Into the Inklands is already in stores, and man is this a beautiful fan. I am a huge fan of all the Treasure Planet and Atlantis cards, but there is a lot that is going to look amazing in the binder. The secret rares in this set are beautiful, with the clear favorites being Chernabog and Kida. Make sure you check your LGS for product and events.
I was sent a copy of Mighty Magefor free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review of the game. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials.
Mighty Mage is a bullet hell rogue-like for PC, Switch, and Xbox. With the power of Earth, Fire, Water, and Lightning to fend off against endless waves of enemies. How far can you make it?
Gameplay
Players start each round by choosing an element. All elements have access to the same skills and abilities, but some will feel worse than others. At the end of each wave, players can choose a randomly generated upgrade. Depending on the wave number, this choice can either be a permanent buff or a new spell. Players can use this upgrade to fully heal their mage, but they lose an upgrade in the process. Like most roguelikes, the goal is to get as far as possible without dying.
Impressions
Mighty Mage is fun for about five minutes before it becomes an empty and repetitive experience. The game has cute art and a decent soundtrack, but the game isn’t finished. The game just ends if you get far enough. It isn’t even worth trying all the elements because it all feels the same. There isn’t enough variety in gameplay to keep your attention, especially when you could be playing Brotatoinstead. Mighty Mage is a waste of money, don’t get it.
Grand Archive’s April Ban list just went up, and no changes have been made. Make sure you are up to date if you’re thinking of playing in any official events. If you missed the last ban announcement, I’ll leave the list below for your convenience, but you can always check the official site for all the news.
We did receive some delightful April Fools announcements that fans will find enjoyable. We got some very cool-looking, joke Proxia cards that had me going for a second. It would be very fun to bust these out at a friendly match and see the reaction, at least a giggle. It is very nice to see the devs having their fun.
There are only ten days left on the Coriolis: The Great Dark Kickstarter, so go back the campaign if you are looking for a lore-rich, dark sci-fi adventure to run at your table. The campaign only has one stretch goal left, which means backers are receiving a nice amount of goodies. If you like physical media, it is your only chance to score a pretty special edition version of the rulebook.
Since my last post, the publisher has released a free quickstart guide on DriveThru RPG to give people a chance to explore the system without any of the commitments. The quickstart guide includes a more streamlined and condensed version of the rules, but it will include everything you need to run a meaningful oneshot. It includes some of the rules, a pre-written adventure, and pre-generated characters. I did notice some grammar issues, but the game isn’t out yet and this isn’t the final version. I’ll leave copies of the PDF here, but you can always get them on DriveThru RPG.
The Mission
A prospecting expedition has gone awry. The blight has taken its victims, and only one survivor made it back to Astroid City. The Explorer’s Guild will now send its best crew into the depths of Gilen’s point to retrieve any survivors and extract any valuable artifacts. But this mission is not without its typical dangers. The shady criminal organization, Black Toad, also has its sights on the contents of Gilen’s point and will do anything to get there first. Can the explorers survive another day in the depths of the Great Dark, or will they be another casualty the unforgiving void of space?
Impressions
Coriolis: The Great Dark uses the Year Zero system. If you’ve played any game that runs Year Zero before, you know how to play Coriolis. There are some shifts in mechanics for flavor, but most of it will feel familiar. If you haven’t played any game in the system, Year Zero is incredibly easy to learn. The system uses D6es and you pass checks when you roll a 6.
What makes Coriolis unique is its lore and flavor. Coriolis is a neat story about space settlers trying to find their place in the universe. It the Great Dark is a sequel, but I didn’t feel like I needed to have played the original to understand what was going on. There are some references, but the guide does a good job at explaining everything you need to get started. I assume the full version will as well.
Coriolis: The Great Dark features neat mechanics that help foster this sense of surviving in this unknown and unforgiving ancient place in space but also fuels a sense of wonder and exploration. It’s a neat concept that I would love to see a more complete version, but the quickstart gives a solid snapshot.
