Tag Archives: tabletop

Board Games and TCGs

Mutant: Year Zero – Ad Astra – Take the Apocalypse into Space

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I was sent the Mutant Year Zero: Ad Astra Campaign for free to cover for my blog. I haven’t had a chance to play the game because I am still finishing up my Dragonbane campaign, but I’ve read through the book. This will be my impressions of the book.

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. 

What is Ad Astra

Ad Astra is the latest campaign book for Free League Publishing‘s TTRPG, Mutant: Year Zero releasing onf Febuary 13th. Ad Astra picks up after The Path to Eden campaign. It is recommended you own the Mutant: Genlab Alpha and Mutant: Mechatron expansions for additional rules and stats. I don’t see why you couldn’t just make up rules on the spot, but it is always nice to have balanced stat blocks at the ready. You’ll also need a copy of the core rule book, although you might get away with just using the starter booklet. 

If you’re interested in running a game of Mutant: Year Zero, I recommend you pick up the starter booklet. The booklet provides a streamlined and condensed sample of the game, and it comes with a sample campaign and character sheets to get you started. I recommend you run through the starter booklet before you invest in the system. You can grab your free copy of the PDF on Drivethru RPG, but I’ll leave a copy here for your convenience. 

MYZ_starter_bookletDownload

Story

Society has fallen. The planet has become a wasteland. Those who survive on its surface have mutated, and are now unrecognizable to their ancestors. With the resources dwindling, survivors must fight to stay alive. This time, the call to adventure takes our heroes into space. What mysteries lie beyond the stars? What adventures await? Explore the solar system and fight new monsters in this new epic adventure.

Impressions

I love the comic book style of this system, and Ad Astra is no exception. I absolutely love the flavor of this game, and space campaigns are always fun. I am never big on following prewritten adventures, but I am coming around. It is nice to have something already prepared with lore, encounters, and loot. I usually use these as a jumping-off point, but will eventually end up off-book. When that happens, it is nice to have something to fall back on when the story needs a little nudge.

I like how this book feels like a history book. It goes into a good amount of detail about factions, history, and everything you need for World Building. How much I would use it would depend on my players, but I appreciate the book for the resource that it is. 

As gameplay goes, I’ll have to run a campaign first. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Year Zero system, so if this game plays anything like Dragonbane, I am here for it. 

If you are interested in a campaign of Mutant, I recommend you run the booklet first to get a sense if it’s the right game for your table. After your table has become invested, move through the rest of the resources until you’re ready to take things into space. 

If you’re already playing Mutant and want to take things into space, you should consider Ad Astra. The artwork is fantastic, the flavor is great, and it introduces unique monsters, items, and mechanics you’re going to want to borrow for your campaign. 

You can preorder your copy of the Ad Astra campaign on the official site for $41.80 (not including shipping), or from Amazon for $39.99 (free shipping with Prime). 

Altered TCG

Discover the Muna Faction for the Upcoming Altered TCG

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The Altered TCG Kickstarter was fully funded in only two minutes. Since then, it has continued to see support, and I can see why. The art is beautiful, the concept is neat, and the gameplay seems fun. I think it can break two million.

‘ve listed the starter deck lists, now let’s move on to the rest of the set. There are a lot of cool and interesting cards in this set, so let’s kick things off with Muna:

If you want to try the game, the starter decks are available for print and play in both letter and A4 format. PnP support for the rest of the set is on the way. Looks like I’m going to need to buy a printer.

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to back the Kickstarter and join the Discord!

Altered TCG

Check out the Yzmir Starter Deck List: Altered TCG

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The Altered TCG Kickstarter launched recently, and it was fully funded in two minutes. The campaign has blown well past its goals, and continues to gain traction. Altered attempts to redefine the TCG space with its creative gameplay and expansive world-building. I’m a huge fan of the art, and am curious to see how it plays. Check out my previous post for more details.

The Kickstarter introduces six distinct starter decks based on the factions that exist within the Asgartha peninsula. Let’s kick things off by looking at the Ordis starter deck! Note that you’ll only be able to get Adventure cards from the starter decks at launch, so its a good idea to nab a couple.

