fighting

In Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn, a two-player expandable card game, players take on the roles of Phoenixborns, demi-gods and protectors of this world. These characters are the great saviors of their civilizations. Before they came into existence, the humans were plagued by monsters like chimeras that took away their lands and forced them to live in walled-off cities. When the Phoenixborns came, they fought off the chimeras and freed the lands for humans to take over once again.

But the time of peace was short-lived. A prophecy arose that if one Phoenixborn was able to absorb enough Ashes of others, they would ascend into full gods and take mastery over this world. This, as well as humans' greed for land, fueled the War of Ashes. The great cities now fight among each other, each one of them with a Phoenixborn at its helm, and you will decide who will rise and who will fall to ashes.

—description from the publisher

THE GAMEPLAY

Street Masters is a 1-4 player cooperative miniatures board game inspired by classic fighting video games. Featuring over 65 highly detailed miniatures, unique decks for fighters & enemies, custom dice, and lightning-fast gameplay, Street Masters lets players match up powerful fighters against villainous organizations in a wide array of exciting scenarios. Designed by Adam Sadler and Brady Sadler, the game offers modular and elegant gameplay set in a unique and exciting world of brutal combat.

THE STORY

Warriors from around the world, known for their legendary fighting abilities and skills, receive mysterious invitations to participate in a martial arts tournament. During the tournament, the organization surrounding it reveals their true identity — The Kingdom — and their purpose to recruit fighters to join their militia or enslave those against them. While several of these warriors made it out in time, many were never heard from again.

Five years later, a government project called "Street Masters" initiates in order to counter-act the war against The Kingdom, now having divided and seized control over the world by several of its factions. Those who join the Street Masters project must work together to take down each faction, crippling parts of The Kingdom before they're able to launch their end game.

THE GREAT RETURN
​Over generations and generations the ancient woodland of Børe prospered and grew. The world was bestowed with great spirit, which lifted the animals of the land to new heights. Unfortunately, over the years these clans lost touch with the spirit of the land and faction warring developed. The Foxen Kingdom of Skulk Hollow in the South, The spiritual Red Pandas of Cupboard in the North, the Mischievous Mice of Multon in the West, and the colony of Blackheart Bunnies in the East. As skirmishes started breaking out across the continent, lives lost, there was a monstrous shake and then The Great Return. No one quite knows why, but the Guardians have risen - but not the kind, life-giving Guardians of spiritual legend. Dark, ferocious, versions that are now attacking all the kingdoms of the land.

OBJECTIVE
In Skulk Hollow, two players take the roles of either a towering behemoth of a Guardian trying to eliminate the clans of foxes who have been causing havoc on the countryside, or a band of foxen heroes out to vanquish the evil beast that has been terrorizing the land and reunite the four kingdoms of Børe.

The Guardian wins the game by either eliminating the Foxen King, or by gaining enough Tribute.

The Foxen Heroes wins the game by eliminating the Guardian.

GAMEPLAY
Skulk Hollow is a 2-player, asymetric, tactical combat game. Player use action cards to move their units, summon, and use special abilities. Taking down a guardian requires the Foxen player to leap onto the Guardian player board and take out different parts of the character.

Drako: Dragon & Dwarves is an asymmetrical game for two players, with one player leading a team of three dwarves who are experienced dragon hunters and the other playing a red dragon that has spread terror amongst local peasants. The dwarves have managed to trap the dragon in a shady valley at the foot of the mountain where it lives – apparently dragons can't resist the smell of freshly slaughtered sheep – but despite being in chains, the dragon is still young and ferocious, providing the dwarves with the difficult task of killing it without being killed themselves.

Each player has a unique deck of cards, and each card has symbols on it to indicate possible actions. The dragon can move around the game board, bite, shoot fire, fly (in a limited way), and defend itself from attacks; the dwarves can attack with their axes, shoot crossbows, move individually or in groups, protect themselves with shields, and cast nets.

Each player can have up to six cards in hand, and managing these cards and maneuvering their characters on the game board are the keys to victory. Has the opponent run out of defense cards? Can the dragon nip the strongest dwarf and take him out without opening himself up to attacks from the others? The dwarves can attack the dragon's wings to keep it from flying, chop its legs so it can't move, and cut its throat to prevent it from breathing fire.

If the dwarves kill the dragon before it breaks from the trap – that is before dwarves run out of cards – they win. If the dragon survives or defeats the dwarves, he will manage to free his trapped leg and fly away, triumphing over his opponents.

A handful of heroes have just stolen the powerful relics of the Baleful Queen. Without them, the immortal sovereign is weakened; recovering them is now her sole purpose.

With the High Mages attempting to destroy them, the heroes have fallen back into the Bastion of the Ancient Kings, where they must defend the fort to the peril their lives.

Unceasingly, the hordes led by the Warlords besiege the ramparts. If this citadel falls, an entire civilization will be swept away, and an entire world will fall into chaos...

Last Bastion is a cooperative game in which the players take on the roles of heroes defending an ancestral Bastion against the monstrous hordes of the Baleful Queen. The players struggle together against the game, either they all win victory, or else they all suffer defeat.