@@Schlagathor78 Yea it does seem like you might be able to do that. Maybe it's for the campaign, since you're going to have a sheet that essentially tracks upgrades to your hero. The stats on the chip wont always be relevant. But for everything else it may just use chip stats, idk. Good eye noticing that with the chips 👍
First off you need to play TMB haha. But jokes aside it does play differently than TMB. But you still have a similar feel if that makes sense, like move first then attack, abilities on the units, asymmetrical factions, etc. It's hard to say if you like TMB that you'll also like Hoplomachus, but it should give you a slightly better indicator. Haha yea man the fomo can be tough.
Just found your channel (lucky me) because of the new Hoplo kickstarter. Just wanted to say this was a really awesome video bro well done. I don't own any of the previous Hoplo content and am wondering if I should go all in or just get the Victorum, I have been looking for a good Gladiator game and this looks like it could be it. New subscriber!!
Hey thanks a lot man I really appreciate the words and the sub. If you're looking for a gladiator game then this is the one. I've played a bunch of the original and the theme is definitely strong. You get the feeling of moving around the colloseum battling gladiators and beasts. So if they've improved on that all, with better art as well, I think it's going to be a good purchase. It's and easy to bust out fun game that has a great solo experience as well.
Hey thank you dude, glad you enjoyed it. Skirmish games generally are like tactical small scale battles. An example is like you vs a friend, each controlling your troops, taking turns making moves throughout the map and attacking each other until there is a victor. That's pretty general and can vary from game to game, but pretty much sums it up. Hope that helps!
Good point, a lot could change still. And you're right about the dice, just saw the stretch goal at 700k for the dice upgrade. They look really good! Definitely the direction I was hoping they would go. No reason they shouldn't hit that goal. Are you pledging for it?
@@BrewsandBoardgames yeah, game looks fantastic and I was interested in Hoplo before as a lighter alternative too TMB and something that is easier for not so experienced board gamers to play with me
@@DragonsRacingTeam Yea Hoplomachus definitely fits that bill, so easy to get out and setup too. Awesome solo game as well if you cant get others together. All that with better art, seems like a perfect time to hop in.
Yo, honestly, I’m thinking of getting Just Victorum. Seems like a pretty cool solo experience which is what I’m looking for. Judging by the company’s popularity, obviously they put out some quality stuff. Might just wait for retail and go for Too Many Bones first. Side note, I’m glad you let everyone know that there’s no exclusives with Chip Theory so you’re really just paying to get it first, but everything they reveal is gonna be retail anyways.
If Victorum is anything like the solo experience from original Hoplomachus, it's going to be good. I've played a decent amount of Hoplo solo, and I rate it pretty high. As far as Chip Theory stuff, everything I've gotten from them has been high quality, from components to gameplay. They put a lot of love into their products. Too Many Bones is an amazing game, if you're thinking of either getting Victorum or TMB, I'd say go with TMB. The core game alone of TMB has so much going for it and it plays awesome solo. Yea you're right about getting it first, and I guess at a slight discount. But if you're unsure, its great to have the ability to get everything later. Another reason I like Chip Theory Games. You don't have to make that decision during the KS, just wait and see, and if it looks good, you can still get it later.
@@BrewsandBoardgames well brother I ended up making the jump for just Victorum and the upgraded health tracker. You already know I love games you can play solo so I figured why not. Hopefully that’ll satisfy my Kickstarter game cravings now. Haven’t went too crazy but did buy enough to keep me busy for a real long time.
@@OneLegPowerlifter I hear ya man and I'm right there with you, I think that was a good call. Definitely getting Victorum as well, I have a good feeling about it, Chip Theory knows how to do solo games right. And again, when it all finally drops at retail, if you're still interested in remastered, just pick it up then, no sweat. Lol dude staying away from kickstarter can be hard, they just make the games look so good. So if you can do it, I respect that man. I gotta remind myself sometimes not to go in on something that might look semi good to me and wait for something that I'm really looking forward to. Side note: you ever get zombicide 2nd ed. yet?
