So....
I kick started Belfort - the expansion expansion, a small choc-full box of tricks for the great Belfort base game, designed by the super talented <PERSON> and <PERSON> and produced by Tasty Minstrel Games.
I organised a UK group buy ( to keep packaging costs down for myself and 5 other like minded UK gamers) .
And once opened...
Lot's of goodness in the little box of tricks..
So a little about the components, they are all of a great very high standard and with amazing sumptuous art by <PERSON>.
Everything is super thick card, quality large playing cards or super painted green wooden tokens that you apply the assistant stickers to.
Belfort had been played many times by my family and friends, we liked it a lot, very solid worker placement,resource management and area control game with a unique pentagon shaped playing board made up of five pizza slice pieces.
Infact we enjoyed the game so much, we purchased a fantastic laser cut wood surround to frame Belfort city. ( made by "troll works").
So with the expansion comes ten fabulously illustrated assistants,all very different from one another, that you pick one of in reverse turn order, so in a 4 player game for example, 5 assistants are available (always have one assistant surplus to player count) and the 4th player would pick first - a simply BRILLIANT concept that instantly balances out the first player getting "pick of the crop", as now the last player gets to pick something super cool by getting "first dibs" on assistants.
So let's take a look at these "helpers"
Imps come with two wooden tokens that you can use one of
In Spring and Summer months, but both in Autumn.
These pesky little thieves get placed onto an opponent
players unlocked property card that is unoccupied - but
if a fee is payable , you pay it to the player and not
to the supply. Honest thieves!
<PERSON>, simply get a discount on properties you build of either 2 wood, 2 stone or combination of the two this round - very handy indeed.
Giant, comes with 3 wooden giant tokens, use 1 in spring, 2 in summer and...you guessed it..all 3 in Autumn.
Giants simply act as your personal dwarf or Elf tokens to place in the resource area of your choice to attain wood, stone, metal or coins - the only caveat being that you must use all giant tokens in one resource area only. 92
Great stuff.
<PERSON> - choose one district ( pizza slice of board) - to immediately score , obviously you pick one you have area majority in points awarded get stronger as seasons progress in the game ( and other players actually score for 2nd and 3rd place- good times.
Gorgon comes with one wood token that you place in a district of your choice when you pass.
Other players pay you either one, two or three coinage to build in that region that you control with the gorgon, if you build there yourself - you collect said coinage from supply!. Awesome!!.
Goon - comes with a wooden goon token, pay one coin in spring to use a guild that another player has already used, plus pay the usual one coin to use a guild.
In Summer you just pay normal one coin cost to use the guild, in Autumn it's totally free..you heard me!! ....free ..Gratis!!
Very handy when a pesky player has taken a guild you just must have the use of this round
Halfling- cooks the books in Belfort, nickname "the Chef", this guy is so good at giving the tax man the run around, in spring you don't pay any tax - but get a rebate!, summer you pay zilch, nada, nothing and in Autumn when taxes are very high - you only have to give two coinage to the fat fingered tax man.
<PERSON> at the end of your turn take one property card of your choice from the card pile or 3 card draw pool in Spring, two in summer - and yes three in Autumn. ( saving 1-3 coinage for you depending on stage used and ofcoarse you can only usually buy one extra property card per turn at very end of Actions phase - so this is good - it's very good.
Centaur- you know those pointy hatted little Gnomes?, very expensive to hire to pick locks for you?, well the Centaur token gets placed on your built property card to unlock it for the entire turn to let you use it's benefit.
If this wasn't enough, you get discount on the real deal, Gnomes cost you only 2 coinage instead of 3 in spring, 1 coinage instead of 3 in summer......and FREE!!!!! In Autumn . A Gnome fetish's delight ( no names mentioned here) ( <PERSON>) . 629