I haven’t had a chance to run through the quickstart, but it seems like a solid adventure. It comes with maps, handouts, and pre-generated characters to get you started. It is an incomplete version of the game, but it should provide you and your table with a solid understanding of what to expect. Ultimately, if you’re thinking of running Coriolis: The Great Dark, or are looking for a new Sci-Fi TTRPG to run at your table, you should start with the quickstart guide and move from there. It’s a good idea to check if the system is a good fit for your table. If you end up liking it, go back the Kickstarter!
I’m impressed with what I’ve seen so far, I can’t wait to see more. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
The Lycoris Recoilset just hit Weiss Schwarz, and you’re going to want to pick up these cards if you’re a fan of the anime. It’s one of the less fan service sets I’ve seen from Weiss Schwarz, and it has some cute cards you’re going to want to add to your binder. I haven’t seen the anime, but it’s on the list now.
Always support your LGS by checking with them for products, but you can always get your Weiss Schwarz product from TCG Player through the affiliate links. You can still find booster boxes ($62), Trial Decks ($21.99), and Singles for reasonable prices. Don’t forget to grab some accessories like deck boxes, sleeves, and playmats to protect your cardboard!
If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials! I’ve been ripping through a box of Akora on my YouTube and TikTok!
The March Devlog just went up for Drakantos, and I am hyped for what is to come. Each update brings us closer to a release date, I just hope I can get into a beta soon. If you’re looking for a game with a classic MMO vibe, a cool pixel art aesthetic, and the portability to play it anywhere, you’re going to want to look into Drakantos.
Make sure you check out the Devlog for all the juicy details and don’t forget to add Drakantos to your wishlist. If you enjoy my comment, please give this a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
The community has voted, and this month’s teaser is Iris gameplay. Make sure you join the official Discord to stay up to date on all the updates and to get hyped with the growing population of fans. Iris is a sorceress who uses illusion magic. She can create illusions of herself that can also attack, portals to teleport, and a magical shield. She definitely seems to be one of the flashier heroes I’ve seen gameplay for.
Challenges
Nil’varix is a demon clown who will appear to characters and offer them special challenges on their missions. Accepting these challenges will add new mechanics to a mission for added difficulty. One example is a giant demonic hand that follows the players and tries to smash them. Completing these challenges increases the rewards received by the players at the end.
Nil’varix is a demon clown who will appear to characters and offer them special challenges on their missions. Accepting these challenges will add new mechanics to a mission for added difficulty. One example is a giant demonic hand that follows the players and tries to smash them.
This sounds like such a cool feature because it gives some added diversity to the grind. Players may learn and memorize the mechanics for a certain mission, but you can never really be ready for the randomly generated challenges Nil’varix. I can see this being an issue if the game loops through the same type of challenge, but we’ll have to see the implementation.
There are currently 15 challenges programmed at the moment, with more planned for the future. Some examples given are:
Chain the players together, requiring them to move within the chain’s limited range.
The players swap places every X seconds.
Every enemy you kill drops a bomb that explodes after a while.
Randomize a card for each player, and some enemies will have this card displayed on their heads. The corresponding player must remove this mark. If the wrong player hits it, he will receive damage as punishment.
A giant hand follows your team for the entire mission, trying to smash you.
Traps
You can’t have a fantasy game or a dungeon without traps. Having environmental challenges and traps adds some depth and flavor to the world. I’ll have to see how random the traps are. It be cool if there were characters who could disarm traps in dungeons or use them against enemies.
More Mounts!
Adventurer’s Guild Tavern
The Adventurer’s Guild Tavern will be one of the main player hubs where players can buy supplies and accept missions. I love the flavor and aesthetic that went into this design. I love all the art that has been coming out for this game, and I can’t wait to see more.
I did receive a copy of The One Ring RPG rulebook and starter set as PDFs to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. These are my honest impressions.
I’ll be writing a more detailed review when I get a little deeper in the campaign, so stay tuned for that. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
I ran my first session of The One Ring roleplaying game this week and had a blast. I am running through the starter set adventures, and I was a little nervous because it is a little more roleplay and lore-heavy than what we’re used to. I was surprised by how quickly my players found their characters, and even more surprised at how true they stayed to their characters. It was a huge shift from where we started three years ago where we were all a band of murder hobos.