@@BrewsandBoardgames Oh I feel that lol. There’s always something good popping up on Kickstarter. But I have to keep reminding myself that I’ve got 4 games coming next year lol. And yes I did get my Zombicide 2E. Haven’t had a chance to play it and it’s expansions yet because I’ve been moving but I’ll be finished with that soon. I want to break it open and get started finally.
@@OneLegPowerlifter And dude there's so much cool stuff out in retail too that's proven, so even if we skip on KS it's not like we cant get good games. And chances are those ones we miss on KS will go to retail. And good man I was hoping you did. Good luck with the move, hope it goes smooth. And definitely bust that out when you can, so much goodness in there.
If I had to say, I'd probably spend that to go for the whole hoplomachus. The dice are tempting, I love metal dice, but I also think the included dice they have in the games now look sick. A huge improvement from before. So you're already getting some sweet dice. Then down the road you could pick up the dice in retail if you still want them.
@@markwilliamson3043 Dude I saw the dice and got excited, only to see the price and ouch that is a lot. Can't pay 60 for metal dice right?... but they look so good and they're metal dice! Are you getting them?
@@BrewsandBoardgames 😅😅😅 i know what your sayng but no, i can't justify £60 for metal dice. as much as i would love to but that could be a whole new board game at that price. i think the upgraded attack and arena dice look good enough
@@markwilliamson3043 haha, yea I'm with you on this. They look sweet, but just too much. I was even fine with the original H dice lol, so already a huge improvement with the new design
still waiting for my copy of cloudspire to show up. this looks interesting. may have to throw some money to chip theory for this one. just backed at the 5 dollar level to get that sweet PM access.
All the weight from the Cloudspire box must be dragging the truck down making it slower haha. I think I'm doing the same as you right now with the 5 dollar pledge. Still not 100% but leaning towards Victorum. And if not, hey you're supporting a good company.
The original Hoplomachus has an amazing solo experience, it's highly praised. So if they kept that formula, or even improved it in Remastered, then you can expect some good solo play. I would expect nothing but great things from Remastered and Victorum when it comes to solo.
Great video, I like your style and will check out your other videos, new sub here! Anyway, I fall into #1 should you back it, I've always been interested in Hoplomachus but it's always seemed unattainable, until now. After watching a few playthroughs I'm still undecided on the AI, it seems a bit basic and with the player making some decisions for it? Do you find the previous games are very puzzley, are you thinking how to optimize every turn? Hope that makes sense, I guess I don't want a dice chucker. Also I'm at the board gaming stage where I'm looking to streamline my collections, sell off a few games I rarely play to get one I will play often. This seems to tick all the boxes.
First off thank you man I appreciate what you said and the sub. I can also respect where you're at regarding your game collection, honeymoon collecting phase is over, you want the stuff you're 100% going to get out and play. That's a good spot to be in. So with that out of the way lets get into Hoplomachus. I'm going to base all my responses on the original Hoplomachus, as we don't know much about remastered. But if they took basically everything that worked, and streamlined it., I think the answers will still be relevant. So when it comes to mechanics and AI in CTG games, they have a certain structure they follow. But it came be manipulated in certain ways, by the players. For example, the AI rules might say this unit is supposed to move 2 spaces closer to you, or toward something. But there might be more than 1 path that it could take, to get closer to what its trying to reach, and that's where your decision comes in. This is in there 3 main games of TMB, Cloudspire and Hoplomachus. And that is where a ton of strategy can come into play. Making these kinds of decisions for the AI allows you to really be able to plan moves, setup positioning and take advantages. And for me, that is a lot of fun. You can't always do that, but when you can, and knowing how can be very satisfying. You will still find the game very balanced and can still be quite tough at times. As far as planning turns. Yes, you are always thinking about maximizing your turns and how to setup for future ones. But for me, it hits a great spot in being tactical and planning strategies, without being a brain burner. But I do want to mention, this game is a dice chucker. Movement and positioning is all you, who you bring onto the battlefield and tactics you equip is all you, but when it comes to combat, killing those units, you're rolling dice. And this game has tiered levels of dice, some just suck, while others are great. Now, there are slight things you can do to help, like some units might assist others and allow them to roll extra dice, so there are those things. But you're still rolling dice, so you could still completely wiff a roll. Also, don't forget, you can always wait to make a decision. This game will come to retail, and I think its going to remain in production for a long time. I can see this being a main stay for them like TMB or Cloudspire. And to summarize, yes there is a ton of strategy, AI manipulation strikes a great balance, movement and positioning is all you, and attacks are determined by dice. I know this way long, but I hope it helped. Again thanks for the sub and feel free to ask questions, I encourage it!
