1
15:39 - Turn 2
19:16 - Turn 3
21:10 - Turn 4
23:25 - Turn 5
29:22 - Turn 6
32:25 - Initial Impressions
I appreciate you covering the solo mode of this game. I've absolutely loved Cloudspire for its solo content, so I think I could end up enjoying Bloodstones with its solo/faction scenarios as well. I like these kind of puzzles.
I think your reply got cut off, but yes, so far Cloudspire seems to be an excellent comparison game to the solo design here - a competitive skirmish game that feels a bit more like a scenario-based puzzle in solo play.
Thanks for doing the playthrough! Was really interested in this one when crowdfunding launched but have been on the fence. Likely going to back. Solo looks like it will be fun to puzzle out each scenario and i'm sure the dominoes will be satisfying to play with.
Half the enjoyment in the game will just be running our hands through the domino bags 😂😂
I like the multi-use tiles.
It seems easy to have the unit placement be a little bit smarter, for example the archers being in forests (if possible).
Sure, or just have their combat bonus apply regardless of terrain/attack/defense
I keep going back and forth on this. Why did I think David Turczi was also doing a solo mode for this game?
Because his squad of solo designers is all over the place.
But no, not here :)
Yes, he will do a solo version, but only for the expansion which is not part of this campaign and it is also dependent on how well this one will do.
@@HoreaPoenar I tend to like most of the variants his team of people designs. Especially if it was an automa to play competitive against, which would compliment the scenario-based solo here.
@@OneStopCoopShop, agree. It's what he announced on the BGG forums of the game. It means there is a lot on offer for many hours.
I just played this - it's been fun, but they did NOT make it any harder. :)
It was pretty much a cakewalk for me, too.
Hope some of the other scenarios are a bit tougher ...
Ah, that’s a bummer. I hope they get better too!
I believe the catapult will be plus two against castle and citadel only, I think plus 2 when attacking was an error on the card. Way too powerful otherwise.
You are correct. The solo designer told me that after the video was already finished. I added a correction in the video description.
But it wouldn't matter too much in this particular scenario. Would've made the 2 fights against giants tougher and that's about it :)
@@OneStopCoopShop I've fixed the tts mod now
@@cassiesimpson7754 thank you!!
Is the giant drawing 4 tiles scenario specific?
@@cassiesimpson7754 yes indeed. Giants always give the Hill Folk 4 tiles in battles THEY PARTICIPATE IN, but this scenario extends that bonus to EVERY Hill Folk battle, whether the giants are there or not. That's the player's incentive to potentially go take both of them out, though the player is not required to and can choose to suck it up and focus on the castles.
So, have you gone over this game again since? Thinking about buying it, I love wargames but there's very few that aren't COIN that play solo.... at all. And if they do, they're military themed which I don't like.
Has your opinion changed? Any caveats? Anything you'd suggest instead of this game?
They didn’t send me a final copy, but from what I’ve heard in reviews it sounds like solo stayed mostly the same (flawed).
As for your question, you want a war game that isn’t military themed? That’s a bit tough to suggest 😅😅
@@OneStopCoopShop I know you're big into Wargames, so I figured you'd be the person to ask haha. I honestly find it kind of bizarre that the genre seems obsessed with real-world military roleplay instead of something more like this game, or Sci-Fi, or something else entirely. I realize board games at large more than fill the whole "fantasy" or "sci-fi" niche, but it would be nice to have something like Fire in the Lake be re-themed to something more fantastical or space opera-y.
Either that, or it's 1v1 miniatures based like 40k, which I do love already.
@brianmattei7134 ohhh, now I understand what you were asking about! If you want solid war games in a more fantastical or science vein that have solid solo modes, some good ones include:
Root
Cloudspire
Voidfall
Defense of Procyon III
Or if you want to try a non-historical COIN, the upcoming Red Dust Rebellion looks great. I’m a P500 backer of that one
@@OneStopCoopShop Yeah sorry about that, I meant military as in like, historical. National military, etc. Already big into Root though, love the game, but it's a bear to play solo, plus the digital adaptation is amazing as-is. I do play that one a lot, it's fantastic.
Voidfall seemed to be more Euro/more complex Space-Scythe to my eyes but I have been thinking about picking it up. I know it has a lot of modules to really change up any aspect about it to make it more of what any individual would want though. Haven't played a Turczi game yet.
Defense of Procyon III and Red Dust Rebellion seem REALLY interesting though, thank you for putting those on my radar!
Is there a similar solo board game available now?
Cloudspire from Chip Theory is also a tactical battle game with unique factions and scenario-based solo play. It’s one of my faves, though certainly more complex than this one!
@@OneStopCoopShop Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation!
I have six videos of the game, if you want to see it in action 😅😅
Here’s the most recent - Cloudspire: Horizon's Wrath | Solo Playthrough | With Mike
ua-cam.com/video/dHVReDcgHY4/v-deo.html
Thank you! I'm going to check them out right now in fact!