2009 to 2 to 5 players - Experts - J. Engle - Alderac
SwatSh : 8.8 10
Thunderstone is the second game (after Arcana) that I played and is based on the mechanics of Dominion: In other words, it builds its deck of cards as and when the party playing cards in his hand to buy cards that are on the table and are available to all.
Thunderstone offers all the same features that renew and improve the basic game:
In turn, we are entitled to 3 different actions:
- Relax (= destroy a card from his hand and repiocher a new hand)
- Visit the village = Dominion same as here: you pay for gold, play cards "actions" to buy more cards and more powerful. It is also possible to change its heroes from one level to the next level by paying the cards are gaining experience that when we go fight the monsters in the dungeon ...
- Go fight in the dungeon. Here is the new mechanics introduced by Thunderstone . At the beginning of the game, it is a package of 30 monsters. In the last 10 cards monsters mixed Thunderstone map that will determine the end of the game show is always the first 3 monsters of the package. Then we can fight one of these 3 monsters. To beat a monster, he must combat value of our cards (heroes, weapons, items ,...) is greater than the value of life of the monster. An element is added: the dark than a monster card is close to the monster pack (= the bottom of the tower), at the darkness is great and it is therefore more difficult to beat. These are the monsters that give victory points & experience points to upgrade to our hero.
The choices are difficult in parts of Thunderstone . One hesitates to fight often between the monsters or go to equip village. Indeed, the more you fight monsters, the most points will win it but most cards will be superfluous in his deck . But some monsters bring benefits if we play with his hand (in terms of attack value or gold to buy stuff in the village). Other monsters instead will rot our battles by destroying one of our maps for example. It is therefore difficult to make the right choice.
Many elements are thus complicating the game over to Dominion: money and points of victory, of course, but also attack points, experience points, light against darkness ... all of which can further enrich the concept Dominion.
Thunderstone is an enhanced version of Dominion, which has the advantage of having a more coherent theme and where it believes in our fight monsters in the dungeon or to equip themselves in the village.
But why did I give him a lower rating than Dominion? Simply because he remains an aftertaste of "déjà vu". I was marked as much by the novelty offered by Dominion, both here, I feel like eating a warmed dish. I would say that this is more of an alternative to Dominion that a game in its own right so it looks like his elder .
But this does not prevent copying to be very enjoyable to play.
Philrey 212 : 9,5 / 10
Well that's a good surprise. I who am a bit against the grain (I know), not very excited not Dominion, I found Thunderstone significantly higher than its older cousin.
So yes, it incorporates the principle of building a great deck but it adds a dimension that gives a much more ... hmm ... much less repetitive than Dominion. As
Dominon, the village offers a range of card to buy. These cards do not generally relate as points at the end of the game but used to fight the creatures in the dungeon corridor. Here too, we must build his deck. Here too, some cards are more powerful than the other but to a lesser extent in my opinion).
The major difference I really like here is:
In Dominion, each player builds his deck again and again and the first who began buying coats a good chance of winning. And wait for the best time to start its purchases of PV. In
Thunderstone, monsters that battle (provided ganger) report points at the end of the game. But are also used in some cases, to fight other monsters. It will therefore regularly during the game. Especially if you have too much money in his hand and enough "power" to win a fight.
Another interesting aspect of Thunderstone, that the corridor of the dungeon. Three monsters are there, more or less distant from the entrance. And a monster is far more light, it will be harder to defeat. Like all monsters do not report the same PV at the end of the game, it can sometimes be useful not overcome the first order not to make it easier for his opponent (when a monster is vanquished, all cards gets closer monsters of light)
In short, no it is not new. Yes Thunderstone resumed the great principle of Dominion. But he adds that dimension which makes it, for my taste, a game more enjoyable.