@@BrewsandBoardgames thank you for the detailed reply, much appreciated. You're right, knowing I should be able to get it at a later date means I don't have to decide now... although this could change in the next couple of days if Ricky Royal does a playthrough and I see excited he gets! Thanks again
Are we talking Hoplo Victorum and Remastered vs Cloudspire? Or what I think about Hoplo in general vs Cloudspire? With not knowing that much about remastered, I'll assume it will be alittle better than the original. Both have a similar feel when playing as you're moving around your units/chips and each having different abilities. But Hoplo is far less fiddly, easier and faster to setup and learn, and has a cool arena combat feel to it. Cloudspire on the other hand is quite complex, there's a ton of little nuanced situations. The latest rulebook has helped and CTG has a great faq on their site. There's a ton of stuff in the box, and it can take some time setting up. All that being said, it's an awesome experience. It has a lot of strategy and a cool mechanic with the minions must move certain ways while your heros can move however. Plus the factions all play really differently. They did an excellent job with the asymmetric factions. Plus with Cloudspire theres a little more lore and them if you're into that. Both games play great with multiplayer as well as solo, they really did a good job with the solo aspect. Both also have amazing components. If I could only have 1, I'd choose Cloudspire. Sure it's more complex, but I love the variety of factions, the theme and the mechanic of minions and heroes, upgrading your factions, and building those sweet spires. But dont get me wrong, Hoplomachus is an outstanding game as well. And the beauty is we can have both. But I'd say it comes down to your preference, are you looking for a fast paced skirmish game, do you like the Colosseum feel, easier to get to the table, and great solo? Then Hoplomachus is your jam. But if you dont mind more complicated, and like a little more theme, more asymmetrical factions, building stuff and upgrading, solo and a moba type feeling game, Cloudspire might be it for you. Long response but hope it helped!
@@BrewsandBoardgames Thanks for that answer :D im thinking of getting one of the games and I think im ledning Cloudspire but this new version seems awesome. Their games are not cheap so you cant buy everything :)
@@Rhawin I hear ya man the cost is up there. But man do you get some sweet stuff! But don't forget, you could still get everything in this Hoplomachus campaign later at retail. So an option you could take is to get Cloudspire if that's what you're leaning towards. It's a proven game and available now. And then later in a year or whatever when Remastered and Victorum come out, you can just pick it up then. Also waiting to see some other reviews and playthroughs of the final version to see if you still want it.
What's up everyone, definitely curious to hear everyone's thoughts about this campaign. Let me know in the comments!
Around the 8 min mark about chip art
Looks like they will be double-sided so you can have the full art chip to use
@@Schlagathor78 Yea it does seem like you might be able to do that. Maybe it's for the campaign, since you're going to have a sheet that essentially tracks upgrades to your hero. The stats on the chip wont always be relevant. But for everything else it may just use chip stats, idk. Good eye noticing that with the chips 👍
I backed Too Many Bones and I have yet to play it. But I still wanna get this. Am staring at the pledge manager still wondering 😭
First off you need to play TMB haha. But jokes aside it does play differently than TMB. But you still have a similar feel if that makes sense, like move first then attack, abilities on the units, asymmetrical factions, etc. It's hard to say if you like TMB that you'll also like Hoplomachus, but it should give you a slightly better indicator. Haha yea man the fomo can be tough.
