I must admit that I ignored the Lost Mine of Phandelver for the longest time, and it was only out of pure snobbery. “I have played D&D for decades,” I told myself, “Why would I demean myself with the purchase of a Starter Set?” The truth is that the Lost Mine adventure is actually really good, surprisingly so, and accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do – introduce new players to the game of D&D through a compelling, diverse experience. Continue reading First Impressions of the Lost Mine of Phandelver
Tag Archives: dungeon-crawler
Gloomhaven Digital Adaptation Launches
The digital adaptation of the number one ranked board game of all time, Gloomhaven, will launch on Steam on July 17th. The much anticipated release “Early Access” release will see the tactical combat and dungeon-crawler made available in an exclusive Adventure Mode for early adopters. Continue reading Gloomhaven Digital Adaptation Launches
Big Box Expansion for Gloomhaven in the Works, says designer Issac Childres
Gloomhaven – the game which released as five expansions in one – is getting a big box expansion, which promises as much content as the base game but in a smaller package. This is one of the enticing announcements from Gloomhaven designer Issac Childres, who just finished up a very generous AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Gloomhaven subreddit. He also revealed his design process, and who in Gloomhaven he’d most like to sit done with at the Sleeping Lion for an ale. Continue reading Big Box Expansion for Gloomhaven in the Works, says designer Issac Childres
Gloomhaven: The Strange Case of the Exploding Cultists
In our third Gloom Platoon installment, the party investigate a location along the Still River, which we discovered on a scroll in an bandit’s lair. Characters are leveled up, and I discuss some of the card pool choices for Level 2.
We uncover the ruins of an ancient crypt, half-covered by moss and ivy. We discover some bandits and more animated dead inside…
Wait, who are these cultists, and why are they exploding?
Spoilers within.
Gloomhaven: Discover the Grisly Truth of the Barrow Lair
This is the second scenario in my Gloomhaven solo campaign playthrough on Twitch. For something different (and for a video length that is watchable, at least), I’ve sped up the video of the original stream, and tried to live commentate what was happening. The result is mixed, quite frankly, and it is something that I’m clearly going to need to practice. That is, if I decide to do it again.
Also, the ‘background music’ isn’t.
Anyway, I hope you get at least a flavour of the gameplay from the video.
It was a great scenario, and while I missed the treasure chest and only completed one of three battle goals, I felt like I did a pretty good job. Specifically, kiting out of range of the lumbering melee enemies, and using both the Spellweaver’s and the Tinkerer’s summons to tank damage, block doorways and do ranged damage.
Once again, only Mason the Tinkerer remained unexhausted at the end of the battle, but the other two went out with poise and purpose.
There are a handful of rules mistakes – most of which I caught during the game, but some that snuck through. Bonus points if you can identify those.
Spoilers inside. Enjoy!
Gloomhaven: Introducing the Gloom Platoon
These are the first two videos from my Gloomhaven solo campaign playthrough on Twitch. After spending several weeks playing around with filming set-ups, I ended up just downloading Tabletop Simulator, and aside from my awkward navigation, I think this format will work fine.
There isn’t a huge volume of boardgames being played on Twitch, and I think that’s a shame given the relevance of the platform for gamers generally. In a small way, I’m hoping to help ‘grow the pie’, so to speak.
Feedback & tips welcome. Rules corrections are … inevitable.
If you’re interested, please follow me at: https://www.twitch.tv/stratplay1
