Dice Rolling

Monsters Menace America

As a giant monster, stomping cities is what you do. But now, other giant monsters are moving in on your turf - and you have to put a stop to that. Through a bizarre twist of fate, a branch of the military has decided to focus all its firepower on the other monsters. While your rivals are busy trampling tanks and swatting fighter jets, you'll be out there growing in power and infamy - getting ready for the Monster Challenge. In the end, when the dust settles and the radiation fades, the last creature standing will be crowned King of the Giant Monsters!

Each player is one of six Giant Monsters, stomping across a map of the USA in search of cities to destroy. The monsters run the gamut from the classic (enormous lizards and gargantuan apes) to the slightly more unconventional (giant walking eyeball), and each has its own set of attributes and powers.

Ingeniously, everyone also controls an arm of the military, which can be used to attack and weaken the other monsters on the board. It's a losing battle for the militia -- monsters can wipe out military bases and reduce the total number of forces available to each player -- but you can get a few good licks in early in the game.The battle escalates until the 20th city is reduced to rubble. At that time, all the monsters duke it out in a free-for-all, mano-a-clawo Monster Challenge; when the dust settles, the last monster standing is declared the winner.

This game is a reworking of Monsters Ravage America.

Key differences between this version and the original game include: getting rid of money in favor of a set number of units each turn, streamlined combat (two rounds in the new edition as opposed to three), removal of "bad" cards from the Research and Mutation decks (along with a few new cards from some of the unofficial expansions), removal of terrain effects on the board, miscellaneous balance tweaks between the military branches and the monsters.

BattleLore: Dwarven Battalion Specialist Pack

From the publisher's blog:

This will be our first two Specialist packs: a Dwarven Battalion and a Goblin Skirmishers set. These packs introduce new units to the game, along with the Specialist and Weapon summary cards necessary to field them. For now, let’s just say that they will significantly alter your game.

Contents:

4 Iron Dwarf Bagpipers
8 Iron Dwarf Spear Bearers (16 more are found in BattleLore: Scottish Wars)
8 Iron Dwarf Axe Swingers (8 more are found in BattleLore: Bearded Brave)
14 banners
2×1 Green Bagpiper
2×1 Blue Bagpiper
2×1 Red Bagpiper
2×2 Axe Swingers
2×2 Spear Bearers

4-page Rules booklet with 2 new adventures
3 Specialist cards (Iron Dwarves Axe Swingers, Bagpipers, Spear Bearers)
3 Weapon Summary cards (Bagpiper, Battle Axe, Spear Bearer)

Expands:

BattleLore

BattleLore: Goblin Skirmishers Specialist Pack

The second of two specialist pack releases. Each Specialist Pack introduces 20 new figures and each unit type has new Specialist and Weapon summary cards that detail the fighting capabilities for these forces on the battlefield. Each pack also adds 2 new Adventures that feature the new figures, as well as additional Banners to deploy them within either camp.

Contents:

20 figures
1 Goblin Band Leader (also in BattleLore: Goblin Marauders Specialist Pack)
3 Goblin Drummers (also in BattleLore: Goblin Marauders Specialist Pack)
8 Hobgoblin Spear Bearers
8 Goblin Slingers

10 banners
2×1 Band
2×2 Slingers
2×2 Spear Bearer

4-page Rules Booklet with 2 new adventures
4 Specialist cards (Goblin Band, Goblin Drummers, Goblin Slingers, Hobgoblin Spear Bearers)
4 Weapon Summary cards (Bass Drum, Goblin Drum, Sling, Spear Bearer)

Expands:

BattleLore

BattleLore: Goblin Marauders Specialist Pack

The third specialist pack release (and 2nd expansion for goblins) for BattleLore. This Specialist Pack introduces new figures and each unit type has new Specialist and Weapon summary cards that detail the fighting capabilities for these forces on the battlefield. Each pack also adds additional Banners to deploy them within either camp.

The Goblin Marauders pack features 16 figures including the Goblin Band and mounted Hobgoblins - the Hyena Riders and Ostrich Riders, plus 2 new Adventures.

Contents:

16 figures:
1 Goblin Band Leader (also in BattleLore: Goblin Skirmishers Specialist Pack)
3 Goblin Drummers (also in BattleLore: Goblin Skirmishers Specialist Pack)
6 Hobgoblin Hyena Riders
6 Hobgoblin Ostrich Riders

10 banners (5 for each camp)
2×1 Band
2×2 Green Reflex Bow
2×2 Blue Reflex Bow

4-page Rules Booklet, including 2 new adventures
4 Specialist cards (Goblin Band, Goblin Drummers, Goblin Marauders (2))
3 Weapon Summary cards (Bass Drum, Goblin Drum, Reflex Bow)
1 Unit Summary card (Hyena Riders)

Expands:

BattleLore

BattleLore: Call to Arms

Call to Arms is the first purchasable expansion to the popular BattleLore game system. This expansion allows for the personalized deployment of your troops. Individual games will no longer be subject to predetermined scenarios and troop placement.

Instead, players may choose various pre-defined battle maps (or create their own!). Then from an innovative Deployment deck, players may set-up their armies as they please. The new deployment deck will allow you to react to the land, establish reserves, and gain the initiative by out-scouting your opponent.

The expansion also introduces a more organized deployment system through the Feudal Levy system: new tokens are included that correspond to the three colour types of troops.

The organized version also includes further customization with the Specialist concept. Players may choose two specialist cards during set-up. Benefits range from upgrading all archers to long bows, increasing unit size based on your Warrior's Level, and additional movements, to name a few.

Starting with BattleLore: Horrific Horde, additional Deployment cards are included in some supplements.

Set-up now includes the following actions:

Ready your deployment deck and draw deployment cards
Set-up your units based on the cards drawn
Determine initiative
Deploy your Reserve units
Establish your War Council
Select and play 2 Specialist cards

The expansion also includes new terrain hexes.

Contents:

20-page booklet with rules and 6 scenarios
6 Deployment card sets (A, B, C for either side, 7 cards each)
10 Specialist cards (Archers Stakes, Bow Upgrade, Forced Enrollment, Vantage Point, Illusionary Troops, Infiltration, King’s Allies, Prayer, Dwarven Mercenaries, Goblinoid Mercenaries)
6 Terrain Summary cards (Archers Stakes (2), Cliffs (2), Marshes (2))
2 Weapons Summary cards (Long Bow (2))
8 terrain hexes
4 Cliff (two-sided) / Marsh
2 Cliff (three-sided) / Marsh
2 Cliff (single sided) / Marsh

3 obstacle rectangles
2 Ramparts / Archers Stakes
1 Stone Bridge / Archers Stakes

12 Feudal Levy tokens (4 of each colour)
6 banners
1 Green Standard Archer
1 Blue Standard Regular Infantry
1 Green Standard Cavalry
2 Green Pennant Crossbowman
1 Red Pennant Heavy Infantry

Expands:

Battlelore