Just found your channel (lucky me) because of the new Hoplo kickstarter. Just wanted to say this was a really awesome video bro well done. I don't own any of the previous Hoplo content and am wondering if I should go all in or just get the Victorum, I have been looking for a good Gladiator game and this looks like it could be it. New subscriber!!
Hey thanks a lot man I really appreciate the words and the sub. If you're looking for a gladiator game then this is the one. I've played a bunch of the original and the theme is definitely strong. You get the feeling of moving around the colloseum battling gladiators and beasts. So if they've improved on that all, with better art as well, I think it's going to be a good purchase. It's and easy to bust out fun game that has a great solo experience as well.
Great video. One question. I never heard of skirmish-type board games. How are they different from non-skirmish-type board games?
Hey thank you dude, glad you enjoyed it. Skirmish games generally are like tactical small scale battles. An example is like you vs a friend, each controlling your troops, taking turns making moves throughout the map and attacking each other until there is a victor. That's pretty general and can vary from game to game, but pretty much sums it up. Hope that helps!
@@BrewsandBoardgames so games in which you get down to the nitty gritty of battle. Thanks.
Remember, artwork is not final and the dice will get a really nice upgrade through stretch goals
Good point, a lot could change still. And you're right about the dice, just saw the stretch goal at 700k for the dice upgrade. They look really good! Definitely the direction I was hoping they would go. No reason they shouldn't hit that goal. Are you pledging for it?
@@BrewsandBoardgames yeah, game looks fantastic and I was interested in Hoplo before as a lighter alternative too TMB and something that is easier for not so experienced board gamers to play with me
@@DragonsRacingTeam Yea Hoplomachus definitely fits that bill, so easy to get out and setup too. Awesome solo game as well if you cant get others together. All that with better art, seems like a perfect time to hop in.
Yo, honestly, I’m thinking of getting Just Victorum. Seems like a pretty cool solo experience which is what I’m looking for. Judging by the company’s popularity, obviously they put out some quality stuff. Might just wait for retail and go for Too Many Bones first.
Side note, I’m glad you let everyone know that there’s no exclusives with Chip Theory so you’re really just paying to get it first, but everything they reveal is gonna be retail anyways.
If Victorum is anything like the solo experience from original Hoplomachus, it's going to be good. I've played a decent amount of Hoplo solo, and I rate it pretty high. As far as Chip Theory stuff, everything I've gotten from them has been high quality, from components to gameplay. They put a lot of love into their products. Too Many Bones is an amazing game, if you're thinking of either getting Victorum or TMB, I'd say go with TMB. The core game alone of TMB has so much going for it and it plays awesome solo.
Yea you're right about getting it first, and I guess at a slight discount. But if you're unsure, its great to have the ability to get everything later. Another reason I like Chip Theory Games. You don't have to make that decision during the KS, just wait and see, and if it looks good, you can still get it later.
@@BrewsandBoardgames well brother I ended up making the jump for just Victorum and the upgraded health tracker. You already know I love games you can play solo so I figured why not. Hopefully that’ll satisfy my Kickstarter game cravings now. Haven’t went too crazy but did buy enough to keep me busy for a real long time.
@@OneLegPowerlifter I hear ya man and I'm right there with you, I think that was a good call. Definitely getting Victorum as well, I have a good feeling about it, Chip Theory knows how to do solo games right. And again, when it all finally drops at retail, if you're still interested in remastered, just pick it up then, no sweat.
