#106: Broom Service, Cthulhu Wars and Deduction Board Games
Today Tony, once again, talks about Blood Rage. Then the Founders review the Kennerspiel Des Jahres winner Broom Service and look back at Chthulhu Wars. Then Tony T gives you the best in gaming news while hte peanut gallery comments. Finally Steve hosts a roundtable discussion about Deduction board games.
Orleans
Pirates Den
Cosmic Encounter
Raging for Blood!
Space Empire 4X
Viceroy
Fantasy Grounds
Jamie released his Top 100 games of all time: www.thesecretcabal.com/top100
Broom Service
The game is played over 7 rounds, with 4 turns per round. Each round, players simultaneously select 4 of their 10 role cards, and then take turns playing one role at a time. Each role has a brave action and a cowardly action; the brave action is stronger, but riskier, as another player could steal the action from you later; the cowardly action is safer, but not as robust. How well can you bluff your opponents? Use the gatherer roles to collect ingredients to make potions, the witch roles to zoom around on your broom to different areas, and the witch or druid roles to deliver the potions - collecting victory points as you go. Chase away lightning clouds with the help of the weather fairy, and keep an eye on the event cards that change game play, one event per round. The winner is the player with the most victory points after all 7 rounds are complete and end-of-game bonus points have been awarded.
Cthulhu Wars
Cthulhu Wars is a strategy boardgame in which the players take the part of alien races and gods taken from the Cthulhu mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft. The game is physically large, and includes sixty-four figurines of the cultists, monsters, aliens, and Great Old Ones that range in height from approximately 20 mm to nearly 180 mm. The game takes place on a map of Earth. Each player takes the part of one of four factions included in the base game. At the start of a turn, players Gather Power, then, during a series of Action Rounds, they spend this Power to accomplish various tasks, such as recruiting Cultists, moving units, engaging in battle, summoning monsters, building Gates, casting spells, and Awakening their Great Old One. When all players run out of Power, the Action phase ends and the next turn begins. Victory is determined by accumulating points on the Doom Track. The first player to 30 is the lone victor *if* he has unlocked all six of spell books. Driving the strategy are a player's wish to expand his power base, and his need to accomplish six tasks to acquire his faction's spell books. Each faction has a unique set of monsters, spell books, and special abilities, and has different requirements to acquire its spell books. All factions have multiple strategies open to them.