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Conclusion:
My first few plays I liked the game. I think I now love it. The game continues to get better the quicker it plays. When I play this game, the minutes fly by.
I played the first video game for about two hours and never played it again. I wouldn't call myself a fan of the video game at all. Yet, I find the board game a ton of fun and very thematic. I really feel like I'm a grunt and trying to survive. Every decision is hard and it does require luck to win.
The difficulty of this game is hard. It is a big challenge to win. You need to keep your guys together and also try to run to accomplish the mission. It is so much fun to challenge yourself to fight the bad guys and also run. It is easy to leave a man behind, but then you are not at full speed.
The components are fantastic and really shine through. Each mission has three bad guys, which is enough but of course you always want more. I really want a big expansion for this game!
There are really hard decision as your cards reflect the things you can do and also your health. So, if you spend a card to shoot, you tire yourself out and bring yourself closer to "bleeding out". Whew!
The board is modular so it plays different each time, even if you play the same mission (there are a few missions included in the box). I have to admit this game is hard. When you do win, you will celebrate.
The game has a ton of action and sit on the edge of your seat adventure. It is hard to get wrapped up in a game, but this game has the minutes melting away. As my men start to bleed out, you hope they can crawl to you quick enough. The game is a constant battle.
For a dungeon crawl, this game has it all. It has a fun theme, lots of action, great components, and fun. Yes, it is actually fun to play.
I highly recommend this game and it is a keeper.
Components:
The components in the box are the usual Fantasy Flight Games high quality components we are used to. The cards are going to last you for a long time and are easy to shuffle. The tiles and chits are the highest quality of cardboard. 304
The miniatures are fantastic. The player character minis are a tad hard to decipher from one another. My copy is painted, so that makes the job much easier.
Everything in this box is beautiful. There is very little to complain about. The board is modular and grows as you explore. Based on the components alone, this is a must buy.
Rule Book:
The rule book is very good. I had zero problems with it. I have some minor complaints, but I will get to them. The book is comprised of a full color layout and gives many examples. The book provides instructions with pictures for nearly everything you do in the game. The book is organized well, but the large pictures sometimes interrupt the flow of the rules. This is a minor quibble.
I wish gamers had been supplied with player aides for the game, but honestly despite the size of the rule book the rules are rather simple.
I hold this rule book in the highest regard. You can read it once or twice and then jump into a game and start playing. An index would help the first few games flow better.
Flow of the Game:
I will not explain the rules, instead I hope to explain the flow of the game.
You are trying to accomplish a mission. Usually this means running through the map and killing a bad guy. Other times, it might be doubling back and getting to the "finish line".
On your turn, you draw 1-2 cards and then play a card. Cards allow you to move, attack, draw more cards, etc. The idea is these cards represent your health/stamina. If you run out of cards you then "bleed out". If you bleed out, you can no longer play cards nor draw cards until someone comes to your aid (discards a card in your same area).
Each character has a special power which can be used whenever applicable.
After playing a card, the bad guys then go. There is a deck of cards and you turn over the top card and do what it says.
These cards will move the bad guys, spawn new bad guys, and/or attack with the bad guys. You can play cards from your hand to attack them first or add to the number of your defense die (remember playing cards decreases your health/stamina so do so wisely). Everything is a hard choice.
Player turn:
1. Draw cards
2. Play cards
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