Lol dude staying away from kickstarter can be hard, they just make the games look so good. So if you can do it, I respect that man. I gotta remind myself sometimes not to go in on something that might look semi good to me and wait for something that I'm really looking forward to.
Side note: you ever get zombicide 2nd ed. yet?
@@BrewsandBoardgames Oh I feel that lol. There’s always something good popping up on Kickstarter. But I have to keep reminding myself that I’ve got 4 games coming next year lol.
And yes I did get my Zombicide 2E. Haven’t had a chance to play it and it’s expansions yet because I’ve been moving but I’ll be finished with that soon. I want to break it open and get started finally.
@@OneLegPowerlifter And dude there's so much cool stuff out in retail too that's proven, so even if we skip on KS it's not like we cant get good games. And chances are those ones we miss on KS will go to retail. And good man I was hoping you did. Good luck with the move, hope it goes smooth. And definitely bust that out when you can, so much goodness in there.
Trying to decide if I'll get the alloy dice in PM or just go an extra $40 for the full Hoplomachus Game.
If I had to say, I'd probably spend that to go for the whole hoplomachus. The dice are tempting, I love metal dice, but I also think the included dice they have in the games now look sick. A huge improvement from before. So you're already getting some sweet dice. Then down the road you could pick up the dice in retail if you still want them.
stretch goal has added swords to the dice
I did see that they look awesome, I'm digging the marbled effect too
@@BrewsandBoardgames aye pretty cool man. $60 for alloy dice though 😬
@@markwilliamson3043 Dude I saw the dice and got excited, only to see the price and ouch that is a lot. Can't pay 60 for metal dice right?... but they look so good and they're metal dice! Are you getting them?
@@BrewsandBoardgames 😅😅😅 i know what your sayng but no, i can't justify £60 for metal dice. as much as i would love to but that could be a whole new board game at that price. i think the upgraded attack and arena dice look good enough
@@markwilliamson3043 haha, yea I'm with you on this. They look sweet, but just too much. I was even fine with the original H dice lol, so already a huge improvement with the new design
still waiting for my copy of cloudspire to show up. this looks interesting. may have to throw some money to chip theory for this one.
just backed at the 5 dollar level to get that sweet PM access.
All the weight from the Cloudspire box must be dragging the truck down making it slower haha. I think I'm doing the same as you right now with the 5 dollar pledge. Still not 100% but leaning towards Victorum. And if not, hey you're supporting a good company.
That's a BIG OL' BOARDGAME.
Haha indeed it is!
Never play them so I’m more wondering if I want both or just the new solo. Mainly I only play solo.
The original Hoplomachus has an amazing solo experience, it's highly praised. So if they kept that formula, or even improved it in Remastered, then you can expect some good solo play. I would expect nothing but great things from Remastered and Victorum when it comes to solo.
Great video, I like your style and will check out your other videos, new sub here!
Anyway, I fall into #1 should you back it, I've always been interested in Hoplomachus but it's always seemed unattainable, until now. After watching a few playthroughs I'm still undecided on the AI, it seems a bit basic and with the player making some decisions for it? Do you find the previous games are very puzzley, are you thinking how to optimize every turn? Hope that makes sense, I guess I don't want a dice chucker.
Also I'm at the board gaming stage where I'm looking to streamline my collections, sell off a few games I rarely play to get one I will play often. This seems to tick all the boxes.
First off thank you man I appreciate what you said and the sub. I can also respect where you're at regarding your game collection, honeymoon collecting phase is over, you want the stuff you're 100% going to get out and play. That's a good spot to be in.