If you want to try out the Axiom starter deck, take advantage of the generous print-and-play feature on the official website. Join the Discord to stay up to date, and even make some friends. The campaign ends on February 28th, so don’t forget to back the Kickstarter!

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Deck List

  • 1 x Akesha & Taru
  • 1 x Beauty Sleep
  • 1 x Monolith Archivist
  • 3 x Studious Disciple
  • 1 x Tooth Fairy
  • 3 x Yzmir Stargazer
  • 3 x Lady of the Lake
  • 2 x Baba Yaga
  • 1 x Baba Yaga (Alt)
  • 2 x Kadigiran Alchemist
  • 1 x Kadigiran Alchemist (Alt)
  • 2 x Alice
  • 1 x Alice (Alt)
  • 2 x Dorothy Gale
  • 1 x Dorothy Gale (Alt)
  • 2 x Sakarabru
  • 1 x Sakarabru (Alt)
  • 3 x Off you go!
  • 3 x Spy Craft
  • 3 x Banishing Gate
  • 3 x Kraken’s Wrath

Print and Play

If you want to try out the Muna deck, you can download the PnP from the official site in both A4 and Letter format. I’ll also leave the files below for your convenience:

A4

2024_Altered_TCG_Deck_Yzmir_PRINT_PLAY_A4Download

Letter

2024_Altered_TCG_Deck_Yzmir_PRINT_PLAY_LETTERDownload
Altered TCG

Check out the Muna Starter Deck List: Altered TCG

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The Altered TCG Kickstarter launched recently, and it was fully funded in two minutes. The campaign has blown well past its goals, and continues to gain traction. Altered attempts to redefine the TCG space with its creative gameplay and expansive world-building. I’m a huge fan of the art, and am curious to see how it plays. Check out my previous post for more details.

The Kickstarter introduces six distinct starter decks based on the factions that exist within the Asgartha peninsula. Let’s kick things off by looking at the Muna starter deck! Note that starter decks are the only way to get Adventure cards at launch, so it might be good to buy a couple decks.

If you want to try out the Axiom starter deck, take advantage of the generous print-and-play feature on the official website. Join the Discord to stay up to date, and even make some friends. The campaign ends on February 28th, so don’t forget to back the Kickstarter!

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Deck List

  • 1 x Teija & Nauraa
  • 1 x Physical Training
  • 1 x Lyra Cloth Dancer
  • 3 x Kitsune
  • 3 x Spindle Harvester
  • 2 x Sneezer Shroom
  • 1 x Sneezer Shroom (Alt)
  • 2 x Yong-Su, Verdant Weaver
  • 1 x Yong-Su, Verdant Weaver (Alt)
  • 3 x Inari
  • 3 x Daughter of Yggdrasil
  • 3 x Muna Druid
  • 3 x Cernunnos
  • 1 x Parvati
  • 2 x Coniferal Coneman
  • 1 x Coniferal Coneman (Alt)
  • 2 x Meditation Training
  • 1 x Meditation Training
  • 2 x Nurture (Alt)
  • 1 x Nurture (Alt)
  • 3 x Beauty Sleep

Print and Play

If you want to try out the Muna deck, you can download the PnP from the official site in both A4 and Letter format. I’ll also leave the files below for your convenience:

A4

2024_Altered_TCG_Deck_Muna_PRINT_PLAY_A4Download

Letter

2024_Altered_TCG_Deck_Muna_PRINT_PLAY_LETTERDownload
Altered TCG

Check out the Bravos Starter Deck List: Altered TCG

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The Altered TCG Kickstarter launched recently, and it was fully funded in two minutes. The campaign has blown well past its goals, and continues to gain traction. Altered attempts to redefine the TCG space with its creative gameplay and expansive world-building. I’m a huge fan of the art, and am curious to see how it plays. Check out my previous post for more details.

The Kickstarter introduces six distinct starter decks based on the factions that exist within the Asgartha peninsula. Let’s kick things off by looking at the Bravos starter deck! Note that you can only get Adventure cards from starter decks at launch, so it be a good idea to nab a few.

If you want to try out the Axiom starter deck, take advantage of the generous print-and-play feature on the official website. Join the Discord to stay up to date, and even make some friends. The campaign ends on February 28th, so don’t forget to back the Kickstarter!

