World of Warcraft - Fires of the Outlands

So, I've gotten back into my World of Warcraft CCG. For all of you out there that don't know, a CCG is a collectible card game. The regional tournament is next Saturday in Orange County, and I think I'm going to go. I'm certain to get creamed, but I'd like to go anyway and just see how I do.

Its been awhile since I've played, mostly because I haven't had anyone to play with. But I've found a new gamestore that hosts tournaments on the weekends and I've been going out there. The first tournament I played I got creamed and came in second to last. I beat one person's girlfriend who decided to play so that we would have an even number. Yes, I suck.

But, the second tournament I did better. This was a "draft" tournament. This means you get four random sealed booster packs of cards and then everyone takes a turn drawing a card and then passing it to the person to your right. So, its random and you never know really what your deck is going to end up looking like. I ended up with a "Warlock" deck. (In another post I may explain all the different types of classes and deck types.) This time though, I did pretty well. I came in fourth place.

We played three rounds of the best 2 out of 3 games. So, my first round I got creamed by a pro. It didn't help that I didn't draw any of the cards I needed. So, he won the first game, I won the second game (I was surprised, and I think so was he), and then he beat me in the third game. I killed in the second round. I played a newer player whose deck was based around stalling. As such, it was pretty easy for me to roll over him. So, I won the first two games. The match I'm most proud of though was the third round. It was a close game. My opponent played a Paladin deck. I managed to beat her in the second game by a few points by keeping tempo. In the second game I established board lockdown by bringing out Sarmoth and Lady Courtney Noel. So, each turn she was forced to attack Sarmoth, and then I healed it right back up. I was able to then overwhelm her with my other monsters. All in all, it was the perfect combo.

I'm now trying to decide what to take to regionals next week. I'll put a post up to share with everyone more about that.

B-I-N-G-O

So, for my birthday, my friends and I went to play BINGO. But this wasn't like fun gay-bingo. No, this was uber-hardcore crazy casino type bingo. And let me tell you, it was CONFUSING. It wasn't just the crazy rules (like six-pack hard way to card straight bingo ... yeah, you try and figure it out), but also the people walking around trying to sell additional games that ALL sounded like bingo (i.e. big dog). It was very distracting. But the worst part was how incredibly fast they call the numbers. It was like lightning round.

All in all though, I did have a good time and ... well, I want to go back. I'm a masochist I guess.

Descent!!!

So, my schmoo got me a new board game that I have been jabbering on about. It is called Descent. It is reminiscent of the old Hero Quest board game. I punched out all the pieces. I unwrapped all the cards. Now, all I must do is find time to play it.

And to top things off, he surprised me and got me the expansion to the game as well. How much does he rock?

I'll give you an update once I've had a chance to play it.

Heroquest

So, while slumming in the local game store (which smells of either gamer funk or wet carpet ... its hard to tell) I came across Heroquest the board game. Ahh, nostalgia. I remember playing the game as a kid in my Grandmother's back room with a few of my friends. This was my introduction to RPG's and it is what got me hooked.

While trolling about on e-bay I found an old copy and some expansion packs. Reasonably priced for an older game with a lot of easily lost pieces. Now to see if I can win it ... and then to break it out and play it. (None of this keep it sealed in the box crap.)

I'll keep you updated.

Hera & Zeus

So I cracked open Hera & Zeus last night for some late night gaming with a friend from out of town. He played Zeus and I played Hera (of course). I won the first game and he won the second game. We probably should have played a third to get a winner but it was late and we were tired.

The game is based upon the mythological story of Hera, Zeus, Io and Argus. Basically, Zeus was caught about to have an affair with Io. So, he turned Io into a cow to hide her from Hera. Hera found out and demanded her and then sent Argus to watch over Io to keep her away from Zeus. Zeus then sends Hermes to kill Argus. The goal of the game is to free Io (if you are Zeus) or find Argus (if you are Hera).

Each turn you have a set number of action points which you can use to draw cards, play cards, or use a cards special abilities. You play the cards in three columns with a maximum of four rows. Once a card is played into a column it cannot be moved without the help of other cards.

The card art is nice. And the game play is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. The difficult part was always having to look up what the cards special abilities do. The game came with a "cheat sheet" identifying all of the cards' special abilities, but it wasn't that clear or helpful. I found the actual rulebook and full explanation a better reference.