So with that out of the way lets get into Hoplomachus. I'm going to base all my responses on the original Hoplomachus, as we don't know much about remastered. But if they took basically everything that worked, and streamlined it., I think the answers will still be relevant. So when it comes to mechanics and AI in CTG games, they have a certain structure they follow. But it came be manipulated in certain ways, by the players. For example, the AI rules might say this unit is supposed to move 2 spaces closer to you, or toward something. But there might be more than 1 path that it could take, to get closer to what its trying to reach, and that's where your decision comes in. This is in there 3 main games of TMB, Cloudspire and Hoplomachus. And that is where a ton of strategy can come into play. Making these kinds of decisions for the AI allows you to really be able to plan moves, setup positioning and take advantages. And for me, that is a lot of fun. You can't always do that, but when you can, and knowing how can be very satisfying. You will still find the game very balanced and can still be quite tough at times.
As far as planning turns. Yes, you are always thinking about maximizing your turns and how to setup for future ones. But for me, it hits a great spot in being tactical and planning strategies, without being a brain burner. But I do want to mention, this game is a dice chucker. Movement and positioning is all you, who you bring onto the battlefield and tactics you equip is all you, but when it comes to combat, killing those units, you're rolling dice. And this game has tiered levels of dice, some just suck, while others are great. Now, there are slight things you can do to help, like some units might assist others and allow them to roll extra dice, so there are those things. But you're still rolling dice, so you could still completely wiff a roll.
Also, don't forget, you can always wait to make a decision. This game will come to retail, and I think its going to remain in production for a long time. I can see this being a main stay for them like TMB or Cloudspire. And to summarize, yes there is a ton of strategy, AI manipulation strikes a great balance, movement and positioning is all you, and attacks are determined by dice. I know this way long, but I hope it helped. Again thanks for the sub and feel free to ask questions, I encourage it!
@@BrewsandBoardgames thank you for the detailed reply, much appreciated. You're right, knowing I should be able to get it at a later date means I don't have to decide now... although this could change in the next couple of days if Ricky Royal does a playthrough and I see excited he gets!
Thanks again
What do you think about this game vs Cloudspire?
Are we talking Hoplo Victorum and Remastered vs Cloudspire? Or what I think about Hoplo in general vs Cloudspire?
With not knowing that much about remastered, I'll assume it will be alittle better than the original. Both have a similar feel when playing as you're moving around your units/chips and each having different abilities. But Hoplo is far less fiddly, easier and faster to setup and learn, and has a cool arena combat feel to it. Cloudspire on the other hand is quite complex, there's a ton of little nuanced situations. The latest rulebook has helped and CTG has a great faq on their site. There's a ton of stuff in the box, and it can take some time setting up. All that being said, it's an awesome experience. It has a lot of strategy and a cool mechanic with the minions must move certain ways while your heros can move however. Plus the factions all play really differently. They did an excellent job with the asymmetric factions. Plus with Cloudspire theres a little more lore and them if you're into that.
Both games play great with multiplayer as well as solo, they really did a good job with the solo aspect. Both also have amazing components. If I could only have 1, I'd choose Cloudspire. Sure it's more complex, but I love the variety of factions, the theme and the mechanic of minions and heroes, upgrading your factions, and building those sweet spires. But dont get me wrong, Hoplomachus is an outstanding game as well. And the beauty is we can have both. But I'd say it comes down to your preference, are you looking for a fast paced skirmish game, do you like the Colosseum feel, easier to get to the table, and great solo? Then Hoplomachus is your jam. But if you dont mind more complicated, and like a little more theme, more asymmetrical factions, building stuff and upgrading, solo and a moba type feeling game, Cloudspire might be it for you.
Long response but hope it helped!
@@BrewsandBoardgames Thanks for that answer :D im thinking of getting one of the games and I think im ledning Cloudspire but this new version seems awesome. Their games are not cheap so you cant buy everything :)
@@Rhawin I hear ya man the cost is up there. But man do you get some sweet stuff! But don't forget, you could still get everything in this Hoplomachus campaign later at retail. So an option you could take is to get Cloudspire if that's what you're leaning towards. It's a proven game and available now. And then later in a year or whatever when Remastered and Victorum come out, you can just pick it up then. Also waiting to see some other reviews and playthroughs of the final version to see if you still want it.