Typically, our roleplay is just dominated by the person with the most TTRPG experience, but this time it was pretty consistent. Even my player with the least experience was into it. Having that session zero where we all came together to make the characters broke the ice enough to get the RP juices flowing. I never thought I would have so much fun in a game where we didn’t do combat and barely made any rolls.
The Adventure
The starter set comes with five pre-written quests and pre-generated characters to get you started. While I understand the adventure was designed for these characters, I didn’t see the harm in letting my players create their own. We might encounter some balance issues in the future, but I can always balance on the fly if I need to.
The first quest is designed to set the scene for the adventure and get players comfortable with the game’s mechanics. The adventure starts at a party where the players can use the time to find their character and get comfortable with roleplay. It’s a solid way to start a campaign, but it’s only fun if everyone can get into character and participate. The adventure starts with a simple fetch quest, but it took us the entire session to get to the first skill check because we were having so much fun hanging out in this world with our characters.
Tips
Don’t be afraid to go off the book. We’ve all fallen into the trap of overpricing, but the most I’ve had in any RPG were in the sessions that I went into with only a handful of notes. TTRPGs are supposed to be a collaborative experience, and while you may have your plans, the players will always do something else. It’s okay if they do.
The One Ring RPG has a well-written template of how to run the campaign. The prewritten sections have paragraphs with descriptions and dialogue to set the scene. We didn’t use any of it. I spent my prep time setting up Foundry VTT, reading over the adventure, and practicing what I had to say. Except for using Foundry for a couple of checks, we didn’t use any of it. My players started exploring the world outside of the script, and I went along. Occasionally I would gently nudge them towards a checkpoint, but I lost track of time and barely started the campaign.
Another tip to run this campaign is to use the motivation and features offered at character creation. It helped my players find characters outside what they usually play, and it was fun to see the characters start to take shape at the table. Depending on your playgroup, you might want to brush up on the lore. At my table, lore isn’t so important, but it’s nice to have a reference for when it comes up. We usually make it up as we go because it is easier to keep track of, but The One Ring has interesting lore, and my players are actively trying to stick to it.
The last bit of advice is to create an opening scene where the players can interact with each other as they walk to Bags End to start their adventure. This helps the players get into character and breaks the ice if it needs to. Once at Bags End, spend as much at the party as necessary. We spent most of our session at the party and exploring the world in character. We’ll eventually get to the combats, quests, and skill checks, but the party was a proper way to get the players excited for the rest of the adventure.
Impressions
I was nervous about starting The One Ringbecause of how different it is from everything else I’ve run. We aren’t the biggest Lord of the Rings fans, and aside from the movies, our connection to the lore is minimal at best. That said, I love reading the lore that fills the pages of the rulebook, and I am enjoying the world it is trying to create. We may not stick to every bit of lore, but it’s the first time my players actually seem to care. I see them putting more effort into memorizing characters and places at least.
The One Ring RPG is a narrative-focused system. Its mechanics are designed to foster this collaborative story between you and your friends. It is a beginner-friendly system, even if you’re not familiar with the works. The mechanics are easy to learn, and the lore is an interesting read, but you and your playgroup should be comfortable enough with each other to actively participate. There won’t always be a battle to fight or a check to roll. Sometimes, you just get to party as a dwarf.
I’m enjoying the system so far and like the starter set as a way to get things started. If you’ve been looking for a new system to run, love The Lord of the Rings, and aren’t afraid to roleplay, go give it a shot. I will be writing a more detailed review once I get deeper into the book. Stay tuned for that.
I was sent a free copy of The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinons of the game. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
Legend of Legacy is a classic JRPG that originally on the 3DS but it has recently been ported and remastered for PC, PlayStation, and Switch.