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Decklist

  • 1 x Kojo & Booda
  • 2 x Ratatoskr
  • 1 x Ratatoskr (Alt)
  • 3 x Issun-bōshi
  • 2 x Bravos Tracer
  • 1 x Bravos Tracer (Alt)
  • 3 x Bravos Pathfinder
  • 3 x Haven Trainee
  • 3 x Kappa
  • 3 x Haven Bouncer
  • 2 x Haven Warrior
  • 1 x Haven Warrior (Alt)
  • 2 x Sun Wukong
  • 1 x Sun Wukong (Alt)
  • 3 x Atlas
  • 1 x Shenlong
  • 2 x Physical Training
  • 1 x Physical Training (Alt)
  • 3 x Intimidation
  • 1 x Booda (Token)
  • 1 x The Spindle, Muna Bastion
  • 1 x Dorothy Gale

Print and Play

You can download the PnP in A4 and Letter format from the official site, but I’ll leave a copy for your convenience.

A4

2024_Altered_TCG_Deck_Bravos_PRINT_PLAY_A4Download

Letter

2024_Altered_TCG_Deck_Bravos_PRINT_PLAY_LETTERDownload
Board Games and TCGs

Altered TCG: The Card Game Attempting to Redefine the Hobby

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The Altered TCG Kickstarter just launched, and it was fully funded in the first couple of hours. The initial $54,000 goal has since been blown out of the water, and the project sits at a comfortable $1,425,675 at the time of writing this. I am sure this number is going to keep rising because there seems to be a healthy amount of buzz and interest for this game, and I can see why. 

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

What is Altered?

Altered is a unique TCG where players win by completing their adventure first. Unlike most TCGs, there is no combat. Players must instead use their deck to traverse the unique world of Asgartha with the help of their faction, tools, and allies. Do you have what it takes to conquer this new land?

This game looks like a nice combination of board games and TCG, which I am sure will bring in a new audience to the hobby. The artwork is amazing, the concept is interesting, and the creator has experience in the field. I love that they have print and play option so that you can try the game out before you back. Having the companion app is an interesting concept, but I have to see it in action before I can make my judgment. It isn’t the first game that has tried something like this, but I hope it is the first one to succeed. 

How to Play

I’ll leave a download for the the rulebook, but Maindeck has put out a fantastic video where you can see it in action that you should check out.

Altered_RulebookDownload

Thoughts

I was first drawn to Altered because of the art. I am a huge fan of the style, the factions, and the world it creates. I haven’t had a chance to dive too deeply into the gameplay, but it seems like a solid fusion between board games and TCG, and I am willing to try. I am always fascinated by games that try to redefine the hobby, and this seems to have its strong start.

What I love most about the game is that they have a print-and-play option so that you can try before backing. Nothing is worse than dropping money on something you end up not liking. There is also a growing Discord you should join if you have any questions or reservations. If you are looking for a new TCG that is unique, you might want to go back the Altered Kickstarter.

Kickstarter

The Kickstarter launches with six starter decks, a booster box, sleeves, special foils, and other themed accessories. The stretch goals have almost all been unlocked, and there are a lot of goodies. There is always risk when backing a Kickstarter, but this is from the designer who has brought us Dice Forge and Seasons, which inspires a bit more confidence.

Backing Level

  • Discovery Pack ($26)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
  • Expert Pack ($162)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
    • 1 Booster Box
    • Stretch Goals
  • Master Pack ($540)
    • Your Choice of 2 Starter Decks
    • 4 Booster Boxes
    • Stretch Goals
  • Devine Pack ($5,394)
    • All 6 decks
    • 42 Booster Boxes
    • Stretch Goals

Alt Cards

digimon tcg

Digimon Liberator and Illustration Competition Promos Revealed

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The Digimon Liberator webcomic was teased last month. The webcomic will be about the card game and will introduce new characters, Digimon, and Digivolutions. To celebrate, Bandai is releasing six promo cards featuring the new characters. I’m digging these promos and hope they make them easy to obtain later on. 

Digimon Liberator packs will be given out at the Bandai Card Games Fest in Los Angeles, January 27-28. Packs will only have 1 card, so I hope they make it easy to earn multiple. A global release of the promo packs will be announced later this year. 