I found the game to be overly dependent upon luck for my tastes. As long as you did not draw Io or Argus into your hand, you were essentially safe (as the other player could not find them.) But once you drew Io or Argus it was only a matter of time -- either through hand destruction cards or battle on the board. Further, I found that there were too many of specific types of cards and not enough of others. This too resulted in luck having a heavy impact on the game -- as you would continue to draw the same card over and over or get lucky and draw the three other cards you need.

I like the card placement/board strategy aspect of the game. I did enjoy the bluffing that went along with playing the cards face down on the board and trying to guess what cards your opponent played. The Medusa cards (which destroy everything but the Amazon or Hero) always made those face down cards a risk.

Overall, I would give Hera & Zeus a B+. The game moved rather quickly. While it is only a two-player game, I think it is a good pick-up game between other larger games.

Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree

So, I've fiddled around with Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree for a few nights now. I am moderately impressed. The "min-games" were rather intuitive and slightly amusing. I am a fan of, what I like to call the "creepy faced kid" game. Essentially, a rainbow coalition of kids with creepy faces runs by the screen -- some have fangs, some look constipated, others with hippie stars in their hair and on their cheeks. You just have to remember what you've seen. Given how creepy the children I found it can be difficult to get the images out of your mind.

Like the other Big Brain Academy there were five main categories with three "mini-games" in each category. Each "mini-game" then has varying levels of difficulty and I would suspect an "Expert" mode that can be unlocked. (You randomly get the expert mode in some of the multi-player games.)

The control with the Wiimote is simple (unlike other games *cough* Marvel Ultimate Alliance *cough*). It uses a simply point and shoot feel. But I would have liked to have seen more variance in the way the Wiimote was used. It has so much potential for use (ala Wario Ware: Smooth Moves) and is truly one of the selling points of the Wii. Indeed, if you were not going to make full use of the Wiimote I question why you would put the game onto the Wii in the first place other than to allow multi-player.

None of the min-games felt overly difficult or hard. I am also not sure what the "replay" value of the game would be over time. I can see the same handful of games becoming rather monotonous. (Especially since in the one-player mode all you do is play the same 15 games over and over again on progressively harder levels with the goal of finishing them in a shorter amount of time.)

I also played the multi-player mode with some friends the other night. I enjoyed that more than the single-player. You can run a "marathon" where each person completes a certain number of games before handing the Wiimote off to the next player on the team. The mini-games that each side faces are different, however, and I think this can lead to unfair disadvantages based simply on randomization. (Some games just take longer to go through the necessary "intro" before you can complete them. i.e. watching people skate while being asked to memorize their face.) Further, I think if one player is more experienced with the way the Wii works -- i.e. just pointing and clicking -- it can also unbalance the game.

My biggest critique of the game was that there was too much talking. I hate having to cycle through pointless babble from the "host" character. Here, the host character is an amorphous blob who looks something like snot strand with a face. But apparently he is super smart. Whenever you start the game you have to cycle through multiple text bubbles as he greets you, tells you he is so happy to see you again, and then makes your Wiimote say something to you. It is all rather irritating. But the true irritation comes when you want to "enroll."

To play multi-player you cannot simply grab people from your Mii catalogue. Rather you have to individually enroll each Mii into the academy if you want them to be accessible during the game. So, when you have five-people over to play mini-games, it can take up to 20-minutes just to enroll everyone because you have to cycle through so much text just to get them added. I suspect that whatever smarts I gained from playing the mini-games I lost by being subjected to so much mind-numbering blabber from my snot streamed professor.

Overall I'd give the game a B-.

Do you have what it takes to beat me?

Games! Yes, I love strategy games. I am a game junkie. (Ask anyone). I can't get enough. I could play them until my eyes bleed (and then a few hours more).

So, I have found a new "mini-game" on the www.mightandmagic.com web page promoting the new Might and Magic V game. (They actually have a version for the Mac too! Woot!) Come check it out. Make an army. Challenge me to a duel. (My SN is Talith).

It is easy to play and uses a Rock-Paper-Scissors type strategy with the different troop types. And the more rounds you win the more money you have to buy better troops. So, click the banner below.