A mysterious island appeared suddenly in the Northern Sea ten years ago. People believe that the island once belonged to the prosperous continent of Avalon, a land inhabited by the gods. Adventurers from all over find themselves drawn to the island in search of truth, fame, and treasure. Strange creatures roam the island, and only those brave and competent will be able to conquer it. Are you and your friends strong enough to unlock the secrets of the island?
Gameplay
Although the game has gotten a cute little makeover, it feels like an older JRPG. The game runs great, but the loop is repetitive, and the grind can be unforgiving. You either over-level and destroy your enemies easily, or you hit a sponge that wipes your team.
Combat is fine, but it does feel dated. Players command a three-person team that you can swap as you recruit new adventurers. Each character has its unique set of skills and abilities that give players options for strategy. Ultimately, gameplay boils down to a repetitive grind as you progress through a story that doesn’t matter. I recorded footage, but it wasn’t interesting enough to share.
Impressions
Legend of Legacy is such a cute game. I love the character design, how the map fills like a pop-up book as you explore it, and it has a fantastic soundtrack. Unfortunately, the game feels like an older JRPG, and it isn’t going to be for everyone. Those who don’t mind the grindy nature of this era of RPG will enjoy the nostalgic adventure, but everyone else will find it repetitive and boring. The story is fine, but it didn’t do much to keep me engaged.
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is a solid port, but it’s made for a certain type of gamer. There are no quality of life changes like skips or auto-battles, you’re playing the original game as it was but with better graphics. If you’re a fan of the original, you probably already have it. You should pick up the Deluxe or Limited Editions for the physical goodies. If you’re a fan of the older era of JRPG, it’s cute and you’ll appreciate the nostolgia. Everyone else should wait for a sale or look elsewhere because the grind is killer. I liked it and thought it was cute, but I am also old and lived through this era of JRPG.
You can pick up The Legend of Legacy HD Remasterd on PC, PlayStation, and Switch for $49.99.
Akora TCG’s newest set, World Beyond, releases on May 31st, and we got some more spoilers. We got a few new Akora lines teased with some full art I need in my collection. All the lines are cool, but Venn has to be my favorite. I love the colors and the art is so cute! I’m about to finish my box of Spellbound Wings, and I wouldn’t mind opening a few more boxes of Akora.
If you’re looking for a new TCG to play, the official Discord is full of friendly faces eager to bring new folks into the hobby. The community is part of the reason why I still cover the game if I am being honest. It has a cozy art style and a unique gameplay loop. I’m excited to see more of the set because it has some cool-looking Akora, especially the Electric Mage.
If you want to pick up Akora, always support your LGS. TCG Player also carries Akora at great prices, but there aren’t any listings for the World Beyondset yet. I can’t wait to see more, but let’s check out the spoilers.
If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Make sure you follow the socials, I’ve been opening packs of Akora on my YouTube and TikTok, and use my affiliate links when possible.
I just watched the trailer for the newest Wixross, Dissonance Diva, and it got me curious about yet another card game. The set releases on April 19th, with pre-release events running April 12, 13, and 14. Check with your LGS for more details. The set will introduce a new setting, new forms, and a new story. The rarity breakdown is as follows:
The game isn’t going to be for everyone because it is a little waifu-centric, but the gameplay is solid and the art is great if you like anime. I’ll have to add it to the list of games I need to try because what I’ve seen so far has me interested. I’ll be back with a card list as soon as it becomes available, but here’s what we know so far:
Special Illustration Full Art
Box Toppers
New Dissonance LRIGs
DISSONA Saga
I always appreciate good lore in a game, and Wixoss has a lot of it. The game has an established anime, manga, and comics that I am trying to make time for. If you’re already caught up, here’s the preview for what is to come!
Conclusion
I’ll be following this game for a bit. I love the horror aesthetic of the game, and the mechanics seem fun. It’s definitely on my list of TCGs I need to try.
Dissonance Diva hits stores on April 19th, so make sure you put in your preorders. Always support your LGS, but you can always get Wixosson TCG player if they don’t carry it. DISSONANCE Diva is listed, but there isn’t anything up for sale yet. I would check after launch.
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