The event is free, so if you are in the area and love Digimon or any of the other Bandai IPs, try to make some time. It looks like it is too late to participate and spectate the tournaments, but they’ll be streaming the finals on YouTube. 

Attendees will also have the chance to earn an Illustration Competition and Digimon Liberator promo pack by completing the scavenger hunt. Supplies are limited, so you better act fast! There are some cool promos going into this event, so let’s at least have a look!

If you enjoy these updates, please make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. 

Digimon Liberator

Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode Ace

Atendees can get their hands on this sick Imperialdramon promo! I love the colors! I’ll be updating this with a better quality image as soon as I find one.

Illustration Competition 2023 Promos

These are still being revealed, so I’ll be updating this post regularly until I have the full set.

Grand Archive TCG

Alchemical Revolution: Arisanna Start Deck Revealed

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Alchemical Revolution releases on January 26. It is bringing three new classes, elements, and some new elements you’re going to want to try. The card list has been released, so make sure you check out the post to get hyped! Make sure you check with your LGS for product and events, but there is always TCG Player if that isn’t an option.

The Arisanna starter deck is introducing some cool new mechanics that I am very interested in trying. I am still looking for a deck list, but lets look at some of the cards until then. If you enjoy these updates please follow, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends!

Board Games and TCGs

Building Better Worlds Expansion for Alien RPG is out now!

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The Building Better Worlds expansion for the Alien RPG just released, and you might want to pick it up for the colony mechanics. You will need the core rulebook to use this resource, so either the Core Rulebook ($54.08) or the Starter Set ($51.22) should be enough to get you started. 

Starter set doesn’t include GM Screen

The Starter set has everything you need to get you started:

  • 5 generated character sheets
  • prewritten adventure
  • 84 game makers to keep track of characters, motions, and more
  • 54 custom cards for weapons, personal agenda, and initiative
  • 10 specially designed base dice
  • 10 specially designed stress dice
  • 864x558mm double-sided map

You do get a condensed version of the rules, but this should be perfect for new players. If you want to create your own adventure, I recommend you pick up the core rulebook! You get a pdf version for either physical copy.

Thoughts on the Expansion

Building Better Worlds is a neat resource for GMS who need a little extra help to spice up their next Alien campaign. I typically like to make up my adventure, even when working from a book, but I appreciate being able to fall back on other people’s ideas from time to time. This book has some neat ideas I definitely want to try at my table, like having my players become stranded on a prison planet of deranged criminals and Xenomorphs. 

The book introduces new ships, NPCs, planets, solar systems, and weapons to help aid GMs with flavor and world-building. It includes several plot hoots, ideas on how to run certain planets or colonies, and even a campaign players can run through if they need a jumping-off point. Most importantly, the book introduces the colony mechanic.

From my brief understanding, players will need to travel to foreign planets and either start, maintain or save a colony for humanity’s expansion into the cosmos. This won’t be an easy task. Planets are inhospitable, conditions are unpredictable, and there are bloodthirsty aliens lurking in the shadows. In space, if the stress of survival doesn’t kill you, the Xenos will. This sounds like the perfect bleek setting for any table that needs a change of pace, and I am here for it. 

Where to Buy

Remember, you need access to the core rules before picking up this expansion. Those interested in the Building Better Worlds expansion can get their hardcover copy from the official Free League Publishing website for $45.51. Those who don’t care about physical media can pick up the PDF on DriveThruRPG for $19.99. If you play online, I recommend picking up the official Building Better Worlds module for Foundry VTT. I’ve written a post explaining why you should use Foundry VTT if you want to know more.

I do plan on running Alien RPG at some point after Dragonbane. I have a huge collection of RPGs I need to get through, and I like to take my time and live in them for a bit. Until then, stay tuned! If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow and share this with your friends.

digimon tcg

Animal Colosseum Box Toppers and Promos

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Animal Colosseum releases this Friday, January 19th, so lets take a look at the box toppers. There are a few Digitama I wouldn’t getting my hands on, and that Skullgreymon just looks so sick. Always check with your LGS for any events and product, but you can always preorder Animal Colusseum on TCG Player.

If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a comment, like, follow, and share this with your friends. If you’re looking for any Digimon product like Blast Ace, get it over at TCG Player