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.
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 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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The results are in and it looks like Merlin and Lorraine were the stars of this weekend’s Oceania Nationals 2024. It’s always cool to see how the meta shifts between regions. I’ve gathered the list of the top three decks, but you can see the tournament’s full results on Omnidex. I can start collecting to the top three if there is ineterest.
If you want to build any of these decks, I left links to for the singles. I stuck with the cheapest copy of each card, but don’t be afraid to bling out your deck. Make sure you support your LGS, but you can always get your Grand Archive product, like the latest Alchemical Revolution set, get it over at TCG Player using my affiliate links. If you need accessories for your cards like decks, dice, or bags, get them over at Gem Tech. Use discount code churapereviews10 at checkout for 10% off your order.
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Material Deck 1 Spirit of Water 1 Scepter of Lumina 1 Lorraine, Wandering Warrior 1 Lorraine, Blademaster 1 Lorraine, Spirit Ruler 1 Life Essence Amulet 1 Grand Crusader’s Ring 1 Fire Resonance Bauble 1 Wind Resonance Bauble 1 Water Resonance Bauble 1 Sword of Seeking 1 Bulwark Sword
Main Deck 4 Song of Frost 4 Fracturize 3 Frostbind 3 Freezing Hail 3 Savage Slash 3 Deflecting Edge 3 Spirit Blade: Dispersion 1 Ghosts of Pendragon 4 Imperial Recruit 4 Dungeon Guide 4 Esteemed Knight 4 Lurking Assailant 4 Snow Fairy 4 Gildas, Chronicler of Aesa 4 Corhazi Trapper 4 Frostsworn Paladin 4 Trained Sharpshooter
Last night I held session zero for The One Ring campaign I am running for my table. I am running the prewritten campaign from the Starter Set, and while the initial plan was for my buddies to run the included pre-generated characters, we spent the time creating custom characters instead. I had a lot of fun hanging out and learning the system with my friends, and it was cool to see how engaged and interested they were in the new system. I know the adventure was designed with four hobbits in mind, but I don’t have it in me to squash anyone’s fun.
What is The One Ring RPG?
The One Ring is a narrative-heavy TTRPG based on Tolkien’s classic fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings. Events of this game occur between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series and are meant to be stories that exist within the universe. While The One Ring is not meant to be canon, it does expand on the lore and gives fans the unique opportunity to create their own narrative within the universe.
The best part of this system is that you don’t need to be a fan of The Lord of the Rings series to enjoy it. I have never read the books, and the closest my table has gotten to the lore is watching a movie or two in passing. Despite not being true fans of the series, we found ourselves lost in the flavor and lore that comes with it. We had so much fun making characters and learning about the different races and places, and it was cool to see my players building characters that were true to the lore of the system. If you’re a fan of Fantasy, even if you’re not familiar with Tolkien’s work, you should look into The One Ring.
Narrative Heavy RPG
The One Ring is a narrative-focused RPG. Its mechanics are designed to create collaborative cinematic scenes, specifically how the game handles combat and travel.
Combat in The One Ring doesn’t have initiative or movement. The system offers players the opportunity to be tactical through the use of stealth and stances, but the focus of combat seems to be creating an epic tale of battle. Players get to choose their order and be creative with their actions. Eliminating things like initiative and battle maps takes away features that tend to bog down a session, but it also means players need to be comfortable with being descriptive.
I am most excited about travel in this game. Players have to map out their adventures on the beautifully drawn maps included in the book, and the book has tables to determine what happens along the way. My biggest challenge as a DM is figuring out how to handle travel, but this has everything laid out so neatly. Players pick a role (guide, hunter, lookout, scout) and roll against the relative skill to determine what they encounter on their journey. The book offers a table with vague outcomes, and it is up to the GM and Players to make it exciting.
What I love about this system is how it impacts the rest of the adventure. This can lead to some incredibly silly and epic moments, and I can’t wait to see what we come up with.
Impressions
We haven’t touched the adventure yet, so I can’t give an in-depth review. So far, I think The One Ring is an interesting shift from what we’re used to, and we are excited to get started. Even though we aren’t true fans of the series, we love the lore and flavor of the game. I have a player in my group who is new to RPGs and was ecstatic about starting the campaign. He read the book and his first character. He typically uses pre-generated characters, but he found the inspiration to create a character that fits the flavor of the world. We all had fun setting up for the game, and I plan on running a session zero every time now. We typically pick up and go, but I liked the experience of hanging out and learning the system together.
If you’re a fan of fantasy, this RPG has an amazing amount of lore and flavor. The system has enough resources to get people acclimated to the expansive lore, but you don’t have to be a fan of the series to enjoy the game. Keep in mind that this is a narrative-heavy system, and you and you’re table need to be ready to create this epic collective tale of adventure and intrigue. I am impressed with The One Ring so far, but I’ll be back with a deeper dive. Stay tuned for that.
If you want to pick up the Core Rules, the Starter set, or any of the accessories, pick them up on Amazon using my affiliate links. If you enjoy my content, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to share the socials!
The March of the Mortals Sorcery: Contested Realm tournament was this weekend. I went ahead and collected the top three decks from the event, and I’ll leave links to the singles for those who need them. I tried to choose the cheapest singles, so I am sticking with beta. This is a beautiful game, and even if you’re not trying to get into the competitive scene, you should at least admire the art that went into it.
Make sure you check with your LGS for a local scene and product, but you can always pick up Sorcery: Contested Realm off TCG Player using my affiliate links. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
